A county councillor has sparked outrage among Banbury shopkeepers by sending them Christmas good wishes.

The greetings came after town centre businesses suffered three-months of poor trade caused by roadworks in South Bar, Horsefair and North Bar.

David Robertson, Oxfordshire County Council's executive member for transport and highways, issued a memo saying all would be well now the roadworks were finished. He said Banbury was set for a successful and busy period, adding "I wish traders a prosperous and busy Christmas".

But shopkeepers said the run-up to the festive season had been ruined.

Mohammed Khalid who runs the Sheesh Mahal restaurant in South Bar said business was down 50 per cent.

He said: "I've missed out on Christmas. People who went elsewhere during the roadworks have booked their Christmas dinners at other places."

John Washbourne at Radical in George Street described the memo as rubbish, saying: "The roadworks have killed us. I'm down 70 per cent on last year."