Residents living near Oxford's Folly Bridge are seeing red over an Italian restaurant's publicity campaign.

The Aqua Vitae restaurant, which is based in a building next to the bridge, has put up a number of large signs. One is red, and positioned a few feet from the listed parapet wall of the bridge.

Meryvn Curran, a spokesman for residents living in Shirelake Close and Folly Bridge Court, has complained about the signs, and city councillors are considering the issue at tonight's central, south and west area committee.

Mr Curran said: "We can understand the necessity for signs from a marketing point of view, but they are too large and intrusive in a a conservation area, next to a listed structure.

"Residents are also finding floodlighting used to highlight the river very intrusive, and we don't believe planning officers properly consulted residents." Cllr Colin Cook, executive member for planning, who is also on the central area committee, said: "These signs are ugly and overbearing and spoil one of the main entrances to the city.

"Officers have been asked to continue negotiating with the restaurant to try to find a way forward."

A planning application for an illuminated chrome-edged menu board and hanging signs was recently submitted retrospectively and was refused.

A report to councillors by planning officer Murray Hancock said the department would seek voluntary removal of "unauthorised and damaging signage", and seek a more co-ordinated scheme, respecting the setting of the nearby buildings. The marketing spokesman for the restaurant, Danae Theologis, said: "We chose the colour red for the sign because a lot of the interior is red.

"We need a sign that can be seen clearly, because the restaurant is positioned slightly below the bridge, but we are happy to talk to planning officers about any changes they suggest."