Residents told last week that their cars would be towed away if they did not move them for contractors are still waiting for road repairs to start.

People living in William Street, New Marston, Oxford, were told by the city council that resurfacing work would start last Monday.

Margaret Gregory, of William Street, said: "We have been let down yet again. We were told in November last year that work was about to start, but it didn't.

"Then we were informed by notices on lampposts that the work would start on January 21, but it still hasn't happened.

"We just get so fed up with the way we are treated by the city council. They can threaten to tow our cars away, yet they do not honour their own agreement."

Colin Peach, also of William Street, who has been campaigning for the ankle-deep potholes in the road to be filled for nearly ten years, said many people had spent the week parking away from their homes.

Mr Peach said: "It has caused quite a lot of disruption because people still have to do their shopping and receive deliveries. No-one is going to take the notices seriously now, so the contractors are likely to turn up and find the street full of cars."

Andrew Burchett, technical support manager for Oxford City Works, said the council was carrying out repairs and resurfacing work on a number of minor roads across Oxford and that unforeseen delays had put back the start date for work on William Street.

He said he hoped work would start on resurfacing the road today, and assured residents that contractors would try to trace car owners before removing vehicles.

Marston ward councillor Mary Clarkson said: "If City Works keep letting the residents down, they will not continue going to the trouble of moving their cars off the road for workmen who never turn up."