Security at an Oxford car park has been condemned by a woman whose vehicle was broken into in broad daylight.

Leanne Burden

Leanne Burden was horrified to find her car doors had been badly smashed and her speakers stolen from the Redbridge Park and Ride on Abingdon Road.

But her horror turned to anger when guards said they had not seen anything and CCTV cameras there were fake.

Miss Burden, 19, of Meadow View Road, Kennington, parked her car in the Park and Ride at 9.30am on October 20 and returned at 6pm after a day's work at Campus travel shop on St Aldate's.

She said: "I went to put the key in the door, and saw the lock was off. The car seats were back, and the back shelf with speakers on it was gone. I had the car broken into six months ago, and my boyfriend put a steel plate behind the lock. So they hadn't managed to get into the passenger side.

"I went down to the security box and asked them if the cameras were on, and they said they were dummies. I couldn't believe it, and it made me pretty angry.

"They brought in a 50p charge for parking to pay for security, and you don't get any. I'm going to write to Oxford City Council to complain.

"A sign in the car park said the council won't accept responsibility, but I think this is down to their negligence, because there were three guards on duty that day and not one of them saw anything.

"I'm going to have to get two new doors, and that's not what you need just before Christmas."

Graham Smith, council business manager, said: "There are cameras on the site, but they are only used for traffic management or emergencies.

"The most effective thing we have found is putting guards in, and crime in car parks has dropped by 90 per cent since they started in November 1998. We can't guarantee car safety."

Mr Smith said even if the cameras were on, they would not be a help unless they happened to be pointing at the site of any offence.