A green Party threat to quit the ruling alliance on Oxford City Council has been dismissed as "a cynical political" gamesmanship.

The Greens warned they might pull out of its power sharing deal on the council, after the Liberal Democrats formed a new county alliance with the Conservatives. They feared the County Hall deal could result in their Lib Dem partners at the city coming under intense pressure to abandon agreed transport strategy.

The leader of the county Liberal Democrats, Margeret Godden, said she was astonished to learn in the Oxford Mail that the Green Party had written to her setting out their grievances.

Mrs Godden said: "I have not received any such letter. The Greens seem to be so excited about getting a story in the paper that they have forgotten to get a letter in the post. They are playing a cynical political game."

She reassured the Greens that she would also fight any watering down of the Oxford Transport Strategy, despite the new Tory alliance.

She said: "My Conservative colleague councillor Keith Mitchell would like to see more traffic through the High Street. I would like to see less. We both understand this.

"At the right time we shall no doubt vigorously defend our different points of view and there will be plenty of other people in the debate."

She said there was nothing to justify the Greens having to rethink their arrangement with Liberal Democrats on the City Council.

Dr Michael Woodin, for the Oxford Green Party, said his party had been left "confused and alarmed" by developments in County Hall.

He said: "We certainly have no wish to be associated with any Tory-led agenda from the county council. I have to say that if the Liberal Democrats are seen to be imposing county policies that we object to, then we will have to consider whether our association can continue."