People who have been using a path for decades have just been told they have no right to do so.

Townspeople in Charlbury have become upset over a lengthy delay in establishing the passageway between The Playing Close and Sheep Street is a public footpath.

Landowners have blocked it off by putting up wooden fencing panels and padlocking a gate.

According to Oxfordshire County Council, the owners are worried that they may be liable for damages in any accident along the ten-yard stretch of path. The council says it could take six months before a public footpath order is issued. Then there are rights for appeal.

Anita Coughlan, senior rights of way officer, said: "It is not on the definitive map, which is the legal record of footpaths.

"Residents who can show they have been using it as a footpath for 20 years need to come forward. I am afraid there is a rather drawn-out consultation process.

"But I can confirm the owners are worried about their liability. That seems to be the reason why they have shut the path off."

Long-time resident Ray Marshall, of Woodstock Road, claimed there should be no shortage of people prepared to give evidence.

He said: "This is a blow for the large number of local people who use this path daily to go to the shops.

"I, for one, have been using this path regularly since the late 1940s when we nipped out from school to get sweets from Mrs Lay's shop."

Belmont Land Ltd, which has offices in London, acquired the path during the redevelopment of the town's old primary school into the new Beechcroft housing estate. The company was unavailable for comment.

Nick Potter, town council chairman, said: "The land ownership there is extremely complicated and we are trying to sort it out, but it is not a registered right of way."