Vincent McKeown, who fears he will be forced to move, pictured with his carer Christian Pattison Council tenants in Oxford face having to move out because their flats could be demolished as part of the planned Westgate Centre redevelopment.

Some of the tenants of 16 flats in Abbey Place, near Paradise Square, are disabled and live in specially-adapted homes.

Capital Shopping Centres, which owns the Westgate Centre and is planning a £220m redevelopment, wants to demolish the flats to make way for a bus-turning facility and new housing.

No formal planning application has yet been submitted but it is expected that the demolition will be part of the latest proposals for the city centre.

Green county councillor Sushila Dahll, who represents West Central Oxford, said city council housing officers had visited tenants and some of them had agreed to sign transfer forms so they would be allocated a new home. Some flats in Abbey Place are privately-owned.

One tenant, Vincent McKeown, 51, who has multiple sclerosis, was visited by two housing officers but refused to sign a transfer form. He has lived there for the past 12 years.

Christian Pattison, 40, Mr McKeown's care assistant, said: "Vincent does not want to move and I think it's outrageous that tenants are being put under pressure in this way."

Both Valerie Hodgson, 73 and her husband Peter, 78, who live at 14 Abbey Place, are disabled.

Mrs Hodgson said: "The council officers said they would make it as easy for us as possible and help with all the packing, but I think it is just a bit of soft soap. They said they were going to give us £1,000 as well, but we don't want that. When you are our age you don't want to start looking for a new home."

Ms Dahll told the Oxford Mail: "I think what has been happening is outrageous. The city council, which should be looking after its tenants, appears to be acting with Capital.

"Some of these residents are extremely vulnerable and a lot of work has been done on their homes to make them suitable.

"I believe tenants' rights have been breached and there should be an external investigation involving the Ombudsman."

City council strategic director for housing Michael Lawrence said housing officers had acted properly by briefing tenants at the earliest possible opportunity regarding the plans. He added: "Tenants have not been put under any pressure to take one course of action or another."

A spokesman for Capital said: "The Westgate Partnership is fully aware of the sensitive issues that this raises and both the city council and The Westgate Partnership are liaising with the occupants of these properties."

City council spokesman Louisa Dean said: "As a responsible landlord it is important that we reassured tenants about proposed future developments as soon it became clear that there would be public announcements.

"Tenants who were willing to consider transferring to other accommodation have indicated this to our housing officers. We will continue to put the needs of our tenants first."