Independent retailers facing closure because of council demands for thousands of pounds in back-dated rent have been offered a lifeline by Oxford City Council.

Shopkeepers say sudden demands for rent after council review delays of up to three and a half years are threatening their livelihoods.

Now the city council has voted to hold rent reviews within six months of the due date and backdate rent by no more than six months.

But the motion, which was passed by just one vote (18 to 17), was not welcomed by all members of the council.

Council leader Alex Hollingsworth said it was impossible to define an independent trader and said the measures were nothing more than an unfair subsidy to some firms.

He said: "It is completely unjust and almost certainly in breach of lots of bits and pieces of legislation.

"There is no legal definition which we could use to define an independent retailer so this will effectively mean we are subsidising organisations such as the BBC, Tesco and Oxford University."

Mr Hollingsworth said the motion faced little chance of being passed by the city council's executive board.

But Patrick Murray, who tabled the motion, insisted it was vital for the city to preserve a range of independent shops.

He said: "We don't want to live in a city that looks like every other city in the country.

"It is totally unfair to ask a business to put aside money for three and a half years."

Avid Records in Gloucester Street, recently closed down when it was hit with a back-dated rent bill for £21,000 after its rent was increased from £2,000 to £2,500.