Abingdon's nine-floor multi-storey car park is set for a major refurbishment costing £320,000. Work will start on Tuesday and last for three months.

In a move to improve safety, beat vandals and drugs users, the seven upper floors of The Charter will be closed between 7.30pm and 7am all week, and all day Sundays when work is completed.

Gordon Willcox, who heads the Vale of White Horse District Council's transportation department, said: "Light fittings are constantly smashed and the stairwells suffer from graffiti. The stairwells are misused by people sleeping overnight. There have been problems of drug taking and people urinating and defecating. It takes between two and three hours every day to clean the building. Last year it cost us £4,000."

Gates will be installed and three stairways will be gated and locked at night. Only levels one and two will stay open for 24 hours.

Following suggestions from the police, long-stay parking will be relocated to the lower floors and short-stay parkers to the upper tiers.

The police's Crime Prevention Adviser Roger Foster said: "There have been problems of vandalism, antisocial behaviour and drugs use, but these have been tackled.

"A better decorated car park, with light colours on walls and ceilings instead of a dingy atmosphere, better lighting and sign posting, makes people feel safer."

The renovation programme involves placing a new coloured waterproof surface on levels eight and nine, the roof. Crash barriers will be fixed to all internal walls on level three and above, and general repairs to concrete will be carried out.

Metal grilles will be fitted to enclose the east and west side openings on level three and above to prevent children climbing on barriers.

There will be a reorganisation of parking spaces for disabled people and doctors from the Malthouse surgery on level two and new mother and toddler spaces provided on level four.

The council forecasts that it will save about £19,000 a year in reduced costs on repairs, electricity and cleaning. Leigh Chatwin, the site manager with the contractors Laser Special Projects, said the car park was in good condition but would benefit from a refurbishment.

He said: "As far as the car park's condition is concerned and problems of vandalism, The Charter is a lot better than most we work on."