Police have come under fire from Oxford's Lord Mayor for not doing enough to combat an increasing problem of drug dealing in Grandpont, Oxford.

The area has been dogged by drug dealing recently and Lord Mayor of Oxford Bob Price, ward councillor for Hinksey Parks, has warned problems are now escalating again.

Residents have told of concerns for their safety and Mr Price says despite police being aware of drug dens in the area, little has been done to tackle the problem.

At a council meeting held at St Matthew's Parish Centre in Marlborough Road, Mr Price said: "There are two well-known houses within 400m of here which are drug dens.

"The police know about them but do not seem to intervene. I can never understand why."

He said the problem seemed to "move in waves" and at times the police had a number of leads and had been supportive, but residents and councillors would appreciate more evidence that action is being taken to beat the drug dealers.

He later told the Oxford Mail: "The drugs problem is endemic.

"We do not get much feedback from the police about what they have achieved.

"I think we need a more regular dialogue between us and the police so we know what's going on and how they propose to tackle these problems.

"My main concern is the houses where these deals are taking place. We want residents to feel their concerns are being given due time and attention."

Mr Price said there are a number of "hot spots" in Grandpont where drug deals were taking place, including a pavement opposite St Matthew's Church in Marlborough Road.

A few months ago, Mr Price said it was not uncommon for residents to report findings of syringes in nearby Grandpont Nature Park.

Police spokesman Tim Wiseman said drug crime in Grandpont was a priority for the community beat team. He said any intelligence provided by residents would be taken seriously and acted upon.

Mr Wiseman added the Neighbourhood Policing scheme, due to be rolled out across the city by the end of the year, would increase the dialogue between residents and police.

He said: "Neighbourhood policing is all about engaging with the local community. Action groups will be set up and they will feed their concerns directly to the local inspector. He will then prioritise his resources around those concerns."

Mr Wiseman said the community action groups would hold regular meetings with the inspector to review the issues.

He added: "That is the sort of thing the Lord Mayor is calling for and it is what we are going to provide."

Call 0800 7831957 if you find syringes or drugs paraphernalia in Oxford.