A fresh fight will be launched against the May morning closure of Oxford's Magdalen Bridge after it was labelled an "extreme over-reaction".

Earlier this month police, ambulance and council officials unanimously agreed to continue closing the bridge in coming years and protect it with security staff to stop revellers jumping into the shallow River Cherwell and hurting themselves.

The 25ft-high bridge was closed between 3am and 9am this year to stop students jumping the first such closure since 2001.

Only five jumpers defied the ban and jumped after the bridge was reopened. Now Oxfordshire County Council, the highways authority, will be asked to oppose future closures when all 74 councillors meet next week.

Green group city and county councillors, all of whom represent those living in east Oxford, have complained residents in that part of the city are being discriminated against by the "heavy-handed" decision to shut the bridge.

Green county councillor Deborah Glass Woodin is so incensed that she has tabled a motion which will be debated at County Hall on Tuesday.

She said: "It is unfortunate councillors representing the areas affected have been consistently excluded from discussions concerning the safety issues, about which we have genuine concerns.

"However, to respond to these issues by closing the bridge, therefore cutting off access to the event to the entire eastern side of the city, is an extreme over-reaction."

Oxford police and Oxfordshire County Council declined to comment. This year's security operation, which saw 40 uniformed police officers and 30 bouncers lining each end of the bridge, was in response to events in 2005 when 40 students were hurt jumping into the shallow water.

County councillor David Robertson, cabinet member for transport, said: "The decision has been made, it has gone through the whole risk assessment process and I will be asking members not to resurrect the matter."

Green group city councillor Elise Benjamin added: "Prohibition seems to increase the number of people who want to jump, it would be far more constructive to say 'we warned you' and give people pictures of those who have injured themselves by jumping."