A FRESH fight will be launched against the continuing 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 to 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 that 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 the widow of Dr Mike Woodin, the former leader of Oxford City Council Green group is so incensed she has tabled a motion to 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, so 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 ahead of next week's meeting about future bridge closures.

This year's security operation, which saw 40 uniformed police officers and 30 security personnel 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."