A fire broke out in a disused Oxford pub.

Firefighters from The Slade and Rewley Road stations were called to a small blaze at The Friar, in Marston Road, at about 5.35pm on Friday.

A spokesman said an armchair had caught light in a groundfloor room.

The pub site has been the subject of a bitter planning battle over attempts by Tesco to open an Express store on the site.

More than 800 people signed a petition urging the city council to reject Tesco’s scheme, and the Oxford Civic Society said the site should be used for housing.