The chairman of an Oxford community centre which came under fire for making residents' lives "hellish" has defended it.

Residents living near the East Oxford Community Centre in Princes Street, off Cowley Road, told the Oxford Mail their lives had been blighted by problems such as drug dealing, under-age drinking and violence.

They claimed some of the problems were caused by people using the centre's social club. But, Richard Hering, the chairman of the East Oxford Community Association, said on Wednesday he was shocked by the allegations and keen to consult residents to find out if problems were actually linked to people using the centre.

He said: "We take any complaints or problems reported by neighbours very seriously indeed. We always follow them up and act on them.

"We already have a strict dispersal policy in place for when members leave the club, to ensure they don't disturb residents."

One Princes Street resident, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, claimed drug deals had been carried out in his front garden.

Mr Hering said: "If these things are happening and it's related to the club then we want to work to resolve the problems, but it could be difficult to know if the people causing the problems have come from the club. We will open ourselves up for consultation and make it clear to residents that we take these issues seriously and will do our best to act on it. Anything we can do to improve the situation, we will do."

He added: "However, we're not the only licensed premises in the street. Princes Street is a residential road off Cowley Road - there's nothing stopping people coming down the street from another pub or club."

The centre, which is owned by Oxford City Council, is also home to a variety of classes and activities, ranging from Caribbean cookery to Tai Chi. The social club, which is run as a business, is members-only and has about about 750 members, who pay £1 to join.

The centre came in for the criticism last week following a meeting at which East Oxford residents were asked by police to air their concerns about issues in the area.