Aerial photos of Oxford taken by police helicopter reveal the scale of the Westgate development from the sky.
The pictures show cranes on the site towering above the city's landscape.
The construction phase of the £440m project to build a three-storey John Lewis store, a five screen Curzon cinema, 70 new shops, 25 cafes and a range of restaurants, begun last month.
The observant will also notice Folly Bridge in the pictures and the River Thames gently flowing beneath it.
The police snaps also show the sharp contrast between the city centre and Christ Church Meadow which abruptly cuts off the metropolis.
The Oxford University sports facilities at Iffley Road can also be noted for their impressive scale and in particularly the iconic Roger Bannister running track.
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