Legal action is to be taken against homeless people living in Oxford's Tent City in a bid to evict them from land alongside the River Thames.

Earlier this month, residents complained the encampment of about 15 tents next to the towpath in Osney was becoming an eyesore and asked for it to be removed.

Now, with the site growing, city council leaders have asked the tenant farmer who runs the land to take legal action to remove the campers.

Patrick Murray, the council's executive member with responsibility for the homeless, said: "We have contacted the tenant farmer and he has told us that he plans to take legal action through the courts in early July to start the eviction process.

"We have tried everything we can to help these people and unfortunately evicting them is the last resort."

Bob Price, the leader of the council's Labour group, was due to raise the issue at tonight's city council meeting.

He said: "The encampment is definitely growing - there are now about 20 tents down there and in a 21st century city committed to tackling homelessness it is unacceptable to leave this situation to develop in this way.

"The people living there are using the area as a public toilet and lots of residents have complained that they are frightened to walk along the towpath because the campers become confrontational and accuse them of trespassing.

"They have also been seen using a shopping trolley to carry building materials to the site to construct some kind of shed.

"There are lots of agencies in Oxford that can help these people and it will be good news once legal action is under way."

City council leader John Goddard said: "It is not acceptable for these people to be living there long-term, but the solution needs to include some careful thought about where they go next."

Earlier this month, Dennis Price, 59, the self-styled leader of Tent City as it has been called, started building himself a wooden home.

He told the Oxford Mail he would not be moving on because there was nowhere else to go.

Peter Marsh, 49, who lives on Osney Island, complained about the encampment because he canoes in the river and had seen human excrement floating past.

He said: "I would welcome their removal and hope they can be moved to a more permanent site with better facilities."

A man who lives in tent city, who gave his name as Dennis Snow, declined to make any comment.