A CITY centre festival showed the bonds between Oxford and its German twin city are stronger than ever despite Brexit, the event's compere said.

Oxford City Council deputy leader Ed Turner compered the first few hours of Burgerfest, which ran in Broad Street on Saturday.

It was one of a range of events to mark the 70th anniversary of Oxford being twinned with Bonn.

In Broad Street, hundreds of people enjoyed hot dogs, dancing, live music and other cultural activities.

On Saturday visitors to the Weston Library were treated to a celebratory concert by the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra.

Mr Turner said: "There were a lot of Germans there and they said a lot of people in Oxford had come up to them and said it was great that they were still coming along after the Brexit vote.

"It gives people renewed enthusiasm to celebrate our links.

"The second thing of course is that it is the 70th anniversary.

"That should remind us all the time about how important it is to have peace in Europe. This started in 1947 just two years after the end of the Second World War.

"You saw then how former enemies came together which each other.

"With all the turbulence in the world keeping this going is really important."

Other events for the 70th anniversary celebrations included a play last week at the Burton Taylor Theatre in Beaumont Street and an Oxford Bonn Economic Forum at the Town Hall on Friday.

On the same day Beethoven's Ninth Symphony – on which the Anthem of the EU is based – was performed at the Town Hall.

Mr Turner said: "Burgerfest was great. There was a really good turnout and lots of interested passers by as well."

The event had proved controversial after Balliol College, which is based in Broad Street, requested in February that it not go ahead due to a clash with exams.

The college said the festival would fall in a 'red zone' period – a protocol designed to ensure that students revising for exams are not disturbed.

But after talks between the college and the city council issues surrounding noise and access were resolved and the event was given the go ahead.

City councillor Colin Cook, vice-chairman of the Oxford International Links committee, said: "Rather than me going to Burgerfest it came to me as I have my own event down at the river.

"It was another big success."