SNEAKY drivers in Oxford are taking advantage of broken bollards to avoid paying a bus gate camera fine.

Camera enforcement was introduced in 2007 to restrict normal traffic from using the High Street between 7.30am and 6.30pm in a bid to reduce congestion in the city centre.

But broken rising bollards in Oriel Square are allowing drivers to bypass the High Street bus gate and avoid the cameras.

Jeremy Mogford, who owns The Old Bank Hotel in High Street, said the Oriel Square bollards, designed to restrict the flow of traffic in both directions, had been broken for the past two years.

He added that the additional traffic now using Merton Street, Oriel Square and King Edward Street as a short cut was damaging historic cobbles in Merton Street.

Mr Mogford said: "With the bollards not working in Oriel Square drivers have been using it as a rat run and it's breaking up the cobblestones.

"I have contacted the council about this on a number of occasions but so far nothing has been done.

"Film crews love to come to shoot scenes in Merton Street but now when they come here they are having to digitally enhance the street because it looks so bad.

"Lots of delivery drivers are using the rat run to avoid the bus gate - something needs to be done."

Oxfordshire County Council admitted the bollards had not been working properly and said the highways authority was seeking a solution.

Spokesman Martin Crabtree said: "The bollards are now in the region of 18 years old, having been installed in 1999 at a cost of around £12,500 each.

"Over the last two years we have found that there are a range of problems with them which prevents them from working properly and there is no easy fix due to the age of the system.

"We continue our efforts to bring the bollards into operation and are also looking for a solution which will see reliable operation in the long term."

Labour city councillor Colin Cook said: "Merton Street is a historic street and the cost of repairs to the cobbles is about £285,000.

"The cobbles have been patched up but the work needs to be done properly - there are listed buildings all the way down Merton Street. Something needs to be done."

The bollards in Oriel Square were not working when the Oxford Mail visited, and drivers could be seen using the rat run.