Plans to close Magdalen Bridge on May Morning to stop revellers jumping into the River Cherwell will cut off most of Oxford’s ethnic minorities, it has been claimed.

Police, city and county council staff, as well as paramedics, have jointly worked together to close the bridge on May 1 for the annual celebration since 2005, when 40 people hurt themselves jumping in.

But the Oxford Council of Faiths, which has representatives from all the city’s major faith groups, has called for a rethink.

Penny Faust, who represents the city’s Jewish community, said: “Cutting off people from East Oxford from what is essentially a multi-ethnic, multi-faith, enjoyable celebration is incredibly divisive.

“My feeling is they would not cut off North Oxford but cutting off East Oxford seems to be allowed.

“East Oxford is where you find the majority of the ethnic community, students and people who are not perhaps considered to be part of authentic Oxford, but who very much are.”

Every year, at 6am on May 1, thousands of people gather at Magdalen Bridge to hear choristers sing the Hymnus Eucharisticus from Magdalen College tower.

Bede Gerrard, Oxford Council of Faiths chairman, said: “We have got together as a council of faiths to build up community relations, respecting each other’s religious faith positions.

“It is as if the people who live in East Oxford don’t matter or are not interested. It does matter and they are interested.”

Imam Monawar Hussain, from Oxford Central Mosque, said: “We are annoyed because there is a long tradition of participation for the whole city.

“It also brings a lot of hardship for some of the mainly Asian women who work as scouts in the colleges and can’t get to work without long detours.”

A county council spokesman said: "It is not the intention of the county council and its partners in the emergency services to exclude anyone from the May Day celebrations.

"The effect of closing the bridge has been to reduce greatly the number of people jumping and therefore, the number of injuries. Bearing in mind the potential cost to the emergency services and serious concerns about public safety, keeping the bridge closed continues to represent the simplest, safest and least expensive option."

Plans to hold activities east of the bridge will be discussed at a meeting at the Cape of Good Hope on Friday, at 2pm.

Other ways of dealing with the issue, such as putting up nets to prevent people from jumping, or providing alternate crossings in Angel and Greyhound Meadow, have been dismissed by organisers.