One of Oxford's busiest bus routes is to be split in two to combat congestion.

The number two service from Barton and Headington to the city centre and Kidlington has become increasingly unreliable, according to the Oxford Bus Company.

"We have been forced to take decisive action," said the company's commercial director Nigel Eggleton.

"Over the last few years traffic on the London Road through the centre of Headington has grown. It is now regularly taking over half an hour to run from Headington shops to the city centre. Not so long ago that journey would have taken 10 minutes."

He said the delays were having a knock-on effect on the rest of the route, making in unreliable.

From July the service will be split in two. The service to and from Kidlington will terminate at St Giles and start from Magdalen Street, keeping the number two name.

The service from Barton and Headington will terminate in the city centre and return from Queen's Street. It will be the number eight service.

Mr Eggleton said the company had done extensive survey work that showed few passengers used the existing service to cross the city centre. He added that there would be no cut in the number of buses.