Controversial MP George Galloway will address a public meeting at Oxford Town Hall tonight, May 16.

The town hall was finally secured as the venue after Oxford Students Stop the War Coalition (OSSWC) contacted the city council for the first time yesterday afternoon to make arrangements.

The meeting starts at 7pm and, due to health and safety considerations, the audience will be restricted to 130 people.

Organisers had hoped to find a bigger venue with space for 400 to 500 people.

The council had originally received a booking from council member Fiyaz Mughal for a small ward meeting.

But town hall managers were later informed hundreds were expected to turn up to hear Mr Galloway, who has been suspended from the Labour party over allegations he took money from Saddam Hussein.

Organisers were told the booking could not accommodate the numbers expected, and they would have to look for an alternative venue.

But one could not be found in time and the students yesterday negotiated the use of the council chamber for Mr Galloway to speak to a limited audience.

Joe Silk, from OSSWC, said: "I would like to make it clear that the city council's town hall staff are completely blameless. They have never tried to prevent George Galloway from speaking in Oxford and I would like to thank them for their efforts in working with us to allow the meeting to go ahead."

City council leader Alex Hollingsworth said: "This is a council that is committed to freedom of speech.

"The idea that we would ban someone from the town hall because of their political views is ridiculous."