Shopkeepers are fuming after the company behind Bicester's town centre redevelopment stopped them parking in a busy service yard.

Supermarket giant Sainsbury, which owns most of Crown Walk, painted yellow lines and put up signs threatening motorists with wheel clamping if they parked in the yard behind the shopping precinct.

Mike Barstow, who owns a stationery shop in Crown Walk, said he had parked in the service yard for 10 years and was appalled there had been no warning.

He said: "I am incandescent. I am totally inconvenienced.

"I was at a family funeral last Monday, arrived Tuesday and was amazed to find it empty.

"I chickened out and parked elsewhere.

"I then phoned the clamper and asked him who was responsible for this. He refused to tell me who his authority was."

Mr Barstow, who set up his business in 1982, said the title deeds to his shop gave him vehicle and pedestrian access to the service yard.

Fellow trader Lynn Wright, of Bicester Beds, said she was not against development in the town and added she was still able to use her parking space, which was in a different service yard. But she said: "You should be able to pull in, load and unload to service your property, without thinking you are going to get clamped.

"If this is their first move, what are the rest of their moves going to be like?"

Plans for Bicester's £70m town centre redevelopment, which have been put forward by Sainsbury and local developer Stockdale Land, include a supermarket, six-screen cinema and up to 25 new shops on land between Sheep Street and Manorsfield Road.

A formal planning application for the development is due to be submitted later this month.

In a statement, Sainsbury said: "Sainsbury's is aware of various rights to load and unload and it is in defence of these rights that the action has been taken.

"We are carefully checking details of ownership and any rights which might be in place."