It may not have been music to their ears - but bagpiper Heath Richardson has called on Oxford City Council to reach a "fair compromise" in the Cornmarket Street busking battle.

Mr Richardson, 32, who is embroiled in a dispute with traders in the city centre about his music, appealed to councillors to help ensure buskers are treated fairly, after saying he had been victim of a "witch hunt".

He said he had been "saddened" over the past few months by the way in which the row over his music had escalated. He has been playing to shoppers in Cornmarket Street for 14 years, but in December, traders complained about his music and launched a petition to move him.

He has been fighting back, and last week presented a 1,000-signature petition in support of him to city councillors.

And on Wednesday evening, he appealed to councillors to allow buskers to "earn their daily living" and "negotiate a compromise which is fair to everyone".

He told the central, south and west area committee: "What has saddened me over the past few months is that what should have been a rational discussion between conflicting parties, has turned into a witch hunt aimed predominantly at me, resulting in several highly abusive websites.

"I have been playing the bagpipes for 20 years and have many different tunes. I follow the busking code of practice. It's important to me that I can continue to busk here in Oxford and hope to do so in the future. I hope a fair compromise can be reached for all of us involved and I appeal to the council that a minority's subjective dislike of particular forms of music doesn't influence the compromise we reach."

Committee chairman Colin Cook said: "There is a problem here and I hope it can be sorted out. The busking code is not set in stone. I hope we are not called upon as councillors to be arbitrators of people's taste in music."

Council officers are due to report to the committee next month about busking.

Speaking to the Oxford Mail after the meeting, Mr Richardson, who trained at the Glasgow School of Piping, said he expected the city council's busking code of practice to be revised soon and made more restrictive, so he felt it important to air his views now.

He added: "I just want the council to involve me and local buskers in any decision-making process, not just dictate the rules."