City council leaders have refused to buy Oxford's Lord Mayor a "green" limo, opting instead to show support to Mini manufacturer BMW.

The lease on the Lord Mayor's Rover 75 is up for renewal and the council plans to save money by buying a car instead of leasing one.

Oxford city centre has dangerously high levels of nitrogen dioxide emissions and city and county councillors are tackling the problem.

At yesterday's (Monday August 9) executive board meeting, Green city councillor Craig Simmons proposed buying a petrol/electric hybrid Toyota Prius, which can reduce emissions by running on liquefied petroleum gas.

Mr Simmons said this should be the council's choice, instead of a BMW 5 series, which cannot convert to LPG.

The vote was split three-three on his proposal before Bill Baker, deputy leader of the council, proposed buying a second-hand BMW from the Cowley car plant. This was approved 4-1.

Mr Simmons said: "The Bishop of Oxford has a Toyota Prius and so does one of our strategic directors - if it's good enough for them it should be good enough for our Lord Mayor.

"We are trying to encourage local bus companies to reduce harmful emissions and if we opt for the BMW we will be a laughing stock."

Mr Baker, who chaired the meeting, said he felt it would be too great a snub to BMW if they opted for the Toyota.

He said: "BMW has invested £50m in this city and provides work for 3,000 people. Oxford could have become a ghost town if they hadn't stepped in when Rover left."

After the meeting, Liberal Democrat councillor Jean Fooks, who is on a working party of city and county councillors aiming to improve air quality, said: "If the council had opted for the Prius, it would have set a good example. This is surely the wrong decision for a council that has just announced a Green Travel Plan."

Mr Simmons said: "We could have bought a green car for less money, but instead the council has chosen a gas guzzler which will pump out higher emissions over the people of Oxford."

The BMW 520iSE saloon will cost £21,791 while the Toyota would cost between £17,545 and £20,045.

BMW Cowley spokesman Alexandra Brooks said: "We are holding talks with the council with a view to supplying them with a car."