A major facelift is planned for Oxford Ice Rink after vandals smashed £8,000 worth of glass at the front of the building.

Conservation groups have criticised the appearance of the rink, in Oxpens Road, after four large panes of reinforced glass, costing £2,000 each, had to be boarded up because vandals shot holes through them with an airgun.

Councillor Jim Campbell who is responsible for the leisure department, said: "I'm devastated that we've had to board up the front, but we are about to submit a planning application to change the whole frontage and until we have a new plan we are not going to replace another pane of glass for it to be shot at again.

"We are hoping to get a decision on our planning application within three months so hopefully it won't be boarded up for much longer than that."

Tony Joyce, of the Oxford Civic Society, said: "I think it's a striking and rather arresting building and it's a pity it hasn't been maintained to show it off to best effect. The council ought to renovate it to a standard worthy of its design merits."

Mrs Debbie Dance, of the Oxford Preservation Trust, added: "It's a good building and I would hope something will be done to return it to its original state. It shouldn't be allowed to deteriorate."

The leisure department of Oxford City Council, which runs the rink, has decided to redesign the frontage to better protect it in the future.

The council is considering replacing the glass with a mural depicting ice skaters, which could be sponsored by a local business, or holding a design competition, but Cllr Campbell admitted the glass frontage formed part of the appeal of the building.

He said: "Glass is lovely when you drive past and see people skating and it could be depressing just to have a blank wall."

The local plan for the redevelopment of the Oxpens area has identified two possibilities for the ice rink -- to retain it or demolish it.

The draft plan reads: "The building itself, although some consider it to be an 'icon' building, has weathered poorly and has exceeded its original life expectancy by some five years."

Cllr Campbell denied that the rink, which loses £400,000 annually, would be denied funding before a decision on its future is made.

He said: "At the moment we do not have the large sums of money necessary for a refurbishment, but we want to take a positive approach to keep it an attractive venue. It is not so vulnerable."

The city council had considered shutting the ice rink for a year to save money, but the idea has since been shelved.

The rink is offering free skate hire, during the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in February, to encourage more skaters to use the rink.