Russian plans to forge a friendship link with Wantage have received a frosty reception from councillors in the town.

Wantage Town Council has rejected proposals by officials in the Russian district of Oca to form a twinning link between the two communities.

Civic leaders in Oca, an area in the foothills of the Ural Mountains 800 miles east of Moscow, had identified Wantage as their first choice as an international twin.

However, town councillors in Wantage, which is already twinned with Mably in the Alsace region of France, and Seesen in the Harz Mountains of Germany, ruled out the offer, saying not enough people would be interested and it would be too expensive.

Oxfordshire County and Vale of White Horse District Councillor Jim Moley said: "I am all for links between churches and other organisations, but as a town, we don't have the resources to conduct more than a certain number of twinning relationships.

"We have two already, and it is quite a challenge to keep the links going. Wantage is only a small community and if we are not careful the links could unwind, leaving politicians to take over, which we don't want."