Officials in a remote area of Russia are keen to bring their community in from the cold, by linking it with a town in South Oxfordshire.

Civic leaders in the district of Oca, 800 miles east of Moscow, want to boost the area's international profile by twinning it with a town in the Vale of White Horse - preferably Wantage.

However, town councillors are unlikely to welcome the idea. Wantage is already twinned with Mably in the Alsace region of France, and Seesen in Germany's Harz Mountains, and it is feared that twinning with an area so far away would be impractical and a drain on resources.

Wantage mayor Jenny Hannaby said: "It is too far away and is not viable.

"If it went through and we started spending money we haven't got, it would upset our other twinning links."

But she added: "If other organisations such as churches wanted to take it up, the town council would support their initiative and welcome the visitors from that area accordingly."

Oca is in the Perm region, which is already linked to Oxfordshire. Offers of friendship with the district have also been declined by other Vale towns and parishes.