A public meeting has been held to launch the next stage of the campaign to stop Oxford City Council's leisure services being privatised.

A total of 27 people, mainly sports centre staff, attended the meeting in Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre on Monday to discuss the next step forward.

The meeting, which was organised by public services union UNISON, was designed to open up public debate about proposals to privatise the council-run sports centre, pools and ice rink, which operate with an annual loss of more than £650,000.

The council is considering a number of options for the future, including handing the management of them over to private companies or charitable trusts.

Opponents fear this could bring higher entry prices and reduced opening hours.

Unison's Oxford city branch secretary, Martin Gregory, told the meeting: "What is wrong with private companies coming in is that in one shape or another we will lose control of our public assets.

"We only have swimming pools and an ice rink because of generations of residents paying their rents and charges. They belong to the people."

He said the council's leisure committee would be hearing presentations on June 13 from four groups, two private companies and two charitable trusts, about how they would manage the services.