A traditional town centre market has been branded a "muddled eyesore".

Wantage Conservative town councillors claim the historic market has turned into a cluttered vehicle park, because of untidily parked traders' vans.

Concerned town councillor John Coates said: "Our traditional market has deteriorated over the years. Those of us who live in the town are used to the muddle that passes as a thriving market, but it looks more like a vehicle park.

"It is an eyesore at the moment and there must be some way of organising it to remove the vehicles. We have a glorious town centre that can be the site of a colourful, inviting market that reflects the atmosphere of the town not one that ruins it.

"It would be great to have a visually pleasing market, with stalls with attractive awnings and a varied array of goods for us to select from. It is a big job but it needs doing."

He called for new rules to improve the Market Place, including freeing-up taxi ranks for the use of traders and allowing taxis to park outside the Blue Boar Hotel in Newbury Street.

Fellow Conservative councillor Carol Tomlinson said: "It is about time we tried to do something about the Market Place. We have tried to address the problems with the way vehicles are parking."

Wantage Town and South Oxfordshire District councillor, Bryan Armitage, a Liberal Democrat, dismissed criticisms of the market, but accepted some improvements were necessary.