OXFORD University has been accused of discouraging applicants from poor backgrounds by pursuing "aggressive" rent rises.

The cost of staying in halls of residence has risen by 35 per cent in five years taking the average bill for an academic year to £2,307.

In the same period, rent for London students increased by only ten per cent.

On Wednesday, a delegation of students travelled to Westminster, where Oxford East MP Andrew Smith presented a 2,000-signature petition to Parliament complaining of "unreasonable" accommodation fees.

The rise has made Oxford the most expensive place in England for students to live, outside London.

Rents at Oxford University are now higher than those of Kings College, University College, and the London School of Economics, whose students are offered larger student loans to compensate for higher living costs.

Further increases are proposed for students starting at Oxford this year.

The most expensive college, Somerville, charges students up to £3,575 per year, excluding meals, and wants to increase that by eight per cent to £3,860.

Mr Smith said: "Rises are a real blow, hitting students hard in an already high-cost city."

Emma Norris, Oxford University Student Union President (OUSU), said: "Oxford University claims it has a commitment to increasing access, but by pursuing such aggressive rent rises, they are pricing aspiring applicants from deprived backgrounds out."

Colleges have defended their stance and say students actually had cheaper accommodation costs than students at other universities because of Oxford's shorter terms and because accommodation is available for two, three or four years, compared to just one year elsewhere.