THE question of whether cyclists should be allowed on Queen Street has divided Oxford Mail readers.

It follows the city council’s 'board member for Healthy Oxford' Louise Upton calling for 'sociable riding' to be allowed down the street.

Oxford Mail photographer Ed Nix spotted 19 cyclists riding down Queen Street in just 15 minutes on Wednesday afternoon.

Of those who took part in a poll, 61 per cent of people said cycling should be allowed.

It is thought a ban on cycling down Queen Street was introduced during the 1970s.

The city council will now set up two consultations over coming months to see whether people want a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) which could ban bikes.

One for the city centre lapsed in January and, amongst other things, banned cycling down Queen Street and Cornmarket between 10am and 6pm.

READ MORE: Is it time to scrap this 'bizarre' ban?

Little Miss Angry wrote on our website: “Cycling in a street with old and vulnerable people walking in the same space? No I don’t think so.

“It’s not the few sensible cyclists it’s the people who just think their time is more important than someone else’s I dread. How much time will be lost pushing a bike? Couple of minutes max.”

Potface said: “Cycling in Oxford city centre is more vexing than necessary, and the vast majority of cyclists are not miscreants.

“I would suggest that the vitriol against them stems more from town-gown antipathy evolving over time (as one who belongs to neither group).

“It’s time to have appropriate infrastructure to encourage safer cycling and walking. Our city centre seems to be dying, strangled by terrible development, generic shopping, ridiculous driving routes... Punishing cyclists is not the answer.”