It was nearly 60 years ago when the wall which once separated the rich and poor residents of a suburban road in Oxford was torn down.

But now, angry locals have accused a council of reigniting the ‘class war’ after it only paved the new tarmac on the wealthier end of the street in Sunnymead, Cutteslowe.

Oxford City Council only resurfaced the road to the intersection where the more affluent Wentworth Road meets the less well of Aldrich Road.

The decision has exposed the bitter tensions between the two communities as residents on the poorer side feel like the council are viewing Wentworth Road as a priority.

One enraged vandal has sprayed the words “class war” in bright blue paint and capital letters onto the fresh tarmac in protest.

Naomi Langlais, who lives on the working class side of the street, said: “It was around April or May time that they decided the ‘middle class’ side deserved to be resurfaced.

“So we waited patiently for our end to be resurfaced too and thought it was just taking time as they had run out of money or something. But we soon realised it was just the one end they were doing, apparently we should put up with potholes and uneven surfacing.”