A FAIRGROUND worker whose ride has thrilled generations of Oxford residents failed to mark her territory during a High Court battle with council bosses.

A judge ruled that Dorinda Holland had no right to fight Oxford City Council after it refused to let her set up at St Giles’ Fair in a spot that she saw as her own.

Mrs Holland claimed she was an annual tenant of two sites at the fair, which her family have used for decades for their ‘cyclone’ ride.

She pursued damages after she said the council had wrongly denied her full use of her territory in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

But judge Master Timothy Bowles agreed with the council’s justification that Mrs Holland was a licensee of the site - not a tenant - and said it had no obligation to grant her use of the same area as in previous years.

She said the site, which is close to the historic Lamb and Flag pub, was passed onto her by her uncle Charlie Thurston more than 20 years ago.

During the court case in London on Monday Mrs Holland - who is understood not to be from Oxfordshire - said her family defined as ‘showmen’, a travelling group that holds fairs, circuses or shows.

Master Bowles said in court that the rights of ‘showmen’ had been part of the ‘factual matrix’ of the case.

St Giles’ Fair is organised by the city council every September, and sees the street fill up with rides for two days.

The cyclone is thought to be the ride that looks similar to a spinning top and whirls passengers around in circles.