It is one of the most popular festive traditions of modern times but people in Oxford will once again miss out on joining in the fun.

The Coca-Cola Christmas Truck will tour 44 locations across Great Britain but Oxford has once again been snubbed.

People will be forced to travel to Milton Keynes or Swindon if they want to be part of the yuletide excitement.

Coke spokeswoman Harriet Sharp said the company tried to make sure the truck covered as much of the country as possible but that it could not visit every town and city.

She added: "To ensure as many people as possible get the opportunity to experience the tour we update the route every year, making sure we visit locations which are easily accessible from the surrounding areas.

"We are also offering people the opportunity to win a home visit from the Coca-Cola Christmas truck through a competition we’re running on packs.”

The tour started today in London and the truck will then travel to Glasgow, Ayr and Dundee before making its way south.

Its seasonal trip will finish in Leicester Square in the capital on December 20.

The famous vehicle is a regular fixture in adverts on television during the Christmas period.

This year is the sixth in a row that it has toured Britain.