THE co-leader of the Green Party Caroline Lucas received a rock star's welcome to Oxford, today, posing for selfies with supporters in Cowley Road.

She returned to the city, where she served as a county councillor in the 1990s, to support her Green Party councillors ahead of May's local elections.

Ms Lucas said: "We have a really strong message. One more Labour councillor won't make any difference whereas one more Green councillor will make sure that [the city council] is forced to deliver."

She said the party's city councillors had been working to ensure that the housing crisis and homelessness stays at the top of the agenda. She added that the Greens had worked on that issue "more than any other".

She was joined by some candidates standing at local elections, on May 3. David Thomas is standing in the St Clement's ward, which includes part of Cowley Road.

He said the party's campaign across Oxford is "going really well".

He added: "People are responding well to our policies – including dealing with air pollution in St Clement's. People are not happy about losing community facilities at East Oxford Community Centre."

Ms Lucas visited the party's stall on Cowley Road after she had visited Kidlington earlier. She had supported the Greens' Ian Middleton, who will look to secure the Kidlington East ward in Cherwell District Council's elections.

Mr Thomas will attempt to defeat current Labour councillor Tom Hayes in St Clement's. Also standing in that ward are Luke Allen, for the Conservative Party, and Graham Jones for the Liberal Democrats.

Mr Middleton will need to defeat current councillor Carmen Griffiths, a Conservative, and Andrew Hornsby-Smith, the Labour Party candidate, next month.