Benches in Oxford's Cornmarket Street will now cost taxpayers £240,000 - and many have been designed to discourage people from sitting on them for a long time.

Cllr Gill Sanders with one of the benches

Eights sets of eight-seat benches have been installed as part of the city and county council scheme to repave the street.

There was outrage two weeks ago when it was announced that the seats were to cost £4,250 each to fit, plus £80,000 for materials -- a total of £114,000.

But now the bill for the benches - dubbed "tombstones" by former Lord Mayor of Oxford Gill Sanders -- has hit £240,000.

And Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council cannot agree who is responsible for the rocketing costs.

The city's executive member for planning, Colin Cook, said that the escalation in cost appeared to be a mixture of unforeseen extra charges for labour and materials during installation.

He added: "For a definitive answer, you'd better ask the county council."

But a spokesman for the county council said: "We have always regarded this matter as the city council's responsibility. It is for them to explain."

The seats, made of granite, timber and stainless steel, are due to be unveiled next week but shoppers wanting to take the weight off their feet could be disappointed, because they will only be able to sit properly on 24 of the 64 seats.

There is a space for a wheelchair in each of the eight blocks, while the other 32 seats are curved and are only meant to be "perched" on for a short time.

County councillor John Power said: "It's one thing after another - a catalogue of Cornmarket catastrophes, and still running.

"The fact that Oxford will pay through the nose for literally anything has spread around the country. We're seen as an easy touch."

Mr Cook said the public backed the design when consultation took place two years ago. He added: "There's method in our madness. We did not want to provide clear, long benches both sides because we did not want drunks lying across them."

But a city guide said the council had forgotten the purpose of seating. Jane Curran, 56, pictured on our front page, said: "When people see these seats and how much they cost, they are going to be amazed.

"They look like an interesting design, but seats are for people to sit on.

"Taking into consideration all the different factors, the strength, durability and the fact that they are not to be misused, the real function of a seat has been forgotten."

Mrs Sanders, city councillor for Littlemore, said: "I said time and again that the council should rethink the design, because I don't think it's appropriate for Cornmarket.

"People who need a rest if they're carrying heavy shopping need to be able to sit down. If they can't sit on half the seats it's an incredible waste of money."

David Robertson, the county executive member for transport, said: "They have been designed so that the homeless will not be able to use them as a bed for the night."