Today marks the 20th anniversary of the day an Oxford house became the only building in the city to look like it became the latest victim of a shark attack.

Tourists have been getting snappy with cameras ever since Headington's answer to Jaws was placed in the roof of its New High Street home on August 9, 1986.

The marine monster opened up a hole in the roof of the house, where BBC Radio Oxford presenter Bill Heine lives, and sparked a massive planning battle with Oxford City Council.

Mr Heine did not have planning permission for the sculpture and council planners, who did not see the funny side, turned down his retrospective application.

Many people thought the wrangle would never be resolved. It was 1992 before the then Secretary of State for the Environment, Michael Heseltine, approved the fibreglass sculpture.

The shark has put New High Street on the map, with tourist coaches regularly turning down the residential street off London Road, so that holidaymakers could gaze at the sculpture.

June Whitehouse, 81, of New High Street is an unofficial "sharkivist".

She said: "I haven't planned anything for the anniversary but I noticed Bill putting some nice plants in the front garden last week.

"I just find it incredible - where have those years gone? In the afternoons and at weekends people are still wandering around the corner and taking photographs of it."

Mrs Whitehouse was in a photograph of the shark taken when it was first erected, which appeared in several national newspapers.

Jorge Carrillo, 33, of New High Street, said: "It really adds character to the street. I think now most people are in favour of keeping it."

Yesterday Mr Heine declined to comment.