Acclaimed author Philip Pullman attended a silent vigil prior to the start of a public inquiry into the proposed development of Jericho's boatyard area.

He told the Telegraph, "It feels like a battle, it is a battle for the soul of something, it is a battle for a little bit of Oxford."

"We need to preserve the character of our cities" he added.

A block of 54 apartments is to be erected by Spring Residential should permission be granted by the six-day public inquiry to be held in Oxford's Town Hall.

The site of the boatyard was cleared recently after a long dispute with local residents and canal boat owners.

Kevin Whately, star of ITV's 'Lewis' (follow-on series from the popular 'Inspector Morse'), has added his support to campaigners recently.

Those against the development of the site argue that the apartments would damage views of the St Barnabas Church - a building which has often been mentioned in works of literature, including Philip Pullman's own Dark Materials trilogy.

The campaign against Spring Residential's proposed development has taken the form of protests and postering over the past four years in Jericho.

Philip Pullman was an undergraduate at Exeter College.