Death and shopping: the story of Oxford Street, London's 'urban nightmare'

What was once a route to the gallows is now thronged with millions of shoppers and horrendous levels of pollution. But how did Oxford Street become such a commercial monster - and will pedestrianisation really prove its salvation?

Everyone has their own Oxford Street. Perhaps it used to be the Virgin Megastore and the way down to Soho Square. Maybe it's now Uniqlo and up to Broadcasting House. Or it might always have been John Lewis and Selfridges. Londoners view Oxford Street with a mixture of horror and pride, and have done so for centuries. But for some - even as the promise of Crossrail improves the traditionally tattier eastern end of the street - the horror is now overwhelming.

Commercial rents hit a record 1,000 per sq ft this year, pricing out many retailers. And Oxford Street is one of the world's most polluted streets, even though almost all its traffic is made up of buses and taxis. The half-a-million daily visitors are taking their lungs in their hands, and even their lives - three of its pedestrian crossings number among the 10 most dangerous in the country, according to the Department of Transport.