BANBURY was today voted the most prosperous town for business in Britain, writes David Duffy. A survey by business information firm Dun & Bradstreet showed the town has the highest proportion of profit-making businesses of any town in the country.
A MINISTER said he felt sorry for the raiders who trashed his church. Thieves caused thousands of pounds' damage to four age-old doors at Bicester Methodist Church, in Sheep Street - just to steal worthless electrical goods. It was the third break-in
WANTAGE MP Robert Jackson has described the recent Government thumbs-down to the Limborough Road redevelopment plans as a betrayal of the town's future. He attacked the decision by John Prescott, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and
Project for sexually abused faces cuts THE scriptwriter of a Bafta-nominated drama about child abuse has highlighted a funding crisis faced by an Oxfordshire safe house. The Ark project, based in a secret location, helps sexually abused youngsters and
DIPLOMAT Peter Penfold is facing an investigation for his part in the arms to Sierra Leone affair. Mr Penfold, 53, of Fisherman's Wharf, Abingdon, has been recalled to London to face questions from Customs and Excise. In the meantime, he is being hailed
CENTRAL TV presenter Andy Bevan was expected to return to work at the Abingdon studios tomorrow (MON) after a police investigation into an indecency allegation was dropped. Officers arrested Mr Bevan at his home in Ormond Road, Wantage, in January on
POWER workers have been recruited to ensure the survival of a colony of great-crested newts. Some of the 1,000 newts, a protected species, have been reluctant to settle in their new home at the nature reserve next to Didcot B power power station and are
THERE has been a shock rise in cases of animal cruelty in the region, a new RSPCA report has revealed. The RSPCA investigated 2,656 cruelty cases in Oxfordshire and the surrounding area last year, compared with 2,237 in 1996. Chief Insp Douglas Davidson
A MUM whose teenage daughter was jailed for six-and-a-half years for smuggling cocaine into Britain is warning Oxfordshire youngsters not to follow her into prison. Amanda Merritt, 38, sat and watched 19-year-old Adele Merritt led away to start her sentence
NINE of Europe's triumphant Ryder Cup team will be at The Oxfordshire on Thursday when the Benson and Hedges International Open gets under way. Only Nick Faldo, Jesper Parnevik and Ignatio Garrido will be missing as Europe's leading stars chase a first
Swindon Robins 51, Oxford Cheetahs 39 By JOHN GAISFORD IT was a case of After the Lord Mayor's Show as Gresham Oxford Cheetahs were sent crashing in their opening Elite League encounter at the Abbey Stadium last night. Admittedly they were without their
