Thames Valley Police have received an extra £1.5m to tackle street robberies and muggings. The force is one of 10 across the country which the Government has said must crack down on street crime. Eighty-two per cent of robberies occur in their areas.
Abingdon's links with Kensington and Chelsea were reinforced on Sunday when the town's mayor took part in a parade and church service in the Royal Borough. The mayor of Abingdon, Audrey Tamplin, accompanied the mayor of Kensington and Chelsea, Prof Sir
A former teacher at an Oxford girls school has died, just two months before her 102nd birthday. Beryl Beaver, who was head of science at Milham Ford Girls' School, died on Thursday after a short illness. She was a chemistry graduate of St Hugh's College
Former village bobby Tony Delnevo, who became the fourth man to undergo a pioneering heart operation at the John Radcliffe Hospital, has died at the age of 73. Mr Delnevo, of Little Blenheim, Yarnton, joined the police in the mid 1950s. As a beat officer
Thieves targeted a village fete for the third year running. The wooden rams used to advertise the event in Middle Farm, Ramsden, near Witney, on surrounding roads were stolen yet again. Organiser Susan Moore said: "My husband spends some time making them
It was a mammoth hairdressing day at a Brize Norton farm as more than 600 sheep queued up for a close shave. The sponsored shearing was the main attraction during an open day at Foxbury Farm to raise money for Burford Pre-school, Witney Colts rugby team
A vintage car show that began 16 years ago, with fewer than 50 vehicles, attracted more than 450 'old beauties' at the weekend. Enthusiast David Chambers, of Churchill, near Chipping Norton, and the owner of a vintage Triumph Stag, said: "We don't advertise
More than 1,200 youngsters enjoyed a day out to celebrate childcare in the county. Rain did not dampen the success of the first Picnic in the Park organised by Oxfordshire's Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership. The event was held at the
A Fringford man who builds tree-houses and adventure playgrounds is being featured in a TV series. Former Army officer Edmund Hudson, 57, who set up the company Toys for Boys, which builds one-off garden structures, is appearing on BBC2 series The Curiosity
Nick O'Hara hit a superb unbeaten century as Aston Rowant went on a run spree against Cherwell Cricket League Division 1 bottom club Rover Cowley. O'Hara made 117 not out in Rowant's formidable 252-5. But Rover refused to lie down and battled their way
An exhibition about the planned asylum centre near Bicester has been branded a "sham and PR stunt" by one protester. The criticism came after Home Office representatives visited the two Oxfordshire villages at the centre of controversial Government plans
Seamer Charlie Sterling grabbed a hat-trick in his second eight-wicket haul of the season as leaders Sandford St Martin trounced bottom club Oxford Nondescripts by nine wickets in Division 2 of The Oxford Times Cherwell League. Sterling, who returned
Police have welcomed the jail sentences handed out to two paedophiles who were caught with child pornography. More details of the worldwide police operation which led to the pair being snared were released over the weekend. The men, including a 29-year-old
Thieves targeted a village fete for the third year running. The wooden rams used to advertise the event in Middle Farm, Ramsden, near Witney, on surrounding roads were stolen yet again. Organiser Susan Moore said: "My husband spends some time making them
Forty children from a Wallingford pre-school will combine their annual summer outing with raising cash for charity. They will take part in a sponsored toddle to raise money for both Barnardo's homes and their own group. The children from the Paddocks
A Fringford man who builds tree-houses and adventure playgrounds is being featured in a TV series. Former Army officer Edmund Hudson, 57, who set up the company Toys for Boys, which builds one-off garden structures, is appearing on BBC2 series The Curiosity
Young skateboarders in Marcham, near Abingdon, keen to establish facilities for skate sports in the village are being asked to complete a questionnaire so the parish council can assess the need. The council has been asked if an area for skateboarders,
A vintage car show that began 16 years ago, with fewer than 50 vehicles, attracted more than 450 'old beauties' at the weekend. Enthusiast David Chambers, of Churchill, near Chipping Norton, and the owner of a vintage Triumph Stag, said: "We don't advertise
A kitten in need of a home after being dumped in an allotment has been rejected by would-be owners - because he is 'wobbly'. Marie-Clare Joseph and Sinatra the kitten The five-week-old pet was rescued by staff at West Oxford Animal Rescue Centre. So far
Shoppers at an Oxford supermarket are being invited to have a free screening test to discover whether they have diabetes. Store managers at Tesco, at the Oxford Retail Park in Cowley, are inviting customers to visit the in-store pharmacy during June to
Witney sailor Nigel Lidster has been putting himself through weeks of arduous training in preparation for a transatlantic yacht race. Mr Lidster, 39, has been rising at 5.30am for a run and swim, climbing up a 100ft mast and studying ocean meteorology
Abingdon's links with Kensington and Chelsea were reinforced on Sunday when the town's mayor took part in a parade and church service in the Royal Borough. The mayor of Abingdon, Audrey Tamplin, accompanied the mayor of Kensington and Chelsea, Prof Sir
Residents living off Oxford's Abingdon Road could find out tonight whether a house will be converted into a hostel for homeless people. The city council's central, south and west area committee is set to consider a planning application to convert a family
A kitten in need of a home after being dumped in an allotment has been rejected by would-be owners - because he is 'wobbly'. Marie-Clare Joseph and Sinatra the kitten The five-week-old pet was rescued by staff at West Oxford Animal Rescue Centre. So far
Work to complete the pedestrianisation of Banbury's High Street and Broad Street will begin on Monday, July 8. New bollards and changes to the paving at the entry and exits to the area will take about two weeks to complete, Banbury's Traffic Advisory
Shoppers at an Oxford supermarket are being invited to have a free screening test to discover whether they have diabetes. Store managers at Tesco, at the Oxford Retail Park in Cowley, are inviting customers to visit the in-store pharmacy during June to
A public trial of a lighting scheme proposed for Banbury's Market Place will take place on Thursday night. The lighting scheme is part of a plan to pedestrianise Market Place and Parson's Street, and replace the car park with coloured paving, a stage
Teenage runaway Louise Andrews is back home in Oxford. Louise, 14, who had been missing for two weeks, rang her family yesterday evening just after 8pm saying she wanted to come home. She was picked up in Peckham, London, by officers from the Metropolitan
A police investigation is under way after the body of a elderly woman was found in the Oxford Canal at Banbury. The woman, believed to be in her seventies, was spotted by people on a passing boat, who raised the alarm at about 1.30pm yesterday. Police
Banbury is celebrating 20 years of twinning with the French town of Ermont -- and 42 Banbury residents who returned from a weekend in France have pledged to strengthen the bond in future years. The group, who were welcomed at a champagne reception by
Abbey National has issued a profits warning after bad debt provisions spiralled in a key division. Its corporate-based Wholesale Bank arm said credit markets remained challenging and cover for high risk loans would be higher. Abbey predicts pre-tax profits
A street -- Heatley Road, in Oxford Science Park -- has been named after an Oxford scientist who helped develop penicillin. Dr Norman Heatley, 91, who lives in Marston, worked with Florey and Chain during the Second World War, when scientists proved the
Scientists and engineers at an Oxfordshire research centre have done their best to simulate what the weather is like on Mars -- to test a full-scale working model of the Beagle 2 lander due to be launched next year. Packed with sensitive instruments,
A 72-year-old Banbury mother whose son disappeared 15 years ago is to join a sponsored walk in aid of the National Missing Persons' Helpline. Jo Ault, of Aston Close, will link up with a group walking from Glasgow to London. She will trek from Banbury
A pub is vowing to change its name permanently in honour of England football coach Sven Goran Eriksson if the team wins the World Cup. The Fitzharris Arms in Abingdon-- temporarily being called the Sven Goran Eriks Inn for the World Cup At the moment,
An Army Air Corps helicopter flew over the Memorial Stone which marks the end of the former RAF Harwell runway from which aircraft took off on June 5, 1944, with the first British troops on the eve of D-Day. Former RAOC corporal David Brinsden at the
A burglar has been jailed for two and a half years for breaking into two houses and taking car keys. Gabriel Chamberlain, 28, of Salsian House, Cowley, Oxford, admitted two burglaries, aggravated vehicle taking and unauthorised vehicle taking at Oxford
Residents living off Oxford's Abingdon Road could find out tonight whether a house will be converted into a hostel for homeless people. The city council's central, south and west area committee is set to consider a planning application to convert a family
Disgraced former Conservative Cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken has blamed his "defeat, disgrace, bankruptcy, divorce and jail" on his pride. Mr Aitken, 59, opened his heart to theology students while giving the annual Chaplaincy Lecture, at Oxford Brookes
A street -- Heatley Road, in Oxford Science Park -- has been named after an Oxford scientist who helped develop penicillin. Dr Norman Heatley, 91, who lives in Marston, worked with Florey and Chain during the Second World War, when scientists proved the
Steps are being taken to prevent tension building between rapidly-growing and diverse religious communities in Oxford. More non-denominational Christian worship is on the increase as shown by the new Oxford Community Churches base, in Osney Mead. The
Scientists and engineers at an Oxfordshire research centre have done their best to simulate what the weather is like on Mars -- to test a full-scale working model of the Beagle 2 lander due to be launched next year. Packed with sensitive instruments,
Disgraced former Conservative Cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken has blamed his "defeat, disgrace, bankruptcy, divorce and jail" on his pride. Mr Aitken, 59, opened his heart to theology students while giving the annual Chaplaincy Lecture, at Oxford Brookes
Children living in Wood Farm, Oxford, will be celebrating when a long-awaited youth centre opens this week. Thanks to the persistence of campaigners and help from Unipart in Cowley, the centre in Titup Hall Lane will be officially opened by East Oxford
A huge crowd attended the Morrells Oxford & District Darts Association's 76th winter finals at Rover Social Club, and they were not disappointed by the quality of the darts played. The men's singles title for the Tom Drennan Memorial Cup went to Kit
A multi-million pound donation from a Japanese drug firm has ensured that Oxford's new diabetes centre will be one of the world's leading research and treatment units for the disease. Takeda, based in Osaka, has handed over £3.2m to the Oxford Centre
A scheme to pave Oxford's Cornmarket Street with expensive granite slabs, which has already cost £1m, is to be scrapped. Councillors are considering ripping up the new paving and replacing it with Tarmac. The move comes after consultants revealed that
Young skateboarders in Marcham, near Abingdon, keen to establish facilities for skate sports in the village are being asked to complete a questionnaire so the parish council can assess the need. The council has been asked if an area for skateboarders,
An Oxfordshire primary school has won a School Achievement Award for good performance. As a result, the John Blandy School, in Southmoor, moves into the top 33 per cent of schools in the country. The principal adviser for schools at Oxfordshire County
A paedophile has been sent to jail after admitting sexually assaulting young girls over a 23-year period. John Smith, 59, of John Morris Road, Abingdon, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court yesterday to four and a quarter years behind bars. He admitted
A pub is vowing to change its name permanently in honour of England football coach Sven Goran Eriksson if the team wins the World Cup. The Fitzharris Arms in Abingdon-- temporarily being called the Sven Goran Eriks Inn for the World Cup At the moment,
Forty children from a Wallingford pre-school will combine their annual summer outing with raising cash for charity. They will take part in a sponsored toddle to raise money for both Barnardo's homes and their own group. The children from the Paddocks
The landlord of a Witney industrial estate has hit out at "destructive" thieves after the latest in a spate of break-ins. Concrete posts and security fencing around the compound at Downs Road were smashed as the intruders got away with a lorry trailer
Vintage steam-driven machines were among the attractions at a weekend rally in Burford. Paul Blizzard, driving his miniature steam tractor Hundreds of people visited the 22nd annual rally held by the Windrush Valley Collectors Society. But there was more
Witney sailor Nigel Lidster has been putting himself through weeks of arduous training in preparation for a transatlantic yacht race. Mr Lidster, 39, has been rising at 5.30am for a run and swim, climbing up a 100ft mast and studying ocean meteorology
Activities for young people will be a focus of this year's Towersey folk music and dance festival. The event, which attracts 10,000 people to the village near Thame over the August Bank Holiday weekend, will also feature Scottish music. Activities at
A mixed tag rugby festival is being held at Newbury RFC on Thursday, July 4 featuring 32 schools, including six from Oxfordshire. The festival starts at 11am.
There was disappointment for Banbury's Derbyshire brothers when they were forced to pull out of the latest round of the Radical Enduro Sportscar Championship at Brands Hatch. Adam and Jamie qualified well in sixth position, with just a tenth of a second
Simon Lassam, of Childrey, and Katie Bott notched up their first class win of the season in the Heart of England Rally Championship after a gruelling day of rallying in some of the worst conditions ever witnessed at the Abingdon Motorsport Carnival. Moose
It was a mammoth hairdressing day at a Brize Norton farm as more than 600 sheep queued up for a close shave. The sponsored shearing was the main attraction during an open day at Foxbury Farm to raise money for Burford Pre-school, Witney Colts rugby team
Work to complete the pedestrianisation of Banbury's High Street and Broad Street will begin on Monday, July 8. New bollards and changes to the paving at the entry and exits to the area will take about two weeks to complete, Banbury's Traffic Advisory
A public trial of a lighting scheme proposed for Banbury's Market Place will take place on Thursday night. The lighting scheme is part of a plan to pedestrianise Market Place and Parson's Street, and replace the car park with coloured paving, a stage
Banbury is celebrating 20 years of twinning with the French town of Ermont -- and 42 Banbury residents who returned from a weekend in France have pledged to strengthen the bond in future years. The group, who were welcomed at a champagne reception by
The landlord of a Witney industrial estate has hit out at "destructive" thieves after the latest in a spate of break-ins. Concrete posts and security fencing around the compound at Downs Road were smashed as the intruders got away with a lorry trailer
Vintage steam-driven machines were among the attractions at a weekend rally in Burford. Paul Blizzard, driving his miniature steam tractor Hundreds of people visited the 22nd annual rally held by the Windrush Valley Collectors Society. But there was more
While humans are struggling to cope with ever-rising property prices in Oxford, the local bird population has found itself a series of ideal first homes. Sue Lane, with one of the flower baskets -- currently occupied by a robin Small birds including robins
Activities for young people will be a focus of this year's Towersey folk music and dance festival. The event, which attracts 10,000 people to the village near Thame over the August Bank Holiday weekend, will also feature Scottish music. Activities at
Details of a footbridge across the River Thames between Shillingford and Dorchester will go on show to the public. The Keen Edge Footbridge Development Trust has planning permission and funding to build the bridge, which will link sections of the Thames
More than 1,200 youngsters enjoyed a day out to celebrate childcare in the county. Rain did not dampen the success of the first Picnic in the Park organised by Oxfordshire's Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership. The event was held at the
An Army Air Corps helicopter flew over the Memorial Stone which marks the end of the former RAF Harwell runway from which aircraft took off on June 5, 1944, with the first British troops on the eve of D-Day. Former RAOC corporal David Brinsden at the
An Oxfordshire primary school has won a School Achievement Award for good performance. As a result, the John Blandy School, in Southmoor, moves into the top 33 per cent of schools in the country. The principal adviser for schools at Oxfordshire County
A BURGLAR has been jailed for two and a half years for breaking into two houses and taking car keys. Gabriel Chamberlain, 28, of Salsian House, Cowley, Oxford, admitted two burglaries, aggravated vehicle taking and unauthorised vehicle taking at Oxford
A police investigation is under way after the body of a elderly woman was found in the Oxford Canal at Banbury. The woman, believed to be in her seventies, was spotted by people on a passing boat, who raised the alarm at about 1.30pm yesterday. Police
A research team based at an Oxford hospital has received a £45,000 grant to pinpoint the genes linked to bowel disease. Prof Derek Jewell, of the department of gastroenterology at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, is now looking at how a person's
An exhibition about the planned asylum centre near Bicester has been branded a "sham and PR stunt" by one protester. The criticism came after Home Office representatives visited the two Oxfordshire villages at the centre of controversial Government plans
A paedophile has been sent to jail after admitting sexually assaulting young girls over a 23-year period. John Smith, 59, of John Morris Road, Abingdon, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court yesterday to four and a quarter years behind bars. He admitted
Police are continuing their investigations today after a trail of blood was found beside a river bank in Oxford. Officers combed the scene for evidence and took various items away for examination yesterday. The blood will be analysed. The trail went from
While humans are struggling to cope with ever-rising property prices in Oxford, the local bird population has found itself a series of ideal first homes. Sue Lane, with one of the flower baskets -- currently occupied by a robin Small birds including robins
A 72-year-old Banbury mother whose son disappeared 15 years ago is to join a sponsored walk in aid of the National Missing Persons' Helpline. Jo Ault, of Aston Close, will link up with a group walking from Glasgow to London. She will trek from Banbury
AN Oxford financial expert is recommending investors keep faith with property, despite the collapse of the buy-to-let market in some areas. Ray Thomas, tax partner at Grant Thornton in Westminster Way, says bricks and mortar can still provide good returns
Babies could be treated for genetic disorders while they are still in the womb, if a research breakthrough by Oxford scientists is successfully developed. Oxford BioMedica, based at Oxford Science Park, Sandford, and Imperial College, London, announced
Patients in north Oxfordshire have shown their gratitude to community health workers by bombarding them with praise. According to the latest figures, Cherwell Vale Primary Care Trust has received an average of one accolade a day from grateful patients
A research team based at an Oxford hospital has received a £45,000 grant to pinpoint the genes linked to bowel disease. Prof Derek Jewell, of the department of gastroenterology at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, is now looking at how a person's
Police have welcomed the jail sentences handed out to two paedophiles who were caught with child pornography. More details of the worldwide police operation which led to the pair being snared were released over the weekend. The men, including a 29-year-old
An off-licence worker chased after a robber who threw a knife at him, narrowly missing his head. James Adams, 20, gave chase after the man tried to raid Threshers in Iffley Road, Oxford. The offender threatened him with a knife and demanded he hand over
Babies could be treated for genetic disorders while they are still in the womb, if a research breakthrough by Oxford scientists is successfully developed. Oxford BioMedica, based at Oxford Science Park, Sandford, and Imperial College, London, announced
Children living in Wood Farm, Oxford, will be celebrating when a long-awaited youth centre opens this week. Thanks to the persistence of campaigners and help from Unipart in Cowley, the centre in Titup Hall Lane will be officially opened by East Oxford
An off-licence worker chased after a robber who threw a knife at him, narrowly missing his head. James Adams, 20, gave chase after the man tried to raid Threshers in Iffley Road, Oxford. The offender threatened him with a knife and demanded he hand over
Babies could be treated for genetic disorders while they are still in the womb, if a research breakthrough by Oxford scientists is successfully developed. Oxford BioMedica, based at Oxford Science Park, Sandford, and Imperial College, London, announced
A scheme to pave Oxford's Cornmarket Street with expensive granite slabs, which has already cost £1m, is to be scrapped. Councillors are considering ripping up the new paving and replacing it with Tarmac. The move comes after consultants revealed that
Manager Ian Atkins believes the Football League's new rules on loan signings will probably work more against clubs like Oxford United than for them. The Football League agreed at their annual meeting in London on Saturday to changes that will allow clubs
Team Bentley has disclosed some details about the 2002-specification EXP Speed 8 Le Mans GT Prototype, which Oxford driver Andy Wallace will drive in this weekend's 24-hours of Le Mans. At first glance, it might seem that little has changed from the car
Thames Valley Police have received an extra £1.5m to tackle street robberies and muggings. The force is one of 10 across the country which the Government has said must crack down on street crime. Eighty-two per cent of robberies occur in their areas.
