Archive

  • Death of widower, 92, sparks murder hunt

    Police have launched a murder inquiry after a 92-year-old widower was found dead at his home in Witney. A neighbour found Edwin Hiles lying on the floor at his house in Lancut Road, on the Windrush Valley estate, on Thursday evening. He was taken to the

  • 'Miracle man' is all set for wedding

    A paramedic who saved his own life by diagnosing a deadly blood clot is getting married -- two years to the day after his story appeared in the Oxford Mail. Matt Hillis and Anna Mason, of Maple Avenue, Kidlington, were amazed to discover their wedding

  • Pilot heads up MBE high-fliers

    A woman pilot from Oxfordshire, who made international headlines with a record-breaking solo flight around the world, tops an impressive list of people from across the county who have been honoured in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. Polly Vacher, from

  • Bar billiards:Tandem ride in for a double

    Tandem wrapped up the Alan Wilmer Cup against Crown, Stadhampton to complete a league and cup double at the Homestyle Furnishing and Morrells Oxford League finals night at Cowley Conservative Club. Having secured the Premier title, Tandem were on the

  • Cricket: Super Salman joins Bicester survival bid

    Bicester & North Oxford have boosted their survival hopes in Home Counties Premier League Division 1 by signing former Oxford University seamer Salman Khan. Khan, who also bats handily and won four Blues from 1998-2001, makes his Bicester debut for

  • Passport swindler gets jail sentence

    An Oxford man has been jailed after being found guilty of obtaining a passport by deception. Ustad Ahmed admitted obtaining bogus birth certificates for two children, but denied the passport offence. Ahmed, 36, of Walton Street, obtained fake certificates

  • Furniture maker to cut 90 jobs

    Workers at an Oxfordshire furniture factory have been told that their company needs to shed 90 jobs due to a fall in orders. Parker Knoll, which has 500 staff at its factory and showroom in Chipping Norton, has seen a "substantial" fall in sales, said

  • 'Talking' pacemaker will reduce waiting times

    A new talking pacemaker is helping doctors monitor heart patients without the need for lengthy hospital visits. Medical engineering firm, Biotronik which is based in Bicester, has designed a pacemaker which automatically relays information to physicians

  • Tennis: Centre grooms future Henmans

    As Tim Henman continues his preparations for Wimbledon, people in his home county of Oxfordshire are playing tennis in ever increasing numbers. This is highlighted by the vast number of people who have visited the recently opened White Horse Leisure and

  • Skiing: Matt ready for Wycombe challenge

    The World Artificial Ski Championships, in conjunction with Wycombe Summit Ltd, will be hosted for the third year running at the Wycombe Summit Ski and Snowboard Centre on Sunday, June 30. More than 100 entries are expected for the individual slalom race

  • Triathlon: Brookes takes triathlon title

    There were 124 competitors for this year's Wantage Leisure Centre triathlon, when unseasonably low temperatures did not dampen their spirits. Some 34 clubs were represented from 22 counties and there was one entry from Toulouse in France. The overall

  • Greyhounds: Beattie's resignation shrouded in mystery

    What went wrong? That's the big question following the surprise resignation of Oxford Stadium general manager Mark Beattie, writes John Gaisford. In the job for only three months, he tendered his notice on Tuesday, just after returning from a week's holiday

  • American football: Saints suffer in the rain

    Oxford Saints will be aiming to get back to winning ways tomorrow, when they travel to Norwich in the Southern Conference, after they lost 12-6 at Chiltern Cheetahs. Played at Amersham RFC, the game was spoilt by gusting wind and driving rain. After a

  • Angling: Coarse season starts

    A new coarse fishing season starts at midnight on Saturday, when diehard anglers will be out on the banks. I am told the Environment Agency are going to clamp down on licence dodgers, so I trust you will have purchased yours already. It really is not

  • Martial arts: New club seeks members

    Oxford Shudokan Aikido Club are marking their first anniversary - by launching a recruitment drive. The organisation, based at the Oxford Karate Club off Cowley Road, started off with only a handful of members, and now boasts a core membership of around

  • Pigeon racing: Lawrence's big passion

    Pigeon racing is often associated with cloth caps and northern industrial towns, but to Didcot and Hagbourne District Flying Club's secretary, the image could not be further from the truth. Lawrence Le Carre says in Oxfordshire and the surrounding counties

  • Greyhounds: Sponsorship talks

    Oxford Stadium chiefs are in talks with leading bookmaker Stan James regarding sponsorship of the Oxfordshire Trophy, which is due to take place in October. The event, first run in 1964, was won last year by Bold Mossy, who turned out to be a leading

  • Bar billiards: Revenge for Corner House

    Corner House finally gained revenge on Masons B, who had won Section 2 ahead of them, in the Group B final of the Almer Wilmer Cup. Andy Packford (2,780) and Ian Packford (1,990) put House 2-0 up, with Phil Light (2,910) pulling it back to 2-1. Skipper

  • Hospitals set up job shops

    One-stop job shops are being set up in Oxfordshire hospitals to help people find work in the NHS. The John Radcliffe Hospital, in Headington, Oxford, and The Horton, Banbury, are opening the job agencies in July, advertising all NHS vacancies across the

  • Taskforce to solve homeless problem

    A taskforce has been created to come up with a solution to Oxford's long-term problem of home- lessness. Members of the organisation include councils, primary care trusts, the police and Oxford Brookes University. The Liberal Democrat-Green administration

  • Murder suspect 'never hit anyone'

    A former BMW car worker accused of murdering colleague Christopher Butt at his Oxford home told a friend he had "done something bad" and was going away, a court has heard. Martin Cooper is jointly charged with Graeme Faulkner of murdering and robbing

  • Football: Southampton swoop for United youngster

    Oxford United are set to receive compensation from Southampton, after the Premiership club nipped in to snap up one of the most promising young players they have developed. Eleven-year-old Marc Gass, from Loyd Close, Abingdon, has helped St Edmunds Boys

  • Speedway: Cheetahs sink weak Pirates

    John Gaisford reports on Oxford Cheetahs' victory over Poole Pirates by 54 points to 36. CHEETAHS took full advantage of a decimated Pirates team to chalk up two significant points in their fight to make the Elite League play-offs at Oxford Stadium on