Archive

  • The child carer scandal

    While their friends are out playing after school, brothers Scott and Daniel Arnold are at home cooking, cleaning and helping to look after their parents and five younger siblings. Sandra Foster with young carers Scott Arnold, left, and his brother Daniel

  • August 6: Let's have our share

    For once, the regulators are doing their job. Rather than rubber-stamping price increases, as many of them do, Ofwat, the water industry watchdog, has done a great public service. It has scrutinised Thames Water's demand for a 39 per cent increase in

  • August 14: Needless anxiety

    The saga of the 'bombs' on board two lorries is an extraordinary affair. Two lorry drivers received an emergency message from their bosses to say their vehicles might be carrying Second World War devices. They did everything right. They pulled into a

  • Change at the sports centre

    Swimming pool changing rooms at a Bicester sports centre are set to get a £65,000 facelift. Cherwell District Council's executive gave the go ahead for work to start in September at Bicester and Ploughley Sports Centre, in Queens Avenue. Lockers and cubicles

  • August 16: Caring for the carers

    Looking after a sick or infirm relative on a full-time basis would test the mettle of the most capable adult. When that responsiblity falls to a child, the pressure must be even greater. Children should learn responsiblity at an early age, but only up

  • Traders hit out at rises in rent

    Traders in Oxford's Little Clarendon Street are warning that they are under threat from high rent rises and a drop in trade. Shop owners have criticised Oxford University, which owns several retail premises, for increasing rents while they struggle with

  • Games in street ban unfair, say residents

    Young children have been stopped from playing ball games outside their homes because of older youths who have wreaked havoc on an Oxford estate. A No Ball Games sign was put up last week in Burdell Avenue, Sandhills. The ban has stopped children like

  • Award-winning author fights boatyard development

    Prizewinning author Philip Pullman, above, has spoken out against plans to turn a historic Oxford boatyard into flats. The Alchemy boatyard, at the former Lucy's factory on the canal in Jericho, inspired Mr Pullman's characters, the Gyptians -- nomadic

  • Potential rent defaulters urged to seek help

    Tenants of Oxford City Council properties who are having difficulty paying the rent are urged to seek help before they risk losing their home. The council's rent team manager, Shami Scholes, said that tenants in financial difficulty should seek help using

  • Christian leader has Gospel aim for city

    The new director of an Oxford Christian youth centre is set to launch projects to take the Gospel to every area of the city. Ben Holloway has been appointed director of Oxford Youth Works - a partner of Youth for Christ - the UK's leading Christian youth

  • Don't act too hastily

    We again have information that we can expect terrorist attacks at any time anywhere. Where has this information come from? The same source as we had about weapons of mass destruction? If so, perhaps we could have a public inquiry first, before we act

  • Many places for a break

    In reply to Derek Honey, Take a Break -- where? (Oxford Mail, August 11), why is it only service stations that he wishes to use? High Wycombe is easily accessible if going to Gatwick, and that is 30 miles into the journey. There are more exits on the

  • Murder at a wedding

    A murder inquiry was under way today (Monday, August 16) after a fight at a wedding reception at an Oxford hotel left a man dead. A police van outside the Holiday Inn yesterday Police were called to the Holiday Inn, by the Pear Tree roundabout in north

  • What a way to run our county council

    Having read so much recently about the huge amount of money being spent by Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell on getting his finance and accounts departments up to standard, I must say the introduction of what appears to be self-assessment

  • Apology campaigner takes fight to No. 10

    Former Japanese prisoner of war Arthur Titherington laid a wreath at a memorial in Witney on Saturday (August 14), before travelling to London on VJ Day for a commemoration service and to present a letter at Downing Street. Mr Titherington, 82, of Church

  • Protesters offer to help recruit nurses

    Campaigners fighting to save Wantage Hospital are offering a team of volunteers to help NHS managers recruit more nurses. The offer comes in an open letter to the South West Primary Care Trust which has considered closing the 24-bed hospital because of

  • Shop plan error ends in apology

    A national computer games company is to apologise after putting in a planning application to take over an Abingdon jewellers -- without the store's knowledge. Melanie Inness The Games Stores Group -- which has 350 shops, including outlets in Oxford and

  • Man, 28, dies in fight at wedding

    A man has died following a fight during a wedding reception at an Oxford hotel. Police were called to the Holiday Inn, Pear Tree roundabout, about 11.30pm on Saturday (August 14). A 28-year-old man was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital, in Oxford,