A Bicester teenager who was left fighting for her life after taking the swine flu drug Tamiflu is on the road to recovery. A spokesman for Chelsea and Westminster Hospital confirmed Samantha Millard, 18, of Purslane Drive, Bicester, was in
A young boy born deaf has been given the gift of hearing for Christmas thanks to a new surgical proedure at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. Doctors discovered Carter Romeo could not hear a thing within a few days of his birth, but surgery
A Bicester teenager who was left fighting for her life after taking the swine flu drug Tamiflu is on the road to recovery. A spokesman for Chelsea and Westminster Hospital confirmed Samantha Millard, 18, of Purslane Drive, Bicester, was now
A jury has heard how up to £992 worth of cocaine was found at a flat in Summertown. Leonard Heta, 22, of Southfield Park, East Oxford, denies three counts of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply, but earlier admitted one count of possession
POLICE are appealing for the public’s help in tracing a Barton woman and her son. Hayley Cox, 27, of Underhill Circus, and her 3-year-old son Dylan, were reported missing on Friday. Hayley is slim, about 5ft 4in, with shoulder length
Burglars broke in through a conservatory and carried out a messy search inside a house in Kennington. Police today appealed for witnesses after a break-in at Upper Road at 7.20pm yesterday.
A GOVERNMENT adviser has welcomed a ban on “legal high” mind altering drugs, but has warned they may still be available on the Internet. In August the Oxford Mail revealed the Government was planning to ban several so-called “legal highs” – drugs created
A 70-YEAR-OLD man had to haul himself to safety after falling through ice as he walked across his private lake. Peter Baring was testing the strength of the ice at his home in Ardington, near Wantage, on Monday at 9.40am. After making
An ambulance control room operator helped a granny deliver her daughter’s baby girl at home today. Sarah Hopcroft, 28, went into labour in Longleat Close, Banbury and had no time to reach hospital. Margaret Holland, 55, delivered her
A WOMAN who has persistently breached an antisocial behaviour order (Asbo) will spend Christmas behind bars, after grabbing a 53-year-old woman by the throat. Kirsty Walker, of Starnham Road, Ducklington, drunkenly attacked the woman in Witney
TRADERS are demanding guarantees before they will raise £30,000 to bring the carnival back to Oxford’s Cowley Road. Businesses in the street are planning a series of fundraising events to generate enough money to return the carnival to its
AEA Technology 27 BMW 2871 Electrocomponents 165.8 Gladstone 29 Nationwide Accident Repair 79 Oxford Biomedica 11.25 Oxford Catalyst 50.5 Oxford Instruments 203.5 Reed Elsevier 503.75 RM 159.5 RPS Group 214 .4 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley,
A 15-month-old toddler injured in a head-on collision remains in a critical but stable condition today. The boy was injured in a collision between a silver Ford Ka and silver Renault Clio on the A4260 at Tackley, near Sturdy’s Castle, at about
SO WINSTON Churchill and Gordon Brown are the only British leaders to visit a war zone? It is there, however, that the comparison ends. Winston had guts and was loved by the citizens of the UK. Gordon should follow his example and learn from history
BEFORE having global conferences about what action to take in order to save the world, such as this month’s Copenhagen summit, perhaps we should decide whether it’s worth saving in the first place. JUDY MARGETTS Abingdon Road Oxford
CHRIS Robins is to be congratulated for raising the issue of local government dictatorship – for that is precisely what it is (Oxford Mail, December 3). He is not the only one to have been told to keep his nose clean by officious staff at the city and
So here we are once more in the Christmas period of festivity, and once more in your pages you report that Thames Valley Police are targeting drink-drivers. I don’t think anybody has a problem with that. However, when are Thames Valley Police going
I would like to express my immense appreciation to the people of Oxford East for their kindness and generosity during my two-and-a-half years as their Green Party parliamentary candidate. It was a great honour to support the inspiring local campaigners
I recently completed this poem which portrays the two sides of Christmas – good and bad – but with some hope for the future. I thought other readers might enjoy seeing it too: Kings and Queens have castles tall, Knights and ladies own great halls
COUNCILLOR Shouler’s attack on the Chancellor (Oxford Mail, December 15) is clear proof that the Conservatives have failed to grasp the reality of the challenges facing the economy. It also shows the voters what a disaster it would be if they were put
An East Oxford man has today been cleared of attempted murder. Kenroy Ferguson, 26, of Bath Street, was found not guilty of attempted murder and battery at Oxford Crown Court. However he was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily
I LEFT my handbag in the public toilets in Market Street earlier this month and two lovely young women found it, rang me using my mobile – which they found -and returned it to me. I was so shaken and shocked by the loss of my handbag, all I could do
I know this is going to offend some of you, but if there’s one day a year when it’s okay to lie, it HAS to be Christmas Day. Think about it, that fake smile when you receive something truly hideous? A lie. The gushing “It’s what I always wanted”? Another
Thames Valley Police and Buckinghamshire County Council this afternoon appealed to any motorists who abandoned their cars during the severe weather last night, to collect them as soon as possible, as the roads need to be cleared for and Buckinghamshire
Thames Valley Police said this afternoon that all the motorways and most of the primary routes were clear following last night's snowstorms. The only roads still affected are the A4146 in Milton Keynes, and the A41 between Aylesbury and Hertfordshire
SAM Earl grabbed a late equaliser to give Vale of White Horse Under 14s a 2-2 draw against Mid Oxon in the Vale Cup at Milton United. Vale took the lead when a Matthew Woodley corner was turned in from close range by Liam Painter. Mid
RACING Demon, from Henrietta Knight’s West Lockinge stables, near Wantage, is on course for a third crack at Kauto Star in the William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, writes Russell Smith. The nine-year-old was third
Oxfordshire's Bradley Smith, is involved in a scheme to help find the next British world champion. Teenager Smith, who was runner-up in this year’s 125cc world championship, is one of the judges in the Racing Steps Foundation, who are sponsoring two
Former top Italian professional Flavio Zappi has established a new club as he attempts to promote the development of young riders in the Oxford area. Team Zappi will be headed up by Zappi, who will take on the role as rider/manager, after making
Bicester's talented welterweight Dazza Usher boosted his prospects for next year's Senior ABA Championships with notable victory against a highly-rated Armenian in London. The 25-year-old personal fitness instructor, who is a member of Oxford Boxing
PLANS have been submitted for 350 homes on the 85-acre former Fair Mile Hospital site, above, near Wallingford. The £100m scheme would involve transforming the former psychiatric hospital’s listed buildings at Cholsey into 130 new homes, 39 of them designated
RESIDENTS in Wallingford have begged politicians to stop developers from turning their town into Abingdon. Many are upset the core strategy being created by South Oxfordshire District Council has allocated 850 homes to build in the town by 2026. It
AN East Oxford man has today been cleared of attempted murder. Kenroy Ferguson, 26, of Bath Street, was found not guilty of attempted murder and battery at Oxford Crown Court. However he was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, affray
YOUNGSTERS took to the stage and showed off their public speaking talents in the annual Youth Speaks competition. Rotary clubs of Banbury, Cherwell and Chipping Norton organised the event at Bloxham School, where eight teams of young people aged between
Forecasters at the Met Office said severe weather in Oxfordshire was caused by 'flash snowstorms' that came in from the east. Drivers were stuck on the A4130 between Wallingford and Henley last night, and the AA laid on extra patrols in the
I am quite well known for my natural gardening stance which I describe in detail in my book The Natural Gardener. It’s all about the garden I used to own in Hook Norton. The plants were robust and healthy and I realised that I had better numbers of bees
daily Wake Up to Wogan slot on Radio 2 had begun to seem like one of the longest. From the moment his forthcoming departure was announced, at the beginning of September, to his final show last Friday the topic of Sir Terry’s ‘retirement’ – which isn’t
It was any boozer’s idea of bliss: a cocktail so large that you could not only drink it – in truth, just the tiniest part of it – but actually float around on top of it. At a time of year when most of us are eager for alcoholic indulgence, the
Did you use 13 ingredients to make your Christmas pudding? Tradition has it that this number represents Christ and his disciples. The brandy poured over the top and set alight represents Christ’s passion. The sprig of holly on top is thought to
Despite the long, dark nights and the short, often bitterly cold days, winter can be a great time to go birding and especially here in Oxfordshire. We have an excellent mix of woodland, field and water sites which is exactly what our star winter
A WOMAN who helped hundreds of couples perfect their first wedding day dance has died aged 75. Barbara Sadler, who died at home in Wallingford on December 11 after a seven-month battle with cancer, ran the Thames Dance Club for 35 years. Thousands of
Carol concerts are not normally my cup of tea, so it was with some hesitation that I agreed to review this event. Fortified with mulled wine I reported for duty. Contrary to my expectations the Carols for All concert, presented by the Bach Choir and Oxfordshire
Supergrass, or Santagrass as they’ve renamed themselves for this festive occasion, have always been a band who played with big smiles on their faces. Best known for their jovial, jaunty indie pop, they’re in many ways the perfect band for a Christmas
Guy Ritchie’s reinvention of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary sleuth should have been a dream new beginning for the director. Starting his career in 1998 with the almighty bang of Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, the Hertfordshire-born film-maker
An able successor awaits should Michael Smedley decide, a decade or so into the future, to relinquish his conductorship of the Oxford Pro Musica Singers. The bid for his office was made, with much vigorous windmilling of both arms, by a lad of
FORECASTERS at the Met Office have blamed severe weather in Oxfordshire on flash snowstorms that came in from the east. Drivers were stuck on the A4130 between Wallingford and Henley last night, and the AA laid on extra patrols in the county as calls
A FAMILY who rescued a flock of turkeys from their Christmas fate are being repeatedly targeted by thieves. Linsey Legge, her husband Alanjon, and their eight-year-old son, Rhys, were shocked to discover their small Wantage farm had been targeted
A repatriation ceremony for the bodies of three fallen soldiers is expected to be delayed by about half an hour. The bodies of Cpl Simon Hornby, 29, of 2nd Battalion, the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, L Cpl David Kirkness, 24, and Rifleman James Brown
A REPATRIATION ceremony for the bodies of three fallen soldiers is expected to be delayed by about half an hour. The bodies of Cpl Simon Hornby, 29, of 2nd Battalion, the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, L Cpl David Kirkness, 24, and Rifleman James Brown
A NEW trophy is being launched for next year’s OX5 Run to encourage more businesses to enter their teams. Organisers are hoping more than 1,000 runners enter the race, which is backed by the Oxford Mail and is expected to raise £65,000 for Oxford Children
A 70-year-old man was fortunate to escape injury after he fell through ice on a frozen lake. The man walked across the ice at the lake in Ardington, near Wantage, but fell in. He managed to make his way to the side of the lake and climb
ONE centimetre of snow was recorded at Brize Norton this morning. The Met Office said the amount of snow depended a lot on where you are in the region, and could not provide a more detailed break down of how much snow fell throughout the county last
A service of thanksgiving for the life of mother-of-two Linda Bennett will take place today. The service will take place at Woodstock Road Baptist Church, in Oxford, at 2.30pm. The family has asked for donations to charity Oxfam. The cremation
Police today appealed for help in tracing a Barton woman and her son. Hayley Cox, 27, of Underhill Circus, and her three-year-old son Dylan, were reported missing on Friday. Hayley is slim, about 5ft 4in tall, with shoulder length brown
A SERVICE of thanksgiving for the life of mother-of-two Linda Bennett will take place today. The service will take place at Woodstock Road Baptist Church, in Oxford, at 2.30pm. The family has asked for donations to charity Oxfam. The cremation will
Traffic is queueing both ways on the A40 between the B4449 at Eynsham and the Wolvercote roundabout. A lorry has broken down on the Oxford-bound carriageway, and police are directing traffic past the vehicle in alternate directions. Recovery services
Motorists are being warned not to travel unless it is absolutely essential today as icy conditions and snow continue to blight parts of Oxfordshire. Freezing temperatures look set to continue for most of today, according to the Met Office.
The Ford Focus has been named the most popular car of the decade in a poll by Auto Trader magazine. It beat off the challenge of the Ford Fiesta, with the BMW 3 Series third, the Ford Mondeo fourth and the Vauxhall Astra fifth. The Fiat Panda
MOTORISTS are being warned not to travel unless it is absolutely essential today as icy conditions and snow continue to blight parts of Oxfordshire. Freezing temperatures look set to continue for most of today, according to the Met Office. Weather experts
Traffic is queueing both ways on the A40 between the B4449 at Eynsham and the Wolvercote roundabout. A lorry has broken down on the Oxford bound side of the road, but police are directing traffic past the vehicle in alternate directions.
South Central Ambulance Service has said there is severe pressure on its service. All clinical staff have now been told to make themselves available for work as hazardous driving conditions continue to hamper the service's efforts to reach
The Christmas travel nightmare is grinding on with more snow and ice causing havoc on the roads and further disruption for rail and air services. Plunging overnight temperatures have transformed many of Monday's snowfalls into treacherous surfaces
Oxford United’s leading scorer James Constable will captain the side in place of the suspended Adam Mur-ray when they host Rushden & Diamonds on Boxing Day. With the Blue Square Premier leaders keen to extend their excellent Boxing Day record of recent
SOUTH Central Ambulance Service has moved up to REAP Level Four - meaning there is severe pressure on its service. All clinical staff have now been told to make themselves available for work as hazardous driving conditions continue to hamper
A CAR collector said he was “heartbroken” after his classic vehicle was targeted by thieves. Computer technician Raphael Merni, pictured, is desperate to reunite his 1962 vintage Morris Minor with its stolen headlight. The car is covered
THE parents of an 11-year-old girl who helped trap paedophile Thomas Gibbs deserve huge credit. These are worrying times for families, with many not knowing who their children are communicating with over the Internet. Yet too many seek to rely on in-built
A MUM and dad posed as their 11-year-old daughter to trap a paedophile grooming her on Facebook. Thomas Gibbs, 52, was jailed at Oxford Crown Court yesterday after admitting two counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming. The court heard Gibbs
A mother and father posed as their 11-year-old daughter to trap a paedophile grooming her on Facebook. Thomas Gibbs, 52, was jailed at Oxford Crown Court yesterday after admitting two counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming.
