Archive

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FOOTBALL: Shariff chases starting place

Young striker Nabil Shariff could be handed a starting place in Banbury United’s Zamaretto Southern League Premier Division clash at home to Chippenham Town on Tuesday night. Shariff proved a real menace when he came on as substitute, winning the crucial

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U9 Yellow 6/2/10: Summertown Comets 0 - 2 Ardington

The scoring was opened by a terrific corner from Michael Moss, which touched the goalie, the post and a Comets defender on its way into the net. Shortly afterwards, a fine dribble into the heart of the Ardington penalty area by Nicholas Delamillieure

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RACING: Super Sarando on Festival trail

Sarando, from Paul Webber’s Mollington yard, near Banbury, gave a new syndicate their first winner at Lingfield on Monday – and sparked Cheltenham Festival dreams. The five-year-old romped home by 13 lengths from Riff in a novices’ hurdle over an extended

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RACING: Iris gets clean bill of health

Sean Curran has reported Iris De Balme to be in fine fettle after his John Smith’s Grand National hope made an encouraging return to action at Wetherby. Curran, who trains the ten-year-old at Hatford, near Stanford in the Vale, gave his 2008

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'Call 999, there's a cotton bud stuck in my ear'

AN Oxfordshire person who got a cotton bud stuck in their ear was among thousands of people who called out an ambulance unnecessarily in January. South Central Ambulance Service Trust (SCAS) has revealed it spent about £570,000 on 999 calls which did

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Armed men force their way into Littlemore house

THREE armed men forced their way into a house in Oxford and attacked the occupants. Masked men broke into the house in Cowley Road, Littlemore, at about 11pm yesterday. They were carrying weapons and attacked the people inside. A 39-year-old man suffered

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Cowley man denies sex charges

Nicholas Jones, 25, of White Road, Cowley, Oxford, denied a serious sexual assault, sexual assault and voyeurism at Oxford Crown Court today. He was bailed to stand trial on May 17 with Feizal Ali, 25, of Howard Street, who denied serious sexual assault

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Council cuts ‘won’t hit old and vulnerable’

FRONT-line home support services for sick and vulnerable adults will not be cut today, Oxfordshire County Council has pledged. The council needs to save £103.8m over the next five years because of anticipated funding cuts, although it has promised

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Armed men break into Faringdon house

Two men armed with metal and wooden bars forced their way into a man’s house in Marlborough Street, Faringdon, at about 12.15am today and threatened the 27-year-old male occupier. Det Insp Kev Elkins said: “Although the men didn’t steal anything, this

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Witney's first female GP dies at 100

A 100-year-old believed to have been Witney’s first female GP has died. Dr Hilary Macfarlane, who lived at Longlands Nursing Home, in Cassington, passed away in the early hours of Saturday. Her daughter Sue Chapman said: “She had the most fantastic

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Boys’ FC treasurer jailed for £60k theft

A 40-YEAR-OLD woman who stole more than £60,000 from a youth football team and the Ministry of Defence was jailed today. Natalie Ross, of Reedmace Road, Bicester, had been convicted by a jury at Oxford Crown Court of 17 counts of theft, obtaining by

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Ask the vet

We rescue wildlife. I’ve had a fox in the garden who appears to have advanced mange. He is very emaciated. I have two-year-old mix of mange medicine (Panomec) with honey. Would it still be effective? Roger, Oxon This fox sounds really poorly

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Bus couple's route to love

STEVE Harris drove himself round the bend when he quit his job as a bus driver for a new life. The former Stagecoach Oxfordshire driver had moved to Lincolnshire, but couldn’t stop thinking about the pretty girl from Brize Norton he used to pick up while

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Oxford United fans get a heart MOT

OXFORD United fans made the most of free health “MOTs” at the Kassam Stadium. Fans aged 40 and over were offered health checks by NHS Oxfordshire, the county’s primary care trust, before the U’s took on Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday.

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Homes sought for trainee guide dogs

VOLUNTEERS are being sought to look after puppies before they go into training to become guide dogs. The Guide Dog charity has launched a drive for helpers to care for the pups until they are between 12 and 15 months old. Supporters are also needed

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HOCKEY: Hawks are getting that winning habit!

Another week, another win – it’s becoming a habit for Oxford Hawks! The team that struggled so much before Christmas chal-ked up their third win in a row as they beat Wycombe 3-2 at Banbury Road North. They were made to work really hard for the South

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HOCKEY: Poulter and Salter settle local derby

Oxford Hawks overcame Rover Oxford 3-2 in their eagerly-anticipated Women's South Clubs’ League Division 1 derby. Hawks went in front when Ali Omell, charging through on goal, was hacked down, and then got up to convert the penalty stroke. After the

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OX5 runner has reasons to thank hospital

PERSONAL trainer Dave Brogan suffered every parent’s nightmare when his toddler son drank a bottle of medicine. Mr Brogan, 32, took Oliver, now five, straight to the Oxford Children’s Hospital, in Headington, and staff carried out tests to

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RUGBY UNION: Quins have a mare

Oxford Harlequins 19, Weston-super-Mare 35 A dynamic start proved in vain as Oxford Harlequins were soundly beaten in National 3 South West. Quins roared into a 12-0 lead with their backs, led by Martin Nutt, tearing Weston apart.

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RUGBY UNION: Chinnor downed in final quarter

National 3 South West Chinnor lost 32-10 at leaders Taunton who came on strong in the final quarter. It was 10-10 with 22 minutes remaining, but Taunton ran in three tries to take charge. Fly half James Cathcart put Chinnor ahead with a third-minute

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RUGBY UNION: Brodley finds little cheer

Oxford Harlequins director of rugby John Brodley admitted there were few positives from their defeat to Weston-super-Mare. Brodley said: “It was one of those games you find it difficult to take anything out of. “At least we outscored

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RUGBY UNION: Hawks well beaten

National 2 South Henley Hawks slipped to a 33-10 defeat at Southend to stay 12th in the table. Southend eased into a 12-0 lead thanks to tries from Andrew Frost and Simon Hoult, with Frost converting his own effort. Henley fly half Will Fulton missed

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RUGBY UNION: Bulls back on top

Midlands 2 East South Banbury Bulls returned to the top of the table after a 25-0 victory over Aylestone St James. Props Andy Gilbert and Michael Boscott were both held up in the first 20 minutes, while captain Sean Bannister was stopped by a great

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RUGBY UNION: Alchester upset the odds

Alchester upset the odds to win 20-8 at Marlborough in the Southern Counties Senior Vase semi-finals. Marlborough had not lost a game all season and conceded only 62 points, but Alchester took the game to their hosts from the start. Adam White went

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RUGBY UNION: Pack power seals win

South West 1 East Wallingford's pack dominated, with Pat McKenna impressing, as they earned a 25-12 victory at Salisbury. The visitors’ patience was rewarded with two penalties from full back Ralph Smith, the latter coming after Salisbury’s Michael

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RUGBY UNION: Wallingford reach semi-finals

Wallingford reached the Oxfordshire Cup semi-finals with a 28-13 home victory over a determined Chipping Norton side. The hosts fielded a mixed strength team, with 12 of the starting XV having played league matches the previous day.

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RUGBY UNION: Coe helps Oxford hang on

Oxford held on for a 23-19 victory at promotion rivals Phoenix in the BB&O Premier Division. Phoenix started stronger, but Oxford took the lead with a penalty from Dom Coe. The hosts hit back with a converted try. Oxford went 17-7 ahead, with a powerful

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Former Oxfordshire police inspector jailed

A former Oxfordshire police chief has been jailed for assaulting and falsely arresting a man in a petty row over money. Metropolitan Police Commander Ali Dizaei, 47, was sentenced to four years by Mr Justice Simon at London's Southwark Crown

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Night reading

I have recently launched a new book group but it is limited to two members - me and my four-week-old daughter. We meet quite regularly in my kitchen diner in the wee small hours of the morning, and it is during the night-time that I get most of my

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Local shares (PM)

AEA Technology 20.75 BMW 2604 Electrocomponents 182.3 Gladstone 27.25 Nationwide Accident Repair 83.5 Oxford Biomedica 11.25 Oxford Catalysts 49 Oxford Instruments 253.5 Reed Elsevier 486.1 RM 175 RPS Group 173.8 Courtesy of Redmayne

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Blackbird Leys toddler group celebrates first birthday

TODDLERS marked Polish landmarks on a giant map of their home country as they celebrated the first birthday of a family support group. Maluchy – which means Little Ones in Polish – was formed by three mothers in February last year, to help youngsters

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Claims Oriel plans will spoil skyline

CAMPAIGNERS fear plans to build new student flats on Oxford’s High Street will damage the city’s famous skyline. Oriel College has submitted proposals for an extra floor to be built on top of the Grade II listed Rhodes Building. The extension will provide

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Prayers said for troops

PRAYERS have been said at a special service for troops fighting and dying in Afghanistan. Minister Dr Ken Stallard led the Sunday afternoon prayers at Appleton Chapel in Badswell Lane. A framed picture of servicemen and women who have died fighting

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Wing Commander takes charge of his former squadron

A PILOT has returned to take command of the RAF Brize Norton squadron he served with when he first took to the skies. Wing Commander Alistair Green took up his post at 216 Squadron on Thursday. It is the fourth time he has been stationed at Brize, where

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Met commander jailed for misconduct

A former Oxfordshire police chief has been jailed for assaulting and falsely arresting a man in a petty row over money. Metropolitan Police Commander Ali Dizaei, 47, was sentenced to four years by Mr Justice Simon at London's Southwark Crown

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Cycle parking is better off underground

Last month, Mary Clarkson, the Lord Mayor of Oxford, gave me and four others an Oxford Green Travel Award. Not that I really deserved it to be honest, but I accepted it on behalf of all at Cyclox as, together, we manage to keep the cycling flag aloft.

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Subway is safest way to cross road

I READ with interest the article regarding the Headington subway (Oxford Mail, January 25). Well done to Michael Haines for his continued efforts to try to keep the subway. The council says 58 per cent of the local people are in favour of removing the

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Cyclists need their own lanes

IF POLICE in Oxford have warned 112 cyclists since October for using pavements, did they stop to ask why? In a genuine cycling city like Copenhagen, this situation would never happen. Cyclists need their own safe bike lanes on all roads and marked routes

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Against all that this land is meant to be for

YOU correctly report that, in 2008, 17 senior judges at the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the policy of keeping the DNA of innocent people “could not be regarded as necessary in a democratic society”. Well, firstly, “necessary” is presumably

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Police number should be made obvious

IF YOU ever have cause to ring for the police, other than 999, where can you find your local police station number in the phone book? Why can’t it be given prominence, say on the front cover, in bold figures? A few years ago, I had cause to ring the

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What would they do for the countryside?

With the General Election fast approaching, now is the time to ask those who aspire to be our MPs in the future what they will do if they are elected. All too often, the environment and the countryside do not get the attention and priority they deserve

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Banbury set to get £3m youth centre

A YOUTH centre in Banbury used by almost 900 young people is set to be demolished and replaced with a new £3m building. The 1960s building, home to Banbury Youth Centre, in Woodgreen, will close in June. The new building, called the

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Tenants praise CCTV systems at city tower blocks

FAMILIES living in high-rise tower blocks in Oxford say new CCTV cameras have made them feel safer. Oxford City Council spent £110,000 to install security cameras at Evenlode and Windrush towers, in Blackbird Leys, and at Plowman Tower in Marston, to

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DARTS: Baldwin's three 180s all in vain for Littlemore

Three 180s by Littlemore British Legion’s Nick Baldwin was not enough to halt leaders Butcher’s Arms in Winter League Section 1. Baldwin defeated reigning summer and winter league singles champion Ian Moss with the help of three stunning maximums, but

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DARTS: Bristow and Deller waiting

Riley's Oxford are offering players the chance to face world champions Eric Bristow or Keith Deller – and win some cash. Weekly contests are being held at Riley’s clubs every Sunday until May 2, with the winners securing a place in the final where they

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DARTS: Oxon primed for leaders

Oxfordshire aim to maintain their unbeaten start to the season in Division 1 of Riley’s British Inter-Counties Championship this weekend in a crunch clash at home to leaders Cornwall. With two wins and two draws so far this season, third-placed Oxon

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Computers stolen in East Hendred raid

Police this afternoon appealed for information about a burglary which took place in East Hendred. In the first burglary, electrical items were stolen from a detached house in Church Street between 9am and 8.30pm on Saturday. The stolen items include

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New blast of cold weather forecast

Britain will feel a lot colder this week and see some snow in a fresh blast of wintry weather, forecasters have said. Eastern parts of the country are most at risk of snow showers and overnight temperatures will plunge below freezing across

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Masked raiders attack two men in Littlemore

Three masked raiders attacked two men after breaking into a house in Cowley Road, Littlemore. The men, who were carrying various weapons, burst into the house shortly before 11pm on Sunday. Three people were in the house at the time,

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U10 Cup Result: Oxford Blackbirds B 0 Kidlington Youth Rangers 2

This cup quarter final turned out to be a very entertaining game with both sides playing excellent football. The fact that the scoreline was still 0-0 with less than 10 minutes remaining was down to the performances of both goalkeepers who made

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Man charged with drugs offences

A 21-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with drugs offences following a raid on an Oxford estate. Police raided a house in Cuddesdon Way, Blackbird Leys, at 7.20am yesterday. Louis Withers, of Cuddesdon Way, was charged with possession of class A drugs

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Man's cheekbone broken in Wootton attack

Police are appealing for information after a man was attacked in Hawkins Way, Wootton. At about 1.05am yesterday, a 46-year-old man was in the road when another man came up to him and assaulted him. The man sustained a broken cheekbone and bruising

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Faringdon burglars threaten man with metal bar

Police are appealing for information after three men burgled a house in Marlborough Street, Faringdon, today. At 12.16am, the men forced their way into the property and threatened the resident, a 27-year-old man, with a metal bar and a wooden bar.

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Police fire Taser at man in Witney

Police officers discharged a Taser after they were called to an incident in Witney last night. Thames Valley Police was called to an address in Raleigh Crescent at 9.27pm. When officers arrived they were confronted by a man, aged in his forties, armed

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Wintry weather returns

More sleet or snow is forecast for Oxfordshire this afternoon with temperatures predicted to fall to -1°C tonight. Met Office forecasters said tomorrow would be brighter with some sunshine, but it would remain cold with an increasing risk of wintry

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Local share prices (AM)

AEA Technology 21 BMW 2589 Electrocomponents 183.5 Gladstone 27.25 Nationwide Accident Repair 84.5 Oxford Biomedica 11.1 Oxford Catalysts 49 Oxford Instruments 254 Reed Elsevier 486.8

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Snow could land this afternoon

SLEET or snow is forecast for Oxfordshire this afternoon with temperatures predicted to fall to -1°C tonight. Met Office forecasters said tomorrow will be brighter with some sunshine, but it will remain cold with an increasing risk of wintry showers

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Bratt forced out in Abu Dhabi

GP2 Asia Series driver Will Bratt enjoyed a competitive run during the fourth round of the 2009/2010 championship in Abu Dhabi, although late-race contact from Swede Marcus Ericsson forced the Briton out of the race with less than five laps remaining

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Eco development receives £9.5m

PLANS for an eco-town in North West Bicester have been allocated £9.5m by the Government today. The money will allow Cherwell District Council to buy a new eco-friendly sixth form building for Cooper School, and will help the council develop a master

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Man held after Oxford drugs raid

Police arrested a 21-year-old man after a drugs raid in Blackbird Leys. Louis Withers, of Cuddesdon Way, Oxford, was charged with one count of possessing a class-A controlled drug and one count of possessing a class-B controlled drug following yesterday's

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New lifetime achievement award announced

The Oxfordshire Business Awards Sponsors Committee has announced the creation of a new Sponsors Award. The category will be known as the Oxfordshire Business Awards' Lifetime Achievement Award and will be presented to the individual judged to have made

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Entries flood in

Entries are flooding in for this year’s awards with numbers well up on last year. At the time of going to press, there were 170 entries from more than 100 companies and organisations across the Oxfordshire business scene. Tickets for the gala dinner

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Ocean Colour Scene @ Oxford O2 Academy

For a bunch of lads from the landlocked West Midlands, Ocean Colour Scene don’t half bang on about maritime matters. Perhaps as the result of growing up so far from the briny, the references to open water go far beyond the band’s name (which

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Bill pops in for breakfast

Radio Oxford presenter Bill Heine will be guest speaker at the Wantage & District Business Breakfast Club on February 17. Mr Heine will be sharing memories of 20 years of broadcasting based on his book Heinstein of the Airwaves at the club which will

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Wives' club enjoyed tour of Job's Didcot dairy

DOZENS of pictures must have been taken at this location. Every time a party visited Job’s Dairy at Didcot, a photograph appears to have been taken outside Job’s Hall. This one was taken in 1960 when the Young Wives Club at St Frideswide

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Oxford school had family feeling

BOYS and girls who went to St Thomas the Martyr School in Oxford knitted together like one large family. Former pupil Aileen Mason writes: “Whatever corner of the parish we came from, whether poor or comparatively comfortably placed at home

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Digging in to clear snow off Oxford City's pitch

MANY of us may have complained about the recent snow, but we didn’t have to contend with quite as much as the two men in this picture. It shows them trying to clear Oxford City’s football pitch at the White House ground, off Abingdon Road,

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The changing face of Thame

A DROP-IN centre called Rainbow, based at Thame community education centre, opened in 1986 to give young mums a breather while shopping. They could drink coffee and chat while their children played. Linda Hillsdon is pictured with twins Laura and Vanessa

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Sporting star who stayed in background

THE focus in the football world is always on players and managers. But no sport would run smoothly or effectively without a strong team of ‘backroom boys’. Stewart Jacobs was one such man. He never sought the limelight, but was a key figure on the

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Ox and Bucks troops paraded for photo

THESE men from the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry may look relaxed, but this was a challenging time for them and their fellow troops. This is part of a panoramic picture of the regiment’s 2nd Battalion, also known as the 52nd

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U10 Red - Summertown Galaxy v Cholsey Bluebirds

In the first game ’Galaxy took the lead through a Ryan Sagar effort but after a period of sustained second half pressure, Cholsey snatched a deserved last gasp equaliser with a terrific strike from Tom Morris for a 1-1 a score line going into the

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Cameron to talk about "disgusting" expenses tactics

WITNEY MP David Cameron will today pledge to change the law to prevent the "disgusting sight" of MPs using parliamentary privilege in a bid to avoid prosecution for expenses abuses. The Tory leader will also challenge Gordon Brown to withdraw the Labour

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Wilder's warning

Oxford United manager Chris Wilder has called for calm heads, especially at home, after his team went back to the top of the league. The U’s returned to the Blue Square Premier summit following Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Kidderminster at the Kassam

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Westgate revamp 'likely to be scaled down'

PLANS for the £330m redevelopment of the Westgate Centre are likely to be scaled down by its new owner, it was claimed last night. The Crown Estate has confirmed it has exchanged contracts for the purchase of the site from Capital Shopping

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Positive moves

HOORAY for positive news about the Westgate Centre. The saga over its redevelopment has run on and on and on. The city’s shoppers – and traders – want to see real progress made on the site, and sooner rather than later. Currently, there is a general

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Let’s put flytippers in the frame

OXFORD City Council should be praised for the way it is tackling flytipping. The council has already had some success in driving down instances of this most antisocial of activities. Now it is ready to unleash a camera designed purely to catch these

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Sharks Victory

Both team and Shark fans were pleased to be out in the cold as they played their first match in what seems like an eternity. No frost, no snow & no rain.....a match at last! Sharks were determined to do their crowd proud. An unfortunate

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Scales of Justice: Around the magistrates' courts

OXFORD Mairi James, 45, of Southfield Park, Oxford, admitted being found drunk in a highway or public place, namely Beaumont Street in Oxford, on January 3. Fined £100 with a £15 victims’ surcharge. Considered paid by detention in the court