Archive

  • Fire damages Chinnor chip shop

    FIREFIGHTERS battled a blaze in a Chinnor fish and chip shop after a deep fat fryer caught light. The blaze spread to the extraction system and then to the roof of Kingston Fisheries, in Lower Road. Two fire engines from Thame and one

  • Scots Guards receive Freedom of Wantage

    WANTAGE was ablaze with bearskins, bands and bayonets as the 1st Battalion Scots Guards were given the freedom of the town. One hundred guardsmen and officers in full ceremonial uniform marched through the town on Saturday. Crowds lined the streets

  • TV's David is the real deal for antique fans

    WITNEY proved to be more than “cheap as chips” when David Dickinson popped in to film his latest TV show. The TV antiques dealer spent a day at the town’s Windrush Leisure Centre, filming for the new series of ITV’s Real Deal. Dozens of eager local

  • Ex-addict burglar is spared jail

    A SERIAL burglar has been told he will dodge jail if he can prove he is clear of drugs. Former drug addict Billy Parry, 35, was caught red-handed by police while inside a house in Pegasus Road, Blackbird Leys, shortly before Christmas last year. But

  • Book club scheme is a hit with elderly

    A NEW book club has got Oxfordshire’s elderly talking. TeaBooks, which is run by Oxford-based charity Bookfeast, is being launched at 20 spots across the county this month. The group aims to help the older generation socialise and enjoy the

  • Fraudster tricked investors out of £145k

    A SERIAL fraudster who posed as a wealthy businessman to help him trick investors out of more than £145,000 has been jailed for five years. Kevin Willington, from Buckland, near Faringdon, got people to put money into a non-existent cash machine business

  • Local share prices (PM)

    AEA Technology 4.2 BMW 5272 Electrocomponents 290.7 Nationwide Accident Repair 94 Oxford Biomedica 5.9 Oxford Catalysts 95 Oxford Instruments 734.75 Reed Elsevier 550.25 RM 149.5 RPS Group 242.4 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • CRICKET: Sam stoops to conquer rivals

    OCA League Divisions 1-4 SAM Stoop claimed a five-wicket haul as Westbury skittled East Oxford for 80 in Division 1 on Saturday. Stoop’s haul of 5-30 sealed a 97-run victory for the defending champions after they had been bowled out for 177. There

  • CRICKET: Inge slams ton in resounding victory

    OCA League Divisions 5-11 GREG Inge hit an unbeaten century to help West Witney to a ten-wicket victory at Horley 2nd in Division 5. Horley were bowled out for 165, but this proved nowhere near enough as Inge plundered 104 not out in West Witney’s 167

  • Grave vandal gets four years

    A CAREER criminal who damaged up to 30 headstones during a drug and drink-fuelled wrecking spree at a graveyard was yesterday given a four-year jail sentence. Jason Griffiths, 40, who is said to have an obsession with smashing gravestones, was arrested

  • History exhibition attracts hundreds

    HUNDREDS of people flocked to see ancient artefacts in one of the biggest history exhibitions ever staged in Bicester. Items dating back hundreds of years were on show together for the first time, including Saxon skeletons and Roman artefacts. The

  • Docs honoured in UK health awards

    WHEN he first started his work linking smoking with cancer 40 years ago, more than half the population smoked. But thanks to the tireless endeavours of Sir Richard Peto, the long-term dangers of smoking are now known worldwide. Now only a fifth of people

  • Monkey around for a good cause

    A TEENAGER raised cash for a Nigerian animal sanctuary by rowing down the Thames in Oxford dressed as a monkey. Sam Hamilton-Peach, a 13-year-old boarder at St Edward’s School, Woodstock Road, rowed from Wolvercote to Folly Bridge on Saturday. He raised

  • Bid to halt buses in street

    RESIDENTS annoyed by buses “thundering” up their road have created a new action group to tackle the problem. Osler Road in Headington, Oxford, is used by buses travelling to the John Radcliffe Hospital, after they were re-directed from Headley Way in

  • Police scrambled helicopter for broken greenhouse window

    POLICE were last night accused of overreacting after sending a helicopter to hunt a teenager who kicked a football into a greenhouse window. The 15-year-old damaged a neighbour’s pane of glass while playing with friends in the back garden of

  • Missing teenagers return home

    Two 14-year-olds girls, who went missing from the town on Sunday, have returned home. Abigail Campbell and Georgia Winstanley were found in Wiltshire late on Monday afternoon.

  • CRICKET: Simms stars for Sandford

    MP Sports Cherwell League Divisions 6-10 TREVOR Simms took 5-9 as Sandford St Martin 2nd defeated Wolverton 2nd for their first win of the Division 6 campaign. Simms’s haul helped dismiss Wolverton for 145, Roger Garrini (31) the only batsman to

  • DARTS: Oxon Youth fall to Essex

    Oxfordshire lost 11-6 to British team champions Essex in the Inter-Counties Youth League at Witham Town FC. The under 18s were pipped 5-4, with their wins coming from Luke Stallwood, Stephen Wright, who recorded a 20.90 average and a 180, Ryan Bull (

  • Rape charge

    A 25-year-old man charged with raping a 21-year-old woman in Witney appeared at Oxford Crown Court yesterday. Patrick Juste, of Sycamore Drive, Carterton, was remanded to appear in court again on August 1.

  • Search for girls

    WANTAGE: Police have launched a search for two 14-year-old girls who went missing from the town. Abigail Campbell, from Thatcham, and Georgia Winstanley, from Wantage, were last seen at Georgia’s home on Sunday. Anyone with information should contact

  • CRICKET: Senior's super ton

    MP Sports Cherwell League Division 4 TIM Senior smashed 156 for Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd, who stuffed Stokenchurch by 103 runs. Senior, Paul Jennings (64) and Craig Lambert (61no) helped Shipton to 329-6dec at the end of the

  • CRICKET: Didcot demolish Cropredy

    MP Sports Cherwell League Division 5 A SUPER century by Matt Jones, who finished unbeaten on 116, helped Didcot demolish Cropredy 2nd by 133 runs. Julian Hitchman (54) and Henry Brisland (44) took the visitors to 275. Hitchman

  • Youth appears over stabbing

    ABINGDON: A 17-year-old appeared in court yesterday charged with stabbing another teenager in Northcourt Road. The victim, also 17, was taken to hospital on Friday night after the alleged knife attack near Budgens. Three teenagers were arrested. The

  • Dad's appeal challenge fails

    A YOUNG dad with a penchant for attacking innocent police officers has failed in a Court of Appeal challenge to his latest prison sentence. Michael Rendell, of Glebe Road, Didcot, was jailed for 15 months at Oxford Crown Court in February after admitting

  • COMMENT: Shared homes policy must be flexible

    IT is good that Oxford City Council says it wants to show flexibility over the creation of new ‘houses of multiple occupancy’. Too often the debate is heavily influenced by the mistaken belief that these HMOs are all about ‘student ghettos’, where young

  • Local share prices (AM)

    AEA Technology 4.2 BMW 5244 Electrocomponents 289.6 Nationwide Accident Repair 94 Oxford Biomedica 5.9 Oxford Catalysts 95 Oxford Instruments 734.75 Reed Elsevier 549 RM 141.25 RPS Group 243.3 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley

  • Future of Focus DIY stores still in doubt

    More than 80 staff at Oxfordshire branches of crisis-hit retailer Focus DIY are still facing an uncertain future, weeks after the chain was taken over by administrators. The Oxford Mail understands the Witney branch will be taken over by rival concern

  • RUGBY UNION: Johnson handed England call up

    Former Chinnor flanker Tom Johnson has been called into the England squad to face the Barbarians at Twickenham on Sunday. The 28-year-old Exeter Chiefs man is in England’s 24-man party for the traditional clash after a fine first season in the Aviva

  • Belly dancers enjoy their annual bonanza

    MORE than 100 dancers were shimmying their way to health and fitness in Oxford at the weekend. The annual Bellydance Bonanza was held at Oxford Spires Academy, in East Oxford, on Saturday and attracted dancers from across the South East.

  • Rules will prevent 'student ghettos'

    NEW rules to stop the spread of shared houses in residential areas have been unveiled by Oxford City Council. Residents’ groups have complained parts of the city were fast becoming “student ghettos” in recent months. Now the city council

  • DARTS: Kidlington Green shock Goodlake

    Kidlington Green Social Club B made a stunning debut in Greene King ODDA Men’s Summer League Section 1 with an 8-1 demolition of Premier side Goodlake Arms. Kevin Wilkins beat Martin Perring to give visitors Goodlake the opening leg, but Kidlington Green

  • CRICKET: Roberts shines with 7-14

    MP Sports Cherwell League Division 3 STEVE Roberts produced the extraordinary figures of 7-14 from a 14-over spell that also featured five maidens as leaders Oxford Downs 2nd hammered Bledlow Ridge. The home side crashed from

  • Serial fraudster gets five years

    A SERIAL fraudster who posed as a wealthy businessman to help him trick investors out of more than £145,000 has been jailed for five years. Kevin Willington, from Buckland, near Faringdon, got people to put money into a non-existent cash machine business

  • Dental record fingerprints pose riddle over Kelly death

    QUESTIONS have been raised about “unidentified” fingerprints on Dr David Kelly’s dental records that were not reported to the Hutton Inquiry into his death. His file went missing for 48 hours following an alleged break-in at his dentist’s surgery on

  • Dixon murder jury set to consider verdicts

    THE jury in the trial of John Cooper, the farm labourer charged with murdering a Witney couple, are set to begin considering their verdicts today. Judge Mr Justice John Griffith Williams is expected to finish summing up the evidence at Swansea

  • CRICKET: Cheshire bags century

    MP Sports Cherwell League Division 2 SAM Cheshire’s classy 123 put leaders Banbury 2nd on the path to a 100-run victory over Challow & Childrey. Cheshire was well supported by the experienced trio of Andrew Sabin (42), Chris Smith

  • Try more for rugby

    IT ALWAYS saddens me when organisations, in any context, are forced to merge due to dwindling resources and the Harlequins / Oxford imminent merger is yet another example. Oxford Harlequins merged with Oxford Marathon in 1997, yet further consolidation

  • Bag a replacement

    Joyce Wise (Oxford Mail, May 18) wrote about garden waste and only getting one free green bag. Perhaps that only applies to those who live in her area. I know several people who have had two green bags given free of charge and when they have been lost

  • Unacceptable cost of bloodclots

    The human cost of hospital-acquired blood clots in the UK means that, last year, up to 25,000 people may have died from a preventable deep vein thrombosis. Now the financial cost of this disease is laid bare. Since 2005 the taxpayer

  • On Yer Bike: Sadly, I can't live without my car

    Although I consider cycling my primary mode of transport, you may be surprised to know I have also owned a car for eight years. Like most young adults, as soon as I had passed the driving test (and it took me three agonising attempts) I wanted to own

  • CRICKET: New format proves a winner

    Moves to revamp the Bernard Tollett Oxfordshire Cup have proved a success with the entry for the 2011 competition almost doubling last year’s number. Just 15 of the Oxfordshire Cricket Board’s 85 affiliated clubs lined up in the knockout tournament last

  • CRICKET: Thompson's treble tonic

    MP Sports Cherwell League Division 1 CARL Thompson bagged a hat-trick to rip the heart out of Buckingham Town’s middle order and set Cumnor on the way to their first win of the season. After losing the toss, Cumnor made a steady start before skipper

  • Social care changes are a source of pain

    Because of the financial restrictions placed on the budget for adult social care, this is the last week we will receive care for my wife directly from social services, through their Home Support Service. From now on we will have to manage our own affairs

  • Barbaric tradition should be stopped

    While it is commendable that the media has shown great sympathy for the plight of the pod of pilot whales in Scotland, this is in sharp contrast to the complete silence with regard to reporting the annual massacre of thousands of pilot whales in the Faroe

  • Not so optimistic

    While I was somewhat cheered by Glyn Limmer’s letter (Oxford Mail, May 13) I’m not sure I share his optimism. Consider what happened in the recent AV referendum and the council elections. On the one hand, there was the barrage of lies and distortion

  • Give us a choice

    LOOK Mr Cameron, get your Big Society to look at this: stop all aid now, and concentrate on making this country great again. Do not give billions to Greece. Instead give the people a referendum on the EU. David Winkfield, Charles Street, Oxford

  • Only toy soldiers never kill people

    Your correspondent Tim Siret (Oxford Mail, May 16) writing about the conflicts on Israel’s borders, seems to be looking at only one bit of that regional map. For instance, we have also had news that Syrian tanks are shooting across the Lebanese border

  • Fire crews tackle chip shop blaze

    Fire fighters battled a blaze in a chip shop on Monday night after a fire started in a deep fat fryer. The flames spread to the extraction system and then to the roof of Kingston Fisheries in Lower Road. Two fire engines from Thame and one from Slade

  • Rooms with a view

    Spacious homes with views over surrounding countryside are much in demand. Two properties in the Bicester area, both with five bedrooms and prices over the £1m mark, are Heath Farm and Ash Barn. Heath Farm is a traditional farmhouse with plenty of

  • United winger Deering signs for Barnet

    Oxford United midfielder Sam Deering has signed for League Two rivals Barnet on a free transfer. The winger, who made 29 starts and 36 substitute appearances for the U’s, scored four times during his career. The 20-year-old Londoner, who had spells

  • County's winemakers look to a fine vintage

    WINE and cider makers in Oxfordshire are raising their glasses to the glorious spring sunshine. They are keeping their fingers crossed for a vintage year after the best possible start to the season. Warm, sunny spring weather is just what they needed

  • CRICKET: Mills denied by last pair

    MP Sports Cherwell League Graham Scott's Match of the Day WITNEY Mills and Bicester & North Oxford showed that drawn matches can be exciting and are worth preserving as their Division 3 clash came to a tense conclusion on Saturday. The match would

  • COMMENT: Fingers crossed

    WHAT good news it is that our niche wine industry is looking set for a good year because of the weather. It is too early, however, to count our chickens because this year’s crop will be susceptible through to October. Perhaps the vineyards should just

  • Gang attacked men in their home

    FOUR men burst into an Oxford house and attacked the occupants with a hammer, metal bar and pieces of wood. The attack took place between 11pm and 11.15pm on Saturday night in Mortimer Road, Rose Hill. The four men, who were dressed in dark clothing

  • Councillor: 'I feared I would die'

    I USED to think that if anyone ever touched me I would say ‘there’s the door, use it’. But it’s very difficult when you’re involved in that kind of relationship. They seem like real charmers at first and they get you in a position where you

  • Visitors clock in at open day to learn about community centre

    IT WAS all about computers, crafts and cakes in Greater Leys as a neighbourhood centre threw open its doors. The Clockhouse centre, in Long Ground, provides activities and help for the over-50s in Greater Leys and Blackbird Leys. Groups which use the

  • Hundreds head to Wood for first festival of the summer

    REVELLERS enjoyed live music, dancing and some welcome sunshine at Oxfordshire’s first festival of the summer. Some 800 people joined the weekend of fun at Wood Festival– an environment and family-friendly gathering held in woodland at Braziers Park,