OXFORDSHIRE commuters are being warned they face a second day of rail delays because of the revamp of Reading Station. The major hub was almost completely closed over the Easter weekend as part of its ongoing redevelopment and Network Rail was
AN industrial unit was evacuated after a chemical spill in Banbury this morning. Firefighters and environmental protection officers were called to the unit at Thorpe Park at 8.53am. The unit was evacuated after several different types of acid
RAPPER Aaron “AZ” Buron had a passion for creating music. That is why the dad-of-two’s family have organised what is a fitting tribute to his life – a concert with performances from his musician friends – a year on from his murder in Rose Hill.
CLOSING Wood Farm’s police office will damage improving relations be-tween officers and residents, it has been claimed. The police base in Atkyns Road is to close in the next year and the officers moved to Cowley police station. Thames Valley
FAMILIES made artistic prints of tiny life forms as seen through a microscope at the Oxford Museum of the History of Science. The workshop in Broad Street on Saturday set up slides of creatures including flies and bees. Children and adults
The first day of spring arrived last week bringing with it a record-breaking cold snap. Sure, you could moan, and shake your fist at the sky in hopes a speck of blue might appear. Or you button up that coat, put the wind at your back and join a group
THE A40 was blocked both ways this afternoon following a crash involving four vehicles. It is understood the crash is between the Cassington turn and the Eynsham roundabout. Police have just said the road has re-opened. The ambulance service
DISRUPTION to train services between Oxford, Didcot, Reading and London Paddington is expected to continue until at least 5pm. The problems began early this morning with a late finish to major engineering and signalling work carried out at Reading
GYMNASTICS is the quintessential Olympic sport: a pure demonstration of the strength, suppleness and agility of the human body. Well-trained gymnasts, it is said, have the skills to do any other sport. The Carterton Gymnastics Club has been
There’s a lot of running away in Tracy Chevalier’s latest book, The Last Runaway. The first runaway is a young English girl, Honor Bright, who sets sail from Bristol with her sister, to join her sister’s fiancé in America, and to seek a cure for her
SEVENTY years after they flew missions across occupied Europe, these Oxfordshire veterans will finally receive recognition for their bravery. As young men they signed up to the RAF’s Bomber Command to play their part defeating the Nazis. They are in
Banbury United went down to a 4-1 defeat at Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division leaders Leamington yesterday. The Puritans went behind early on when Liam Daly headed past Warren Carter. Just after the break, Banbury levelled, Michael
Former Abingdon United defender Sam Elkins scored the winner as ten-man Didcot Town claimed the spoils in yesterday’s 1-0 derby success at Northcourt Road. But the Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West clash could have ended in a
Firefighters called to a suspected blaze on an S1 Stagecoach bus in the Botley Road at 3pm yesterday discovered it was a false alarm caused by a mechanical defect.
The cox who led Oxford University to victory at the boat race on Sunday left the BBC apologising for his swearing on TV. Oskar Zorrilla was heard cursing several times over a fitted radio microphone as Oxford beat Cambridge in the 159th running
A POLICE officer is facing disciplinary action after parking in a parent and toddler bay while off duty. An eagle-eyed Oxford Mail reader captured this image of the car at Tesco supermarket in Abingdon. The matter is being dealt with internally
THE new owners of RAF Bicester have unveiled plans to turn the site into a multi-million pound heritage motor and aviation business park. The Ministry of Defence announced it had sold the 348-acre former Second World War base to Bicester Heritage
North Leigh fell to a second defeat over the Easter period as they were outgunned at the Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West promotion-chasers. Mark Draycott did the damage with a hat-trick as the home raced into a 4-0 lead, before
A woman accused of murdering her mother is due to appear in court today. Kauthar Silvera was originally to stand trial at Oxford Crown Court in February accused of killing 52-year-old Vittoria Baker. But the 29-year-old, of Friars Wharf, Oxford
OXFORDSHIRE County Council will be asked to “regret” the loss of £10m over the failed Cogges Link Road scheme in Witney. Labour councillor John Tanner has put a motion to the Conservative-led authority to vote on at the full council meeting today
A DATE for the repatriation of a soldier killed in Afghanistan last week has not yet been set. Lance Corporal Jamie Webb, of 1st Battalion, the Mercian Regiment, was wounded in an insurgent attack in Helmand province on Monday last week. The
STAR of the Ice Age movies, Scrat, came to Oxfordshire yesterday in his continuing hunt for acorns. Scrat, along with children’s TV stars, Mike the Knight and Little Princess, met children at Blenheim Palace. Children’s activities on Easter Sunday
COUNTY councillors will be asked to push road repair contractors to meet their obligations so highways are “fit for the public”. Liberal Democrat councillor Anne Purse has put the motion to the Conservative-led Oxfordshire County Council for discussion
Four tries from Jonah Holmes helped Henley Hawks crush Chinnor 41-9 in their National 2 South derby at Kingsey Road. Victory saw Henley go through 1,000 point barrier for the season, but it could have been even better had title rivals Worthing
A weakened Witney side slumped to a 50-10 defeat away to fellow mid-table side Windsor. Numerous missed tackles led to Witney trailing 19-0 at the break. Witney scored second-half tries through full back James Monks and winger Louis Collins.
AS it’s the 50th anniversary of the Beeching massacre of our railway system, it may be worth comparing those dark days with today. The then Tory Transport Minister, Ernest Marples, asked Dr Beeching to rip up thousands of miles of track, closing
I REFER to Nicola Blackwood MP’s A34 meeting with the Government’s Transport Minister (Oxford Mail, March 28). Based on my memory as a participant on Oxfordshire Structure Plan 2016, examination in public transport panel, all these issues were
FREE cycle training for adults is being offered all over Oxford this month. If you’ve been looking at that forlorn bike in the corner of your shed and are thinking it’s about time you got on your bike again, but feel you need to brush up on your
IN a season stretching back to last October, the destination of the winner’s trophy in three of the five divisions will only be settled this Thursday – the final day of the campaign. Possibly providing the most dramatic finale will be the encounter
TWO robbery suspects were released on police bail last night as detectives continued their investigation into a raid that left one man dead. Clint Townsend, 33, stopped breathing after he was tackled by members of the public during a robbery attempt
Amateur jockey Mikey Hamill’s dream start to life in England continued with a sparkling treble at Lockinge’s 60th anniversary meeting, near Wantage. The 21-year-old, who only came over from Ireland to join Lambourn trainer Sean Curran three weeks
Ben Case, who trains at Edgcote, near Banbury, hit double figures for the first time in a jumps season when Orangeaday sprang a 16-1 surprise at Huntingdon yesterday. Edgcote neighbour Alex Hales sent out a rare Flat winner with 20-1 chance Take
Oxford City began their hectic April with a 3-2 away defeat at Worcester yesterday. They fell behind just minutes into the Blue Square Bet North clash before levelling through Darren Pond, only for Keiron Morris to restore the hosts’ lead before
A NEIGHBOUR yesterday praised emergency services for stopping the catastrophic fire at Cycle King from spreading to other buildings. Music teacher Monica Cuneo lives next door to the cycle shop that was gutted on Easter Sunday. She was asleep
Henley Hawks head coach Nigel Dudding was not getting carried away with his side’s 41-9 derby demolition of Chinnor. Dudding was happy enough with a bonus-point victory, but stressed there was room for improvement. “I was satisfied with the
Grove boosted their hopes of promotion from Southern Counties North with a resounding 43-5 victory away to lowly Thatcham on Saturday. Although the Rugby Football Union website indicated that Grove had returned to the top of the table with this
Bicester were outgunned 51-12 at home by a strong Swindon College Old Boys side in Saturday’ one-sided Berks, Bucks & Oxon Premier Division clash. The hosts lost hooker Jake Sawyer, flankers Chris Clayton and Ryan Biscoe and prop Rob Thurlow
HAVING read the letter by John Tanner, Labour councillor (ViewPoints, March 27) regarding his Budget comments, I find the 1p off beer, quote “being an insult to the hard pressed taxpayers” rather rich coming from a Labour councillor. Perhaps Mr
DAVID Cameron has issued new rules for those who will be coming to Britain from Europe in the new year. To say that they won’t receive this and that until they have been here until a certain time just won’t happen. If Mr Cameron really thought
SO Councillor Chris Robins from Kidlington thinks the site of the Didcot A power station should be used for a wind farm (ViewPoints, March 27). Had Councillor Robins taken the trouble to have a look at the wind-speed records for Oxfordshire (available
ROGER Keable’s letter (ViewPoints, March 25) suggesting that potholes be filled in with chewing gum which covers many pavements is probably making a widely-believed mistake. What appeared to be chewing gum is, in fact, a lichen, appropriately called
IT’S probably not the type of incident to get some heroic press that David Cameron was pondering as he strode out for a relaxing walk in Dean. Syria, the economy, Tory rebels, the polls and we pesky press have all been vexing the PM of late.
More than 850 homes in West Oxford were affected by a power cut caused by fault in a Southern Electric cable. The power cut hit homes in Osney and along Botley Road at about 6.15pm on Easter Sunday. Most of the properties were reconnected by
A motorist was taken to hospital after a car crashed at the A34 junction at Lodge Hill, Abingdon yesterday. The black Volkswagen Golf hit the barrier at about 7.45am. A South Central Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We received a call at 7.50am
DID you spot our April Fools in yesterday’s Oxford Mail? Many people did figure out that our story on Page 7 yesterday about a £200,000 pot for residents to copy the Headington shark and add to their homes with other aquatic adornments was a fishy
A WEST Oxfordshire sheep found herself the darling of the media yesterday after being rescued by David Cameron. The Prime Minister and Witney MP discovered the drowning ewe, since named Swampy, after hearing her bleating loudly on his neighbour
KEEPERS hope two new additions to Cotswold Wildlife Park will one day breed and have children. The six-banded armadillos, Linda, two, and Lucas, one, have recently gone on display at the Burford zoo. The creatures are native to South America
JAKE Wright launched a stinging attack on some of his Oxford United teammates in the wake of their 3-2 defeat to bottom club Aldershot Town. The skipper accused some who featured on Easter Monday of playing for themselves and not the team as the
TWO teenage girls from Oxford have been found safe and well after travelling to Manchester to meet a 22-year-old man they met over the Internet. A police appeal was launched on Monday to track down Crystal Watts and Chelsea Hutt. The two 15
WE return, without apology, to the issue of the Castle Mill accommodation with details of how Oxford University was able to so quickly file an amended planning application after concerns were raised about the buildings’ height and impact on the skyline
CAMPAIGNERS have criticised the redesign of Port Meadow student blocks after it emerged the change made following concerns about height was to take the tip off the roofs. Oxford City Council heritage officer Nick Worlledge felt the development
FIREFIGHTERS have raised thousands of pounds for charity by taking over Swinford Toll Bridge. The team from Eynsham Fire Station collected money at the bridge on Friday for the Fire Fighters Charity. They estimate that between £2,000 and £3,000
CYCLISTS have called for more dedicated lanes after it emerged serious accidents have increased by a third in three years. The number of cyclists killed or seriously injured (KSI) – regarded as the best way to measure road safety – has increased
IT is a brave architect who knocks down 240 years of history in one of Oxford’s most treasured buildings. But that is what heritage designers Purcell did to the Radcliffe Infirmary in Woodstock Road in a £10m revamp. It proved so bold and successful
Jose Da Silva, 32, of Fern Hill Road, Oxford, convicted of failing to give a driver’s identity between August 10 and September 8 in Banbury. Fined £600 and told to pay £15 victims’ surcharge and £85 costs. Brian Burrows, 76, of East Wilden, Brook
