Archive

IF new homes are built on “the last gap between Grove and Wantage” it will erode Grove’s village identity, a councillor warns. The 90 houses, to be built on a green field at Stockham Farm near 200 others already in the pipeline, were granted planning

YES, says Volunteer Robin Peake, who is promoting the Oxford Credit Union to Barton residents: WHEN I spoke to him, he was nearly in tears. He was in debt to five different payday lenders, owing them £1,800. That same day, he’d received his wage

UNFORTUNATELY forecasters predict climate change will cause more rain and more flooding in the future. With two severe floods within two years, Oxfordshire is bearing the brunt of that reality. Flooding earlier this month claimed two lives,

A PUBLIC meeting over the future of services at Banbury’s Horton Hospital will take place next month. People can give their views on what services should be at the Oxford Road hospital and discuss the suspension of emergency abdominal surgery since

Oxford United's FA Cup run came to an end with a 3-0 defeat to Charlton Athletic last night. Yann Kermorgant scored twice, either side of Danny Green's tap-in, to give the Championship side a comfortable win in the third round replay at the Kassam

A PRIMARY school that had among the worst results in the country has now been named one of Oxfordshire’s best. Ninety-four per cent of Year 6 pupils at Witney’s Tower Hill Primary School reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths.

The man who fell to his death at the John Radcliffe Hospital last week has been named as David Brooks. The 58-year-old died at the Headington hospital’s West Wing last Wednesday. An inquest into his death is due to open at Oxfordshire Coroner

A university has confirmed staff taking part in planned strike action tomorrow will have their pay docked. Oxford Brookes University said it will implement a policy which relates to partial performance which means anyone taking part in the two-hour

Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them. Having spent a few hours in the company of Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers on Friday afternoon, I would say that quote describes the man very well. I

RESIDENTS last night had the chance to see plans for the second largest solar farm in the county. As reported by the Oxford Mail in December, European energy firm Aton wants to build the 145-acre facility on farm land in Grove, near Wantage. And

A Summertown man who was travelling around Asia was found dead on the balcony of his hotel room, an inquest heard yesterday. William Treadwell, 22, of Thorncliffe Road, was found dead on January 6 in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. Mr

POLICE now have the power to break up gatherings of two or more people in a bid to beat anti-social behaviour in the centre of Oxford. A dispersal order has this month been introduced in the Speedwell Street area and anyone who refuses to move-on

MOST people visit farms and zoos during the warmer summer months, but Fairytale Farm is proving that animals are a popular attraction no matter what time of year. Yesterday, the family farm attraction at Southcombe, near Chipping Norton, was open

The number of people signing on the dole in the county has fallen for the 10th consecutive month. Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show 4,701 people were claiming Jobseekers Allowance, 152 fewer than for the previous month

REGARDING Western Road: almost every single property has some groundwater flooding. Some have 2ft in their basement (which is usually the kitchen/lounge on this road). Firetrucks (note the plural) have been pumping this water into the river. It

FOLLOWING the recent serious floods in the Botley area, I found myself wondering how on earth we would have coped for food shopping if the threatened Doric development had happened, as I believe they are planning to do a total demolition and leaving

THE recent flooding has, not unnaturally, made many people very angry, with demands being made that the Government, or the councils, do something about it. But, to be perfectly frank, I can’t see what anyone can do. To understand what’s happening

WITH reference to the widely reported one-in-five 16-year-old school leavers born here who are functionally illiterate and unsuitable for work, training or further education: I would like to ask literacy teachers for five to seven-year-olds, how many

Under 13 A League                          P   W D L F A Pts Cumnor Minors 11 9 1 1 46 19 28 Didcot Town Yth 10

Gwyn Pedler explains the way she sees things Do you belong to the school of thought that thinks you can’t change things, or do you get angry about conditions that you think are unjust or disorganised? I would like to think that my readers took

ASPIRING musicians had a taste of what they could learn by attending a new music group at Witney’s Fat Lil’s. The session was held on Thursday in the Corn Street bar to promote Oxford charity Fusion Art’s new course which will be held at Witney

I READ in a recent Oxford Mail that a floodwater bypass for Oxford would cost £160m. That is a mere three-and-a-half days’ subscription to the EU and puts into perspective what an obscene waste of money the latter is. Micheal Purches Farm

FIREFIGHTERS hosed down a colleague to help him train to row across the Pacific Ocean. White Watch crew members, based at Oxford’s Rewley Road station, and firefighters from Eynsham used their hoses to create “waves” for their colleague Darren Taylor

CASES of people spitting at police officers hit a five-year high last year. Officers were spat at 229 times in Oxfordshire in the past five years. But last year was the worst for police with 57 cases, up from 33 in 2011. Officers yesterday

CHRIS Wilder is hoping to sign a striker before the weekend after watching his Oxford United side bow out tamely 3-0 in the FA Cup at the hands of Charlton Athletic. Yann Kermorgant and Danny Green struck in the space of three minutes after an

FORMER Oxford City Council leader Bill Baker has died aged 78. Mr Baker, also a former Lord Mayor of the city, died on Monday following a long illness. The Labour councillor led the authority from 1993 to 1996, and was deputy leader from 2004

THE head of an Oxford academy has denied removing poorly performing pupils from the school to boost its performance in the GCSE league table. Sue Croft, principal of Oxford Spires Academy in Glanville Road, Cowley, said yesterday her decision to

SUE CROFT, the headteacher at Oxford Spires, has defended herself against the insinuation the school has been cooking its GCSE books by funnelling off the less academic pupils. Between 2011 and 2013 several pupils were put into an alternative education

THE lane closed on the A34 Western Bypass after a four-vehicle collision has now reopened.  It happened near the Peartree Interchange just before 8am and there were delays to the Islip turn-off after the incident involving a silver BMW, a black

WE are constantly amazed at the spirit of children who face far more challenging lives than the majority of us. Judith Stickings was never supposed to walk or talk, according to the doctors. They were wrong on that count and now she is able to

TEN years ago doctors warned she would never walk or talk after “drowning” at birth left her with cerebral palsy. But a decade later Judith Stickings, 10, has been learning to ride her first trike after donations of more than £2,000. The youngster

An Oxford University lecturer who made sexual harassment allegations against Lib Dem peer Lord Rennard has said there has been a lack of transparency in how the party has dealt with the issue. Alison Smith, who is a lecturer in comparative government

A man from Witney yesterday completed a 3,000-mile row across the Atlantic. Henry Brett and his team of three arrived in Antigua at about 2pm after setting off from Tenerife on December 4. The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge is seen as one

10:51am The A34 at Peartree has now been reopened following an earlier collision involving four vehicles  9:00am A34 collision update: Reports of significant delays

GILES SPORTS WITNEY YOUTH LEAGUE UNDER14 FINLAY Heritage fired a four-timer in North Leigh’s 11-1 home win over Bourton Rovers Youth in the A League. Jake Denton, Zak Farrow, Ryan Holmes, Cory Donohoe, Callum Dav-ies, Connor O’Hickey and

Critchleys Upper Thames Valley League Jamie McCuaig hit a hat-trick as Barton United topped Group A in the Heldey Toms/Michael Brown Trophy with a 7-3 victory at winless Railway Wheatley, writes DARYL RIDGLEY. Ben Cuff struck twice and Harry

NORTH BERKS LEAGUE DIVISIONS1,2&3 TOM Rowe headed an equaliser to cancel out Joe Dixon’s early strike and secure a point for Ardington & Lockinge against their closest rivals Dorchester at the top of Division 1, writes PHIL ANNETS.

Leaders Greater Leys Kites slipped to a 6-2 defeat at Wheatley in the Under 14 C League thanks to an inspired hat-trick from Harry Cudd. Cudd scored twice and Jack Harrison was also on target to give the hosts a 3-0 half-time lead. Although

Oxfordshire Senior League Mansfield Road closed in on Premier Division leaders Oakley with a 4-1 home victory over Riverside. The game started well for Mansfield Road with Luis Mcgillycuddy being brought down in the box inside two minutes,

Oxford City FA Union Street won 3-2 away to The George in the league. George deservedly took a 1-0 lead through a Ricky Anderson header. Union Street equalised with a well-worked through ball and a tidy finish by Mathew Brandish, but George

THERE are delays on Banbury Road, north of Kidlington, this morning after a collision.  It happened at the junction with the A4095 near Bunkers Hill.  Reports say the car is now off the road but there are still delays. 

A robber wearing a ski mask threatened petrol station staff in Brize Norton with a knife before stealing cash from three tills. Police said the man left the BP garage, in Carterton Road, in a black car after the raid at about 12.20am yesterday.

The search for missing grandmother Jackie Gulliford continued yesterday as the 61-year-old has now not been seen for more eight days. The mother-of-two has been missing since she left her Hawthorn Road home in Eynsham on January 14. Police

A man found dead at the Pegasus Theatre in East Oxford is believed to have been French National Slimane Benhalilou. Mr Benhalilou’s family, who travelled to Oxford from France yesterday, said the 45-year-old originally from Marseille, had been

A PREVIOUSLY unseen £2m painting has been saved for the nation after being acquired by Oxford’s Ashmolean museum. The Beaumont Street museum has been given an 18th century painting of Venice by Italian painter Francesco Guardi. It has been

OXFORD City Council rejected the idea of setting up its own letting agency in a bid to improve the quality of private rented accommodation. Council officers looked into the issue after city councillor Sam Hollick, a member of the authority’s housing

BICESTER mayor Melanie Magee and her Cavalier spaniel, Hazel, joined dog-walkers at the launch of a new fun walk. The event is scheduled for Good Friday and is a three-mile route around Bicester starting at Garth Park at 10am in aid of Medical

A GLAMOUR tie at home to Chelsea is on the cards if Oxford United’s fairytale FA Youth Cup run can continue tonight. The U’s are enjoying their best run in the competition for a decade and host Cardiff City in the fourth round (7). The game

Tony Fernandes has threatened to quit as owner of the Leafield-based Caterham Formula 1 outfit at the end of the season if his team continue to struggle. Heading into his fifth season in charge, Fernandes is no longer prepared to dip into his considerably

CAMPAIGNERS yesterday vowed to fight on to keep Temple Cowley Pools open after council bosses put it up for sale. Oxford City Council yesterday said it had put the Temple Road location - the site of a pool since the 1930s - on the market for housing

Chipping Norton-based jockey Charlie Deutsch renewed his successful association with Fitandproperjob when the pair combined to claim victory at Leicester yesterday. The eight-year-old gelding, trained by Anthony Middleton at Culworth, near Banbury

SCHOOLS’ FOOTBALL GEORGE Carder bagged a brace as Vale of White Horse Under 14s came from behind to beat Cheltenham 5-1 in the Vale Cup at Milton United. Dan Hodkin put Cheltenham ahead after 10 minutes, but Vale, with Charlie Evans shining

SCHOOLS’ FOOTBALL EDIE Stilwell-Garrett’s second-half double gave Wallingford a 2-1 win at Barking Abbey in the ESFA Girls’ Under 14 PlayStation Schools’ Cup fifth round. Wallingford are now at home to St Ivo, from St Ives, Cambridgeshire,

NORTH BERKS LEAGUE CUP REVIEW WESTMINSTER enjoyed a minor upset in their second round War Memorial Cup match against Division 2 Steventon, winning 4-2 with Jason Hillis notching twice. Seb Hickey and Dean Sillence also scored in the triumph

A FORMER Oxfordshire school pupil sentenced after a power station protest has had his conviction quashed. Sam Martingell, who went to Henry Box School in Witney, was 24 in 2009 when he admitted obstructing the railway by stopping a train heading

Tower Hill Ladies bowed out of the Oxfordshire County Cup following a 5-3 quarter-final defeat against Mansfield Road on Sunday. The hosts started well, with Samantha Bevan-Talbot firing them ahead on 22 minutes with a chip. However, Mansfield

Chipping Norton Town remain top of the Witney & District FA Premier Division after narrowly beating basement boys Chadlington 2-1. Rhys Bayliss and Warwick Thompkins scored for the hosts that keep them three points clear. Stephen Hunt replied

NORTH BERKS LEAGUE DIVISIONS4&5 BENSON AFC edged Ardington & Lockinge Res 4-2 to move within one point of Division 4 leaders Turnpike Sports. Craig Passey (2), Chris Roberts and Camden Laver scored their goals, while Luke Williams

A POLICE officer accused of accessing crash victims’ details to get compensation payouts yesterday admitted acting “dishonestly”. But Pc Sugra Hanif, 26, told jurors she took the details to get co-accused and lover Raza Khan “off my back”.

MORE than 20,000 sandbags were handed out across the county to try to protect houses from the flooding this month. Of those, about 10,000 were given out within Oxford itself, and the city council has told residents to either keep them for future

TWO men were hit by a car and had to be taken to hospital following a brawl outside an Oxford takeaway last year, a court heard yesterday. The jury at Oxford Crown Court was told how Adam Doyle, 27, of Ladder Hill, Wheatley, and Dexter Williams

WIDEN your horizons was the message to hundreds of youngsters at a careers event held at Cowley’s Mini plant yesterday. Around 2,000 teenagers from 18 schools across Oxfordshire are expected to attend the two-day Careers Fest, which finishes today

OXFORD University RFC have named 16 Blues for their first match of 2014 at home to the RAF tonight (7.15). Oxford will elect their captain to succeed John Carter for the 2014 Varsity Match on Friday night. Oxford University: from Anderson*,

SUPERMARKET chain Morrisons has reassured shoppers in Wallingford that it is still committed to opening a new store on the edge of town. In July last year shoppers celebrated after South Oxfordshire District Council granted planning permission

Two local sides have reached the regional finals of a national competition. Kidlington Youth under 14s and Crowmarsh under 12s triumphed in local heats of the Futsal Frenzy. Futsal is the growing, latest craze in indoor football and is the

OXFORD City gave Skrill North leaders North Ferriby United a fright before going down to a 3-2 defeat they did not deserve at Marsh Lane last night. Two Jamie Cook penalties brought City level at 2-2, but a cruel deflection gave the visitors the

Oxford City beat Swindon Spitfires 4-0 in the Oxford Mail Girls Under 15 Red League top-of-the-table encounter. The leaders proved too much for the second-placed visitors in the first game since the leagues split. City squandered early chances

WANTAGE MP Ed Vaizey met transport minister Baroness Kramer to call for a railway station to be reopened at Grove. On Monday Mr Vaizey also met representatives from South Oxfordshire District Council and Oxfordshire County Council. He said:

ANNIKA Price lost so much weight while her husband was away in Afghanistan that he didn’t recognise her on his return. The mum-of-two from Didcot lost seven-and-a-half stone in six months. Her husband, Staff Sergeant Jamie Price, was on a tour

A BICESTER councillor plans to write to bus companies calling for airport and London city services to stop at the town’s new park-and-ride. Les Sibley said once Bicester’s £3m, 580-space park-and-ride is up and running, the Oxford Tube, and Heathrow