Our deputy picture editor Richard Cave takes his pick of the week’s best photographs and tells us why he reckons they make the grade It’s strange, very strange, but peculiarly engaging, this picture (above) by Dave Fleming from an Oxford Science
A POLICE boss has been urged to find cash to continue crime reduction initiatives. Councillors fear funds for programmes run by council-run community safety partnerships will be cut from April 2015. Current schemes include street wardens and
SOME 17 years after medics saved the life of his 13-year-old son, Oxford Children’s Hospital still has a special place in Paul Murray’s heart. Mr Murray, from Summertown, will take part in next Sunday’s event for the first time as a small thank-you
THIS badger, flooded out of his tunnel in January, has finally gone home. The brock was made homeless along with about 20 others when their sett, near Botley Road, West Oxford, was inundated. They sought refuge in nearby gardens, and a resident
WORK has started on Oxfordshire’s third crematorium. Construction began last month at the £4m South Oxfordshire Crematorium and Memorial Park, near Wantage. It will open in January and will be able take up to 1,200 cremations a year. The
Drivers have been facing delays in the Thame area following an accident on the A329. One vehicle was involved, with police called to the scene on the A329 Rycote Lane at 11.39am. The road is now closed in both directions. A Thames Valley
The nomination period for candidates in May’s Oxford City Council elections starts in less than a month. From Monday, April 14, anyone looking to stand for election to the city council can put their names forward by contacting the elections office
VILLAGERS have launched a campaign against their district council’s plans to turn their village into a “mega township”. Residents of Shrivenham say they are up in arms at Vale of White Horse District Council plans to allow 600 more homes to be
An organisation that supports young people who are homeless or vulnerable is looking for new trustees. BYHP (Supporting Young People in Housing Need) wants people from a range of backgrounds to help the charity grow. Applicants do not need
A fashion show and sale of clothes from the Midsomer Murders TV series raised more than £8,000 for an Oxford hospice. The Crime On Fashion show was in aid of Helen and Douglas House hospice in Magdalen Road, East Oxford, and held in Aylesbury last
A talented trio from the Flair Dance Studio in Cowley came home with trophies from the Diva Nation Freestyle Dancing competition in Bridlington, Yorkshire. Madison McDonagh, Grace McDonagh and Chanel Mullen beat more than 1,300 other competitors
PLANS to increase prices at most public toilets in West Oxfordshire have come under fire. West Oxfordshire District Council is considering increasing prices for 11 of its 13 facilities from 10p to 20p. At present men and women pay to use cubicles
CYCLISTS are being urged to get their bikes marked as cycle theft in Abingdon rises. There were 31 thefts from January 1 to March 17 this year compared to 15 in the same period last year. But officers say if they find suspected stolen bikes
A ROW has broken out which casts doubts over plans for a long-awaited solution to Witney’s traffic problems. The leader of Oxfordshire County Council and a Witney landowner have been unable to agree on whether funding does or does not exist for
THE parents of twins who died shortly after their birth have raised more than £5,000 for a hospital incubator. Claire Down said the donation to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital is a “legacy” for tragic brothers William and Thomas. Thomas lived
Oxford United will unveil their new manager at a press conference arranged for this afternoon. Chairman Ian Lenagan offered the position to the club’s chosen candidate, who remains un-named, yesterday afternoon and received a verbal acceptance
ALBERT Square was a bit greener yesterday as stars from the soap were spotted in Oxford’s Botanic Garden. EastEnders actors Diane Parish, who plays Denise Fox, and Belinda Owusu, who plays her daughter Libby Fox, could be seen strolling through
A 20-YEAR-OLD caught with more than £70,000 worth of cocaine has avoided jail. Yesterday, Daniel Gaughan, of Merlin Road, Oxford, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court after admitting possessing about 760g of the Class-A drug with intent to supply
Mickey Lewis thanked Oxford United’s supporters for their touching gesture after the final whistle in the 1-0 win against Hartlepool United last night. Fans chanted “there’s only one Mickey Lewis” after the victory, which with United due to name
A PENSIONER who had fractured his spine says paramedics told him ambulances are for “real emergencies” before leaving him with a neighbour. Geoffrey Sharp called 999 after a fall at his home in Nobles Lane, Botley, Oxford, but said when the paramedics
PRIME Minister David Cameron was pigging out at Cogges Manor Farm as he marked its opening for the spring. The Witney MP donated two Oxford Sandy and Black piglets to the farm when he visited yesterday. One of the piglets has been named Florence
TELLING injured pensioner Geoffrey Sharp that ambulances were for real emergencies after he fractured his spine is unacceptable and unforgivable. But it must be said that this is an extreme example and the vast number of our paramedics are caring
THE fostering charity Parents and Children Together (PACT) and Oxfordshire County Council have joined forces with Tower Hamlets Council to encourage people to look after siblings. The charity says about 59 per cent of children in care have brothers
FOUR young men from Bicester on trial for allegedly kidnapping a teenager and ordering him to strip naked in a field have started giving evidence. Yesterday their defence case began in Oxford Crown Court and the group, who all deny the charge,
A £10m redevelopment of a Witney student campus has been approved. Abingdon and Witney College has received planning permission from West Oxfordshire District Council to build two new teaching blocks at the Welch Way site. The old Witney Magistrates
A digger has been revealed as the cause of the gas leak that saw 150 people evacuated from their homes in Bicester. Network Rail yesterday said the digger had struck a gas pipe on the London Road level crossing on Thursday, causing the road to
DASHING, dodging and racing around Headington School, pupils pulled on their fancy dress for a mile with a difference. Minions joined dalmatians, bananas and salt and pepper shakers for the Headington School’s Sport Relief Mile. Teachers and
NEW graffiti tags have appeared high up on a city-centre building. The “Soak” and “BWS!” graffiti tags appeared on the side of the Clarendon Centre in Oxford’s Cornmarket Street earlier this week . James Fry, who works on the top floor of the
THE new outbreak of graffiti in the city centre is both unsightly and baffling. We hope the police catch the vandals who daubed their childish tags high up on the Clarendon Centre. When they do, their first question should be: ‘What’s the point
A teenager charged following an alleged assault on New Year’s Day has appeared in court. James Watt, 18 of Cotswold Crescent, Chipping Norton, has been charged with assault, possession of an offensive weapon and criminal damage, after the incident
FRIENDS of brave Evie-Mae Crawford – who has Down’s Syndrome and has lived with holes in her heart and leukaemia – donned odd socks to support their pal. More than 30 friends at Berinsfield Pre-School paid at least £1 to raise £88 for Down’s Syndrome
OXFORDSHIRE County Council has defended its decision to send a Bullfinch witness on holiday following the grooming trial. The 21-year-old, who cannot be named, said she asked for the holiday after the authority offered her a “wishlist” following
City of Oxford confirmed their status as the top club in the county with a sensational display in the Oxfordshire & North Bucks County Championships at Aquavale, Aylesbury. City defended their team crown in style, finishing 7791/2 points clear
Division 2 top dogs Thame A lost 2-1 at home to Riley B in the Gentworks Oxford & District League, but Ashton extended their lead in Division 1. RESULTS Eynsham 1, Fieldside 2; Thame A 1, Riley B 2; Cowley CC A 1, New Club 2; Riley A 2,
Jason Tustain won the top title at the Oxford & District League’s Divisional Championships. The Bicester player came from two games down to beat clubmate Tim Cheek 6-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-4, 11-3 and take the Division 1 crown. Marco Zhang
Pete Browne has won trophies in each of his last three seasons and wants to keep that run going with London Welsh. The former Harlequins lock has been a consistent feature in Welsh’s engine-room this campaign, apart from a six-week spell out injured
London Welsh head coach Justin Burnell says his injured players all face a real battle to get back into the team. Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s home clash with Bedford Blues at the Kassam Stadium (2.30), Burnell cited the examples of forwards Mitch
BERINSFIELD youngster Gerard Ward eased into the semi-finals of the National Schoolboys Championships without getting into the ring. The 13-year-old Home Counties champion was due to fight Strood ABC’s Charlie Jenkins in the pre-quarter-final of
FIFTY soldiers will be coming to Banbury to create a new Army Reserves squadron. As part of the Army 2020 programme, the Territorial Army is being transformed into the Army Reserves, with TA bases from across Lincolnshire, Warwickshire and Buckinghamshire
FREE workouts are being offered as part of a campaign to get young people in West Oxfordshire to takie more exercise. A session of cardio tennis, an exercise routine using tennis techniques to music, will take place at Bartholomew Sports Centre
A former resident helped raise $2.3m (£1.26m) for breast cancer research in Australia by walking 60km. Moira Desport, a former pupil of Our Lady’s Abingdon, was diagnosed with cancer three years ago and had to have chemo and radiotherapy. On
PENSIONERS are donating their pennies in a bid to raise £1.25m to save their East Oxford social club from the bulldozer. The senior citizens are each giving 50p to raise the cash to make an offer for Iffley Road’s Gladiator Club. Its owners
FIVE men charged after a national police operation seized an estimated £5m worth of heroin and cocaine have appeared in court. Five kilos of heroin were seized at a Woodstock property on March 10 this year along with 3kg of cocaine and 1kg of heroin
A VACCINE against menigitis B will be introduced in the UK, the Department of Health announced yesterday. Oxford researchers including Dr Matthew Snape, of the Oxford Vaccine Group, and Professor Andrew Pollard, Professor of Paediatric Infection
Abingdon Conservative Club A clinched the Premier Division title in the Gentworks Oxford & District League with a round to spare after a 4-2 victory over Thame A. Riley C have won Division 2, while Witney C captain Steve Oakey set a new highest
CHIPPING Norton driver Sean Walkinshaw continued to build for the 2014 EuroFormula Open season with the sixth quickest time during two days of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. The Formula 3 racing driver starts his new season on
Ben Goodall, from Harwell, put in the best performance of his career to take gold at the British Gymnastics Spring Series Tumbling event at Sheffield. Competing for Milton Keynes in the 15-16 elite age group, he performed his two tumble runs brilliantly
Pete Clarke made the most of a good draw and caught eight carp to win Littlemore AS’s Chandlers Challenge Cup, fished by 19 anglers at Stable Lake. He returned 46lb 6oz, all his fish coming on the pole at 16m, with maggot on the hook. Runner-up
ANIMAL rights campaigners from Speak marked 10 years of protesting outside Oxford University’s animal testing labs on Thursday. The activists, who say methods used for the testing are cruel, have gathered at the South Parks Road site every week
A 29-YEAR-OLD woman has admitted being involved in running a brothel in Oxford last year. Amy Gabriel, of Holbeck Street, Anfield, Liverpool, appeared in Oxford Crown Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to a single count of keeping a brothel used
COUNCILS, utility companies and government bodies have all agreed to work together to fund the £125m solution to Oxford’s flood problems. After a three-hour long flood summit in Oxford yesterday, they agreed to set up a “sponsorship group” which
FARINGDON’S Will Crisp hit top gear at Donington Park in Leicestershire to produce Oxfordshire’s leading result at the English Schools Cross Country Championships. With the course situated close to East Midlands Airport runway and the nearby racetrack
AN RAF doctor who wrote ‘misleading’ medical reports for a pilot who later died in a plane crash with a teenage passenger will have his future decided next week after a tribunal found him guilty of professional misconduct. Dr Douglas Wyper assessed
A STAR-studded line-up of entertainers will perform on Monday and Tuesday night at Helen & Douglas House Hospice’s last-ever Childish Things fundraiser. There are few tickets remaining for Monday’s New Theatre performance, which includes comedian
Gary Waddock has been appointed as Oxford United's new head coach. The former Republic of Ireland international has signed a contract which will keep him at the club until the end of the 2015/16 season. Waddock joins from MK Dons, where he
