Archive

  • Doric plans spark call for more local powers

    SAFEGUARDS to protect Botley from unwanted developments are being proposed by parish councillors. North Hinksey Parish Council is discussing creating a Neighbourhood Plan for the area. That would influence future developments and mean land

  • Bobbies rise to occasion with charity cake bake

    BOBBIES turned bakers in a cake sale that saw Blackbird Leys police community support officers (PCSOs) raise more than £500 for a heart disease centre. The team put their baking skills to the test for a good cause by making heart-themed cakes for

  • Festival organiser vows no plan for boxing

    FESTIVAL organisers have moved to reassure residents about boxing and wrestling due to be included at a three-day event planned for South Park. Liberal Democrat councillor for St Clements, Graham Jones, raised concerns about the Sunday programme

  • Window is an illuminating discovery in the village hall

    THEY discovered its full majesty by accident, and now they have let its glorious light shine. Villagers in South Hinksey were having this window in their village hall repaired, when they discovered a false ceiling was blocking half of it off.

  • Broken down vehicle on A34 causing delays

    Motorists on the A34 southbound carriageway near Abingdon are facing delays caused by a broken down vehicle. One lane, of two, is reported to be closed between Marcham Road and the A4130 Milton Interchange. Get the latest updates on this

  • Villagers fear impact of bid to review Green Belt

    FEARS have been raised about Oxford City Council’s call for a review of its surrounding Green Belt, including Kidlington. The Labour-run council has called for a review to tackle the city’s growing housing crisis. But members of Kidlington

  • Students praise ‘inspirational’ school teachers

    FIRST year students at Oxford University have nominated teachers from their state schools for awards. Ten state school teachers from across Britain were honoured by the university for being “inspirational”. Nominated by current first year students

  • How the Oxford Mail stands for up what matters to you

    THERE are scenes in the film All The President’s Men, where reporters repeatedly knock on doors and work their way through phone directories to gather information for the story that will eventually lead to the resignation of American President Richard

  • What's in a claim?

    Duncan Bain, senior associate at the Oxford office of Penningtons Manches, explains how new legislation is aimed at cutting the number of employment tribunal claims   Employment tribunal claims are falling and this pattern is likely to continue

  • Oxford United agree deals with Long and Shama

    Sam Long and Josh Shama have both put pen to paper on new contracts at Oxford United. The development squad pair have agreed one-year deals, with the U's retaining an option to extend their stay for a further 12 months. Long made his senior

  • Police help cyclists by security-coding bikes

    CYCLISTS in Eynsham were given peace of mind after police marked their bikes for security. Bikes had post codes etched on to them. The marks can now be detected using UV lights to trace them, should the cycles get stolen. Police helped residents

  • Museum provides backdrop as students showcase work

    COLLEGE students took over an Oxford museum for an evening to showcase their work. The talents of Abingdon and Witney College students were displayed at the Pitt Rivers Museum. Those studying art and design, textiles, graphics and media created

  • Win tickets to Hilltop Garden Centre Circus

    Win tickets to Hilltop Garden Centre Circus - pick up Friday's Oxford Mail to be in with a chance. The Oxford Mail has teamed up with Ramsden-based Hilltop Garden Centre to offer readers the chance to win tickets to its amazing Circus! Circus Ginnett

  • No one asked us about Gateway development

    We were pleased to read that the planning application for the area around the old Labour Club in Didcot has been put on hold. The application – seen as phase one of the wider ‘Didcot Gateway’ development for the land opposite the railway station –

  • Further housing would unsettle RAF heritage

    I WRITE with reference to a recent article about parish councils in the vicinity of the former RAF Upper Heyford being asked by the site’s owner to support more houses on this historic site. In the four years since the appeal decision allowing

  • Supporting education should start at home

    It must be a coincidence that a copy of the 2013 annual report and accounts of the Uganda Humanist Schools Trust (UHST) arrived at my house just a couple of days before the Christian Aid Week (CAW) envelope. Yet, despite the massive differences

  • Update: A34 at Kidlington cleared after earlier collision

    THE A34 southbound is now clear after an accident this morning. Five vehicles were involved in a collision by the slip road for Kidlington. No-one was injured and all vehicles involved had left the scene by 9.40am. Our top stories

  • I admit it, some cyclists did go ‘the wrong way’

    Local council election literature gets my goat every time. In my neck of the woods, it’s all about out-greening the Greens. All of the parties – even the Tories – are full of how massively pro-cycling they are. In the months leading up to the

  • Seconds out for charity wrestling

    DETERMINEDLY clinging to the leg of a man twice his size, 3ft 7inch wrestler Little Legs managed to throw his opponent to the ground, claiming victory in the ring. Little Legs – whose real name is Mark Sealey – was wrestling Tag0ri at a wrestling

  • Examining the bed-block crisis

    A WATCHDOG boss who oversees the county’s chronic hospital bed-blocking problem is to help lead a national study into the worst cases. Oxfordshire Healthwatch chairman Larry Sanders will sit as an expert panel member looking into how OAPs, people

  • RUGBY UNION: Welsh target bumper gate

    London Welsh chief executive Mike Stevens wants fans to turn out in force as they bid to reach the Greene King IPA Championship final. Stevens, who took up office yesterday, is hoping for a bumper crowd and passionate atmosphere on Sunday as the

  • MPs’ stance on homes strategy must be taken into account

    THE Government will be well-braced for the outcry from councils about the number of homes its Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) is proclaiming should be built across the country. There are very few areas that would welcome with open arms

  • Oxfordshire's Tories in homes revolt

    OXFORDSHIRE’s Conservative MPs and council leaders have revolted against the Government’s recommended housing calculation of 100,000 new homes for the county. Conservative MPs Ed Vaizey (Wantage) above, and John Howell (Henley) have called

  • 25-year-old kicks man in the shins to escape attack in Cowley

    A 25-year-old man kicked a would-be robber in the shins to escape an attack in Cowley. The attempted robbery happened in the subway under the eastern bypass by the BMW plant at about 8pm on May 6 but Thames Valley Police released the details today

  • Firm faces death case

    A jury has been sworn in for the trial of a masonry firm accused of corporate manslaughter. Bristol and Bath-based Cavendish Masonry denies the charge in relation to the death of an employee in 2010. David Evans died on February 9, 2010, at

  • Suspended terms rise

    One in three prison sentences were suspended in 2012 in the whole of the Thames Valley compared with one in 50 a decade earlier. Figures collected by the Centre for Crime Prevention, which is calling for the sentences to be scrapped, show 43 criminals

  • Inspirational teenager dies after short illness

    A teenager who was not expected to live more than six weeks has died months after celebrating her 13th birthday. Victoria Dyer died after a short illness on April 29, at Oxford’s Helen and Douglas House hospice. She inspired members of her

  • Kassam Stadium to stay community asset

    AN appeal launched by the owner of the Kassam Stadium into its protected status has been thrown out. Firoz Kassam and his company Firoka took Oxford City Council’s decision to list the Grenoble Road stadium as a community asset to a tribunal at

  • After flooding and fatberg, motorists face misery again

    TRAFFIC chaos return-ed to Oxford yesterday because of a road closure which looks set to last a month. Some drivers were reporting journey times of more than an hour to get through the city centre after George Street shut. And one person contacted

  • Man on bail after police drugs raid on pub

    A MAN arrested on suspicion of possessing Class-A drugs with intent to supply during a raid on an Oxford pub has been released on bail. Kenston McIntosh was charged as part of Operation Relight, in which 40 officers searched the Nelson Pub in Between

  • Traffic nightmares should not continue

    JUST as with the ‘fatberg’ roadworks of just a few weeks ago, motorists were yesterday scratching their furrowed brows and asking how closing George Street had such a catastrophic impact on traffic. There was blame being thrown at the temporary

  • Tuesday, May 13

    3:50pm With just one day to go before the Oxford Punt local music festival, here's a chance to hear a tune by one of this year's stand-out acts: Trophy Cabinet. Here they are with their amazing song Mettle. If you

  • Collapse cost Oxford United up to £150,000, says Lenagan

    Missing out on the Sky Bet League Two play-offs has cost Oxford United up to £150,000, according to chairman Ian Lenagan. The semi-finals continued last night with York City losing 1-0 at home to Fleetwood Town in their first leg, but despite spending

  • CRICKET: Ton-up Taylor sets up MCC victory

    Former England star Claire Taylor hit a brilliant century to set the MCC Women on the way to a massive 275-run victory over Oxford University Women in The Parks yesterday. Taylor, who represented England more than 150 times, hammered 124 off 100

  • Teen rebailed after alleged club attack

    A teenager arrested over an attack on a woman in a nightclub has been rebailed again. The 18-year-old from Edgware, London, was arrested after student Jeanne Marie Ryan was groped and punched at Plush nightclub in March. The 29-year-old posted

  • £1m booster for superfast broadband

    SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council has agreed to put forward £1m towards superfast broadband across the district. The internet will reach a minimum of 95 per cent of properties in the district, up from 53 per cent currently. The Government’

  • Help our D-Day special

    The Oxford Mail is planning to run a supplement to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings and Battle of Normandy. Anyone whose loved ones took part in the D-Day campaign, or has archive material which could be featured in the supplement

  • RUGBY UNION: London Welsh must improve for second leg

    GREENE KING IPA CHAMPIONSHIP ALAN Awcock says London Welsh must raise their game if they are to overcome Leeds Carnegie and reach the play-off final. The 26-year-old, from Chilton, near Wantage, came off the bench to score two tries in Welsh

  • CRICKET: Oxon spot in last eight confirmed

    Oxfordshire have qualified for the Unicorns Trophy quarter-finals with one match to spare. Their 39-run victory over Bucks on Sunday, coupled with Berkshire’s 154-run defeat to Staffordshire means Oxon are guaranteed a top-two finish in Group 4

  • Buses replace trains

    Due to engineering work, buses will replace trains between Oxford and Banbury and Oxford and Hanborough, on the Cotswold Line, until 11.30am on Sunday. See nationalrail.co.uk or call 08457 484950.

  • Police remaining silent

    Thames Valley Police yesterday refused to give any information about the investigation into a man arrested following the death of a 50-year-old man in Oxford. The man was found dead at the O’Hanlon House homeless hostel in Luther Street in the

  • Celebration of nurses

    Nurses at hospitals across the county yesterday were recognised for their hard work. It marked International Nurses Day, a worldwide celebration of nurses, and the staff at all hospitals in Oxfordshire were recognised by their colleagues. At The

  • Jury clears man over shop’s missing money

    An off-licence supervisor accused of stealing £4,330 on his last day at work has been found not guilty. Marc Lyall, 23, of Delph Road, Liverpool, has been cleared of one count of theft on March 13 last year while working at McColl’s in Market Square

  • Councillors to debate flood risk strategy

    OXFORDSHIRE’S flood management strategy will be discussed today. Under new legislation, Oxfordshire County Council must put together a flood risk strategy, setting out how the authority plans to reduce the likelihood of flooding. It is now

  • Biker’s widow wants longer jail terms over fatal crashes

    THE widow of a builder’s foreman killed in a motorbike crash has said judges should be able to pass longer sentences for drivers who cause fatal accidents. Yesterday, Arthur Pridham, of Station Road, Bampton, was jailed for six months at Oxford

  • It’s The mother of all fancy-dress matches

    MUMS of players at Barton United Football Club went head-to-head for charity in a fancy-dress game on Saturday. The two sides turned out as cave women and the 118-118 men of TV advert fame. Debbie Morris, 39, from Headington, captained the

  • Playing futsal for World Cup

    THE Brazil World Cup is still more than a month away, but children at a Witney school have been getting ready by learning a South American version of football. Coaches from Witney-based activities company Smooga and Oxford United Women’s first

  • U’s stalwart is laid to rest to sound of chanting fans

    A D-DAY veteran and Oxford United fan was laid to rest yesterday to the sounds of the chanting crowds he knew so well. Family, friends and Royal British Legion (RBL) members paid their respects at Headington Cemetery to George Bateman, above

  • RUGBY LEAGUE: Newton gets Cavaliers up and running

    CONFERENCE LEAGUE SOUTH OXFORD Cavaliers opened their account for the season with a 46-26 home win over Valley Cougars. Wes Newton hit form with a four-try display, while Mike Benson (2), Andy Winfield, Waisake Roko and Jack Briggs also went

  • FOOTBALL: Carnell's treble delight

    Didcot Town’s captain Luke Carnell bagged a hat-trick of awards at the Calor League Division 1 South & West club’s presentation night. The defender was players’ player, manager’s player and supporters’ player of the year. Reserves’ team

  • FOOTBALL: City close to ending hunt for new boss

    Oxford City could name a new manager by the end of the week, according to chairman Brian Cox. Officials from the Skrill North club met with potential candidates yesterday evening with a view to finalising their decision. An official announcement

  • RUGBY UNION: Burrows buoyant after opening win

    COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP SHIELD OXFORDSHIRE head coach Craig Burrows was delighted with his players’ efforts in their 37-19 victory over Berkshire at Newbury RFC. The bonus-point win in their opening match put Oxon top of Pool 3 and means they need

  • GOLF: Burford close gap as leaders stumble

    Burford moved to a point off top spot in Section 1 following a 3-0 win at home to leaders The Oxfordshire. The closest contest was in the opening match, where Mark Oliver and Richard Connor won 3 & 2 against Nigel Lucas and Adam Riddle.

  • Spoof bus stop advert sparks police interest

    THE firm responsible for advertising on bus shelters has said it has reported a spoof advert to Thames Valley Police. A poster reading “Plan for a Healthy Retirement” and featuring a picture of a doctor handing an elderly woman a gun, above, appeared

  • Sex grooming case criticism ‘shows strength of feeling’

    COMMENTS attacking council bosses in the wake of the Oxford grooming scandal are used in a presentation being delivered across the country. More than 20 messages – which consist of abuse and calls for resignations – are included in the talk put

  • Supermarket is given extended delivery times

    A SUPERMARKET has been granted extended delivery hours in Carterton. Morrisons will make deliveries from 6am to midnight, Monday to Saturday, and 6am to 11pm on Sundays and bank holidays. It marked a U-turn by West Oxfordshire District Council

  • New strategy for people to achieve a healthy weight

    OXFORDSHIRE County Council has put together a strategy for helping the county’s residents achieve a “healthy weight”. The council, which is Oxfordshire’s public health authority, has now launched a public consultation on its proposals. Figures

  • Beer taster wanted: the most appealing job advert ever?

    THERE are worse things to do for a living than tasting beer, but an Oxfordshire brewer says it’s a hard job. Beer merchant Oddbins is advertising the unusual job to find out which ales it should stock. Its latest beer, the Oddbins No. 2 pale

  • DARTS: Krabben's win steers Goodlake into final

    Premier Section champions Goodlake Arms and Marlborough Club will battle it out for the men’s Winter League Seven-a-side Cup on finals night at Oxford Social Club on June 6 after coming through the play-offs at Marston British Legion. Goodlake

  • Fun day highlights work of children’s group

    YOUNGSTERS with brain and spinal tumours met up for a special event in Oxford over the weekend. They took part in a wide range of activities aimed at adolescents at the Oxsrad sports and leisure centre in Marston on Sunday. It was organised

  • Charity proves a real lifeline for a recovering crack addict

    DENNIS Wilkinson was an alcoholic and heroin and crack cocaine addict for 35 years, but is now sober thanks to Oxford’s Lifeline services. He turned to the charity, which supports addicts into abstinence and helps them stay free from drugs and

  • MOTORSPORT: Walkinshaw team eyeing maiden win of campaign

    The Chipping Norton-based Sean Walkinshaw Racing team are targeting their first win of the season when the BRDC Formula 4 campaign resumes at Brands Hatch this weekend. They secured a superb podium finish in the second race of the year at Silver-stone

  • DARTS: Stevens doubles up in Gold Cup

    Oxfordshire player Aaron Stevens made it a double in the county’s Gold Cup play-offs. After taking the singles crown by beating Paddy Kearns in the final, he teamed up with Josh McCarthy to capture the pairs title, beating Sean Holley and Neal

  • HOCKEY: Wildcats pipped in Mercian Cup at Guildford

    Oxford Wildcats, a combined boys team from the Oxford and Wallingford clubs, finished third at the Mercian Cup finals day at Guildford HC. Oxford faced Canterbury, ranked No 1 in the country, in their semi-final and put up a battling display against

  • Wartime letters to be published

    LETTERS from the First World War written by an Oxford family will be published by Oxford University Press in a new book. Edited by Margaret Bonfiglioli and James Munson, the Slater family letters lay undiscovered for almost 90 years. They will

  • Churchill pub made to wait for beer garden ruling

    A DECISION on plans to create a beer garden for 48 people in a village pub has been delayed. The Chequers in Churchill, near Chipping Norton, wants to turn part of its car park into an outdoor seating area and build a wall and gates around it.

  • Right at the Market Square? That’ll be a bit of a stretch

    CARS big and small drew spectators to the 10th annual Wallingford Vehicle Rally & Parade at the weekend. Crowds gathered to watch as the parade left Wallingford Sports Park on Hithercroft Road and wound its way through the centre of the town

  • Jericho wharf conversion is ‘a giant step closer’

    WORK on the Jericho boatyard could start early next year. Developer Strategic Iconic Assets Heritage Acquisition Fund (SIAHAF) has now submitted plans to be considered by Oxford City Council. The firm said work could begin as soon as six months