THE van driver, who died in last night's collision on the M40 was a 39-year-old from Merseyside, Thames Valley Police have said. An air ambulance was called to the scene of the collision, which closed both north- and southbound carriageways near
A BETTING shop in Rose Hill has been approved by city councillors by six votes to two. The East Area planning committee was tonight asked to consider whether 4 Courtland Road – previously occupied by the Oxford Bed Company but now an empty shop
THE City of Oxford Silver Band has a history that stretches back more than 125 years. But since its beginnings, the Cowley-based group has grown to be able to provide free music schooling to beginners and performs at musical events across the county
Wallingford RC swept the board in the Reading Amateur Regatta, bringing home ten gold medals On a great weekend, they were awarded the Victor Ludorum Trophy, for the club winning the most events. Lizzie Polgreen kicked things off on Saturday with
GOLFERS spent 16 hours on four Oxfordshire greens to raise funds for research into muscle-wasting conditions. They took on 72 holes of golf at four different courses across Oxfordshire to raise awareness for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign.
VULNERABLE and elderly clients could be turned away from a community service unless more volunteers step forward, its manager has warned. The Independent Advice Centre, Wantage, made the appeal after demand for some services more than doubled in
WHEN the light shone into Hassan Seguya’s cell after two years of solitary confinement, he thought he was being taken to his death. Locked up in a Ugandan prison “safe house” for campaigning for the opposition party against President Museveni in
POLICE have confirmed no further action will be taken against the Oxford Union President who was arrested on suspicion of rape and attempted rape. Ben Sullivan, 21, was arrested in May and bailed until today . A spokeswoman for Thames Valley
COMMUTERS travelling home from London Paddington via Reading are faced with delays of up to an hour and cancellations. First Great Western said the cause was a signalling problem between Slough and Reading. The company could not say when normal
A MODEL castle planted on a Wallingford roundabout could distract drivers, a county councillor has warned. The 6ft-high metal castle has been placed on the St Leonard’s Square roundabout by town council parks staff as a flower planter. But
PERSONAL data of nearly 8,000 people has been hacked from the Ashmolean Museum’s website. The cyber-attack meant the details of 7,757 people who had bought tickets to the museum’s exhibitions online were extracted by an unknown hacker. But
OXFORD is currently “the safest it has ever been” from robbery, a police inspector has claimed. Despite this Thames Valley Police has said it will still lay on extra patrols this summer in robbery “hot spots” to deal with the influx of foreign
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A HEADTEACHER is concerned new rules about standards of school meals is turning the country into a “nanny state”. Under the rules announced by Education Secretary Michael Gove yesterday it would see milk having to be made available to pupils, both
THREE 16-year-old boys have been arrested in connection with an assault in Blackbird Leys on Sunday . One was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder, another on suspicion of affray and the other on suspicion of obstructing police. Two were bailed
THE chairman of the county’s official health and social care watchdog has stepped down. Larry Sanders has stepped down with immediate effect from Healthwatch Oxfordshire and vice chairwoman Jean Nunn Price has taken on the role in the interim.
DEATH is a difficult topic for us all, but explaining the process to children is a challenge that all parents dread. Headington charity SeeSaw, which helps children across the county when a member of their family is dying, has come up with a way
VAN Coulter talks a lot of sense in his letter of June 17. I have read that Kidlington Parish Council has distanced itself from recent speculative reports regarding development around our village and has “decided by a large majority not to object
THE letter by Mr Dawe of the Oxford Green Party (June 9) presents simple solutions to Oxford’s housing crisis, but doesn’t consider the facts of the situation. The letter called for a stepping up of development on brownfield sites and a crackdown
I DO not normally respond to replies to my letters in the Oxford Mail, but I really cannot let Adrian Taylor get away with some of his latest assertions. Firstly he concedes that third rail is Victorian. He goes on to state that the Japanese
COWLEY Road carnival is quite rightly getting lots of coverage, prior to the big event. Unfortunately, a large area of Cowley and Florence Park will again be without transport to get there (or anywhere else) for the whole day. Bus companies
I AM delighted that Oxford City Council is holding its first Low Carbon Week from June 14-22. I am actively participating in the Bike Week events which are part of Low Carbon Week, on the Tolkien’s grave and Treacle Well ride. However, I would
LABOUR Councillor Van Coulter (The Issue, June 11) seems completely unaware that Green Belt policy was introduced by the Labour government just after the Second World War because it would prevent urban sprawl and would allow workers to have more immediate
HANNAH England will lead her country for the first time at this weekend’s European Team Championships. The 27-year-old Oxford City athlete has been named Great Britain & Northern Ireland’s captain for the meeting in Braunschweig, Germany.
EVERY day is a special day and a special opportunity. As I sit down today to write the next disabled space: I realise that today (last Sunday) is Father’s Day. I cannot help reflecting on what this means to me and obviously I think a lot about
IT OPENED the year the First World War began and has proudly served its community for 100 years. A century later South Hinksey’s Village Hall in Manor Road is still doing its job as residents threw a birthday party there. In the 1940s, villagers
A CAR and lorry have been involved in a collision on the A40 London Road. It happened near the Headington roundabout and is causing a build-up of traffic.
THEY certainly weren’t Noddy and Big Ears, but they still brought smiles in their red and yellow car. Shoppers in Oxford city centre were shocked to see a mechanic and museum worker in a motorised toy vehicle heading down the road. Mechanic
BOAT dwellers have laid claim to an Oxford riverbank by roping it off and declaring it their own. A group calling themselves “Friends of Castle Mill Stream” have taken over a 100-yard stretch of land and have said it is now their private property
OXFORD United will start their Sky Bet League Two 2014-15 campaign with a home match against Burton Albion. Gary Waddock’s side will entertain the Brewers on Saturday, August 9 at the Kassam Stadium after the season’s fixtures were announced this
ACCRINGTON Stanley became a household football name in the 1980s. They had not won any cups and they possessed no star player. But they did appear in a milk advert that lasted long in the memory and is still wistfully talked about today.
A Botley Road charity shop is set to shut this weekend. Cancer Research UK is due to close down as the store’s lease comes to an end on Saturday. The closure comes as retailer Waitrose plans to develop the site into a new supermarket. Shoppers
HASAM Mushtaq hammered 157 as Thame Town racked up 314-9 before declaring in a high-scoring Division 1 affair at Great Brickhill. Mushtaq was ably supported by James Crichton, who hit an admirable 63, while Julian Blackwell toiled away to finish
A 36-year-old man charged with three sex offences will appear at Oxford Crown Court today. Tilal Mahdi, of Friars Street, Hereford, is accused of buggery, conspiracy to rape a female under 16 years, and conspiracy to indecently assault a girl under
VOLUNTEERS believe they have created a haven for bees in woodland that will border a major housing estate. The Witney Woodland Volunteers have planted flower beds that will attract the insects in Deer Park Wood. It is next to a site on the
A SINKHOLE in a road next to the Kassam Stadium was most likely caused by a Victorian ceramic water pipe collapsing, an Oxfordshire geologist has said. The hole, approximately 8ft by 4ft, formed on Saturday outside the Ozone Leisure Park next to
A WOMAN was attacked and a house targeted by a gang of youths in two cases of violence in the Leys. Police are investigating possible links between the two crimes, which were reported on the same night. A group of people assaulted a 31-year-old
A series of controversial speed bumps will be installed despite concerns about the lack of consultation. Last month Oxfordshire County Council approved plans to place 16 pairs of cushion speed humps and a puffin crossing along Middleton Stoney
MUSIC store HMV will close today, bosses have confirmed. Administrators said in January that the Cornmarket Street store would shut in March, but the closure date was then extended until today. It was claimed they were looking for another location
A CITY centre road is closed after a sewer collapsed. Flooding from the sewer was reported by Balliol College, Thames Water said. Magdalen Street East southbound, between Beaumont Street, St Giles and Broad Street, will be closed until July
FIREFIGHTERS tackled a blaze at a science lab last night. A fire involving 2kg of the chemical Lithium broke out at Oxis Energy at Culham Science Park at about 10pm. The large fire was in a ground-floor research laboratory. Oxis Energy
5:53pm This week's featured band on the Oxford Mail's Local Bands Showcase have been picking up fans - and more than 3,000 listens - on our Listen Online site. They are called Glass Animals, they are fronted by Jericho lad
A broken-down truck is causing delays on the A34 into Oxford this morning. The vehicle is blocking the first lane on the dual carriageway near Weston-On-The-Green. It is due to be recovered soon.
ONCE every 18 months, the residents of Poplar Road, Botley, fill in their potholes. Their street is unadopted by Oxfordshire County Council, meaning that they have no reposnibility for it, so homeowners have to look after it. On Saturday, in
GREENE KING OXFORD & DISTRICT LEAGUE ANDY Kay produced a fine individual display, but could not save Yarnton British Legion from a 2-1 loss at Gladiators A, writes ANDY BEAL. Kay knocked off 14 dolls (5-5-4), but saw his side slip to a
PERHAPS more people should own their own road. The group in Poplar Road, Botley, get to take matters into their own hands. Rather than being frustrated by the state of potholes in their street and expecting the local authority to do something about
PLANS for a major shopping development are now “in doubt,” according to a Didcot councillor. Department store Debenhams pulled out of talks to become the anchor store for a £125m redevelopment of Didcot’s Orchard shopping centre. But South
Conor Taylor smashed a sensational 163 as Shrivenham enjoyed a 102-run victory over Hook Norton in OCA Division 1, writes DAVID QUINN. Taylor’s huge century enabled the hosts to reach 278-6. A decent response by the visitors finally ended at
HAZEL Dawe will contest the Cowley by-election for the Green Party. The by-election has been triggered by the resignation of Labour city councillor Helen O’Hara for personal reasons. Ms Dawe contested the St Clements ward in the Oxford City
A WOMAN'S purse was snatched out of her hands while she was shopping. The woman was walking away from the Co-op store in Ferriston at 8.40pm on Monday, June 9, when a man took her purse and ran off. The thief is described as white, in his mid
STAFF from HSBC branches in Oxfordshire are taking part in a 110-mile bike ride for charity. The four riders, based around the county, started today from the Banbury branch before visiting another 11 branches in the county over three days.
VISITORS to Oxford’s Bodleian Library can learn more about the early years of the First World War in a new exhibition starting today. The Great War: Personal Stories from Downing Street to the Trenches runs until November 2. The displays draw
ORGANISERS of the CLA Game Fair have hired the Swinford Toll Bridge for three days as part of the plan to help ease traffic during this year’s event at Blenheim Palace. About 150,000 visitors are expected to attend the annual event, which will
YES says Anne-Marie Cockburn, whose daughter Martha Fernback, of Summertown, died after taking Ecstasy in July last year I AM not a drug policy expert, I am an expert on being a bereaved single mother of 11 months whose only child died from
CHANNEL 4 quiz show Countdown is keeping up with changes to the language by swapping the print version of the Oxford English Dictionary with Oxford Dictionaries Online. The show was launched in 1982 and the switch means the programme’s Dictionary
OXFORD United face a difficult task to progess in the Capital One Cup after being handed a first-round trip to Bristol City. Gary Waddock’s side will travel to the Sky Bet League One side in the week commencing August 11. City, who last season
Investigations are continuing into the death of a three-month-old girl. Ruby Williams was discovered “unresponsive” by her mother, Dawn Williams, in her cot at home in North Street, Banbury, on February 15, and died later at the town’s Horton Hospital
Miss Oxfordshire Amelia Watt missed out on being crowned this year’s Miss England. Miss Watt from James Street, represented the county for the second time during the national beauty pageant on Monday. The 24-year-old Oxford Brookes student
More police officers have been drafted in to help prevent antisocial behaviour in the city during the World Cup. Oxford area commander Supt Christian Bunt said: “Evidence has shown that at previous big football events we do get increases in public
A WITNESS has claimed Fiaz Munshi was a “puppet master” who manipulated others into carrying out an arson attack which killed two children. The 38-year-old is on trial at Oxford Crown Court accused of murdering eight-year-old Anum Khan and her
CAMPAIGNERS for better transport links for West Oxfordshire walked along part of the former Witney railway branch line to highlight their campaign. The Witney Oxford Transport Group arranged the walk on Saturday along a mile of the former railway
THE first school to join the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust Academy (ODST) has been praised in a Church report. Littlemore’s John Henry Newman Academy became part of the newly-created ODST in September 2012. The primary school, which has about
“SMART” glasses being developed by Oxford University could prove life-changing for blind people. The specs are being trialled in public spaces for the first time and were used by two people in Oxford’s Covered Market last week. Iain Cairns
VANDALS who damaged life-saving equipment next to a lake where a man drowned last year have been called “moronic” for putting lives at risk. Two buoyancy aids at Witney Lake, are believed to have been ripped apart by partying youngsters on Saturday
OXFORD’S “Boris bike” scheme is getting back in the saddle. Oxfordshire County Council will relaunch its cycle hire scheme tomorrow after the company which previously ran it went into liquidation. A new operator – Surrey-based HourBike – has
THE death of a West Oxfordshire leukaemia patient as a result of a rare adverse reaction to chemotherapy has prompted cancer specialists at the Churchill Hospital to rethink their treatment processes. Celia Garrick, 66, of Finstock, near Charlbury
A talented teenager has triumphed at a national song writing competition after impressing judges with her self-penned tune. Sky Hormbrey, from Headington School, won the Young Songwriter Academy Competition with a vocal performance of her original
A SECOND pre-school in Blackbird Leys is to shut after its attempts to find a new home failed. Shepherds Hill will close in mid-July after being told in February by heads at Windale Primary School – where it meets – that it would have to vacate
A TRADITIONAL tea party will be held in Adderbury to celebrate 40 years of tennis at a club. Banbury West End Tennis and Squash Club, Chapel Lane, is marking four decades in Adderbury by throwing a party for all past and former members. The
THOUSANDS of people will gather in Wallingford’s Market Place to mark the 75th anniversary of RAF Benson. There are about 4,000 people behind the wire at RAF Benson with 1,800 personnel, civil servants, contractors and their families living in
AN ABINGDON charity which gives sexual health and drugs advice to youngsters has moved into a new home. Abingdon Bridge moved into the former County Police Station in Bridge Street from its former home a few numbers down the road on Monday.
