A SUSPECTED criminal on the run from police may be in Oxfordshire, officers have said. Michael Grantham, 38, was released from HMP Hewell in October after serving a sentence for possessing an offensive weapon, but is now believed to have breached
SMALL businesses, the elderly and the poor will suffer most when NatWest branches close across Oxfordshire next year, it has been warned.Business leaders in Didcot, Wallingford and Wantage have all said their towns will be poorer without local branches.NatWest
OXFORD has been voted one of the best cities for young people to visit in the UK. The city was given the silver award in the ‘Best UK Youth Destination’ category at the British Youth Travel Awards in London. City council leader Bob Price said he was &
A 'women hating' parrot was at large in Didcot for more than 24 hours until he was cornered in a garden shed. The bird, named Smudge, escaped from his home in Bowness Avenue area yesterday morning. His owners raised the alarm, warning 'he does
Local primary schools across Oxford will be receiving professional training from coaches at Oxford United Football Community Trust as part of a new scheme helping children achieve their sporting potential. The partnership between Oxford City Council and
HUGE queues have formed outside a new restaurant in Oxford's Westgate Centre after it decided to offer free noodles to its very first customers. To coincide with the launch of ramen restaurant Shoryu, the chain tweeted that the first 112 customers
CHRISTMAS carols, pop-up opera and children's storytelling are just some of the events planned to celebrate the re-opening of the county library at Oxford's Westgate centre. The newly-named Oxfordshire County Library will re-open next Monday, with
CHEQUERS moved up to second place in the Oxford City FA League after coming from 3-0 and 4-3 down to beat Thame United Churches 7-4.A pulsating game saw the hosts score three times in the opening ten minutes through Lee Smith, Nick Barrett and an own
COWLEY-BASED charity Oxfam has backed a decision to transfer 5,000 refugees from the Greek islands to better living conditions on the Greek mainland before winter.Nicola Bay, head of mission for Oxfam in Greece, said it was a ‘very positive step that
AN OLDER people's social club will hold its Christmas party in Blackbird Leys today.Friendleys is staging the event for people over the age of 50 in the Jack Argent Room at the Blackbird Leys Community Centre from 10:00am.The group was set up in 2014
A LIVE nativity play will take place in Didcot Town Centre this weekend. A gospel choir and actors will sing carols and perform the Christmas story on Saturday from 4.30pm.It is the second year that The King’s Church have run the community event in Didcot
FINAL preparations are being made for the reopening of the central library in Oxford.Situated at the Westgate Centre, the new Oxfordshire County Library has been refurbished and will open on Monday.Staff have been arranging and cataloguing more than 100,000
A gritter lorry fitted with a snowplough was called into action to help a widow get to her husband’s funeral.The vehicle was needed to clear the snow in North Leigh, near Witney, Oxfordshire after the woman could not get out of her street.Liam Walker,
AFTER more than four decades of helping the people of Didcot look after their pets, a well-known retailer is closing up shop. Vic Thomas has run the Angel Aquarium and Pet Centre with wife Cindy in Brasenose Road for the past 44 years, but will
THE birthday of the celebrated civil rights leader Martin Luther King will be commemorated in Oxford early next year. Natty Mark Samuels, the founder of the African School based in Blackbird Leys is giving a talk on early 20th century African American
A PRE-SCHOOL near Witney is helping youngsters to make good progress as they grow, an education watchdog has said.Ofsted has awarded Hanborough Pre-School in Long Hanborough with a rating of ‘good’ - its second-highest standard.A report released by inspectors
THE 'art of partying' will go under the microscope at an Oxford University lecture tomorrow.Alice Foster, Art Historian, will give the talk at the Ashmolean Museum on Wednesday 2pm to 4pm.She will examine depictions of parties from Greek mosaics
A STROKE survivor hoping to spread joy around the world with his travelling tome has launched a competition to find his first random writer.Gary Gill of Abingdon wants to find 100 people to fill the pages of his Book of Hope with artistic illustrations
AUTHORS will gather at Blackwell’s Bookshop in Oxford for a literary game shows tonight.Non Pratt, Lisa Williamson, Rowan Hisayo Buchanan and Zoe Gilbert will meet at the Broad Street store for the Ex Libris game, based on first lines and last words.Miss
WITH hundreds of schools around Oxfordshire closed due to icy conditions, one pre-school opened its doors for a morning of fun.Appleton Village Pre-school organised craft sessions for local children to keep them occupied on the snow day on Monday.The
SHARING a meal with strangers may not be everyone’s idea of a good time, but a supermarket in Oxford is hoping to spread Christmas cheer with its community dining table.Staff at Waitrose, in Botley Road, have covered a set of tables in the cafe with festive
A SUPERMARKET has signed up to support a campaign to give people a place to sit down.Staff and residents from the Parmoor Court care home in North Oxford have been campaigning for businesses to sign up to the Standing Up 4 Sitting Down campaign, run by
A COMMUNITY centre in Oxford will help families to create last-minute Christmas presents.Residents reluctant to brave the stress of Christmas Eve shopping can instead make their own gifts at Rose Hill Community Centre.The venue will host a free craft
JEWELLERY has been stolen from a house in Witney.Thieves broke into the home in Woodlands Road between 8.30am and 4pm on Sunday, December 10.Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses following the burglary where the thieves stole jewellery as well
AS the freezing weather continues to bite across the city a building society has pledged to help 35 homeless young people to find a place of their own.Yorkshire Building Society has partnered with charity End Youth Homelessness to offer a 'rent deposit
CLAIMS that a sex shop in Oxford could have encouraged child sex abuse were too weak to stop the shop trading, councillors decided.Private Shop will remain open in Cowley Road – where it has been since 1981 – for at least another year after councillors
Helen & Douglas House house CEO Clare Periton explains how the charity's work helps children and young people over the festive period.CHRISTMAS for most of us is a time for getting together with friends and family. The build up to the festive period
RUNNERS wrapped up warm with tinsel scarves and reindeer onesies for a fundraiser near Didcot.Scores of Santas - and his helpers - sprinted round Milton Park on Friday, to raise money for Play2Give and MS Therapy Oxfordshire.The five kilometre fun run
The badge on Subaru’s Outback relates to a group of stars – appropriate for a car with some serious sparkle. The fifth generation of the high performance, all-wheel-drive estate that first appeared back in 1994, packs all the supremely practical
THE FUTURE of Oxfordshire’s health services hangs in the balance, after a senior judge froze progress on controversial plans. Campaigners and councils are waiting in limbo following a hearing at the High Court, in which they argued that Oxfordshire
TEMPERATURES plummeted to their coldest level in five years on Tuesday. Residents awoke to stinging cold as sub-zero conditions hit, following Sunday's heavy snowfall. The Met Office has revealed it recorded a reading of -9.3 degrees Celsius
INEFFECTIVE speed bumps, housing and congestion will be among the tough questions put to the leader of Oxfordshire County Council today.Ian Hudspeth will be fielding challenges to his council’s work at a cabinet meeting at County Hall, Oxford, from 2pm.Also
ACTS of vandalism on parish council property will be discussed at a meeting tonight.Grove Parish Council will also receive latest news from the Letcombe Brook Project. Public are welcome to join the meeting at the Old Mill Hall, on School Lane, from 7.30pm
OXFORD United were stung in the 90th minute by former striker Destiney Toussaint as they finished 2017 with a 2-1 defeat at London Bees in Women’s Super League 2.Andy Cook’s side looked to be heading for a point after Kayleigh Hines cancelled out Paula
FREDDIE Cracknell sco-red a hat-trick of tries as Banbury Bulls produced their best away performance of the season with a 47-22 bonus-point victory against Wimborne. Bulls stormed into an early 18-0 lead in South West 1 East with tries from Jimmy
A MOTION of no confidence in Carterton Mayor Lynn Little will be made tonight following concerns over finances. The motion has been put forward by councillor Roger Crapper and councillor Martin McBride as part of the Carterton Town Council meeting
CCTV images have been released after a charity poppy box was stolen. Thames Valley Police wish to speak to the man pictured because he 'may have vital information' in connection with the theft which happened at the Esso Service Station in Station
AFTER a weekend of festive fun the work began to get Cogges Manor Farm ready for the next two evenings of Yuletide entertainment.The attraction in Witney hosted its first Christmas at Cogges events of this season on Friday and Saturday, and they will
A DRIVER was lucky to escape with just minor injuries after his car struck and rolled over a safety barrier on the A34 on Monday afternoon. The man was travelling on the northbound slip road at the Lodge Hill interchange near Abingdon when his
MODERN slavery is far more prevalent in Oxfordshire than previously thought, it has been revealed. A report released by the Thames Valley police and crime commissioner Anthony Stansfeld shows that many cases of people being trafficked or used as
MATT Smith was in sensational form to inspire Challow British Legion against Section 1 side Kidlington FC. He hit three maximums as the Premier Section hosts stormed to a 9-0 success in the Cowley Workers ODDA. Dan Webb hit a 170 checkout but
JOSH Ruffels deserved a moment as Oxford United’s main man for the unselfish role he plays week-in, week-out, according to manager Pep Clotet. The midfielder took centre stage on Saturday with a 96th-minute winner against Doncaster Rovers.
PLENTY of effort went into making North Oxford’s captains’ drive-in a colourful occasion.Maureen Rhymes was escorted to the first tee by the ladies’ committee, who were dressed as Women’s Institute members.New men’s captain Brian England was helped to
A MAN who sexually abused two girls, one of them as young as six years old, has been jailed.Sam Fowler, of Bourton Close, Witney, had denied carrying out the abuse over a period of 20 months but a jury convicted him last month of three counts of sexual
CHINNOR had Jonny Bentley to thank after hanging on to their unbeaten record by the skin of their teeth at Bury St Edmunds. The fly half kicked 15 points, including a late decisive penalty, as the National League 2 South leaders scrambled to a
TRAVELLERS are now occupying land at two park-and-ride sites in Oxford. Twenty caravans arrived on a site at Water Eaton park-and-ride on Thursday and about 10 caravans also arrived last week at Pear Tree park-and-ride in North Oxford. Oxford
PLANS to expand Seacourt Park & Ride will be thrown out by government even if they are approved tonight, Oxford Flood Alliance has warned. Chairman Peter Rawcliffe said whatever decision Oxford City Council’s West Area Planning Committee makes
A TRIO of Oxfordshire’s Evo-Stik South League clubs will be hoping their midweek games beat the weather tonight.With temperatures dipoing well below freezing overnight and not rise above zero in some places, disruption is expected.Banbury United are due
‘FATHER Christmas’ will arrive at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford by helicopter today.Service personnel from RAF Benson near Wallingford are planning to use the unusual mode of transport to make a Christmas present delivery on Santa’s behalf this
OXFORD Hawks’ South League Premier Division 1 match at home to Horsham on Saturday was one of many fixtures postponed due to frozen pitches. In one of the few games played, Hawks 2nd drew 2-2 at OMT in Regional 1 thanks to goals from Dan Bradley
A 'HERO' pensioner fought off armed intruders despite being hit over the head with a plate. The man in his eighties was at a semi-detached house in Hill View, Sandhills, with his wife when three men armed with hammers broke in through the front
ALL four Evo-Stik South League games involving Oxfordshire clubs scheduled for tonight have been postponed by the icy weather. Kidlington’s visit to Shortwood United was called off yesterday. It has been followed by Banbury United's trip to
I WOULD like to comment on your story in last Tuesday’s Oxford Mail on the prospect of a new high speed rail service from Bristol via Swindon, Grove and Oxford possibly to Milton Keynes. I would like to remind readers that myself and my fellow
SATURDAY’S Oxford Mail had a great front page of four speedway riders on what was once a great competitive speedway track and one that still could be. We are given hope once again by the council that our family sport can return to Oxford. In truth
