Two people were killed in a horrific head-on smash on the busy A40 this morning.

One car was burnt out, a motorbike crushed and a third vehicle damaged in the crash, which led to police sealing off the road between Cassington and the Woodstock Road roundabout at Wolvercote.

Commuters faced gridlock coming into Oxford today as police investigated how the crash happened.

Police believe a Datsun car pulling out of the Cassington turn collided with a Kawasaki motorcycle and a van travelling towards Oxford at about 5.45am. Police said two people were certified dead at the scene. An eyewitness said one of the dead seemed to be wearing motorcycle leathers. He said: "One of the cars is completely burnt out."

The police spokesman said: "We have blocked off the whole of the A40 from Cassington into Oxford and there are no vehicles allowed on that road. It is mainly westbound vehicles that are affected and we want to ask people to avoid this road.

"It could be the middle of the afternoon before we get the road cleared." The diversions led to long tailbacks of traffic trying to use the toll bridge at Eynsham.

The identities of the victims have not yet been released. School fire arson fear Police are treating a major fire in a school building as possible arson.

But while they investigated, life at Lord Williams's School in Oxford Road went on as normal today.

Security screening has been put round the gutted former school nursery and creche to keep pupils out.

The building, a large detached house, has been boarded up and empty for the past four years. Planning permission to redevelop it was granted three years ago. Two Rycotewood College students leaving the sports and arts centre spotted the blaze yesterday evening and raised the alarm.

Firefighters from Thame, Wheatley and Haddenham were called in to tackle the blaze.

Staff and parents were in the school's main building for a sixth-form meeting when the blaze was discovered.

Deputy head David Jones said: "There was no panic.

"Everyone got out without any bother and were never in danger." Head Mrs Pat O'Shea had been to a meeting in the town and was driving home to Oxford when she passed the school and saw the fire engines.

"I am just grateful it was not a building used by the school.

"It will not interrupt work here - we will just have to be extra careful that pupils are kept out of the vicinity of Uplands.

"The building has been boarded up a long time and was secure so no-one should have been able to get inside at all" she said. Fire crews went into Uplands to check if anyone was in but found nothing.

Police said they had no idea what started the fire but could not rule out arson.

Investigations were going on this morning.

The building is owned by Oxfordshire County Council and planning permission for redeveloping it was granted three years ago.

Story date: Thursday 03 February

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.