lIT’S good to see that, amid all the hysteria over inappropriate relationships between police and the press highlighted at the Leveson Inquiry into phone hacking, coppers closer to home can retain a sense of humour over the whole affair.

When Oxford Mail editor Simon O’Neill spotted West Oxford area commander Chief Insp Colin Paine, pictured, at a recent Queen’s Diamond Jubilee garden party in the county, he naturally went over to pay his respects.

No sooner had he said “Hello Colin” than the chief inspector snapped back: “Hello Simon. Now if you don’t mind, I am going to have to report this conversation to my superiors...”

We are happy to point out that no money or goods of any kind changed hands during this exchange, which was witnessed by a few superintendents, a couple of inspectors, various bobbies and, oh, an assistant chief constable.

lthe Insider hears that a well-known Oxfordshire TV celebrity is due to carry the torch in the county next week.

And judging by his preparations, he is set to serve up a decent time.

The man in question collared the Oxford Mail’s very own Olympics writer Ed Mezzetti after he won this year’s OX5 Run – organised by the Oxford Mail in aid of Oxford Children’s Hospital – at Blenheim Palace and grilled him for training tips and advice.

lGENDARMES are used to swooping on the bedraggled, bearded and desperate who lurk on the beaches of northern France looking for any way to cross to the UK in search of a better life.

But stumbling across the latest illegal must have raised a “zut alors” from even the most hard-bitten of les flics.

Billionaire Sir Richard Branson had kite-surfed across the English Channel on Sunday but had the collar of his wetsuit felt on the beach at Wimereux, for breaking any number of French rules and regulations (not carrying two breathalysers and a spare set of bulbs for his car was probably among them).

Some of you might think the Virgin Group boss, who started out selling mail order records, is one lucky individual.

Well he is...

He said the French officers who stopped him had a “sense of humour”... and he also revealed he managed to sell his Kidlington house to his own children, who would have presumably inherited it had they bided their time.