Archive

  • Airwaves battle heats up

    The battle for Banbury's airwaves is reaching a crucial stage as broadcasters prepare bids for a licence to run a permanent radio station in the town. Up to ten companies could apply for permission to set up a seven-day-a-week station for Banbury and

  • Teenager locked up for bottle attack

    A 19-year-old man who attacked a former colleague with a broken bottle has been sentenced to 15 months behind bars. Christopher Caffel, of Oxford Road, Garsington, hit Jamie Richards several times, causing three gashes to the back of his head, which needed

  • Brakes on bike thefts

    Pc Matt Jenkins security marks Danielle Collinson's bike during a security advice session in Bicester. Police and security firms were in Market Square on Saturday, August 30, giving advice and postcode marking people's property for free. In the past two

  • City's bus companies get mixed pollution reports

    Bus company Stagecoach has been criticised for not doing enough to help cut pollution in Oxford -- while its main rival has been praised. A Stagecoach bus in the centre of Oxford Environment experts at Oxford City Council said Stagecoach could do more

  • Minister launches hedges campaign

    Nature Conservation Minister Ben Bradshaw visited a west Oxfordshire farm on Monday, September 1, to launch a national scheme to protect young trees growing in hedges. The hedge tree campaign is an initiative by The Tree Council, in partnership with National

  • Traders protest as work goes on

    Road repairs in south Oxford are due to continue for another fortnight. But Oxfordshire County Council says the work should be finished within the allotted two-month schedule. The promise comes after traders demanded compensation, claiming the roadworks

  • Jonnie is just champion

    Jonnie Wigmore, of Stratton Audley, has been handed the opportunity of a lifetime, winning a Super 1600 drive in the 2004 British Rally Championship. The prize comes after Wigmore was confirmed as the Ford Rallye Sport Ka champion on the Mewla National

  • Jamie's Belgian bid runs out of steam

    Banbury speed king Jamie Derbyshire kept up the pressure on the leaders as he roared to second place in the BRDC British GT Championship round at the Spa 1000km race in Belgium on Sunday. After six hours, the Spirit Volkswagen-backed racer looked on course

  • Bratt misses out

    Banbury's Will Bratt was robbed of victory in the 17th round of the Building Environmental Services Plc BRSCC T-Cars Championship at Oulton Park, after a rare mechanical failure put paid to his chances. Bratt said: "It was very disappointing. I had the

  • Daughter tells of Dr Kelly's turmoil

    Rachel Kelly saw the father she adored turn from a dignified man, elated at her sister's wedding earlier this year, to a shattered, uncommunicative figure. The quietly-spoken 30-year-old told the Hutton Inquiry into the circumstances of the death of Dr

  • James's treble shatters Park

    Henley Hawks were in irresistible form as they trounced Rosslyn Park 80-0 with a 12-try display. The key figure in much of their play was Barry Reeves at fly-half. He was like the proverbial jack-in-the-box, prompting attack after attack with well-timed

  • Didcot suffer in league opener

    Didcot, who re-formed in the close season, opened their programme in the Thames Valley Invitiation League with a 55-0 defeat at home to Grove 3rd. However, Grove were reported to have used some players from higher teams in their line-up as they cruised

  • Quins get taste of top clubs' power

    Oxford Harlequins' first venture into the Powergen Cup proved an unsuccessful one as they crashed 51-17 to Reading in their preliminary round tie at Horspath Road. Quins went down to a more powerful, slicker and quicker Reading side, who gave their opponents

  • Car know-how passes test

    An Oxfordshire driver was among the first to sit the new-look driving test on Monday, September 1. Sahira Ahma The new test includes questions on vehicle maintenance. Sahira Ahma, 28, an operations technician, of Eynsham, passed the test after failing

  • Help trace our pony -- family

    A family has made an appeal for help to find out what happened to their pet pony, which vanished from its stable near Grove a year ago. Since 14-year-old Dartmoor cross Polly disappeared, her owners have searched in vain to find her. Hundreds of posters

  • West hails his troops

    Thame United boss Mark West says a half-time roasting was the secret behind his side's 8-1 thrashing of Ryman League Division 1 South outfit Egham Town in Saturday's FA Cup preliminary round. Alex Stewart grabbed a hat-trick, while a header from Mark

  • Relatives want road deaths remembered

    An Oxfordshire woman who lost her son in a road accident is helping lead a campaign for memorial signs displaying the message 'Remember Me' to be placed on roadsides. The signs campaigners want put up at the site of fatal road accidents The black plastic

  • £22m leisure centre scheme wins boost

    Oxford United chairman Firoz Kassam has moved a step closer to opening part of a planned leisure complex by the end of the year. Oxford City Council's executive board yesterday agreed to revise a legal agreement so that the first phase of the £22m Ozone

  • Foundation hospital will ask advice on decisions

    The best-performing hospital in Oxford could soon turn to hundreds of people from all walks of life for advice on key decisions. The Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre is hoping a new board of governors, which will help run the hospital under foundation status

  • Peg bag burglar sentenced

    An "opportunist" thief stole a peg bag from a conservatory but left it in the garden, Oxford Crown Court heard. David Paintin, 22, of Coriander Way, Greater Leys, Oxford, said he could not remember the incident, which took place on April 27. On Monday

  • Protesters jump gun

    Security firm Group 4 has yet to make a decision on whether it will make a bid to run the proposed new Bicester asylum centre. Organiser Bill MacKeith, front, with other Campsfield protesters The company, which runs Campsfield House detention centre,

  • Anti-social tenant ban 'hard to police'

    Plans to refuse council housing to rowdy Oxford residents could be hard to implement because of problems keeping tabs on tenants. Oxford City Council has admitted that a proposal to penalise anti-social tenants by denying them access to council housing

  • Dexter's 'dream move

    Dexter Blackstock described his transfer to Southampton as "a dream move". And Oxford United say there are plenty more exciting prospects who have come through the ranks the same way as he has. Youth development officer Les Taylor said: "Being selfish