A girl of seven sparked a massive police hunt and a nightmare for her frantic parents after climbing a five-foot fence and disappearing. Freya Gould safe and sound after her adventure Fatima and Roderick Gould, of Ardley Road, Middleton Stoney, near Bicester
One fifth of Oxfordshire adults are smokers whose habit puts financial strain on county businesses and an added burden on the health service, according to figures released today. A report published by the South East Public Health Observatory shows that
Oxford City's promising young middle-distance runner Bea Swords missed out on a medal in a dramatic photo-finish in the under 15 girls 800m in the AAA national track & field championship final at the weekend. Despite the disappointment of being edged
Phillip Anderson completely misses the point in his letter regarding Castlemill boatyard (Oxford Mail Letters, August 11). His accusations of selfish protectionism by Philip Pullman and others are groundless and highly misinformed. Yes, our city does
A team from Oxford's French twin town Grenoble will make their debut at one of the city's biggest rowing events this weekend. The squad will be taking part in this year's Oxford City Royal Regatta, a series of races over two days on Saturday and Sunday
Ministers have rejected Oxford MP Evan Harris's demands for parents to be allowed to choose their baby's gender. The Liberal Democrat has also criticised the Government for not tackling the laws on fertility treatment, which often lead to discrimination
The reward for loyal and flexible fire emergency control room staff in Oxfordshire will be redundancy, according to the county's chief fire officer. John Parry has warned that as many as 18 people could be made redundant within weeks as the county finally
A 'nappy tax' could be imposed on parents to meet the cost of changing toddlers at nurseries and pre-schools, according to new guidance from Oxfordshire County Council. A draft booklet due to be sent out to early years providers and schools makes a series
Alleyways notorious for flytipping and being used as boltholes for vandals could be cleaned up by giving them names, according to a councillor. Alleyways in Bicester have been plagued by problems with litter and antisocial behaviour, as well as becoming
If the County Council was even one 10th as incompetent as John E Wilson would have us believe (Oxford Mail, 12 August), you would expect the parents of the 80,000 children who attend our 350 schools every day to be crying out for new management, but I
Banbury Utd 1, Grantham 1: Banbury United came from behind to earn a useful Southern League Premier Division point against Grantham at Spencer Stadium last night. They entered the game full of confidence after Saturday's 3-0 victory at Yate, but fell
Oxfordshire's Development XI reclaimed the Tom Orford Trophy by making it four wins out of four. They lived up to their reputation as a side that never knows when they are beaten, helping themselves to an ultimately comfortable 61-run victory over Bucks
Neil Pratley was in devastating form as he clanged off 16 dolls for Woodman in their 3-0 defeat over Red Lion Brill in Section 2. Teammate Pat Williams was also in tune, hitting a six as they took all three legs 27-21, 25-22, 26-25. The victory puts them
Frank Sobott asks why the City Council is doing nothing to provide more cycle parking in the city centre (Oxford Mail letters, August 15). I fear that this is another case of the muddle caused by the two councils -- installing new cycle parking is the
Organisers of Oxfordshire's Festival of Flight say they are planning a similar event for next year following the event's huge success at the weekend. The spectacular air display at Blenheim Palace on Sunday, the birthplace of wartime Prime Minister Sir
The Oxford United supporter who ran onto the Kassam Stadium pitch after Danny Morgan's 88th-minute equaliser against Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday, could face a possible three-year ban from football. The man, whom the club and police are in the process
Thame Utd 2, Ashford 2: Substitute Tom Goffe grabbed the late equaliser as Thame United started life at their new Aylesbury home with a 2-2 draw in last night's Southern League Division 1 West encounter. Thame seemed doomed last month when their Windmill
I wonder why money is being wasted on a nature park in North Hinksey Lane, Botley, when we already have one on the corner of Arthray Road and Westminster Way? Beryl Lane, Westminster Way, Botley, Oxford
I must correct councillor Ed Turner on his statement that I suggested there will be no benefit to the community from the redevelopment of Rose Hill (Oxford Mail, August 12). Of course there will be some benefit, as hopefully within the next few years
