OXFORD United's first venture into the FA Trophy proved a very uncomfortable one as the tournament's favourites were held to a 0-0 draw by Lewes at The Dripping Pan on Saturday. It might have been even more embarrassing for Jim Smith's Nationwide Conference
A car was found on fire in an Oxfordshire village during the early hours of Saturday morning. Firefighters from Abingdon tackled the car blaze, which is believed to have been started deliberately, in Drayton Road, Kingston Bagpuize at 3.50am.
Fire crews spent three hours tackling a blaze in a warehouse on an industrial park on Saturday. The fire was reported at an industrial unit on a business park at Telford Road, Bicester shortly before 9am. Five crews from Oxford, Bicester, Deddington
Your articles prompted by Jeremy Clarkson's thoughts on the 50mph speed limit on the A44 north of Woodstock (Oxford Mail, December 1 and 2) caught my eye as I am one of the 'highway bureaucrats' most involved in road safety. Mr Clarkson would get a
We would have thought that the drink-drive message had got home by now, but it clearly hasn't. Figures from Thames Valley Police show that of 138 breath tests carried out in Oxfordshire since December 1, 19 have proved positive. That means that 15
Books by two Oxford children's authors have scooped prizes in a national competition. Julia Golding, of North Oxford, picked up a gold medal in the nine to 11 years category of the Nestle Children's Book Prize for her first novel, The Diamond of Drury
Can someone tell me the name of the idiot who came up with the bright idea of charging motorists a possible £1.35 per mile at peak times? Don't motorists get hammered enough? I am fuming at the way a few 'bobble hats', who profess to being green, think
A postie who delivered letters to the same street for 25 years has been honoured by residents on his retirement. Brian White, 65, has done the same round which includes Abingdon Road, Standlake, for more than two decades. People living in the street
A warning has gone out to keep Christmas presents out of the sight and hands of thieves after a break-in on a car parked outside a village church. Four bags of wrapped presents and four suitcases were taken from the car while the owner was in the church
An Oxford teenager won the chance of a lifetime to dance alongside world-famous pop stars - in front of members of the Royal Family. Lewis Adams, 18, from Somerton, near Bicester, was picked by judges to take part in the annual Royal Variety Performance
The Oxford Mail DVD is proving a Christmas bestseller with sales approaching the 1,000 mark - but people should buy now to avoid disapp-ointment. John Chipperfield, editor of the paper's Memory Lane supplement, created Majestic Oxford with our IT development
An Oxford travel agent is believed to have sold up to £1m worth of airline tickets which passengers later discovered were useless. Oxfordshire people are among customers who have lost up to £1,500 each after the closure of Mas Travel, based in London
More than 200 cyclists were caught endangering lives by riding in the dark without lights, police have revealed. During a month-long clampdown, officers issued 202 £30 fixed penalty notices to cyclists in Oxford. They also issued five in Banbury and
The family of a Didcot student killed in a motorcycle accident have donated money collected in his memory to a local doctors' surgery. More than £1,000 was given at the funeral of Grant Embling, a student at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College in Oxford
The man in charge of improving standards in Oxfordshire's schools has been left red-faced by a number of errors in a letter sent to the Oxford Mail. Former headteacher Michael Waine - Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet member for schools improvement
Two photographic studios in Oxford have closed suddenly, leaving dozens of customers without photos taken as Christmas presents. Six staff at Olan Mills photographic studios also face a bleak Christmas, with no jobs and little chance of recouping lost
Oxford commuters angered by train timetable changes are switching to the coach to get into London. Changes brought in by First Great Western on Monday prompted a furious reaction from regular rail passengers. City MPs Andrew Smith and Evan Harris have
Millions of pounds spent by Oxfordshire's police force investigating the summer's airline terror bomb plot could have "severe implications" for its finances, a report has revealed. Thames Valley Police Authority submitted a claim to the Home Secretary
When Didcot angler Matt Micallef bagged the fish of a lifetime he had no idea of the choppy waters to follow. Mr Micallef, 19, of Newlands Avenue, caught a British record-breaking Chub, weighing 9lb 2oz, at a private lake near Wallingford in October
A jury must decide why Michael Humphries came into Oxford on the day he is alleged to have murdered Dr Barbara Johnston and if he had time to carry out the murder, said a judge. Humphries, 43, of Ferndale Street, Faringdon, has denied stabbing, beating
Detectives baffled by the identity of the man found dead near an Oxford park and ride are now investigating if he was a foreigner. Officers were yesterday no closer to learning the man's name four days after he was discovered on wasteland near the Seacourt
A group of Oxford residents is preparing to bring a High Court action against Oxfordshire County Council in the hope of ending a controversial paid-for parking scheme. The Oxford group, which calls itself Residents Against the Parking Tax, is confident
A driver who broke his neck in a crash while driving home from the pub has warned others not to make the same mistake. Philip Frost, of Fane Drive, Berinsfield, was two times over the legal alcohol limit for drivers when he lost control of his car at
DOCTORS and nurses were among scores of people who gathered in Oxford city centre for a candle-lit vigil as part of nationwide protests against the privatisation of the NHS. Candles spelling out 'NHS' surrounded by a heart were the centrepiece of the
A CONTINENTAL market is being held in High Street, Kidlington, tomorrow, from 9am to 5pm. On offer will be produce from France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Holland and Poland. Items on sale will include cheeses, fresh bread, Corsica saucissons, Muscadet
BARBARIANS will be the topic under discussion at the first of three lectures on The Gore of War, by master armourer Magnus Sigurdsson. The Ashmolean Museum, in Beaumont Street, hosts the first lecture tomorrow. The second lecture, Shedding Light on
Oxford United's players have been given the incentive of a welcome few days off next week - if they can beat Lewes at the first attempt in their FA Trophy first-round tie at The Dripping Pan today. Like all professional players, they will have few opportunities
Jamie Hewitt, who has lost his post as Oxfordshire player-coach, has been given a new role as county coach for next season. The former Middlesex and Kent seamer will be coaching the first team, the development side and be involved in the community academy
The Foxhole Syndicate could face an National Greyhound Racing Club inquiry after refusing to run their greyhound Terrydrum Max at Oxford. The dog, who had won two previous A2 races from traps five and six, was the subject of an unauthorised withdrawal
Oxford's triathletes brought the 2006 season to a close with an awards night to celebrate the year's triumphs. The title of triathlete of the year went to Matt Powell, who finished ninth in the men's 30-34 age group at the Olympic distance World Championships
Esporta Oxford suffered another defeat in the National League as they went down 4-1 to reigning champions Duffield (Derby). However, the scoreline wasn't a fair reflection of the match. Cameron Pilley, the Esporta No 1 and world No 22, stunned the
RACHEL Ealey is the European Super Welterweight champion. o The 22-year-old, from Long Hanborough, Witney, produced a devastating display to take the crown at the Littlesdown Centre, Bourne- mouth. Ealey, who has been doing martial arts since the age
Didcot angler Matt Micallef, who works at Acorn Angling, is on cloud nine after being declared the new national chub record holder, writes ANDY WEBBER. Matt has been on tenterhooks for the last two months after catching a 9lb 2oz record fish from a
Coach Darryl Morvan is expecting one of the games of the season tomorrow when Oxford City Stars take on third-placed Haringey in the English National League South Division. With Stars in fourth and unbeaten in their last four matches, Morvan's side
Oxford City put their first league defeat behind them and returned to winning ways with a 4-2 victory over Thatcham Town in the Premier Division. Playing into a strong wind in the first period, City were 3-2 up at half-time and held off the home side
VALE Of White Horse Under 13s were no match for Reading as they went down 4-1 in their Meeson Trophy clash at Palmer Park. Ben Whitehead netted for Vale late in the game with a solo effort after Vale had been unable to match their physically stronger
POLICE arrested three youths after a stolen pick-up was driven at speeds of up to 70mph through Oxford. Police started a ten-minute pursuit of a silver-coloured Mitsubishi L200 pick-up, that had been stolen from Bampton Close, at about 7pm on Thursday
BANBURY'S annual festival of Nine Lessons and Carols takes place at St Mary's Church, tomorrow at 6pm. The special service will be followed by mulled wine and mince pies, and organisers of the event have invited people from different walks of life to
Broughton & North Newington were on the end of a battering from David Hawkes as they went down to a 57-run defeat against Preston Capes in Division 2 of the Banbury Indoor League. Hawkes hammered an unbeaten 51 to take Preston Capes up to 133-5 from
Oxford United are entering a Junior 16 team in the Oxford Schools Dry Rowing Competition, which takes place next February. Organised by the Hinksey Sculling School to raise funds for the club, the competition last year attracted more than 600 entries
Fieldside A twice came from behind to force a draw with Witney A and claim their first Premier Division title. Things looked good for Witney when they went 2-0 up through Justin Buckingham, who inflicted defeat on previously-unbeaten Mick Bennett.
CHERWELL (Oxford) turned on the style to lift the Oxfordshire Under 16 Cup with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Drayton (Banbury) in the final at Letcombe FC. Playing against a stiff breeze in the first half, Cherwell made a nervous start. But a goal
YOUNGSTERS from St Francis (Cowley) came out on top in an exciting athletics competition at the Oxford University sports complex at Iffley Road. They pipped Barley Hill (Thame) by one point in the final of the first event organised by the new Thame
MID Oxon Under 15s' ESFA NUT Trophy fourth -round tie against Blackheath at Grove Park has been called off for a second time. The game, scheduled for today, was postponed yesterday because the Blackheath manager is ill and there is no-one else to take
RESIDENTS of Old Marston, in Oxford, who have already waited more than a year for their postbox to be replaced, may have to wait another nine months. That is how long Royal Mail estimates it will take to get planning permission and carry out checks
A CHOIR formed for a TV show will perform a Christmas concert in Blackbird Leys two days before they sing for the Queen at Buckingham Palace. Blackbird Leys Choir - created for the Ivor's Choir documentary - will sing at the Church of the Holy Family
FOUR youths have been arrested on suspicion of car crime in Oxford. A 17-year-old boy, a 16-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl have been arrested over the theft of a white Rover Metro on Monday. The car was stolen at 12.55pm from Columbine Gardens
A NEW contractor will see South Oxfordshire's public lavatories given a new sparkle. All of them will be cleaned at least once - and sometimes twice - a day, seven days a week. David Dodds, the district council cabinet member for public amenities,
A MAN has been jailed for almost three years in Australia after being found guilty of causing an accident that left an Oxford backpacker brain damaged. Lucy Keen, of Laburnum Road, Botley, plunged 66ft to the ground after ride attendant Steve Clark
