Archive

  • Inquest hears of missile attack

    FIVE British service personnel killed when their helicopter was shot down by a missile in Iraq may not have known they were under attack, an inquest heard today. The Lynx helicopter - carrying Benson-based Flt Lt Sarah Mulvihill, 32, and Wg Cdr John

  • Attack man still critical

    A 30-year-old man found in a driveway in Margaret Road, Adderbury, early on Sunday remains in a critical condition at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital, police said today. The man, who has not been named, underwent surgery on Monday for serious head

  • Tributes to Mitchell CBE

    County councillors have paid tribute to leader Keith Mitchell on being made CBE. Leading the congratulations, Oxfordshire County Council chairman Liz Brighouse, said: "He works tirelessly for the people of Oxfordshire and the region." Tributes to

  • Man in critical condition

    A 30-year-old man found in a driveway in Margaret Road, Adderbury, early on Sunday remains in a critical condition at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital, police said today. The man, who has not been named, underwent surgery on Monday for serious head

  • Silence for Keith Stone

    A minute's silence was held at a meeting of Oxfordshire County Council today in memory of Keith Stone. Mr Stone, 65, who was the county councillor for Carterton and chairman of West Oxfordshire District Council, died on April 21 after suffering a heart

  • Iraq inquest told of missile attack

    Five British service personnel killed when their helicopter was shot down by a missile in Iraq may not have known they were under attack, an inquest heard today. The Lynx helicopter - carrying Benson-based Flt Lt Sarah Mulvihill, 32, and Wg Cmdr John

  • 'We want free cash machine'

    A free-to-use cash machine should be installed on the Barton estate as soon as possible, Oxford East MP Andrew Smith said today. The Link - which provides a network of free ATMs across the country - said Barton was an appropriate location in February

  • Severe weather warning issued

    THE Met Office this evening issued a severe weather warning for Oxfordshire. Thunderstorms moving up from the South West are forecast to affect the county until midnight. Heavy rain is also forecast with the threat of traffic disruption.

  • Young teacher escapes crash

    A YOUNG teacher is lucky to be alive after her car crashed in the torrential rain which swept Oxfordshire on Friday. The teacher, who has not been named, was trapped in her vehicle near South Newington. She was released by firefighters from Banbury

  • Motorcyclist 'serious' after crash

    A MOTORCYCLIST is in hospital with serious injuries after a collision with a lorry. The crash happened at 8.30pm on Monday, on the A361 just outside Wardington. The rider, who has not been named but lives in Daventry, was taken to the Horton Hospital

  • Gang attacks man with bat

    A man was sprayed in the face with what could have been pepper spray and then hit with a baseball bat after confronting yobs in a North Oxford street. The 28-year-old man asked a gang of three men to keep the noise down in Portland Road, Summertown,

  • City council 'improving'

    COUNCIL leaders at Oxford Town Hall say the authority is continuing to improve. Oxford City Council is rated weak - based on a 2004 assessment - but chief executive Brian Dinsdale said the results of the 2006/07 performance report showed an upward

  • 'Students use Ritalin to aid revision'

    Students at Oxford University are believed to be taking drugs designed to tackle hyperactivity in children in a bid to boost exam performance. Ritalin, a prescription-only drug which is given to youngsters with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

  • Star teacher through to final

    A teacher who goes the extra mile in commitment is in line for one of the country's top education awards. Jonathan Spedding has already been named the primary school teacher of the year for the southern region in the Teaching Awards. Mr Spedding,

  • City gardeners braced for judging

    Gardeners across the city are getting ready for the final push to make their gardens, hanging baskets and floral displays ready for the judges at this year's Oxford in Bloom competition, sponsored by the Oxford Mail. Judging for the competition starts

  • Street band rolls up for carnival

    A newly-formed community street band is set to have its first gig as part of the Cowley Road Carnival. The 30-strong band, called Horns of Plenty, promises a squawking and honking mixture of brass-heavy jazz, reggae and New Orleans and African street

  • Singing for mothers

    A midwife is urging people to help mothers and their babies by supporting a concert next month. Ethel Burns, a research midwife lecturer at Oxford Brookes University's school of health and social care, set up a charity last year to support health workers

  • Law change for river users

    Boaters who drink too much booze on Oxfordshire waterways could face jail, the Government has said. Ministers confirmed a new alcohol limit will be introduced for leisure boaters - including people in charge of punts and narrowboats - to bring them

  • Band beat bins

    Schoolchildren in Bicester used rubbish to make music and build a giant sculpture during an environment-themed art week. Pupils at Bure Park Primary School used old oil cans and large plastic pipes to put on a musical performance for fellow pupils.

  • VW Touran's just made for touring

    It was on a small road that runs out of the town of Ballinrobe, in Co Mayo, far out in the west of Ireland, that Volkswagen's versatile Touran gave up the technological ghost. The DVD satellite navigation system, which had guided us unerringly for close

  • Festival aims to unite young

    More than 200 young people are set to take part in a five-day theatre festival in East Oxford. The annual Jamboree Festival will be held at the Pegasus Theatre, in Magdalen Road, from Tuesday, July 10, to Saturday, July 14. Jamboree, a part of the

  • Bid for a council van

    Oxford City Council is auctioning off cars, vans, trailers, tippers, mowers and commercial plant from its fleet. Saturday's sale is being held at the council's Marsh Road depot, in Cowley, by Milton Keynes Stadium Motor Auctions. Viewing is from 9am

  • Bike challenge to beat cancer

    Matt Kelly's Valentine's Day meal was not as romantic as he had hoped - after he got a phone call explaining he needed emergency cancer surgery the next morning. Mr Kelly, 28, from Summertown, Oxford, had undergone an ultrasound test at the Churchill

  • City council 'on the up'

    Council chiefs at Oxford Town Hall say the authority is continuing to improve. Oxford City Council is rated weak - based on a 2004 assessment - but chief executive Brian Dinsdale said the results of the 2006/07 performance report showed an upward

  • Water victory in pitch battle

    Funding has been agreed to pay for the drainage of a water-logged recreation ground in North Oxford so children can play there all year. For years, part of the Aristotle Lane playing field has become waterlogged during the winter because of poor drainage

  • Gang attacks man in Summertown

    A MAN was sprayed in the face with what could have been pepper spray and then hit with a baseball bat after confronting youths in a North Oxford street. The 28-year-old man asked a gang of three men to keep the noise down in Portland Road, Summertown

  • Lake inquiry to reopen

    THE public inquiry into the application to grant Village Green status to Radley Lakes near Abingdon resumes tomorrow at 11am. The inquiry, at Radley College, is scheduled to finish on Friday. There will be evening sessions between 6pm and 8pm tomorrow

  • Man accused of robbery bid

    A TEENAGER has been accused of trying to rob a man outside a nightclub. Jacob Chambers, 18, of Preachers Lane, Oxford, is accused of attempting to steal a mobile phone then pushing a man to the ground outside the Covern nightclub, Oxpens Road, on May

  • Conmen target elderly people

    BURGLARS posing as charity workers have targeted two elderly people. Two women called at a home in Summerhill Road, Summertown, in Oxford, at 5.30pm last Tuesday telling an 88-year-old elderly woman they were from a charity arranging delivery of medication

  • The plot thickens for us all

    There is no doubt that we are facing a crisis over burial grounds. Councils across the country are reporting that cemeteries are almost full and that there will soon be no room left. Although the critical point is some way ahead, it makes sense to

  • Women thieves target elderly

    Burglars posing as charity workers targeted two elderly pensioners. Two women called at a home in Summerhill Road, Summertown, in Oxford, at 5.30pm last Tuesday telling an 88-year-old elderly woman they were from a charity arranging delivery of medication

  • Today's local share prices (PM)

    AEA Technology 127.25 BMW 3318 Electrocomponents 288 Isoft Group 48.25 Nationwide Accident Repair 154 Oxford Biomedica 38.75 Oxford Instruments 302.5 Reed Elsevier 651.25 RM 207.75 RPS Group 350.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • Jewellery stolen from store

    POLICE today released CCTV footage of two people they want to speak to in connection with the theft of thousands of pounds worth of jewellery in Wallingford.. A man and a woman entered M.G.J. Jewellers in St Martins Street and asked to see a selection

  • Today's local share prices (AM)

    AEA Technology 129.5 BMW 3343 Electrocomponents 290 Isoft Group 48.25 Nationwide Accident Repair 154 Oxford Biomedica 38.5 Oxford Instruments 306.25 Reed Elsevier 655 RM 206.5 RPS Group 350.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • Young go-getter is a Boon to firm

    Top boss Simon Biltcliffe reckons his "apprentice" is far better than Sir Alan Sugar's new boy. Mr Biltcliffe, managing director of Bicester print firm Webmart UK, has taken on teenage whizzkid Richard Boon and is grooming him for success. Just like

  • Bypass lights for cyclists

    The law on jumping red lights is finally being enforced. Hallelujah! But we don't just need the "stick" - it's the "carrot" that'll keep cyclists on track. When we choose a mode of transport, we have a different set of expectations about each mode.

  • Crash closes A415

    FIREFIGHTERS cut a person out of a people carrier following a collision outside a school near Ducklington. The accident happened shortly after 5am today outside Cokethorpe School on the A415. Fire crews used hydraulic cutting equipment to release

  • Meeting over controversial flats

    Residents in Jericho, Oxford, are meeting tonight to discuss new plans to build flats in the area. Spring Residential has applied to the city council for planning permission to build 54 flats on a narrow strip of land next to St Barnabas church. Jenny

  • Firefighters free crash driver

    Firefighters had to cut a person out of a people carrier following a collision outside a school in Ducklington. The accident happened shortly after 5am today outside Cokethorpe Primary School on the A415. Fire crews used hydraulic cutting equipment

  • TENNIS: Henman out to stop rot

    Oxfordshire's Tim Henman (below) bids to end his losing streak when he takes on wildcard Michael Russell in tennis's Nottingham Open today. Henman, who lives at Aston Tirrold, near Didcot said: "Nottingham hasn't always been part of my preparation,

  • Fiesta tops web search

    THE extent of the nation's love affair with the car is revealed today as fish4cars, the nationwide cars classified website, unveils its" top ten" of the UK's favourite makes and models. The report, based on an analysis of 15 million searches for cars

  • SWIMMING: Super West clinches medal double

    Abingdon Vale's Imogen West had double cause for celebration after gleaning a silver and bronze at the Newbury open meeting. West, won the 100m freestyle in 1.05.15, setting a personal best on the way, before finishing third in the 100m butterfly in

  • Cars collide

    POLICE and paramedics were called to a collision involving two cars on the A422 Hennef Way, Banbury, yesterday evening. The accident, which involved a blue Ford Fiesta and a black Volkswagen Golf, happened shortly after 6pm. No one needed hospital

  • 'Missiles' seen hitting copter

    WITNESSES told yesterday how they saw objects hit a helicopter in Iraq which crashed and killed five British forces personnel. Among the dead were Flight Lieutenant Sarah-Jayne Mulvihill, 32, and Wing Commander John Coxen, 46 - both of whom were based

  • £500,000 computer deal

    THE city council is to invest £500,000 over the next 12 months upgrading its computer systems. The shopping list, agreed yesterday, includes 250 new PCs and 50 laptops at a cost of £247,000. Old PCs will either be reused within the council or donated

  • Nondies 2nd go top after draw

    Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts 2nd dodged the showers to have the better of a draw with Oxford 3rd and so go top of Division 5. In a match reduced to 44 overs a side after a delayed start, Nondies managed 214-4 thanks to Tim Rattigan (72) and Aviral

  • Graves could be used again

    GRAVES across Oxfordshire could be reused in a bid to ease pressure on burial space. Some cemeteries in the county - including Oxford, Didcot and Abingdon - will be full in ten years' time and reusing burial plots is one option being examined. In

  • Delighted Didcot break duck

    Didcot enjoyed the double whammy of securing their first win in Division 4 and doing so at the expense of local rivals Challow & Childrey 2nd, who were previously unbeaten. Matthew Jones produced a match-winning spell of 5-40 as Challow could manage

  • Lecturer tackles gruelling challenge

    WHATEVER you have planned for the next two weekends, the chances are it won't be a patch on what this man has got lined up. For Oxford University lecturer Hanno Nickau will be competing in not one, but two, Ironman triathlon races. The gruelling events

  • Husband died in wife's arms

    THE wife of a man fatally injured in a mountain accident told last night how he died in her arms. Christopher Parratt, 32, was walking on Mount Tryfan's east face in the Ogwen Valley, Snowdonia, with his wife Jennifer when tragedy struck on Saturday

  • Strong display by Bletchingdon

    Mark Strong took 4-36 and Leighton James 4-48 as Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts consolidated their second place in the Division 3 by beating Witney Mills. Only an innings of 33 from Richard Tilley, which contained three sixes, held up the Nondies

  • He’s setting sail again

    HE'S ALREADY battled fierce storms, monstrous sea swells and weeks of loneliness. But now, after nine months at home, yachtsman Adrian Flanagan, above, is getting ready for the second stage of his stalled round-the-world voyage. And he faces one

  • Abingdon denied by weather

    Abingdon Vale were gutted that a heavy downpour between the innings prevented them extending their lead at the top of Division 2 In-form spinner Paul White had bowled superbly to take 5-19 and with some useful support from veteran seamer Ben Humpage

  • FOOTBALL: United scout joins Chelsea

    Oxford United's youth-team scout, Jimmy Morgan, is leaving the club to join Chelsea. But the U's believe his loss will be overcome because they are in the process of revamping their scouting network throughout Oxfordshire. United's youth development

  • FOOTBALL: Foster to sign U's deal

    Oxford United are set to receive a boost today when Luke Foster signs a new contract with the club. The former Sheffield Wednesday and Lincoln City player, who impressed greatly in a short spell with United at the end of last season, will put pen to

  • DARTS: Leaders Railway hit the buffers

    Railway Social Club's Premier Section's title quest suffered a jolt as the leaders went down to a surprise 5-4 defeat against Original Swan. A shock looked on the cards as Swan strolled into a 3-0 lead and although Railway fought back, Swan were not

  • TENNIS: Henman out to stop rot

    Oxfordshire's Tim Henman (pictured) bids to end his losing streak when he takes on wildcard Michael Russell in the Nottingham Open today. Henman, who lives at Aston Tirrold, near Didcot said: "Nottingham hasn't always been part of my preparation, but

  • Great Tew 2nd increase lead

    Great & Little Tew 2nd stretched their lead at the top of Division 6 to 29 points by seeing off nearest rivals Wallingford. Put into bat, Wallingford managed a respectable 175-9 with 33 apiece from Ian Saunders and Rob Sessions. Adam Fleetwood (3-

  • Morris hat-trick just fails to bring Shipton victory

    Dickon Morris grabbed a hat-trick but was just unable to bowl Shipton-under-Wychwood to their first Division 1 win of the season. The last Banbury 2nd pair managed to bat out the last six overs of the match to secure a share of the spoils. After choosing

  • The Oxford Motor Show

    PREPARATIONS for Oxford's 15th Motor Show are under way and the day is promising to be better than ever. The show, combined with a summer craft fair, is being organised by Newsquest Oxfordshire and will be run by the Oxford Mail and The Oxford Times

  • Brother hunt

    PETER Strong from Colchester in Essex is seeking help in tracing his brother, who was adopted at birth and is believed to be living in the Abingdon area. He was born Michael John Strong in June 1969 at the Nuffield hospital in Oxford when the family

  • Bird charity needs help

    WILDLIFE needs you is the message going out from the RSPB, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Local volunteer co-ordinator Edward Little said: "We are looking for volunteers to support the RSPB's work in Wallingford, Didcot, Wantage, Grove

  • Workers helped to quit smoking

    THOUSANDS of smokers across Oxfordshire are being given support at work to help stem their cravings in time for the smoking ban next month. Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust is so far working with nine employers in the county who want to offer their staff

  • Coining it in for county millennium

    ONE thousand coins - each representing a year in Oxfordshire's history - were placed around the Mercury fountain in Tom Quad at Christ Church, Oxford. The £1 coins had been collected by staff and students at the college and pupils at Christ Church

  • Groundwork for repairs

    A SURVEY has been carried out to prepare for work to repair Oxford's Castle Mound later this year. The three-day survey at the Mound was conducted last week to pave the way for repairs, which are expected to be carried out in September. In February

  • Wasteland becomes community space

    IT WAS once a place people would avoid. Now, after five years of campaigning and hard work, a former wasteland in Oxford is a blossoming community garden for everyone. The site in Barracks Lane, Cowley, used to be home to derelict garages and was

  • Tour behind the scenes

    THE Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford, will be taking part in the Opening Doors Opening Minds event on Saturday, June 23, as part of Oxfordshire 2007 city-wide events. From 10am you will be able to go on a tour and see behind the scenes in the new extension

  • Pearson scores four out of four

    DIDCOT racing driver Ian Pearson made it four wins out of four with victory in the Formula Renault BARC Championship Club Class at Oulton Park Island circuit. The reigning Club Class champion won the fourth round of the series and finished tenth overall

  • Barton's bash proves big hit

    IT TAKES more than a bit of thunder and rain to snuff out the spirit of the Barton Bash. Shunning the showers and gloomy skies, people from the Oxford estate and beyond turned up in their hundreds to party inside and outside the Neighbourhood Centre

  • Children go into business

    CHILDREN as young as five are learning a few tricks of the business world. All six classes at Aston village primary school in west Oxfordshire have been challenged to hold money-making events. Last week, it was the turn of the youngest children -

  • Supermarket firm in new appeal

    GERMAN supermarket giant Aldi is to appeal against a decision by Oxford city councillors to refuse planning permission for a new store off Botley Road. The cut-price supermarket chain applied for permission to build the 1,731sq m store between Toys

  • Design tour

    A RANGE of events and exhibitions will be taking place in Oxfordshire over the next week to celebrate British architecture. Architecture Week South East, which is now in its 11th year, includes a tour of the new Oxford University boathouse and a behind-the-scenes

  • Risky tipples

    JULIA Brown shudders when she hears the latest teen alcohol statistics. For her adopted daughter Niamh is living proof of what drinking can do to future generations. Niamh, seven, suffers from Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) - permanent and

  • Sausages are award winners

    A Kidlington butcher has beaten a string of banger makers in a national sausage competition. David Woodward, above, who runs Woodland's Quality Butchers in Bicester Road, Kidlington, has picked up eight awards at the Newark and Nottingham Robin Hood

  • Minister catches the green bus

    Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander called in at the Oxford Bus Company headquarters yesterday to see its environmentally-friendly buses. The Watlington Road-based company recently became the first operator in Britain to introduce EuroV buses and

  • Old graves could be used again

    Graves across Oxfordshire could be the next recycling target in a bid to ease pressure on burial space. Some cemeteries in the county, including Oxford, Didcot and Abingdon, will be full in 10 years time and reusing burial plots is one option being