Archive
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Star gives £36,000 to hospital
Heendured 20 days of jungle hardship but on Friday, Jason Donovan saw first hand how his efforts have been helping sick children at Oxford Children's Hospital. The former Neighbours star toured the wards of the £30m hospital, part of the £130m West Wing
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Publisher goes into administration
The Oxford Courier newspaper's parent company has been put into administration. Staff at the Abingdon-based business have been told their jobs are safe, but publishing manager Howard Taylor refused to comment about why the company had gone into administration
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Evacuated villagers back home
More than 200 people who were evacuated after a shed fire in Eynsham are now back home. The all-clear was given on Friday morning by police, fire and council chiefs who had mounted a full-scale emergency operation because the shed contained highly explosive
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Chief executive 'unanimous choice'
Oxford City Council leader John Goddard has said the authority's new chief executive was a "unanimous and enthusiastic choice". The council has appointed Peter Sloman to the top post which had an advertised salary of £115,000. Mr Sloman is currently
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CCTV watch on bike thieves
Oxford's bicycle thieves are being warned that someone will be watching them this summer. For the first time, the city centre's CCTV cameras will be trained on cycle racks as part of the police campaign to cut bike thefts. Officers will also be stopping
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A cut politicians will talk about . . .
Conservative Party leader David Cameron visited Oxfordshire County Council on Friday to launch a plan to cut the authority's carbon footprint. County Hall wants to cut its current carbon footprint by 18 per cent in five years. Calculations revealed
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Friends want killer found
FRIENDS of a police station cleaner who have been cleared of involvement in his death are pleading for the real killer to be captured. Enayit Khalili, 26, died from a single stab wound to the stomach after an attack in Fiennes Road, Rose Hill, Oxford
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International lessons on the beat
Policing in Blackbird Leys had an international flavour on Friday thanks to a visit by two foreign dignitaries. Senior police officers from the Caribbean and South Africa joined local Police Community Support Officers Laura Jones and James Kachellekcorr
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Lake activities 'did not happen'
RESIDENTS who say they used an Oxfordshire lake for swimming, kite-flying and horse-riding are probably mistaken, an energy company claimed on Friday. RWE npower's property services manager John Norton told the final day of a public inquiry in Radley
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Good in-tent at arts showcase
Hundreds of school children are preparing for a special arts festival as part of celebrations to mark Oxfordshire's 1,000th birthday. In-Tents Arts is the culmination of arts projects in schools across Oxford where pupils have been working with performing
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Biodiesel switch starts in county
COUNCIL vehicles in Oxfordshire have begun the switch to greener fuels. Oxfordshire County Council has taken delivery of its first biodiesel-powered vehicles - regular diesel mixed with five per cent vegetable oil. The fuel will be piloted by 20
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Film warns of replica gun risk
MONTHS of hard work came to fruition today when a film warning about the risks of having a ball bearing or replica gun was launched at a Didcot school. Worlds Collide is the result of a project by St Birinus School and members of Thames Valley Police
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Welcome for crossing bid
Get on with it as soon as possible - was the reaction from the town council to plans to put a pedestrian crossing in Wantage Road, near Fir Tree School, Wallingford. The county council proposals were the subject of an informal consultation with the
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First test for city'sbiodiesel vehicles
Council vehicles in Oxfordshire have begun the switch to greener fuels. Oxfordshire County Council has taken delivery of its first biodiesel-powered vehicles - regular diesel mixed with five per cent vegetable oil. The fuel will be piloted by 20 vehicles
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Pullman's delight at gong
Oxford author Philip Pullman has spoken of his delight after Northern Lights was voted the best children's book of the past 70 years. The fantasy novel won the 'Carnegie of Carnegies', chosen from past winners of the Carnegie Medal for children's literature
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Shortsighted policy
City councillor David Rundle suggests that his Liberal Democrat administration would look at local opinion in deciding which play areas will be shut (Oxford Mail, June 8). This, with their reduced funding, will simply condemn those play areas marked
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Congratulations
I am writing to congratulate the organisers of the Barton Bash on Saturday. It was a great community day, with plenty of activites for everybody. Once again local residents have put on a fantastic event. Congratulations and thank you to all involved
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Barton bash was a great success
I would like to thank everyone who took part in Saturday's Barton Bash, making it such a resounding success. The weather could have been kinder, but we didn't allow it to dampen our spirits and throughout the day, more than 800 people turned out to
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Today's local share prices (PM)
AEA Technology 119.25 BMW 3232 Electrocomponents 280.25 Isoft Group 48 Nationwide Accident Repair 154.5 Oxford Biomedica 40.75 Oxford Instruments 297.25 Reed Elsevier 637.25 RM 207.75 RPS Group 351.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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Real struggle
Youu report that inconsiderate motorists are parking in Ferry Lane, New Marston, Oxford (Oxford Mail, June 18). I recall an occasion years ago when I parked in an Oxford University bay in South Parks Road, and returned to find a huge notice stuck to
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No advantage on a bike
As I wait behind the choking exhaust fumes on my bike in a long queue of traffic along Iffley Road, Oxford, taking ages to get home, I think to myself: "Why am I sitting here not moving, getting soaking wet, avoiding getting squashed by buses and desperate
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A great day out
Please could you print in your paper a big thank you to Stagecoach Oxfordshire for providing our club with a free bus to take our members to Millets Farm at Frilford Heath for the day. We often read bad reports about Stagecoach buses, but do people
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Kicking for our council
Yet again, West Oxfordshire District Council has missed the chance of building 40 new affordable homes in Long Hanborough by not making compulsory purchase orders for the land required. Instead, it talks to and begs landowners to sell the land. Well
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Recycle bill was rubbish
Pupils from Bicester - including Letitia Varney, Catia Sousa, Ruth-Ann Hubbucks and Lily Arnold, pictured - launched a campaign after learning their school has to pay for its rubbish to be recycled. Pupils from Bicester Community College wrote to their
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Concert will help lifeboat funds
A band concert in Castle Gardens, Wallingford, on Sunday, July 15, will have special significance. Town council member Lynda Atkins is organising a collection and refreshments in aid of the fund set up in memory of the late Bill Stickley and 'Sailor
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Trekkers go it alone at South Pole
Determined Alex Hibbert is preparing to lead a team of four in a historic skiing expedition to the South Pole. Mr Hibbert, 21, a student at Oxford University, will be joined by Richard Smith, 36, Adam Griffiths, 24, and Andy Wilkinson, 31, on the 1,000
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Family cycle in Hassan's honour
The family and friends of a teenager who drowned in the River Cherwell in Oxford will take part in a fundraising bike ride at Blenheim Palace on Sunday. Cherwell School pupil Hassan Hussain raised £1,250 at last year's Anthony Nolan Trust Big Bike Ride
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Farmland housing plans withdrawn
A developer has withdrawn plans to build 900 houses on farmland just outside Bicester following objections from scores of residents. But Cherwell District Council leader Barry Wood has warned the latest move may not be the end of the matter. Plans
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Eco-villagers are meter beaters
A community of less than 800 homes is being challenged to become Oxfordshire's first energy-efficient village. About 80 families in North Leigh, near Witney, are already involved in monitoring their fuel consumption with the help of Oxford University
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The burning issue
Controversial options on what to do with Oxfordshire's waste, including incineration, will now be debated by all 74 county councillors. However, the final decision will remain with the Tory cabinet. Until now, councillors were not going to be given
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Sing up your wartime memories
An Abingdon man is searching for people with wartime memories for inclusion in the national Second World War Experience Centre. Matthew Smaldon from St Edmund's Lane, is looking for stories from all walks of life, including memories of servicemen and
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Heads win their new school ties
Change is on the curriculum at Gosford Hill School in Kidlington later this year as a new head prepares to take charge. David Jones, the current head who has been at the helm for five-and-a-half years, is moving to Bognor Regis Community College in
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Celebrate at Helen House
A Helen and Douglas House Open Day is planned next week to celebrate 25 years of the hospice in Magdalen Road, east Oxford. The event is being held on Saturday, June 30. For further information about touring the house, contact Fiona Evans on 01865
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The Insider
BRING waterproofs - the weather forecast is atrocious," advised both Kate Day and Lizzie Pickering, the perpetually energetic event organisers at Helen and Douglas House. I had signed up to guard a checkpoint for a couple of hours at the annual sponsored
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Parking penalty
May I take this opportunity of warning drivers who park in the Barns Road car park at Cowley, Oxford? On Saturday, I obtained a ticket for 1 hours parking. I returned 20 minutes later to find a parking ticket for parking just outside the box. The
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Balanced view
How refreshing to see a sensible letter about cyclists in your columns. I refer to the one from Pamela Webber (Oxford Mail, June 14), who takes a balanced view of the advantages and risks of cycling. She rightly emphasises that cyclists, like other
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Health fears
Oxford City Council's recycling scheme is a big success - at least, according to Oxford City Council, it is (Oxford Mail, June 13). Having halved the service we used to get, spent untold sums of public money, littered our city with bags, bins and boxes
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No reason for pub smoke ban
I know I will upset a few readers with this letter, but what has happened to tolerance and compromise in this country? The only words this Government seems to understand are dictate and ban. The forthcoming ban on smoking in enclosed public places
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Questions that need answers
Our emergency services acted with their usual commendable speed during yesterday's alert at Eynsham. At first, it may have seemed little more than a simple shed fire. But, with thick smoke pouring above the village, it soon became apparent that that
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New trophy at revived raft event
Wallingford Raft Race is back and with a new trophy. After a year's absence, the race is being held on Friday, July 27, on the Thames at Wallingford Bridge. The new trophy has been named the Robert Rowe Memorial Trophy in memory of the Wallingford
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Crossing campaign launched after accident
Plans for a pedestrian crossing at the site of a suspected hit-and-run have been released by Oxfordshire County Council. An appeal for a crossing at the junction of Old Marston Road and Marston Road, Oxford, was launched after pensioner Ray Brown was
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Car fire leads to A34 delays
MOTORISTS faced long delays on the A34 this afternoon after a car caught fire north of Oxford. Reports said the car was ablaze near the Pear Tree interchange just before 1pm. Police closed the dual carriageway in both directions for a time as officers
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Maximo Park @ Oxford Union
I have travelled far and wide, and even waded through the Glastonbury mud, to see Maximo Park, writes Erica Bingley. So when Vodafone launched a free competition allowing Oxford fans to see our favourite band right here, I jumped for joy - though not
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Summer reds and rose mixed case, £61
Summer reds and rosés are all about clean, fruity and ultimately drinkable wines that are ideal for a picnic or dining alfresco on the terrace. The key note here is bright, vibrant fruit and freshness which complements most summer foods perfectly.
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Update: Blast-fear families back home
DOZENS of families evacuated in Eynsham amid fears gas canisters were about to explode were back home today. Firefighters were called to a house in Newland Street at about 6am yesterday as a thick plume of smoke rose above the village following a suspected
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Gang slashes man's face
A gang of teenage hoodies surrounded a 45-year-old man and slashed his face. The victim was stopped by six teenagers by Evenlode Tower, Blackbird Leys Road, on Tuesday at about 5pm. They demanded his mobile phone, but when he refused he was grabbed
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Dog walker attacked by gang
POLICE today appealed for witnesses after a 45-year-old man was the victim of an attempted robbery and assault in Blackbird Leys. On Tuesday, at about 5pm, he was walking his small, brown and white terrier past the parade of shops on Blackbird Leys
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Burglars strike twice
Police are appealing for witnesses following two burglaries on the same day. Patio doors at the back of two properties were forced open between 8.30am and 5.30pm on Monday Foreign currency totalling £300 was stolen from the first property in Bertie
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Nine lovely lurchers
Staff have their hands full at The Lewknor Blue Cross Adoption Centre! We currently have these 8 beautiful lurcher puppies up for adoption. A litter of nine was born on March 23 and we have only managed to get one into a home so far. It seems people
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Eynsham fire: families return
Dozens of families evacuated in Eynsham yesterday amid fears gas canisters were about to explode are now back home and all roads in the village have reopened. Firefighters were called to a house in Newland Street around 6am as a thick plume of smoke
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Don't forget the summer reds
It's hot and humid and I have just spent the last two days tasting my way through some pretty hefty reds from Argentina, South Africa and Italy. I'm exhausted, my palate is weary and the prospect of another few days of the same is not that appealing.
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Today's local share prices (AM)
AEA Technology 120 BMW 3226 Electrocomponents 281.25 Isoft Group 48.25 Nationwide Accident Repair 153.5 Oxford Biomedica 40 Oxford Instruments 297.25 Reed Elsevier 639.25 RM 206.5 RPS Group 349.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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SPEEDWAY: Oxford's £300,000 target
New Oxford speedway promoter Allen Trump has revealed it would cost around £300,000 a year to run a team in the Premier League. He told a packed meeting of fans at Oxford Stadium: "I know that when Exeter last rode in the Premier League it was about
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ATHLETICS: Dean eyes good Finnish!
Oxfordshire's Hatti Dean goes for glory for Great Britain as she takes on the 3,000m steeplechase at the Spar European Cup in Vaasa, Finland. The former Radley athlete, who now runs for Hallamshire Harriers, smashed the UK record for steeplechase last
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TENNIS: Taylor's Banbury boost
OLTA Wilson Inter-Club League Former Oxfordshire star Claire Taylor helped Banbury's cause as they defeated North Oxford A 6-3 in Division 1 of the 3-Pair Mixed League. Left-hander Taylor, who as a 19-year-old took three games in succession off seven-times
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CYCLING: Cox steals march
Didcot Phoenix hill climb champion Mark Cox convincingly got the better of his clubmates in the ten-mile time trial championships on the A420 Southmoor course. Cox's blistering time of 21mins 30secs gave him second place overall, only eight seconds
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New chief exec welcomed
Oxford City council leader John Goddard has said the authority's new chief executive was a 'unanimous and enthusiastic choice'. Last night, the council appointed Peter Sloman as its new chief executive. Mr Sloman, 47, is currently the chief executive
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RUGBY LEAGUE: Oxford target repeat
Oxford Cavaliers will be looking to break their away duck when they travel to Wolverhampton Wizards in the Co-operative Summer Conference Midland Division tomorrow. The last time the teams met, Cavaliers handed the Black Country side a 64-0 thrashing
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CRICKET: Oxon edge thriller
ECB 50+ Championship Oxfordshire renewed their chances of qualifying for the final stages of the competition with a thrilling victory over Shropshire at Bicester & North Oxford In a dramatic finish, the scores were tied, but Oxon triumphed by virtue
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CRICKET: Repeat chance
Horspath host Oxford Downs in the Oxfordshire final of thenpower Village Cup on Sunday (2) hoping to improve on last year. Downs won the 2006 clash, but injured Horspath captain Adrian Manger said: "I think it's our turn to win." Horspath: from R Eason
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CRICKET: Horspath stunned
Bernard Tollett Oxfordshire Cup Dave Taylor and Shahbaz Ali hit stunning centuries as Kidlington rattled up a massive 250-1 to blitz hosts Horspath by 101 runs in the second round. Taylor, having survived a big shout for a stumping earlier in his
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CRICKET: Ridgley's Rowant recall
Sommers Home Counties Premier League Aston Rowant have made a tactical switch by bringing in David Ridgley for their home clash with Kidlington in Division 2 West. Batsman Ridgley replaces seamer Chris Davis as captain Paul Humphreys looks for a
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Tennis: Ace Taylor gives Banbury a boost
FORMER Oxfordshire star Claire Taylor helped Banbury's cause as they defeated North Oxford A 6-3 in Division 1 of the 3-Pair Mixed League. Left-hander Taylor, who as a 19-year-old took three games in succession off seven-times champion Martina Navratilova
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Tories retain county council seat
THE Conservatives retained their seat in an Oxfordshire County Council by-election at Carterton yesterday. Tory Peter Handley polled 934 votes, ahead of Peter Madden (Lib Dem) with 348 and David Wesson (Lab) with 102. The by-election was called after
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City names new chief executive
OXFORD City Council leader John Goddard said the authority's new chief executive was a 'unanimous and enthusiastic choice'. Last night, the council appointed Peter Sloman as its new chief executive. Mr Sloman, 47, is the chief executive of High Peak
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Police warn over patio door raiders
POLICE are appealing for information following two burglaries in Cumnor on Monday. Between 8am and 5.30pm, entry was gained to two properties in Bertie Road and Hids Copse Close by forcing open rear patio doors. Det Con Chris Leech said: "I am hoping
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CRICKET: Hector shrugs off loss of duo
Sommers Home Counties Premier League Banbury captain Benji Hector says they should have enough to win at Henley in Division 1 tomorrow despite missing two student stars. Opening batsman Chris Smith and spinner Luke Ryan are on duty for Cardiff and
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Motorists hit by flooded roads
MOTORISTS face tailbacks across Oxfordshire today as heavy rain caused floods on a number of roads. The worst affected routes included the A415 between Marcham and Frilford, where traffic was also backed up on the A338. Drivers on the southbound A34
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Eynsham fire: return debated
Police and fire chiefs will meet at 9am to decide if families can return to their homes following a fire in Eynsham. More than 200 residents were evacuated from 60 homes and nine businesses after a blaze in a shed in Newland Street at 6am yesterday.
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Heavy rain slows county roads
Motorists face tailbacks across Oxfordshire this morning as heavy rain sparked floods on a number of roads. Among the worst affected routes was the A415 between Marcham and Frilford, where traffic was backed-up to Budgens at Frilford on the A415's junction
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Ex-president goes punting
BOATMAN Jack Allen got the surprise of his life yesterday when he found his punt customer was former US President Jimmy Carter. The 19-year-old took the 83-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner and three companions for a trip on the River Cherwell, near
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Drug grower given jail term
A VIETNAMESE manr was jailed yesterday after police caught him working as a gardener in a cannabis house. Quy Ly was put behind bars for almost two years after he was arrested in a raid on a cannabis factory in Wood Farm, Oxford. The 33-year-old helped
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Police say hunt for killer 'active'
FOUR men have been cleared of involvement in the killing of an Oxford police station cleaner after they told detectives he was attacked when he answered the door at his home. Enayit Khalili, 26, a refugee from Afghanistan, died from a single stab
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Pop star to visit wards
SINGER Jason Donovan was today expected to visit the Oxford Children's Hospital to meet young patients. He is touring the wards of the £30m hospital, part of the new £130m West Wing at the John Radcliffe site. The singer will be meeting youngsters
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Tories win by-election
The Conservatives retained their seat in an Oxfordshire County Council by-election at Carterton on Thursday. Tory Peter Handley polled 934 votes, ahead of Peter Madden (Lib Dem) with 348 and David Wesson (Lab) with 102. The by-election was called
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FOOTBALL: Tardif to bide his time
TRANSFER-listed goalkeeper Chris Tardif says he is in no desperation to leave Oxford United if he doesn't get the right offer from another club. o Tardif asked for his name to be circulated to other clubs because his first-team opportunities with the
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ROWING: Frances eyes gold medal
Wheatley's world champion Frances Houghton leads Oxfordshire's challenge at this weekend's World Cup event in Amsterdam. Houghton is fresh from winning gold in the Camelot-backed British women's quadruple scull at the last World Cup in Linz earlier
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CRICKET: Oxon ring the changes
Minor Counties Championship Oxfordshire have been forced to make five changes for their Western Division clash with Wales MC at Swansea, which starts on Sunday. Captain Ian Hawtin hoped to field a largely unchanged team after their encouraging opening
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Students hoping to be legal eagles
LAW and order is breaking out at a Didcot school, as a group of young legal minds prepare for the national final of a mock trial competition. A team of year eight and nine pupils from St Birinus School, in Mereland Road, played the parts of magistrates
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Hooded man chased schoolchildren
PUPILS at four primary schools in north Abingdon have been warned to be on their guard after two incidents in which a man wearing a black balaclava chased children. No one was hurt but worried parents are keeping a more careful watch on their children
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Conservationist fury over gargoyle design
A COMPETITION inviting children to design gargoyles for the Bodleian Library has been criticised as a slap in the face for good taste. Details of the competition offering children the chance to create gargoyles for the historic library appeared in
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Concern over asylum seeker costs
THE HOME Office is to be urged to bear more of the cost of looking after young asylum seekers in Oxfordshire. The cost of helping to care for more than 200 young asylum seekers living in the county is spelt out in a new Oxfordshire County Council
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Go-ahead for hospital growth
THE John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, is to be further expanded with two multi-million pound schemes given the go-ahead. The hospital will get a new biomedical research centre and an acute vascular imaging centre. The facilities will both be housed
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So, who is bonkers?
We are having a little fun this week by asking the question on our website: Who is bonkers, Housing Minister Yvette Cooper or Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell (now CBE, of course - congratulations Keith)? There are many people who probably
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No connection
Sir - Whilst I do agree with Juliet Field (Letters, June 8) that co-operation is admirable in order to achieve more recycling, there is a flaw in her argument. The frequency of collection and the rate of recycling are in no way connected. It would
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Raining on parade
Sir - At our monthly meeting of residents in this wonderfully caring and inclusive home, our head of home told us of the need not to accept applications from potential residents with only £436 per week of local government funding and of a feeling that
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Children need space
Sir - I write in response to your report of May 25 and in support of Rosanne Bostock's letter of June 1. A decision on the future of 14 play areas in Oxford is imminent. The draft action plan from the leisure department can be viewed via the Oxford
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New play vision
Sir - I accept that maintaining the city's play areas is expensive and that some may be of poor quality and underused. Those proposed for closure are apparently close to larger spaces scheduled for improvement (e.g. £240,000 at Wood Farm). I have
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Intrusive system
Sir - The new parking payment system at Oxford Rail Station is discriminatory and intrusive. To pay a £4.50 parking charge you need a mobile phone; a credit or debit card; to stand on platform 1; to pay the £4.50 charge (from platform 1), you give
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Caution needed on 'shared space'
Sir - While I would welcome their introduction, I think I should introduce a few words of caution into your report (Report, June 15) of the University's championing of "shared space" treatments for roads in the Parks area. While it is true that these
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Mrs Dorothy Green: Volunteer and former Oxford city councillor
DOROTHY Green, who has died aged 86, spent much of her life doing voluntary work and benefiting others. She was chairman of the New Marston 50-Plus Club, which provides weekly activities for up to 50 members at the Pastoral Centre at Marston Road,
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Ms Cathy Havell: Policy advisor to major charities and Government
CATHY Havell moved to Oxford in 1992 to work for the Probation Service helping homeless ex-offenders into housing. She went on to create and then lead Connection, the floating support team, based in Blackbird Leys supporting vulnerable people in their
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Win Cornbury Festival tickets
TICKETS cost £45 for Saturday or Sunday and £80 for the weekend and can be purchased via the website, cornburyfestival.com, or by calling the ticket hotline on 0871 472 0420. Children under five get free entry. We have four pairs of regular weekend
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Council vans go under hammer
OXFORD City Council is auctioning off cars, vans, trailers, tippers, mowers and commercial plant from its fleet. Tomorrow's sale is being held at the council's Marsh Road depot, in Cowley, by Milton Keynes Stadium Motor Auctions. Viewing is from
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Web set to catch buyers
MAZDA'S new CX-7 crossover vehicle arrives in the UK this September, and the firm - like many other crossover makers - claims it has sports car handling combined with the practicality of an off-roader. The firm has set up a dedicated pre-order website
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Bargains around for watchful buyers
KEEP a watchful eye on the throughput your local car auction centre - there are bargains to be had among the nearly-new, high-mileage sector of the used vehicle market. And that's because many fleet sellers are expecting too-high prices for such vehicles
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Village shepherd honoured
THE county's 29th blue plaque is to honour the memory of a man who was content with the life of a village shepherd. Mont Abbott lived and worked on the land for 80 years and was made famous by the book Lifting the Latch. Its author, Sheila Stewart
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Yobs face park ban
BANNING notices could be slapped on unruly youngsters who cause a nuisance in Bicester's Garth Park. Police and councillors are looking at the idea to stop a repeat of last summer's problems, which included antisocial behaviour, drunkenness and criminal
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Pair tackle Mongolian marathon
BANDITS, Mafia hotels and plummeting temperatures will be just some of the challenges two women will have to face in their bid to drive 10,000 miles to Mongolia. Sarah Pollard, of Hurst Street, East Oxford, is teaming up with a London woman she met
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Government drops homes quota hint
THE Housing Minister has fuelled new fears about the level of development that the Government wants to see in Oxfordshire. Yvette Cooper dismissed the number of new homes being proposed for Oxfordshire in the South East Plan as "bonkers". And she
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Stage work to start
THE Theatre, in Spring Street, Chipping Norton, has been given permission by West Oxfordshire District Council planners for structural changes to solve problems with its leaking roof and to provide extra rehearsal and workshop space. It will close
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Call for vote shake-up
WALLINGFORD town councillors want changes to the electoral system before the next council elections. At the last review of parish boundaries, Wallingford was split into two wards by South Oxfordshire District Council for both town and district councils
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Grant aid
OXFORD City Council has been given a £228,000 Government grant to help improve private homes. The money will be used to fund a scheme, in conjunction with British Gas, to provide vulnerable people with help in improving energy efficiency.
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Garden date
WATLINGTON Concert Band will provide the music for the annual garden party at Rush Court care home from 2pm tomorrow. Stalls include pottery, jewellery, and cakes and there will be a children's corner. The £2.50 entry includes a cream tea.
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Gooey carpet
Sir - Over the May Bank Holiday we visited Oxford, a stay which had been planned several months ago and, despite the rain, enjoyed the trip. The Randolph accommodation and service were excellent, the colleges a delight to see and people warmly welcoming
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Choice is freedom
Sir - As a Headington Quarry resident owned by a 'recycled' greyhound, I would like to make a comment on John Goddard's wish for us all to refuse plastic bags in shops. I (and many others) recycle all plastic bags that come my way, with help from
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Think twice
Sir - When the Summertown controlled parking zone was set up, streets immediately to the north became commuter car parks overnight. Cars were parked nose to tail in these streets. Petitioners against controlled parking should think twice: any streets
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Fatuous plan
Sir - You reported (June 15) that a competition was being launched so that schoolchildren could design new 'gargoyles' for the Bodleian Library. This would obviously be an utterly fatuous way of replacing parts of a Grade I Listed Building, and the
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Report potholes
Sir - I read with interest, and annoyance the article on the front page last week on the subject of the number of pothole payouts increasing. I had a personal involvement with just such a scenario in November 2005 when my vehicle sustained a damaged
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Speedily reformed
Sir - I am grateful to your newspaper for having interested itself in the Masterplan that the University of Oxford is now preparing for what used to be the Radcliffe Infirmary Site. When I was an undergraduate at the University, my studies included
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Pedestrian provocation
Sir - May I enlist the help of your legally-qualified readers to determine whether I have a case against Oxford City Council for misrepresenting Cornmarket as a pedestrian zone? Last Friday, at 10am I walked the length of the street and during the
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Not thought through
Sir - I regret I do not share the rosy view of the new payment arrangements for parking at the station car park expressed by Mr Clarke of RingGo (Letters, June 8). The new system, which involves making a mobile phone call from the station platform
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Note of sanity
Sir - I was interested to read that the Co-op is investigating the possibility of installing a wind turbine in the green belt at the western edge of Oxford, a hundred yards or so from where I live. What a brilliant idea! In an area where our local
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City windmill could be over-rated
Sir - The Renewable Energy Foundation recently examined just what fraction of their rated powers the 500 or so serious wind turbines in the UK actually delivered (Sunday Times, November 6, 2006). Even the best ones in the Hebrides delivered less than
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Teacher addresses MPs on academy
A TEACHER from Peers School, Littlemore, appeared before scores of MPs at the Commons to tell them why he thought it should not become the city's first academy. Ian Jones, who has worked at the Littlemore school for 27 years, spoke for the Oxfordshire
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First-class festival
DEBBIE Harry is not the only woman on Hugh Phillimore's mind right now. In addition to pulling together the fourth Cornbury Music Festival, which this year sees Blondie headlining on the Sunday night, he is busily organising his own wedding. For a
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Roadtest: Mégane magic
ONCE in a while a car maker achieves the ultimate Goldilocks effect. Sporty, but not overly flashy, powerful, but not unmanageable, supremely practical and not too costly - the beautifully balanced Renault Mégane GT package is just right. Renault
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Swooping in
MITSUBISHI has a special edition Colt out, the Black Hawk, available in three-door and CZT model guise. The distinctive Black Hawk - body colour black, obviously - has two silver stripes running centrally from front to back, plus privacy glass fitted
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More on top
VAUXHALL has added more equipment, while lowering the price, of its Astra TwinTop convertible range. The TwinTop Exclusiv Black edition is based on the range-topping Design trim, but adds black leather trim, heated seats, cruise control and eleven-spoke
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Turbo supercar marks GTi date
THE Volkswagen Golf GTi is now in its fifth generation, and celebrating its 30th anniversary in the UK. Fans of the evergreen GTi see it as nothing less than the greatest hot hatchback of all time - indeed, it was the very first, and has spawned a very
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Turbo tiddler on way
HOT on the heels of the Corsa VXR, Vauxhall has disclosed that its legendary SRi badge is to return on another performance version of the new Corsa. Set to reach showrooms in September as either a three-door or a five-door, the Corsa SRi is designed
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New model rounds off range
THE final silhouette in the Peugeot 207 range will be launched in the UK next month - the Peugeot 207 SW. It is a true Peugeot SW with full length "Cielo" glass panoramic roof and an innovative rear seat folding mechanism which provides a perfectly
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Opening doors and minds
OPENING Doors, Opening Minds might sound like yet another Oxford University bid designed to tempt youngsters from northern comprehensives to apply to Oxford. But it is, in fact, a remarkable chance to enjoy many of Oxford's hidden treasures, being opened
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Drug 'gardener' jailed
A Vietnamese asylum seeker was jailed on Thursday after police caught him working as a gardener in a cannabis house. Quy Ly was put behind bars for almost two years after he was arrested in a raid on a cannabis factory in Wood Farm, Oxford. The 33-year-old
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Villagers wake to blaze drama
Dozens of families were evacuated from their homes yesterday amid fears gas canisters were about to explode following a suspected shed arson. Fire crews were called to a house in Newland Street, Eynsham, at about 6am as a plume of thick smoke rose above
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Four cleared over murder
Four men have been cleared of involvement in the killing of an Oxford police station cleaner after they told detectives he was attacked when he answered the door at his home. Enayit Khalili, 26, a refugee from Afghanistan, died from a single stab wound
