OXFORD'S new senior policeman is warning troublesome binge drinkers face a "no tolerance" policy from his officers. Supt Brendan O'Dowda, 41, took the reigns as Oxford commander this week from Chief Supt Jim Trotman, who has moved on after two years
Praise should go to Hassan Khan, father of Numaan Khan, as well for sending a warning to all parents and children about the need to wear a cycle helmet. Of course there are those who say it is not cool to wear a helmet but the stats speak for themselves
The recent floods threw up many stories of emergency staff, volunteers and neighbours helping out those worst affected. The "Blitz spirit" became a bit of a hackneyed phrase over the week but it was accurate and we have paid tribute to just a few of
We have pulled off a major coup in the transfer market but signing legendary broadcaster and Oxford United 'nut' Timmy Mallett. Timmy - who spent the early part of his career on Radio Oxford and is most famous for the children's TV programme The Wide
Oxford's new top cop is warning troublesome binge drinkers face a "no tolerance" policy from his officers. Supt Brendan O'Dowda, 41, took the reigns as Oxford Commander this week from Chief Supt Jim Trotman, who has moved on after two years at the helm
Do not be surprised to see police patrolling inside pubs and clubs in Oxford this weekend. Officers are turning their attention to trouble inside the city's late-night bars, as part of a clampdown on violent drunken crime in the city centre. It comes
Residents have reacted with anger to news that a footpath is to stay closed. The path, Vallis Alley, which runs from Holley Crescent through to Quarry High Street, in Headington Quarry, Oxford, has been closed since February 20 to allow music studios
A third man has died following a helicopter crash, the Ministry Of Defence (MoD) has confirmed. The crash during a training exercise in Catterick on Wednesday evening had already claimed the lives of RAF Benson Flight Lieutenant David Sale and Sergeant
Take a walk through Oxford and it would not take long to realise the city is blessed with a rich heritage and abundance of outstanding buildings. But probably more than you thought - at the last count, Oxford had 1,526 listed buildings. But would
A DIFFERENT period of history is being revived at Blenheim Palace this weekend with a clash of arms in medieval style. The grand monument to 18th-century military commander, John Churchill, and home of his famous descendant Sir Winston Churchill becomes
Karen Osenton was pulled over by the police after she waved a water pistol to promote her show at the Edinburgh Fringe. Members of the Abandon Theatre Company were in a Ford Fusion promoting their sketch show A Night on the Town when police stopped
There would no doubt be all sorts of health and safety regulations to prevent this type of activity nowadays. But in 1960, when this picture was taken, rules were a little less rigorous. The children at Speedwell School, Littlemore, Oxford, were happy
Whether made by hoaxers or unexplained visitors from outer space, crop circles have been hard to find in Oxfordshire fields this summer. As the crop circle season draws to a close, the county has suffered one of its most barren periods for years. Only
Prince, pictured right with Darrell and Uilani Demotta, was one of the entrants in the dog show at Goosey Feast in 1985, writes Alex Stamp. Attractions included a fete, children's competitions, craft shows and a fancy-dress contest. The event raised about
Oxford food connoisseurs are in for a fintastic time tonight thanks to the efforts of Devon fishermen. The seafarers managed to catch this 7ft long porbeagle shark, off the coast of Brixham on Thursday morning. The 300lb monster arrived in Oxford
As Oxford United kick off the new season, here's a reminder of the good old days at the Manor Ground at Headington. On this occasion a record league crowd of 17,751 watched United take on the old enemy Swindon Town in a Football League Division 3 promotion
A catalogue of alleged mis-management at Oxfordshire Racial Equality Council has led to the threat of funding sanctions unless the situation rapidly improves. OREC, which offers help and advice in racial harassment and discrimination cases, now faces
First Great Western has appointed a performance poet to keep passengers entertained as they wait for their trains. Sally Crabtree has been chosen as the first official Poet on the Platform by the train company. But an Oxford commuter group described
Children and young people are invited to a fun and games day at Sutton Courtenay village hall on August 1, but there's a more serious purpose to the event. They will be asked to make their contribution to the parish plan that will shape the future of
An animal sanctuary is appealing for help to keep financially afloat after an unexpected slump in income. The Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary, in Stadhampton, near Berinsfield, was launched 40 years ago by Margaret Gray who remains the charity's chairman
The White Horse Folk Festival takes place at Grove on August 18-19. The festival begins on Friday with a live music session at Grove Rugby Club followed by band Big Sings in The Bell pub on Saturday and Sunday lunchtime. On Saturday evening, there
A new pavement café culture with improved parking and fewer buses are the main demands in the latest survey of traders in the High Street area of Oxford. The survey, conducted by the Oxford High Street Business Association, aimed to find out what sort
Scooby-Doo, where are you? For once there's an easy answer to the question. He's at Oxford's New Theatre until tomorrow - and providing a great time for the young fans who are packing in to see him. The test of any show for children is how successfully
A woman who died after falling into the River Thames at Iffley Lock, Oxford, has been named. Susan Bark, 54, of East Avenue, Oxford, was pronounced dead at the John Racliffe Hospital, Oxford, on Friday, August 3. A post mortem examination was carried
A KNIFE-WIELDING robber raided cash from a petrol station till. The man - described as Asian, wearing dark clothing and about 6ft tall - robbed the Esso 'On the Run' petrol station in Ermont Way, Banbury at about 3.30am on Sunday. He was carrying
A knife-wielding robber raided cash from a petrol station till. The man - described as Asian, wearing dark clothing and about 6ft tall - robbed the Esso 'On the Run' petrol station in Ermont Way, Banbury at about 3.30am on Sunday morning. He was carrying
WATER supplies to an East Oxford pub cut off when workers damaged a pipe were fixed after four hours. Gallons of water spurted from the pipe in St Clements after contractors working on worn-out road surfaces apparently struck the pipe supplying the
A WOMAN who died after falling into the River Thames at Iffley Lock, Oxford, was named today. Susan Bark, 54, of East Avenue, Oxford, was pronounced dead at the John Racliffe Hospital, Oxford. A post-mortem examination was carried out earlier this
THE Oxford-built Mini has topped a list of cars which reveals the models that are going to be worth the most in the second-hand market. In 2007, not surprisingly those new models that are in current short supply have the best future residual value.
KIA has released the first preview image of its new Kia three-door hatchback model which will make its world premiere at this year's Frankfurt International Motor Show in September. The new model will be named Pro-cee'd. Based closely on the earlier
Mitsubishi has a new discount service package in place, offering buyers of everything from the little i to a mighty Shogun a good maintenance deal. Available from all UK Mitsubishi dealers, the package covers customers for up to three years or 37,500
It seems just one in four drivers are able to recognise popular car models on British roads today, according to research by online buying guide New Car Net - www.newcarnet.co.uk. The firm tested the anonymity of ten vehicles, by stripping them of all
Britain's sports utility vehicle (SUV) buyers are making greener showroom choices, according to latest industry sales figures, despite negative public feeling towards 4x4s that influenced a drop of four per cent in the sector. But greener SUVs, cars
THE new Ford Mondeo has been out for just a few weeks, but topping a car magazine's honours list will quickly take it up to full showroom strength. Auto Express magazine has named the Mondeo its overall champion of 2007, no mean achievement when you
MANY modern car makers are being pushed well out of their comfort zone to maintain sales in an increasingly competitive market. Not so long ago, the idea of a Chevrolet badge appearing on a tiny city runabout; Aston Martin producing an 'affordable'
AEA Technology 117.25 BMW 2967 Electrocomponents 265 Isoft Group 65.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 147.5 Oxford Biomedica 47.75 Oxford Instruments 266.5 Reed Elsevier 605.25 RM 196.75 RPS Group 318.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
BUSINESSES are the first casualties feeling the pinch of the closure of a major Oxford route. St Clement's was closed yesterday and will remain shut for three weeks as engineers reconstruct and resurface the road and Thames Water repairs a deep sewer
NIGHTCLUB Po Na Na is bidding to become the first all-night drinking venue in Oxford licensed to open until 8am. But last night there was concern the move could spark tit-for-tat licence extensions turning Oxford into a 24-hour party city. If its
Water supplies to an east Oxford pub cut off when workers damaged a pipe were fixed after four hours. Gallons of water spurted from the pipe in St Clements after contractors working on worn out road surfaces apparently struck the pipe supplying the
Whilst being interviewed outside the theatre with Fran Bardsley (Oxford Mail article Aug 9) I started talking about the 45th year of Oxford Youth Theatre, which is based at Pegasus. A lady, sitting on the next bench, also having been interviewed earlier
High street retailer WH Smith is today reportedly looking at expanding its books business by buying the British arm of bookseller Borders. Borders, which has an Oxford city centre store, announced in March that it was pulling out of the UK in a move
The family of an airman killed when an RAF helicopter crashed paid tribute to him and said he loved his military life. Crewman Sergeant Phillip "Taff" Burfoot, 27, died alongside aircraft captain, Flight Lieutenant David Sale, 28, when the Puma helicopter
A man was taken to hospital suffering minor burns after a chip pan fire in his home in Marlborough Road, off Abingdon Road. Firefighters were called to the first-floor flat shortly after 10.30pm last night. The fire was out when they got there, but
A BANBURY jeweller has given a stunning white gold and diamond brooch to town mayor Kieron Mallon to auction for charity. Michael Jones Jewellers made the piece - worth about £1,500 - to mark the opening of its new High Street showroom. It was designed
BANBURY MP TONY Baldry claims he was banned from joining Conservative leader David Cameron on a tour of the town's Horton Hospital. Mr Baldry alleged the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust refused to allow him in to speak to staff and members of
I was caught off guard the other night when my wife visited my library and pulled a chunky looking paperback from the shelves. "Have you read this?" she asked with a knowing look on her face. It was Dave Eggers' trendy confessional, A Heartbreaking Work
A QUESTION mark hangs over the future of children's support services after it emerged Oxfordshire County Council might not receive key Government funding. Respite services for children with disabilities and programmes which support young carers would
Yemi Odubade, the Oxford United fans' favourite last season, is convinced he can better last year's tally of goals. And he says boss Jim Smith has told him he's looking for more of an end product from him. It's been a frustrating build-up for Odubade
Oxford United go into their opening game against Forest Green tomorrow just as they go into the new season - full of optimism, but without getting carried away. They want to get off to a great start, of course, but they did that last season and it wasn't
A WOMAN who was five months' pregnant was killed in a head-on car crash by an American serviceman suffering from a sleeping disorder. Emma James, who was expecting a baby girl, died in the crash on the A420, near Buckland, on August 10, 2004 - and now
Oxford United kick-off their fixtures in the Puma Youth Alliance Under 18 South West League at home to Plymouth Argyle tomorrow week. Almost the whole of October, and the second half of September, is taken up by the South Cup. United Under 18 fixtures
Here are Kieren Bushnell's predictions for the Sport Italia Hellenic League Premier Division campaign that starts tomorrow. ABINGDON TOWN. Manager Keith Stopps raided his former club, Milton United, for goalkeeper Gareth Walker, while he has also
Abingdon Tn (v Harrow Hill, home): from Walker, Njogu, Fell, Smith, Perkins, Morgan, Beauchamp, Thomas, Bloomfield, Wise, Williams, Larman, Hutt, Ryan. Ardley Utd (v Shrivenham, away): from White, Gardner, Smith, Garbutt, Lambourne, Martin, Brandon,
Launton Sports boss Joby Edwards says the club are buoyant as they prepare for their first-ever Hellenic League campaign. Edwards, who has been manager at Launton for three seasons, takes his side to Cirencester United in Division 1 West tomorrow, and
Banbury captain Benji Hector says they have not given up hope of challenging at the top of Division 1. Speaking ahead of tomorrow's trip to Reading, Hector was happy to talk up their prospects. "We should have the upper hand having beaten them already
SATURDAY FOOTBALL BLUE SQUARE PREMIER Oxford Utd v Forest Green Rovers. SPORT ITALIA HELLENIC LEAGUE Premier Div: Abingdon Tn v Harrow Hill, Bicester Tn v Almondsbury Tn, Carterton v Highworth Tn, Fairford Tn v Flackwell Heath, Hungerford Tn v Hook
WOODSTOCK had a weekend to remember after their top teams both enjoyed emphatic vict- ories. Their ladies team beat Oxford Sports B 7.5-1.5 in Division 1, while the men's side thumped Witney B 8-1 in Division 2. Liz Gilkes and June Lancefield won
Keith Carter is the new part-time safety officer at Oxford United following the departure of Tony Ashley to Brentford. Carter was Ashley's deputy and he takes over with a ringing endorsement from his predecessor, who had been associated with the U's
Oxford United's new midfielder, Michael Standing, says he has a massive point to prove this season. As the U's prepare for tomorrow's opening Blue Square Premier fixture at home to Forest Green Rovers, former Brighton, Aston Villa and Walsall player
OXFORD United are on the brink of kicking off their new season - and fans are sticking with the team, despite last year's disappointment. Despite narrowly missing out on a spot in the play-off final in May and facing another year of non-League football
It is a great shame that one of the effects of the floods that hit the city so hard has been the cancellation of Oxford In Bloom. It will be an obvious disappointment to the hundreds of gardeners who have worked so hard all year to make their gardens
Farmers faced with the worst floods in living memory at the height of summer must have thought things could not get much worse - then foot-and-mouth reared its head. Small wonder that a recent study published in the British Medical Journal said that
If anyone ever doubted there were problems at the Campsfield House detention centre, the events of the past week have underlined the need for urgent action. The latest Home Office report into disturbances in March at the centre in Kidlington proved
Sir - Reg Little's account (August 3) of energy-from-waste is extremely unbalanced. It is common knowledge that Friends of the Earth do not favour energy-from-waste, but this may well be the technology of the future. So why not give readers of The
Sir - The vast majority of people using the Witney Lake appreciate its attractions and the efforts made by those responsible for its maintenance and improvement. However, there seems to be a minority of mentally-retarded vandals bent on advertising
Sir - The chairman of Cyclox (July 27) calls for more bike racks in central Oxford. But cyclists choose to ignore what is already provided and chain their bikes to railings and sign-posts instead. One example is the area outside the County Library
Sir - I was one of many to attend the concert - Beethoven's 3rd Piano and Dvorak's New World Symphony - at the Sheldonian on Friday (July 27) evening. As a result I was also one of many to have the evening at least in part spoilt by the intrusive
Sir - So there I am, sipping my coffee and browsing through The Oxford Times (August 3) when - shazzam! - I'm instantly transported back to the 1970s. The strains of The Carpenters' It's Yesterday Once More drift through the window, and, hey, wasn't
Sir - Thank you for your courtesy and consideration in publishing our June letter about the problem of local government funding of the lowest band of care in old people's homes. I gather you also published our chaplain's letter of support the following
Sir - The article by broadcaster and writer Tim Healey in last week's Oxfordshire Limited Edition about Oxford University's Design-a-Gargoyle competition suggested the initiative was very much in the tradition of medieval gargoyles. The gargoyles,
Sir - A rash of yellow notice boards has appeared around Wolvercote announcing a forthcoming road painting jamboree, they seem to refer to still more permanent signs limiting the parking of motorcars. These are apparently going to be everywhere, even
Sir - I write concerning the article by Chris Koenig on business studies at Oxford University (August 3). There are inaccuracies in the article, and those concerned and your readers deserve a more accurate account. I became the founding director
FRESH local organic produce will be available at East Oxford's Farmers' Market. The market, which will also feature craft stalls and a cafe for people who want light refreshments, will take place at the Asian Cultural Centre, Manzil Way. Goods will
Sir - The flooding was terribly stressful for those of us in the midst of it, but also hugely entertaining. Most cars were evacuated to higher ground, and the street became our living room. Neighbours who had previously barely exchanged a word, stood
Sir - Flood relief provided by the Flood Relief Channel, as Reg Little must surely know (Report, July 27) would only be temporary. I, for one, am certainly not strongly in favour and I don't know anyone who is. The Environment Agency, following
Sir - The recent flooding has highlighted, among wider anxieties, the inappropriateness of the university's proposal to site the Bodleian Library's massive new bookstore at Osney Mead. This huge structure, almost the size of two football pitches and
CRAFTS and activities with a Roman theme are on offer at the Oxfordshire County Museum in Woodstock on Tuesday, August 14. The free family drop-in session runs from 2pm to 4pm.
COUNCILLORS on the Vale of White Horse District Council's planning committee are to visit a house in Norman Avenue, Abingdon, to examine a proposal for a two-storey side and rear extension. Neighbours say it will over-shadow other homes. Last year
A FORMER public toilet block left derelict for seven years will be transformed into swish offices within weeks. The recent flooding and closure of Botley Road had delayed the transformation of the down-at-heel former conveniences in Cripley Road, next
MOTORISTS have spoken of an "eye-opening" experience after taking a course aimed at giving a harsh lesson to motorists who use mobile phones at the wheel. More than 170 drivers from Oxfordshire have been through a Call Divert course after being caught
TEN per cent of pubs, clubs and off-licences in Oxford have failed a covert under-age sales operation. Licensed premises across the county have been visited by 14 and 15-year-old police volunteers attempting to buy alcohol as part of a campaign to highlight
IAN CURTIS, founder of Oxfordshire ClimateXChange, talks about the recent floods with colleagues in Oxford carrying out research into climate change Russell Layberry looked out of the window. "It was so quiet, no bird song, no cars, nothing. The water
Sir - Oxford planning officials rely upon a forecasted flooding risk of "One in a 100 Years" when recommending approval of applications to develop land in Osney Mead. The Bodleian proposes to demolish the existing SERS building and erect a warehouse
YACHTSMAN Adrian Flanagan has begun sailing through the Arctic pack ice in one of the most dangerous sections of his round the world voyage. The 46-year-old said although it was hard to see the extent of the ice, he estimated it covered about three-tenths
Sir - Radio Oxford did an excellent job of informing motorists about traffic conditions during the floods, but it did virtually nothing for cyclists and pedestrians. The only reference I heard was a statement that the South Oxford cycle route was
FILMS made by youngsters in response to an exhibition on celebrities, ranging from Princess Diana to Kate Moss, are about to be screened. Modern Art Oxford held a three-day film workshop at the gallery with youngsters studying an exhibition by Stella
It's surprising that it has taken this long for an Oxford nightclub to try its luck with the new drinking laws. Two years ago in 2005, so called 24 hour licensing became legal after much hype and scaremongering. Yet these fears proved mostly unfounded
Businesses are the first casualties feeling the pinch of the closure of a major Oxford route. St Clement's was closed yesterday and will remain shut for three weeks as engineers reconstruct and resurface the road and Thames Water repairs a deep sewer
Nightclub Po Na Na is bidding to become the first all-night drinking venue in Oxford licensed to open until 8am. But last night there was concern the move could spark tit-for-tat licence extensions turning Oxford into a 24-hour party city. If its
An oxfordshire woman has defied odds of 200 million to one to give birth to identical triplets. Mae Christina Astley, from Banbury, has amazed the medical world with the miraculous delivery of her three daughters. Amy, Kim and Zoe were all born healthy
