POLICE today appealed for help in tracing a missing man from Oxford. Steven Williams, 40, of Leiden Road, was reported missing to police on Wednesday after he failed to attend a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. He is white, about 5ft 9in tall, stocky
Oxford Boxing Academy middleweight Chris Wood cruised through the first stage of this year's ABA Senior Championships with a comfortable win over Stevenage's Terry Skipper at Luton. The veteran added another Home Counties title to his trophy collection
Karl Walker remains on course to retain the Gentworks Oxford & District League's Walt Bradbury Cup after a hard-fought semi-final victory over Paul Chester. Breaks of 23 and 47 helped Chester take the first two frames, but a 23-break saw Walker win
Riley retained the Oxford & District League's Stephen Reiss Cup after overrunning New Club 5-0. Contrary to expectations, the final at Cowley Conservative Club was not of a particularly high standard. The opening game between Riley's Malcolm Bough
Claire Lasko, a student at Lord Williams's School, Thame and member of Oxford Sailing Club, won gold in the RYA Youth Championships. Sailing with Frances Peters, they became 29er RYA national youth ladies champions in the event at Pwllheli. The pair
Leading pros, including local competitor Scott Handley, will play in the Hithercroft Squash Open, an international event at Wallingford from May 27-June 1. WITNEY will host their Graded Open from May 31-June 1 at the Windrush Leisure Centre. Contact
Oxfordshire's women's and girls' squads have been put through their paces by England coach Jane Powell as part of their winter training programme. Girls cricket is flourishing in the county, and this season will see the introduction of under 11 and
A CHILDREN'S charity has condemned a "disturbing" decision to invite disgraced comedian Chris Langham to talk at the Oxford Union. Langham, who was jailed for downloading child pornography, accepted an invitation to talk about his life and career at
FIFTY police officers mounted a major crackdown to disrupt the illegal trade in stolen metals across Oxfordshire today. Dozens of truck drivers carrying car batteries, air conditioning ducts and scrap metal, were pulled over by Thames Valley Police
A campaign to get water flowing through a Victorian fountain in East Oxford looks set to be shelved. For 18 years campaigners, led by Erica Steinhauer, of the Plain Traders' Association, have been trying to bring the fountain at The Plain, which was
Fifty police officers mounted a major crackdown to disrupt the illegal trade in stolen metals across Oxfordshire today. Dozens of truck drivers carrying car batteries, air conditioning ducts and scrap metal, were pulled over by Thames Valley Police
POLICE are hunting for a man who climbed in through a woman's bedroom window and placed a towel over her head. The woman was in her ground-floor bedroom in Church Lane, Yarnton, at 10pm last night when the man got inside. He put a towel over her
Cookery writer and presenter Sophie Grigson has opened a new shop in Abingdon which specialises in local produce. Local Roots, in East St Helen Street, is the brainchild of Sukey and Christopher Jones, pictured with Ms Grigson, and everything it sells
A church leader has announced she will retire after seven years at the heart of an Oxford estate. The Rev Fleur Houston will address the congregation at the Holy Family Church, in Cuddesdon Way, Blackbird Leys, for the last time on Sunday, June 29.
Oxford's first all-inclusive football team is at the forefront of creating a tri-county league for people with learning disabilities. The Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Inclusion (BOBi) League will be set up later this year with the help
A prisoner was paid thousands of pounds in compensation for being forced off hard drugs in an Oxfordshire jail, the Oxford Mail can reveal. The inmate, at Bullingdon Prison, near Bicester, was given £3,807 last year after his drugs were withdrawn and
POLICE appealed for witnesses after a golf buggy overturned at Southfield Golf Club, Oxford, today, injuring two people. The incident happened just before 11am, on a green near the fourth hole. A 92-year-old man was driving the buggy when it overturned
Police are hunting for a man who climbed in through a woman's bedroom window and placed a towel over her head. The woman was in her ground floor bedroom in Church Lane, in Yarnton, at 10pm last night when the man got inside. He put a towel over her
If anyone is in doubt that the compensation culture is well and truly with us, read the story about the inmate at Bullingdon Prison, near Bicester. He was awarded £3,807 after his drugs were cut off and he was made to go through detox, breaching his
A reformed car thief from South Africa dropped into an Oxford youth club today to tell youngsters the importance of avoiding a life of crime. Lucky Cele, 24, and Chris Majoz, 31, taught children in Blackbird Leys traditional African dancing and drumming
A children's charity has condemned a "disturbing" decision to invite disgraced comedian Chris Langham to talk at the Oxford Union. Langham, who was jailed for downloading child pornography, accepted an invitation to talk about his life and career at
When Malcolm Graham came to Oxford in 1970, his only experience of the city had been a hasty drink in the bar of the Chequers Inn, in High Street. But here he was, a twentysomething with a Beatles 'mop-top' being given the unenviable task of transforming
AEA Technology 66.25 BMW 2752 Electrocomponents 198.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 126.5 Oxford Biomedica 23 Oxford Catalyst 168.5 Oxford Instruments 219.5 Reed Elsevier 648.5 RM 197.5 RPS Group 319.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
A final reminder the production dates for Ladies’ Day are nearly here. I trust April 24th, 25th OR 26th is marked in you diary at Kingston Bagpuize with Southmoor Village Hall, 7.30pm. Tickets are £7 each and are available from Southmoor village shops
With a shop floor only 9ft wide and 11ft deep, it is one of the smallest bookshops in the country, but Evenlode Books in Market Street, Charlbury, is a flourishing business offering a valuable service to the 3,000 residents of the town and customers from
Toxic waste from metalworking could be cleaned up and turned into grey' water by bacteria in an environmentally-friendly process being developed by an Oxford company. Microbial Solutions has just secured a £1.2m investment to develop its ingenious product
A hat can be more than just the finishing touch to an outfit for a special occasion - for clients of Eda Rose Millinery of Wallingford, it can equally well be the starting point. A personal consultation with Eda Rose, for her expert advice on which style
A cyclist suffered serious injuries after a collision with a heavy goods lorry in Oxford. Police are appealing for witnesses to a collision at the junction of Marston Road and Headington Road at 3.30pm yesterday. A 45-year-old cyclist collided with
A FEMALE cyclist who was injured in a collision with a Scania lorry in Oxford is still seriously ill in hospital. The 45-year-old woman was hurt in the collision on the A420 at Headington Hill, Oxford, at about 3.30pm yesterday She was taken to
Employers could have to pay a £10,000 penalty for every overseas migrant they employ who is not entitled to be in the UK, or to work here, thanks to new legislation. Recent changes to The Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 have seen civil penalties
The 2008 Oxfordshire Business Awards will be bigger and better than ever before. That is the view of awards committee chairman Paul Lowe after reviewing this year's entries. About 120 companies have entered which is a ten per cent rise on last year.
The title Oxfordshire Business of the Year has to be earned - the company must demonstrate how it stands ahead of is awards rivals in the most competitive category. It is awarded to an exceptional company that can not only demonstrate financial and growth
Tenants of Cottsway Housing joined staff, board members and local councillors to mark the official opening of new offices in Chipping Norton. Cottsway manages more than 3,600 homes across West Oxfordshire, many in rural locations. With the head office
Eurocell Building Plastics has opened a new depot in Abingdon, its first in Oxfordshire. The opening represents a significant achievement for Eurocell as it means it now has at least one depot in every county in England, with more than 80 nationwide.
A new state-of-the-art design office at the Notcutts Garden Centre in Nuneham Courtney has opened its doors for business. The facility, run by Notcutts Landscape and Garden Design Consultants, will enable the company, which has won numerous gold medals
Abingdon business park, former site of the MG car factory, is up for sale at £48m. The MG factory closed in 1979 and the site was sold to insurance company Standard Life. It is now home to 40 businesses, including Swets library journals business, EBI
Oxford Airport is open for business - that is the message from bosses as worked started on a new commercial centre. The £2m business aviation centre is designed to help the airport make the most of growing traffic from business travellers along with
Savills property consultants in Oxford has welcomed the Government's announcement that the planning application process is to be streamlined. Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said the current process will be reviewed, with the aim of producing a faster
The Oxfordshire office of engineering consultancy Gifford is to relocate to new £3m premises on Chawley Business Park at Cumnor Hill. Since 2000, the company has been based in Witney, where 60 members of staff operate from two office sites in Langdale
Up to 850 jobs could be created in Grove if a new business park is built near the village. Developers are eyeing up a patch of farmland, near Bellingers Garage, between the A338 Station Road and Letcombe Brook. The multi-million-pound plan could see
To have your event featured in this column, send brief details and a contact name and telephone number to Diary, In Business, Newsquest, Newspaper House, Osney Mead, Oxford OX2 0EJ or e-mail business@nqo.com To be included in the Business Link event
OFFICERS from Oxfordshire roads policing department will be carrying out speed checks across the county next week in support of a Europe-wide speed enforcement campaign. The European Road Policing Network, known as TISPOL, speed campaign begins on
OXON: The Bank of Scotland Corporate commercial division which operated throughout the South East has been split in two resulting in a new team dedicated to increasing market share for the bank in the region. Karl Leitelmayer has been appointed area
I hope you will allow me to reply to what I believe is one of the more ill-informed attacks on a local politician that I have seen for some time (Oxford Mail, April 14). I refer to that on my friend, Jerry Patterson, leader of the Vale of White Horse
MILTON PARK: Workers at logistics operator TNT have proved they can deliver the goods when the express delivery giant enhanced its green credentials by gaining an acclaimed environmental standard at the first attempt. The ISO14001 accreditation was
The time has come for me to visit my local polling station and for the first time in my life, I do not know who to vote for. The Labour gang, in their party broadcast, seem to keep plugging old and worn-out policies like the NHS and education. Yet
OXFORD: The Oxford Trust has recruited two new members to its innovation business team. Dr Fiona Ord-Shrimpton has been appointed research manager leading all of the Trust's research and evaluation work across a wide spectrum including the economy, science
I am concerned about the use of the whip, which is used by jockeys to speed horses. This, of course, isn't a tickling experience for the horse, just to say "will you please run a little faster for me"? It is the sudden bursts of pain from the whip
I spent much of my time at the beginning of last week trying to find ways with Oxfordshire County Council officers to overcome the new delays caused by the temporary roadworks in Marcham Road, Abingdon. While Abingdon waits for the county council to
OXFORD: The Oxford Trust has recruited two new members to its innovation business team. Dr Fiona Ord-Shrimpton has been appointed research manager leading all of the Trust's research and evaluation work across a wide spectrum including the economy, science
A musician who has stayed at Helen and Douglas House will raise funds for the hospice by lining up on stage with his comedy heroes on Sunday night. Singer-songwriter Ally Craig will share the bill with Jimmy Carr, Bill Bailey and Kevin Eldon at Childish
It is a fact that some multi-million pound businesses are based on products which the everyday consumer will either never come across or pay scant attention to. Packaging is a prime example. Naturally we are far more interested in what is inside the box
The cut flowers industry is a huge one - worth £2.2bn at retail level in the UK, which puts it ahead of the music industry. However, as the chilly season is coming to an end, the hottest time of the year is past for local flower sellers Darren Oretagu
Following a rendezvous with Shadow Chancellor George Osborne, at Oxford's careworn Covered Market, I discovered I had one more devotee for my blog. It was John Evans, the Freedom of Information officer at the town hall, who informed me with a wry grin
Children across Oxfordshire are being asked to put their thinking caps on to come up with a menu to rival the finest offerings of Jamie Oliver or Raymond Blanc. The design a meal competition was launched today is a bid to encourage youngsters to eat
A new service offering support to people with mental health problems is being launched in Oxford. Mental health charity Oxfordshire Mind has won three years' worth of funding from both the county council's Supporting People programme and the city council
The call has gone out again for more retained firefighters to cover west Oxfordshire. While there is a general shortage across the county, there is a particular need for day cover at Witney, Bampton and Burford stations. Nick Bateman, Witney station
A female cyclist who was injured in a collision with a lorry is recovering in hospital. The woman, in her early 30s, was hurt in the crash on the A420 at Headington Hill, Oxford, at about 3.30pm yesterday She was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital
Grayfox Chip, trained by former Oxford champion Nick Colton, should be accorded the freedom of Sandy Lane after rattling up his 18th victory here in the That's Crazy Stakes over 595m on Tuesday. All but one of those victories have been in open races
Witney Angling Society kicked off their new season with a club match on Barford, and the venue was in good form for the 13 matchmen. Feeding a mixture of caster, corn and pellet, Mike Mann fished the pole with corn on the hook and weighed in 39.2.0
VOTERS in Park ward, Didcot, have picked a new town councillor following the resignation of Jerry Goff. Eleanor Hards, representing the Labour Party, retained the seat on the Conservative-led Didcot Town Council with 378 votes. She will replace
Forum A are on track for a double double after reaching the Oxford & District Table Tennis Association's Handicap Shield final. Having already won the Divsion 1 title, they are just one victory away from matching the feat they achieved last year.
A scrapyard was today being searched by police as part of an operation targeting metal thefts across the county. About 20 police officers searched Smith's, in Milton Road, Bloxham, at 11am and uncovered cable thought to be from a railway. Stop-checks
A SCRAPYARD was today being searched by police as part of an operation targeting metal thefts across the county. About 20 police officers searched Smith's, in Milton Road, Bloxham, at 11am and uncovered cable thought to be from a railway. Stop checks
Voters in Park ward, Didcot, have picked a new town councillor following the resignation of Jerry Goff. Eleanor Hards, representing the Labour Party, retained the seat on the Conservative-led Didcot Town Council with 378 votes. She will replace Mr Goff
A PRISONER was handed thousands of pounds in compensation for being forced off hard drugs in an Oxfordshire jail. The inmate, at Bullingdon Prison, near Bicester, won £3,807 last year after his drugs were cut off and he was made to go through "cold
HENLEY MP Boris Johnson has appeared to tie himself in knots over his support for the smoking ban. On Wednesday, Mr Johnson called for a referendum on the ban on smoking in public places, which was introduced by the Government last July. The Tory
COMEDIAN Chris Langham, who was jailed for downloading child pornography, has been invited to speak at the Oxford Union. Mr Langham will address students about his career at the union in Frewin Court, Oxford on Tuesday, May 27. Other speakers lined
Comedian Chris Langham, who was jailed for downloading child pornography, has been invited to speak at the prestigious Oxford Union. Mr Langham served three-and-a-half months of a 10 month sentence for 15 offences of downloading indecent images of children
A FINAL decision on plans to install CCTV in Cowley Road, Oxford, is due to be made next week after the funding was officially secured. The latest proposals include three cameras - at Southfield Road, Manzil Gardens and Princes Street - at a cost of
A prisoner was handed thousands of pounds in compensation for being forced off hard drugs in an Oxfordshire jail, the Oxford Mail can reveal. The inmate, at Bullingdon Prison, near Bicester, won £3,807 last year after his drugs were cut off and he was
A final decision on plans to install CCTV in Oxford's Cowley Road is due to be made next week after the funding was officially secured. The latest proposals include three cameras - at Southfield Road, Manzil Gardens and Princes Street - at a cost of
Henley MP Boris Johnson has appeared to tie himself in knots over his support for the smoking ban. On Wednesday, Mr Johnson called for a referendum on the ban on smoking in public places, which was introduced by the Government last July. The Tory MP
A JAPANESE noodle bar in Oxford which caught fire during the early hours could be out of action until the end of the month. Fire crews are dealing with the blaze inside the Wagamama noodle bar in Market Street, off Cornmarket Street. About 25 firefighters
A Japanese noodle bar in Oxford which caught fire during the early hours could be out of action until the end of the month. Fire crews are currently dealing with the blaze inside the Wagamama noodle bar in Market Street, off Cornmarket Street. About
TWO soldiers will receive a police escort when their bodies are driven through Oxfordshire today. Thames Valley Police was forced to apologise earlier this week after it was revealed hearses carrying dead servicemen were left unescorted in Oxfordshire
A NINTENDO Wii-style device has been helping to ease chronic pain for amputees in Oxford. The Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre (NOC) in Headington has asked amputees to trial the virtual reality device in a bid to ease "phantom pain" - an affliction that
MOTORISTS in Oxford will be hit with £40 fines - and could face court action - if they leave their engine running unnecessarily for just a matter of minutes. In a bid to tackle the city's air pollution problem, city council enforcers have been briefed
Fire crews are currently dealing with a fire inside a noodle bar in Oxford. Around seven fire engines are at the scene of the blaze in Wagamama next to the Covered Market. The incident was described by one member of the emergency services as a small
What a nerve of the New Theatre, Oxford, to charge parents £120 for the privilege of their children taking part in Bugsy Malone. We can imagine the reaction of most actors if they were asked to pay to appear in films and shows. Drop the charge.
We don't expect Graham Eagle and Tony Nanton to be the most popular characters in Oxford city centre. They are the two 'enforcers' who will hand out £20 fines to antisocial people, who leave their engines running, drop litter or stamp chewing gum into
At last, we seem to be getting some coordination in our transport policies. It has been a complete nonsense that at three Oxford park-and-ride sites, you have to pay for parking, while at the other two, you don't. The confusion has been caused because
THE Weston Front Action Group was already well dug in when the bombshell arrived. A settlement of 15,000 new eco-homes near Weston-on-the-Green had made it on to the Government shortlist of 15 proposed schemes, with ten expected to be built. Stretching
Sir - Reg Little reports (Feature, April 11) that the health authority considers the internationally famous NOC no longer financially secure. He spells out the madness of the Government's funding system. This fully reimburses the hospital for amputating
Sir - It is sad that Christopher Gray considers himself to be above the law (Gray Matter, April 11). The weakness of his argument lies in the title of his article which expresses a concern for his safety and not that of others. By jumping lights he
Sir - Your article (April 11) suggests dogged campaigning by parents has forced the county council into meeting their demands for sixth form provision at our special schools. The truth is rather different. The Conservative administration at the county
Sir - I have better things to do with my holiday time than to write letters about a fairly insignificant problem, when one looks at things from a global perspective, but I am intrigued as to how long it will take Tesco to remove a shopping trolley from
Sir - Hazel Blears' comments have again I fear, been misinterpreted. She states that brutal ugly buildings and estates contribute to antisocial behaviour and social exclusion. Planners and architects are to blame. No matter when the criminal acts
Sir - Keith Mitchell's problem is that he is not in favour of any new town in Oxfordshire, eco-town or not, and so finds fault with them all - the old cement works at Shipton-on-Cherwell, the site at Weston-on-the-Green, and a while ago the 400 acres
Sir - As a longstanding resident of Oxford, I have watched with horror as the High Street has been increasingly vandalised with ugly street furniture. Whether or not you are an academic, and I am not, this glorious and historic thoroughfare is a showcase
Sir - In September 2000, the city council adopted its Public Realm Strategy. It should have delivered the funds to restore Oxford's most magnificent streets. Instead, the county council is now apparently the only funding body for works in the High
Sir - In your article on biofuels (April 11), in which used cooking oil is made into biodiesel, I was horrified to read that one college chef said that they "do an oil change twice a term". These vegetable cooking oils are known to be carcinogenic
A NEW type of Islamic school for Muslim and non-Muslim children opens its doors in Oxford this month. The Meco Saturday Islamic School bills itself as the first school of its kind. Open to children of all faiths it will feature mixed classes and pupils
CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating news that playing fields at Peers School are not being sold to help fund the creation of Oxford's new academy. A three-acre strip of playing fields at Peers School in Littlemore had looked like being sold to housing developers
Our report on the future of the Grenoble Road housing development highlights the disarray that surrounds the strategic planning system in this country. Frankly, the Government is making it up as it goes along. Strategic planning has been taken out
Motorists in Oxford will be hit with £40 fines - and could face court action - if they leave their engine running unnecessarily for just a matter of minutes. In a bid to tackle the city's air pollution problem, city council enforcers have been briefed
Sir - Oh dear, with their complaints about the travelling times allotted to their bus passes, some pensioners are not showing us in a good light, are they? First, we had Gwynneth Cooke (March 28) moaning about being deprived of a half-hour in the
It is good to see the councils of Oxford and Oxfordshire putting tribal rivalries aside for the good of the city and the county. We write, of course, of the proposal to hand control of all park-and-ride car parks to Oxfordshire County Council. The fact
Sir - I am appalled at the letter from Mr R Foster-Jones (April 11), for it is a slant on the bus pass concession that is simply distorted and untrue. There is no curfew at 11pm, for if he needs to be on a bus after 11pm then he must simply pay for
Sir - Next year I will be 60. As I intend to continue to work I will continue to use the bus to travel to work. I would be interested to know how many other people who work after the age of 60 (by choice or necessity) are also being insulted by the
Sir - I have to say that I find the accusations of narrow-mindedness in my attitude to tourists - contained in the letters of Mr Berry and Mr Jones (April 4) - extremely hurtful. You see, I was trying to consider the needs of both residents and tourists
THE bell tower of Wantage Parish Church will be open to visitors tomorrow between 10am and 12.30pm. Admission is £2 for adults and £1 for children aged between five and 16.
Sir - Taking into account Peter Berry's letter (April 4) concerning the 'Wonderful City Of Oxford' and the need to attract visitors I will happily admit that parts of the city are beautiful. They are best viewed at 5am on a bright summer morning.
Sir - Warm congratulations to Patrick Murray and his team of city council officers on their successful bid to the Government for a new centre on the site of the Old Fire Station (Report, April 11). But councillor Murray needs to update his information
FORMER Oxford author Joanna Kavenna has been shortlisted for this year's Orange Award for new female writers, the winner of which will be announced on June 4. She was chosen for her novel Inglorious - which was written while she was living in the
Sir - I feel that I must comment on the piece College call for end to High 'vandalism' (April 11). I'm sure that the Warden of All Souls is genuine in his comments about the way forward for what is one of Oxford's real treasures - the High Street.
DUCKLINGTON schoolchildren came up with designs for underground homes and houses built on stilts for a time capsule competition. Banner Homes, which is carrying out the new Fritillary Mews development, came up with the idea. The winning artwork has
OXFORDSHIRE Fire and Rescue Service is looking for part-time firefighters to join the Kidlington fire crew. Station manager Paul Waknell said the village's station liked to maintain a pool of up to 14 people available to respond to emergency calls.
Bicester Community College student Zoe Wright, 18, of Dumas Close, Bicester, is hoping to raise at least £400 for Oxford's Helen and Douglas House hospices when she makes a tandem parachute jump at Weston-on-the-Green next month. Zoe, who works as a
TWO clowning workshops for adults will be held in Oxford this weekend. Participants can learn the art of being a clown at either the Burton Taylor Studio in Gloucester Street on Saturday, or St Michael's Church hall in Portland Road, Summertown, on
JON SNOW certainly lit up Oxford Brookes University after delivering his final lecture as Chancellor. The Channel 4 news presenter unveiled a new scheme to light up the university's main campus along with stretches of Headington Road and Gipsy Lane.
TEENAGERS from Berinsfield who have helped to build and decorate centres for homeless children and Aids orphans in Kenya will be returning later this year. Since Operation Noah's Ark (Berinsfield) was formed four years ago, more than 20 young people
AN INDEPENDENT retailer in Cowley Road, Oxford, has been saved from closure - by sweets. Bead Games, a fancy dress hire and vintage clothing shop, opened Sweet Heaven - a traditional sweetshop - to help subsidise it. Bead Games had been struggling
A Nintendo Wii-style device has been helping to ease chronic pain for amputees in Oxford. The Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre (NOC)in Headington has asked amputees to trial the virtual reality gadget in a bid to ease "phantom pain" - an affliction that
Two soldiers will receive a police escort when their bodies are driven through Oxfordshire today. Thames Valley Police was forced to apologise earlier this week after it was revealed hearses carrying dead servicemen were left to fend for themselves
Bosses at RAF Brize Norton refused to apologise last night after seeing "appalling and shameful" pictures of raw sewage outside damp-stained living quarters. The state of accommodation was condemned by local people and politicians - including Witney
YOUNG carers from north and west Oxfordshire will see themselves on the big screen tonight when they attend the premiere of their own film, Young Carers - Good Days, Bad Days. It shows young carers having fun together, talking about their lives and
