Archive

  • Updates - Oxford United's opening US tour game

    Good evening everyone back in the UK and a warm welcome to Saco, Maine for Oxford United's opening pre-season game on their US tour. First piece of business, the internet signal here is patchy so if this feed drops out be patient. United starting

  • Hospital unveils plan for warmer welcome

    PLANS are under way for a multi-million-pound extension to Oxford’s main hospital. John Radcliffe Hospital bosses want a new reception area for the main hospital entrance with shops, a cafe and a glass atrium. A planning application for the

  • Man jailed for beating pregnant ex

    A MAN punched and stamped on his pregnant ex-girlfriend in a “savage and pitiless attack”. Karl Bergan, 41, beat former partner Vivien Burden in front of her three-year-old son a month after the relationship had ended. Bergan, who has 94 previous

  • Family humbled by centre’s fundraising event

    OSCAR Scott Towers is a unique child whose parents have a simple wish for him – to be able to walk to their local shop. The John Watson School pupil, pictured left with mum Hazel Scott Towers, will need intensive physiotherapy to be able to walk

  • People power is new shop’s secret weapon

    WITH the ‘big four’ stores dominating shopping habits, the new People’s Supermarket in Cowley Road wants to add variety to Oxford. As reported in yesterday’s Oxford Mail, the shop works through members paying an annual fee of £12. In return

  • Couple convicted of cruelty against baby

    AN 18-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man from Oxford have been convicted of cruelty to a baby. Danielle Moss and Curtis Taylor were convicted by jurors at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday. Taylor was found guilty by majority verdicts of two

  • Sign sports Abingdon's new name

    FIREFIGHTERS will no longer be based at ‘Abingdon Fire Station’ after it changed its name this weekend. A sign was unveiled on Saturday sporting the town’s new name of Abingdon-on-Thames. Firemen based at the station took the opportunity to throw

  • Outstanding hat-trick for Northern House School

    A SCHOOL which cares for children with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties has been rated outstanding for a third time. And for the first time Northern House School, in South Parade, Summertown, received Ofsted inspectors top judgement

  • Martin Clunes attracts the crowds for North Aston fete

    TELEVISION star Martin Clunes opened the North Aston fete on Saturday. The Doc Martin star had been invited by a friend who lives in the village. He said: “It is a gorgeous village and this fete is lovely. I will have to have a go at Aunt Sally

  • History of Olympics: nasty, brutal and short

    The Telegraph Book of the Olympics (Aurum Sport £20) is a collection of articles and readers’ letters chosen by Martin Smith, an ex-sports editor of the newspaper, starting with London 1908.  The book reflects the high quality of the paper

  • One man hurt in A4074 crash south of Wallingford

    THE A4074 has re-opened after a four-vehicle crash south of Wallingford. The incident took place at about 1.10pm at Ipsden, close to the junction with Church Lane and Whitehouse Road. A police spokesman said one man was taken to hospital with

  • Volunteers are compost masters

    A TEAM of volunteers that encourages gardeners to compost has been honoured with a top award. The Oxfordshire Master Composter group won the Group Achievement Award from charity Garden Organic. The scheme was set up in 2008 and since then has

  • Mamma Mia! What a trip to the big screen

    YOUNG people with learning difficulties were given the red-carpet treatment in Oxford. City-based charity Yellow Submarine, which runs days out for people with learning difficulties and their families, held a screening of Mamma Mia! at the Phoenix

  • Dump plan submitted for third time

    AN OXFORD man is trying again in his controversial bid to turn a patch of land in Littlemore into a dump. Martin Young, pictured below, was told by a planning inspector in January that his plan to turn the plot in Long Wall into a tip could not

  • Team triumphs in F1 contest

    A GROUP from Oxford was crowned the top UK team at the world’s largest student motorsport competition. The students from Oxford Brookes University beat 50 UK universities to take the top British team prize at Formula Student 2012 at Silverstone

  • Light goes out on Olympic artwork

    FOR crowds in Oxford, it heralded the countdown to the Olympic Games. But this weekend, the Tree of Light was lit up for the final time. And for the thousands of children from across the region who took part, it is the end of a life-changing experience

  • Rebekah Brooks to face charges over phone hacking

    REBEKAH BROOKS and David Cameron's former spin doctor Andy Coulson are to face charges over phone hacking, it has been announced today. Brooks, who lives in Chipping Norton, will face two charges - one relating to the alleged accessing of murdered

  • Welfare reform

    OXFORD: Council chiefs could have an opportunity to help shape the development of a new benefit system, according to Minister for Welfare Reform Lord Freud. Oxford City Council has been confirmed as one of 15 local authorities which could pilot

  • CRICKET: Didcot close in as Jones stars

    CHERWELL LEAGUE Division 5 DIDCOT moved within striking distance of leaders Horley by battering Brackley. Matt Jones (6-34) was in complete control as the winless visitors crawled to 123 all out from 51.2 overs. Harry Brooker and Jamie

  • OLYMPICS: England's rival 'fails' drugs test

    Morocco’s Mariem Alaoui Selsouli, one of Oxford City ace Hannah England’s Olympic 1,500m rivals, has reportedly tested positive for a banned substance. Selsouli, who has already served a two-year doping suspension between 2009 and 2011, topped

  • Leys burglary

    BLACKBIRD LEYS: Janet Lestrade, of Balfour Road has been charged with burglary after cash was stolen from a home in Trefoil Place last Friday. The 43-year-old was remanded in custody to appear before Oxford Crown Court on Friday.

  • Hunt is on for fraud suspect

    KIDLINGTON: Police want to speak to this man after credit cards stolen from a 84-year-old woman were used to get £1,400 in fraudulent transactions. The woman had her purse stolen in the Tesco car park in High Street on Saturday, March 3. Her

  • Blooming great weather for day of judging

    JUDGES from Oxford in Bloom saw the gardens of the city at their very best yesterday, thanks to a spell of long-awaited sunshine. The team started the day viewing residential gardens in Northway, Marston, Headington, Wood Farm and Barton, before

  • Olympic boost is winner for shops

    SHOPPERS in Oxford were quick off the starting blocks to make the most of extra shopping hours celebrating the Olympics. Sunday trading laws have been relaxed to allow shops larger than 280 square metres (3,015 sq feet) to open for more than six

  • CRICKET: Bowlers bag great escape

    CHERWELL LEAGUE Divisions 6-10 DIDCOT 3rd pipped Bledlow Village 3rd by ten runs in an extraordinary Division 8 clash. The visitors made just 80, with Travis Green hitting 40 as Roger Downes took 4-10 and Andy Wagerfield 3-21. But Didcot

  • Crash victim is still in hospital

    STADHAMPTON: A 38-year-old woman injured in a crash on the B480 on Friday is in a critical but stable condition, police have said. The woman was taken to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital with life-threatening injuries when her red Peugeot 206 was

  • Doctor marvels at beauty of Southern lights

    WE may have missed the sunshine earlier this summer, but spare a thought for one Oxford doctor who will not see sunlight for another month. Alexander Kumar, who works at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital , is spending a year in Antarctica conducting

  • Lord Mayor faces standards inquiry

    THE Lord Mayor of Oxford is being investigated following a complaint about a comment made to a schoolgirl. Oxford City Council has launched a standards investigation after a parent at Cheney School complained Alan Armitage, pictured, had said

  • CRICKET: Cropredy go top after nail-biter

    CHERWELL LEAGUE Division 3 CROPREDY climbed to the top by beating Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd in a thriller. Shipton at posted 181-5 thanks to Shane Duff (44) and Ian Lewis (41), while Adam Goodway wheeled away for 19 overs to take 3-59.

  • Funeral date

    ASTON: The funeral of a 38-year-old father who died during football training will take place on Friday. Paul Thompson, from Aston, collapsed and died at Burwell Recreation Ground in Witney last Tuesday. His funeral will take place at St James

  • Police cuts talk

    OXFORD: Thames Valley Police Chief Inspector Cecilia Agger will attend the Blackbird Leys Parish Council meeting tonight. She will talk to councillors about cuts to the police service and their possible impact on the estate. Residents are welcome

  • CRICKET: Cumnor crushed by Cublington

    CHERWELL LEAGUE Division 4 CUMNOR 2nd’s dismal season continued when they were hammered by Cublington, who go top. Daniel Catt (96) and Greg Jenkins (43no) took the home side to 250-7 dec from 50 overs, then Jenkins claimed 3-2 as the bottom

  • Gas leak scare remains a mystery

    THE cause of a gas leak scare last night remains a mystery. South Parks Road in Oxford is open again this morning following last night's 'gas leak' scare. The city street was cordoned off by firefighters and police following reports of a smell

  • Hundreds of homes without power in northern Oxford

    MORE than 500 homes in northern Oxford are currently without electricity following a network fault. The problem in the Five Mile Drive area of the city was reported at 6am and Southern Electric engineers are currently on site. Southern Electric

  • Update: Brookes without water after burst main

    OXFORD Brookes University's Gipsy Lane campus is without a water supply after a burst water main this morning. Its sports centre will remain closed until further notice and other buildings may be affected. A burst in the Old Road area of Headington

  • FOOTBALL: City give trials to old boys

    Former Oxford City duo Michael Alexis and Andy Gunn could return to the Blue Square Bet North new boys should a trial prove a success. Midfielder Alexis, who spent last season at Hemel Hempstead Town, and defender Gunn, from Aylesbury United, played

  • Knievel memorabilia returning from Heyford Park

    MEMORABILIA of American daredevil motorcyclist Evel Knievel, pictured, will be returning to the US from its home at an Oxfordshire air base. Motorcycles, leathers and personal memorabilia belonging to the daredevil – who died in 2007 – have been

  • Lasers to help police ‘open roads quicker’

    ROAD closures for police crash investigations are to be cut by up to 40 minutes with the latest laser technology. Thames Valley Police yesterday unveiled three new laser scanners they believe will help them re-open roads more quicly. Frustrated

  • Oxford United defender Capaldi taking extra care on tour

    Tony Capaldi will take extra care to avoid injuries while on tour in a bid to avoid a repeat of last year’s trip to the United States. The defender, who had signed for Oxford United earlier last summer, picked up a hamstring injury while the squad

  • COMMENT: Helping our heroes

    WE hope residents heed the Help for Heroes call. Oxfordshire carries out its repatriation role with a sense of duty and dignified pride. These tragic ceremonies are a tribute to the fallen and a reminder of the sacrifice made by serving soldiers

  • Unelected bureaucrats

    WE are governed by consent or not at all, but unelected bureaucrats in Brussels have not earned that consent by the majority of the British people. About 70 to 75 years ago, many millions laid down their lives to preserve the values these bureaucrats

  • Romance has died

    WHAT happened to the romance of the Olympic torch? I understood the torch starts in Greece, is transported to wherever the Games are being held and, this time, is taken around by relay and ending up at the Olympic Stadium. Where is the torch

  • OLYMPICS: Jordan to spar in Olympic ring

    Oxford's Jordan Flynn will be one of the first two people to spar in the London 2012 boxing ring. The 16-year-old, from Cowley, will take part in the official rehearsal at ExCel London on Thursday. Flynn and Billy Beer, his teammate from Repton

  • COMMENT: A-Level tables are showing us the huge potential

    FOUR Oxfordshire schools are performing outstandingly well at A-Level, putting themselves among the very top nationally. It represents a fantastic achievement for the students, and a real boost for the county’s education system that has come in

  • THE QUIZ LEAGUE: Ploughmen are looking like best of the Bunch

    HAVING now reached the mid-point of the season, things are looking good for the Ploughman’s Bunch! (Wolvercote). Following their 75-66 dismissal of Far From the Madding Crowd (Oxford City) last Thursday, they have now accounted for both of their

  • Stop your dithering!

    WHY is Prime Minister David Cameron dithering? Give us a simple yes or no referendum on Europe NOW. Ninety per cent of the UK want out. Mr Cameron could be PM for life if he did. Gordon Brown took us in. Look what happened to him. Brown who

  • Let us help

    IT really irritates me that so many articles appear in your paper with the final sentence reading: “Thames Valley Police only released details of the incident yesterday.” As we very rarely see a police officer on our streets these days, apart

  • Preying on the weak

    HOW delighted I was to learn that a couple – described as travellers – ‘brutally manipulated and exploited destitute men’, have received substantial jail sentences. This must not, however, be dismissed as an isolated occurrence. While conceding

  • Olympic shambles

    WE now have visible proof of the Government’s ineptitude in the arrangements for the Olympics. Recently the TV news bulletins showed video footage of our troops who deserved a break after returning from active service in Afghanistan. The poor

  • It is time we looked after those who are vulnerable

    THE failure of one particular care home to properly investigate bruising of very frail people at a highly vulnerable time of their lives, is one of a continuing series (locally and nationally) of findings connected to both the care of people both

  • CRICKET: Smith shines in Tew victory

    CHERWELL LEAGUE Graham Scott's Match of the Day AN outstanding 124 by Harry Smith set Great & Little Tew on their way to a 24-run win over Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts in Division 1. Put in to bat, Tew recovered from a slow

  • CRICKET: Downs clinch last-ball win

    CHERWELL LEAGUE Division 1 OXFORD Downs scored the winning runs at Leighton Buzzard Town off the last ball of the final over to clinch a thrilling two-wicket win on Saturday. In a match that had everything, Will Sandbach had already

  • CRICKET: Tiddington can't stop slump

    CHERWELL LEAGUE Division 2 TIDDINGTON'S slide continued when they were bowled out for only 60 on the way to a seven-wicket defeat at the hands of Oxford Downs 2nd. Jack Sopett snapped up 3-8 and Steve Roberts 3-16 as the visitors’

  • Four schools among the best for A-Levels

    BRIGHT sparks across Oxfordshire have helped fire their schools to the top of national A-Level tables. For the first time, the Department for Education has released a breakdown of the best schools by subject. And four county schools were in

  • Trail body identified

    A woman found dead on the Phoenix Trail in Thame has been formally identified as Sheila McNicholas. An inquest into the death of the 73-year-old, of Thame, opened at Oxfordshire Coroner’s Office yesterday. She was found by a member of the public

  • ‘Heroes need help for the rest of their lives'

    IT was seeing his injured colleagues flown out of the battlefield which inspired Dave Lewis to take up their cause. Now RAF engineer Mr Lewis wants as many others as possible to help him raise more cash to help injured heroes. The 49-year-old

  • Wilder promises hard work on Oxford United tour

    Oxford United begin their pre-season tour in earnest today, with manager Chris Wilder promising it will not be a holiday. The squad’s itinerary includes three games and nine training sessions in the United States, before they fly home next Tuesday

  • Woman robbed

    OXFORD: A 53-year-old woman grazed her knee in a robbery as her bag was snatched by a man in Magdalen Wood, Wood Farm, yesterday. The incident happened at about 9.35am. Anyone with any information should call police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers

  • Rape bail date

    OXON: A 27-year-old Oxford man arrested on suspicion of rape has been bailed until August 31. He was arrested after a 27-year-old woman told police she was raped in an alleyway near Norman Way, Wallingford, at 11.30pm on Thursday.

  • Speeder lied about theft

    OXFORD: A motorist caught by a speed camera called police to falsely report his rear number plate had been stolen. Mohammed Hussain, 25, admitted perverting the course of justice and speeding at Oxford Crown Court yesterday. He was snapped

  • Man admits sex assault charges

    A MAN has admitted dragging a woman into the grounds of an Oxford care home and sexually assaulting her. Iain Nicholson appeared at Oxford Crown Court yesterday and admitted three charges. The 51-year-old attacked the woman in the grounds of

  • No jail for drug user who stole from grandma

    A DRUG addict who repeatedly stole from his grandmother to feed his habit has escaped being jailed. Ezra Rees used Teresa Funge’s credit card to withdraw cash on more than 50 occasions, taking more than £5,000. The 23-year-old was sentenced

  • Scientist’s £450,000 grant for cancer research

    AN Oxford scientist has been given £450,000 to investigate the cause of cancer relapse. Dr Adam Mead from Oxford University has been given the research grant from blood cancer charity Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. He will use the money

  • ATHLETICS: Combe Mota-Vation race goes ahead

    THE previously postponed Mota-Vation Series race at Combe will take place tomorrow night (7.30). Postal entries for this race have closed, but new entries will be available on the night.

  • CRICKET: Cater's maiden ton lifts Oxon

    Jonny Cater’s maiden Minior Counties Championship century helped Oxfordshire tighten their grip over Herefordshire on the second day of their Western Division encounter at Brockhampton. The Banbury wicket-keeper/batsman, who top-scored with 77

  • COMMENT: A-Level tables are showing us the huge potential

    FOUR Oxfordshire schools are performing outstandingly well at A-Level, putting themselves among the very top nationally. It represents a fantastic achievement for the students, and a real boost for the county’s education system that has come in

  • COMMENT: Helping our heroes

    WE hope residents heed the Help for Heroes call. Oxfordshire carries out its repatriation role with a sense of duty and dignified pride. These tragic ceremonies are a tribute to the fallen and a reminder of the sacrifice made by serving soldiers

  • UPDATE: Bottled water on way after burst water main

    THAMES Water is sending a truck of bottled water to Headington following the burst of a water main this morning. Spokesman Simon Evans has said engineers are currently digging in Old Road to fix the burst but he said it could be the end of the

  • Burst water main affecting supplies in Headington

    A BURST water main is affecting hundreds of homes in Headington this morning. Water supplies went off at around 6.30am and homes as far afield as Ramsay Road and Snowdon Mede are affected. Some have no water and others have low water pressure.

  • The battle against flooding continues

    WORK is continuing to protect residents in Witney and Abingdon five years after devastating floods hit the county. About £1m has been spent in West Oxfordshire since the county was hit in July 2007. More than 1,600 West Oxfordshire residents

  • City comes under attack in a Viking invasion

    A HOARD of Saxons and Vikings descended on Oxford Castle to take part in an epic battle. People watched as the invasion of Oxford by the Vikings was re-enacted over the weekend. Among those doing battle was Banbury’s Lauren Makin, 21, right

  • All-singin' all -dancin' surprise for shoppers

    TALENTED youngsters burst into song at a surprise “flashmob” at an Oxford shopping centre. About 60 performers from West Oxfordshire Academy of Performing Arts sang and danced to pop hits in the Clarendon Centre on Saturday, including Dynamite

  • Oxford's bus scheme is just the ticket

    A YEAR after it was introduced, Oxford’s landmark joint ticketing system has been hailed a success by bosses and passengers. The £10m scheme allows passengers to get on any bus on the same route, even if they are run by different bus companies.

  • City comes under attack in a Viking invasion

    A HOARD of Saxons and Vikings descended on Oxford Castle to take part in an epic battle. People watched as the invasion of Oxford by the Vikings was re-enacted over the weekend. Among those doing battle was Banbury’s Lauren Makin, 21, who said

  • The battle against flooding continues

    WORK is continuing to protect residents in Witney and Abingdon five years after devastating floods hit the county. About £1m has been spent in West Oxfordshire since the county was hit in July 2007. More than 1,600 West Oxfordshire residents