FOR grandmother Margaret McLuckie, Christmas two years ago was one of the hardest times her family has experienced. Her grandson Rowan, who had been cared for in the Children’s Critical Care Unit at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital, died on December
A HISTORY enthusiast brandished a First World War bayonet and a Roman-style sword in a bust-up with a neighbour. Terrance Hare took the historical weapons out into the street after an argument with a fellow resident of Hawksmoor Road, Oxford.
A survey by Vale of White Horse District Council shows 95 per cent of residents in the district are satisfied with life there. The survey also found that one in three people had carried out volunteer work in the past 12 months. Residents said
OXFORD United have signed striker Josh Parker on non-contract terms. With four matches in 11 days over the festive period, boss Chris Wilder moved to strengthen his front line with Jon-Paul Pittman and Deane Smalley out injured. James Constable
A HIKER who was arrested naked in Carterton will spend Christmas in prison. Stephen Gough, 43, was walking from the Scottish border to his mother's home in southern England when he was arrested and charged with outraging public decency. Oxford
MR Cameron’s Government should be really proud of themselves. They spout off that good education in schools will benefit this country in the future. Yes, but they only see that side of their policies. At the weekend I read on the internet that
COUNCILLOR John Tanner (Viewpoints, December 14) protests at Cllr Fatemian’s telling the city council what to spend its money on. But he is himself telling the county council what it should be spending its money on. He protests at the threatened
Tim Siret is correct (ViewPoints, Tuesday December 11). Here we go again. Remember Saddam Hussein – the guy with the WMD? Now Assad’s accused of preparing to use VX nerve gas. Prior to the Iraq conflict, Bush, Blair and their backers, the Neo-Cons
LISTENING to the radio recently, the topic discussed was Bicester village and what effect it has had on surrounding towns such as Abingdon and Chipping Norton. Apparently the last shoe shop in Bicester town has had to close and it was said that
I WAS on a mission of mercy this week – for Father Christmas. The old chap was treble booked and as three of his bookings were near me, he asked if I would help out. How could I refuse? Note to cynical grown-ups: this is my story and I’m sticking
THE Rotary Club of Oxford Spires would like to thank all those who gave donations to our carol-singing collection on Friday, December 14, in the pubs, clubs and restaurants in Woodstock. Your generosity helped to raise around £320 for Vale House, Sandford-on-Thames
AS AN addition to David Butcher’s points (ViewPoints, December 19), he does have genuine fears. Labour’s immigration policy was too lax and it has led to this situation. My concern is that the majority of foreigners coming in are not prepared
WE would like to echo Jim Young’s sentiments (Viewpoints, December 18) congratulating all those involved in Oxfordshire’s primary schools obtaining record Key Stage 2 results, the product of many years of hard work. In particular, we would like
HERE we go again, the great debate with Ian Cummings continues, regards my calling William Hague “a moron” (ViewPoints, December 18). Yes Ian, I agree Saddam Hussein had moronic tendencies but when the gassing of the Kurds happened, it was blamed
Spotlight on LAURA LAFFAN, who is a community fundraiser for the Poppy Appeal WHAT I AM CALLED: Laura Laffan l MY AGE: 28 years old. WHAT I DO: I work for The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal as a community fundraiser covering Oxfordshire
YOU may still be trying to catch your breath after this year’s race, but registration is now open for the 2013 Oxford Half Marathon. In October, 4,200 runners pounded a new route through the Mini factory, into the city centre and beneath the Kassam
Nathan Geary is back for Kidlington’s trip to Binfield in the Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division tomorrow. Headington Amateurs are without Paul Hedger (injured), Tom Payne (suspended) and keeper Harry Jenkins (unavailable) for their trip
YOU’RE making a list and checking it twice... Which means it is the perfect opportunity to do some reading practice. The National Literacy Trust, which is running the Oxford Mail backed Oxfordshire Reading Campaign, is urging parents to think
HOMELESS, in debt and struggling with alcohol, single mum Edith Mulondo had hit rock bottom. But after two years at a centre which helps young parents, the 24-year-old has turned her life around. Rachel House this month celebrates 10 years
A CHARITY which allows 400 disabled people in Oxfordshire to enjoy books will receive a royal award. Calibre Audio Library is one of 60 recipients of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Award. The charity supplies audio books to people
A woman will stand trial next year in connection with an incident at the Witney Christmas lights switch-on. Bethan Tichborne, 28, of Campbell Road in Cowley, denies one count of obstructing a constable in the execution of his duty and one count
Oxford City boss Mike Ford has urged his side to forget about their 1-0 FA Trophy exit at Sutton United and instead channel their energy into beating visitors Histon in Blue Square Bet North at Court Place Farm tomorrow. Ford felt his side deserved
THREE Berinsfield homes were raided for drugs by police yesterday in a bid to tackle dealing in the area. Properties were searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act in Colwell Drive, Wey Road, and Evenlode Drive. A warrant was also executed in
FURTHER cuts to council services in Oxfordshire are likely after unexpectedly deep cuts in Government funding. Ministers have changed the way they allocate money to local authorities, in a bid to make the system fairer. The new system, referred
Murder detectives are today due to travel to Wales in a bid to find out who killed a man in a Banbury pub more than eight years ago. Father-of-two Kevin Lavelle, 29, was attacked in the Cricketer’s Pub, Grimsbury, on the evening England played
Teenagers who do not have access to the internet are “educationally disadvantaged”, according to a new study. Researchers at Oxford University’s Department of Education studied more than 1,000 households in the UK. Researcher Dr Rebecca Eynon
A fundraising event tonight at the Ultimate Picture Palace cinema in aid of the Cowley Road Carnival has sold out. More than 100 tickets were snapped up for Silent Night, during which two of Charlie Chaplin’s short films, The Pawn Shop and The
Skipper Tom Allen will step into the scrum-half breach when Henley Hawks entertain Lydney in National 2 South tomorrow (2.30pm). Hawks were knocked off the top of the table for the first time this season following last week’s 25-22 defeat by Dings
Didcot Town boss Gary Elkins has accused skipper Gareth Thomas of jumping ship after he left the Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West strugglers to join rivals Abingdon United. His departure left Town short in Tuesday’s 4-0 loss
SATURDAY FOOTBALL NPOWER LEAGUE TWO Oxford Utd v Fleetwood Tn. BLUE SQUARE BET NORTH Oxford City v Histon. EVO-STIK SOUTHERN LEAGUE Premier Div: St Albans City v Banbury Utd. Div 1 South & West: Abingdon Utd v Tiverton
London Welsh head coach Lyn Jones makes 13 changes for tonight’s Aviva Premiership clash at Worcester. From the side that lost to Grenoble last Saturday at the Kassam Stadium, Tom Arscott keeps his place at full back, while Seb Jewell stays at
Riley's are hosting a Christmas competition at their Between Towns Road, Oxford, home, with cash prizes on offer. The tournament will take place on Saturday, December 29 and is open to all. Contact the club on 01865 749147 or come in and speak
Oxfordshire 2nd suffered an agonising 8-7 defeat against Division 4 Central leaders Shropshire in the County Championship. The loss denied Oxon the chance to top the table at the turn of the year. After the singles were shared 2-2, the hosts
IN AN occupation where P45s are dished out like confetti, mere survival is an achievement in itself for football managers. There cannot be many jobs where achievements in the past can be so quickly obscured by indifferent results in the present
London Welsh head coach Lyn Jones has warned his players to be aware of Worcester’s attacking threat when the teams meet at Sixways Stadium to-night (8pm), writes MICHAEL KNOX. Following the two-week European excursion into the Amlin Challenge
Three up-and-coming youngsters from Oxfordshire have been highlighted as some of the brightest talents in the country. Tom Dyakowski, Alexis Canter and Connor Ferguson have all been included on the Lawn Tennis Association’s (LTA) Aegon FutureStars
Chris Wilder celebrates four years as Oxford United manager today. And the man who played a huge role in bringing him to the Kassam Stadium believes the impact he has had on the club should not be underestimated. Jim Smith says Wilder has done
Firefighters tackled a mattress blaze at a block of flats in Oxford. One man was injured in the fire but was treated at the scene by paramedics yesterday morning. Two fire engines were called to the incident at a flat in Roland Hill Court,
Two men have denied raping a woman in Headington’s Bury Knowle Park. Julio Dos-Santos, 28, of Nightingale Avenue, Greater Leys, Oxford, and Takudzwa Hunda, 26, of Casterbridge Road, Swindon, are alleged to have had sex with a woman against her
BEAMING smiles and Christmas cheer lit up Oxford Children’s Hospital yesterday – and that was just from the Oxford United players. Overloaded with gifts, the first team squad spent the morning on the wards, handing out goodies to young patients
BUSINESSES in Jericho have welcomed the prospect of getting the area’s boatyard redeveloped. It comes after news that discussions are set to take place next month over the sale of the boarded-up Castlemill boatyard. Administrator PricewaterhouseCoopers
SEVERAL men who were charged after police raids on scrap metal yards are set to appear at Oxford Crown Court next year. Five men were charged after a raid at Smiths of Bloxham in May this year. Peter Smith, 68, of Bloxham Road, Bloxham, appeared
OXFORDSHIRE County Council has hit back at claims that two brothers who failed to remove waste land from their golf club were unfairly jailed. Ron and Mick Wyatt were sent to prison last month for failing to comply with a court injunction ordering
RAINFALL across Oxfordshire is not likely to cause floods like those seen last month, but the county is not out of the woods yet. That was the message from the Met Office and Environment Agency yesterday as the county was hit by heavy downpours
Firefighters left the scene of a haystack fire at noon yesterday, more than 36 hours after the blaze started. The 800 bales of hay, by the side of Hanney Road, caught fire on Tuesday evening and the road was still closed last night. Fire and
DENIS Witney’s mother said her son was a sporty, sociable and kind man, whose life was destroyed by alcohol. Karen Witney, 57, of Lyndworth Close, Headington, sat with her family and friends throughout the trial at Oxford Crown Court. She said
THE five-week-long murder trial gave an insight into the world of drink and drug addicts in Oxford. Wayne Cattell and Daniel McCollin were yesterday convicted of murdering homeless man Denis Witney. They were part of a group that would drink
JAMES Constable says Oxford United will only be able to look forward to their FA Cup meeting with Sheffield United if they are successful in league games over Christmas. The striker scored one goal and made another as the U’s beat Accrington Stanley
THE men who beat Denis Witney to death will both serve at least 17 years behind bars. There were sighs of relief in Oxford Crown Court yesterday when a jury unanimously found Wayne Cattell and Daniel McCollin guilty of the homeless man’s murder
The prospect of finally seeing progress on the redevelopment of the long derelict Castle Mill boatyard is welcome. And it’s about time too. For nearly 20 years it has been a symbol of wasted potential, so any steps in the right direction should
WE all know alcohol can have a devastating effect on people’s lives. But none will feel that more keenly than Karen Witney, the mother of murder victim Denis Witney. It is hard not to be moved by Mrs Witney’s words, as she describes how her son
Major disruptions on train lines between Oxford and Paddington are causing problems for commuters this morning. Five trains between Oxford and London Paddington have been cancelled due to signalling problems, including the 7am, 7.15am, 7.21am,
The number of flood alerts in Oxfordshire has increased from 15 to 23 overnight. Oxfordshire is on low risk flood alert today and tomorrow. There are 23 flood alerts in place around the county put in place by the Environment Agency but no flood
The Mayans have predicted the world will end today so here is a blog charting potentially the end of the world. You'll know it is the end of the world when the screen goes black... Leave your final comments for the end of the world in the
Two men are suspected of stealing more than £400 worth of vodka and candles, and punching someone in the face when he tried to stop them. The pair’s faces have been revealed behind door 21 of the Oxford Mail’s Badvent calendar campaign. Our
PLANS for more businesses which could boost jobs in Banbury have been welcomed. A developer wants to build up to three new industrial units by the DHL depot at Banbury Point, Wildmere Industrial Estate, near junction 11 of the M40. The scheme
People convicted of offences at magistrates' courts in Oxfordshire recently: Paul Shakespeare, 37, of Pegasus Road, Oxford, convicted of assault by beating at Malford Road, Headington, Oxford, on July 22. Also convicted of criminal damage to a
DISRUPTION to train services between Oxfordshire and London Paddington is expected to continue for much of today. First Great Western is warning passengers that problems could last until at least mid-afternoon while Network Rail engineers try to
