A CHURCH at the heart of a Witney community is set for a complete overhaul after more than £130,000 was donated. Some of the funding was bequeathed in worshippers’ wills. Holy Trinity Church in Woodgreen launched a £65,000 appeal last year to replace
After only 194 days in the job, Paolo Di Canio has been sacked as Sunderland manager. Was it player power or the Italian’s management style that got him the sack? Rumour has it that senior players went to the club’s chief executive Margaret
I fell in love with Oxford only when I came here to Wadham College in 1964, even though my father and many relations before him had been born and brought up in Oxford. I revered the university for its history, eminence as a place of learning and
IT is all very well to suggest that the amount of nurses working at any moment on a given ward be made public, but this information is pretty useless without reference to their quality or the widely varying requirements of different groups of patients
You recently published a letter (September 20) from Terry Knight concerning housing expansion and business development. However, he suggests that the only jobs brought by new developments will be a few hi-tech positions. The proposed developments
I am writing regarding Jim Young’s letter (Hard work done over the years is paying off, September 24). He points out the primary schools’ Reading Campaign success of all the combined entities involved, then goes on to hope that the funding and
On September 10, Oxford City Council was one of the sponsors of a conference The Way We Live: How can our neighbourhoods be fit for 21st-century living. A paper What can we learn from Europe? was presented by Wulf Daseking, former director of development
In his opinion piece (September 23), Dr Hojjat Ramzy correctly writes that the wearing of the veil “exists as a tradition in some Muslim countries or tribes.” But he contradicts himself a little by saying the niqab is ‘Islamic’. The face veil is
DEBT is not a modern evil – but it certainly feels like one. The banking crisis, the widening wealth gap between rich and poor and the constant rush to keep up with the Joneses mean more and more of us seem, financially speaking, to be piling on the
FIRST he won the contest to design the London 2012 Olympic torch. Now Witney-born Jay Osgerby has won a competition to design chairs for Oxford’s revamped Bodleian Library. His three-legged creation will be used throughout the refurbished £75m
A 41-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of raping a teenager. The man, from the Carterton area, was arrested last night and remains in custody at this time. The arrest is in connection with an incident in the early hours of Saturday
A FAITH walk that helps to bring religious communities together each year could be scrapped in future due to a lack of funds. The Council of Faiths, which organises the walk, received £5,000 from Oxford City Council when it was formed in 2007/08
BUS service contracts for routes in Witney, Woodstock and Chipping Norton are being reviewed and some could face the chop. Oxfordshire County Council has launched a two-month long consultation on 30 services where contracts with companies end in
CALLS for big firms to be banned from hiring Oxford’s Bonn Square have been made after a bid by Nestlé was rejected. The firm has been blocked from using the square to publicise its Nescafé three-in-one product on November 13 after a neighbour
THE leasing strategy for shop units at Oxford’s Covered Market is being reviewed by city councillors in a bid to prevent chain stores from opening there. In 2011, Oxford City Council, which owns the market, agreed to rent out one of the units to
THE number of people helped with financial issues like debt by Rose Hill and Donnington Advice Centre has rocketed by 40 per cent in two years. Centre bosses said major benefit reforms such as the controversial “bedroom tax” (see panel) had led
A man has admitted concealing more than £100,000 before and after he was declared bankrupt. Francis Laight, of Mill Street, Witney, pleaded guilty yesterday in Oxford Crown Court to two charges. He admitted concealing £50,000 on February 25
OXFORDSHIRE will get five new ambulances to help combat a possible health crisis this winter. The county’s fleet will next month rise by 24 per cent – from 21 vehicles to 26 – in a move to improve response times this winter, when hospitals could
WITNEY & DISRICT FA - DIVISION 4 LEE Parsons scored a hat-trick in Eynsham SSC Res’ 8-0 hammering of Milton Res. Eynsham, who continued their perfect start, had Kevin Webb (2), Andy Seaford (2) and Dan Johnson to thank for their other goals
THE points were shared in a remarkable Division 1 clash which finished 5-5 as Sporting Headington Academicals hosted Iffley Harriers, writes DARYL RIDGLEY. The hosts raced into the lead with goals from Ben Wright and Tim Wright. Dan Bond responded
Oxford City Council’s planning review committee will meet tonight at the Town Hall at 6pm.
A woman accused of dealing heroin and cocaine has appeared at Oxford Crown Court. Keisha Gardener, 34, of Northcote Avenue, Ealing, London – arrested last October as part of an investigation into the supply of class A drugs to the Bicester area
A FORMER shop assistant has been awarded £176 from her former employer following a dispute over holiday pay. Kasia Podlasiak turned to Oxford Citizens’ Advice Bureau after she received just £1 in lieu of untaken holidays when she resigned from
WITNEY & DISRICT FA - FRED FORD CUP WOOTTON are through to the second round after they saw off league newcomers Tower Hill 8-2. Charlie Bough and Dave Oliver bagged braces for the hosts, while Mark Rawlings, Graham Berry, Tom Faulkner and
WOMEN'S FOOTBALL TOWER Hill Ladies were knocked out of the FA Cup first round following a 7-0 home defeat by Leverstock Green. The Hertfordshire side, who play in a league above, had an all-round game that was too good for Tower, who nonetheless
AN impressive crowd of 251 turned out on Saturday to see Berinsfield’s 4-0 win over Faringdon Town, setting a new North Berks League record, writes MATTHEW BRUCE. The match was part of the league’s annual Groundhop Day event, which attracts fans
JOSH Dennis helped himself to five goals as Drayton Wasps kicked off their season with an emphatic 8-0 victory at home to Grove Challengers in the Under 14 C League. Nick Webster hit two fantastic long-range goals, first with his right and then
Two cars collided on the A34 northbound near East Ilsley yesterday morning. The silver Vauxhall Astra and brown VW Beetle crashed shortly before 8am, before being moved to the hard shoulder. No-one was hurt in the accident and no delays were
A WOULD-BE burglar hid in a field and was bitten by a police dog after trying to steal thousands of pounds worth of steel, a jury heard. Andrew Fitzsimons, of St James Cottages, Grove, near Wantage, denies one count of burglary at Field Barn Farm
THE news that five more ambulances will be joining our county’s fleet next month has naturally been welcomed. It pleases the Prime Minister – but it will please many others, too. At a time when public sector cash injections are as rare as convincing
A 25-year-old man fought off three robbers who attacked him in a tunnel in Bicester. The attempted robbery happened in Longfields at 2am on Saturday. Police described the robbers as men aged between 20 and 25 and asked anyone with information
A man has denied raping a 14-year-old girl during an appearance at Oxford Crown Court. Owen Froude, 22, of Gainsborough Green, Abingdon, is charged with rape and causing or inciting a child aged between 13 and 17 to be involved in pornography. He was
A 35-year-old man accused of burgling a house and stealing a car has been refused bail. Justin Bourton, of Dashwood Road, Rose Hill, has been charged with a break-in on Thursday, July 4, in Courtland Road, Rose Hill. He was remanded in custody
WITNEY & DISRICT FA - DIVISION 2 DAN Hall bagged a four-timer as Carterton Rangers made it three wins from three after a 7-0 home thrashing of Witney Royals Res. Lewis Oakey, Billy Hales and Tom Moreby also scored. Dave Cooper led the way
WITNEY & DISRICT FA - DIVISION 3 MIDDLE Barton continued their fast start, with Charlie Yeomans, Jack Fowler and Paul Kay securing a 3-0 home win over Kingham Res. Matt Smith hit four as Chipping Norton Res smashed Bourton Rovers Res 10
Solvanna sprang a 16-1 surprise for Heather Main’s Kingston Lisle stables, near Wantage, with victory in a mile and a quarter handicap at Lingfield yesterday, with Andrea Atzeni on board.
TEACHERS and education chiefs are celebrating the first anniversary of the Oxfordshire Reading Campaign today. The campaign has been hailed a big success, with the number of Oxfordshire children making good levels of progress in reading having
A teenager has appeared at Oxford Crown Court charged with two rapes. The 17-year-old from Finstock is accused of raping two underage girls this year. He has also been charged with sexually assaulting an underage girl in Witney on August 20
Russia is accusing a group of 30 Greenpeace activists, which includes an Oxfordshire man, of piracy. Last week, the Arctic Sunrise ship was boarded by Russian security officers in the Barents Sea after four Greenpeace members tried to board an
Dylan Butler smashed seven goals as Eynsham Youth reached the second round of the Giles Sports Witney Youth League's Under 12 Knockout Cup with a 13-1 victory over Middleton Cheney. Butler has hit a rich vein of form, and notched another impressive
Anna Nawn scored a sensational 11 goals as Cherwell (Oxford) cruised to an 18-0 home win over Wheatley Park in the ESFA Girls’ Under 13 PlayStation Schools’ Cup first round. Chloe Duckett hit a hat-trick, and there were doubles for Isabella Gifford
OXFORD MAIL GIRLS LEAGUE UNDER 12 Oxford City were again in irresistible form as they hit five unanswered goals for the second consecutive match at home to Kidlington Harriers. Amanda Osarobo bagged a brace, opening the scoring with a solid
Oxfordshire Senior League Oakley United came out on top 3-1 at Adderbury Park in the battle between the two Premier Division clubs with 100 per cent records. The hosts dominated the first half, but it was the visitors who made it six wins from
Eight men arrested after a brawl in the city centre have been rebailed again by police. The suspects, aged 19, 20, 22, 23, 24 and 28, were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder following the Gloucester Green fight, which saw 16 people arrested
Chiltern Railways has been named top rail operator for punctuality for the 10th period running, according to the latest figures released by Network Rail. The official rail industry figures, which are based on the percentage of services that arrive
NEARLY 400 homes have been approved by ministers in a move described by Banbury MP Sir Tony Baldry as the “most disappointing” affecting the constituency in his 30 years in the post. Government ministers have overturned the refusal of four planning
A FIREFIGHTER has defended a decision that is set to see two thirds of Oxfordshire’s firemen strike today. A planned strike by 400 of the county’s 600 firefighters will see the county’s force rely on part-time firemen from noon to 4pm while full-time
WITNEY & DISRICT FA - PREMIER & DIVISION 1 GOALS from Paul Rose and Joey Burgess saw Charlbury come from two goals down to claim a 2-2 draw with Hanborough in the Premier Division, writes Anthony Barlow. Mark Goode and Jack Eley had
OXFORD MAIL GIRLS LEAGUE UNDER 14 EMILY Parker and Jenna Owen scored four apiece as Bloxham beat Wantage 10-0. The home side were 8-0 up at half-time, Owen scoring four and Parker netting twice, with further goals coming from Rosie Gowing
A MAN has gone on trial accused of repeatedly sexually abusing a young girl for more than four years. Bradley Antill, of Fulmar Place, Grove, near Wantage, has been charged with one count of rape, five counts of sexual assault and eight counts
ADMINISTRATORS took away several trucks full of cattle from a family-run company that officials believe has more than £23m of debt. As many as 30 security guards with unmarked vehicles with blacked-out licence plates, as well as police vans, have
LAWYERS were paid more than £14,000 to monitor the Old Bailey grooming gang trial for Oxfordshire County Council. Five of the six victims of the Oxford child sex ring were in the care of county social services when they were abused. And figures
IT MAY be September, but that didn’t stopped Tim Hall from enjoying an ice cream in the park. The weather in Oxford was unseasonably warm yesterday and it looks like this is going to continue – which has brought a smile to the face of Mr Hall,
A motorcyclist who died after he crashed into a telegraph poll was 28 and from Didcot. The biker died of his injuries following the accident in Drayton on Monday afternoon. His blue Suzuki motorcycle left Milton Road and hit the post just before
The trial of five men allegedly caught accepting cables and lead from undercover police officers posing as metal thieves will resume today. Yesterday a jury member could not attend Oxford Crown Court for the trial, which is expected to last another
An inquest has been opened and adjourned into the death of 23-year-old Thomas Franklin. The young gymnast of Abingdon Road, was found in Hinksey Park on Saturday morning with serious head and upper body injuries, thought to be caused by a fall.
PLANS for the biggest housing development in Oxford in a generation have cleared their first hurdle after winning the approval of councillors. The city council’s east area planning committee last night approved an outline planning application for
RYAN Clarke has backed Oxford United to avoid the prolonged slumps which ruined last season as they attempt to respond to a first defeat league defeat of the campaign. The U’s went down to a 1-0 defeat at home to an impressive Chesterfield outfit
ALLOTMENT bosses in Oxford say a tenant has lost the plot – by piling his green space with furniture. Horticulturalists at the allotments in Old Marston have demanded that the occupant cleans up by November 1 or quits. Items on the Court Place
Residents can get a glimpse at university life with a day of free lectures, seminars and walking tours. More than 40 events will be held from Rewley House, Wellington Square tomorrow. The Oxford University Continuing Education event will run
An 80-year-old woman has thanked a stranger who helped her after she tripped over and fell on her face while hurrying to catch a bus to London. Mary Meagher, of Hugh Allen Crescent, Marston, said: “It happened at about 7.30am on Tuesday morning
Community and voluntary groups can bid for funds after a grant application process opened in the city. The city council’s annual grants programme is now open and community and voluntary groups are being invited to apply for money for the next financial
DEVELOPERS have been warned that they will have to set aside more money for cycle schemes in Oxfordshire under new plans. The proposals could have an impact on all developments in the county, although full details of how much they could cost house
GREEN flags honour parks and blue flags recognise beaches but the purple flag, which Oxford celebrates this week, is for safe and vibrant nightlife. The flag was awarded to the city in 2010 by the Association of Town Centre Management. Oxford
