FORMER South African president Nelson Mandela, who died on Thursday, received numerous honours from the city of Oxford. The Nobel Peace prize winner visited on two occasions, but was also regularly in the thoughts of people in the city. Mandela
Thieves have taken mobile phones, laptops, and cash from sports grounds in Oxford. A bag and two phones were taken from the AstroTurf pitch in Gipsy Lane and Cheney Lane on Wednesday. And phones, laptops and cash were taken from a changing
The next blood donation sessions in Witney will take place next Friday. They will take place from 1.30pm to 3.30pm and 4.15pm to 7pm in Madley Park Hall, Northfield Farm Lane. Call 0300 123 23 23 or visit blood.co.uk
Hundreds of fish have been released into the wild in Oxfordshire to boost their population. About 500 roach and tench were poured into Adderbury Lakes in North Oxfordshire as part of an Environment Agency project which has seen 15,000 fish released
OXFORDSHIRE’S political, religious and community leaders have paid tribute to Nelson Mandela, described as a “true global hero”. Following the former South African president’s death on Thursday, people from across the county paid their respects
A 20-year-old man has been released without charge after a teenager was attacked in Oxford city centre. The 19-year-old victim was assaulted in Lower Fisher Row in the early hours of September 17 and needed stitches to his ear after the attack.
A memorial service for loved ones is being held at the Churchill Hospital, Oxford. The Lights of Love Tree, organised by Sobell House Hospice, will be lit today at 3.30pm and each light will be dedicated to a lost loved one. A short service
A Cowley church is preparing to hold its annual Christmas tree festival. There will be trees decorated by charities and community groups at St James’ Church in Beauchamp Lane from today until Sunday, December 15. A fundraising concert will
ONE woman has been ‘scalped’ and four men set upon with razor blades — all for the sake of the latest hi-tech pagers. The only lasting damage done to the Thame-based South Central Ambulance Community Responder staff was a touch of razor rash.
A former Oxfordshire resident who made death threats against South East MEP Nigel Farage after the two were involved in a plane crash has died. The body of Justin Adams, 48, was found by police at his home in Eastbourne, East Sussex, last month
It has been a busy couple of weeks – but they have certainly been very rewarding. I have done a few dinner talks and interviews, but the highlight has to be the Oxfordshire Sports Awards. A couple of my friends and I rocked up to the awards
THREE generations of a family were thrilled when they got the chance to meet footballing star Ikechi Anya. The Watford winger returned to his former school Gosford Hill School to present awards to high achievers at the Kidlington secondary school
IT HAS been a “long and arduous” project, lasting two-and-a-half years. But a youth club has finally opened in Long Hanborough, West Oxfordshire, and the first two nights attracted more than 100 children. The club was the idea of villager Jon
CHRISTMAS came early for sick children at Oxford Children’s Hospital. Bikers from the H Cafe in Berinsfield swapped their leathers for Santa suits to deliver hundreds of presents as part of an annual tradition. This year the 70 bikers met 16
FRIENDS Enid Godfrey and Yvonne Bayliss tucked into a festive feast served up by Oxford’s Big Bang restaurant. The free lunch fed more than 130 elderly people at the restaurant in Oxford Castle, and a similar number were catered for at the Jam
BELLY dancers will join Santa Claus for a special Christmas party organised by a Witney charity for the disabled. DITTO, which stands for ‘Doing it together to overcome’, are a group of disabled people of all ages, and their carers, who meet once
Oxford's businesses will soon be able to apply for up to £3,000 in vouchers to install faster broadband. The scheme, for small and medium-sized businesses, will launch in the city early next year and aims to help boost trade in the city. Oxford
THE DANGERS of drink driving were plain to see to the shoppers who tried out the “beer goggles” designed to mimic the effect of being intoxicated. Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service want shoppers to try out the special glasses
HANDLING around £2,000 worth of stolen jewellery has landed a Banbury man with an eight-month prison sentence. Sean Colee, of William Close, pleaded guilty to one count of handling stolen goods on August 12 last year following the break-in of an
A 20-YEAR-OLD man with learning difficulties sent sexually explicit phone messages to what he thought was an 11-year-old girl but was actually her mother. Matthew Meyer, of Orchard Way, Wantage, was jailed for 12 months on Thursday at Oxford Crown
FOR people who are homeless real life is hard enough, so the last thing on their minds is acting in a play. But those who have spent time living on the streets in Oxford are gaining a massive confidence boost by taking part in Hidden Spire: How
Chris Wilder is set to remain as Oxford United manager after it emerged last night that Richie Barker is in line to be named as the new Portsmouth boss. Barker has been favourite throughout the process having worked with Pompey chief executive
Oxford United’s walking wounded will be assessed today as the coaching staff draw up preparations for Monday’s FA Cup second round tie at Wrexham. Assistant manager Mickey Lewis joked he might need to be named on the bench, but the mounting injury
HOW impossible life must seem for any parent whose child dies. But when the cause is suicide, it must seem utterly hopeless. So how remarkable that Michael and Amanda Bowlby of Kingston Lisle have not slipped into an abyss of despair, but instead
ON July 7, 1997, Nelson Mandela was awarded the freedom of the city of Oxford. For Oxonians however, he was honoured in our hearts and minds long before. His impact as an individual of great dignity, modesty and compassion is almost impossible
THE parents of a teenager who died after taking an acne drug have called for it to be banned. Jack Bowlby, a keen horserider from Kingston Lisle, near Wantage, was found dead in his room at Cheltenham College on October 12 last year, aged 16.
SINGING in a choir can boost mental health, an Oxford Brookes study has revealed. An online survey of 375 choral singers, individual singers and team sports players was carried out. Choristers experienced the greatest benefit out of the three activities
A THIEF who was arrested after leaving his DNA on a salad fork at the scene of a burglary has had his jail sentence reduced by judge Mary Jane Mowat. Aaron Carrol, 27, ransacked a house in York Place, St Clement’s, Oxford, stealing four laptops
A THIEF smashed a car window to take a laptop in East Oxford. The theft happened in Glanville Road overnight on Monday. Call police on 101 with information.
CUTS in support for charities, theatres, arts centres and advice services could lead to closures, managers have warned. As part of the savings outlined by the county council, funding for some organisations will be cut. Yesterday it was revealed
A LAWYER from Chad has been cleared of one count of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl on a city bus. But the jury in the Oxford Crown Court trial of Haroun Mahamat Akai – formerly of Evans Court, Kidlington, but now staying in Perth Road,
AROUND 3,000 houses in the Witney area face disruption to their water supplies over the winter period due to “essential maintenance work”. Thames Water was unable to explain the extent of the work taking place, but it has written to residents to
A WOMAN who parked her car on the Sandy Lane rail crossing in Yarnton has pleaded guilty to endangering safety on the railways. Heather Bister, of Austin Drive, Banbury, appeared at Oxford Crown Court yesterday and admitted committing the offence
THE new director of Healthwatch Oxfordshire outlined the watchdog’s four priorities over the next six months yesterday. David Roulston, who joined in November, said the group would focus on encouraging whistleblowing; forming residents’ groups
YOUNGSTERS from St Barnabas School brought some festive cheer to Oxford city centre yesterday. They sang afternoon carols in the Clarendon Centre to raise money for Oxford Poverty Action Trust. The charity provides shelter, food, day centres
HE spent two months confined in a Russian prison cell without being able to speak to his family and living off “wallpaper paste” porridge. And while Greenpeace activist Phil Ball has been released on bail from the jail in Murmansk, the 42-year-old
The two weeks away from the Greene King IPA Championship will allow London Welsh to iron out the faults that led to losing their 100 per cent record last Saturday, according to assistant coach Gordon Ross. The Exiles slipped to a 28-26 defeat against
Holton A extended their lead in Division 1 of the Oxford & District League with an 8-2 victory over Bicester B 8-2. Jon Abungan won twice for Bicester, but Holton’s Andy Misseldine recorded a maximum as his side march on. In Division 2,
A DRAMA student who was left paralysed after diving head-first into a paddling pool at a summer ball has been told he is not entitled to any compensation. Wheelchair-bound Andrew Risk, 25, suffered the spinal injury when he ran and dived into the
OXFORDSHIRE’S political, religious and community leaders have paid tribute to Nelson Mandela, described as a “true global hero”. Following the former South African president’s death on Thursday, people from across the county paid their respects
PARENTS are concerned they are being “kept in the dark” about a plan to merge two Oxford school sites. Governors at SS Mary and John Primary School announced in March they were looking to move Year 1 and 2 pupils from their current base at the
THE long arm of the law will be extending its helping hand to the hungry this Christmas. PSCO Andy Gunn has been working to fill Christmas hampers for the elderly and vulnerable. Mr Gunn, who works in the Wantage East area, has joined forces
Raymond Wood, chairman of the Serious Cricket Home Counties Pre-mier League since it was founded in 2000, is to step down at next month’s annual meeting. He is set to by succeeded by Ban-bury CC chairman Martin Phillips, who is due to take over
A MISSING 31-year-old man is thought to be in the county after last being seen on the M40. Stechford man Michael Griffiths, 31, was last seen driving on the northbound carriageway near junction 8a at Wheatley on Thursday last week. He was reported
POLICE were last night still appealing for witnesses after a 24-year-old man from Kidlington died riding his scooter. The man – who has not yet been named – died of his injuries at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital on Thursday following a collision
A GREEN Land Rover Defender was stolen after a raid on a farm barn in Botley. Cash was also stolen in the burglary in Tilbury Lane between 5pm on Wednesday and 6am on Thursday. Anyone with information should call police on 101.
Age was no barrier for Doug Baker, 83, in the Gentworks Oxford & District League. He saw off Lewis Moss, 21, to help Riley B move off the bottom of Division 1 with a 3-0 win against Riley A. Connor Jones (+70) beat Peter Franklin (+70)
OXFORDSHIRE County Council, which this year had a total budget of £586m, has revealed it will be axing more than £64m over the next four years. Here we outline the main areas under discussion: CHILDREN, EDUCATION AND FAMILIES DESPITE the
IT was praised by Prime Minister David Cameron just a few weeks ago for its service to people with learning disabilities. But now charity My Life My Choice (MLMC) would be at risk of closing if it had its budget cut by Oxfordshire County Council
Isis angler Dave Kirk continued his fine run of form in the Angling Trust Oxford Winter League by winning round five on a gin-clear Kennet & Avon Canal at Avington. The midweek frosts suggested it would be a struggle for the five teams, but
Ray Butler, a former Headington United footballer who was connected with Abingdon Town for many years, has died at Stowford House, Shippon, near Abingdon, aged 83. An inside forward, he made seven appearances for Headington United in 1952, and
OCA side Dorchester Cricket Club are looking for an umpire for the 2014 season. Matches are played on Saturdays from late April until early September and payment is £35 plus tea. Contact Adrian Redhead on 07798887499 or email adrianredhead@
A break of 89 from Adam Brown, the highest of the season, was in vain as Littlemore RBL C crashed to a 5-1 defeat at leaders Abingdon Conservative Club A in the Gentworks Oxford & District League Premier Division. With his side trailing 4-0
Oxford City Stars look to get their revenge on Slough NIHL Jets at Oxpens Road in a rare Saturday night home game. It’s the first time in nearly 20 years that the rink has become available in the evening slot, and Stars are trailing two games this
WITNEY: Shoppers are being urged to Give a Child a Gift this Christmas. The festive toy appeal is being run by Marriotts Walk shopping centre until December 21. Shoppers can donate an extra Christmas present for children at Oxford’s John Radcliffe
A TEENAGER from Carterton has been named a national “literacy hero” after helping save her school’s library. Jodie Evans was given the award by the National Literacy Trust along with Harry Potter author JK Rowling and actor Henry Winkler, best
I popped into FTB tackle shop in Northway the other day to buy some bait and got talking to Andrew Crisp, doyen of North Oxford Angling Society, writes Gerald Stratford. He told me all about the history of this long-established club. The society
A TEACHER who complained of feeling unwell collapsed and died days later, an inquest heard on Wednesday. Kamaljeet Bidwall was found dead at her home in Avocet Way, Bicester, on April 24 when police broke in after her concerned colleagues called
CHILDHOOD memories are up for sale at an Oxfam bookshop after a rare copy of Peter Pan was donated. The 1912 edition is among the unusual books to hit the shelves of the Thame store recently as the charity shop bids to raise hundreds of pounds
