A TEENAGER has been sentenced for dealing the drugs which led to the death of 15-year-old Martha Fernback. Alex Williams, 17, who can be named after legal restrictions were lifted, was given an 18-month youth rehabilitation order with a 90-day
Matt Freer, freelance environment adviser to the Diocese of Oxford, co-ordinator of Earthingfaith.org on the challenge of climate change The climate has been much on our minds recently. With weeks of rain and flooding causing distress and disruption
A VILLAGE fed up with housing developers has issued a challenge – insisting that if plans are found to be unsustainable, builders should not appeal against a refusal. Residents of East Challow, near Wantage, say developer Bovis Homes is trying
OXFORDSHIRE escaped the worst of the effects of the 1926 General Strike. Our sister paper, The Oxford Times (the first edition of the Oxford Mail didn’t appear until 1928), was upbeat in its assessment of its impact on Thursday, May 6, though there
Moo-ve along! FARMERS flocked to Banbury Market in 1967 to check the latest livestock on offer. Not that this beast was showing much interest in anyone, with its head down and its back to the auctioneer. Young dancers bring in the cash
ST BARNABAS School has been teaching children in the Oxford district of Jericho for 160 years. It has flourished in times of prosperity and survived periods of “dirt, disorder and disease”. The two pictures published here come from reader Roy
An influx of money and resources is transforming an Oxfordshire science centre into a hub of space research Matt Oliver reports from Harwell OXFORDSHIRE has long been at the forefront of cutting-edge science. And now its space industry, currently
On the road to economy THIS wonderful photograph of a team of workers repairing a road, with a steamroller in centre stage, appeared in The Times newspaper. The caption did not identify its location or date, but on closer inspection, I wondered
‘Make the main thing the main thing”. A friend ran a project within a well-known national charity. One day he came to church pleased, for his project had won an award. I had not heard of the award before but, when he told me about it, I thought “What
THE Queen Mother performed the opening ceremonies at two Oxford maternity units. We recorded (Memory Lane, January 20) how, as the Duchess of York, she opened the unit at the Radcliffe Infirmary in October 1931. Now Ann Spokes Symonds has reminded
IT WAS the first annual dinner of the Oxford branch of the Dunkirk Veterans’ Association. Members and their wives met at the Territorial Army Centre in Marston Road, Oxford, in 1962 to remember the Allied troops’ escape from France at the height
POLICE are still investigating reports a man inappropriately touched a woman in a Didcot alleyway before she fought back and escaped. The woman, who is in her 30s, was walking between Station Road and Cronshaw Close at about 3.30pm on Monday December
Sunday's sun was a welcome sign after such a grim winter. Here's a few pictures taken over the weekend from readers celebrating the start of Spring. And if you have any shots you want to share, just email them into us. First up are these images
THE churchyard where the body of teenager Jayden Parkinson was found will be rededicated at the weekend. The Bishop of Dorchester will attend All Saints Church in Didcot on Sunday for the ceremony. Jayden’s body was discovered in a grave by
IT HAS been closed for nearly five months, but Culham Lock will soon be reopened to the public after flooding delayed the £150,000 works. The lock, just south of Abingdon, has been closed to the public since last November. Two sets of gates
A 73-year-old man has died after his mobility scooter was involved in a collision with a car in Kidlington. The incident happened in Oxford Road, Kidlington last Tuesday at about 1.15pm. Thames Valley Police only released details today. He
NEW parking bays have been created in a residential close to tidy up the area. The 13 bays in Redmoor Close, Littlemore, have been installed as part of Oxford City Council’s £500,000 Great Estates project aimed at providing more off-street parking
The debate: Rupert Cunningham Matthew Handley Lord King Lord Glasman Ban Nabarro Sue Cameron Tim Bale Eamonn Butler Conor Burns
A 20-YEAR-OLD who was convicted of breaching his Asbo by swearing inside St Aldate’s police station, has avoided a prison sentence. Jed Denton, of Underhill Circus, Barton, was given a two-year antisocial behaviour order by Oxford magistrates in
STUDENTS at Oxford University have written an open letter about their concerns following the death of a philosophy undergraduate. Signed by 135 students and alumni, the letter says they are worried about the lack of information given after Charlotte
Wallingford and Didcot NCT will hold its next nearly-new sale at Cranford House School on Saturday, April 26. New parents will be able to pick up second-hand clothes, toys and more, and pay by cash or card. The sale will run from 10.45am to
Plans to buy surplus MoD land in Bicester to create the UK’s largest self-build development have taken a major step forward. Last Monday, Cherwell District Council’s executive agreed to press ahead with multi-million pound plans to buy the 187
KEEN gardeners have been sprucing up the grounds of the Henry Cornish Care Centre in Chipping Norton. The residents prepared themselves for spring with help by the team from Topiarus Horticulture. Manager Matthew Jackman offered to assist the
OCC have legally begun using a telephone system that generates much income by the way it leads the caller on a path to nowhere while using a premium rate number. I called today to report an error to the highways department and was given five choices
This letter is from 2024. A decade ago Botley residents hoped redevelopments would improve their neighbourhood. This happened instead: s Doric wasn’t the developer of the whole site. Instead, it flipped the land with planning permits to others
Gervais Bell, 26, of Nuffield Close, Didcot, admitted failing to stop a mechanically controlled vehicle when required by a police constable or traffic warden in Abingdon Road, Didcot, on February 7. Also admitted driving without insurance and driving
PARISH councillors have called for an “eyesore” building site to be cleared up. The owner of the property, Anthony Woods, gained permission in July 2009 to demolish an existing bungalow in Upper Road, Kenninton, and build a two-storey block of
Former England footballer Sol Campbell will be signing copies of his book Sol Searching at Coles Bookstore, in Crown Walk, Bicester, on April 5, from 1pm to 4pm. The defender, who also played for Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, has co-written the
Twenty five years ago I was an idiot. A job, for a fashion writer in London – an occupation I had no experience of – was advertised in The Guardian newspaper. I didn’t apply. After all, fashion and I were as distant as Auckland, New Zealand and
BEFORE anyone considers joining the humanists or any other atheist group, it would be advisable to read the historical facts behind organised atheism: Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler and Chairman Mao were leaders of atheist regimes that managed to exterminate
THE month of March is ovarian cancer awareness month. I wondered if I might plead with all women who have any of the following symptoms to see their GP immediately. * If you have increased abdominal size and bloating that does not go away.
YET another multinational convenience store has now arrived in Headington. To the public’s dismay we now have Sainsbury’s as well as Morrisons. In my opinion Headington has lost all of its character. It used to be a very vibrant area to visit when
FURTHER to your article dated Wednesday, March 5, regarding the West Way proposal. We are very disappointed to read that Matthew Barber, leader of the Vale of the White Horse, seems to have tied his colours to the mast (or the Doric mast) somewhat
The city council may have chosen to receive Vincent Goodstadt’s review of their procedures that led to the decision to approve the Roger Dudman Way development as exoneration. However, those that have taken the trouble to read that document will
A special sensory show for young people with serious learning disabilities is being held at The Cornerstone, Didcot, next week. The theatre production called Tunnels is an interactive show made for 13 to 25-year-olds with profound and multiple
The older residents of Wallingford have been invited to a free showcase of local care services. Bluebird care is organising the care fair at St Mary’s Church, in the market place, from 10am to midday on Tuesday, March 18. It will include stalls
MICKEY Lewis backed his out-of-form players to put in hard graft to reignite Oxford United’s promotion push. The U’s lost their third game in a winless run of four matches when Burton Albion won 2-1 at the Kassam Stadium in a contest of contrasting
THINK about science and images of test tubes might spring to mind. But don’t let the Bunsen burners distract you – this is a serious subject and an important one. A series of events is taking place across the country as Oxfordshire Science Festival
THE future of Oxford Stadium is a question mark that has been hanging over a part of the city for some time. Each day draws us nearer to an answer. The revelation that a local farmer, Robert Tyrrell, has thrown his hat into the ring, in an
ANNETTE White, of Rewley Road, wrote to you (March 3) about the felling of lots of trees along the canal by British Waterways (BW) now the Canal and Rivers Trust (CRT). As one of the local councillors, I did question this at the time. The city
OXFORD city centre was taken over by dance this weekend as performers took part in the 10-day Dancin’ Oxford festival. On Saturday, Sole Rebel Tap, gave a performance in Broad Street which drew in the crowds. It was part of the final few days of
OXFORDSHIRE County Council is launching a review after slashing the number of committees scrutinising its work. After last year’s county council election, the authority decided to cut the number of scrutiny committees from six to three. This
AN OXFORDSHIRE farmer has come forward as the man behind an attempt to buy Oxford Stadium. Robert Tyrrell from Steventon has said he has already contacted developer Galliard about buying the Blackbird Leys stadium and has deposited money with a
DEBRIS from a crash is causing delays on the A420. The debris is partially blocking the A420 next to Littleworth. It is causing delays to traffic. It was caused by an accident on the road, which occurred on the eastbound carriageway turning
Oxford United suffered a third defeat in four games as they lost 2-1 at home to Burton Albion on Saturday. Here, caretaker boss Mickey Lewis and defender Tom Newey give their reaction to the result: And you can view the match highlights
A laptop and jewellery were stolen from a house in Whitehouse Road, Oxford. The intruders entered through an upstairs bathroom window after climbing a ladder in the garden between 8.30am and 7pm last Tuesday . Anyone with information should
New restrictions will be placed on day release for prisoners at Bullingdon Prison, near Bicester, and others in the UK. The nationwide limits have been ordered by Justice Secretary Chris Grayling after a series of serious crimes were committed
Oxford is the UK’s least affordable city, according to new figures. The Lloyds Bank Affordable Cities Review found that house prices in the city are now more than 11 times the gross average earnings in the city. The report said the average
OXFORDSHIRE’S celebration of science got off to a big bang over the weekend. This year’s Oxfordshire Science Festival began by taking over Bonn Square, Oxford, on Saturday. Families descended on the city centre to have a go at free hands-on
Almost 300 people waited more than four hours in county A&E departments in the week up to last Sunday, figures show. Of the 2,352 who attended Oxford’s John Radcliffe and Banbury’s Horton General hospitals, 284 waited more than four hours.
OXFORDSHIRE could benefit from millions more in funding made available to fix roads damaged by weather this winter. But a senior councillor at Oxfordshire County Council has said the amount of money available is unlikely to be enough to tackle
TOM Newey said Oxford United could have no complaints over their 2-1 defeat after losing control of the game against Burton Albion. The decisive spell came in the first half at the Kassam Stadium, when the Brewers struck through Dominic Knowles
A SAMBA-themed flash mob took place in central Oxford on Saturday to mark International Women’s Day. The spectacle was organised as part of the Oxford International Women’s Festival, which runs until Sunday. A group of campaigners carried an
AN ACCUSED rapist said he went with a drunk woman to a hotel room “to see if she was OK”. Kirankumar Solanki was accused of following his alleged victim and raping her in the Victoria House Hotel, George Street, Oxford, in the early hours of September
Zac McEachran could play an important role for Oxford City in the later stages of this season, according to manager Mike Ford, writes MATTHEW BRUCE. The 19-year-old, one of five changes to the team which lost 1-0 at Workington last week, scored
Despite fielding their new signings Liam Malone and Mark Bell, North Leigh lost more ground in their bid for the Calor League Division 1 South & West play-offs when they lost 2-1 at Wimborne Town on Saturday. The duo joined in midweek from
Charlie Longsdon has a spring in his step as he makes his way to the side of the gallops to watch his string in action. The Chipping Norton trainer goes into the Cheltenham Festival tomorrow on the back of his best season to date. A treble
Wantage Town scored three times in the last nine minutes to win 3-0 at Abingdon United, who wilted in the Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division encounter after having Wade Rutherford sent off for violent conduct. Rutherford saw red in the second
Banbury United’s defensive woes continued at Hitchin on Saturday as they crashed to their seventh successive Calor League Premier Division defeat, with a 5-0 thrashing at Hitchin Town In their worst run of losses for 25 years, Edwin Stein’s men
Didcot Town’s home woes continue with a 1-0 defeat to promotion-chasing Tiverton Town in Calor League Division 1 South & West on Saturday. But there was plenty to be positive about as Didcot pushed the visitors all the way. The game’s pivotal
TEACHERS and staff in Oxfordshire schools have been assaulted by pupils more than 4,000 times in the past five years, figures show. The statistics, released to the Oxford Mail through a Freedom of Information request, show 4,160 attacks at county
CRITCHLEYS UTV LEAGUE Devenney Cup quarter-finals: Railway Wheatley 1, White Horse Abingdon 3; Zubry Oxford 5, Village Inn 0. Ridgeway Cup quarter-finals: Northway Res 4, Forest Hill 3 (aet); Woodstock Wands 4, New Club 3. Div 1: Freeland
UHLSPORT HELLENIC LEAGUE Premier Div: Abingdon Utd 0, Wantage Tn 3; Ardley Utd 3, Brimscombe & Thrupp 0; Bracknell Tn 2, Abingdon Tn 0; Highmoor Ibis 2, Shrivenham 1; Newbury 0, Kidlington 1. Div 1 West: Fairford Tn 1, Letcombe 1; New College
OXFORD MAIL YOUTH LEAGUE Under 10 Cup final: Botley Boys 3, Summertown Stars Quarks 1 (on pens). Spring A League: Marston Saints 1, Didcot Tn Yth Red 1; Summertown Stars Dragons 0, Kennington Ath 3; Summertown Stars Wands 5, Oxford City Whites
SOUTH & WEST COUNTIES YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Under 18: Devon 0, Oxfordshire 1. OFA INVITATION YOUTH LEAGUE Under 16 A League: Abingdon Utd 2, Didcot Tn 2; Kidlington 0, North Leigh 1; Milton Utd 0, Tower Hill 2. B League: Childrey Yth 4
1:48pm Mobility scooter user dies after collision 12:41pm Check out today's Oxford Mail for these and many more top stories: Could farmer be the new saviour
A GIRL from Oxford has gone missing. Jessica Arthur, 14, was last seen on Friday afternoon at her home and said she was going to Banbury to visit a friend. But she did not return on Friday evening and police are now appealing to the public
A CHILDHOOD obesity prevention charity has won a top national health award and £30,000 prize. Oxford-based Henry (Health, Exercise, Nutrition for the Really Young) has beaten off competition from more than 400 groups to be named one of only 10
GREEN campaigners cycled down Oxford’s Botley Road on Friday morning to demonstrate the benefits of travelling on two wheels. Seven members of Low Carbon West Oxford wore yellow hi-visibility jackets bearing the words “greener”, “quicker”, “happier
A physiotherapy service is to move into a larger studio in Summertown from its current base in Banbury Road. JNW Fitness has been granted permission by Oxford City Council to change office space in 29 Grove Street into a new physiotherapy practice
Dog fouling is getting worse in Yarnton, local councillors have warned. The Garth, Rutten Lane, Spencer Avenue, Dashwood Avenue and Merton Way have been singled out as particular hotspots. Yarnton Parish Council has urged residents to report
JOHNNY Mullins urged Oxford United to lower their sights and just focus on tomorrow’s meeting with Cheltenham Town after suffering another setback. The U’s crashed to a 2-1 defeat at home to Burton Albion, which saw them lose ground on the automatic
OXFORD MAIL GIRLS LEAGUE Under 10 Spring League: Grove Challengers 1, Summertown Stars Red 2; Kidlington 9, Thame 0; Summertown Stars White 6, Wantage 4. Under 11: Kidlington 0, Carterton Tn 3; Rotherfield Utd 1, Quarry Rovers 5; Stonesfield
Oxford City 2 (McEachran 28, Jackson 62) Leamington 2 (Newton 25, 37) Oxford City twice came from behind to claim a draw at home to Leamington in Skrill North, writes MATTHEW BRUCE. Goals in each half from teenagers Zac McEachran
LEADING planners have been appointed to advise developers on major applications in the wake of the controversy over the Castle Mill flats development. Vincent Goodstadt conducted a review after the Oxford University student accommodation development
THE family of a man who starved to death after his benefits were cut has demanded an apology from the Government. Mark Wood, from Bampton, weighed just 5st 8lb when he died of malnutrition in August last year – four months after most of his benefits
A 44-year-old man was taken to hospital yesterday after a fire. Oxfordshire Fire Service was called to West Hawthorn Road, Ambrosden, at 12.40am. Firefighters extinguished a blaze in a brick outbuilding, used as a utility room. Paramedics
Witney MP and Prime Minister David Cameron has been given planning permission to expand the garden of his constituency home. He was granted permission by West Oxfordshire District Council to turn agricultural land behind his Dean home into a garden
Health staff joined a project to plant 1.3 million trees at NHS sites by planting 15 at Kidlington and Adderbury ambulance stations. South Central Ambulance Service planted 15 trees at each site and six others in its area, covering Berkshire, Buckinghamshire
OXFORD University’s boxers won the Varsity Match for a fourth successive year with a resounding 7-2 victory over Cambridge University on Saturday night. The well-deserved success sees the Dark Blues take a 52-51 lead in the overall standings for
OXFAM has cut 132 posts in four months – but fewer roles than expected have been lost in Oxford. The Cowley-based charity announced last year it would be cutting 125 jobs nationwide, including 110 in Oxford. It now says that with so-called
IT might not look like the sort of thing you would wear to the supermarket, but at Oxford Fashion Week’s concept show this weekend, this outfit – modelled by Sonia Cook – certainly did not look out of place. This particular dress was designed by
FORMER Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes and actor Simon Pegg are among the stars who are supporting Oxfam’s Lift Lives for Good campaign. The celebrities took part in a photo shoot to highlight the campaign, which aims to show the life-changing
A THRILLED Gary Rowett hailed the opening 30 minutes at Oxford United was among Burton Albion’s best football of the season. Dominic Knowles and Zeli Ismail both scored and only a penalty save from Ryan Clarke, keeping out Billy Kee’s spot-kick
Replacement Ollie Stedman scored two tries as London Welsh made it back-to-back bonus point wins with a comfortable 42-18 victory over Moseley in their Greene King IPA Championship match at Old Deer Park yesterday. In front of their largest home
MAJOR reforms across the county’s health services are being considered to try to lower the cash deficit. The head of Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) says it will end the financial year £6.1m in the red. The group, responsible for buying
MORE volunteers are needed following a successful tree-planing event in Fry’s Hill Park, Blackbird Leys. It was the first step in a new scheme run by The Conservation Volunteers to renovate parks in the area. Monique van Assouw, community project
A MAN who was overcome by grief after his father’s death has avoided jail after smashing up a shed and threatening to kill police officers. Robert Zasada, of Banbury Court, Abingdon, pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage and one count of making
GREENE KING IPA CHAMPIONSHIP London Welsh 42, Moseley 18. SSE ENGLISH CLUBS CHAMPIONSHIP National 1: Henley 52, Wharfedale 22. National 2 South: Chinnor 28, Launceston 20. South West 1 East: Newbury Blues 24, Grove 25; Oxford Harlequins
SHE wants the character to become a female Indiana Jones. But Oxford author Sigrid Shreeve is hoping her debut novel will have a more hard-hitting message about the importance of protecting our environment. She has published her novel Jabujicaba
ROBOTS will be walking our streets within 10 years, according to Oxford University researchers. And Oxford professor Ian Brown is trying to find ways of stopping them from revealing private information which they come across. At a London lecture
