IT'S BEEN a strange couple of months for the Lib Dems in Oxford. Two months after winning control of the city council, two councillors have defected and now Mike Gallacher has resigned as chairman of the Oxford East constituency party. County councillor Margaret Godden, has stepped in as acting chairman, but the party's woes could continue after the Hinksey Park by-election on July 27. Should Labour win, the Lib Dems could find themselves running the council with a smaller number of councillors than the official opposition, who don't want to take control anyway.

NEWS reaches The Insider of trouble at the Oxford Malmaisson hotel at Oxford Castle where the parking has become something of a headache for customers and valets alike.

Not only do delivery vehicles and trucks use the single entrance lane to the hotel, but so do cars belonging to well-heeled visitors to the former prison. And the predictable result? Chaos.

One man was seen having an almighty struggle turning his Maserati round the other day. Car parking a problem in Oxford??

NO-ONE needs reminding of the razor-sharp dress sense of our sartorially elegant city council leader John Goddard, but his attire at one meeting this week left several bystanders somewhat bemused.

Less city council leader, more governor of a dusty Mid-West town, dressed as he was in Dukes-of Hazzard-style white cowboy shirt and black jeans.

But someone ought to have a quiet word with his executive board colleague Patrick Murray, who arrived wearing an Iranian football shirt and shorts.

WHY has Labour city council candidate Oscar Van Nooijen said he lives in Hinksey Park the ward he hopes to win on July 27 when he doesn't? On official nomination papers the Oxford University graduate put down Western Road as his home address when it is in fact the abode of his group leader Bob Price, right. There is nothing wrong with that, of course, but as of today Mr Van Nooijen resides in Henley Street, East Oxford.

A NOVEL, if somewhat controversial idea, from a correspondent desperately seeking solutions to the trend of erecting mobile phone masts near schools and homes in Oxford. The irate individual said: "Couldn't they go in cemeteries? At least their residents are already dead..."