Families from Oxford are facing weeks out of their homes as the repair bill after the catastrophic Cowley flood was tonight predicted to top £300,000. Twenty-four homes were flooded after a water main burst in Normandy Crescent early yesterday. Nine
Families from Oxford are facing weeks out of their homes as the repair bill after the catastrophic Cowley flood was tonight predicted to top £300,000. Twenty-four homes were flooded after a water main burst, in Normandy Crescent, Cowley, early yesterday
Bachelor Mark Broughton is looking for love - by auctioning his hand in marriage for one penny on eBay. Mr Broughton, a 37-year-old former parking attendant from Witney, has not been able to find a partner since splitting with his long-time girlfriend
The family of murder victim Arash Ghorbani-Zarin watched today as one of his killers failed in his bid for freedom. Mohammed Mujibar Rahman, one of two sons who - together with their father - were jailed in December 2005 for stabbing 19-year-old Mr Ghorbani-Zarin
Two cars were involved in an accident on the A420 near Tubney just after 6pm today. A Fiat Punto was heading towards Swindon when one of its wheels came off. The car was then in collision with an silver Astra heading in the opposite direction. An ambulance
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after three burglaries in the Kidlington area. A rear window was smashed at a house in Laburnum Crescent on Wednesday and the house was searched, but nothign was stolen. In Thorne Close a back window was smashed
AEA Technology 110 BMW 3064 Electrocomponents 282.75 Isoft Group 54.75 Oxford Biomedica 40.25 Oxford Instruments 269.5 Oxonica 145 Reed Elsevier 591 RM 203.25 RPS Group 281 Torex Retail 40.75 - trading suspended Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley
Two robbers attacked a man in Barton and stole his mobile phone and cash card last night The robbery took place near Underhill Circus shopping precinct at about 8.30pm. The pair are believed to have left in a dark-coloured vehicle. Both men are believed
TWO men were robbed of their mobile phones while walking in Oxford last night. The first happened near Underhill Circus in Barton at about 8.30pm when two black men in their twenties assaulted a man and stole his mobile phone and a cash card. It is
Burglars broke into three properties in the Kidlington area in the space of two days. On Wednesday, a rear window was smashed at a house on Laburnum Crescent and the offenders rifled through the house but left without stealing anything. Yesterday
FORMER Oxford Conservative councillor Janet Todd, who died last year, has left £100,000 to the Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind. Mrs Todd, who died aged 88 on May 17 last year, left estate valued at £2,656,499 gross, £2,643,104 net. Mrs Todd
TORY Colin Adams has claimed victory in a by-election to replace Witney councillor Andrew Creery who disappeared last year. Mr Adams, who lives on Smiths Estate, claimed the central Witney seat on West Oxfordshire District Council yesterday. The 70
Let's look at the evidence. We have a large number of people all stuffed together into an inappropriate environment. These people come from widely differing backgrounds and have nothing in common. They share no interests. Some are bright; others, notably
Former Oxford Conservative councillor Janet Todd, who died last year, has left £100,000 to the Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind. Mrs Todd, who died aged 88 on May 17, left an estate valued at £2,656,499 gross - £2,643,104 net. Mrs Todd, of
The Conservative party received a boost in leader David Cameron's Witney constituency last night as they romped to a win in a district council by-election. Tory candidate Colin Adams polled 417 votes to hold on to the seat on West Oxfordshire District
Francesco Ramera, 86, pictured in his home. All he was able to take with him before being evacuated was his essential medicine.
Chloe Smith, 10, also gets the special treatment from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Kirsty Holloway is carried from her flat by a helpful firefighter
A FORMAL planning application to extend Bullingdon Prison, near Bicester, has been submitted. The proposals for the 120-man residential block at the jail near Arncott were sent this week to Cherwell District Council by the Home Office. The new block
Richard Mayhew, 28, his partners Louise Armstrong and son Taylor, right, are pictured outside their ground floor flat which flooded.
Dr Abdul Latif and his four-year-old son, Mateen, show the damage their house has suffered.
Firefighters enter the properties to see how much damage has been caused.
Faisal Shaukal, 16, and his brother Ayaz, 18, are helped from their home.
Officials talk to residents stranded on the first floor of their homes.
Water levels rose to flood all front gardens and many homes were flooded.
As everyone now knows Tuesday night is Club Night and this week we had a general meeting when members brought up any topic they wished. All manner of things were discussed including new equipment for the group to the destination of our weekend away later
Bosses at Witney information technology firm Torex Retail have insisted it is business as usual after shares in the company were suspended. The board at the firm which employs about 200 people, was advised by recently installed finance director Marcus
PEOPLE evacuated from their homes after a burst water main flooded Normandy Crescent in Cowley, Oxford, returned home today to assess the damage. Twelve people spent last night at the Premier Travel Inn, in Garsington Road, and are expected to stay
People evacuated from their homes after a burst water main flooded Normandy Crescent in Cowley, Oxford, have been returning home today to assess the damage. Twelve people spent last night at the Premier Travel Inn in Garsington Road and are expected
VANDALS attacked four cars parked in Bloxham. The incidents all occurred on Wednesday and involved cars being scratched. The cars damaged were: A black Ford Fiesta, parked in Winters Way, Bloxham sometime between 7.17pm and 8.15pm A Peugeot 406
The Cowley-built Mini is on target for a new sales record this year, bosses have predicted. New figures reveal that sales in 2006 dropped by 6.2 per cent to 188,077 cars compared with 200,428 in 2005. But parent firm BMW said this was entirely due
AEA Technology 107 BMW 3050 Electrocomponents 283.25 Isoft Group 54.75 Oxford Biomedica 40 Oxford Instruments 268.5 Reed Elsevier 590.75 RM 203 RPS Group 281 Torex Retail 40.75 Oxonica 145 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
Peter O'Toole delivers one of the finest performances of his career, as a silver-tongued thesp, in Roger Michell's elegiac coming-of-old-age story. Any other year, he would unquestionably be collecting his first Academy Award as Best Actor for this
On June 6, 1968, presidential hopeful Senator Robert F. Kennedy planned to announce his intention to run for the White House during a keynote speech at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. He had just beaten fellow Democrat Eugene Joseph McCarthy in
When you least expect it, cinema transcends its role as escapist entertainment and manages to spark debate and even change the world. Michael Moore's documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 launched a blistering attack on the American government for its role in
If you're going to run an Italian restaurant then you need at the very least a buxom Italian woman bellowing at her staff and an unshaven chef shouting back. You need lots of hustle and bustle, smells, noise and chattering tables, while huge oily dustbin
Get out your glowsticks - the Klaxons are heading back to town. But, as guitarist Simon Taylor tells Tim Hughes, their 'nu-rave' antics are inspired by a love of esoteric literature. THE Klaxons burst on to a grateful music scene with a burst of technicolour
It's the first ever all-singing, all-dancing Oxford Dance Festival and with the whole city kicking off, it's screaming for you to jump on the bandwagon and give it a go. If dance really isn't your bag, then you'll be pleasantly surprised because Dancin
PUPILS have been told to take extra care when walking to and from an Oxford school after a schoolboy reported being followed. The Cherwell School in Marston Ferry Road, Oxford, warned its pupils after a boy reported being followed to school on Monday
WELCOME to a new feature where we will look at the origins of the place names of Oxfordshire. From Barford St Michael in the north, to Blewbury in the south and from Churchill in the west to Chinnor in the east, hopefully someone will be able to come
It seems that financial crises in the NHS are here to stay. Just as many health trusts were seeing light at the end of the tunnel in tackling their deficits, the Government lands another blow. They are being forced to convert debts into loans. For
I felt that I had to write to you about the heartbreaking story of Alex Chiari, who found it near impossible to wash his little Honda CRX without the aid of a hosepipe (Oxford Mail, January 18). His sad plight almost reduced me to tears. Why doesn't
I refer to your article on rehabilitative care for older people discharged from hospital into their own homes (Oxford Mail, January 18). The report by the Oxfordshire Patient and Public Involvement Forum raises important questions about a national issue
A sneak preview of new children's film Charlotte's Web, right, has been organised to raise money for the Oxford Children's Hospital. Oxford's Vue Cinema is offering a chance to catch a first glimpse of the big screen adaptation of the popular children's
A hospice helped a disabled man with a life-limiting condition find a prostitute. Nick Wallis, 22, who suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, persuaded staff at Douglas House, in Oxford, that he should be allowed to experience sex before he died,
Cutting maternity and paediatric care at a hospital would be "unsafe", according to protesters. NHS managers received more than 4,000 responses during their consultation on plans to change services at the Horton Hospital, Banbury. More than 90 per
Fierce debate over a possible shake-up of local government in Oxfordshire has sparked deep rifts between councils. The leader of West Oxfordshire District Council has branded moves to scrap County Hall as "political jiggery pokery" and said it would
An X-factor-style contest has been launched to find Oxfordshire's answer to Bruce Lee. Two lucky teenagers could get the chance to be trained by a Shaolin Warrior monk in China and appear in a kung fu movie. The Oxford Taiji Gongfu Institute wants
Asylum seekers from war-torn countries in Africa are among the cast of an Oxford theatre production using the Big Brother TV show as part of the plot. A group of 14- to 19-year-olds at the Pegasus Theatre in Magdalen Road have been working on a play
When 26-year-old Royal Navy lieutenant Matthew Voigt broke the news to his family, friends and fiancee that he would be spending six months in Afghanistan, they were understandably concerned - but also perplexed. As a landlocked country predominantly
The father of teenager Ben Halsey-Jones, who is feared to have drowned in the River Thames, has spoken of how his son spent his last day doing what he loved best. Ben Halsey-Jones, 15, of Wolvercote, fell into the swollen River Thames while cycling
Extra waste collections could be put in place by Oxford City Council - but only if they are proved wrong about the current arrangements. Since November last year, as part of the city's so-called "recycling revolution", household waste has been collected
Students from an Oxford school have rubbed shoulders with some of the world's brightest minds as part of a television programme. Ten Year Nine pupils from the Peers Technology College in Littlemore were invited to take part in a Horizon episode, on
An artist's impression of the development A £6m shopping list of infrastructure improvements has been thrashed out with the developers of Oxford's Westgate Centre. Changes to transport infrastructure makes up the lion's share of the cash - £3.8m - but
Oxfordshire's largest hospital trust will pay out £1m in interest next year after NHS managers were forced to convert its debt into a £20m loan at commercial rates. Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust finance director Chris Hurst has admitted that
LEWIS Hamilton has shrugged off his first major shunt in Formula One. Just ten days after helping to unveil the new McLaren in Valencia, the British rookie escaped unhurt after badly damaging the car in testing at the Spanish city's Ricardo Tormo circuit
THE father of teenager Ben Halsey-Jones, who is feared to have drowned in the River Thames, has spoken of how his son spent his last day doing what he loved best. Ben Halsey-Jones, 15, of Wolvercote, fell into the swollen River Thames after cycling
Banbury United boss Kevin Brock has called on his side to be more ruthless when they travel to Tiverton in British Gas Business Southern League Premier Division tomorrow. On Tuesday, Banbury missed a number of chances as they drew 1-1 at Clevedon in
Chinnor will be without in-form lock forward Matt Hutchings when they continue their battle against relegation at home to North Walsham in National 3 South tomorrow. Hutchings injured ankle ligament during their unlucky narrow defeat by Dings Crusaders
? t?aab Aero took the best concept car award presented by Autocar magazine. Audi took the car company of the year, while Kia's seven-year warranty was voted best idea of the year. Autocar readers voted Honda's "Impossible Dream" commercial the
WATCHMAKER Oris has renewed its sponsorship deal with the Grove-based Williams F1 team for a fifth consecutive season. The Swiss company has produced a series of F1-inspired timepieces, and the Limited Edition WilliamsF1 Team Chronograph proved to be
EX-OXFORD United boss Ian Atkins believes the U's will still win promotion despite their current slump - and says another of his former clubs, Carlisle United, experienced exactly the same kind of mid-season blip. United are in the middle of a torrid
Henley Hawks can move into second place in National League 2 with a victory over Wharfedale at Dry Leas tomorrow. A win will see Hawks go ahead of promotion rivals Launceston, whose game with Bradford and Bingley has been postponed as the Yorkshire side
A book highlighting the stories behind the first cars of 65 actors, singers, religious leaders, MPs TV and radio presenters and celebrities is on sale. Among those featured in My First Car are actress Dame Judi Dench (1938 MG) TV stars Chris Tarrant
Peugeot is launching a new generation of its Expert range combining a commercial vehicle, the "Peugeot Expert" compact van and the other within the car range, the Peugeot Expert Combi. The third generation Expert will go on sale in February.
THE official launch of ITV Thames Valley will be performed by Henley MP Boris Johnson. He will be at the Madejski Stadium in Reading at noon for the event as part of his constituency day today. He will then be briefed on forthcoming tobacco legislation
JORDAN F1 driver Jodie Hemming will bid to become the first woman to win in an F1 car since Desire Wilson took a one-off victory at Brands Hatch in 1980, when she competes at Donington Park in May. Jodie, 21, who drives a 1997 Silverstone-built Jordan
CITROEN has released the first details of the new five-seat C4 Picasso, which will be launched in the spring, making Citroen the only manufacturer to offer a choice of three compact people carriers. The five-seat C4 Picasso slips into Citroen's compact
A BLACK bump on the roof just behind the front seats of Hyundai's high and mighty Santa Fe gives the game away. From the outside, this looks like an awesome off-roader ready to do macho battle with mud and mountains. But pop your head inside the car
THE principle of unitary authorities is not a bad one. If it can eradicate duplication, improve efficiency and save the taxpayer money, it can only be a good thing. Putting it into practice in a county like Oxfordshire is not simple - and there are
Sir - I write to express my concern for the health of Rosemarie (and Olive). I have noticed that since your restaurant reviewer, Chris Gray, has eschewed the high cholesterol course it has fallen upon the hapless Rosemarie (and Olive) to chew their
Sir - The need for "key worker housing" is said to justify building on Warneford Meadow. Surely this must be a good thing. We wouldn't want nurses, teachers, police etc - even planners! - to have nowhere to live. But is it as good an idea as it sounds
Sir - I recently received a copy of stage one involvement - feedback from Thames Water. Q1. States that "A national water transfer grid was excluded from further study because this would exceed our remit as a regional water company!" Thanks to the fragmentation
Sir - Yesterday, I counted 12 buses lined up along the High from Queen's Lane to the market. A few days earlier it was impossible for me to get my bike through East Magdalen Street because of a pile-up of parked buses. Perhaps it is time to re-introduce
Sir - In the current Labour News for this ward, the repair of the bus shelter outside the Duke of Monmouth pub is called a "saga". At the very least it was a frustrating struggle against discouragements and inadequacies in local administration. In early
Sir - I wonder if others feel as sad as I do about the five young men pictured in your January 19 edition wishing to join The Rifles regiment. They seem to have few qualms, apart from being a bit worried, "particularly with what is going on in Iraq"
Sir - Oxford City Council says that if it is given the powers to run all of the city services it will save us all megabucks (Report, January 19). Well, whoever heard of a Government reorganisation coming in on budget? Keith Mitchell, weighing in for
THINGS should hot up at St Francis Church, Oxford, tonight when a Caribbean night is staged to raise money for a new central heating system. There will be singing, poetry recitals and a disco. Money raised from donations will go towards paying for
TWO-thirds of Oxford Brookes University's Gipsy Lane campus is to be demolished to make way for a modern university in Headington. Brookes today will also announce plans to build a 1,000-seat public hall at its Headington Hill Hall site. The new Oxford
OXFORD'S bid to become a unitary council was formally submitted to the Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly yesterday. But both sides in the bitter battle over the future of local government in Oxfordshire know it will be the Treasury who will ultimately
A DOG locked in a sunny garden clawed desperately at the last piece of shade before dying of heat stress, a court heard. Magistrates banned William and Eva Comins, of Cosford Gardens, Bicester, from owning animals for two years after they admitted causing
Sir - It is appropriate that Gray Matter should be relegated to the back page of Weekend since his column continually exudes matter which fouls the normal standard of The Oxford Times. A week ago we had Jean Fooks being attacked, not for her policies
Sir - While it would be splendid to walk down George Street and come across a canal basin on the far side of Worcester Street I think it is best if left as a dream. I am a canal enthusiast myself, having worked for several years at a senior level on
Sir - Your Conservative correspondent, Joanne Bowlt, (Letters, January 12), questions why Oxford city councillors might consider a unitary authority to be a better deal for our residents. She need only look to the actions of her own party on the county
Sir - Why are school league tables that are so horribly misleading given the oxygen of publicity in your newspaper? Consider the facts. The top half dozen schools, as ranked by their exam results, all have n/a' in the value-added column; in other words
Sir - I have only had time to skim Oxford City Council's document supporting its bid to become a unitary council and I have done so primarily with regard to my own county council cabinet portfolio of adult social services. One might be forgiven for
Sir - We are concerned about the ever-decreasing width of the wildlife corridor around Boundary Brook from Old Road to the site of Special Scientific Interest of Lye Valley. Developments on the Oxford University site - the Wellcome Research and Richard
AS hard-hitting movies about Oxford go, it is going to take some beating. In fact, Blue Blood may never be out-pointed if judged as an exercise in opening up a world of controlled violence, fanaticism and pride. Unlike the Boat Race, which annually
FILM crews are to revisit Oxford to shoot scenes for an adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's most famous novel. In 1980, ITV cast Oxfordshire actor Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews in a lavish £11m production of Brideshead Revisited, Waugh's story about two
Sir - The last edition of The Oxford Times made depressing reading. Page one reported the decision of our planning department to support the development of Warneford Field. Perhaps they could explain why they produced their report without waiting for
CCTV cameras that are normally used to monitor traffic flow at the Green Road 'hamburger' roundabout are being used to catch a mystery traffic light tamperer. Twice this month someone with a special tool - used only by highways engineers - has opened
A YOUNG disabled man's wish to have sex with a prostitute left an Oxford hospice facing one of its most difficult decisions. At 22, Nick Wallis, who suffers from a life-limiting condition, decided that his only chance to experience sex before he died
A VOLKSWAGEN concept full of Eastern promise as a production model, the Neeza, has just been unveiled at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition. Designed in China, for China, by the Shanghai arm of Volkswagen, the Neeza concept is a cross between
THE National Farmers' Union will hold a farmhouse breakfast at Spelsbury village hall tomorrow. The event, featuring locally-produced bacon and eggs, is part of Farmhouse Breakfast Week, a national initiative to promote local farmed food. Tickets
