Violence against NHS workers should not be tolerated, say nursing representatives, following an attack on a nurse at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital. The Royal College of Nursing called for a "get tough" approach on staff safety, following the incident
Police in Witney are trying a novel approach to bike crime - they are padlocking cycles left unlocked. The move, instigated by crime reduction adviser Bill Butcher is an attempt to curb a sharp increase in cycle thefts. In the past year, 106 bikes have
Police are urging people in Oxford to keep their eyes peeled as patrols were stepped up over the terror alert. While the UK remained on a "critical" state of alert - the highest possible - the fallout from the failed bombings in Glasgow and London could
Organisers of the Cowley Road Carnival in Oxford described the weekend parade as "one of the best ever" and launched their preparations for next year. Last year's procession was cancelled due to a lack of funds, but on Sunday, the colourful spectacle
Staff at a Witney music shop could not believe their eyes when pop star Pete Doherty walked in out of the pouring rain. There was no mistaking the ex-front man of The Libertines, former drug addict and some time partner of supermodel Kate Moss - they
A major maintenance headache could spell disaster for one of Oxford's most popular swimming pools. Temple Cowley Pool is used by thousands of swimmers of all ages and is the city's only competition standard facility. But the diving pool has been out
A nationwide appeal is going out on tonight's BBC1 Crimewatch programme to get people to come forward over a vicious attack in Witney. The mass TV coverage comes over seven months after the violent assault - and despite extensive CCTV footage which
I'm recovering from my first altercation with a "pavement cyclist" and the shock is - it wasn't a cyclist at all. It all started at 8.50am. I was cycling up Morrell Avenue and hung a right into Union Street. Just then the sky darkened and a bulk appeared
Businessman Phil Scott has been elected by fellow town councillors to serve as Carterton's mayor for a second year. Mr Scott, who runs a breakdown recovery business, was elected at the annual meeting of the council. Elected as his new deputy mayor
Former England footballer Geoff Thomas is raising money for Oxford University scientists by cycling 2,400 miles on the route of the Tour de France. The 42-year-old father-of-two hopes to raise thousands of pounds to help leukaemia patients benefit from
A champion drummer is aiming to beat his way into the record books - four times. Jerome Dehedin wants to be the loudest and fastest drummer in the world, and to raise money for Millbrook Primary School and Grove Church of England School in the process
Residents who have spent years fundraising for a new community centre are celebrating after a temporary building was installed. People living in the Glory Farm area of Bicester have been without a permanent community centre since 1997 when the building
The Witney visitor information centre has moved to a prime position near to the site of the town's long-awaited Marriotts Close development. It is now part of West Oxfordshire District Council's town centre shop in Welch Way. The centre is not just
One thousand pupils at Thame's Lord Williams's School are facing their second day off tomorrow after a fire which destroyed part of the site. Sixty-five firefighters from around the county fought to stop the fire spreading to the main school building
Plans to transform the former US Air Force base at Upper Heyford into a new village with 1,000 houses, a primary school, museum and shops have been unveiled. But the latest proposals for the site near Bicester mean almost all the existing 300 American-built
A VICTIM of a serious knife attack has warned young people not to carry knives after he has been left scarred for life. Almost a year on from the attack, police are renewing their appeal for witnesses. A reward of £5000 is now being offered by the
More than 1,000 people are expected to converge on Oxford this Sunday for the city's third annual Muslim Music Festival. The only event of its kind in the UK, the festival is organised by the Muslim Education Centre of Oxford (Meco) and encourages people
When people discover what is wrong with Steve Caswell, they are surprised. Despite being just 52, the hotel worker of Jackson Road, Cutteslowe, Oxford, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease two years ago. The illness is usually associated with older
The Vale and Downland Museum and Visitor Centre in Wantage will miss out on funds after a charity event was cancelled due to lack of interest. The Church Street museum was to have benefited from a charity abseil at Grove Technology Park on Saturday,
Wallingford Carnival will continue, despite rising costs and health and safety issues - as long as there are volunteers to help organise it and people willing to watch it. That was the promise of carnival chairman Rose Sutton. She said: "Insurance rises
An artist has used hospital bed linen to document the life of staff at Oxford's Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre. Miranda Creswell became artist-in-residence at the NOC, and was allowed to access all areas of the Headington hospital during her 18-month project
Naomi Tyrell, 23, of Normandy Crescent, Cowley, Oxford, was given a community order after admitting possession of cocaine and cannabis. At Oxford Crown Court Tyrell, who was found in possession of 31 wraps of cocaine and more than 11g of cannabis,
POLICE this afternoon appealed for information about the fire which badly damaged part of Lord Williams's Lower School in Thame. Det Con Debs Goff, investigating the incident; said: "There were several people walking through the area at the time the
A 15-year-old girl who was reported missing has been found safe and well. Police said Poppy Nesteroff, 15, of White Post Road, Bodicote, who was last seen at 6.30pm last Monday, was located at a friend's house at the weekend.
A man found dead in an Oxford lake has been formally identified. Kenneth John Pollard, 57, was found floating in Hinksey Lake, near Hinksey Park off Abingdon Road, at 11am last Monday. Mr Pollard had been living at the Lucy Faithful House hostel in
A MAN found dead in an Oxford lake has been formally identified. Kenneth John Pollard, 57, was found floating in Hinksey Lake, near Hinksey Park, off Abingdon Road, at 11am last Monday. Mr Pollard had been living at the Lucy Faithful House hostel,
PEOPLE living in Cowley Marsh can question their city councillors at two advice surgeries. Councillors Mohammed Niaz Abbasi and Sajjad-Hussain Malik will be at the Regal Community Centre in Ridgefield Road from 5pm to 6pm today. Both councillors
A TEENAGER who carried out a knifepoint rape described as 'every woman's worst nightmare" has been locked up for three years. Oxford Crown Court heard that the 16-year-old, who cannot be named, attacked the 34-year-old woman when she was walking her
AT LEAST half a million deaths a year are likely to be prevented by England's smoking ban, an Oxford academic has predicted. Professor Sir Richard Peto, one of the world's leading experts on the deadly effects of tobacco, said the forecast was based
AMBULANCE crews were called to the A420 today after a car crashed into a tree. The accident happened between the Buckland and Littleworth junctions at 6.38am. A spokesman for South Central Ambulance said: "We took the driver, a 22-year-old woman,
Exactly 50 years ago, the Watlington Flier made its final appearance. This was the nickname given to the train which ran from Watlington to the main line at Princes Risborough. More than 200 people packed the two carriages behind the little tank engine
When James Barton, landlord of the Isis Hotel at Iffley, Oxford, drowned, his coffin took an unusual route to the church for his funeral service - by river. The reason for "the impressive ceremony of conveying the body by water" was explained in the
The organisation that cares for people with learning difficulties in Oxfordshire has become the county's fourth NHS trust to apply for foundation status. Managers at the Ridgeway Partnership, which used to be called the Oxfordshire Learning Difficulties
A dozen young patients are working with architects on a £1m project to upgrade Oxford's Park Hospital. The site, in Becket Street, Headington, is being transformed by Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Healthcare Trust from an inpatient unit into
Babies are learning sign language before they can talk - to help them tell their parents what they want. Mother-of-two Katie Lawton has launched classes in Didcot, Wallingford, Abingdon and Thame. She is running the weekly hour-long sessions for parents
AN EXHIBITION by the West Indian artist Antoine Nabajoth opens today at The Gallery at Oxford Town Hall in St Aldate's. The exhibition runs to Thursday, July 14, and entry is free.
Street performers used mime to help promote Bicester's new street recycling bins. The specially-designed bins have been installed in the town centre to encourage people to recycle while shopping, as well as at home. Cherwell District Council has launched
Pupils from a school near Abingdon have decorated a Morris Minor that will be travelling around the world in a 10,000-mile global race. Rob Kinder and Duncan Ealand, both 24, are taking part in the Mongol Rally, a race from London to Mongolian capital
THIEVES who stole a blind schoolgirl's specially-adapted computer have been urged to give it back. Six-year-old Rona Smith used the computer, which is programmed with Braille-recognition software, to take part in lessons at Bicester's Southwold Primary
A GRAPHIC artist terrorised by cyber stalker Felicity Lowde has welcomed her imprisonment after watching her face a harassment charge in court. Felicity Lowde, 41, of Cutteslowe, North Oxford, used her blog and email to wage a hate-filled campaign
Calls for the reopening of the Oxford-Bicester-Bletchley rail route and reinstatement of double track on the Cotswold Line to Worcester have been given a boost by Britain's key rail freight firms. The Rail Freight Operators' Association has drawn up
A CAT shelter has highlighted the importance of getting pets microchipped, after a tabby was reunited with its owner after ten years. Staff at Burford's Blue Cross animal sanctuary reunited Lynx with her owners after the cat spent a decade on the run
The small west Oxfordshire town of Charlbury is preparing for its third festival in less than a month - a must-go-to event for ale lovers. Following the free Riverside music festival in June and next weekend's Cornbury Festival - with local bands and
EXTRA police officers are to be brought in to prevent drunken assaults in Oxford city centre. Insp Richard Brown, who takes over responsibility for the city centre beat from today, has vowed to increase the police presence in the city by more than
Cycling fundraiser Bob Campbell is planning to pedal 200 miles in aid of a new north Oxfordshire Cheshire Home. Mr Campbell, president of Banbury Cherwell Rotary Club, is appealing for sponsorship and is challenging other cyclists to ride with him for
TUXEDOS, bow ties and cocktail shakers helped add glamour to Bicester's James Bond-themed carnival as thousands of people turned out to celebrate life in the town. The event kicked off yesterday with a procession of floats through the town centre,
Ambulance crews were called to the A420 near Faringdon this morning after a driver crashed into a tree. The accident happened between the Buckland and Littleworth junctions at 6.38am. A spokesman for South Central Ambulance said: "We took the driver
Thieves who stole a blind schoolgirl's specially-adapted computer have been urged to give it back. Six-year-old Rona Smith used the computer, which is programmed with Braille-recognition software, to take part in lessons at Bicester's Southwold Primary
Oxford dons have increased the pressure on the national university lecturers' union to abandon its support for a boycott of Israel. The University and College Union provoked international outrage last month after delegates at its annual conference voted
PUBGOERS in Oxford shrugged off the nationwide smoking ban yesterday and lit up outside instead. They said they had no plans to flout the law by continuing to smoke inside bars but would move outside to pub gardens and shelters. At 6am yesterday,
A graphic artist terrorised by cyber stalker Felicity Lowde has welcomed her imprisonment after watching her face a harassment charge in court. Felicity Lowde, 41, of Cutteslowe, North Oxford, used her blog and email to wage a hate-filled campaign for
MORE than 600 men, women and children took part in a charity walk on the Ridgeway at the weekend to raise money for Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres. The MegaHike is raising money towards the construction of a purpose-built Maggie's Centre in the grounds
THAMES Water has successfully hit leakage targets for the first time in four years. Figures show the average volume of water leaked by Thames Water pipes for the 12 months up to March 31, 2007 was 800 million litres per day (Ml/d). That is ten Ml/
KATE Moss and her showbiz friend fashion designer Sadie Frost are looking to bring a little bit of London to the peaceful Oxfordshire Cotswolds. The pair are considering opening a pub near to the village of Little Farringdon, where Miss Moss owns a
Car blaze POLICE are investigating a suspected arson attack following a car fire at Sunningwell. Fire crews, called to the blaze in Wootton Road at about 12.50am on Saturday, prevented the blaze spreading to nearby buildings.
Josca's school at Frilford Heath will begin its new term in September with a new name - Abingdon Preparatory School. The decision - taken nine years after the formal merger of Josca's and Abingdon School - will coincide with the opening this September
A LOOSE terrier caused chaos at the Grove Challengers six-a-side football tournament yesterday. The animal is thought to have escaped from a neighbouring garden and tried to attack a Jack Russell, which was on a lead. The Jack Russell's owner was
HANDING in his resignation proved to be a criminal move for one headteacher. Andrew Halls, Master at Oxford's Magdalen College School, found himself under arrest over the weekend - but was relieved to quickly discover it was all part of a joke to
A cat shelter has highlighted the importance of getting pets microchipped, after a tabby was reunited with its owner after 10 years. Staff at Burford's Blue Cross animal sanctuary reunited Lynx with her owners after the cat spent a decade on the run
IN 2006, Ryan Hawkins became the first raver in the country to be banned from organising illegal parties under the terms of a unique Asbo. Eighteen months later, he has turned that infamy into a career boost and even changed his stage name to Ryan
FIREFIGHTERS battled 60ft flames as fire wrecked the drama block of an Oxfordshire secondary school. Sixty-five firefighters from across the county battled to stop the fire spreading to the main school building after receiving the emergency call at
I'll be honest with you, I had a hard time thinking of what to write about this week. Now how's that for an opener? It is true but I can offer an excuse . . . I attribute my writer's block to the fact that very little happens over here in Oxford during
OXFORD Cheetahs got the show back on the road big time, by smashing the Buxton Hitmen for six in great style at Oxford Stadium last night. The fans, starved of speedway since the closure of the club at the end of May, were glad to see the bikes roaring
DIVISION 2 side Marcham made the most of the rest of the league progamme being washed out as they cruised to an eight-wicket win against Letcombe. Alex Lamb was the star of the show, hitting 83 not out as Marcham chased down a victory target of 136,
OXFORD Downs beat Horspath in an unprecedented bowl-out to decide the Oxfordshire final at Standlake yesterday. With the torrential weekend rain rendering play impossible for the second week in a row, it was Downs who held their nerve to book a national
JIM Smith hopes - and expects - to have playmaker Andy Burgess at Oxford United next season. The U's boss says he has not had any club contact him about the left-sided midfielder, who was made available for transfer at the start of the summer in a bid
FOR sheer excitement, tension and noise, there's nothing in the world like the British Speedway Grand Prix at the Millennium Stadium. Of the 41,000 in Cardiff on Saturday night, I wouldn't mind betting that many had gone more for a night out than because
A DISAPPOINTED Oxon skipper Ian Hawtin slammed the 'on-off' mix-up before the match as a farce. He said: "Given the importance of the game, we wanted it settled in fair conditions. "And both sides were happy when the message came through from the
AFTER a day of confusion, Oxfordshire waved goodbye to their thoughts of a Lord's final when they lost by three wickets to Suffolk in a low-scoring semi-final at Challow yesterday. Following a delayed start, Oxon were shot out for 65, but made Suffolk
No-one would claim that Asbos have been the complete answer to antisocial behaviour in our communities. In many areas, there has been a high rate of failure, with yobs re-offending. Some appear to regard their Asbo as a badge of honour, to be paraded
What a load of waffle about temperature conversion (Oxford Mail, June 16 and 26). I can tell the outside temperature and whether I'll need to don a jumper by noting how hard the butter is when I make my toast in the morning. Tony Anchors, Didcot
Is Alan Page (Oxford Mail, June 25) from the Planet Zog, where everything is upside-down and back-to-front? Having already announced to Oxford Mail readers that poisoning foxes is legal (wrong!), he now refers to Warfarin as a "blood-clotting agent"
How true to form! It was inevitable that Cherie Blair would open her large and ugly mouth, casting the only shadow on a day when differences were set aside and tributes from friend and foe alike, both in and out of Westminster, were paid to husband Tony
It might be a good idea if you sent someone to photograph some notable eyesores which I see most days. There is a house at the beginning of Iffley Road which has been boarded up for some years, completely covered with posters, many of which are in tatters
As vice-chairman of Cherwell District Council's South Area Planning Committee, and someone who has been closely concerned with Prof Alison Brading's application for a replacement front door at her home at Thrupp (Oxford Mail, June 14), I would like to
Supermarket giant Tesco has unveiled plans to complete a new store on top of a tunnel on the Chiltern Line rail route. The collapse of the tunnel at Gerrards Cross, in Buckinghamshire, in June last year forced the closure of the line - linking Banbury
A multi-coloured carnival procession brought Cowley Road to a standstill yesterday afternoon - with thousands of people cheering the parade on. The procession, organised by East Oxford Action, was cancelled last year due to a lack of funds, but it was
Extra police officers are to be brought in to prevent drunken assaults in Oxford city centre. Insp Richard Brown, who takes over responsibility for the city centre beat from today, has vowed to increase the police presence in the city by more than a
Pub goers in Oxford shrugged off the nationwide smoking ban yesterday and lit up outside instead. They said they had no plans to flout the law by continuing to smoke inside bars but would move outside to pub gardens and shelters. At 6am yesterday,
Tuxedos, bow ties and cocktail shakers helped add glamour to Bicester's James Bond-themed carnival as thousands of people turned out to celebrate life in the town. The event kicked off yesterday with a procession of floats through the town centre, including
Firefighters battled 60ft flames as fire gutted the drama block of an Oxfordshire secondary school. Experts are investigating the cause of the blaze as staff began clearing up the mess at Lord Williams' School in Thame. Sixty-five firefighters from
More than 600 homes and businesses in the city centre and East Oxford were left without power on Friday night. Power supplies went down shortly after 6pm but by 9pm full service had been restored to all homes and businesses affected. Despite the lack
Handing in his resignation proved to be a criminal move for one headteacher. Andrew Halls, Master at Oxford's Magdalen College School, found himself under arrest over the weekend - but was relieved to quickly discover it was all part of a joke to mark
In 2006, Ryan Hawkins became the first raver in the country to be banned from organising illegal parties under the terms of a unique Asbo. Eighteen months later, he has turned that infamy into a career boost and even changed his stage name to Ryan Asbo
CALLS for the reopening of the Oxford-Bicester-Bletchley rail route and reinstatement of double track on the Cotswold Line to Worcester have been given a boost by Britain's key rail freight firms. The Rail Freight Operators' Association has drawn
Sir - County councillor Seale tries to tell us (Letters, February 9) what a wonderful deal he has secured for a new Westgate Library. In fact, the opposite is true. He could have negotiated a replacement building which was bigger and better, to meet
THREE figures from different parts of the world are being honoured as Distinguished Friends of Oxford in recognition of their support for Oxford University. David Hopkinson, a director of the ECC group, is recognised for nearly 40 years' service on
The new PM, Gordon Brown, is reported to be masterminding a drive to slash the rates of MRSA and other hospital infections (The Observer, Sunday July 1st). I attended an Age Concern briefing last week when Dr Sebastian Fairweather, a local consultant
