A murder suspect told detectives he was "brilliant friends" with the man he is alleged to have killed, Oxford Crown Court heard. Peter Rous, 32, of Pegasus Road, Blackbird Leys, and Sara Kingston, 33, of Forester's Tower, Wood Farm, have denied murdering
CITY council staff carried out further work on willow trees on Oxford's Osney Island yesterday. Eleven out of 17 willow trees in East Street were cut down last week for safety reasons because the city council said the trees were rotten. Yesterday,
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A FORMER television weatherman will be making a guest appearance in order to open a Scout group's bazaar next week. BBC presenter Bill Giles will be at the Christmas sale organised by the Second Oxford Scout Group on Saturday, November 25, from 2pm.
TRAINS between Oxford and Didcot will be replaced by buses during engineering work over the weekend. Track maintenance will take place from 8.50pm on Saturday until 12.20pm on Sunday. First Great Western and Virgin CrossCountry trains will be affected
Sir, I wonder when your headline writers, sub-editors or, indeed, you, as editor, will learn that Her Majesty the Queen has not been "HRH" since February 6, 1952, the day that her father, King George VI, died. Before that she was, of course, "Her Royal
Sir, The centre spread on climate change (Weekend, November 10) was an excellent article and I was just off with a torch to read our electricity meter when I read Christopher Gray's gastronomic feast at Sahara in Wheatsheaf Yard, Oxford. He wrote "that
Sir, On BBC TV this morning Andrew Marr's guest, the Environment Secretary David Miliband, agreed that the number of flights from the UK is projected to rise threefold by 2030. And that this is somehow acceptable if we save the energy used by flying
Sir, I sympathise with Chris Gray's piece on the way traffic lights cause congestion. (Gray Matter, November 10). I don't see the need for them on the ring road at the foot of Hinksey Hill. If I remember correctly, there were never any traffic queues
Sir, I cannot agree with the criticisms of the county council in your Leader last week re climate change. £16.4m is a figure calculated with the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) based on bills for road repairs, insurance claims and emergency provisions
Sir, On Remembrance Day, those who gave and still give their lives in war are rightly remembered. However, after nearly 90 years since the end of the First World War, I for one believe that this concept of remembering those who fight for freedom should
Sir, The letters from your correspondents Bruce Robertson and Paul Stevens (Letters, November 10) were so preposterous that they could well have been a Borat-style spoof and not worth taking seriously. They do, however, raise two important points. Free
Sir, Thames Travel is considering changing to biodiesel (Report, November 10). The managing director, John Wright, believes that the only problem is the amount of land needed to grow the crops. He is only too right. It is fatal to the whole technology
Sir, When the Westgate proposal was first discussed in the council it was a very different plan. It involved a large bus station for local buses, that would allow for the long sought-after pedestrianisation of Queen Street, and a funded make-over of Bonn
Sir, I am writing as an experienced soil surveyor and land use planner. The people of Nuneham Courtenay need to be sure that silt-laden flood water does not overwhelm their village again. Farmland upstream from the village needs to be protected from soil
Sir, Concerning Thames Water's proposal to build a reservoir on four square miles of prime Oxfordshire agricultural land, the Australian investment company Macquarie is confident in the returns on its investment, despite the multi-million pound deficit
Sir, The Oxford Times on October 27 reported that the Environment Agency had lifted objections to the building of the Westgate redevelopment. Is this really how the citizens of Oxford wish to see the future of their city - as a nightmare of consumerism
Sir, The Oxford Times has done well in bringing this "Act of vandalism" issue to their readers (Tree protesters defeated over willows). I sympathise and fully support the concern of the local residents. I would also like to add my support to John Thompson's
Sir, Reading your front-page account of the felling of the Osney willows (November 10), I cannot have been the only one of your readers to have called to mind Gerard Manley Hopkins poem: Binsey Poplars felled 1879: All felled, felled, are all felled
Sir, Ms Prue Drew is commendably restrained in her comments (Letters, November 3) regarding the forthcoming horrors of universal wheelie-bins and tardy refuse collection. The appallingly inappropriate and ugly appearance of these bins should have been
Sir, I would like to reassure Annie Skinner (Letters, October 27) that her concerns about our new recycling scheme have been taken on board. Oxford's new scheme has special arrangements for homes that cannot cope with a wheelie bin service. If you have
Sir, Jeremy Mogford is correct; the High Street is choked by buses (Report, November 3). During my time as a county councillor I raised this issue time and time again. I had a meeting with both the major bus companies where I put forward some constructive
POLICE have released an e-fit following a sexual assault in Norham Gardens, Oxford. A 20-year-old woman was walking towards Banbury Road at about 10.30pm on Tuesday, October 24, and saw a man cycling toward her. He then began to walk near her, having
Join me for a one-off Christmas wine tasting at The Oxford Times on Thursday, December 7, at 6.30pm. Together with Ted Sandbach, of The Oxford Wine Company, I will be showing more than 20 wines which I have specially selected for the club's three forthcoming
A CONCERT to raise funds to send Kieran Locke, a severely autistic boy from Witney, to America for specialist treatment will begin at 7pm, in Witney Methodist Church this Friday. Tickets are £5 for adults and £2.50 for children and can be obtained from
OXFORD University dons have voted in favour of a string of radical reforms aimed at modernising way the 900-year-old institution is run. The Congregation, the University's parliament (comprised mainly of dons as well as some high-ranking administrative
OXFORD racing driver James Rossiter has been named as an official test driver for Brackley's Honda Racing F1 Team. Christian Klien moves in as the team's test and reserve driver, backing up the race drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. Klien
HONDA F1 test driver Anthony Davidson is joining the Leafield-based Super Aguri F1 team for the 2007 season, alongside Japanese driver Takuma Sato. He joins from Brackley's Honda Racing F1 Team where he has held the position of third driver since 2004
FIRE crews were called to Queensway, Didcot, at 11.50pm last night after a moped, believed to be stolen, was set alight. Firefighters were also called to Barton Village Road in Oxford at 6.50pm after a car was set on fire. Thames Valley Police are investigating
MOTORISTS in Abingdon still coming to terms with the new Stratton Way changes, face more traffic problems during the next 18 months. The town's two main roads, Stert Street and High Street, face closure when work starts next year on the final phase
FORGET the bus, more and more children are using 'push power' to get to school in style on today's latest must-have accessory - the scooter. In a bid to meet demand, eight schools in Oxfordshire have installed dedicated parking spaces for the scooters
Friends of Kyomie Williams, the 12-year-old who died of meningitis at the weekend, are invited to pay tribute to her here on oxfordmail.net. Simply click 'Add comment' below and follow the instructions. Your email address will not be displayed.
PUB landlords have been warned to take care after similar break-ins took place at two pubs. Burglars broke into the Deddington Arms in Deddington and the The Bell in Grimsbury, near Banbury, over the weekend. Nothing was taken from the Deddington
BAFTA award-winning animator Geoff Dunbar will be presenting an evening of his work at Abingdon School today. Mr Dunbar, who lives in Abingdon, is an award-winning director and filmographer. Largely self-taught, he has been animating films since he
BROADCASTER Bill Rennells, from Abingdon, will switch on the town's Christmas lights on Friday, November 24. The Christmas Extravaganza - a joint event between the Chamber of Commerce and Abingdon Town Council - this year forms part of the climax of
A RAIL company is being accused of forcing people to use cars to get to work by cutting the number of peak-time trains from Bicester to High Wycombe. Jeff Willmore, of Maytree Close, Bicester, commutes to High Wycombe every day for his job at Wycombe
THE case for a massive reservoir in Oxfordshire has not been proven says the council in whose area it is planned to build the £1bn scheme. And the Environment Agency says much more information is needed. It is not convinced that a reservoir is needed
A ONCE high-flying financial executive who says her "magnificent intellect" was destroyed forever by a horrific scooter crash is bidding for almost £10m compensation at the High Court. Ingrid Van Wees, 40, of Walton Crescent, Jericho, Oxford, had an
As you pointed out, the city council's parks department is proposing closing a number of play areas, almost exclusively in the most deprived areas, including Wood Farm in the ward I represent (Oxford Mail, Monday November 13). This proposal I feel is
So it really has happened - our wheelie bins and boxes where delivered yesterday (November 13). First question: how do I dispose of my three old and now useless dustbins? One is plastic, the other two are metal but none of them fit in the wheelie bin
AN ANIMAL care lecturer from Oxford believes she is being targeted by animal rights protesters - after her car was vandalised three times in the past month. Laura Chalmers - who works at Abingdon and Witney College - and her partner Lou Wareham have
So-called 'lads' culture has fuelled many a magazine and TV show in recent years, and football is at its heart. At its best, it is a tongue-in-cheek celebration of the often daft obsessions of young men. At its worst, it is a thinly-disguised excuse
A 54-year-old man has become the first father in Oxfordshire and one of only a handful nationwide to be jailed because of his son's truancy. The single parent, who lives on the outskirts of the city, was given a two-week sentence by Oxford magistrates
FROM finding parts for a 1933 Ferrari to securing a table at Le Manoir - nothing is too much trouble for Oxford hotel concierge Neil Cowen. And now his dedication has been recognised with a top industry award. The 44-year-old, head concierge at The
A FREE workshop to promote free websites for voluntary and community groups in West Oxfordshire is to held at Witney Library on Tuesday, November 21, from 2pm to 4pm. Organiser Christine Lightfoot, of West Oxfordshire District Council, said: "Although
A diver plucked something more unusual than an old bicycle or a shopping trolley from the River Thames in Oxford - a wartime shell. The 20-inch long canister with a six-inch artillery shell inside was fished out of the river at Osney Lock by an Environment
A MEMORIAL to a popular motorcycle rider, who set up an annual bike night in Oxfordshire which attracts more than 3,000 people, has been unveiled in Aston Tirrold. John Wheeler, from Didcot, died of cancer last year, aged 64. This weekend a memorial
A NOTORIOUS stretch of road where five people have died in less than three years needs more safety measures, according to two councillors. An elderly woman was rescued from the wreckage of her overturned car last Wednesday after it was involved in a
Oxford City 2, Abingdon Utd 1 Harry Burnley bagged the winner as Oxford City ended a wretched run of five successive defeats with victory against Abingdon United in last night's British Gas Business Southern League Division 1 South & West derby encounter
Oxford's inaugural dance festival has been given a £52,000 cash injection from the Arts Council. Organisers of Dancin' Oxford - a month-long celebration of dance being held next spring were told the news yesterday, ahead of the event's official launch
HUNDREDS of people may be unwitting neighbours to unexploded wartime bombs hidden in the ground for the past 60 years. A Second World War map belonging to Oxfordshire County Council shows the location of 81 bombs which fell on the countryside but failed
Banbury Utd 3, King's Lynn 3 Unlucky Banbury had to settle for a British Gas Business Premier Division point after King's Lynn hit back from 3-1 down to equalise in the 95th minute through Steve Melton. Jon Gardner fired the Puritans into a third-minute
THREE penalties from Joe Robinson helped Oxfordshire Under 18s defeat Buckinghamshire 16-3 and win the area title. Monday's victory over Bucks followed up wins over Berkshire (18-8) and Dorset & Wilts (51-17). Prop Bob Baker was named player of the
Didcot Tn 3, Burnham 0 Didcot continued their climb up the British Gas Business Division 1 South & West table with last night's comprehensive win over in-form Burnham. Jamie Brooks got them off to a super start with a volleyed goal after four minutes
A drug addict died in Oxford from a heroin overdose just four days after leaving prison. John-Paul Carter, 28, took a dose which six months earlier may not have killed him, but he apparently ignored a warning that his tolerance to the drug was lower
An Oxfordshire woman who was once a heroin addict and spent time behind bars has spoken out against prisoners getting taxpayers' money for being forced into "cold turkey". Sharon Latimer said she was angry and appalled that 197 inmates who used hard
Missing medieval art masterpieces thought to be worth at least £1m have been discovered in the spare room of a house in Oxford. Two 15th century pictures of Dominican saints were found at the home of 77-year-old Jean Preston, who lived in a two-bedroom
The independent experts called in to advise on the future of children's and maternity services at the Horton Hospital in Banbury have been named. They are Prof Sir Alan Craft, the former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics, and Dr Nick Naftalin
About 180 empty beds in hospitals across Oxfordshire are on stand-by for a spate of winter illnesses. Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust insist the spare beds are a result of improved efficiency in the NHS in the county - and not part of a programme of
A notorious stretch of road where five people have died in less than three years needs more safety measures, according to two councillors. An elderly woman was rescued from the wreckage of her overturned car last Wednesday after it collided with another
An animal care lecturer from Oxford believes she is being targeted by animal rights protesters - after her car was vandalised three times in the past month. Laura Chalmers - who works at Abingdon and Witney College - and her partner Lou Wareham have
The case for a massive reservoir in Oxfordshire has not been proved says the council in whose area it is planned to build the £1bn scheme. And the Environment Agency says much more information is needed. It is not convinced that a reservoir is needed
Human Rights activist 27-year-old Nicola Blackwood from Oxford is the new Parliamentary candidate for the Oxford West and Abingdon seat - and she plans to make it a Greener and Bluer constituency. Miss Blackwood is the first politician in Oxfordshire
A rail company is being accused of forcing people to use cars to get to work by cutting the number of peak-time trains from Bicester to High Wycombe. Jeff Willmore, of Maytree Close, Bicester, commutes to High Wycombe every day for his job at Wycombe
Parents of a Faringdon Community College pupil said they were horrified that the driver of a school bus continued his journey after a window "fell out". Kevin Dell, 39, from Recreation Ground, Shrivenham, was alerted to the incident by his daughter
From finding parts for a 1933 Ferrari to securing a table at Le Manoir - nothing is too much trouble for Oxford hotel concierge Neil Cowen. And now his dedication has been recognised with a top industry award. The 44-year-old, head concierge at The
Nearly 100 small vehicles in Oxford City Council's fleet will be partly run on cooking fat. The authority has pledged to use biodiesel - the name given to a variety of ester-based oxygenated fuels made from soybean oil, vegetable oils or animal fats
Mick Berry bagged a double six in a 14-doll haul as Punch Bowl won 5-1 at Kings Arms in the Kidlington Indoor League. He opened with a two, but then clanged off a brace of sixes. Dave Sawyer emulated Berry with 2, 6, 6 as Clare Car Hire beat Pips
Crossing rivers and marching up to 55km in full kit were just a few of the challenges that faced a pair of Oxford soldiers who took part in an Army exercise in Wales. Officer cadets Benjamin Wilkinson and Luke Wilson battled the harsh environment of
Oxford City stars Nathan Douglas and Hannah England were on hand to present the trophies at the club's annual awards presentation evening for junior members. Douglas, the silver medallist in the triple jump in last year's European Championships in Gothenburg
East Oxford CC have been booted out of the Oxfordshire Cricket Association. In an unprecedented move, the OCA, who this year celebrated their centenary, have refused East Oxford's application for 2007. Now the club have lodged an appeal, which it
GOSFORD All Blacks 2nd took up where Wallingford left off on Saturday - by bagging a century of points. Their 102-0 victory over Aylesbury 3rd in BB&O Division 2 North was a club record for the men from Kidlington. Gosford's tries came from Jack Briggs
A DIVER found a wartime shell while working in the River Thames in Oxford. The 20-inch long canister with a six-inch artillery shell inside was fished out of the river at Osney Lock by an Environment Agency diver at 9.30am yesterday during work on the
JOHN Brodley says sheer hard work is the only way Chinnor can escape the National 3 South drop zone. Chinnor's head coach is looking to make the most of a break as they are not in cup action on Saturday. He said: "We've got a week off in which we've
A 54-YEAR-OLD man has become the first father in Oxfordshire and one of only a handful nationwide to be jailed because of his son's truancy. The single parent, who lives on the outskirts of the city, was given a two-week sentence by Oxford magistrates
NEW Varsity Match sponsors Lehman Brothers won't be lacking Twickenham experience when the big day arrives on December 12. Staff at the investment bank include former Oxford Blues Simon Halliday, Ross Lavery and Chris Hadfield. A spokesman for the
Charlbury took over at the top of the Premier Division as they edged out Spartan Rangers 2-1, writes ANTHONY BARLOW. Matt Holloway and Martin Grimsley scored the goals that took them to the summit, Gavin Kominek replying. Freeland went second as they
Joe Harvey bagged a brace as he helped Ardington stay top of North Berks League Division 1 on goal difference with a 3-0 victory against third-placed Faringdon Town. Matty Pedder got their other from the penalty spot. Saxton Rovers moved level on
CHRIS Mahony is still not happy with his form despite starring for Oxford University against Northampton. The 25-year-old full back from Auckland capped an impressive display with a try and now looks favourite to wear the No 15 shirt at Twickenham.
Three hours after feeding, bathing and burping baby and loading car with all her stuff, dropped her off at mum's for our 'first night out'. An hour into dinner with friends I still feel like I'd left the iron on or something. After three months of interupted
