ROBBERS who carried out a ramraid on a jewellery store in Banbury have been sentenced to a total of 45 years in prison. Four men and one woman were today sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court for the robbery at Michael Jones Jewellers in Banbury High
Oxford City Council's performance is improving, according to a survey of services. The survey, conducted by council officers, shows improvements in many areas compared to the same period last year. These include significant improvements in recycling
Thieves targeted a dozen cars in an evening crime spree - sparking fresh warnings about security. In each case, the thieves smashed a window to get inside the cars, then fled - often with expensive laptops. All 12 break-ins took place in the Thame
Arrived at playgroup last Friday to find a professional photographer was taking portraits of the children. We've never had proper pix taken of Littl'un. We've taken hundreds and hundreds of our own and so have never felt the need, but I decided to give
A TEENAGER with eight convictions for 27 offences has been spared jail despite his part in a street robbery. Luke Williams, 18, who was served with an Anti-social Behaviour Order 18 months ago, appeared at Oxford Crown Court today after admitting wounding
A teenage yob with eight convictions for 27 offences has been spared jail despite his part in a street robbery. Luke Williams, 18, who was served an Anti-social Behaviour Order 18 months ago, appeared at Oxford Crown Court today after admitting wounding
CITY council leaders insisted today they had not scrimped on safety measures on Oxford's towpath in the wake of the death of teenager Ben Halsey-Jones. Sid Phelps, chairman of the council's environment scrutiny committee, spoke of his concern after
Teenagers are getting their own Christmas cards from the police with a simple seasonal message - stay off the booze. The cards are being dished out to all Year 11 students at seven secondary schools in west Oxfordshire where underage drinking is being
Oxford University's refusal to 'adopt' academies such as the school planned to replace Peers is another sign the new school will fail, campaigners have claimed. The Government has been pushing top universities to support new city academies - but in
Anna Nicholson continued her impressive scoring form as table-topping City of Oxford won 7-0 at bottom club Rover Oxford 2nd in Premier 1. Nicholson followed up her hat-trick against Milton Keynes three weeks ago with another brace. Tam Curnow (2),
Banbury earned a vital South League Premier Division 2 point with a 1-1 draw at fifth-placed Tulse Hill, after captain Matthew Bull grabbed a late equaliser. The result keeps them top going into the last game before the Christmas break away at Eastcote
Oxford Hawks' challenging trip to high-flying Chichester in South League Premier Division 1 ended in a 5-1 defeat. But for much of the game Hawks matched the home side in all departments except, crucially, finishing. Hawks were without their influential
POLICE in Oxfordshire said they would be cracking down on pubs and clubs who serve drink to under-age people and those who are drunk. The force said it would be carrying out operations in conjunction with the Home Office Christmas Campaign, the Reasonable
Campaigners vowed to fight on for the long-term future of Peers Sports Centre in Littlemore after it was granted a stay of execution today. Supporters gathered at Oxford Town Hall to lobby councillors discussing the proposed closure at the executive
A Post Office manager has been spared jail after losing £50,000 of her employer's cash. Margaret Sowinska, 46, admitted two counts of false accounting while working at the post office in Martin's newsagent, Banbury Road, Summertown, Oxford. Sowinska
Chinnor FC continue to set the pace at the top of the Oxfordshire Super League after a comfortable win at The Shelley. Jon Jukes opened with a 3-1 victory for the visitors, Percy Brain levelling for the hosts. Alan Syphas restored Chinnor's lead,
Section 1 side Quarry Gate Ladies upset the form book away to Premier outfit Blackbird Bar as they ran out 5-4 winners in the Greene King ODDA Winter League. Janet Loveridge and Sam Poyser set up the victory by taking the first two games. Berinsfield
A man fitted with the world's first artificial heart at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital has died. Peter Houghton, who was close to death in 2000, was given a new lease of life when surgeon Steve Westaby implanted the pioneering Jarvic 2000 in his failing
Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust has been accused by campaigners of "moving the goalposts" after delaying its decision on whether cancer victim Stephen Dallison can have a life-prolonging drug. Although the 33-year-old scientist, of Iffley Road, Oxford
Wallingford 29, Amersham & Chiltern 0 Wallingford had far too much for their limited opponents at a rain-lashed Hithercroft and must now be realistic candidates for promotion from Southern Counties North. The wet conditions meant Wallingford couldn't
A theatre production of Aladdin has been doing the rounds since 1788 and the panto version dates from 1861. I'm pleased to say that, in the finest traditions of the genre, some of the puns in this exuberant and wonderfully daft production, directed
Oxfordshire produced their best performace of the season by seeing off Warwickshire 23-16 at home to make it three wins out of four in Division 1 of the Inter-Counties Championship. Warwickshire came down from the Premier Section last season and are
Wallingford coach Chris Norrington was keeping his feet on the ground after another solid home victory. He said: "To turn over a side that has played consistently at this level has got to be a good thing. "Looking at the game in isolation, we didn't
Grove ended their four-game losing streak with a 23-5 home victory over Slough in Southern Counties North. Dreadful weather conditions led to many errors and stopped Slough slotting three very kickable penalties. Grove got the breakthrough when flanker
Oxford Harlequins' season lurched from high to low with a disappointing 32-0 defeat at Coney Hill in South West 1. Just a week after their excellent victory against Chinnor, Quins were taught a lesson in basic rugby and finishing. Ray Barnett put
Henley Hawks' second-half surrender saw them lose 24-14 to Stourbridge at Dry Leas in National 2. Hawks, who were missing skipper Stean Williams (neck injury) and centre Jaymes Chapman (flu), were looking good when they led 14-7 at the break. But
Banbury suffered a 48-7 defeat at home to Newark in Midlands 2 East after being hit by a first-half onslaught. With a strong wind at their backs, Newark ran in six tries, four of which were converted, to lead 38-0 at the break. Newark's exceptional
Abingdon ended their run of five straight defects by winning 15-14 away at BB&O Premier Division basement boys Wheatley. Attacking against the wind in the first half, Abingdon pulled out to a 15-0 lead, with great tries from centre Frazer McCairns and
Bicester were left bemused after the referee blew up for full-time seven minutes early in their 10-9 defeat at Swindon College. The visitors' backs looked quite capable of scoring a winning try when the final whistle sounded, but they cannot appeal
POLICE tonight appealed to drivers to remove valuables from their vehicles following a spate of car crime. Thieves broke into vehicles at about 8.40pm on November 28 at the Swan Hotel and Six Bells, in Thame, making off with six laptops. It is believed
A major fundraising effort has been launched to mark the 10th anniversary of a young woman's death in Africa. West Oxfordshire teenager Cecily Eastwood died aged 19 when her gap year adventure in Zambia ended in a tragic road accident. Hundreds of
When the shops in Elms Parade took their first deliveries in 1937 their goods rolled up in a horse and cart. But now the shops rely on refrigerated lorries and use the latest marketing techniques to sell their wares. Although a great deal has changed
Is it ethically and morally acceptable for the Anglican Church to run an academy school in a multi-cultural area? DOUG BAKER Hollow Way Cowley Oxford
It must come as a great disappointment to many that Gordon Brown has not lived up to the strong charismatic image he conveyed as Chancellor. Maybe we expected a lot, having got tired of Tony Blair and his cosiness to George Bush. More than four months
About 30 jobs will be created in Oxfordshire following the decision of a drug-testing company to move two laboratories to Milton Park, near Didcot. Concateno, one of Europe's leading drug and alcohol testing company, took over Oxfordshire-based Cozart
Stuart Craft (Oxford Mail, November 20) is right to point out that road charges will hit the less well-off disproportionately. He is, however, less than fair to suggest they are part of an anti-working class, neo-liberal agenda. There are two main
I continue to drive within speed limits, but have other law-abiding drivers in Oxford noticed an increased level of aggression from other motorists when you do this? At first, it was men driving very close to my rear bumper, with curled lips and increasingly
Dozens of cyclists are to take to the streets of Oxford to buy gifts for the city's homeless. It is the third cyclists' social rally in the city, but the first to be held in aid of charity. Organiser Dan Harris, who works at Oxford Cycle Workshop,
Campaigners showed solidarity with their fellow countrymen by raising the West Papuan flag over Oxford Town Hall. Exiled countryman Benny Wenda joined Oxford's Lord Mayor John Tanner and other local campaigners to mark West Papua's National Day on Saturday
TEENAGERS are getting their own Christmas cards from the police with a simple seasonal message - stay off the booze! The cards are being given out to all year-11 students at seven secondary schools in west Oxfordshire where under-age drinking is being
When, oh when, will the authorities install permanent speed cameras on the Oxford Eastern Bypass, between Headington roundabout and Horspath Driftway junction? What is the point of having signs telling motorists to keep to 50mph or the sensors flashing
The Ministry of Defence is planning to move its bomb disposal training school to Oxfordshire from Kent. The plans would see the Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal School relocate to St George's Barracks, in Arncott, near Bicester. Although the move
AEA Technology 94.75 BMW 2947 Electrocomponents 220.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 124 Oxford Biomedica 21.75 Oxford Catalyst 150 Oxford Instruments 202.25 Reed Elsevier 607.25 RM 202.25 RPS Group 295.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
A POLISH tractor thief who was caught acting suspiciously in an Oxfordshire field is to be extradited to his homeland. Konrad Szeflerski, 28, who works as a horse groom in the UK, has a year in jail awaiting him on his return for the 12-year-old offence
ABOUT 30 jobs will be created in Oxfordshire following the decision of a drug-testing company to move two laboratories to Milton Park, near Didcot. Concateno, one of Europe's leading drug and alcohol testing company, took over Oxfordshire-based Cozart
A POST Office manager has been spared jail after losing £50,000 of her employer's cash. Margaret Sowinska, 46, admitted two counts of false accounting while working at a post office in Martin's newsagent, Banbury Road, in Summertown. Sowinska, of
OXFORD logistics giant Unipart has seen its share price rise by seven per cent - a year after the performance of the company's car-parts division was lambasted. The management team of the company's key automotive division left last year after "ill-judged
Stone-throwing yobs have brought a month of trouble to people living Abingdon. In the past month louts have smashed windows at homes seven times in Oxford Road and also struck three times in Thesiger Road. They have also thrown stones at a bus and
A pet cat was shot and wounded in the stomach. Owners of a white and tabby cat, called Angel, found her unwell at their home in Shillbrook Avenue, Carterton, at about 11.30pm on Friday. After taking her to a vet they discovered Angel had been shot
STONE-THROWING troublemakers have brought a month of trouble to people living in Abingdon. In the past month, they have smashed windows at homes seven times in Oxford Road and also struck three times in Thesiger Road. They have also thrown stones
Every afternoon, Riley and I walk up Southfield or Divinity Roads en route to South Park in Oxford. I promised her we'd get a dog trailer for the bike so we could get over the boring bit (walking on the pavement) more quickly and spend longer chasing
Other people's lives have remained my abiding literary interest in 2007. While I have read with huge enjoyment some worthy and inspiring life stories - that of novelist Edith Wharton as recounted by biographer Hermione Lee (Chatto & Windus, £25) comes
Among the usual slew of Christmas gift books appearing on the shelves a few gems stand out this year. Francesca Gould'sWhy is Yawning Contagious? (Portrait, £7.99) kicks off by answering those burning questions about the human body that many of us are
Ned Sherrin, who died in October, is best remembered as the creator of That Was The Week That Was, the show which kicked off the irreverent 1960s. He compared himself to Sheridan's bitchy man about town, Benjamin Backbite, and accumulated a great hoard
Didcot Power Station's iconic chimneys dominate the landscape. As one of the county's biggest polluters, they were a natural target for climate change campaigners, who painted the slogan: "Blair's Legacy" to mark a visit last year by the former Prime
A thug shot and wounded a pet cat in the stomach. Owners of a white and tabby cat, called Angel, found her unwell at their home in Shillbrook Avenue, Carterton, at about 11.30pm on Friday. After taking her to a vet they discovered Angel had been shot
CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating following a decision to keep open Peers Sports Centre for three extra months. More than a dozen people gathered outside the Town Hall this morning before a meeting to discuss the future of the centre. The centre and swimming
POLICE are cracking down on hare coursing in Oxfordshire following concerns from local people. Officers said there had been a recent increase in complaints from landowners and farmers in Wantage about the damage hare coursing was doing to their crops
Police are cracking down on hare coursing in Oxfordshire following concerns from local people. Officers said there had been a recent increase in complaints from landowners and farmers in Wantage about the damage hare coursing was doing to their crops
A man was taken to hospital suffering from a fractured jaw after being punched in Abingdon. The victim had just left Stratton's nightclub when he was approached by another man who punched him and left him lying on the ground early last Sunday morning
POLICE today appealed for witnesses after a man was taken to hospital suffering from a fractured jaw from an attack in Abingdon. The victim had just left Stratton's nightclub when he was approached by another man who punched him and left him lying on
A MAN fitted with the world's first artificial heart at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital has died. Peter Houghton, who was close to death in 2000, was given a new lease of life when surgeon Steve Westaby implanted the pioneering Jarvic 2000 in his failing
A 64-YEAR-OLD man has died following a collision on a road near Bicester. Malcolm Holman, from Aston Clinton, near Aylesbury, died after his black Ford Ranger and a white Citroen Relay van collided on Tram Hill between Brill and Ludgershall, in Buckinghamshire
THE person who died in a collision on the M40 on Friday evening has been identified as Kathryn Elizabeth Light. The 47-year-old, from Curzon Road, London, was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident. The crash is thought to have involved a car
A converted Oxford bank has made it into a top-10 list of converted hotels published today. The list, from travel information company TripAdvisor, shows The Lighthouse in Llandudno, North Wales, in fifth place, with the Old Bank Hotel in Oxford sixth
A man fitted with the world's first artificial heart at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital has died. Peter Houghton, who was close to death in 2000, was given a new lease of life when surgeon Steve Westaby implanted the pioneering Jarvic 2000 in his failing
Well - it's been three weeks since Josh moved in and so far we haven't killed each other. Admittedly there have been a few tense moments (the most memorable being an irrational argument over what brand of coleslaw to buy) but all in all things are going
A 64-year-old man has died following a collision on a road near Bicester. Malcolm Holman, from Aston Clinton, near Aylesbury, died after his black Ford Ranger and a white Citroen Relay van collided on Tram Hill between Brill and Ludgershall, in Buckinghamshire
Homeowners in Oxfordshire have been told to brace themselves for a house market crash which could inflict "misery" on families who have taken on massive debts. Vince Cable, acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, said the housing market was already
The woman who died in a collision on the M40 on Friday evening has been identified as Kathryn Elizabeth Light. The 47-year-old, from Curzon Road, London, was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident. The crash is thought to have involved a car
Campaigners are celebrating following a decision to keep Peers Sports Centre in Littlemore open for three extra months. More than a dozen people gathered outside the Town Hall this morning before a meeting to discuss the future of the centre. The
Oxford logistics giant Unipart has seen its share price rise by seven per cent - a year after the performance of the company's car-parts division was lambasted. The management team of the company's key automotive division left the group last year after
One of the strangest of many strange things you will see at Oxfordshire County Council's Museums Resource Centre near Standlake, if you take advantage of one of their bi-annual open days, is the remnants of a paper house that used to stand near the site
This is a significant year for poetic wordplay, as it is the centenary of the Limerick Craze of 1907. That is the year when magazines and newspapers began to run limerick competitions, in which the first four lines of a limerick were given and readers
M ini design guru Marcus Syring reckoned that some potential customers for the Oxford-built Mini were put off by the lack of rear legroom and boot space. To solve the problem BMW came up with the new Mini Clubman, which goes on sale in the UK on November
I t all began with a barn owl more than 12 years ago. "In hindsight, probably not the easiest way to start," said Chrissie Harper. "It isn't a beginner's bird.' For more than 20 years, Chrissie was a professional dog trainer with German Shepherds
Winter is upon us and I am not looking forward to it unfolding one bit. Without doubt November is the most uninspiring month of the year in the garden. It's dank and unpleasant- and that's on a good day! But don't shut down garden-wise and cut everything
November is the month when we recall those servicemen and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in conflicts around the globe. Each year, veterans of earlier conflicts become fewer. So how do we ensure that the stories of ordinary soliders are recorded
Mention the name John Watson to anyone remotely interested in motor racing and there is a 90 per cent chance they will know who he is. However, like yours truly, they probably won't realise that he is now an Oxford resident. John was born in Belfast
Visit any Oxfordshire garden centre and you are likely to see images of the Green Man, a leafy face, sometimes disgorging foliage. Pottery garden plaques are especially plentiful, as illustrated in the photograph (left) of an example seen at Waterperry
Is wine made in the vineyard or the winery?" is one of those questions that crops up time and again in wine circles. The widely held consensus is that the best wines come from the finest grapes with minimal intervention in the winery. It is never going
AEA Technology 104 BMW 2944 Electrocomponents 221.25 Nationwide Accident Repair 125.5 Oxford Biomedica 22.5 Oxford Catalyst 150 Oxford Instruments 204 REED 612.5 RM 201.5 RPS Group 292 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
Shares across the restaurant sector were hit today after Tootsies owner Clapham House Group said dampened consumer spending and higher costs will knock its performance this year and next. The group, which owns the outlet at the Oxford Castle as well
Bicester Tn 0 Milton Utd 2 (Johnson 6, D Jones 62) Milton rose to second spot in the Hellenic Premier Division - their highest position for 16 years - when a goal in each half gave them a comfortable success away to Bicester on Saturday. While a number
WEEKEND burials are set to take place in Oxford for the first time. City council chiefs are to consider a series of options to provide burials at weekends and on bank holidays - and could even privatise the service. The push for a seven-day-a-week
DRIVING wind and rain failed to dampen the spirits of hundreds of festive fundraising Santas. More than 700 runners dressed in traditional Father Christmas outfits took part in Oxford's first charity Santa Fun Run. Children joined parents alongside
IMPROVEMENTS to some of Oxford's crumbling and decrepit towpaths will not be carried out because work would be too "onerous" and expensive. A list of recommended work has been drawn up, including at a stretch of riverbank close to where teenager Ben
Billy Turley says that he has never enjoyed training as much as the last two weeks - and the players are taking their high spirits into matches. The Oxford United goalkeeper, who had only two saves of note to make in Saturday's 0-0 draw with Southend
THREE new laboratories have been built at a Kidlington school and a science block remodelled as part of a £732,000 project. The Gosford Hill School scheme will bring all the schools science buildings under one roof, bringing the total number of labs
PROTESTERS armed with sports kit and placards plan to send a noisy message today to councillors deciding the future of a threatened leisure centre. Oxford City Council's executive committee will meet at 9am to decide the future of Peers Sports Centre
PEOPLE can learn about community activities in Barton during a cultural event at Bayards Hill Primary School. International food and entertainment will be on offer at the free event on Tuesday, December 11, between 1pm and 3pm. Oxfordshire County
LIVE theatre, music and dance is being staged at village halls throughout the Vale of White Horse as part of a district council initiative. The council is working with the Oxfordshire Community and Rural Touring Network and the Oxfordshire Touring
DIDCOT 'rock 'n' rolled' into Christmas when thousands of people packed the streets for the annual Christmas Street Fair. The Broadway, Orchard Way and the central square area were ablaze with lights, stalls and funfair rides and entertainment - and
Weekend burials are set to take place in Oxford for the first time. City council chiefs are to consider a series of options to provide burials at weekends and on bank holidays - and could even privatise the service. The push for a seven-day-a-week
THE third annual Plain Traders Christmas party will be held at Dawson Street on Saturday, December 8, between 6pm and 8.30pm. There will be carol singing and refreshments and Mother and Father Christmas are also expected to attend with presents for
A widow has spoken of her heartbreak after thieves cut through chains to steal ornaments from a memorial garden. Pensioner Pam Stockford, of Lydia Close, Barton, Oxford, was distraught when she discovered a memorial bench and stone teddy bear had been
We rejoiced in February when it was announced that the city and county councils were promising to spend up to £500,000 on repairing and improving a stretch of towpath. That joy was tinged with sadness - it took the death of 15-year-old Ben Halsey-Jones
Improvements to some of Oxford's crumbling and decrepit towpaths will not be carried out because work would be too "onerous" and expensive. A list of recommended work has been drawn up, including at a stretch of riverbank close to where teenager Ben
TWO flood alerts were in force on rivers in Oxfordshire tonight after heavy rain hit the county.p> Flood watches - the lowest level of warning - were issued for the River Ray catchment area in north Oxfordshire and the catchment of the River Thame
