Detectives hunting for missing nightclubber Sian O'Callaghan are holding a man on suspicion of kidnap and two murders after revealing they have found her body. Police said they know the location of a second body and are searching in a country
Police discovered the naked body of missing Swindon nightclubber Sian O'Callaghan in a ditch by the side of the B4507 between Broad Way and Blowingstone Hill at 3.30pm
Police trawling the Oxfordshire countryside for missing Swindon nightclubber Sian O'Callaghan have found her body but have yet to find the remains of a second, it has been revealed in a statement issued by Wiltshire Police.
SPRING may have arrived, but this week’s Oxford Mail Face in the Crowd winner is no fairweather Oxford United fan. Angela Spraggs has been a season ticket holder for 28 years, having been instantly hooked after being invited to the old Manor ground in
THE punk music fans in and around Oxford should be proud of themselves for the reception they gave the legendary SLF last night (March 23). The band rewarded the warm reception with a fantastic performance to the eager and devoted crowd.
ROADBLOCKS have been set up by police in Oxfordshire after a body was found. Detectives searching for missing nightclubber Sian O'Callaghan have sealed off areas around Uffington. Angus Tucker, the landlord at the Blowing Stone pub in
POLICE searching for missing nightclubber Sian O'Callaghan have found two bodies - one at Uffington Hill. Wiltshire Police said a 47-year-old man from Swindon is in custody having been arrested on suspicion of kidnap and two murders.
A SEARCH has been launched for the relatives of an Oxford man who died in Norfolk. Norwich Coroners’ Office is searching for the next of kin of Keith Gibbs, 56, from Paradise Square, after he died in the city on March 17. A spokesman said there were
KATHERINE MACALISTER tries out the Oxford Brookes University restaurant and discovers that student food has improved since her undergraduate days – and the service wasn’t bad either. The fire engines were already stationed outside my house
LIMITLESS (15). SciFi/Drama/Thriller/Romance. Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro, Anna Friel. Director: Neil Burger. The drugs do work in Neil Burger’s visually arresting morality tale, set on the bustling streets
Rachael O’Connor gets that Friday feeling at Progressively Less Elephant at Baby Love in King Edward Street. It’s the end of another working week and if you’re lucky enough to have that feeling Fridays are famous for, the lure of Oxford’s
Revolutionary things are going on at the Oxford Playhouse, writes KATHERINE MacALISTER. New resident company Shared Experience premieres Bronte tonight. And before you write it off as a boring period piece, think again. Drugs, alcohol and addiction dominate
Russell Watson is back. And while ‘The Voice’ looks the same from the outside, albeit thinner, the world famous singer has gone through hell and back to get here. His well documented double brain tumour had him teetering on the edge of a mental abyss,
SCHOOLGIRL Rosanna Bassett was inspired by her godmother to get on her bike to raise £4,000 for Multiple Sclerosis sufferers. She cycled from her home in Brightwell Baldwin, near Watlington, to Abingdon to raise the sponsorship cash for the MS Society
andrew ffrench counts down to one of the literary highlights of the year. BY the time the Oxford Literary Festival arrives in town on Sunday, April 2, winter will have vanished, allowing the literature of ideas to blossom in the warmer weather
Tim Hughes discovers that for singer-songwriter Rumer, a life less-ordinary has resulted in music of true beauty. MANY musicians can point to a turning point in their life where they realised that they were destined to write, sing or play
RAUCOUS, leather-clad, hard rockers Zodiac Mindwarp are one of those rare bands who make the world a better place just by being here. Well, perhaps not better… but certainly more fun. Since bursting on to the 1980s in a riot of muscle, menace and manic
A 20-year-old man has been charged with kidnap, robbery and possession of an imitation firearm in Witney. Jordan Marks, of no fixed abode, is accused of three counts of robbery, one count of kidnapping and two counts of possession of an imitation firearm
A TEENAGE director hopes his homemade documentary will be shown in schools across Oxfordshire to raise awareness during Climate Change Week. Ross Harrison, 19, from Hailey, near Witney, set out to dispel the myths and find the real facts behind climate
AN ENVIRONMENTAL group has been travelling the county in a bus handing out eco tips during Climate Change Week. The Wild Waste Show bus was parked outside Sainsbury’s in Witney on Tuesday where the team from the Earth Trust gave out leaflets to shoppers
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Abingdon School’s first eight secured a thrilling victory at the Schools Head of the River. Starting second behind Eton, they held off an early challenge from Shrewsbury in third to set up a strong rhythm through the middle of the race to Hammersmith
Centre of interest in the women’s Boat Race at Henley on Sunday is a certain rower called Redgrave. The Oxford crew includes Pembroke College’s Natalie Redgrave (pictured fourth from left), daughter of legendary Olympic oarsman Sir Steve Redgrave
When the crews were announced for the Boat Race, to be held this Saturday (5pm), the odds seemed heavily against Oxford. Cambridge had four former Blues to Oxford’s one. The Light Blues were also heavier, taller and older. Nevertheless, the private
OXFORD Hawks’ women secured promotion to the National League for the first time with a stunning 7-1 win over Epsom. It avenged a 1-0 defeat in South Clubs Division 1 earlier this season. Sandra Frankland, who went on to score four goals, opened the
LIFE just seems to be getting better and better for Sam Waley-Cohen, who fulfilled his wildest dreams when Long Run galloped to glory in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, writes Russell Smith. The 28-year-old amateur rider was overjoyed after
LEN Webb, a former Mayor of Thame and Second World War veteran, has died aged 89. Mr Webb, affectionately known to colleagues and friends as ‘Our Len’, has been described as one of the best-loved figures in the town. Born Leonard James
A FORMER England boxing coach and founder of the Peers Youth Amateur Boxing Club has died, aged 68. Dave Richards, from Blackbird Leys, passed away on Tuesday, March 8, after a short battle with lung cancer. He trained the amateur England boxing team
Antelope Of Banbury Nissan is inviting customers to see how far they can go in 24 hours, with Nissan’s new Micra test drive. All customers test driving the Micra for 24 hours will automatically be entered into a prize draw that will give
ITV’s coverage of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will extend with live coverage of qualifying on the itv.com website. Its 2011 coverage will again include seven-hour-plus live broadcasts from all ten race events on both its
This unusual play, which also contains music and dance, is performed by Pegasus Youth Theatre and its dance company. Gilgamesh lived around 2700 BC. He was king of Uruk, and he was two parts god, one part human. Jenny Lewis links the
Did you know that the average life expectancy for homeless people is just 46 years? Or that a homeless person is fourteen times more likely to be a victim of crime than the general public? This is why in July I will be cycling 230 miles from London
MUSICIANS will be raising cash for Japan’s earthquake victims at the weekend. Local acts will turn up the volume at The Hobgoblin in Sheep Street in Bicester. They will play on Friday night while DJs will entertain revellers on Saturday, and drinkers
FILM star Hugh Grant has honoured the work of an Oxford doctor to educate people about health conditions. The Four Weddings and a Funeral star praised two websites set up by Dr Ann McPherson, who retired after 30 years at the Beaumont Street surgery
Punchbowl's Mick Berry was crowned the Kidlington Indoor League’s singles champion with victory over North Oxford Conservative Club’s Peter Dempsey on finals night. Galacticos lifted the Len Hill Cup with a 16-11 win over Gin’ll Fix It. Paul Sawyer
Oxford & District slipped to a 73-70 defeat against Moonfleet (Weymouth) in the Wessex League quarter-final. Oxford & District 70, Moonfleet 73 (Oxford skips first): J Beardsley 16, M Gale 15; S Claridge 15, N Burrows 17; N Rae-Welsh 21, M Puckett 18
Oxford City Stars stayed in the hunt for an English National League South Division 1 play-off place with an 8-4 home win over Swindon Wildcats before slipping to a 6-3 defeat at Chelmsford Chieftains. Gareth Endicott settled Oxford’s nerves against bottom
OXFORD’S theatre community last night paid tribute to legendary screen actress Elizabeth Taylor, who died aged 79. Dame Elizabeth, famed for her role as Cleopatra, died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles yesterday morning from congestive
Oxfordshire's Steven Sheard and Pete Phillips are British Pairs champions. After beating Northants duo Simon & Ian Coleman in the quarter-finals, they faced Oxon duo Phil Collins and Leon Beer in a four-legged semi-final in Bournemouth. With the match
A “DRUGS mule” caught with cocaine and heroin and an improvised weapon has been jailed. Tony Reece was stopped by police off Barry Avenue, Bicester, on December 11 and found to have 12 wraps of the drugs. He also had an amount of cannabis for personal
Newly promoted Studley Wood visit Frilford Heath when the Shaw Gibbs Oxfordshire Foursomes League starts up again on Saturday. The sides get the ball rolling in Section 1, while the opening Section 2 clash sees relegated Ellesborough host promoted Bicester
Rural retreats are much in demand as first and second homes and renting is an attractive alternative to buying, as it offers more flexibility. Number 20 Milton Lane is a five-bedroom, contemporary family home overlooking the green in Steventon. It
A traditional two-up, two-down property in one of Oxford’s most fashionable areas, Jericho, will set you back about £500,000. But agents say buyers consider it worth every penny, thanks to its proximity to the town centre and individual character. Guy
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Parcels of land dominate an Oxford auction next month, reflecting the strong interest in buying land or run-down properties to develop. Jonathan Perks, Oxford-based rural surveyor for agents Carter Jonas, said: “People have always recognised
WORK has started on the final phase of a £15m flood defence for Banbury – to prevent hundreds of homes and firms from flooding. The move will also pave the way for a multi-million pound regeneration of Canalside, which could involve 1,200 new homes,
FORMER Chinnor flanker Sam Jones helped England Under 20s secure a Six Nations Grand Slam with a 41-15 victory against Ireland in Athlone. The Wasps Academy man was a second-half replacement for Leicester’s Matt Everard. l BANBURY sealed the Oxfordshire
The Family Becci Whitehead, 21, lives in a rented house in Abingdon with her fiance Dan Neale, 26, and their three-year-old daughter Gracie, pictured with Miss Whitehead. She works as a dance teacher in primary schools and is currently
I WRITE regarding David Williams’s comments (Oxford Mail, March 14) on my placard displayed at last month’s Bonn Square demo. I wrote the sign just after the expulsion of Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak had been announced on TV, so it was very
Now that the United Nations is showing concern for the lives of civilians, has imposed a No Fly Zone over Libya and legitimised strikes by US and European forces against Gadaffi’s military installations, can we assume that similar concern will be shown
Shoppers cannot have failed to notice the humanist gazebo in Cornmarket over the past few Saturdays. Last Saturday, in a spirit of genuine inquiry, I ventured to ask a young woman who was handing out leaflets why the humanists were so opposed to religion
WITH regard to Oxfordshire County Council leader keith Mitchell’s response (Oxford Mail, February 14) to my letter about making savings in the management and organisation of the council, I am delighted to hear that a number of senior posts have been deleted
RED Nose Day has already raised millions and the Government says it will match the total. What with all the cutbacks, however, where on Earth has the Government suddenly found the money to give away – when a few weeks ago it said it was cutting back
One can only be filled with joy and optimistic hope for the people of the Middle East, particularly Egypt, which ousted its nasty dictator Hosni Mubarak. The events that started with a Tunisian student setting himself on fire (the catalyst that got
A COUNCIL has literally brought motorists to their knees as the “car parking fiasco” enters a new chapter. In readiness for a rise in parking fees from April 4, Cherwell District Council has lowered the height of three of Bicester’s busiest
Drivers experienced traffic delays in Oxford this morning following a collision between a single-decker Stagecoach bus and a cyclist. Thames Valley Police spokesman Alice Adderley said the accident happened on Abingdon Road outside Hinksey Park at 8.30am
OXFORD Harlequins would love another crack at Chinnor – in the Oxfordshire Cup final. That was the view of Quins director of rugby John Brodley after watching his side slip to a 30-22 defeat in Saturday’s National 3 South West clash at Kingsey Road.
EXPERTS were last night divided on the impact of Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget. Moves such as cutting fuel duty, raising the tax threshold and major incentives for businesses and entrepreneurs have been set against continuing above-inflation
OXFORD’S hopes face a tough task to reach the first round of the £1,000 Fairview Kennels Trafalgar Cup at the Stadium tonight sponsored by Oxford trainer Tony Magnasco, writes John Gaisford. Champagne Perry (Richard Yeates), Spencers Lad (Angie
Top coach Manoj Parmar is embarking on a new project in Switzerland – but it’s not the top job he thought he had got. The 44-year-old Thame cricketer, who has run a coaching academy in the town for the past 12 years, was under the impression that
THE producer of Midsomer Murders who sparked a race row will step down from the show at the end of the current series. Production company All3Media launched an internal investigation after the publication of Brian True-May’s comments that part of the
Sophie Carter smashed the course record by over one minute as she won the senior ladies’ race at the Banbury 15. Woodstock Harrier Carter, building up for next month’s London Marathon, clocked 1hr 36mins 13secs to finish more than two minutes ahead of
Former Radley athlete Hatti Dean finished 21st at the 39th IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Punta Umbria, Spain on Sunday. In temperatures approaching 80 degrees Farenheit, Dean was the second Briton to finish, crossing the line in 26mins 35secs
The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship today confirmed a record entry list ahead of its 2011 season with the highest number of different makes and car models entered for the series in the two decades it has run as an all 2.0-litre formula.
Chris Wilder has revealed that the signing of Ryan Doble came after a scouting mission back in the summer. Doble, who is set to play for Wales Under 21s this weekend, joined Oxford United on loan from Southampton on Tuesday. And Wilder is hoping that
OXFORD University’s Stan McKeen hopes to boost his World Cup prospects with a good performance against Georgia at Iffley Road on Monday night (7.15). The Canadian international back-row forward (pictured) was man-of-the-match when the Dark Blues defeated
THE family of an Oxford PhD student spoke of their heartbreak after thieves raided his flat just 48 hours after he died. A laptop containing William DeJanes final thesis and family photos was stolen from the rented flat in Cowley Road. Last night his
CAMPAIGNERS were last night offered fresh hope in their bid to keep open more than 20 of the county’s threatened libraries. County council leader Keith Mitchell said council officers are now working with local communities on “a library by library
WORKERS at the Cowley Mini plant have not been affected by the Japanese earthquake, according to both management and union leaders. There were concerns that stocks of a key gearbox component imported from Japan would run out, leading the plant to switch
Woodstock Harrier Steve Naylor was handed an early birthday present after being called up to represent England for the first time. Naylor has been selected to take part in this Saturday’s Home Countries International meeting in Northern Ireland
A DAMNING report has branded Oxford City Council’s benefits service as “poor” and criticised its high cost to taxpayers. The Government’s public services watchdog handed the council a “zero star” rating and raised failings in accuracy, the
AN OXFORD street stall that was the birthplace of a multi-million pound business employing 400 people could move to a new home. The AMT coffee stall outside the Westgate Centre was opened by three Oxford Brookes University students, the McCallum-Toppin
‘Increasingly in society, there has been a general interest in narrative rooted in fact,” says David Lodge, celebrated author and literary critic. We have been discussing his latest book A Man of Parts, a biographical novel about science-fiction
Nature lovers Jo Schofield and Fiona Danks, who live near Watlington, have devised their third book of outdoor activities, Run Wild (Frances Lincoln, £16.99). They will lead a hunt for natural craft materials on Christ Church Meadow as part of
The End of the West David Marquand (Princeton, £16.95) Marquand, a founder member of the Social Democratic Party, argues that Europe’s financial and political problems stem from outdated perceptions of global power, and says European governance must
Prophecy by S. J. ParrisThe real Giordano Bruno was a brilliant poet and philosopher, who was burned by the Inquisition in Rome in 1600. Before that tragedy, he lived for a while in England, which attracted him because it was relatively tolerant, and
The Invention of Murder by Judith FlandersMurder was a rare treat in the 19th century. In 1810, in England and Wales, with a population of ten million, only 15 people were convicted of murder. I say ‘treat’, because the Victorians and their precursors
There was a noticeable change in the language over libraries at County Hall from the moment councillors set the budget last month. There was to be consultation, we were told, but it was never really clear how far or deep that consultation would go. To
Fans of children's laureate Anthony Browne have been waiting ages for a book like this to come along. For decades, the illustrator has been producing some of the most interesting picture books around — my children particularly enjoyed his stories about
COUNTY HALL is abandoning controversial plans to end funding to almost half the county’s libraries. Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell told The Oxford Times that the proposals had been “torn up”, with the council preparing to “rethink”
ELDERLY users of a day centre have warned that cuts could lead them into a spiral of isolation and depression. The users at the Kingsmoor Club, Hinton Waldrist, said that without free transport to the centre they would not be able to attend. For many
Sir – When Oxfordshire County Council consider the new designs, perhaps they could review traffic flows in Hythe Bridge Street and Park End Street. Hythe Bridge Street is often severely congested with queues stretching back to Beaumont Street, whilst
Sir – I feel compelled to respond to the letter (March 17), about the removal of RingGo from First Great Western stations. Mr Griffiths questions how we received the hundreds of complaints from RingGo customers. The responses were both emailed
Sir – On Saturday, March 19, the campaign group Friends of Blackbird Leys Library held a family awareness-raising event which was a huge success. In bright spring sunshine, the posters and flags outside the library drew in many passers-by. First, children
Sir – I wrote to you last year about the state of South Park during the summer months when the evening and night users of the park left it in a relentlessly disgusting state. You might be interested to know that things have started early this year, and
Sir – The city council have voted to abolish decision-making area committees and replace them with toothless ‘area forums’ with no powers. They also want to remove the area budgets and give each councillor £1,500 a year to “spend in relation to their
Sir – The report from the planning officers, which recommends city councillors to approve the Dorset House planning application for 300 student units in Headington, is as clear as mud. The planning decision, scheduled for March 31, should be postponed
Sir – I was pleased to read your article about the imminent opening of the new building for the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. (Report, March 17). Just to correct one statement in the article, Richard Makepeace, the centre’s registrar, was until
Sir – I thank Hubert Allen for his concern and assure him that I do, indeed, try to be a ‘good little atheist’. Maybe in return Mr Allen could try a little more courtesy and a little less scorn for other people’s honest beliefs. Ann Hopkin, Headington
Sir – In response to John White’s letter about the census, Helen Robertson points out that British society was built upon the Judaeo-Christian ethic. Yes, but secular morality, as it has evolved in our social species, precedes and informs religious morality
Sir – It is heartening to read that more than 1,700 volunteers gave their time to pick up litter around Oxford in OxClean’s Spring Clean 2011 (Report, March 10), although it’s shameful that there is so much litter. Hopefully, this demonstration of public-spiritedness
Sir – A religion is surely a recognised system of belief in some kind of divine power. John White is clearly right in suggesting that people who do not subscribe to one should not hesitate to tick “No religion” on the census form. Many people believe
Sir – Please allow me to conclude my correspondence, based on faith schools, by referring to three letters in your last edition. Firstly, my thanks to Dane Clouston for enlivening the letters page with his thoughts on this matter. I had a long, lively
Sir – Predictably, as soon as an atheist offers an honest and factual exposition of his perfectly mild views (John D. White, Letters, March 10), theists such as Helen Robertson accuse him of ‘aggressive bullying’ (Letters, March 17). Over the centuries
Sir – Helen Robertson says (Letters, March 17) that people of faith “have come in for a lot of opposition and marginalisation recently” and refers to “aggressive atheistic bullying”, though she gives no actual examples. I can’t say I have seen any such
Sir – Your article Past Times (March 17) about the failure of Oxford University to give an Honorary degree to Mrs Thatcher prompts me to put the matter in context. The proposal was brought forward by Council, but defeated in Congregation in 1985, but
Despite the internet and 24-hour media coverage, countless infractions of basic rights and laws around the world fail to make the headlines and the abuses continue unabated. However, film-makers of commitment and courage keep unearthing these stories
Oxford is Britain's second-busiest film location. Yet, while the city's landmarks frequently stands in for places from all periods and provide the idyllic setting for salad day sequences in pictures across the generic range, they have always tended
IMAGES of a fast-changing Oxford community will be beamed on to the side of a block of flats this weekend. Cowley, once a rural village transformed by industry and commerce, will be celebrated with images projected on to Hockmore Tower above Templars
KEITH Mitchell’s statement that some libraries may escape closure is welcome but should not be taken as a war won just yet. All the Save Our Libraries campaigners have achieved is a reappraisal of what will have to close because while Mr Mitchell
Homelessness is on the rise. New research has revealed a two-fold increase in the number of households in rent or mortgage arrears and a recent YouGov survey confirms these fears by announcing that there is an increase in numbers of people fighting to
I have spent the last few weeks judging for a UK-based wine competition. In fact, at the risk of sounding ludicrously grand, I have been team leading; a role that is all about encouraging consensus and steering people away from the occasional off-the-wall
THE damning findings of the Audit Commission about Oxford City Council’s benefits service should concern us all. The service deals with thousands of people in the city and handles about £70m a year. It has received a zero star rating
Few things can have greater impact than the sight of rainforest trees lying on their sides, their roots upended, gnarled and knotted, exposed to cold northern skies, bereft of the warm tropical earth that once fed them, writes Theresa Thompson. Stumps
Climate blues: You do not have to go far to witness the effects of climate change on our wildlife; in fact many of us have built-in sensitivity to them. Birch trees — whose pollen is an important cause of hay fever are flowering five-to-ten days earlier
The Oxford club has one team in the first division of the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL) and two teams in the third division. The club goal for this season was to maintain Oxford 1 in the top division and to gain promotion for Oxford 2. After six
“Did you know that it’s snowing in Leek?” were Russell Watson’s first words to me. “Somebody I know has just texted me saying there is an inch of snow in Leek!” He chuckled heartily. This natural mateyness is, of course, one of the reasons why so many
I recently took part in a jovial Gardener’s Question Time for the charity Perennial, organised by Sue Bedwell. Thank you to all who came. It was a frightening affair, particularly as I had never heard of the first plant, an oxalis with a name that sounded
