THE 95-year jail terms handed down today "finally" send a strong message to predatory paedophile gangs, the NSPCC said. The child protection organisation, however, criticised police and social services for how long it took them to realise the extent
“INCONSIDERATE” drivers are taking advantage of a new road layout to jump rush hour traffic queues in West Oxford. An Oxford Mail survey found in just over an hour almost 100 drivers took the shortcut to overtake commuters caught in traffic on
A DRIVER is unhurt after his car collided with the central reservation of the A34 near the Chilton Interchange. The accident happened just before 5pm this afternoon. One lane of the road was closed northbound between the A4185 Chilton Interchange
A PRIZE-winning farmer has hit out at irresponsible dog owners after two of her pedigree sheep were killed in vicious attacks. Julie Bury found a ewe dead in a field near Witney on Monday, days after she had to have a £600 Bleu du Maine ewe put
THE family of one of the girls raped by the Bullfinch gang have said today parents everywhere should be vigilant against the danger of grooming. The family, who cannot be identified, praised their daughter and the other five victims for coming
A SENIOR Muslim leader has condemned the Bullfinch rapists and said they could not claim to be followers of Islam. Dr Hojjat Ramzy added he believed the Muslim community would be glad at the five life sentences and 95 years in total handed down
POLICING and criminal justice minister Damian Green has today paid tribute to the Bullfinch victims as their attackers were jailed for 95 years. He said: "I would like to pay tribute to the young victims who have shown great courage in helping
Matt Ayres talks to the man who leads ghost tours from Oxford Castle every Friday and Saturday Lurking beneath a veneer of majestic architecture and academic prowess, the secretive ghosts of Oxford find their homes between narrow cobbled streets
MP NICOLA BLACKWOOD on her experience of the war-torn region More than two years into the Syrian crisis, with 80,000 dead and millions injured and displaced, we’re at the unpalatable stage as conflict observers where Syrian stories now have to
SEVEN members of the Bullfinch gang that raped, prostituted and sexually abused young girls in Oxford have today been handed sentences totalling 95 years. Judge Peter Rook sentenced five of the gang - brothers Akhtar and Anjum Dogar, Mohammed Karrar
TIM HUGHES finds The Good Lovelies’ contagious cheerfulness simply impossible to resist WITH their upbeat songs and sunny harmonies, The Good Lovelies are the ultimate feelgood folk band. So natural do these three Canadian girls sound together
Did you know that Oxford is actually a city? You may scoff, but apparently the university isn’t all there is — it isn’t just libraries, gowns, exams and books. There are actually shops and things. You may scoff. “Pshaw”, I hear you say (you have
DESPICABLE ME 2 (U) Animation/Action/Comedy/Romance. Featuring the voices of Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Russell Brand, Ken Jeong, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Elsie Fisher. Directors: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud Working to
A classy restaurant in Cowley Road converts GEORGINA LAMING to the delights of well-cooked Asian cuisine For me, Asian cuisine is usually relegated to the realms of a takeaway menu or a pot of Thai green curry paste. But having experienced authentic
Singer Nathan James tells HUW FULLERTON why his latest role is a childhood dream come true Rock singer Nathan James is living a childhood dream. Fresh from his appearances on The Voice and Superstar, he is now performing in the touring Queen stage
To make the most out of the Old Fire Station’s latest art exhibition, take a moment to pause, says SARAH MAYHEW CRADDOCK IT’S OFTEN said that some things in life must be seen to be believed, and good things come to those who wait. If that’s true
It took three-and-a-half years to arrive, but Tim Hughes discovers The Epstein’s new album was more than worth the wait GOOD things come, so the saying goes, to those who wait. And few people know that better than Olly Wills. His band, The
Tim Hughes takes his pick of the best local(ish) gigs Country-rock THE EPSTEIN St Albans Church, Charles Street, Oxford Tonight (Thursday) Tickets £10 from wegottickets.com It has taken The Epstein
Tim Hughes is delighted to discover a load more signings by Oxfordshire's best festival of new talent WITH the festival season finally here, and every last final line-up posted, we thought there was no more room for surprises. So bless those folk
The one thing you want above all else on a family motoring holiday is a vehicle that is firmly on your side. The stresses of packing, motorway hold-ups and meeting ferry deadlines are more than enough to cope with. While passengers flap, what the
I t’s the 1950s, and a plane crashes on an uninhabited island, leaving a group of schoolboys as the only survivors. Some of the boys are members of a choir. Gradually these well-educated children become less disciplined and descend into savagery.
Sara Bailey finds summer cheer in Stooshe's latest effort London With The Lights On Stooshe Warner Bros The most striking thing about Stooshe’s London with the Lights On is its unyielding energy. This bold entry
D’Oyly Carte is back. Magical words, undoubtedly, for fans of a company whose name is synonymous with Gilbert and Sullivan. This historic company ran for 107 years until its much-publicised closure in 1982. A rebirth followed in 1988, with the company
It’s that time of year again, when thousands of superannuated ‘hippies’ (ho-ho) head for the Glastonbury Festival and the BBC despatches a mighty proportion of its staff to follow them there. I have never understood why the Beeb thinks it acceptable
It seems likely that when the story of the rape of Port Meadow is eventually written there will be — and, pray, let she or he be made to suffer for it — one person who will stand out as the principal villain. A fruitful field of research might
5:19pm The family of Girl 1 have warned other parents to be vigilant 5:03pm Dr Hojjat Ramzy, one of the representatives of the Muslim Community in Oxfordshire said I and
The old saying, muttered by many a member of the older generation during the middle part of last century, was that “civilisation ended in 1914”: so great were the social changes the Great War wrought. Certainly its centenary next year has sharpened
In distant corners of the planet, and also right here in Oxfordshire, there are war graves: resting places of Commonwealth people killed in action in the two world wars of the last century. I have seen serried ranks of well maintained Portland
YOUNGSTERS visiting South Oxford Farmers’ and Community Market got the chance to read with local authors. A book fair was staged at the market at South Oxford Community Centre on Sunday and Korky Paul and Hugh Warwick came along. Aidan Lack
FOUR STARS Viv’s house is a tip, in spite of her strenuous efforts to keep it clean and tidy. “Get up, I want to Hoover,” she snaps at the couple lying on the floor, their naked bodies more or less covered by a duvet. Last night’s washing
Mike Younie, Adam Wootton and Oli Tite are just some of the local golfers taking part in the Buildbase Open at Frilford Heath, starting tomorrow. The event, which is part of the EuroPro Tour, will feature 168 up-and-coming professionals, including
PLANS to build homes on a former cricket ground in Headington should be approved, councillors will be told. Thomas Homes wants to build 30 homes on the Barton Road cricket ground but the proposal has attracted criticism from residents and sports
THE jobs of workers at a building supplies firm have been secured after its boss stepped in to save it from the creditors of its parent company. Ian Duckitt had been running Merkko Enterprises since 2006 but overall control lay with the construction
North Oxford had a thumping 3-0 win at home to Rye Hill in Section 4 of the Shaw Gibbs Oxfordshire Foursomes League. Meanwhile, Drayton Park reached the next round of the Knockout Cup with a 2-1 win at Waterstock. Spencer Dawkins and Andrew
Oxford A came up trumps in their quarter-final first leg of the Inter Area Cup by whitewashing Wallingford B 5-0. Mark Trafford made use of the break by scoring 12310. Skipper Kevin Godfrey (8030) and Alan Oliver (3660) then made it 3-0.
Oxfordshire's Tom Fleming is hoping to make it third time lucky when he bids for a place at The Open at Muirfield later this month. Having fallen at the final hurdle last year, the assistant at Frilford Heath is determined to progress this time
DAVE Cantwell finished third in a half marathon for the second week running – this time at Malvern. The Woodstock Harriers athlete clocked 1hr 19mins 1sec in windy conditions, also earning him second place in the vet 40 category. This came
The A417 was closed near Buscot Village Hall in Lechlade Road, following a collision between a car and a motorbike at 7.48am yesterday. The rider suffered broken bones and was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital. Traffic queued until the road
OXFORD Brookes University has announced 37 redundancies, following the completion of a major jobs review. About 20 of the staff to go are cleaners, with the others made up of caretakers and maintenance staff. The university said that none of
NOEL Blatchford and Lyn Ahmet were among the medals when the British Masters Athletic Federation (BMAF) hosted two championships at Horspath. Abingdon’s Blatchford was the first lady home in the 10,000m walk event. She clocked 1hr 3mins 31secs
A 27-year-old man was assaulted near the Esso garage as he walked with friends in Oxpens Road at 3.15am on Saturday, after being approached by three men, one of whom punched him. The attacker was white, aged 25-30, 6ft tall, of medium build with
Police have re-bailed a teenager and man arrested in connection with a string of burglaries in Hook Norton on May 11 and 16. A 15-year-old boy has been re-bailed until July 31, and a 23-year-old man until July 30. The teenager was arrested
THE first part of a £132m redevelopment of Oxford Brookes University was officially opened yesterday. Students will start using the £17m Abercrombie building from the beginning of the academic year in September – though staff moved into the expansion
SO, Mr Siret continues to refer to perfectly decent people as nasty (Viewpoints, June 25). I wonder how he would describe the politicians in his “triumph of socialism” Venezuela. Those who have disastrously mismanaged the oil-rich economy to create
I HAVE just received my copy of the Cherwell Link and would like to share with Kidlington residents what relates to our council tax payers. Page three, litter blitz, September 23-27, volunteers wanted to prop up what the council should be doing
A LESSON for us all? On Wednesday, June 19, I enjoyed the wonderful celebration of different lands and cultures, organised and presented by the children and teaching staff at Wood Farm Primary School, Oxford. These children, of many different
LONDON Welsh head coach Justin Burnell believes he is compiling a squad capable of regaining their Premiership status. The Exiles, who are staying at Oxford’s Kassam Stadium as they seek promotion from the Championship, added front-row forwards
Oxfordshire's Middleton Cup fate is back in their own hands after a hard-fought 123-114 victory against group leaders Hampshire at Atherley BC, Southampton. Needing to win the Group 2 Section B (South) clash to stay in contention for a quarter-final
A Banbury Borough side triumphed in Oxford City & County’s annual open mixed fours competition. Margaret Morris’s team of John Brooks, Janet Fountain and Mike Morris edged out Brian Lawton’s Mid Surrey side by a shot difference of two after
Oxfordshire Under 25s went down 83-70 to Surrey, their White Rose Trophy conquerors, in the Junior Home Counties League at Weybridge BC. Oxon shared the four rinks, with Gary May’s side of Dean May, Brandon King and Craig Maroney providing their
An update from the corridors of power PRIME Minister David Cameron ribbed Russian president Vladamir Putin last week. The PM joked about his counterpart’s tendency to be photographed in overly masculine scenarios at the West Oxfordshire Tourism
Councillor Reg Waite, Vale member for commercial services YES . . . The Vale’s Bring Bank waste sites, particularly in Abingdon, Faringdon, Wantage, Botley and Shrivenham, have been described as a complete eyesore. Additional and clearer
REGARDING my letter (Viewpoints, June 12) titled Let’s divert this money to repair our potholes: to date, the county council hasn’t admitted or denied that there may be more than £4.5m put aside for proposed alterations to Frideswide Square and The
REGARDING the story Boris Bikes on the way (Oxford Mail, June 19) should this have not been April 1? Spending £150,000 of taxpayers’ money for 30 bicycles on hire from seven outlets in the Headington area – surely this is a joke? This works out
THERE is a constant repetition of releasing and enacting publicity for housing proposals, hotel and business premises to be built on a greenfield site west of Barton in a misguided anti-green plan by Oxford City Council (June 17). It is like the
THERE are some ingenuous or disingenuous people about, are there not? Attempting to discredit the victims of crime or those associated with them is one of the oldest tricks in the book, when the police are disinclined, for whatever reason, to proceed
IF Oxford United’s players thought the first few days of pre-season training were tough, they could be in for a surprise. And that’s because things are about to be turned up a notch or two over the weekend. The U’s travel north today for a
OSMAN Muskwe missed out on a place competing for Great Britain after his passport was not ready in time. The Radley athlete had hoped to represent Britain in the decathlon at this weekend’s European Cup Combined Events Super League in Tallinn,
Teams skipped by Banbury Central’s Caroline Campion and Banbury Borough’s Maureen Osbourne have qualified for the National Triples Championships at Royal Leamington Spa in August. Campion, along with Carole Galletly and Stella Amos, went through
Headington A ran out emphatic 5-1 winners at Carterton in their Division 1 top-of-the-table battle in the Oxford & District League, sponsored by Yarnton Nurseries. Wins for the rinks of Ian Snowdon, Mark Charlett and Howard Watts secured a
Oxfordshire suffered the heartbreak of a last-bowl defeat in the Balcomb Trophy regional semi-final as they went down 41-39 to Kent at Halls BC, Dartford. Oxon held game with just Kent skip Shaun McCaughan’s last wood to come against Alan Prew’
Q My family have stored bikes on a piece of drive next to our property for the last 14 years. The council now wants us to pay for the usage. Do we have any rights to use the land? A No. The use must be continuous for 20 years. Only then will rights
FORMER Oxfordshire athlete Hatti Archer hopes to be be awarded a European bronze medal from 2010 after runner-up Marta Dom-inguez was suspended for blood doping. The 31-year-old, from Radley, finished fourth in the 3,000m steeplechase final at
Zoobiquity is “a species-spanning approach that combines the knowledge and expertise of veterinary and human medicine practice”, and the authors of this book, Barbara Natterson Horowitz and Kathryn Bowers, unpack that to find out what animals can teach
A 16-year-old boy was sexually assaulted while walking in Cowley in broad daylight. The youth was walking along the cycle path next to the A4142 between the bridge for Barns Road and Garsington Road at 5.20pm on Saturday. A man, described as
A homeless man facing life in prison for the murder by arson of two friends has failed in a bid to overturn the conviction. James Cox, 67, was jailed for the double murder of his girlfriend, Sian Sanchez, and his friend, Howard Blake, in October
ABOUT 30 protesters gathered outside the Old Bailey yesterday morning ahead of the Bullfinch trial sentencing. The group, Women Against Rape, chanted slogans, waved banners and handed out fliers to passing members of the public after arriving at
THE parents of two of the victims in the Oxfordshire child abuse case have spoken about the devastating effect it has had on their lives. Yesterday the Old Bailey heard victim impact statements from the parents of Girl 1 and Girl 3. They spoke of the
LAWYERS for the child sex ring defendants yesterday pleaded to minimise the sentences. In mitigation the barristers put forward arguments on behalf of their clients but most acknowledged long prison sentences are due to be handed out today.
FORMER Oxfordshire athlete Hatti Archer hopes to be be awarded a European bronze medal from 2010 after runner-up Marta Dominguez was suspended for blood doping. The 31-year-old, from Radley, finished fourth in the 3,000m steeplechase final at that
For some reason, directors find it difficult to make good pictures about their film-making idols. There are a handful of exceptions. Ably aided by Johnny Depp as Edward D. Wood, Jr., Tim Burton captured the man behind the madness in Ed Wood (1994),
A pair of British silent features notable for their docudramatic realism bookend a collection of actualities with the emphasis on biography, ecology and the state of the Catholic Church in this week's DVD column. In 1994, the National Screen and
The recent King’s Place Rapidplay was won by British Champion, Gawain Jones ahead of an immensely strong field containing four other grandmasters and countless other titled players — attracted, it would seem, by the large cash prizes. Oxfordshire
It’s all about great music, tempting food and drink and having fun,” says Dan Carden, who is organising the Nasio Exit 7 Summer Music and Fun Day event. Dan is just one of a growing number of young volunteers at the Nasio Trust charity based in
For some reason, directors find it difficult to make good pictures about their film-making idols. There are a handful of exceptions. Ably aided by Johnny Depp as Edward D. Wood, Jr., Tim Burton captured the man behind the madness in Ed Wood (1994),
A pair of British silent features notable for their docudramatic realism bookend a collection of actualities with the emphasis on biography, ecology and the state of the Catholic Church in this week's DVD column. Deference is also the watchword
IF you happened to be passing your local town hall yesterday and heard agonised groans from within, that will have been your councillors being ‘George Osborned.’ The Chancellor warned councils to brace themselves for a 10 per cent cut in the cash they
LURKING beneath a veneer of majestic architecture and academic prowess, the secretive ghosts of Oxford find their homes between narrow cobbled streets and alleyways; beyond the shaded windows of old colleges and churches. Some of them hover quietly
EAST Oxford residents will soon get a glimpse into what was happening in their gardens 800 years ago. And if past finds are anything to go by the picture may not be all rosy. Archeox, the East Oxford archaeology and history project, is carrying
THE credibility of the mitigation being put forward by the Bullfinch rapists and sex abusers at the Old Bailey yesterday is irrelevant. Nobody should lose sight of the appalling devastation they wreaked on not just the girls but the families.
OXFORD: Drivers are being warned park-and-ride car parks in the city could fill up fast today with thousands of people attending Oxford University open days. On the first open day yesterday, county council-run Water Eaton and Thornhill were completely
Mole and Chicken Easington, nr Long Crendon 01844 208387 themoleandchicken.co.uk Where to start? With the fabulous story of how an aspiring chef took over a random and isolated village pub miles from anywhere near Long Crendon
I had two strawberries on Sunday evening. Two peachy red ‘uns inflating like hairy little balloons from the stalk. By the time Monday’s saunter to the plot arrived, they had been chomped recklessly by ‘a thing’. I know not what. They had been
FIVE STARS It is an irony presumably intended to be recognised as such that the titular Cripple of Inishmaan — an Irish lad eager to make it big in the fillums — should be portrayed in this revival of Martin McDonagh’s justly famous 1996
FOUR STARS Passing through the village of Elsfield, you might hear vague stirrings in the churchyard. This will be John Buchan, formerly of Elsfield Manor, turning in his grave over the transformation of his most famous thriller, The 39 Steps
A Stradivarius knows no boundaries, said Tasmin Little OBE at the opening of the Ashmolean Museum’s exhibition celebrating the life and work of Antonio Stradivari (1644 to 1737) — or Stradivarius as he is more commonly known. The classical violinist
There is nothing quite like a homegrown strawberry eaten with the warm sun on its skin, preferably picked from your own garden. Much of our strawberry breeding is carried out at Kent’s East Malling Research (EMR) centre, once government funded but
As I watched the National Theatre’s riveting production of Othello a couple of weekends ago, I thought how interesting it would be if Adrian Lester, in the title role, and Rory Kinnear, the actor playing the longer part of Iago, were to be given a
