Sixteen people have been taken to hospital after a white Ford transit mini-bus crashed on the M40 southbound between junction 12 and 11. The accident happened shortly after 3pm today and all 16 people on board, the driver and 15 passengers, required
It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the Olympic Torch pass through Oxfordshire. But it potentially means disruption to schools and businesses on July 9 and 10 as the rolling road closure programme affects pick-up times and the morning and afternoon
“Nothing ever tasted any better,” wrote the novelist Hugh Hood, “than a cold beer on a beautiful afternoon with nothing to look forward to but more of the same.” Being Canadian, and having lived most of his life when half of Europe was shuttered
THE organisers of this year’s Thame Town Festival are out to prove they don’t need celebrity help to draw in the crowds. Pop singer and reality TV star Peter Andre last year helped organise the annual event, attracting thousands of screaming fans. Support
AN appeal has been launched to recognise people who give their own time for the benefit of others. Local volunteers, charities and organisations are to be celebrated at a prestigious awards ceremony later this year. But at the moment organisers do not
VILLAGERS are looking at buying a closed pub to create a new community centre. If the plan goes ahead, it could see Fritwell’s residents selling their old village hall and buying the former George and Dragon pub to replace it. The pub, which has a car
A HEART charity has given scientists in Oxfordshire more than £400,000 to allow them to carry out their research. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) gave the money as part of Support Our Science month – a celebration of the charity’s lifesaving research
A 95-YEAR-OLD grandmother is proving it’s never too late to take up a new hobby. Peggy Jones has been recognised in national competitions for her artwork and seen her pictures displayed in galleries around the country. But the Benson pensioner did
FIVE-YEAR-OLD Leto Manda-Liu created a colourful elephant mask when she visited the Ashmolean Museum’s India galleries to explore the country’s rich culture and history. On Thursday the museum, in Beaumont Street, Oxford, held a half-term
A PLAYSCHEME, a zombie film project and a theatre festival are among the youth projects bidding for cash from Oxfordshire County Council’s Chill-Out Fund. The council has a pot of £100,000 to spend on projects aimed at children and young people aged
SIXTY years ago two teenagers fell in love at a youth club. They went on cycling dates and watched Betty Grable and Doris Day films together. Six decades later the Witney couple are celebrating their diamond wedding. June and
A SERIES of play days bringing together armed forces communities and local residents has been hailed a success. Over the past two months, play days have been organised at each of Oxfordshire’s garrison towns, and the scheme finishes in Abingdon today
Seven men arrested in police raids on an alleged child sex ring in Oxford are due to answer bail on June 26 and 27. The men, aged 21, 29, 34, 23, 31, 34 and 37, were arrested and bailed in March as part of the investigation called Operation Bullfinch
Police launched a crackdown on misbehaving cyclists in Iffley Road yesterday. Officers were on duty at the corner of Iffley Road and Stockmore Street during the afternoon to stop cyclists who were riding along the pavement. They issued
A 59-year-old woman's handbag's was stolen in the Morrison’s supermarket in Banbury. Last Saturday at around 11.30am she was approached at the store in Swan Close Road by two white women with “foreign accents” who distracted her before one
Oxfordshire Under 17s fell to a 39-run defeat against Gloucestershire in their final warm-up game at Apperley. It was scheduled to be a two-day game, but with rain forecast, it was decided to play a 50-overs contest on day one. Put in to bat by Oxon
History was made when the Oxfordshire Senior Girls Development Squad recorded a four-wicket win over South Oxfordshire in the Under 13 Section of the Oxfordshire District Festival at Didcot. It is the first time a girls’ side have beaten a
The Olympics is coming to Oxford this month, but with a worm-shaped twist. The city’s first ever Worm Charming Olympics, organised by Science Oxford, will take place on Sunday, June 24. About 100 people are expected to take part in the contest in which
Richard Kilbee, from Oxford, made the 900-mile round trip with his brother Steve to Scotland’s Loch Awe over the jubilee weekend and caught double-figure pike up to 18lb, topped by this 21.9.0 specimen. The fish were caught on a variety
Pupils at Lord Williams’s School in Thame were given some instruction and casting practice at Lechlade Trout Fishery’s Bushyleaze Lake. Farmoor Flyfishers and Wheatley Flyfishers & Flytyers provided the tuition. The 11 youngsters caught 15 fish between
A reminder that a new coarse fishing season on our rivers begins a week today, so if you haven’t already, it’s time to dust down those rods and oil those reels. After the recent rain, rivers should be in cracking condition despite the water shortage
The Oxfordshire branch of the Pike Anglers Club of Great Britain are offering a new membership deal of £15 per person. For that, members receive reduced admission of £3 to meetings, eligibility to take part in regional fish-ins, individual personal liability
The third match in the Carp League 2012 series at the prolific Rissington water produced a double century weight for winner Mick Lane despite atrocious weather. Lashing rain and cold temperatures did not deter the 14 hardy anglers and there were seven
The Great Britain Rowing Team was announced this week for the 2012 Olympics. The whole squad travelled to Windsor for the announcement by the chef de mission, Andy Hunt. GB Rowing have qualified 13 out of 14 boats for the Olympics so the afternoon
It was once one of the most anticipated events in Oxford’s social calendar, on the city’s biggest estate. But the Leys Fair in Blackbird Leys has now been called off for the second year running, raising serious concerns it may be gone for good. The
London Welsh paid tribute to the “overwhelming” backing from across the sporting world after submitting their appeal to the Rugby Football Union (RFU). The Championship winners, who want to play top-flight rugby at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford next
FORMER Oxford trainer Dean Childs set the Ladbrokes Pall Mall alight when Droopys Loner romped home in the first round heats at Oxford on Thursday. The 4-5 favourite was never troubled after a smart trap where he soon overcame Goa Gette by
WITNEY: A man who was arrested for allegedly defrauding Help for Heroes of up to £7,000 has had his bail extended. Thomas Richards, 25 of Witney, was arrested after money collected for the forces charity allegedly did not reach its donations account.
A MAN fighting for the return of his 400 guns compared his court appeal to living under the East German secret police. Martin Young told Oxford Crown Court yesterday: “This is like East Germans recalling their life under the Stasi”.
AN international tournament of a game based on the Harry Potter book series will take place for the first time in Oxford next month. The two-day quidditch event, featuring teams from the UK, America, France and Australia, will take place as part of the
OXON: Services from the county to London Marylebone were disrupted yesterday morning after a tree fell on the line. The fallen tree was in Buckinghamshire but meant services could not run between West Ruislip and High Wycombe, affecting travellers from
OXFORD’S Nathan Harrison has withdrawn from the Ginetta Junior Championship because of a cash shortage. It is a massive blow to the 15-year-old from Botley, who is sixth in the standings and the category’s leading newcomer. “It is with some regret that
TWO police officers are being treated in the Horton Hospital after an accident in Southam Road, Banbury this morning. The officers, who work for Warwickshire Police, were en route to an emergency when it happened shortly before 6am. No other vehicles
BICESTER: An elderly woman was taken to hospital after a collision between two cars on the A4421 Skimmingdish Lane. The road was closed in both directions between Launton Road and Buckingham after the accident involving a silver Skoda saloon and a blue
TRAINER Angie Kibble can be proud of her newcomer Petal Sheila after she claimed four straight victories winning grades A5, A4, A3 and A2. Now she goes for a nap hand in the top grade – some feat. DESPITE losing Michael Peterson and Nick Colton from
Eynsham’S Dave Messenger recorded a win and a second place in the two Alfa Romeo Classic Series races at Brands Hatch. His success was testament to the hard work carried out by his Team Darnells Racing outfit. They worked overtime to fix the gearbox
OXFORD’S Jason Plato will be gunning for his 70th victory when the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship resumes at Oulton Park this weekend. Plato, who heads the championship table, is the most successful driver in BTCC history, having added the
OXFORD: Two men charged with murder have had their custody time limits extended. Daniel McCollin, 30, of Blay Close, Blackbird Leys, and Wayne Cattell, 36, of Mortimer Road, Rose Hill, deny killing 39-year-old Denis Witney in St Clement’s last
A third of the tickets available for next month’s Olympic Torch event in South Park have already been snapped up. The Olympic Flame will arrive in Oxford on July 9 and make its way to the Headington Hill park for a huge party. Gates will open at 3.30pm
Sir Jonathan Michael said the next challenge for the OUH was to consult with the public over the application for Foundation Trust status. The Government wants all hospital trusts to become foundation trusts so managers have a greater say over how money
Our hospitals have been facing huge financial pressure for some time, so the news they must cut another £160m over the next four years comes as no surprise. However, that will not stop patients and staff worrying about their impact.
STANDARDS at the Campsfield House immigration detention centre in Kidlington are improving, according to a new report. The Independent Monitoring Board’s 2011 annual report on the Langford Lane centre released this week said it had “a good, stable year
A BICESTER man whose ear was bitten off in a fight has been locked up for contempt of court after refusing to give evidence. Ricky Harries’s refusal to take an oath and provide evidence led to him being detained for a day while his alleged attacker was
THE digital age is being blamed for a dramatic decline in the number of books being donated to Oxfam. Electronic book readers such as Kindles and websites that sell secondhand books like Amazon have led to a fall in the numbers being given, to the Oxford
Kelvin Thomas says Oxford United would not have turned down bids for James Constable if they were looking to sell their leading scorer. The U’s chairman this week revealed that a second offer from Bristol Rovers for the 28-year-old was rejected
JOBS at Oxfordshire’s hospitals could be lost as the trust that runs them faces £160m of cuts over the next four years. The news comes as the Oxford University Hospitals Trust (OUH) begins a consultation to become a Foundation Trust — a move which will
IT is not often that the bustling market town of Thame is quiet. But yesterday the main street fell absolutely silent as hundreds of residents lined the streets to bid farewell to a music legend. Bee Gees star and Thame resident Robin
To the rest of the world he was a musical legend. But in Thame, Bee Gee Robin Gibb was one of the locals. He made the town his home and its residents took him to their heart. The crowds at his funeral show just how much they loved
A WEST Oxfordshire church is replacing its stolen lead roof with stainless steel to deter would-be thieves. St Nicholas Church in Tackley has had three attacks on its lead roof in recent years. In one, a church member was assaulted. The latest incident
A BOXING club on Oxford’s biggest estate says it is back to square one after a deal to find it a new home fell through. The Blackbird Leys Amateur Boxing Club, one of the oldest organisations on the estate, has been hunting for a new base for
Villagers in Adderbury are to open their gardens to mark The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee on Sunday, June 24. The 23 gardens will open from 2pm to 6pm for 50p each or £5 for all. Tea will be on offer at each. For information and to volunteer to help with
Visitors and villagers are getting ready to party for this year’s Deddington Festival. The programme of celebrations will kick off next Friday, June 15 with a free concert in Market Place from 4.30pm. Acts will include Queen tribute band Queen II.
