Archive
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Subaru off to a flyer in Mexico
BANBURY'S two Subaru World Rally Team Impreza WRC2007s got the Rally Mexico off to a flying start. Petter Solberg/Phil Mills and Chris Atkinson/Stéphane Prévot completed their shakedown runs fastest and second fastest overall on Mexico's rocky and dusty
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Babies arrive on special day
TRACEY Gittins celebrated leap year today by giving birth to her second son. The 37-year-old from Carterton gave birth to Ryan at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford at 10am. He weighed a healthy 9lb 8oz. Mrs Gittins, whose first son Hayden was
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Police launch series of raids
POLICE seized drugs and a taser gun in a series of raids across rural Oxfordshire to mark the end of a two-month crackdown on crime. The raids started when officers burst through the door at a semi-detached house in Springfield Road, Wantage, at about
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Raids on homes end crackdown
Police seized drugs and a taser gun in a series of raids across rural Oxfordshire to mark the end of a two-month crackdown on major crime. The raids started when officers burst through the door at a semi-detached house in Springfield Road, Wantage,
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CRICKET: Taylor-made for success
Jack Taylor is a precocious talent with the world at his feet. The 16-year-old has been brought up on cricket - his father Kevin captained Great & Little Tew's first team for 11 seasons, while his grandfather, Gordon was first-team captain for 27 years
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Taser found in drugs raid
POLICE raided a third house this evening as part of an on-going crackdown on drugs and major crime and seized an illegal taser gun. Officers burst inside a house in Farm Close Road, Wheatley, shortly before 5pm. Inside they seized class-A drugs,
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'Crazy' road plan threatens ancient stones
PLANS to take heavy lorries out of the centre of an Oxfordshire town, by diverting them past an ancient stone circle, have been labelled "crazy." The scheme to cut traffic in Chipping Norton by sending it along a country road beside the Rollright Stones
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Babies pop out on extra day
Tracey Gittins celebrated leap year today by giving birth to her second son. The 37-year-old from Carterton gave birth to Ryan at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford at 10am. He weighed a healthy 9lb 8oz. Mrs Gittins, whose first son Hayden was born
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Drugs raids target third house
Police raided a third house today as part of an on-going crackdown on drugs and major crime and seized an illegal taser gun. Officers burst inside a house in Farm Close Road, in Wheatley, shortly before 5pm. Inside they seized a stash of class A drugs
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'Wise to bring Prince Harry home'
Family and friends of troops in Oxfordshire's Territorial Army unit 7 Rifles have backed the decision to pull Prince Harry out of Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defence announced today that the prince would be taken out of the unstable Helmand Province
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Battle to safeguard lakes goes on
Radley Parish Council is pushing ahead with its fight for town green status for Thrupp and Bullfield lakes despite RWE npower suspending its dumping plans. The energy company last week said it was putting plans to dump spent fuel ash from Didcot Power
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David Icke tells theories to Union
Controversial conspiracy theorist David Icke told an Oxford audience that human beings are "holograms" and that the world was heading towards central control at the hands of a "fascist dictatorship". The former goalkeeper and news presenter-turned outspoken
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BILLIARDS: New Club eye up double bid
New Club lifted the Hashman Shield with a 3-0 success against Thame at Cowley Conservative Club. They now have their eyes on the double having reached the semi-finals of the Stephen Reiss Cup. Ian Gee (+40) beat Tom Fletcher (+40) 150-115 to put New
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SNOOKER: Super Witney stroll on at top
Leaders Witney A kept up their 100 per cent record in the Premier Division of the Gentworks Oxford & District League with a 4-2 victory against clubmates Witney C. Justin Buckingham got Witney off to a flier, rattling in a 59 break as he accounted for
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Westgate work cuts parking spaces
Up to 100 car parking spaces are being lost at Oxford's Westgate shopping centre, ahead of the site's demolition. The spaces, in the car park's northern section, are being taken out of service to allow archaeologists to carry out the next phase of their
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Animal rights graffiti angers residents
An animal rights protester has sprayed graffiti along a row of fencing in a quiet Oxford street. Messages including "Ban Vivisection Now" and "Stop the Animal Lab" were sprayed in black paint along a row of fencing behind Reliance Way overnight yesterday
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BOXING: Jordan battles way into finals
Oxford Boxing Academy bantamweight Jordan Ottwell, 17, booked his place in the finals of this year's NACYP championships with a determined points victory over Gwynfi ABC rival Kieron John at Cwmbran, south Wales. And yet again the Kidlington teenager
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GREYHOUNDS: Oxford takes centre stage
Followers of Lewis on ITV1 on Sunday could not fail to spot the action and scenes from a greyhound meeting at Oxford. Maurice Massey's kennel hand Emma Gaskins was filmed loading a runner into the traps. More cameras will be in action tonight as the
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ANGLING: Thames back on song – at last!
At long last, the Thames switched itself on last Sunday, especially for the seven matchmen fishing the Jolly Anglers club match on the BMH stretch. After weeks of poor returns, the river was on song, with Phil Ansell putting 19 bream and a chub on the
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ANGLING: Tim to roll my sleeves up
Last Sunday saw me over at Farmoor Flyfishing Club's Darlow Lake on a working party, writes ANDY WEBBER. Several members were there and we were all given jobs to do - raking up leaves, cutting back branches and burning all the rubbish. It was nice
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CRICKET: Banbury march on
Banbury Indoor League Banbury made it four wins from four in Division 1 of the Banbury Indoor League after cruising past defending champions Cropredy. Ian Hawtin made 32 as Banbury reached 103 in their ten overs. Luke Ryan took charge, claiming 3
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GREYHOUNDS: Zorro sees of rivals
The Cross of St George flew proudly as Drink Up Zorro (pictured), the only English-bred hound in the Pattinson Construction Trafalgar Cup final, stormed home in great style at Oxford Stadium on Saturday. The white and blue dog overcame his five Irish-bred
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CRICKET: Sandford crash out
Sandford St Martin crashed out of the ECB Indoor six-a-side Club Championship in the regional play-off at Bradfield College. Oxon champions Sandford lost by 26 runs to Berkshire winners Peppard after failing to get to terms with the facilities. Wayward
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Letterbox burglars steal BMW
THIEVES stole a BMW after breaking into a house and stealing the car keys. Between 4.50am and 5.05am on Sunday, the thieves broke into a house in Bletchingdon Road, Kirtlington. Police said they got in by using the letterbox to open the front door
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Traffic threat to stones site
Plans to take heavy lorries out of the centre of an Oxfordshire town, by diverting them past an ancient stone circle, have been labelled "crazy." The scheme to cut traffic in Chipping Norton by sending it along a country road beside the Rollright Stones
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Burglars raid house and steal BMW
Burglars broke into a house in Kirtlington by reaching through the letter box to open the front door. They then stole keys from a handbag and took a silver BMW 330D, registration OE56 WCO, from outside the house. The burglary happened between 4.50am
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SCHOOL SPORT: Ex-England duo are big hit
YOUNGSTERS at Summer Fields Preparatory School, Oxford, had the thrill of a training session with ex-England players Jon Callard and Danny Grewcock ahead of their rugby tour of South Africa. o As part of the preparations for the trip, a fund-raising
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TABLE TENNIS: Vikins win thriller
VIKINGS A certainly know how to keep their nerve! They reached the third round of the Handicap Shield with a narrow nine-point victory over Haddenham B. And they have now booked their place in the semi-finals after an unbelievable climax to their
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SWIMMING: Olivia lays down the law
ABINGDON Vale's talented Olivia Law smashed the county 14 and under freestyle record on the second day of Oxon and North Bucks 400m Championships at Stantonbury, Milton Keynes. Law recorded a time of 4 mins 48.19 secs to take the under 13's freestyle
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Police link village raids
POLICE this afternoon appealed for witnesses after two burglaries occurred in villages near Bicester, which officers believe may be linked. The first took place at a property on Paddocks Road, Ardley, overnight between 5pm on Tuesday, February 19,
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Today's local share prices (PM)
AEA Technology 87 BMW 2715 Electrocomponents 189 Nationwide Accident Repair 116 Oxford Biomedica 17.25 Oxford Catalyst 144 Oxford Instruments 186 Reed Elsevier 598.75 RM 207.5 RPS Group 257.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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Jackal hunts down crime hotspots
POLICE in the Cherwell area are warning criminals there will be no let-up to intense policing in the district. Almost immediately following Operation Jaunt, which tackled under-age drinking in the area's main towns over half term, Operation Jackal
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Burglaries seem to be linked
Two burglaries in Fritwell and Ardley, near Bicester, are believed to be linked. The first took place at a property in Paddocks Road, Ardley, overnight between 5pm on Tuesday February 19 and 8am on Wednesday February 20. A window was forced and after
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Today's local share prices (PM)
AEA Technology 77.25 BMW 2762 Electrocomponents 178 Nationwide Accident Repair 130 Oxford Biomedica 26.75 Oxford Catalyst 145 Oxford Instruments 191 Reed Elsevier 633.75 RM 215.75 RPS Group 296 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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Women offered courses for 'blokes work'
Women are being encouraged to roll their sleeves up and learn traditionally manly trades at Oxford's further education college. Oxford Women's Training is running several all-female courses in tiling, plumbing, joinery and plastering at the Oxford and
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Watches stolen at knife-point
Robbers raided a jewellers, threatening staff with a knife, and stole expensive watches. Three men forced their way into Henley Goldsmiths in Duke Street, Henley, at about 3pm on Wednesday. When the staff came out of the back office into the shop,
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Piggy tale filled me with glee
Your article about the allotment-eating pig at Wantage (Oxford Mail, February 23) was hilarious. It made a change from politicians, cyclists, rape, robbery and black market traders in Cornmarket! Apologies to the rightly angry allotment people.
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No guarantee
RWE npower's temporary deferral of filling Thrupp Lake, while welcome, offers no long-term guarantee that the lake is safe. Local people are still faced with the prospect of many tens of thousands of pounds expended on legal fees to get the area registered
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Flood risk
RWE npower's plans to defer filling Thrupp Lake with fuel ash have been welcomed by everyone. If only it was a permanent decision. It is 12 months since the trees were cut down at Thrupp Lake, and since then, their loss has had a remarkable effect on
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Chance to save lakes for good
The countryside between Abingdon and the River Thames should be the glorious setting of the town. In fact, as a result of more than half a century of gravel-quarrying, ash-dumping and landfilling, much of it is now badly scarred. Parts are a barren
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Council stalwart dies at 83
JOHN Hannis, who repesented Chipping Norton over decades on both Oxfordshire County and West Oxfordshire District councils, has died aged 83. A former bus driver, he was also a mayor of the town in which he lived all his life, as well as a stalwart of
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Thunderball ready to roll
THE 2008 Drag Racing Season opens with The Auto Trader Easter Thunderball on March 21 to 24. A huge variety of race cars and bikes will be competing in the first round of National Drag Racing championships and there will be a Pro Fuel Shootout featuring
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Council stalwart dies
John Hannis, who repesented Chipping Norton over decades on both Oxfordshire County and West Oxfordshire District councils, has died aged 83. A former bus driver, he was also a mayor of the town in which he lived all his life, as well as a stalwart
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Families sign up for OX5 run
Two families are getting ready for the OX5 Run for the second year running - to raise funds for the city's children's hospital. Paula Thomas, 38, from Yarnton, and Julie Millard, 42, from Begbroke, both have children who have spent a lot of time in
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Carnival theme is unmasked
Masquerade is set to be the theme of Oxford's Cowley Road Carnival. For the first time, the theme of the carnival - the biggest public event in Oxfordshire's calendar - was chosen by public vote. The winning idea was announced at a public meeting
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Robbers snatch £50,000 watch haul
ROBBERS armed with a knife stole £50,000 worth of watches in a raid on an Oxfordshire jewellers. The gang forced their way into Henley Goldsmiths in Duke Street at about 3pm on Wednesday. When the staff came out of the back office into the shop one
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Alarm grows over 'Ghost Town'
The tally of businesses pulling out of Abingdon continues to rise. And only last week 'closing down' signs went up in the Jennifer Gerard Art Gallery, in Stert Street. The previous week, Cargo Homeshop, in High Street, announced it would be packing
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Highline tops Passat range
THE SE version was Volkswagen's best-selling Passat in Britain last year - it accounted for more than half of all sales - but it is now being replaced by a new variant, the Highline. It gets more kit than the SE had, costs from £18,890 for the 1.8-litre
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Audi sports new A4 models
THE next phase in the roll-out of the new Audi A4 saloon has started with the unveiling of S line sports models. At the same time, access to a distinctive A4 S line has also become easier thanks to a new lead-in, 120 horsepower version of the 1.8-litre
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Renault heads off-road
RENAULT has taken the wraps off its new 4x4, the Koleos, which goes on sale in Britain in July. With the full unveiling at the Geneva, Switzerland, Motor Show next week, Renault's Korean-built crossover, the result of a link-up with Nissan, will come
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Cracking the special code
Citroën's new C1 and C3 Pluriel Code special editions now supplement the successful C2 Code. The Code versions are based on each model's top trim level, and include leather upholstery, sporty alloy wheels, chrome interior trim, and a smart black livery
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Go go Twingo
Renault has literally gone from one extreme to the other with its Twingo supermini. Following the recent UK launch of Renault's new entry-level model, the £7,500 Extreme, comes new of a Tarmac-tearing Twingo Renaultsport. It will be on sale in Britain
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Alfa lowered
Alfa Romeo has made its successful limited edition Alfa 147 Collezione even better for 2008 - it gets lowered suspension, new paint choices, a leather interior and exclusive 17-inch alloy wheels. Available now, and costing from £13,950, the three
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Pollution warning over old cars
TWO million vehicles come to the end of their useful life each year in Britain, every one containing 22 litres of hazardous waste products. And with less than half of those scrapped cars being recorded as being recycled properly, that means, says
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Subaru to spark fleet market fuss
GET set for a Subaru invasion - the firm's first diesel-engined car arrives here this month and it will mean fireworks in the fleet market. For company number-crunchers will love the fact that the four-wheel drive Legacy Sports Tourer and Outback
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Roadtest: Silent running
For one of the most unusual cars on the road, Honda's Civic Hybrid is remarkably unremarkable. If you are a hair-shirt-wearing eco-warrior, who wants to save the planet and let everyone know it, then you will probably hate this car, because it hides
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Injured cyclist still in hospital
Police are renewing an appeal for witnesses to a serious collision which injured a cyclist who is still in hospital in a serious condition. A 60-year-old man was cycling along the B4020 Shilton Road from Burford towards Carterton at 6.20pm on Thursday
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More than jam and jerusalem
Ask most people what they associate with the words Women's Institute' and they will usually come up with redoubtable, middle-aged matrons who pass their time making jam and crocheting. To some extent, they'd be right, and a flick through the prospectus
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Complement yourself
Aspirin or acupuncture? With so little information readily available in making the right choices for your health and wellbeing, the decision to go for complementary or conventional treatments can be difficult and confusing. Nowadays, many people are
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Crowbar burglars steal laptop
POLICE this afternoon appealed for information following a burglary and attempted burglary in Tiddington. Between 7.30am and 7pm on Monday, offenders attempted to gain entry to a property by forcing the rear door with an instrument, possibly a crowbar
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Fresh plea on injured cyclist
POLICE today renewed an appeal for witnesses to a collision near Burford in which a 60-year-old cyclist was seriously injured. The man was cycling along the B4020 Shilton Road from Burford towards Carterton at 6.20pm on Thursday, February 7. He stopped
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The Oxford flier
There were few Oxfordshire stars in motor sport who shone as brilliantly as John Avery in his chosen pursuit of scrambling, or motocross as it came to be known. My illustration shows him landing after an airborne leap at the Cotswold Scramble. John was
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Battle to save lake continues
RADLEY Parish Council said today it would carry on battle to protect Thrupp Lake from the bulldozers. It comes despite a recent decision by power company RWE npower to put on hold plans to dump fly ash into Thrupp Lake. The parish council has vowed
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Lake battle goes on
Radley Parish Council said today it will carry on the battle to protect Thrupp Lake from the bulldozers. It comes despite a recent decision by power giants RWE npower to put on hold plans to dump fly ash into Thrupp Lake. The parish council has vowed
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Today's local share prices (AM)
AEA Technology 77.75 BMW 2803 Electrocomponents 178.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 130 Oxford Biomedica 27.5 Oxford Catalyst 145.5 Oxford Instruments 191.5 Reed Elsevier 632.5 RM 215.5 RPS Group 292.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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Rogue gardeners arrested
Trading standards officers from Oxfordshire County Council have collared four people in a crackdown on cold-calling rogue gardeners. Council officers along with police swooped on two addresses in Oxford and Witney on Wednesday, February 28, and arrested
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Four held in 'rogue gardener' raids
TRADING Standards officers from Oxfordshire County Council have caught four people in a crackdown on cold-calling rogue gardeners. Council officers along with police raided two addresses in Oxford and Witney on Wednesday and four people who were carrying
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Wines for Mothering Sunday mixed case, £64
Is there such a thing as a 'feminine' wine? That's a matter of conjecture I suppose, but whatever your viewpoint, this is a collection of tasty, scented and delicate wines that are lovely on their own and also great with a variety of foods. Perfect early
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Mothers vote for wine
It doesn't take an awful lot to get me tipsy. You would think that, after all these years of endless wine tasting, I would have developed an above-average tolerance. Sadly, it just isn't the case. I blame my mother. The woman can't take a spoonful of
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Leaping for joy
MYA Buckingham has two reasons to celebrate this week - her first and her fourth birthdays. The Our Lady Pre-school pupil, from Cowley, Oxford, was born on February 29, 2004, making her a Leap Year baby. And because Leap Years only occur every four
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Presenter 'back soon'
SHABINA Akhtar, Radio Oxford's breakfast presenter, is expected back at work in the "near future". Ms Akhtar, who took over the breakfast slot on the BBC station in March last year, has been on sick leave for about three weeks due to illness with Dominic
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Fan cleared of violence
A devoted Oxford United fan spoke of his relief last night after winning an appeal against his conviction for football violence. Liam Walker, 29, was banned from all football matches for three years after being found guilty of taking part in violent
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Hundreds travel for abortions
HUNDREDS of women have to travel miles out of Oxfordshire for an abortion because county NHS doctors will not carry out the procedure. About four fifths of the 2,000 NHS terminations performed on Oxfordshire women every year are carried out in Reading
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'We will fight Westgate plans'
MORE than 70 people opposing plans to redevelop Oxford's Westgate shopping centre, gathered in the city's Town Hall last night to discuss ways to fight the developers. The campaign group Oxford against Westgate Redevelopment is looking to target
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Pupil arrested for mocking teachers
A SCHOOLBOY was arrested and investigated for three months after creating spoof images of his teachers as Osama bin Laden and Shrek. Louis Johnson, 13, a pupil at St Gregory the Great School, Cowley, had his mobile phone and his mother's computer
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Drug raids at dawn in Wantage
Police ended a two-month crackdown on major crime in South Oxfordshire this morning with a pair of dawn drug raids. Officers raided a semi-detached house in Springfield Road, Wantage, at about 7.20am. Ten minutes later, police burst into a second-floor
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FOOTBALL: Banbury play waiting game
Banbury United player-manager Kieran Sullivan could be without four key players, including inspirational skipper Andy Baird, for tomorrow's trip to Premier Division high-fliers Halesowen Town. Former Wycombe striker Baird is receiving intensive treatment
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U's must be fleet footed!
OXFORD United boss Darren Patterson is confident his side can cope with the Blue Square Premier's leading scorer Stuart Fleetwood when they travel to Forest Green Rovers tomorrow. The former Morecambe marksman has struck 30 goals this season, but is
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On the trail of ride’s history
AMERICAN cycle historian David Herlihy is on a mission to track down paperwork, pictures or mementos of Thomas Gaskell Allen Junior's three-year round-the-world bike ride with William Sachtleben in 1890. American-born Mr Allen had twin daughters,
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City hosts women's festival
WOMEN from all backgrounds and walks of life in Oxford are being brought together for the city's 19th International Women's Festival. Throughout the festival, which starts tomorrow and runs until March 15, the city plays host to a number of events
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Appeal held
A GOVERNMENT planning inspector is to hear an appeal against South Oxfordshire District Council's refusal to grant planning permission to turn 55 Abbot Road, Didcot, into six flats.
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Swap items
GREEN group Sustainable Wallingford has its next swap shop and collection day on Saturday, March 8, between 10am and noon in the Regal Centre, Wallingford. Almost anything that can be reused by someone else - except electrical goods and clothes -
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A testing time in the classroom
Oxfordshire County Council has acted with commendable speed in tackling the problem of our under-performing schools. It is setting aside more than £1m to bring in a team of so-called super heads in an attempt to turn them round. The seconded experts
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U-turn on CCTV cameras welcomed
TRADERS and householders have welcomed a decision to install extra security cameras in Abingdon - just months after a number of them were switched off. Increased use of the cameras has been made possible following the launch of a £25,000 scheme by
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The meadow angels
THEY have already been christened the 'Angels of St Clement's' after flying in to boost the OxClean campaign. And the name is well deserved. For Melissa Perot, Iris Bars and Marie Power have joined forces to clean up Angel and Greyhound Meadow,
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Pleasant streets
Sir - I applaud Ruth Wickett's suggestion about street cleaning in front of one's own property. When I lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, about 40 years ago there was a city ordinance (by-law) that required me to clear the pavement (side-walk) in front
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Collegiate presence?
Sir - Professor Mullender (Letters, February 22) has missed the point of our letter. We entirely agree there should be an adequate library for Ruskin College at Headington as well as at Walton Street. Can she please tell us on what scale will any
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Radical history
Sir - I recently left Ruskin College after 20 years developing and teaching Adult Education programmes. As such, I am appalled to hear that Audrey Mullender, Principal, plans to call a new Ruskin College library after Jim Callaghan. The main thrust
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Unclear restrictions
Sir - We all know that parking is a problem in Oxford. The council car parks are clearly designated, as are the penalties for infringement. However, this is not the case for privately-operated companies. One evening recently I had the experience of
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Cramped conditions
Sir - You reported (February 22) that, "First Great Western's error made hundreds squeeze into two railway carriages". FGW are reported to have said that this 'error' was a simple 'rostering' mistake. This gives the impression that this was a 'one-off
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Welcome moves
Sir - The acquisition of demountable flood barriers for Osney Island by the Environment Agency (EA), (Report, February 22) is a very welcome development. The particular barriers chosen have been very effective elsewhere and, importantly, in the case
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Traditional spirit
Sir - Imagine our disappointment when my wife and I arrived at The Ultimate Picture Palace - often a half-empty cinema - to see The Kite Runner, only to be greeted by the manager with "Sorry full up" which, for regular customers, seemed to qualify
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Profitable solutions
Sir - It is apparent from Craig Simmons' remarks about the incinerator (Report, February 15), just as much as from his remarks in the past about successful cafés, that he doesn't like the idea of companies making a profit. This is entirely in line
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Agonising wait
Sir - I would like to offer my sympathy to Lori Smith who is waiting for a kidney transplant (The agonising waiting game, February 8). I know just how she feels - six years ago I was waiting for a heart and lung transplant, hoping the call would come
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Common sense option
Sir - I have been very interested to read the coverage your newspaper has given to the planning application at Heyford Park, as one of my clients is the North Oxfordshire Consortium. Over the last 12 years, Heyford Park has offered a wide range of
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All things to all men
Sir - I write concerning the opposing views of the Rector of St Aldates and the Bishop of Oxford on the question of the Muslim call to prayer. First, my own experience of this call, on a visit to the Middle East, was that it was highly penetrating
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Catalytic presence
Sir - Christopher Gray in his appreciation of the Victoria Arms, Walton Street, (Weekend, February 15) raises the memory of Dan Davin (1913-1990) as OUP publisher, without once mentioning Dan Davin as writer. He was indeed 'a senior figure at Oxford
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Obvious fact
Sir - Why does Jan Penrose (Letters, February 15) think it "grossly insulting to describe the Muslim call to prayer as un-English"? I would have thought it just an obvious fact! Does he/she think everything foreign is inferior? Is the phrase 'un-English
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Support for rector
Sir - Although the Islamic call to prayer topic now appears to be 'dead in the water', I cannot let the letter you published by Jan Penrose go without comment. Ms Penrose criticized the Rector of St Aldate's for saying that, although he welcomed Muslims
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Lakes fear
Sir - So RWE npower have finally admitted that the Radley Lakes campaigners were right all along. There never was a "need" to fill the Thrupp Lake with ash. After all, if recycling the ash is an option now, it clearly always was (though perhaps at
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Destroy rural charm
Sir - You report (February 15) that there are proposals to link Didcot to Wittenham Clumps which would then become the centre of a 1,500-acre 'country park', at a cost of at least £2.5m. The intention is to provide the people of Didcot with 'accessible
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Strategic red herring
Sir - You are right (Editorial, February 15) - strategic planning' is degenerating into a lottery. The Government's latest initiative of inviting freestanding bids for eco towns' adds insult to injury. Any proposal for a relatively small new settlement
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Serious threat
Sir - Proposed eco-towns at Weston-on-the-Green or Shipton-on-Cherwell are certainly most worrying, particularly given the secrecy that the Government is exhibiting in developing them. I do not think the Shipton proposals will run. There are good transport
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Dog’s success not to be sniffed at
A DRUGS dog sent into East Oxford pubs and clubs has sniffed out more than 30 drug users and dealers. And officers believe the dog - a privately trained black labrador - has identified a "significant" Class-A drugs dealer. The 21-year-old woman,
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We're leaping for joy
Little Emily Burns will start school this December - at the age of just one. Emily, from Leafield, near Witney, was born on February 29, 2004. Her mum Vicki, 41, said: "She was late and born here at home so it didn't really register at first that
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The monarch's man
THE popularity of the Royal Family has certainly fluctuated in recent years. But even seriously die-hard republicans continue to harbour affection for the tall thin figure who always accompanies the royals in Oxfordshire. For 12 years as the Lord
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Tiger Tim visits school
TENNIS champion Tim Henman officially opens South Moreton primary school's Early Years Unit today. A resident of nearby Aston Tirrold, Mr Henman will plant a tree at the site as part of the opening ceremony of the £380,000 building. The tree-planting
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Hundreds join carnival fun
HUNDREDS of people descended on an East Oxford street to celebrate the flamboyant spirit of carnival. It was the second time the Plain Traders' Association had organised the Mardi Gras party in Dawson Street, off Cowley Road. But this year, instead
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School set to unveil turbine
SANDHILLS Primary School, Oxford, is due to officially unveil its new wind turbine today. The school is the first in the city to have its own turbine after an 18-month fundraising campaign. The £28,500, 14-metre high windmill is expected to save the
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Westgate work continues apace
WORK at the Westgate Centre this week has resulted in the closure of the northern section of Oxford's main multi-storey car park. The archaeologists are preparing to move in before demolition work and the construction of the new Westgate car park gets
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Political values
There should be no surprise at the Audit Commission verdict that Oxford City Council provides poor value for money. Nor should there be any surprise to see politicians of the three main parties queueing up to blame each other for it. Both have been
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Right royal lark at Larkmead
Prince Edward laughed and joked with pupils from all over Oxfordshire when he visited Larkmead School in Abingdon yesterday. He found out how the schools were taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and saw 10 Larkmead pupils get their bronze awards
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Woman falsely claimed £55,000
A WOMAN who admitted illegally claiming more than £55,000 in benefits escaped an immediate jail sentence today. Melanie Horwood, 55, of Bampton Close, Littlemore, Oxford, admitted at Oxford Crown Court eight counts of falsely claiming Jobseekers' Allowance
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NHS docs shun abortions
Hundreds of women have to travel miles out of Oxfordshire for an abortion because county NHS doctors will not carry out the procedure. About four fifths of the 2,000 NHS terminations performed on Oxfordshire women every year are carried out in Reading
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Art exhibition is out of the box
AN EXHIBITION aims to show a more contemporary side of work from students at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art. The show, called Box Ladder, is being held at the Modern Art Oxford gallery, in Pembroke Street, Oxford, and runs until Sunday.
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Pupil arrested for mocking teachers
An Oxford schoolboy was arrested and investigated for three months after creating spoof images of his teachers as Osama bin Laden and Shrek. Louis Johnson, 13, a pupil at St Gregory the Great School, Cowley, had his mobile phone and his mum's computer
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'Superheads' to help schools
OUTSIDE experts are to be sent into Oxfordshire's under-performing schools in a new bid to improve GCSE results. Oxfordshire County Council has decided that some local headteachers should get support in turning around their schools. County Hall
