Archive
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Football fans warned of Wembley Stadium station closure
FOOTBALL fans planning to travel by train from Oxfordshire to Wembley Stadium to watch tomorrow night's England v Andorra World Cup match will have to find an alternative route. Chiltern Railways announced tonight that due to safety concerns
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M40 closed after tanker blaze
The M40 motorway is closed between junctions six at Watlington and junction five for the A40 at Stokenchurch. The closure has been caused by a fire in a fuel tanker, which was driving along the southbound carriageway. Traffic was stopped
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M40 closed as oil tanker catches fire
The M40 motorway is closed between junctions six at Watlington and junction five for the A40 at Stokenchurch. The closure has been caused by a fire in a fuel tanker, which was driving along the southbound carriageway. Traffic was stopped in both directions
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Instructor bailed over police shooting
A POLICE firearms instructor who shot a colleague during a gun awareness training exercise is to face a Crown Court hearing. Thames Valley Police constable David Micklethwaite shot civilian control room worker Keith Tilbury in the stomach with a Smith
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Seven accused of kidnapping
A GROUP of men kidnapped two teenagers in Cowley and sparked a fight in broad daylight in an East Oxford street, a court heard. Haroon Mohammed, 20, of Golden Road, East Oxford; Imran Khan, 19, of Shelley Road, East Oxford, and Mohammed Umar
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Time to get a grip
Regarding the engaging letter by Val Faulkner (Oxford Mail, June 1) who touched on two points: my picture of Leafield Church – indeed such a contrast to the current hot topic of the MPs expenses scandal. Britain’s rich architectural heritage is all around
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Heroes event cancelled
A festival which aimed to raise £1m for the Royal British Legion has been cancelled. Festival For Heroes had been due to take place on Saturday, June 21, at Blenheim Palace, but was cancelled due to poor ticket sales. It would have starred artists including
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Palatial setting for Shakespeare
ONE of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies will be performed in the grounds of Blenheim Palace tomorrow night. Thirty-four young actors, from the Woodstock-based Oxford School of Drama, will take over the palace’s pleasure gardens for the next 11 evenings
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Four homes raided in drugs crackdown
POLICE swooped on four Didcot addresses today as they turned the screw on the town’s drug trade. The crackdown, which began shortly before 7am, saw 18 officers comb properties as part of Thames Valley Police’s Operation Falcon, which aims to
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Andrew Smith jumps to defence of Prime Minister
OXFORDSHIRE’S sole Labour MP has rallied to the defence of Gordon Brown and insisted the embattled Prime Minister is the “best qualified” person to lead the country through recession. Andrew Smith, who represents Oxford East, has full confidence in the
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Archbishop preaches at Oxford church
THE Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, joined worshippers at a church in Headington. Dr Williams, who was visiting Oxford, was invited to preach at All Saints Church, Lime Walk, by the Rev James Cocke. Dr Williams, a former
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Jobs to go as C&G branches face axe
DOZENS of jobs are to be lost in Oxfordshire after banking giant Lloyds revealed it is closing down all branches of the Cheltenham & Gloucester. The Oxfordshire outlets are in Oxford’s High Street; Pound Way, Cowley; High Street, Witney; and High Street
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Oxford schoolgirl has winning way with words
A TEENAGE writer from Oxford has won a national short story competition judged by top novelist Ian Rankin. Clare Coggins’ story, Basma, was chosen from about 80 entries from sixth-form students across the country in a contest run by the Franco-British
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No flood relief at spot where teen drowned
CAMPAIGNERS aiming to cut the risk of flooding at a spot which claimed the life of a teenager have reacted angrily after being told the work would not meet Government criteria for funding. Residents living close to the area in Witney, where Max Weeden
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Footballers support memorial event
MORE than 1,500 people turned out to support a charity memorial football tournament in Witney. Thirty-six teams took part in the six-a-side event in memory of Robert Poole, who collapsed playing football 15 years ago and died from a heart attack, aged
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Fishy film hooks pupils a major prize
CHILDREN at an Oxfordshire school have created an animated film based on one of their favourite books. And the two-minute movie by the class of five-year-olds from St Nicholas Primary School, East Challow, near Wantage, came second out of more than 150
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Woman's long-haul trip to find dentist
PHOTOGRAPHER Alice Taylor got her fillings done in Cambodia after struggling to find an NHS dentist in Oxfordshire. Ms Taylor, from Jericho, Oxford, travelled to Phnom Penh for her mother Anne’s 60th birthday party in April. The 29-year-old decided
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How you voted in EU poll
Green Party activists believe they have made a significant breakthrough in Oxford by winning more votes than any other political party in the European elections. An analysis of voting patterns from Thursday's poll, the overall results of which were announced
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Bus firm invests £9m in London fleet
Bus passengers commuting to the capital are set for a wee boost after Stagecoach announced it is investing more than £9m in a new fleet of environmentally conscious coaches for the Oxford Tube service. The company has ordered 26 new green double decker
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Sites earmarked for housing
Sites in the centre of Abingdon are being considered for redevelopment as the Vale of White Horse District Council attempts to hit Government housing targets. The council has suggested Ock Street – one of the main routes into the town centre – as a
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Sassy and Single
IF you had to guess what the two most hated words in the world were for a single female over the age of 35 living in Oxford, what would you say? “Still single”? No. “Recently divorced”? Wrong again. “Leprosy sufferer”? Close. It’s actually “Orange
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Thank you all for museum rescue
Friday is my Granny duty day and I try to give my 15-month-old grandson a special treat in the afternoons. Last week he spent a brilliant time at the Natural History Museum, gazing in awe at the dinosaurs, giggling at the bugs, stroking the stuffed animals
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CAB seeks money expert
The Citizen’s Advice Bureau in Banbury is taking part in a countywide scheme to set up a money management training project. It wants to recruit two volunteers to host group training sessions to give people a financial lesson Sessions will cover topics
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Readers report more grot spots
MORE of Oxford’s grot spots have been highlighted by Oxford Mail readers as the city council insists it will investigate every case. We launched a campaign to tackle grot spots in the city after Nadia Vollenhoven, 29, was fined in April for
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Estate 'won't be another Blackbird Leys'
THE leader of Cherwell District Council has denied that an eco-suburb planned for the edge of Bicester would become a “new Blackbird Leys”. Barry Wood reassured critics that the North West Bicester proposal would be fully integrated with the rest of
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Stars cause commotion for charity
HUNDREDS of music fans listened to an Abba tribute band and 1990s pop star Beverley Craven at a fundraising festival. More than 1,800 people gathered on Saturday at the Commotion Festival 2009 in Kingham, near Chipping Norton. The event, which is in
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Local shares (PM)
AEA Technology 22.25 BMW 2416 Electrocomponents 151 Nationwide Accident Repair 80.5 Oxford Biomedica 11.5 Oxford Catalysts 48.5 Oxford Instruments 141 Reed Elsevier 468.25 RM 166.5 RPS Group 204.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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BASKETBALL: Eagles' trials
Oxford Brookes Eagles are holding open trials for their under 14 (1pm), under 16 (2.45pm) and under 18 (4.30pm) squads at Oxford Brookes University on Saturday, June 13. For more details visit www.oxfordbrookeseagles.co.uk.
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BASKETBALL: Chapman hits new heights
Witney's Dexter Chapman is back for a summer break after a successful first season with the Ohio Christian University team. Chapman, 20, took up a four-year basketball scholarship with the side after impressing talent spotters during a one-year scholarship
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Jobs axed as Cheltenham & Gloucester closes county branches
Dozens of jobs are to be lost in the county after banking giant Lloyds revealed it is closing down all branches of the Cheltenham & Gloucester. The Oxfordshire branches are in Oxford’s High Street, Pound Way, Cowley, High Street, Witney and High Street
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Tribute paid to 'a true gentleman'
“HE was a true gentleman” — these were the words used to describe a former Oxfordshire doctor who died after being run over by his own car. Dr Salim Verjee, of Fyfield, who was killed at the weekend, practised at Kennington Health Centre for
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Police target 'lavish lifestyles'
People who live lavish lifestyles on the proceeds of crime are being targeted in a joint campaign by police, Crimestoppers and their partners across the county. “Too much bling? – give us a ring”, a two-week advertising campaign launched to
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AUNT SALLY: Charlton is the hero for Viking
Robin Charlton was the hero for Viking Sports as he helped them to their first win in the Greene King Oxford & District League top flight with a 2-1 home success against Kidlington Sports. Needing to beat 20 in the decider, Vikings got
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Drugs raids on four Didcot addresses
POLICE swooped on four Didcot addresses today as they turned the screw on the town’s drug dealers. The crackdown, which began shortly before 7am, saw 18 officers comb properties as part of Thames Valley Police’s Operation Falcon, which aims
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Enjoy food and walk with your dog
WHEN writer Helen Peacocke retired from the office last August, she vowed that her pub visits, which she wrote for the Witney Gazette, would continue in the form of a book. This is exactly what she has done, with the help of her beloved Border
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New swine flu case reported
A new case of swine flu has been confirmed in Oxfordshire. Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust announced the new case, an adult patient, on its website. Close contacts of the adult patient have been contacted. No other details of the
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New case of swine flu in county confirmed
A NEW case of swine flu has been confirmed in Oxfordshire. Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust announced the new case, an adult patient, on its website. Close contacts of the adult patient have been contacted. No other details of the
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It's a real grind at the Mill......
Well I managed to get to the Unicorn Theatre last Thursday to see our offering in the ODN festival, Kill Jill, written by Mark Wheeler and performed mostly by the youth section of our group. The adjudicator for the festival Paul Fowler was quite kind
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Car death pensioner is named
A pensioner who died after he was thought to have been run over by his Mercedes car has been named. Salim Verjee, 66, of Fyfield, near Abingdon, died in the Royal Berkshire Hospital, in Reading, after the incident in the car park at Sonning
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C&G branches to close
Four branches of the Lloyds bank-owned subsidiary Cheltenham and Gloucester in Oxfordshire are to close with the loss of dozens of jobs. The banking giant is today expected to confirm branches across the UK will shut down, with the loss of
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Local share prices (AM)
AEA Technology 23.75 BMW 2417 Electrocomponents 150.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 81.5 Oxford Biomedica 11.75 Oxford Catalyst 52.5 Oxford Instruments 144 Reed Elsevier 471.5 RM 167.5 RPS Group 200.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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Smoking 'costs NHS £5bn a year'
Smoking costs the NHS more than £5bn a year - up to five times the previously accepted figure, Oxford researchers have revealed. Illness and disability linked to smoking puts a "huge burden" on the health service in the UK, they said. Previous studies
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Fire traps man and his dog
A man and his dog were rescued from a burning flat last night. Fire crews were called to a blaze in a first floor flat in West Street, in Banbury, at around 8.30pm. Firefighters found large amounts of smoke from the front and rear of the three-storey
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Jobs to go in C&G cuts
Banking giant Lloyds is to close its Cheltenham & Gloucester branches as part of a fresh wave of cuts which will see more than 1,000 jobs axed, it was revealed. Industry sources said about 1,400 posts could be cut when the bank makes a formal announcement
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McLaren 'focus on 2010'
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh has confirmed his team are already ploughing considerable resources into ensuring Lewis Hamilton has a car to hopefully again become a title contender next year. Former team principal Eddie Jordan described the
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Oxford United keep an eye on Setanta
Oxford United say they are carefully monitoring the situation at troubled satellite company Setanta. However, they have not withdrawn the near £80,000 they get from the Irish broadcaster from their budget, as Conference chairman Brian Lee is urging all
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CRICKET: Witney Mills sent crashing
Witney Mills crashed to a six-wicket defeat at Wolverton Town, who knocked Kingston Bagpuize off the top. A delay to the start meant Mills' innings was reduced to 41 overs, during which they could muster only 92-8 as Andy Gosling took 4-27 in a 16-over
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RESULTS June 6
THE OXFORD TIMES CHERWELL LEAGUE Division 1. Bletchley Tn 134-9 (J Sprittles 33, I Bryan 4-36), Bicester & NO 131-8 (D Woods 61). Division 3 Witney Mills 92-8 (A Gosling 4-27), Wolverton 96-4 (M Baker 40no). Division 4 Oxford
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CRICKET: Downs on the up in draw
Oxford Downs 2nd had the better of a draw in their top-of-the-table clash at Great Brickhill – but came within one wicket of clinching maximum points in a tense finish. Matty Lee top-scored with 45 as Downs made 148-7 from 40 overs after being put into
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Basement boys Bicester blow chance
Bicester & North Oxford blew the chance to climb off the bottom of Division 1 when they narrowly failed to chase down 134 to beat Bletchley Town. In the only top-flight match to beat the wet weather, Bicester won the toss and made the easy
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Thief's victim died days after being conned out of pension
AN 83-year-old Oxford pensioner died just days after being conned out of his pension by a thief who has targeted the elderly for more than a decade. The family of vulnerable Adam Biel believe he was badly affected by being the latest victim
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Elections: Green Party calls for inquiry amid claim of irregularities
THE Green Party has called for an investigation into alleged polling day irregularities in two closely fought divisions in Oxford in elections for Oxfordshire County Council. The party claims hundreds of polling cards were not delivered in
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Call for inquiry over voting
The Green Party has called for an investigation into alleged polling day irregularities in two closely fought divisions in Oxford in elections for Oxfordshire County Council. The party claims hundreds of polling cards were not delivered in
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Menace to the elderly should have got the maximum penalty
IN the late 1990s Janet Lestrade was jailed for eight burglaries in which she targeted the old and the vulnerable. More than a decade later she is in court yet again for conning a pensioner and stealing his money. The circumstances of this latest case
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Oxford like a bike graveyard
OXFORD has been left looking like a bike “graveyard” according to a transport expert criticising the city council for failing to clear abandoned cycles. The chairman of Oxford Pedestrians’ Association, Paul Cullen, joined the Oxford Mail on a three-hour
