Archive
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Police issue plea over M40 death crash
The M40 in Oxfordshire has reopened following a collision today in which a woman died. The collision, between a goods vehicle, a blue Mazda MX5 convertible and a silver Audi A4, happened between junctions 10 and 9 southbound at 10.50am today. The
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Britain set for fresh Arctic blast
Britain is facing another onslaught of Arctic weather with airports, rail companies and breakdown services putting extra snow teams on standby. Temperatures are expected to plunge below freezing, causing icy roads across most of the UK before snow
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Girl goes missing in Oxford
Police today appealed for help to trace a missing 14-year-old girl from Oxford. Kimberley Hughes, was last seen when she left her home address in Regent Street at 6pm on Monday. She is described as white, 5ft 5in tall, with a thin build and ginger
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United squad score with Children's Hospital visit
KEEN Oxford United fan Jason Fryett praised his heroes for dropping in to see sick children at the Oxford Children’s Hospital. Laden with gifts, the full first team squad spent a morning at the Oxford Children’s hospital (Chox) on Monday, visiting patients
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MP opens city's first council houses for 20 years
“IT’S the best Christmas present I have ever had.” Those were the words of mum-of-one Clemencia Blackie, who has been handed the keys to one of Oxford’s first council houses in 20 years. Her new two-bedroom home is one of the 38 built in Lambourne Road
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ISoft sell-off to cut debts
TROUBLED software company iSoft, which supplies computer systems to the NHS, has sold its financial management solutions business to Capita for £23.2m. The Australian-owned group, which has its UK headquarters in Banbury, is undergoing a ‘strategic
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Oxfordshire claimant count falls
THE number of people claiming Jobseekers' Allowance fell by 103 last month to 7,255. The percentage of the working population in Oxfordshire claiming the benefit remained the same at 1.7 per cent, according to The Office for National Statistics. However
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Local share prices (PM)
AEA Technology 5.55 BMW 5344 Electrocomponents 265.55 Nationwide Accident Repair 97 Oxford Biomedica 5.8 Oxford Catalysts 60 Oxford Instruments 689.5 Reed Elsevier 531.75 RM 154.5 RPS Group 237.7 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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Crash closes A40
A crash this afternoon closed the A40 near Eynsham. Police closed the road in both directions following a collision between a lorry and two cars. Police said the crash happened near the lay-by and confirmed delays on approach in both directions.
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M40 closed after death crash
The M40 remains closed southbound between junctions 10 and 9 following a fatal collision today. The collision, between a goods vehicle and two cars, happened at about 10.50am. A woman in one of the cars died from injuries she suffered in the collision
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I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue: New Theatre, Oxford
The show started as it meant to go on, with a list of tired old jokes from warm-up (and producer) Jon Naismith. And then the tired old stars sauntered on. Barry Cryer, Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor have been on the Clue radio programme since it
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Travesties: Oxford Theatre Guild
You don’t have to be familiar with The Importance of Being Earnest to enjoy Tom Stoppard’s Travesties, but it definitely helps — you will ‘get’ more of the jokes, and enjoy the way Wilde’s text is seamlessly juxtaposed with Stoppard’s. In the OTG
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The Nutcracker: English National Ballet, London Coliseum
Wayne Eagling’s new Nutcracker, premiered last Friday, is the tenth version since the company was founded in 1950. Why yet another? The answer lies in the fact that Eagling knows what the critics and the public have known for the past eight years; that
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Matthew Bourne's Cinderella:
Reviewing David Bintley’s Cinderella two weeks ago, I said it was a darker telling of the tale than most. But it is nowhere near as dark as Matthew Bourne’s version, set in London during the Blitz of 1940. In addition to being a serious story, it is dark
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Sleeping Beauty: Corn Exchange, Newbury
pitched high above the audience, but by now they must be used to the rattling they get every year at panto time. For nowhere do pantogoers react more enthusiastically and vociferously to events on stage than they do at this address. This year Sleeping
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Bath Time: Burton Taylor Studio, Oxford
Watching Bath Time it occurred to me that Toby Hulse, its creator/director, had hit on the perfect show for this very young age group (two to five), because for tots one of their daily highlights is their bath. Therefore the rambunctious antics
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Jack and the Beanstalk: Royal&Derngate, Northampton
Let’s introduce Jack first. “I asked my boy Jack why he was staring at the orange juice,” says his mother, Dame Trot. “It says ‘concentrate’ on the bottle, he replied.” Hoary old jokes come thick and fast in this year’s Derngate panto. Actually Jack
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Sleeping Beauty: Hexagon, Reading
Oh no! The lovely Princess Belle has been cursed by the wicked Carabosse, in revenge for not being invited to her first birthday party, and is doomed to die on her 18th birthday by pricking her finger on a spindle. What’s to be done? Her father
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Cinderella: Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
Always a respecter of theatrical tradition, I admire the Everyman Theatre for being the same in the matter of its annual pantomime. One knows before the curtain rises that every tried and tested ingredient will be present and correct. This means
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Dick Whittington: Milton Keynes Theatre
Terry the burping turtle had at first seemed surplus to requirements. This was especially so through his initial reluctance to burp on the orders of his operator, the actually-rather-busy ‘Idle’ Jack (Tucker). This was only the first of the technical
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Peter Pan: The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon
Behind me, a very small pantogoer was being instructed by his father: “What do you do when the baddie appears? You shout BOOO.” The lesson was timely, for in Swindon the baddie is Paul Nicholas, playing Captain Hook. Nicholas has many years’ pirate experience
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Historic riverside pub to close
THE Nag’s Head, one of Abingdon’s most historic pubs, is the latest watering hole in the town to call time on drinkers. Staff were told on Friday that the pub, on Abingdon Bridge, will close on Tuesday, January 4. The decision is being blamed on high
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Feras over plans to downgrade area committees
PLANS to downgrade Oxford City Council’s area committees will “divorce” the authority from the people it serves, opposition councillors have claimed. Six area committees serve the city at present, dealing with neighbourhood issues, planning
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Scientists over the moon about award
SPACE scientists at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, in Harwell, have won £10,000 for their business plan to commercialise their bright idea for use in security scanners, telecoms and cancer detection. They will use the Research Councils UK Business
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Warden hangs up his ticket machine
IT IS one of the most hated jobs in the country, but Roger Brown hopes he has not been too unpopular as a traffic warden in Witney. The 65-year-old hung up his ticket machine last week after 22 years on patrol in the town – first for the police and latterly
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Local share prices
AEA Technology 5.55 BMW 5247 Electrocomponents 264.6 Nationwide Accident Repair 96.5 Oxford Biomedica 5.8 Oxford Catalysts 60 Oxford Instruments 705.75 Reed Elsevier 528.75 RM 154.5 RPS Group 237.6 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley
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Evotec signs diabetes deal
DRUG discovery company Evotec is to receive £4.3m from a major drug company to develop a potential treatment for diabetes. The German-owned company, which has a laboratory at Milton Park, near Didcot, has signed a deal with MedImmune, the global biologics
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M40 closed southbound
A car and a lorry have crashed on the M40 this morning, causing long tailbacks for drivers. The southbound carriageway between junction 10, Cherwell Valley Services, and nine, Bicester, has been closed since 11am. The road is expected to be closed
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Wednesday, December 15: Wanted for burglary
POLICE believe this suspected burglar stole a laptop computer and they’re hoping to close the lid on the case. Michael Ward, 28, is wanted in connection with the burglary of a property in Middle Way, Summertown, Oxford, at about 9.30am on March 3. He
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Tuesday, December 14: Help find angry gambler
THIS man was so unhappy after losing his money in a gaming machine, he vandalised it. The attack, at Ladbrokes in London Road, Headington, means he is behind the door of day 14 in the Oxford Mail’s Badvent Calendar. Every day in the run-up to Christmas
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Monday, December 13: Co-op shoplifter
THE latest rogue in the Oxford Mail’s Christmas Badvent Calendar has been helping himself to meat without paying for it. Officers want a word with this man in connection with shoplifting incidents at the Co-op store in Kennington Road, Kennington, on
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Murder accused appears in court
A man has appeared in court in Banbury charged with two counts of murder. Michael Kelly, 45, appeared at Banbury Magistrates’ Court this morning and spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth. Wearing a light grey tracksuit, Kelly, of
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Nightclub channels Ibiza spirit for cancer
A BANBURY nightclub is planning to bring in DJs from Ibiza to help raise cash for a cancer charity. The Chapel, in North Bar Street, has recently celebrated its first anniversary and decided to kick off the second year in business helping others. Owner
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Sir Ben starts hospice’s first Santa fun run
ACTOR Sir Ben Kingsley joined hundreds of people who donned Santa suits to raise cash for a north Oxfordshire hospice. A total of 460 runners and walkers signed up to take part in Katharine House Hospice’s inaugural fundraising Santa run in Spiceball
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Council’s £3.4m cuts to affect all
A COUNCIL is aiming to make £3.4m of cuts next year, and warned it would affect every resident in the district. Cherwell District Council has cut funding across services, reduced staff hours and cut vacant job posts in response to October’s Government
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Beauty students raise £1,900
Beauty students from Oxford and Cherwell Valley College’s Banbury campus helped raise almost £1,900 for two charities by hosting a dinner and dance at Rye Hill Golf Club. Pictured are (from left): Student Gemma Gregory, Sheila Norton, from Katharine House
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Councils will share chiefs to save £1m
COUNCILLORS at two local authorities have agreed to merge management teams in a bid to save more than a £1m a year. From next year, Cherwell District Council and Towcester-based South Northamptonshire Council will share 15 key staff instead of employing
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Children's Christmas is really cooking
JUNIOR ‘Jamies’ and ‘Nigellas’ have been cooking up festive treats at the Black Boy pub in Headington. The Kid’s Kitchen cookery school for children runs every Sunday, and last weekend, youngsters aged four to12-years-old were making Christmas Cake.
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Witney primary school ranked fourth worst in country
PARENTS last night defended a Witney primary school which was among England’s worst for English and maths test results. Just 22 per cent of 11-year-old pupils at Tower Hill Community Primary School, Moor Avenue, reached the expected level four in Key
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FOOTBALL: Masons climb to second
AUTOTYPE UTV LEAGUE Masons Arms took advantage of playing the day’s only Division 1 clash by winning a thriller 4-3 at OUP Wanderers and climbing to second. Bradley Fine (2), Craig Dean and Rui De Garces were on target for Masons, while
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Longing for sun
At the moment I am busy writing diaries based on my ten-minute gardener column that usually appears on the back of a certain daily newspaper. There are three of them, on fruit, flowers and vegetables and I’m running through the year. Writing about spring
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Man charged with burglary
A man suspected of burglary has been charged and remanded in custody. Peter Gaughan, 26, of Falcon Close, Blackbird Leys, Oxford, has been charged with burglary, aggravated theft of a vehicle, failing to provide a specimen, driving while disqualified
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Jail sentence 'not excessive'
A man who carried out a knife attack after he was thrown out of a bar has lost an appeal against his indefinite prison sentence. Jamall Jaber Coleman, 25, stabbed 29-year-old Anthony Roskruge 16 times outside the Chicago Rock Cafe, in Broad
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JR pays out £5.7m for 1977 cerebral palsy case
A MAN who suffered ‘catastrophic injuries’ which left him wheelchair-bound after his birth at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital has been given a £5.7m NHS payout. Ian Murphy suffered a brain injury which resulted in severe cerebral palsy during his birth
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FOOTBALL: Prosser blasts treble
Anita Prosser hit a hat-trick as Tower Hill Vixens enjoyed an 8-1 victory against Crowmarsh in the Under 10 division of the Oxford Mail Girls League. Tower led 5-0 at the break thanks to Prosser (2), Annie Dennis (2) and Ellie Smart. Crowmarsh’s Maisy
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Grandad's pride as girls star in Cinderella
A GRANDFATHER has said he how proud he was to watch his young grand-daughters on stage this Christmas, possibly for the last time. Leslie Silver, 65, from Cumnor Hill, was diagnosed with terminal cancer in October and doctors have said he may
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FOOTBALL: Ardington in top form
Ardington & Lockinge thrashed Reading League side Pinewood 7-0 to make the fourth round of the Berks & Bucks Junior Cup. Dan Hogan, Scott Barnes and Chris Hogan bagged a brace apiece, with a Tommy Rowe strike sealing it. Kevin Coles and Ady Roper both
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FOOTBALL: Powell's spot-on for Didcot
Ten-man Didcot Casuals fought back from 2-1 down to reach the fourth round of the Berks & Bucks Intermediate Cup with a thrilling 3-2 victory against Saxton Rovers. Fletcher Hoey gave Didcot the lead, only for teammate Dan Cox-Rogers to be sent off for
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FOOTBALL: Benson batter Fairview
James Oliver and Chris Roberts both hit four goals as North Berks League side Benson AFC won 13-1 at Oxford City FA side Fairview in the third round of the OFA John Fathers Junior Shield. Nick Skiller and Adam Cowling netted doubles, with Damien Rigozzi
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SCHOOL FOCUS: New Marston Primary
EVERY school child wants to choose what they do in school. Under New Marston’s new ‘creative curriculum’, that wish has become a reality. Each term, pupils discuss their interests and hobbies, and together come up with a class topic
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Cuts: Banks account for small part of debts
Councillor Susanna Pressel’s letter (ViewPoints, December 10) continues a charming but silly trend by Oxford leftists of not only denying economic truths but also flaunting their wilful ignorance. Economics and finance can be both boring and
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Cuts: What caused the deficit
Unfortunately it is Susanna Pressel who is misleading people about the causes of the national budget deficit (ViewPoints, December 10). In 1997 the deficit was approximately £350bn. Now it stands at about £850bn – an increase of £500bn. This is
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Redbridge tip: Closure will send fly-tipping sky high
SO THE county council wants to close recycling sites like Redbridge. What do they hope to save by doing this? Fly-tipping will rocket and when you weigh up what it will cost to clean up the mess against what it will save, it sounds to me to be a pointless
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Student protests infiltrated by extremists
l LIKE many parents, I suspect, I had no idea that my daughter had managed to leave the school premises after lunch to attend a demonstration in Oxford and I certainly did not condone it. I have now realised that a militant organisation calling itself
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Sassy & Single: Down Under for a laid-back Christmas
Are you one of those people who detest the fact that Christmas seems to come earlier every year? Does it make your blood boil to see festive-themed chocolates on the shelves from October? And what about those Christmas cards, special offers, tinsel,
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FOOTBALL: Dan's the man for super Hollybush
Dan Smith hit a record ten-goal haul as FC Hollybush hammered Eynsham SCC Res 22-0 in Division 4 of the Witney & District FA. Eddie Brookes (5), Dan Tasker (3), Paul Dray and Luke Champion were among the other scorers. A Steve Foreman brace saved AFC
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FOOTBALL: Deadly duo go on goal spree
Ben Chadbone and Jordan Brown helped themselves to a hat-tricks as AFC Wallingford thra-shed Childrey United 9-1 away from home in Division 1. Omar Mohamed notched a double and Hayden Best also scored, with Alan Haines on target for Childrey. Harwell
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Brookes student shopped by mum for drug dealing
A STUDENT who ran a “cannabis club” at Oxford Brookes University was spared a prison sentence after a judge praised his mother for telling police about the racket. Alexander Bull, 20, made thousands of pounds from selling drugs to fellow students at
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Take a mystery tour
Your report on Monday about the Oxford Tube bus which came off at junction 7 on the M40 and crashed, fortunately without any fatalities, reminded of the time I was on an Oxford Tube bus which also took the “scenic” route through Thame, causing some excitement
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Redbridge tip: Who came up with this daft idea?
The stupidity of the county council never fails to amaze me, One of their latest money-saving ideas (Oxford Mail, December 11) is to close the Redbridge recycling centre in Oxford. Have they not taken on board that it will cost a lot more to send council
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Nothing but praise for the John Radcliffe Hospital
I WOULD like to say a big thank you to all doctors and staff at the John Radcliffe Hospital, especially to all those working on ward 14A. I can’t express my real feelings, the food was good, everywhere spotlessly clean and everyone so kind and helpful
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FOOTBALL: Yellows romp into last eight
OFA SAM WATERS CUP Holders Oxford Yellows eased into their fifth successive quarter-final as they dumped out Chinnor Sports 6-2, writes TIM SIRET. Their victory sets up a mouthwatering tie against UTV League champions Dorchester United
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Gang steals man's wallet
THREE teenage robbers threatened a man and stole his wallet in Oxford. The 42-year-old victim was walking down Cuckoo Lane in Headington at about 11.25pm on Friday when the attack happened at the junction with Pullens Lane. The man handed over his wallet
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Thief steals charity collection for Help for Heroes
A thief stole charity donations for injured war heroes from a Christmas light show and now the Oxford Mail needs you to name him. The hooded youngster took the donation bucket, which was chained to a fence outside Martin and Debbie Scarrott
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Rape trial told of sex in pub toilet
A BARMAN at an Oxford pub raped a woman at a birthday party, a court has heard. Rogerio Coito denies two counts of raping the woman at the Priory pub, next to the Kassam Stadium, in January. But Karen Maxwell-Burnside, prosecuting at Oxford Crown Court
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Rail delays caused by blocked line
Rail commuters are facing 30 minute delays this morning between Oxford and Moreton-in-Marsh due to a small landslide. First Great Western has confirmed its train services have been disrupted and limited road replacement services are in operation
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BANBURY DOUBLE KILLING: Mum died of head injuries
A MOTHER found dead following an axe attack at her Banbury home died of multiple head injuries, police said. The bodies of Sally Cox, 43, and her 22-year-old son Martin Faulkner were discovered by police in Mold Crescent, Bretch Hill, on Monday. A 45
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UK braced for return of snow
The UK is bracing itself for the return of heavy snow in the next 48 hours. Severe weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office as cold Arctic air is expected to bring temperatures down to as low as minus 10C. Winds from the north
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Colleges warn of impact of cutting 'cash for studies' grants
THE principals of Oxfordshire’s further education colleges said teenagers will be put off further education if the Government scraps a “cash for studies” scheme. Education Maintenance Allowance of up to £30 a week is paid to 16- to 18-year-olds from
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FOOTBALL: Heyford push on at the top
Heyford Athletic extended their lead at the top of Division 1 with a 3-1 success at Glory Farm in the Banbury District & Lord Jersey FA. Mark Byrne hit a double, with Wes Bone also finding the target. Adam Barker missed a second-half penalty, with Joe
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FOOTBALL: Hinksey go top in super style
AFC Hinksey went goal crazy to thrash Oxford University Press 9-0 and go top of the Oxfordshire Senior League Premier Division, writes BRIAN KIRK. Triston Lawrence set hosts Hinksey on the way with Toby Webster, Liam Gurdev, Jerome McCalmon
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Man faces court over double murder
A 45-year-old man is to appear in court charged with murdering his former partner and her son at the Banbury home they shared. The bodies of 43-year-old Sally Cox and 22-year-old Martin Faulkner were discovered in a "horrific scene" at the
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Oxford United lesser lights win praise from Lewis
Mickey Lewis praised the contributions of Oxford United’s fringe players as they drew 2-2 away to Watford Reserves on Tuesday. The U’s led 2-0 in their totesport.com Football Combination East Division match, but had to share the points after
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COMMENT: Lawyer’s an ass
SO a barrister has referred to the “cannabis tide gushing around Oxford Brookes University”. Well, it’s certainly true that young people experiment with drugs. It’s also true that some of these individuals will be students. And it’s certainly true,
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COMMENT: Send this scumbag to the front line
TRUE, we’ve asked you to name him, but just to help you along, we thought we’d start with his surname: ‘Scum.’ Too strong? Well, you decide. This hooded youth made off with a donation bucket, the contents of which – £50 – was intended to help injured
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Wilder 14-1 for Blades job
Chris Wilder is as low as 14-1 with bookmakers to be the next Sheffield United manager. Following the appointment of Gary Speed as the new Wales boss, the Blades are looking for their second new manager in four months. Oxford United
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Cowley Road store calls it a day after 25 years
COWLEY Road will soon be home to another empty shop with the closure after 25 years of a landmark independent business. Erica Steinhauer, who runs Bead Games, is retiring, and said she cannot find anyone to take over the space. Ms Steinhauer
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Sports facilities ‘should stay where they are’
A SECOND councillor has hit out against plans to move sports facilities in Witney. Steve Hayward, who represents West Witney on Oxfordshire County Council and Ducklington and Curbridge on West Oxfordshire District Council, said he had “grave concerns
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Help catch theft suspect
POLICE believe this suspected burglar stole a laptop and they’re hoping to close the lid on the case. Michael Ward, 28, is wanted in connection with the burglary of a property in Middle Way, Summertown, Oxford, at about 9.30am on March 3. He
