Archive
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United snap-up Boro striker on loan
Oxford United have signed Jonathan Franks on loan from Championship side Middlebrough until January 1. Franks, 21, has been with Middlesbrough all his career and has scored three goals in 30 first-team games for Boro. He has also represented England
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Vans targeted by thieves
Five Ford Transit vans were targeted by thieves who stripped them of their rear light fitments and rear light lenses. The lights were stolen from vans parked at Continental Landscapes at Weston Farm, Weston-om-the-Green, this weekend. Call Pc Nicola
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Course name has royal backing
The Duke and Duchess of Marlborough have named a nine-hole course at Kirtlington Golf Course. The ceremony took place on August 13 and the course was officially named the Blenheim nine-hole course. After the ribbon cutting, the Duke and Duchess played
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Banned by B&Q for 'acting suspiciously'
STUNNED James Wright has been banned from all B&Q stores after being accused of “acting suspiciously” at an Oxford branch. The 46-year-old said staff at Templars Shopping Park thought he was a shoplifter after seeing him put something in his pocket.
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GREYHOUNDS: Thursday's Oxford runners
7.45: Spice Please, Multi Queen 3, Rackethall Polly 2, HERE SHE IS, Smile On Sveta, Barn Owl. 8.01: Swift Oscar, ISLANDANNY MAN, Ballybough Rocky, Crash Legend 2, Emers Gold 3, Barnagrane Cait. 8.17: Primo Ted 2, Pennys Castro, Heat Blast 3, Pengams
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Indie stars auctioning off signed guitar
A SIGNED guitar played by members of Oxford indie band Stornoway is being auctioned for charity. The guitar is set to be played at the Concert4Conservation gig at The Regal, Cowley Road, on Saturday. The Epiphone S-210 has gone up for auction on eBay
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Unusual venues at this year’s Oxjam event
THE rooftop gig – beloved of The Beatles and U2 – is coming to Oxford to launch an October charity music festival. We Aeronauts, The Old Grinding Young and the Dan Hutchins band will take to the summit of Said Business School in Frideswide Square on
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Groups encouraging would-be joggers
NEW social jogging groups have been launched through a South Oxfordshire District Council fitness scheme. The council’s Go Active project has launched the ‘Just Jog’ groups led by qualified jogging leaders in Didcot, Wheatley, Benson and Thame. The
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Constable set to stay at United
JAMES Constable is set to remain an Oxford United player after rejecting an approach from another club, the Oxford Mail understands. It is believed that United received a substantial offer from a Football League team - believed to be League One side
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Confession sparks search for family
A WARTIME romance, a pregnancy and a raft of previously unknown relatives have been uncovered by a Witney woman after a sickbed confession. All her life, Karlene Brook believed her grandfather was Edwin Brook, who died in 1995. But after father David
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School's out in Rome
RATHER than head off to Newquay or lounge in the park, a group of Chadlington friends have celebrated finishing school with a more tasking endeavour. William Ingram, Conrad Godfrey and Hallam Duckworth set off on a 20-day charity cycle to Rome on Saturday
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Ray’s group licks centre into shape
A TEAM of some 70 volunteers have spruced up a day centre for people with learning difficulties. The group painted every wall in Charlton Day Centre, Charlton Village Road, and installed 1,000 tiles, 18 metres of worktops and 12 kitchen cupboards. The
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Men jailed for sex trafficking
Two men have been jailed for a total of 12 years for sex trafficking in Oxford. Anastassios Papas and Graham Cochrane, who ran the ‘Fun Girls in Oxford’ agency, were sentenced at Oxford Crown Court this afternoon. Papas, 43, of Iffley Road, East Oxford
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Should parish councils be asked to pay to buy extra bags of salt to treat paths this winter?
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I’m less of a snob now I live in Oxford
I’m not sure if this is a good claim to fame, but I think I may be the only person who has ever moved to Oxford, and become less snobbish! I realised this the other day when I was accosted by one of those clipboard wielding survey takers whilst wandering
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On the spot
I FEEL strongly that Oxford Council is thinking of making a charge for parking at Port Meadow car park. This I feel is an appalling act. Once again little families are hit. Port Meadow is common land. People love to walk and swim in the river. Free
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True cost of this ‘sport’
ANTHONY King, in his reply to Susan Smith’s denunciation of the Blenheim Game Fair (Letters, August 8), completely misconstrues the insidious nature of propaganda. The public are hardly likely to witness scenes of gratuitous cruelty at such an event,
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Time to boycott milk
DAIRY farmers have long blamed badgers for spreading bovine tuberculosis, yet all the while keeping cows incarcerated for much, or even all of their productive lives inside the filth and squalor of a factory farmshed. Those animals who do not succumb
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Don’t give FGW franchise
THE Transport Secretary, Philip Hammond, is offering the franchise to run local rail services now that First Great Western has given up its franchise early to avoid paying between £800m and £1.1bn to the taxpayer as part of the deal for being granted
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Upstream - in a car
Is it a car that floats or a road-going boat? In fact, it’s both. The Gibbs Aquada is the brainchild of New Zealand entrepreneur and art collector Alan Gibbs. Journalist Simon Carr, who knows him, has care of the amazing vehicle for a while and took it
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Internet search led to a real gem
According to Wikipedia a Googlewhack is “a contest for finding a Google search query consisting of exactly two words without quotation marks, that returns exactly one hit”. Except that it wasn’t two words and was in quotation marks, I had myself such
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No to the gravel pit
I AM writing to protest at proposed plans to extract five million tonnes of sand and gravel between Cholsey and Wallingford. I like to cycle up Cholsey Hill on the way to South Moreton. The view is fantastic. Oxfordshire County Council should allow
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What cost for Libya?
SO IT seems Gaddafi will soon be history but what has been the cost to Britain? It’s gone on for six months and cost us billions. We know Cameron can’t help himself where disasters are concerned so he’s bound to give billions more to Libya to aid the
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...On the other hand
MR Anthony King (letters, August 8) has hit on an interesting point. You have recently printed a spate of long-winded letters about real or alleged cruelty to animals. I haven’t seen any similar letters about Gary McKinnon, or the ex-ballerina who was
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A cry for help from desperate parents
I LIVE with my partner Gail Morgan and nine-month-old son Haydn at a one-bedroom property in Oldfield, Little Milton. Our son was born last year on December 16. We have been bidding on two-bedroom properties for nearly a year now but seem to be getting
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Useful BBC plugs if you can get them
Remind me someone, please, of the BBC’s attitude to advertising. Easy — they don’t do it. Well, that’s what we were always led to believe. How often have we heard a presenter or performer mention some product or service supplier and then cover
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Mansion honours first US president
Ask any of the very knowledgeable guides at Sulgrave Manor who owns the place, and they will answer: “You do.” Then they will explain that you share it with not only every other Briton alive today but also with every American. For the Manor is
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The Ashmolean Dining Room
Though I once signed up for Twitter, I have yet to tweet. Daft delay, perhaps, since this increasingly important networking site is not just there for organising riots. As one example, many of my fellow guests at a smashing event last week at the
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Lindsey Bareham's tomato and basil omelette (serves 4)
There are so many delicious recipes in Lindsey Bareham’s The Big Red Book of Tomatoes that choosing one for this page was difficult. As this is one of her recipes I cook often, it won the day. Besides I happened to have a pot of fresh basil in the kitchen
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Celebrating the joys of a fabulous fruit
The tomato is technically a berry and therefore a fruit, but we tend to use it as a vegetable. That said, plucked from the vine and eaten immediately on a warm summer day, tomatoes are often sweet enough to be enjoyed as a fruit. Either way, at
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The Art of Getting By and Fright Night 3D
‘Happiness is something you have to look after, be vigilant about,”advises a mother in Gavin Wiesen’s impressive debut feature, The Art of Getting By. The writer-director has certainly been vigilant about ensuring our happiness with this touching
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Preview of A Sentimental Journey: The Mill at Sonning from September 8
‘Two years ago, Sally Hughes, the artistic director of the Mill at Sonning, put herself into the spotlight with a vengeance. She decided to play the lead in a new musical about legendary star Doris Day, and put a great deal of research into recapturing
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Mr Stink: The Oxford Playhouse
I confess to dereliction of a critic’s duty in respect of the scratch ’n’ sniff aspect of the entertaining new stage version of David Walliams’s children’s book Mr Stink. Sharon Gold, of Celessence Technologies, had equipped the scratchcards distributed
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Richard III: The Old Vic, London
This outing marks the last leg of a journey that began three years ago: the Bridge Project, an artistic collaboration between the Old Vic, the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Sam Mendes’s Neal Street Productions. The object was to pair leading British and
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Residents turn out to help raise money to rebuild centre
ABOUT a hundred residents turned out to help a torched community centre rise from the ashes with the message: we will do it. Dean Court Social Club in Pinnocks Lane, which is owned by residents, burnt down in a suspected arson attack in April
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Meerkat mum's bonny babies
MEERKATS Eenie, Meenie, Miny and Moe – three of which are pictured with their mother – are enjoying the ‘simples’ life as the latest additions to Cotswold Wildlife Park. They were born to first-time parents at the Burford park on July 25 and have just
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Council used 'spy' powers to catch out conmen
OXFORDSHIRE County Council officers used “spy” powers to catch out conmen and pubs and shops selling to underage children at least 20 times in nine months, new figures show. They launched the operations under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act
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A snappy time
PENSIONERS came face-to-face with crocodiles and alligators at a conservation centre in Crawley. The residents of Spencer Court, a care home in Woodstock, visited Crocodiles of the World, which has more than 50 crocs, one of the of the largest
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Plant marks 2,000,000th Mini
David Cameron got in the driving seat on Wednesday for the first time in more than a year - steering the 2,000,000th new Mini off the production line in Oxford. The Prime Minister was given the honour at the plant in Cowley where the new-look Minis have
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Meeting over library plans
Villagers in Grove can hear the latest plans for Grove Library at a meeting of Friends of Grove Library to be held on Thursday, September 15, at 7.30pm at The Old Mill Hall. The audience will hear how volunteers can be trained to help keep the library
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Tributes paid to a 'gentleman' biker
Bikers have paid tribute to a motorcyclist who died when he came off his bike on a summer’s evening ride with friends. Perry Wood, 50, from Old Moor Close, Wallingford, suffered serious head injuries following the incident on the B4015 at Marsh
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Fun event to help the heroes
The Oxford Thames Four Pillars hotel will host a fundraising day for Help for Heroes on Sunday. A bungee run, bouncy castle, rodeo ride alongside traditional stalls including tombola, raffle, and lucky dip an many more. Representatives from Dalton Barracks
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Charity cricket game in teacher's memory
A charity cricket match proved a “fitting tribute” to a popular teacher as her youngest son smashed a six off the last ball to seal a win. Players and spectators came together at Dorchester-on-Thames Cricket Club on Bank Holiday Monday in memory of Linda
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ATHLETICS: England 'chuffed' to seal place in final
Oxford’s Hannah England said she was chuffed to have reached the final of the women’s 1500 metres in the World Championships in Deagu, South Korea. In what, by her own admission, was not one of her better performances, the Oxford City star qualified
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FOOTBALL: Benson back with a bang
North Berks League Newly-promoted Benson AFC got off to the perfect start on their return to Division 1 with a 3-0 win over Didcot Casuals, writes PHIL ANNETS. After an eight-year top-flight absence, Pete Ashman (2) and James Taylor were on target
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AUNT SALLY: Cricketers lift crown in style
Cricketers B were crowned Premier Section champions after winning 3-0 at home to Headington British Legion, writes ANDY BEAL. Phil Adams (6-5-5) led the way with 16 dolls as they won all three legs 24-22, 30-19, 30-22. The Section 1 title is still
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CRICKET: Lloyd's Airey delight
SHRIVENHAM captain Daniel Lloyd could not hide his joy after leading them to their first Airey Cup triumph. Lloyd’s men saw off Garsington in a comprehensive 76-run victory at Kidlington CC that saw Adam Tucker hit 82 and take 5-47, while Conor Taylor
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CRICKET: Cheshire stars in semi
SAM Cheshire smashed 59 off 33 balls to set holders Banbury on the way to a six-wicket win at Aston Rowant in the Bernard Tollett Oxfordshire Cup semi-final. Chasing Rowant’s 136-4, Cheshire’s whirlwind knock, which included five sixes and four boundaries
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CRICKET: Abingdon duo's coaching honour
ABINGDON Vale duo Paul White and Phil Evans received special coaching awards from former England captain Michael Atherton. The pair were nominated for their outstanding contribution to coaching in Oxfordshire, and after an English Cricket Board
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CRICKET: Burton bags century
Oxfordshire finished their ECB Women’s County Championship season with a closely fought ten-run victory over Dorset at Abingdon Vale. Megan Burton was the star of the show in the Division 5 South & West clash, hitting an unbeaten 104 in Oxon’s 187-6
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£100 a tonne grit charges ‘a cheek’
IF you want more salt to cope with the winter you can buy it for £100 a tonne. That’s the message from Oxfordshire County Council to parishes which want to stockpile salt. Last night villagers and community leaders hit out at the plans – saying the
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How did this Micra end up on its roof?
PASSERS by were left mystified after a red Nissan Micra ended up on its roof in Oxford. The car overturned in St Margaret’s Road after colliding with a parked Vauxhall Combo. Two women in the vehicle managed to get out of the car straight
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Road closures
St Andrew’s Road and Dunstan Road, Headington, will be closed for two days next Monday and Tuesday to allow Oxfordshire County Council to repair the road surface.
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Foodie delights
Cooking demonstrations, apple pressing, and a fruit and veg swap will be among the attractions at a harvest festival with an international flavour at Barracks Lane Community Garden on Saturday, September 10. The free event, will run from 11am to 5pm,
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CRICKET: Perkin's patience pays off
JAMIE Perkin says a change in approach helped him become the Minor Counties Championship’s second-highest run scorer in his debut season. The Oxfordshire batsman scored 622 runs at an average of 77.75 to finish just 17 short of Suffolk’s Hasan Adnan.
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Oxford United star returns after release from prison
Oxford United midfielder Adam Chapman will be back at the club next week. The 21-year-old has served 15 months of his 30-month prison sentence after being convicted of causing death by dangerous driving. He will be released on Friday, September 2.
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Pensioner found dead at side of the road
A 81-year-old woman was found collapsed on the roadside in Faringdon. She was taken to the John Radcliffe hospital but later died after she was found on a grass verge alongside the A420 at Buckland yesterday. Earlier she was seen walking from the
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Drainage work opens floodgates for new homes
HUNDREDS of homes look set to be built on the edge of Oxford after the launch of a multi-million-pound drain- age scheme. A problem with drainage and sewers in Botley and Cumnor Hill has blocked developments since devastating floods hit the city in 2007
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Ex-businessmen to form brewery
A new micobrewery is to open in Oxfordshire after its founders decided to escape the rat race. Former IT consultant Russ Taylor and business partner Gareth Xifaras, a former PricewaterhouseCooper business consultant, are assembling their new
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Fire crew puts out fire blaze
A car was destroyed by fire in Emmington, near Chinnor on Sunday. A fire crew attended the incident and used two breathing apparatus and a hose reel were to extinguish the burning car. The incident on the Thame Road happened shortly after 7.15pm.
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Education chiefs say academies rethink is needed
Oxfordshire education bosses warn they will be left millions of pounds out of pocket under the Government’s flagship academy programme. They say the Government is giving too much cash to academy schools, which are free from council control. Conservative-controlled
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Common goal
Football and theatre may not seem to have much in common. But now Oxford United and Pegasus Theatre are joining forces in a new project to show just how much common ground they have. Together they hope to improve children’s skills and confidence by
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Fostering scheme in £140,000 boost
A pioneering support scheme for foster carers in Oxfordshire was boosted by the visit of the Government’s children’s minister yesterday. Tim Loughton used his trip to Oxford to announce a new £6m pot of cash spread across 37 authorities – including £140,000
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Rise in homelessness and debt worries
WORRIES about homelessness and debt have increased dramatically in Oxford, the Citizens Advice Bureau revealed. The charity reported statistics for the first three months of the financial year which show there were 230 more enquiries – 871 compared to
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Church worried it may have to close
A church is worried it may be forced to close if it is unable to find the money to carry out repairs on damage caused by metal thieves. St Mary’s in Warkworth, near Banbury, has become the latest victim of lead thieves. It comes as the Diocese of Oxford
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Medical research
OXFORD: Plans to construct two medical research buildings for Oxford University in Roosevelt Drive will come under scrutiny tonight. It will be discussed by the planning review committee at the meeting starting at 6pm at Oxford Town Hall.
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Prolific burglar awaits sentence
DIDCOT: The sentencing of a 28-year-old man for almost 50 burglaries has been adjourned until Monday, September 26. Ricky Kilroy, of Queensway, Didcot, has admitted burgling a home in Shillingford, near Wallingford, in April 2008, and has asked for 46
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We'll be ready to pay our respects
The first repatriation of a fallen serviceman to RAF Brize Norton will take place next Thursday. A Royal Marine was killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan’s Helmand province yesterday. The man, who has not been named, was from 42 Commando
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Homeowners set to fall
The number of people owning their own homes in Oxfordshire is set to fall over the coming five years, according to a report from forecasters Oxford Economics. And people forced to live in rented accommodation are likely to see their rents rising due
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Delays on A34
OXFORD: Drivers faced hours of delays yesterday after a car and a lorry collided on the northbound A34 at its junction with the M40. Police were called to the accident between a blue Volkswagen Golf and a green articulated lorry, shortly after 12pm.
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Failed bike raid
Would-be thieves tried to steal a red Yamaha 125 motorbike. The vehicle was moved from a driveway in Angelica Close, Banbury, on Saturday. It was later found undamaged outside a neighbouring property. Police said they believed it was an attempted theft
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'We cannot cope with new homes'
Hundreds of homes look set to be built on the edge of Oxford after the launch of a multi-million-pound drain- age scheme. A problem with drainage and sewers in Botley and Cumnor Hill has blocked developments since devastating floods hit the city in 2007
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Anger at grit cost
COMMUNITIES have branded county council plans to charge them £100 a tonne for additional grit to deal with snow “a cheek”. If you want more salt to cope with the winter you can buy it for £100 a tonne. That’s the message from Oxfordshire County Council
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County link to murder suspect
A nationwide hunt continued last night for a serial sex attacker wanted in connection with the murder of a pensioner. Graeme Jarman, 47, is on the run following the murder of a 77-year-old woman battered to death in her own home. The former civil
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Floodgates are opened
A MULTI-MILLION-pound drainage project has unblocked the way for hundreds of new homes to be built in Oxford. Thames Water is set to start work on a new £7m drainage scheme in Botley and Cumnor Hill. It means 20 different planning applications