Archive
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BULLFINCH UPDATE: Six charged
SIX men have tonight been charged following an investigation into an alleged child sex ring prostituting girls. Detectives said tonight the six would appear before a magistrates' court tomorrow morning. The six are aged between 26 and
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Olympic torch team is not so local
JUST 13 of the 50 Oxfordshire torchbearers will carry the Olympic flame through their home town. The first list of selected flame carriers was revealed this week. But according to the addresses given by the London Organising Committee Olympic Games
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COMMENT: Flaming strange
Just 13 of the 50 Oxfordshire torchbearers will carry the Olympic flame through their home towns. No wonder people are asking why? Indeed, as one Abingdon resident rather sagely commented: “I would say having people from outside the area carrying
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Pupils meet pets and vets in practice
PUPILS from an Abingdon primary school got a close look at the animals during a visit to vets. About 24 pupils from Carswell Primary School in Bostock Road visited Abingdon Animal Hospital on Monday and Tuesday, as part of the school’s business
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CCTV campaigner is barred from meeting
A MAN who has dedicated his life to fighting Big Brother officialdom was barred from a meeting by city council chiefs. Nick Pickles travelled from London on Wednesday specially for a meeting where cabbies and city council licensing officials were to
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All set for a blockbuster literary festival
FINAL preparations are under way for Oxford Literary Festival, which opens tomorrow. High-profile figures at this year’s event include American novelist Anne Tyler, retiring Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and Michael Morpurgo, who will be
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Local shares (PM)
AEA Technology 0.27 BMW 5594 Electrocomponents 249.4 Nationwide Accident Repair 61.5 Oxford Biomedica 3.2 Oxford Catalysts 46 Oxford Instruments 1184.5 Reed Elsevier 546.25 RM 81.4 RPS Group 241.3 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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VW UP: Compact package should be a big player
ONE of the biggest deals in motoring in 2012 has just arrived and it is wrapped in a remarkably compact package. Volkswagen’s new city car, the Up!, might be one of the smallest four-seater cars on the road, but it is a real car, with a surprising
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The Marriage of Figaro: Milton Keynes Theatre
It was change-over time in two key roles as Welsh National Opera rounded off the trio of productions on its annual spring visit to our region with a superb revival under conductor Anthony Negus of Lluis Pasqual’s 2009 The Marriage of Figaro. Springing
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Hotel staff to join ribbon walk
HOTEL staff are preparing to dish up some five-star fundraising when they take part in the Breast Cancer Care Pink Ribbonwalk at Blenheim in May. Ten people from The George Hotel in Wallingford, including hotel manager Oliver Round-Turner, will be donning
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Thug jailed for unprovoked golf shaft attack that left victim scarred for life
A 31-YEAR-OLD who attacked a man with the shaft of a golf club has been jailed. Matthew East was locked up for three years on Monday having earlier been convicted of unlawful wounding by jurors at Oxford Crown Court. East, of The Crescent, East Hagbourne
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Putting some bounce into Sport Relief
YOUNGSTERS in Abingdon have been raising money for charity with a sponsored bounce. All 74 children at The Abingdon Kindergarten, in Loyd Close, are hoping to bounce a mile on a bouncy castle for Sports Relief. The kindergarten has been taking part
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House prices take a leap
House prices in Oxfordshire have shown their biggest monthly rise in two years, latest figures have revealed. Statistics produced by the Government’s Land Registry show the average price of a property in the county in February was £238,620, up one per
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Local shares (AM)
AEA Technology 0.26 BMW 5628 Electrocomponents 252 Nationwide Accident Repair 62 Oxford Biomedica 3.15 Oxford Catalysts 47 Oxford Instruments 1208.5 Reed Elsevier 543.75 RM 80.3 RPS Group 240.4 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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Unipart seals parts deal with Mini
Car parts manufacturer and logistics firm Unipart has signed a new parts deal with the Cowley Mini plant. Under the agreement, the firms, which are near neighbours, will see exhausts made at Unipart’s manufacturing plant in Coventry distributed to the
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Community given boost
TWO new faces will be helping cement an Oxford community following a major regeneration project in Rose Hill. The pair have been recruited by Oxford Citizen’s Housing Association (OCHA) and their part-time roles are financed by the estate’s £361,714
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FOOTBALL: Headington are boosted as trio return
Jay Hill, Aaron Williams and Craig Morbey return for Headington Amateurs at home to Lydney Town in the quarter-finals of the Hellenic League Bluefin Insurance Cup tomorrow. Clanfield will be without Adam Little Jamie Stalker (both cup-tied), Gary Smales
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TENNIS: Oxon sides avoid the drop
OXFORDSHIRE’S Under 18 County Cup teams both recorded final-day successes to preserve their Division 4 status. Things were looking bleak after the first two days, with both the boys and girls having lost their opening two matches. But a win over Cornwall
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FOOTBALL: Bourne is frustrated over goal drought
Abingdon United manager Richie Bourne may throw fit-again defender Ricky Allaway into attack as they look to end their goal drought at home to Yate Town in Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West tomorrow. They have not scored for 634 minutes
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Wilder wary for Oxford United's trip to stuttering Cheltenham
CHRIS Wilder has warned Oxford United not to read anything into Cheltenham Town’s slump in form ahead of the short trip to Whaddon Road on Saturday. United’s back-to-back wins against Rotherham United and AFC Wimbledon in the last week are in stark contrast
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SPORT CALENDAR: March 24-30 fixtures
SATURDAY FOOTBALL NPOWER LEAGUE TWO Cheltenham Tn v Oxford Utd. EVO-STIK SOUTHERN LEAGUE Premier Div: Oxford City v Evesham, St Albans v Banbury Utd. Div 1 South & West: Abingdon Utd v Yate Tn, Didcot Tn v Paulton Rov. UHLSPORT HELLENIC LEAGUE
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COMMENT: End to the aggro in sight
CPZ... three letters which, on their own, mean nothing, but together spell... aggravation. Indeed, ever since a residents’ parking scheme was first suggested for East Oxford, it has divided local opinion to such a degree that it has become
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RACING: Wantage riders chase ladies' title
Three Wantage-based riders are among the contenders for the first lady jockeys’ title, which has been launched with the backing of Oxfordshire firm Prolinx. Cathy Gannon, who lives at Wantage, Nicole Nordblad, who is attached to Hans Adielsson’s Kingston
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Wright sets new target after reaching Oxford United century
JAKE Wright reached a milestone on Tuesday night with his 100th Oxford United start and the captain immediately set himself the goal of making another century. The 26-year-old only joined the U’s on loan from Brighton in January 2010, but has been a
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BULLFINCH UPDATE: Extension granted to question nine men
NINE suspects arrested as part of an investigation into a suspected child sex ring in Oxford are still being questioned today. Detectives have been granted a 12 hour extension to question the nine men who were arrested yesterday in a series
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CRICKET: Crossley steps down
ALAN Crossley has resigned as Oxfordshire’s chairman of selectors with immediate effect. The 70-year-old former county wicket-keeper and right-handed batsman had held the post for eight years, having been involved with Oxon for 43 years. Crossley, who
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BULLFINCH UPDATE: What now for the child victims?
CARING for the alleged victims of child abuse will remain the priority for agencies and police. But the job of identifying the extent of the abuse – or if a child has been trafficked – is far from easy. Trafficked children may have been
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CYCLING: City ace claims minor honours
OXFORD City’s Chris Goodfellow finished third in Oxonian CC’s first time trial of the season on the hilly Brill course. He completed the 31-mile course in 1hr 17mins 11secs to take the minor honours behind Tejvan Pettinger (Sri Chinmoy CT), who was first
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Rise in bus fares
OXFORD: The Oxford Bus Company last night announced fare increases – blaming running costs including rising fuel prices. The hike affects the red City, park-and-ride, and BrookesBus services. Some single fares will increase by 20p, with the highest
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BULLFINCH UPDATE: Child exploitation is "a sickening slur on our society"
YESTERDAY’S arrests may have shocked Oxford but for experts it was part of a disturbing increase in the sexual exploitation of children. Over nine months last year, 15 British girls and a further 38 from other nationalities were identified
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Squadron disbands amid cuts
THEY marched together for the last time to salute their “proud and illustrious history”. Yesterday colleagues, friends and families watched as troops paraded for the final time before the Bicester-based 206 Pioneer Squadron, part of the Royal Logistic
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Motorsport firm wins retail park battle
HUNDREDS of jobs were secured yesterday after councillors ignored officers’ advice and approved a major retail park in Banbury. Staff at motorsport firm Prodrive were celebrating last night after it was given consent to turn its current site into a shopping
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Coeliacs gather to discuss ban
THE Oxford Coeliac Group will meet tomorrow to discuss a possible ban of prescription gluten-free foods. In January, the Oxford Mail revealed NHS Oxfordshire was considering a ban on food prescriptions to cut costs. A consultation has now ended and
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Campaign over Facebook mistake
A MAN from Carterton is campaigning to change the town’s location on website Facebook from Wiltshire to Oxfordshire. The social networking site currently lists users living in the West Oxfordshire town as being in the neighbouring county. Now Paul Wesson
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Parking zone to go ahead - in part
A CONTROVERSIAL residents’ parking scheme will be in place this autumn after being given the go-ahead. About 20 people protested outside County Hall yesterday as the council’s transport boss approved two new schemes for East Oxford. Controlled parking
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Rendell relishing Oxford United striking rivalry
COMPETITION for places up front for Oxford United holds no fears for striker Scott Rendell. With top scorer James Constable back from suspension and the addition of Dean Morgan and Cristian Montano on loan to join Rendell and Oli Johnson, the U’s have
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Sentencing put back for ID liar
A 58-YEAR-OLD woman who lied about her identity for 30 years has had her sentencing postponed. Nina Raymont took out a passport in a false name in 1982 and then used that identity to fraudulently claim benefits. Raymont, of Lime Walk
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Roll up, the circus is coming to town
THERE will be thrills and spills aplenty in Oxford, after the circus rolled into town. Zippo’s Circus set up shop in South Park yesterday for the first of a series of shows going on until Tuesday. Acts include the Lucius motorcycle troupe, Yasmine
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Oxford United players show respect for Muamba
THE terrible scenes involving Fabrice Muamba’s collapse were felt by everyone in the Oxford United squad. U’s players led a minute’s applause at the Kassam Stadium before their game with AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday to show their support for the Bolton Wanderers
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CABBAGES & KINGS: Polite gesture made me realise I'm knocking on
IT was inevitable. Sooner or later someone would offer me their seat on a crowded bus, just as the supermarket check-out girl had eventually asked if I needed help with packing four cream scones and a can of rice pudding. It happened on the bus from
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Uniforms should stay
THE policy of children wearing school uniforms should be kept for the following reasons: School uniforms were introduced to stop teachers favouring children from wealthy families. Teachers could identify richer and poorer children by the way they were
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Rent rises
WOULD the city council explain how they put up rents? Our rent last year went up £20 a month to £397.89. This year it has gone up to £430.82 a month for a three-bedroom house. This is above the rate of inflation, but wages are not going up. They
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Disappointing budget
FAR from a budget to reward work (Oxford Mail, March 22) the Chancellor is giving to the very wealthy and taking from everybody else. Scrapping the 50p rate for people with incomes of more than £150,000 a year (in excess of £3,000 a week) is a scandal
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FOOTBALL: McCleary's rise is 'no surprise'
OXFORD City first-team coach Andy Sinnott says the success of his former winger and now Nottingham Forest star Garath McCleary has come as no surprise after his four-timer in their 7-3 win at Leeds United. Before Tuesday’s game, the 24-year-old, who
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RUGBY UNION: Chinnor relish crunch clash
CHINNOR head coach Jason Bowers has urged his players to remember their Barnstaple pain in tomorrow’s National 3 South West crunch clash at leaders Bournemouth. Defeat at home to Barnstaple in their last match ended second-placed Chinnor’s remarkable
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FOOTBALL: Malone injury hits City play-off hopes
Oxford City will be without Liam Malone for the rest of the Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division campaign after undergoing ankle surgery. The ball-winning midfielder, who has been at the hub of City’s play-off campaign, yesterday underwent
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LIFE LESSONS: A former councillor with a love of writing and pictures
Today we talk to ALISTAIR FEAR, former Liberal Democrat Abingdon Town Council member who runs abingdonblog.co.uk WHAT I’M CALLED: Backstreeter on my blog. Alistair Fear is my real name. Alec for short. MY AGE IN YEARS: 54 WHAT I DO: At work
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Academy data
IN Tom Jennings’ piece on West Oxfordshire’s new academies (March 10), county council cabinet member for schools, Melinda Tilley, is quoted as saying: “I am passionate about school attainment and according to (Education Secretary) Michael Gove, academies
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Problems with potholes
Further to Jean Hitchcock’s letter (Oxford Mail, March 20) I feel my experience with pothole claims should be noted by other motorists. I swerved to avoid an oncoming car which had partially crossed the white line on to my side of the road. I hit a
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Unfair parking charges
AS reported in the Oxford Mail, English hospitals will continue to charge patients to park in hospital car parks. In contrast to the rest of the UK it would cost at least £100m a year to cease charging. It is a drop in the ocean for hospitals, but a
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What about the bus users?
After being knocked sideways two days running by fast moving bicycles, I would like to know where was the wisdom in making The Slade pavement a cycle track and removing the only bus shelter. Not only do we pedestrians have to dodge the cyclists, we now
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My visit to Oxford was ruined by vehicle woes
I’m sure you get many complaints from visitors to Oxford and I would like to share my views. I had a very pleasant weekend in the city recently where I spent about £1,000 in the local hotels, shops and restaurants. My stay was only marred by a confusing
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Late-comers can still join the race
ONLINE registration for this year’s OX5 Run has now closed, but runners can still turn up and register on the day to raise funds for Oxford Children’s Hospital. More than 800 runners have now signed up for the five-mile race on Sunday around
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Oxford United's Potter comes off crutches
ALFIE Potter got a positive report from the specialist he saw this week about his broken ankle. The winger has had his foot in a protective cast since the injury on February 3. But Potter was told that it is healing well, and that he can ditch his crutches
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Flying the flag for Oxford United fans
THE organiser of Oxford United’s flag-bearing initiative got the chance to try it out for himself this week. Fans fundraising group the 12th Man has raised more than £1,000 over the last two seasons from giving supporters the chance to lead the side
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Capaldi's out to end his injury nightmare at Oxford United
A LONG-AWAITED first-team debut could be just a fortnight away for Tony Capaldi after a “deeply frustrating” nine months on the sidelines. The defender has endured a nightmare run since signing for Oxford United, with back and knee problems preventing
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BULLFINCH UPDATE: Residents speak of shock at raids
THE city was last night in shock after police smashed a suspected child prostitution gang with dawn raids in quiet family streets. At least two homes in West Oxford were stormed in the 6am operation involving more than 100 police officers and
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No date set for repatriation
NO date has yet been set for the repatriation of a soldier killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday, the Ministry of Defence said. Capt Rupert William Michael Bowers, 24, from Wolverhampton, who was with 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, was killed
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Blaze at barn was accident
A FIRE that destroyed a 17th century thatched barn in Denchworth started accidentally, it was revealed last night. The Brook Lane barn, which was used as offices, burnt to the ground following the fire, which started shortly before 3am on Sunday, March
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BULLFINCH UPDATE:The hunt is on for more victims
THIRTEEN men were still being held last night by detectives investigating a child sex ring believed to have targeted girls aged 11 to 16. Twelve of the men were arrested in a series of coordinated dawn raids across the city yesterday involving
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BULLFINCH UPDATE: Four released on police bail
FOUR of the 13 men arrested in an investigation into a child sex ring were last night released on police bail. Twelve men were arrested in a series of raids across Oxford at dawn yesterday. A 13th man was arrested at about 1pm. The men
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Residents secure action over 'danger' substation
NORTH Oxford residents have finally got action after raising safety fears about an electricity substation built inside a new home. A notice on the electricity transformer warns “Danger of Death: Keep Out.” But despite the fact that it is a short distance
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Pupils on song in musical spectacular
SPLURGE guns at the ready, the cast of an all-singing, all-dancing performance of Bugsy Malone are taking to the stage at Oxford Academy. The production, the first musical put on by the school, was premiered on Wednesday. The two public performances
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Brass plaque poses puzzle
LAST century, a church put up a plaque to two of its most loved members, so they would never be forgotten. But years later, the plaque was picked up for next-to-nothing at an Oxfordshire scrapyard. For the past 20 years, it has hung on the wall of
