Archive
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The Scales of Justice
People convicted of offences at magistrates' courts around the county recently: Maxine Charlett, 37, of Pegasus Road, Oxford, admitted possessing cannabis (Class B) in Middleton Stoney Road, Bicester, on July 4. Given a six-month conditional discharge
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The water leak saga just ran and ran
More than two weeks ago Michael Dean was walking along his Abingdon street when he spotted water bubbling through a crack in the concrete. He called Thames Water that night, not expecting an immediate reaction, but he did not think he would still
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DIY store set to close
SIXTY-SEVEN jobs at a Cowley DIY store are at risk after it was announced the firm is to close its only Oxford outlet. B&Q was expected to move into a smaller unit at Templars Shopping Park in Cowley after its £3.5m redevelopment, which includes
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Chip pan fire in Milton
Firefighters dealt with a fire in a deep fat fryer in Milton this afternoon. Crews from Didcot Fire Station were called to the Apple Cart pub at 1.24pm after a blaze broke out in a commercial chip fryer. The incident was dealt with by 2.30pm
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Woman still critical after Finstock accident
A 66-year-old woman remains in a critical condition in hospital after she was seriously injured in a collision in Finstock. The woman’s blue Nissan Micra hit a wall and overturned along Witney Road at about 7.50pm on Friday. She was the only
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Man assaulted after night out in Oxford city centre
A man was left unconscious after he was assaulted on a night out. The 21-year-old was walking home with a friend in George Street, Oxford, at about 2.25am today. When the pair turned into Chain Alley, the victim became involved in an “
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'Council is missing housing target' warns developer
PLANS for 43 homes in Yarnton have again put council bosses at the centre of a row about housing targets. A planning application has been submitted for 43 homes at Yarnton Nurseries in Sandy Lane, which would also be expanded. Planning agents
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Mystery string map among top designs
DESIGNS for a new pier, a ‘fairytale’ device to help people find their way through London’s streets and a new oratory have won Oxford students prestigious prizes. Each year the Royal Institute of British Architects recognises three architecture
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A-Levels: 2012 Table for Oxfordshire schools
School: Number of pupils / % of entries A*-A / % of entries A*-B / % of entries A*-E Abingdon 14-19 Consortium: 189 / 19 / 46 / 96 Abingdon School: 144 / 73 / 93 / 100 Abingdon and Witney College: 79 / / 45 / 98 Banbury
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Man assaulted in Oxford city centre
A 21-year-old man was left unconscious after he was assaulted in Oxford on a night out. He was walking home with a friend in George Street at around 2.25am today. When the pair turned into Chain Alley, the victim became involved in an
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No weeping as grant helps to save willows
VOLUNTEERS have helped safeguard the future of mighty willows thanks to a £5,000 grant. Grundon Waste Management and Oxfordshire Rural Partnership gave the cash for work at Daeda’s Wood near Deddington. The wood was set up 12 years ago by The
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Revamped OUP museum aims to make impression
HIDDEN away in the Oxford University Press headquarters is a fascinating museum tracing the history of publishing back to the 15th century. While the Ashmolean Museum attracts one million visitors a year, the museum at the OUP building in Walton
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All the fun of the fair at Wychwood
A FOREST fair which traces its roots back three centuries will welcome thousands of visitors at this year’s event on Sunday. The Wychwood Forest Fair, now in its 13th year as a modern event, promises more than 160 stalls and attractions on conservation
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Young offenders go green at Abingdon school to make amends
TROUBLED teenagers have been making amends by helping to build an eco-greenhouse at an Abingdon primary school. The six youngsters, aged between 15 and 17, helped build it out of wood and recycled plastic bottles found by pupils of Rush Common
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Ambulances worst in England for cardiac survival rates
OXFORDSHIRE'S ambulance service has the worst cardiac survival rate of all ambulance trusts in England. The South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) has an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rate of 10.8 per cent. The trust – which
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Female football team put the boot in
They may not look it, but they were a fearsome bunch. This was the women’s football team at the Blacklocks pub in Banbury, whose landlord was ex-Royal Navy man Tommy Bonham. They may have been ladylike off the pitch, but apparently, once they had
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Vera Legge dancers had a spring in their steps
PANTOMIMES and musicals were not the only shows in which the Vera Legge dancers performed. They regularly took part in the Grand Floral Fetes held on the Botley Road recreation ground in Oxford. Diana Brown, daughter of the dancing school founder
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Dates etched in black and white for classes
THERE is no doubt where these pictures were taken. Teachers sensibly arranged for the name and class of the school to be chalked on a blackboard and prominently displayed by one of the pupils. The pictures show class II at Cowley Infants’ School
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The changing face of Bladon
HELPING on a Fun Day stall can be thirsty work, as Owen Gillam, six, and Carl Pollard, five, found out, above. They shared a bottle of pop during a break in custom at their Tin Can Alley stall in 1985. The Fun Day featured many attractions and raised
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Plane wreaked devastation
DENNIS Fogden recalls the day his brother Peter had a narrow escape from a wartime air crash. A friend called ‘Fatty’ Coggins had bought a new motorcycle and invited Peter to have a ride on it. They set off from Peter’s home in Wytham Street, Oxford
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Greycotes pupils to the rescue
THESE children were staggered when they saw the size of the vehicle they had helped to buy. Pupils and staff at Greycotes School in Bardwell Road, Oxford, were planning to hold a summer fete in 1981. The question was – to which good cause should
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£1.13m police station construction under way
WORK has started on a new £1.13m police station in Grove. The station at Grove Technology Park will be for operational teams and will not have a public counter service. It will replace Wantage Police Station, in Church Street, which is due
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Summer school pupils map out paths for future
YOUNGSTERS set to attend the Oxford Academy in September have enjoyed a two-week Olympic-themed summer school designed to ease their transition into ‘big school’. Dozens of pupils from primary schools throughout Oxford were invited to attend
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FOOTBALL: Dobson's four-goal salvo boosts Witney
James Dobson scored a four-timer as Witney Town thrashed Holyport 5-1 in the Hellenic League Premier Division on Saturday. He opened his account after 14 minutes before doubling his tally three minutes later. Dobson made it 3-0 just after half-time
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FOOTBALL: Dobson's four-goal salvo boosts Witney
James Dobson scored a four-timer as Witney Town thrashed Holyport 5-1 in the Premier Division on Saturday. He opened his account after 14 minutes before doubling his tally three minutes later. Dobson made it 3-0 just after half-time before
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WEEKEND RESULTS CHECK - AUG 25-26
NPOWER LEAGUE TWO Oxford Utd 2, Plymouth Argyle 1. BLUE SQUARE BET NORTH Solihull Moors 1, Oxford City 2. EVO-STIK SOUTHERN LEAGUE Premier Div: Kettering 1, Banbury Utd 1. FA CUP Prelim round : Bracknell Tn 2, Shrivenham 0;
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FOOTBALL: North end Thame hopes with six of best
Jimmy Deabill and John Mills bagged doubles as Evo-Stik Southern League North Leigh thrashed Hellenic League Thame 6-0 at Eynsham Park on Saturday. Three goals in a devastating first-half display, ended any hopes of an upset. Mills had a shot
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FOOTBALL: Rowe double lifts Wantage
Tom Rowe bagged a brace as Wantage Town set up an FA Cup first-qualifying round trip to Oxfordshire rivals North Leigh with a 4-1 hammering of Hartley Wintney. Tom Butler put Wantage ahead on 26 minutes and two minutes later, Rowe made it 2-0.
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Dad and children hurt after car mounts pavement
THREE children and their father were injured after a car mounted the pavement at Heyford Hill Roundabout. A grey Ford Focus collided with the group at 7.30pm on Saturday. A three-year-old boy and two girls, aged five and nine, and their father
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Archery finals hit the target with young fans
FAMILIES were still in the London 2012 spirit watching Olympic archers in Oxford before having a go themselves. The 2012 National Series Finals took place at Christ Church Meadows yesterday. Oxfordshire families were able to watch the athletes
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Oxford United fans' discussion - week two
Morning everyone, apologies for the slightly late start, I had to be at the stadium this morning to speak to the manager and players before they left for Leeds. There's plenty to talk about once again over the next hour, let me know what you think
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Ironic statement
IN the Oxford Mail, you are running an advert for the ‘Parade for Equality’. This is a free social event to make people aware of the need for ‘Equality for Disabled People’, a most noble cause, I might add. The advert goes on to say ‘a free
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Tree confusion
RECENTLY I was talking to some local residents and, during the conversation, it was mentioned about the trees which are planted in Marston in memory of the servicemen killed during the war. Some said they thought it was the ones outside the Old
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Moaning tourists
FURTHER to the article by Katherine MacAlister (Mac the Knife, Oxford Mail, August 22) regarding the American tourists who turned at Gap and said Oxford was the same as everywhere else, I also have a tale from the days when I ran a bed and breakfast
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CRICKET: Shipton slip into relegation zone
RAIN brought an early end to Shipton-under-Wychwood’s Division 2 West game against table-topping Slough. But while a final downpour may have saved Shipton from defeat, news of Farnham Royals’ victory over Dinton made it a miserable day for Simon
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Surprise accolade rolls in at classic car show
CLASSIC car lovers came together for fun in the sun at Blenheim Palace yesterday. The palace grounds in Woodstock were packed with vintage vehicles and their owners at the annual classic vehicle show, which is also running today. Among the
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CRICKET: Oxford deeper in mire
OXFORD’S Division 1 game at Harpenden was abandoned after 27.3 overs, with the visitors on 70-1. With all of their relegation rivals picking up more than the six points Oxford collected, Ian Crosby’s side are 24 points off safety with two games
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UPDATE: Manor set on fire by lightning bolt
MORE than 80 firefighters battled a blaze at a historic manor house near Wantage after it was struck by lightning. Fire broke out at the 16th century Fawler Manor, in Fawler, which belongs to the Blackwell family of Blackwells booksellers, shortly
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Attacking soft targets
WHILE agreeing with the city council’s wish to encourage more people to take up regular physical activity, the introduction of a spinning studio and soft play area at Ferry Sports Centre should not be at the expense of a squash court. The usage
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CRICKET: Sabin stars in Banbury win
LLOYD Sabin hit a superb century and Ollie Wright took five wickets as Banbury moved up to second place with a 196-run victory over Welwyn Garden City in Division 1. Opener Sabin, who scored 95 against Oxford last week, was out for 101 off 124
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CRICKET: Rowant fail to take advantage
ASTON Rowant missed a glorious chance to return to the top of the Division 2 West table on Saturday. With leaders Slough seeing their game at Shipton-under-Wychwood abandoned when in a strong position, victory over Gerrards Cross would have taken
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Two-faced politicians
HISTORY is worth looking into when one compares today’s ridiculous and vengeful attack on WikiLeaks whistle blower Julian Assange. Our politicians will always side with the elite and persecute people like Assange who, after all, let the cat out
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Council apology
ON behalf of the council, I would like to offer my apologies if we have caused anxiety to any of the residents we wrote to in Charter Way, Hawthorn Close and Hazel Grove, in Wallingford about land contamination tests. The council was given a
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CRICKET: Thame remain rooted
STRUGGLING Thame Town remain rooted the foot of the Division 2 West table after rain cut short their clash with Harefield. After reaching 80-4 at lunch, the heavens opened which left Thame just 12 more overs to bat. They got up to a respectable
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ATHLETICS: Hannah clinging to the positives
Hannah England vowed to take the positives after finishing fourth in yesterday’s 1,500m in Birmingham. The Oxford City athlete was forced to set the pace, but found herself still in front 50 metres from home, before tiring. She came home in
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FOOTBALL: Didcot take derby spoils
Lance Williams scored the winner as Didcot Town came from behind to beat neighbours Abingdon United at a rain-drenched npower Loop Meadow Stadium on Saturday. But the hosts did it the hard way after Matty Biddle fired the visitors into a shock
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Scaring up some fun
CHILDREN have been exploring Cogges Manor Farm in Witney by searching for some unusual visitors. The tourist attraction, in Church Lane, hosted a scarecrow festival over the bank holiday weekend and scores of families took part. Youngsters
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Sport on target
IF the Olympic legacy was ever in doubt, the numbers trying new sports in Oxfordshire have dispelled the fears. The archery in Christ Church Meadow proved a real hit with plenty of youngsters picking up a bow. In four years’ time, GB hero Larry
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Losing faith in the police over their response times
I WOULD like to talk about police response times to crimes. My own personal experience this year has made me lose faith in the law. The theft of two garden statues from my home on an early Saturday morning, had a poor response time from the
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Not proper bobbies
YOUR Our View column, (Wardens should not take the place of proper bobbies, Oxford Mail, August 8), went down extremely well. This is because of the obvious over-riding principle that we should not be policed by the local municipality any more
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FOOTBALL: Talabi to rescue for battling Banbury
Banbury United had to be satisfied with a share of the spoils against Kettering Town at Nene Park in the Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division on Saturday. Although Ady Fuller’s side will be disappointed not to get all three points, it stopped
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FOOTBALL: Cook's strike is so sweet for City
Jamie Cook scored a late winner as Oxford City secured the Blue Square Bet North points at Solihull Moors on Saturday. After losing last week’s opening game against Chester, Mike Ford’s men triumphed 1-0 at Gloucester City on Tuesday and they made
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Wild wedding
WHEATLEY: A bride and groom tied the knot in true Wild West fashion over the weekend. Dave France, 40, and bride Maria Robertson, 44, married in western get-up at their local church in Wheatley on Saturday. For pictures and the full story,
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Child heart surgery system set to start
THE new model of children’s heart surgery – which will affect where Oxfordshire children receive treatment – is set to start swinging into action next month. It marks the beginning of the final stages in a two-year process which has been fraught
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Housing must not impact on infrastructure
TAKING inspiration from other European university cities shows the level of thought that is going into Barton West . But given the scale of the task, Oxford City Council will need to go to these lengths to ensure it gets it right. There is
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Mothering Sundae: Little grey bundle makes me hopping mad
THERE'S something lovely about sharing a house with children. You just never know what you’re going to find. This morning I found a dinosaur in the washing machine which made me smile. I also found a trail of dirty footprints up the stairs which
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MAN ABOUT TOWN: Beauty has its price - sadly it's too steep for me
Last week I took Thursday and Friday off. Why? Because I felt fed up. Not depressed or bitter or impotent with my place in the world you understand. Just...fed up. And for what it’s worth, I’m glad I did. I slept – a lot; read – a lot, and,
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LIFE LESSONS: Baby business is child's play for forward-thinking Bea
Today we talk to Bea Westfield, a director of The Oxford Parent Company Ltd WHAT I AM CALLED : Bea Waterfield MY AGE: Forty-three, not a very exciting age, but for an ex-Oxford mathematician I still like the fact it is a prime
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Smalley's smiling for Oxford United
DEANE Smalley was ecstatic to end a long goal drought on Saturday. And the Oxford United striker later admitted he could not even remember how long it had been since last hitting the back of the net. The 23-year-old scored both goals as the
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Recycling banks being ‘misused’
LARGE recycling banks in South Oxfordshire are being removed after deliberate misuse by businesses. The green mixed recycling banks at the Orchard Centre in Didcot, intended for residential use, have been regularly contaminated with non-recyclable
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College master concerned by exam changes
CONCERNS that grade boundaries were altered in A-Levels as well as GCSEs have been raised by an Oxford college master. Magdalen College master Tim Hands has made the claim after the National Association of Head Teachers wrote to the Government
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Jewellery burglar hid in Covered Market
PRECIOUS stones were stolen in a burglary at a Covered Market jewellery shop. The glass of the Nothing Jewellery shop was smashed and necklaces, bracelets, and earings taken between 6.30pm on Wednesday and 6.40am on Thursday. Pc Kim Pringle
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25,000 visitors lap up foodies festival
TOP CHEF Gary Jones admitted his masculinity was questioned when he started to learn how to cook. But that didn’t stop the culinary star rising from the only boy at a girls’ school to the kitchen of Raymond Blanc’s Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire
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We will learn from win, says Oxford United boss
CHRIS Wilder was reluctant to be too critical of his Oxford United side, but felt inexperience contributed to a disjointed second half display. The U’s stayed top of npower League Two on goal difference, thanks to a 2-1 win against Plymouth,
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Showstoppers
A day of excitement lies ahead at two top events in Oxfordshire. Today is the final day of both the Towersey festival and the Uffington White Horse show. At the White Horse Show, the fun includes a display from the Red Arrows at 11am. Meanwhile
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Top choir to sing for county youth charity
THE London Philharmonic Choir is to sing in aid of a county charity which promotes the arts among young people. Half the proceeds from the event on Friday, October 19, will go to the Bicester-based Oxfordshire Youth Arts Partnership Trust.
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United fan freed after appeal
AN Oxford United fan jailed for possessing a smoke bomb at a match has been released on appeal. Carl Wells,34, was found with the unlit device at United’s game with Plymouth Argyle in Devon on April 21. He was jailed for two months at the city
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More injury problems for Oxford United
OXFORD United are facing a selection problem ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Leeds United. Lee Cox is expected to miss the next two weeks with a groin problem, joining five senior players already out. Deane Smalley and Jake Forster-Caskey also
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Cash for player
OXFORD: Oxford United fans raised £1,000 towards a new player with a sponsored walk. Eight fundraisers walked 12 miles, from Eynsham to the Kassam Stadium , on Saturday for The 12th Man fund. The cash could be used to buy a new player in the
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Willkommen to Barton
WELCOME to the German city of Freiburg. As a historic university city surrounded by beautiful countryside it might sound familiar. And the comparisons do not stop there, as it is also the inspiration for Oxford’s biggest planned new suburb
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Community radio goes live as teens take over
THREE friends went ‘live’ with a community radio broadcast as part of a teenage takeover of Bicester. Ross Arrowsmith, Steven Fulford and Sam Issacs, all 16, welcomed live bands into their ‘studio’ – which some residents might better remember as
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CRIME IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD: Worrying rise in crime rates
STORE keepers in the Lye Valley have called for more police patrols and CCTV cameras to curb rising crime rates. Crime in the police area, between Horspath Road and The Slade, has risen by 14.2 per cent between 2010/11 and 2011/12. There were
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Drug needles and used condoms blight nature reserve
USED condoms and junkies’ discarded dirty needles are still blighting an Oxford beauty spot. The Oxford Mail reported last year that heroin addicts were using the Grandpont Nature Reserve to shoot up. And a year on Oxford City Council wardens