PEOPLE across Oxfordshire celebrated St George's Day with a variety of patriotic events.

In Greater Leys, Oxford, England's patron saint was honoured by staff and guests at a day centre for the over-60s with mental health problems.

The Clockhouse, in Long Ground, brought in an entertainer and made St George's flags.

Organiser Graham Hooper said: "In the morning we had a quiz about St George's Day and discussed our favourite things about England.

"We had fish and chips for lunch from the local chip shop, so it was a very traditional English day."

In Fernham, near Faringdon, one man spent 32 hours in the pub to commemorate the day. But Wantage-born artist Mark Amis did not touch a drop of beer at the Woodman Inn.

Instead, he created a 2m-wide painting of St George and the dragon. Mr Amis worked from 10am on Tuesday until 6pm on Wednesday, when his creation was unveiled at a gala dinner.

He said: "We will auction the original, plus 250 prints, and hope to raise £5,000 for Help for Heroes, which gives help to troops injured in recent conflicts.

"I don't want to whip up patriotic fervour, but I want to celebrate the nice things about this country - our eccentricity and our freedom, which is why I am saying thank you to the troops who risk their lives so I can sit in a pub for 30 hours and paint a picture."

Meanwhile, in Bicester, the mood was less celebratory as Royal Mail staff came into work to find flags had been removed.

Two Chelsea flags - one white and red, one blue and white - an England flag, plus two football T-shirts, had been on a wall for four years.

One postman, who did not wish to be named, said: "It is a sorry state of affairs if you cannot put up a flag of your country. Next we will have to take the Queen's face off stamps."

A Royal Mail spokesman said the material was removed as part of an office tidy-up, adding: "The display of various football flags and posters has been in place for some time and were not there to commemorate St George's Day.

"Staff are more than welcome to display flags on St George's Day and many have taken the opportunity to do so."