Today, the Oxford Mail highlights a staggering disparity between GCSE results among ethnic minorities in the county.

On average, Black African, Black Caribbean, Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani students in Oxfordshire all achieved below-par grades.

The percentage of students from these backgrounds achieving A* to C grades is woefully short of the national average.

Racial equality groups are right to call for urgent action to deal with the problem.

They are also fed-up of empty promises and a complete lack of ideas about how to solve the issue.

Patrick Tolani, director of Oxfordshire Racial Equality Council, said: “This has been going on for a long time, and nobody seems to do anything about it.”

So, how about some action?

Is it that lessons are failing to capture imaginations? Or are there not enough incentives for youngsters to knuckle down?

We need less of the ‘talking with our partners’ and ‘multi-agency approaches’ from education chiefs and more practical action. Huge social inequalities are caused without a proper start in life.

One question hangs over our front page today: Will the planned Westgate redevelopment ever happen?

Abbey Place was to be knocked down to make way for the £330m revamp.

Now we hear the flats are set to brought back into use – something that will anger the residents forced out.

People have been moved out, who didn’t want to go in the first place.

But the centre is becoming a white elephant in the heart of the city.

Businesses in Oxford need the Westgate to be redeveloped, and quickly.