MOST things that emerge from the mouth of Boris Johnson, the soon-to-resign Conservative MP for Henley and new Mayor of London, should be treated with a large pinch of salt.

But then again, many a true word is spoken in jest.

One of his many witty one-liners has been voted the funniest British political quote of the past 50 years.

Asked by schoolchildren in Henley whether he would like the job of Prime Minister, he replied: "I have as much chance of becoming Prime Minister as being decapitated by a frisbee or of finding Elvis".

But recent poll ratings put Mr Johnson ahead of his party's leader David Cameron in the popularity stakes, so do not rule anything out on this front just yet.

JOHN Wade, the Oxford City Council parks officer who bore the brunt of the ire generated over the Osney Island trees debacle, is leaving the city for London, we learn.

You might remember poor old John getting a volley of abuse after chainsaw-happy contractors chopped down a load of sickly willow trees in East Street.

Now he is off to Hackney... possibly to earn fame and fortune on the back of the Olympic Games in 2012.

Just watch out for those trees, John.

WHATEVER you do, don't visit Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell's website for "breaking local news".

His otherwise authoritative website is somewhat let down by the last entry under this heading being, erm, April 17.

We know the north Oxfordshire area he represents is sleepy, but really...

CAPTAIN Bob, as we all know, was the affectionate term giving to the pension-grabbing fraudster and former Oxford United Football Club owner Robert Maxwell.

But Captain Bob is now the monicker handed to Bob Price - the totally-above-board, new Labour leader of Oxford City Council - by the mischievous leader of the opposition, Liberal Democrat David Rundle.

So, we have a Captain Bob at the Town Hall, 'Kaiser' Keith (see above) at County Hall and an Uncle Dave (Cameron) running Witney and the Conservative Party.

If there is anyone I have missed out, do feel free to contact me on the email address below.

THE Vale of White Horse District Council has got itself into a right muddle over the pensioners' bus passes.

The Mail has been contacted by frustrated OAPs yet to receive their treasured new passes from the Vale almost two months after the scheme kicked off.

Given that this national scheme has been known about for over a year that is not really what you would hope from a well-run slick organisation paid for by the taxpayer.

We enquired how many pensioners had still not received their passes. Seven hundred came back the reply.

Crikey. Now that is a lot, thought we.

But in a late phone call yesterday the council admitted it had bungled. Or is that double bungled.

The total is in fact 130.

Still a lot but if they can't even figure out how many people are in the backlog, maybe it is time they were pensioned off instead.