GREEN Party city and county councillor Sushila Dhall probably came up with the best and most plausible reason for missing this week's city council meeting at Oxford Town Hall: she has potentially-fatal viral meningitis.

Ms Dhall had been complaining of debilitating headaches before she was diagnosed and is sleeping most of the day, on doctor's orders.

That said, she is still managing to cram in at least a couple of hours of casework each day - mainly on her pet subject, the Westgate Shopping Centre Redevelopment.

Get well soon, Sushila.

A LOT of hot air, predictably, in Bournemouth this week as the Tories outlined what they would not promise to do ahead of the next election during their annual conference.

Touchy-feely party leader and Witney MP David Cameron, right - who is 40 on Monday - said how much he wanted people to run their own lives free from Government interference, scrap regional assemblies and give power from "Whitehall to the Town Hall".

With nothing left for Government to do, there's hardly any point him running for Prime Minister, is there?

HOWEVER, Mr Cameron will not have been particularly happy to hear what Conservative county councillor Steve Hayward had to say on the subject of climate change during a recent debate at County Hall.

Mr Hayward, who runs a pool club, stunned Green councillors - and most others present - when he stood up and cast doubt on the existence of global warming.

Mr Hayward, who is not, on the face of it, the most qualified individual to speak on climate change, represents Witney West - in his leader's constituency. Whoops!

IT'S not often one hears complaints about the usually-excellent Town Hall catering, but that's exactly what happened on Monday night after a rather paltry spread was laid on for famished councillors at half time during a lengthy meeting.

Usually the tables overflow with delicious sandwiches, savoury snacks and assorted cakes, but not this week.

In fact, it was so feeble council leader John Goddard was heard to mutter that it was the worst he'd seen.

OXFORD city councillors have rather shot themselves in the foot in wanting to learn how to make the authority energy-efficient and green... it will involve a trip to Woking.

The borough council is one of the leading authorities when it comes to green issues and members have expressed interest in a day trip to the soulless Surrey commuter town to learn more. Council leader John Goddard said: "I'm rather disappointed it's Woking, but then I'm prepared to learn from anywhere that's good."