A house in a quiet Oxford street was sealed off by police tonight as they investigated the death of an elderly woman. The body of the woman - believed to be in her 70s - was found at the house, in Edgeway Road, Marston, by a worried neighbour. Detectives
Simon Hall, the Oxfordshire man shot dead in Iraq last Friday while working for a private security firm, served in the British Army during the first Gulf War against Saddam Hussein. Mr Hall, 39, who lived with his wife Sarah and two children in Dean,
The former RAF Bicester airbase could be used to detain failed asylum seekers and illegal immigrants, the Government has said. The scheme, which is still under consideration, would see up to 650 people kept under lock and key until they are deported
AEA Technology 99.5 BMW 2992 Electrocomponents 288.25 Isoft Group 38.75 Oxford Biomedica 31.25 Oxford Instruments 200.25 Oxonica 155 Reed Elsevier 569.25 RM 175.5 RPS 255 Torex Retail 52.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
The Brakspear pub company is set to be sold to a London-based operator for £106m after family shareholders decided to sell up. The deal with old established pub firm and wine distribution group J.T. Davies will mark the end of the Brakspear family's
Legendary movie director Robert Altman has died at the age of 81. The Hollywood maverick, best known for directing MASH, The Player, and Gosford Park passed away yesterday in a Los Angeles hospital.
POLICE have issued CCTV pictures of two men they want to speak to about an assault on a 25-year-old man in Witney. The assault happened at Langdale Gate at 11.45pm on Friday. The victim was with his friend and they were approached by two men who attacked
POLICE are at the scene of an unexplained death after a body was found in Oxford today. A concerned neighbour contacted police at about midday and scenes-of-crime officers are currently at premises in Edgeway Road, Marston. Police spokesman Kate Smith
AN 18-month labour of love by a man left disabled by illness will raise money for a village hall and church. A Glimpse of Duns Tew, a book written by Jon Baxter and his next-door neighbour, John Green, will be released on Sunday. Mr Baxter, who suffered
CHRISTMAS begins on Sunday in Banbury, with an afternoon of great entertainment and the switching on of the town's street decorations. Excitement is mounting ahead of the annual Christmas Lights Festival - in anticipation of a packed stage programme
AN enforcement squad, sent out to catch litter louts, has praised residents for being environment-friendly. The squad, which patrolled Banbury, as well as Bicester, and Kidlington, trapped only nine people in three weeks. The nine were caught during
Bosses at hi-tech firm Oxford Instruments say the business is emerging from its troubled years and looking towards a brighter future. The company is back in the black after making a loss last year and chief executive Jonathan Flint said he was looking
THE first stage in works to improve one of Oxford's most historic streets has been completed. Resurfacing work and efforts to de-clutter the High Street around Carfax and Longwall Street ended last Friday, on schedule and on budget, according to a spokesman
A PLAN for 162 new homes in the centre of Witney has been given the go-ahead. District councillors granted permission for Persimmon Homes to build the estate in Woodford Way, in land known as the Woolhouse site. The planning committee chairman, Warwick
FROM an appearance by Arsenal footballer Theo Walcott to fire eaters and live bands, Oxfordshire towns are pulling out all the stops to attract people to their Christmas lights switch-on events. Between Thursday, November 23 and December 7, towns across
PEOPLE will be demonstrating against the threat to Britain's waterways at Goring Lock tomorrow. Hundreds of people are expected to line the banks of the Thames and scores of boats will block Goring Lock as part of a national protest. Organised by
OXFORD Brookes student Euan Hankey insists he has banished this season's racing demons as he heads to this weekend's Formula BMW World Final in Valencia. The 19-year-old had a frustrating season in the UK championship on his way to a fourth-placed finish
PUPILS at Middle Barton Primary School got a day off school today when the water supply was cut off. Rachel Lawmon, school administrator, said a water leak in the village on Monday meant the water supply to the school and part of the surrounding area
SIXTH former Kieran Ford is asking friends and family for money this Christmas - but not for himself. Kieran, 16, of Bloxham, has said that instead of presents he would like the equivalent in cash or cheques so that he can help improve life for less
POLICE today appealed for information after a car was set on fire last night in Bicester. Police were called by the fire service at about 10pm reporting that a silver-coloured Renault Espace car had been set on fire while parked on the Telford Road
DEDDINGTON farmers market has been named the best in the South East of England, and is shortlisted to win the coveted "Best in Britain" title. Country Life magazine and leading property specialists Strutt & Parker, who joined forces to look for Britain's
SCHOOLS and businesses in Banbury raised money for Children In Need on Friday - and those who made the effort to take part in the annual charity event, agreed it was all worthwhile. At Jeffs Travel in Parson's Street, staff dressed as "well-known baddies
Pupils at Middle Barton Primary School got a day off school today when the water supply was cut off. Rachel Lawmon, school administrator, said a water leak in the village on Monday meant the water supply to the school and part of the surrounding area
There are 60,000 vehicles coming in and out of Oxford every day, about a quarter of them cyclists. We all have to share the same few main roads funneling in to the city - almost everyone from the Eastern side of town has to squeeze across Magdalen Bridge
AEA Technology 99.25 BMW 2985 Electrocomponents 285.5 Isoft Group 38.75 Oxford Biomedica 31.75 Oxford Instruments 199 Oxonica 162.5 Reed Elsevier 571.25 RM 174 RPS 256.25 Torex Retail 52.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
Despite cutting her nails every other day the baby wakes up most mornings looking like she's been playing tag with Edward Scissorhands! Scratch mits are about as much use as a chocolate teapot and I'm half expecting a call from an NSPCC inspector any
Witney United manager Spencer Keyes has told his son, striker Lee Keyes, to button his lip after blaming his dismissal for their unbeaten Sport Italia Hellenic League run coming to an end. United went down 2-1 to Shortwood United in the Premier Division
Oxford Cheetahs season tickets for 2007 are now on sale. The first meeting in March is set to be a Thames Valley triangular tournament with Cheetahs taking on Reading and Swindon - home and away - making a total of four meetings each. With hopes high
The former Oxford United player who masterminded their first league defeat of the season on Saturday, says Gravesend & Northfleet felt that the U's were there for the taking because they had lost in the Cup. Irish centre half Paul McCarthy (pictured
Staff at two Oxfordshire shops are celebrating after being listed among the Top 100 local retailers in the country. The Londis store in Yarnton and Rowes Newsmarket in Wantage have both made the prestigious list, known as the Independent Achievers Academy
Developers looking to bring new jobs to Faringdon have taken a major step forward after being given a vote of confidence by residents. Two sites have been identified to develop for business use, with the aim of bringing in companies alongside new homes
TWO women were left shaken after a robber grabbed their handbags, knocking them to the ground in the struggle. The women, aged 70 and 77, were walking over the Sainbury's bridge in Rose Hill when they were attacked on Friday just before 10pm. The
Burglaries have been cut in half following a seven-week blitz targeting city thieves, the Oxford Mail can reveal. Oxford police launched the crackdown after becoming worried about the number of break-ins and have been targeting known suspects with an
Greek-born Manos Vernicos has got used to the English weather since he arrived in the country 22 years ago at the age of 13. But he still yearned to create the kind of fresh-food bar that he remembers from his childhood in Greece. Now he is opening
German low-cost supermarkets opening in Oxford could create more than 60 new jobs.o Lidl, Europe's largest store chain, which operates in 17 countries, won its prolonged battle with the city council for permission to build its new discount grocery store
The mother of a teenage girl raped in a Oxford park last night appealed for help to catch the attacker. The woman came forward after her daughter told police she had been attacked in the park off Bertie Place in South Oxford late on Saturday night.
WALLINGFORD stretched their lead at the top of the BB&O Premier Division to four points with a 41-15 victory at Swindon College. They ran in six tries to maintain their 100 per cent league record without ever finding their best form. No 8 Peter Thorns
An Oxfordshire man has been shot dead in southern Iraq while working for a private security firm. Simon Hall lost his life in what is believed to have been a drive-by attack by terrorists near a customs border point. Three other people were wounded
HARWELL led three times before slipping to a 27-21 defeat at home to Marlborough in round three South West of the EDF Energy Junior Vase. Marlborough caught Harwell cold with the opening try, but the hosts hit back when Mike Giddings crossed and Lee
A pub footballer was shown the red card before a ball had been kicked for displaying a different type of tackle to a referee. The Wheatley Railway Reserves player was sent off before the Morrells of Oxford Sunday League clash began for pulling his shorts
The equivalent of 321 pupils a day are skipping school in Oxfordshire with some missing vital lessons to jet away on cheap holidays with their families. According to the latest figures, 61,144 days were lost last year because of unauthorised absences
Allotment holders will be consulted next month on a £450,000 programme to renovate the city's run-down plots. Oxford City Council, which is responsible for managing 30 allotment sites across the city, is ploughing the cash into a three-year project
People living near a sewage treatment plant have kicked up a stink over noisy machinery keeping them awake. Thames Water's Oxford sewage treatment plant near Minchery Farm is often accused of creating a nasty whiff, but residents in Little- more and
Sex, shopping and football may be three of Britain's biggest obsessions - but for many nothing compares with a good night's sleep. That is the main finding of a new survey commissioned by a specialist website - and being backed by sleep expert John
The number of unauthorised absences at an Oxfordshire school is heading in the right direction - downwards. But at 122,289 half days lost, it is still a huge figure. An analysis has shown that at some schools, the major problem is not so much truancy
Want to start cycling? Read this before you buy a bike. It was great to read in the paper last week that Oxford City Council has adopted a new scheme to help its staff buy bikes to commute to work. The Government tax incentive to help people take up
More than 200 same-sex couples have tied the knot in Oxfordshire since new legislation recognised their relationships. The Civil Partnership Act, which came into force on December 5 last year, entitles gay and lesbian couples to the same legal rights
Thousands of people have signed a petition calling for improved safety measures on a notorious stretch of road in Didcot. Jan Embling, whose son Grant was killed in a crash on the A4130 in September, started her campaign last month and already has more
One of Oxford's newest churches is holding a Jools Holland-meets-Jonathan Ross-style launch event to attract new worshippers. The charity fundraising event, on Thursday, starting at 7.45pm, at the Jericho Tavern, in Walton Street, has been organised
A garden at Oxford Castle has been transformed into a winter wonderland with a cool new attraction. Christmas came early for ice steward Sam Bourgein, who showed off some skating tricks on the outdoor ice rink at Oxford Castle yesterday. The rink
The man accused of killing Guy Thomas has told a jury how he had been play fighting with the victim before his death. Peter Rous, 32, and Sara Kingston, 33, have denied murdering Guy Thomas and are standing trial at Oxford Crown Court. Mr Thomas,
Police were last night accused of not taking the dispersal order on Oxford's Rose Hill estate seriously, after another outbreak of gang vandalism. City councillor John Tanner used a city council meeting to tell the police and fellow councillors more
A man walking for a children's charity collapsed and died while climbing Africa's highest mountain, Mt Kilamanjaro in Tanzania. Norman Buckler, 62, former secretary of the Abingdon Bridge Youth advisory project, lived in Benson with his partner Hilary
Campaigners in Oxfordshire have renewed calls for the Government to save Post Office Card Accounts. They spoke out after a new report confirmed their fears that the scrapping of the accounts - used by 12,290 Oxfordshire pensioners to receive their benefits
I made inquiries about city parks closing (Oxford Mail, November 13). To my disgust, I found that the grass park at Girdlestone Road at Headington is one of them. Does the person, or do the people, not realise this is the only grass area on the estate
A family is still fighting for repairs a year after a stray firework burned down their shed, damaged their garage and nearly set their home alight. John and Wendy Lockett, of Hampden Close, Bicester, said the firework caused £21,000 damage and that
WITNEY bowed out of the EDF Energy Senior Vase with a 17-13 defeat at Trowbridge in round three South West. The visitors began the stronger with flanker Will Worrall and winger James Monks making some powerful runs. But they could not force their
THE man accused of killing Guy Thomas has told a jury how he had been play fighting with the victim before his death. Peter Rous, 32, and Sara Kingston, 33, have denied murdering Guy Thomas and are standing trial at Oxford Crown Court. Mr Thomas,
Shirley Nelder (Oxford Mail, November 9) asks if my statements about recycling were true and was assured by Oxford City Council's recycling department that all the material in boxes collected from doorsteps is recycled. As I stated, most metals and
A GARDEN at Oxford Castle has been transformed into a winter wonderland with a cool new attraction. Christmas came early for ice steward Sam Bourgein, who showed off some skating tricks on the outdoor ice rink at Oxford Castle. The rink is one of
STUDENTS from Lord Williams's School, Thame, representing Oxfordshire, are threequarters of the way through The Edge competition, organised by the South East England Development Agency, to find the country's best young entrepreneurs. The final test
CAMPAIGNERS in Oxfordshire have renewed calls for the Government to save Post Office Card Accounts. They spoke out after a new report confirmed their fears that the scrapping of the accounts - used by 12,290 Oxfordshire pensioners to receive their benefits
ALLOTMENT holders will be consulted next month on a £450,000 programme to renovate the city's run-down plots. Oxford City Council, which is responsible for managing 30 allotment sites across the city, is ploughing the cash into a three-year project
It's my belief that all Chippy pantos should be called Pollyanna. You arrive very conscious that it's mid-November and Christmas is only a few weeks away. You leave relaxed, smiling, it's not raining and people are really rather nice This one's called
POLICE were last night accused of not taking the dispersal order on Oxford's Rose Hill estate seriously, after another outbreak of gang vandalism. City councillor John Tanner used a city council meeting to tell the police and fellow councillors more
AN OXFORD Bus Company driver has been praised for ensuring the safety of passengers after the wheels came off her vehicle in north Oxford. Passengers on the number 6 from Wolvercote to Oxford needed a replacement bus on Saturday afternoon when the vehicle's
BURGLARIES have been cut in half following a seven-week blitz targeting city thieves. Oxford police launched the crackdown after becoming worried about the number of break-ins and have been targeting known suspects with an increased burglary team.
THE mother of a teenage girl raped in a Oxford park has appealed for help to catch the attacker. The woman came forward after her daughter told police she had been attacked in the park off Bertie Place in South Oxford late on Saturday night. Police
AN OXFORDSHIRE man has been shot dead in southern Iraq while working for a private security firm. Simon Hall lost his life in what is believed to have been a drive-by attack by terrorists near a customs border point. Three other people were wounded
ABINGDON romped to an emphatic 8-2 victory over Wallingford in Area Division 1 - though the large margin of victory was due in no small part to a disastrous error by Wallingford which saw only five of their players arriving at the pitch in time for the
A DISAPPOINTING Bicester side had no answer to Old Richians' power as they lost 21-9 in round three South West of the EDF Energy Senior Vase. Missing a host of first team regulars, Bicester could not afford to let their intensity drop against a physical
Percy Brain rolled back the years as Cowley Community Centre C pulled off a shock 5-4 win against Railway Social Club A in the Premier Division. With the clash poised at 4-4, it was Brain, now in his 54th ODDA season, who threw the winning darts to
