Oxford and Oxfordshire news, sport and information updated throughout the day

Stories for 26 June 2003

Oxfordshire Local Info

Steve Vermeulen

Tributes have been paid to a hockey-loving Oxford firefighter, who has died after a long illness.   more...

Teddy Dowse

An accomplished and gifted Oxford musician, Teddy Dowse, who was at home with a range of instruments, has died.   more...

Oxfordshire News

Patten warns of tough challenges

Chris Patten warned Oxford University faced tough challenges as he was sworn in as the 294th Chancellor of the university on June 25.   more...

Children's hospital faces sewage fight

The new Oxford children's hospital will only be able to open after Thames Water has carried out work to solve sewage problems in the area.   more...

Lobby MPs over poverty, says Radiohead

Radiohead is urging campaigners to join a mass anti-poverty lobby of Oxfordshire MPs.   more...

'New school terms will bring absence'

Teachers have warned that the proposed six-term school calendar could lead to parents pulling their children out of school over the Easter holiday.   more...

Depressed father, 72, electrocuted himself

A retired electrician committed suicide by wrapping wire around his wrists and electrocuting himself.   more...

Councillors debate expenses

Banbury town councillors were expected to vote against paying themselves expenses when they voted on the issue on June 26.   more...

New telephone line solves bollard hitch

After months of technical hitches, council engineers in Bicester are keeping their fingers crossed that a movable bollard to enforce a pedestrian only-road works properly.   more...

Crossings 'unsafe' at new school

Children's lives have been put at risk by crossings designed to make the route to a new primary school in Wantage safer, according to parents and governors.   more...

Sixth formers face tough assignment in Rwanda

Students from Witney leave for a very challenging school trip in July when they go to Africa to collect accounts of one of the darkest acts of genocide in recent times.   more...

Stars back status bid

TV star Dawn French and comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis are helping in the race to raise £70,000 by the end of August for a specialist schools project in Abingdon.   more...

'Please help, my girlfriend is dying'

Detectives are investigating a woman's death after her boyfriend was heard banging on neighbours' doors in the early hours shouting: "My girlfriend is dying".   more...