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

Stories for 21 February 2006

Oxfordshire Business

Drive to boost country skills

A £2m rural skills centre where subjects like animal care, equine studies, horticulture and floristry will be taught is preparing to open in the autumn.   more...

Oxfordshire News

Pyjama-wearing woman ejected

Oxford Magistrates' Court has been criticised for sending a woman on to the streets in her night clothes after her release from custody.   more...

Deserved ridicule

O woe is me, I appear to have offended Peter Unsworth (Oxford Mail, February 3), who has leapt to the defence of Patrick Martin, hound manager of the Bicester Hound Club, who presumably feels too wounded to defend himself.   more...

Easy solution

I read (Oxford Mail, February 9) of a cruelty case, a neglected greyhound which was covered in fleas and sores and lost a third of its body weight, and was put down.   more...

Nightclub gets drugs test kit

Staff at Oxford's Park End nightclub are among the first in Oxford to start testing for traces of cocaine.   more...

Global warming focus on firms

Businesses in Oxford account for a higher proportion of the city's climate-changing carbon emissions than in any other city in the South East -- according to a new report from the Carbon Trust.   more...

Police support team to expand

The expansion of Oxford's street warden scheme is being scaled down so that more money can be invested in police community support officers.   more...

Play pushes road safety message

If the statistics do not shock them -- 84 child pedestrians and cyclists injured on Oxfordshire's roads last year -- then a hard-hitting road safety play should do the trick.   more...

Nurse jury told of death fears

A nurse accused of murdering two patients and assaulting a further 16 was wearing a Santa hat when he injected drugs into one of his alleged victims, a court was told   more...

After 40 years of trying...bingo!

After 40 years of playing bingo without a major win, a grandmother was wondering if it was worth all the effort -- until she scooped winnings of £102,000.   more...

Raid warning to rural traders

Police have warned rural shopkeepers in Oxfordshire to be on their guard against violent robbers.   more...

Tuesday, February 21: Thin blue line gets thinner

A gang of louts headbutted 15-year-old Thomas King and broke his nose, then laid siege to his family home at Chalgrove.   more...

Emily travels back to the 50s

A teenager found out the hard way what it was like to be a 1950s' schoolgirl when she took part in a TV series, That'll Teach 'Em.   more...

Anchor pub set on new course

The fourth landlord in four years has dropped anchor at an Abingdon pub.   more...

Residents must pay for parking

I see that John Power (Oxford Mail, February 14) enjoys the ability and convenience of parking outside his home, but wants me to pay for his privilege.   more...

Police avert suicide jump

A police negotiator talked a man out of jumping from the top floor of the Westgate multi-storey car park in Oxford.   more...

Oxfordshire Sport

Football: SITTING TIGHT

Speculation that a take-over of Oxford United is imminent has been played down by Firoz Kassam.   more...

Speedway: Lanney buys young Euro stars

Oxford Cheetahs boss Aaron Lanney has boosted his asset base by acquiring Swede Freddie Eriksson among a total of 14 riders purchased from last year's Silver Machine promoter Nigel Wagstaff.   more...

Darts: RAILWAY SHUNT CLOSEST RIVALS

The battle of the Premier Division big guns saw champions Railway Social Club A triumph at home to their biggest rivals, Cowley Community Centre C.   more...

Rugby: Tolich sends Chinnor top

South West 1: Rewi Tolich scored a hat-trick as Chinnor surged back to the top of the table with a 43-3 victory at Clevedon.   more...

Rugby: Valiant Henley oust Orrell

National Division 2: Henley Hawks came from behind to secure a valuable 26-20 victory over Orrell at Dry Leas.   more...

Hockey: HAWKS UNDONE BY PENALTIES

Oxford Hawks suffered their second successive National South Division defeat against Indian Gymkhana, going down 3-2, but were left feeling hard done by after the opposition were awarded two controversial penalty strokes.   more...