Crime & Safety
United States tourist battles fire at Oxfordshire Tesco
Darren Fleming, a 61-year-old software engineer from Illinois, was two-weeks into his trip when the car alongside him at the Abingdon Tesco petrol station, off Marcham Road, burst into flames.
He, his uncle and another pedestrian then fought the blaze, wearing out a number of fire extinguishers as they did so.
READ MORE: Police race to reports of man peering into Oxfordshire village school
At around 8.30am this morning (Saturday, May 30), Alan Mutton – a 74-year-old retired publisher from Kennington, Oxfordshire – and his nephew Mr Fleming were looking at a 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am muscle car.
“We were admiring it because it is an American car,” said Mr Fleming, “and when the young man driving started it, it just burst into flames”.
He added: “Then the kid driving it jumped out on fire and ran in front of our car.”
Ambulances were seen at the petrol station and the driver – whose identity is unknown – had some burns on his legs according to Mr Fleming.
He was taken to the Tesco superstore for immediate first aid.
After the initial shock, Mr Mutton drove his car – which was next to the Pontiac – away from the fire and then the duo, and a motorcyclist also at the petrol station, ran to get some extinguishers to battle the flames on the car.
“Initially it looked kind of small, isolated around the engine, but it got large quite fast,” said Mr Fleming, who added that once he realised the danger he “quit being a tourist” and helped out.
He said: “We emptied about eight fire extinguishers onto it.”
Mr Mutton added: “It reignited a couple of times but luckily we got it out and the Tesco staff were really good organising people and blocking traffic coming into the fuel station.
“As you can see, myself, Darren and the other guy had to get pretty close to put the fire out.”
The Oxfordshire local had been given some small fire training, acting as a fire warden when he was a publisher, but said that he and the other two just focused on the job at hand.
“We were just intent doing the job and putting the fire out,” he said, “it was just something I did on instinct from the past”.
He added: “I knew I had to get the extinguisher down to the seat of the flame and keep hitting the flame until it was out.”
Multiple fire crews and police would later turn up at the scene, although neither Mr Mutton nor Mr Fleming were sure when that happened.
READ MORE: Safety calls as Oxford teenagers open-water swimming days after boy’s death
The petrol station was closed, and Tesco have not yet clarified when it might be reopened.
The uncle and nephew had stopped off at the petrol station that morning as Mr Mutton is taking Mr Fleming and his wife to the Chiltern Hills and Henley for a visit.
Mr Fleming said: “We started out this morning quite exciting; it got a couple of old guys’ blood flowing.”
Oxford Stand Up To Racism has accused Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, of inciting the ‘awful violent scenes’ in Southampton on Tuesday night (June 2).
The city where 18-year-old Henry Nowak died and where his killer, Vickrum Digwa, lived became a scene of destruction after hundreds descended to smash car windows, hurl bricks and cause eleven officers and a police dog to be injured.
READ MORE: New date set for Tommy Robinson appearance in Oxford
Following the disorder, the chief of Hampshire police said those involved were ‘determined to spark fear and division’.
Yaxley-Lennon, who has been jailed multiple times for a variety of offences including when he was imprisoned in October 2024 for contempt of caught, addressed the crowd at the riot.
He said: “I heard someone say this wasn’t about race, this is about race.
“A white boy who done nothing was handcuffed, a murderer in possession of a knife who stabbed someone five times isn’t.”
Oxford Stand Up to Racism is now renewing its call for the Oxford Union to withdraw its invitation for the ‘riot agitator’ to speak on June 17 on the subject of Islam.
He was originally due to speak at the historic debating society on Thursday, May 28 before his appearance was postponed over security concerns and after massive backlash.
READ MORE: Major emergency response in Oxford as paramedics on scene
Ian McKendrick, a member of the anti-racism group, said: “Despite Henry Nowak’s family clearly requesting that his death should not be used to promote further hatred, Robinson was at the centre of protests in Southampton last night and clearly inciting violence.
“Giving him a televised platform at the Oxford Union legitimises hate and violence, and gives him the opportunity to incite violence to an audience of millions.
“It does not promote free speech – instead, it promotes fear and intimidation among minoritised communities.
“Already we have seen Oxford fascists alongside Robinson in Southampton and now mobilising to bring more hate onto Oxford’s streets.”
Members of Raise the Colours: Oxfordshire were called to attend the Southampton protest on Tuesday night, with the leader of the group posting on Facebook to ask followers to join the ‘justice for Henry Nowak’ protest.
Mr McKendrick added: “There is a concerted effort by far right leaders and fascist groups to incite outrage and bring people on to the streets to riot.
READ MORE: Traffic chaos in Witney amid report of ‘major incident’
“We risk an explosion of violence similar to what we saw around the Southport murders across the UK.
“We’re calling on Oxford to say a clear ‘no’ to this hate and division by protesting against Yaxley-Lennon’s appearance at the Oxford Union.”
Faith and civic leaders of Oxford already wrote to the Oxford Union asking it to rescind the controversial figure’s invitation, and hundreds have signed an open letter calling for the same.
A reported incident at a junction in Witney is causing traffic chaos in the town, with drivers coming off the A40 and elsewhere stuck in long queues.
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An incident occurred in St Aldate’s, outside the entrance to Christ Church Meadows, at about 4pm on Tuesday, June 2.
At least three ambulances were responding to what appeared to be a medical emergency on the pavement.
READ MORE: Oxfordshire footbridge over A-road a collapse risk for years
An individual was scene on a stretcher being cared for by paramedics.
An eyewitness said the incident occurred opposite the Alice Shop, and the medical teams ‘evacuated’ the person.
Apart from the pavement briefly being blocked while the first responders dealt with the emergency, it did not appear to affect traffic or block the road in busy St Aldate’s.
South Central Ambulance Service has been contacted for comment.
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