Crime & Safety
Prue Leith makes public appearance after leaving Bake Off
In January, it was announced that Dame Prue, who lives in the Cotswolds, would bow out of the Great British Bake Off after nine series and judging more than 400 challenges.
The 86-year-old has been a judge on the popular baking show alongside Paul Hollywood since 2017, when the series moved from the BBC to Channel 4, replacing Henley resident Dame Mary Berry.
Now, Dame Prue and fellow Cotswolds star Vick Hope were among the celebrities at the opening of the Victoria and Albert’s East Museum on Tuesday (April 14).
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The star-studded event, at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, was held to bring cultural and creative figures together while unveiling the museum’s second east London venue.
Former Bake Off judge Dame Prue wowed crowds in a brightly coloured ensemble, wearing an orange top and matching trousers, accessorised with a geometric print blazer.
The 86-year-old paired the vibrant outfit with colourful, triangle earrings and a pair of black trainers with fluorescent pink laces, and was all smiles as she arrived at the museum.
TV presenter Hope opted for an all-black ensemble, with a tight bandeau dress with mesh details, and a hanging leather trim on the skirt.
The 36-year-old accessorised with a quilted jacket with leather accents and a matching black clutch, and paired the look with light make-up and a slicked back ponytail.
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Comedian Amelia Dimoldenberg, known for her Chicken Shop Date web series, also opted for a black outfit and wore a leather-look jacket with a studded funnel collar.
The 32-year-old completed the punk look with a matching leather mini-skirt, a pair of contrasting black-and-white closed-toe heels, minimal jewellery and simple make-up.
Saltburn actor Archie Madekwe dressed down for the event, in a pair of black jeans with a burgundy polo shirt layered over a striped long-sleeve top.
Actress Nathalie Emmanuel, known for Game Of Thrones, wore a simple black dress with a light-blue denim jacket, accessorised with a knitted headpiece and a red handbag.
The Night Agent star Fola Evans-Akingbola opted for an all-black look, as did Ugandan-British actress and singer Sheila Atim, who wore a maxi dress with a long, leather-look trench coat.
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Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan was also at the event, pictured wearing a bright blue suit and white shirt, paired with patent black shoes.
Creatives including artist Sophie Tea, designer Saul Nash, filmmaker Betty Bachz and sustainable fashion designing duo Vin and Omi were among the stars at the museum on Tuesday.
The V&A East Museum, which opens to the public on April 18, will include a series of new exhibitions including two permanent Why We Make galleries, offering insight into contemporary culture.
Its inaugural exhibition is titled The Music Is Black: A British Story, and celebrates 125 years of black British music while examining its impact on modern British culture.
The new museum, which hopes to celebrate “making and creativity” for a changing world, will mark the sixth V&A venue in London.
Thames Valley Police said they confiscated the vehicle today (Friday, April 17) as it was on the roads uninsured.
In addition to the vehicle seizure, the driver has been reported.
A spokesperson for the Roads Policing team said: “First vehicle seizure of the late shift today by XRC01 on the A41 near Bicester.
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“Driver was going to get around to insuring it at the weekend. Vehicle seized. Driver reported.”
This follows an incident on Wednesday, April 15 when a Vauxhall car was confiscated by Thames Valley Police.
The police attempted to talk to the driver of the car who then “made off” after which the car was located and recovered from its registered address.
Dr Tina Tian, a consultant dermatologist at Stratum Dermatology Clinic Oxford, has provided advice on how to encourage children to wear sunscreen amid a warning about leaving kid’s skin unprotected.
This not only comes ahead of Melanoma Awareness Month (May) but also with a heatwave predicted for much of the south of England.
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The Daily Express has said that temperatures in counties, including Oxfordshire, could soon soar to up to 23°C, citing the latest ECMWF weather model.
Its data reveals temperatures are likely to peak on April 29.
Considering this Dr Tian and Dr Ross Perry, GP and medical director of Cosmedics, have highlighted the importance of encouraging children to wear sunscreen.
Dr Perry said: “Children’s skin is significantly more delicate and vulnerable than adult skin.
“The outer barrier isn’t fully developed, which means ultraviolet (UV) radiation penetrates more easily and can cause damage at a deeper cellular level.
“What many people don’t realise is that a proportion of lifetime sun damage actually occurs before the age of 18.
“Even a handful of serious sunburns in childhood can increase the risk of skin cancers, including melanoma, later in life.”
Dr Tian agrees with Dr Perry and has provided some advice on how to encourage children to wear sunscreen.
This includes making it part of their routine, involving them in the process and turning it into a game.
Dr Tian said: “I often ask my daughter what kind of face she wants me to paint with the sunscreen to try to make it more fun.”
She also suggested non-stinging sunscreen.
“When sunscreen gets into children’s eyes, it can really sting so look out for sunscreen that is labelled as non-stinging,” she advised.
“The P20 one is really good due to the fact that it’s so water-resistant, so it doesn’t really move and won’t migrate into the eyes and make them sting.”
The experts also advised explaining why it’s important, using age-appropriate language, and to make it a reciprocal process.
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Dr Tian said: “With my son I find it really helpful to get him to put some sunscreen on me first to make it a bit of a reciprocal thing.”
Finally, she suggested letting children play with the lids and to warm up the cream beforehand.
She said: “A lot of sun creams have lids and you can draw funny faces on the lid and let your kids play with it while you’re doing the cream.”
She added: “Sun cream often feels very cold, so it can help to warm it up in your hands a bit before you start putting it on your child so it’s not too much of a shock for them.”
The government has opened a new fund for councils to fix neglected infrastructure around the UK.
Donnington Bridge is in need of around £4m worth of repair work having been closed to buses in 2024.
And a major project to replace the ageing Kennington rail bridge is being delayed due to a massive £71m funding shortfall.
Oxford Labour said some of the city’s bridges “are not in good shape” and welcomed the funding opportunity.
“We trust the county council will be applying to this fund and stepping up their surveying and repair work,” a party spokeswoman said.
Isis county councillor Brad Baines said: “We remain extremely concerned about the ongoing uncertainty over the future of Donnington Bridge.
“The county council has refused to commit to funding the reinforcement or replacement of the bridge or restoration of bus connections across it.”
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An inspection confirmed the bridge must be repaired or replaced before full‑sized buses can return.
Repairs could cost £4 million and take two years, while replacement might cost up to £30 million and take much longer.
The council said feasibility work on options is due by summer but expanding the service “would, unfortunately, be prohibitive.”
Oxford resident and campaigner Siobhan Lancaster added: “Residents in south and east Oxford need certainty about the future of this vital infrastructure and this new fund could provide that.
“We continue to call on the county council to provide this, apply to this fund and get the job done.”
Oxfordshire County Council’s spokesman said: “We welcome any extra money being made available for repairing structures such as this fund.
“Oxfordshire has many historic bridges and other infrastructure that is in need of attention and we will look into the criteria to make sure the county gets its fair share of this money.”
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander, who was a recent victim to one of Oxfordshire’s potholes, said: “Crumbling bridges and worn-out flyovers have been patched up rather than properly fixed for far too long, leading to frustrating weight limits and lengthy diversions.
“Every closed bridge is a barrier to growth; a blocked route to work, a delayed delivery, a family unable to reach the services they depend on.
“Councils have known what needs fixing for years but simply haven’t had the resources to act.
“We’re changing that, making sure structures are repaired properly, so people can live in properly connected communities.”
Funding decisions will be announced in autumn 2026, with all successful schemes required to complete works by March 2030.
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