The Spendlove Centre Car Park off Enstone Road in Charlbury can be found behind the town’s Co-op shop and has several parking spaces available free of charge.

Spaces in the middle allow visitors to park up to three hours free of charge, while those on the outside allow for a maximum of ten hours.

With the weather warming up and amid the Bank Holiday Weekend, the Cotswolds town is set to be another popular spot for tourists.

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The Spendlove Centre Car Park in the Cotswolds town of Charlbury. (Image: Newsquest)

The car park’s generous time allowances allow visitors to park up and explore the pretty West Oxfordshire spot without parking fee worries.

Charlbury is a small Cotswold market town in the Evenlode valley, about six miles north of Witney, with a population of around 2,800.

Set on the edge of historic Wychwood Forest and linked to Oxford and London by its own railway station, it has become an increasingly popular base for visitors, with a walkable centre, festivals and plenty of countryside on the doorstep.

Hospitality spots such as The Bull, a Michelin‑rated pub‑restaurant on Sheep Street, and The Bell, a seventeenth‑century coaching inn, have helped drive year‑on‑year interest in the town.

Charlbury also sits within easy striking distance of Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm near Chipping Norton and his pub The Farmer’s Dog near Burford, adding to its appeal for holidaymakers.

Charlie Maynard, who represents Witney, took to the social media site Facebook this afternoon (Saturday, May 2) to bemoan the Lib Dem signs being taken down.

In the video clip, the Lib Dem politician informs his followers that the boards are being taken down in West Oxfordshire’s Ducklington.

Mr Maynard reminds the viewers that doing this is illegal and implores the perpetrators to cease doing so.

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“So, this is all that’s left of a Lib Dem board that was in this hedge on the track going out of Ducklington towards Cogges.

“Whoever it is taking them down, please can you stop doing that. It’s really rubbish in terms of democracy, and it is also illegal.

“So let’s have an election which is reasonable and plays it straight.”

In the accompanying caption, Mr Maynard added: “Signs allow people to show their support for parties and candidates.

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“They are part of our democratic system through which we choose who represents us.

“Please don’t destroy our signs, or anyone else’s, and doing so is also illegal.”

One commenter responded: “That’s absolutely awful, Charlie.

“Drop off two to us, and we’ll put them up on Windrush Place.”

Professor James East, consultant gastroenterologist and medical director at Welbeck Oxford, is urging greater awareness during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.

He is especially concerned about increased risk among under-50s and those with a family history of the disease.

Professor East said: “In the US, screening is already recommended from 45.

“This reflects a clear shift in disease patterns, with colorectal cancer now the leading cause of cancer death in under-50s.”

Bowel cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50 in the United States, according to American Medical Association research.

In England, NHS screening begins at age 50 using the FIT test, but diagnoses are rising in younger adults.

International evidence points to an increase in early-onset colorectal cancer, and experts fear current screening cut-offs may overlook people at risk.

Professor East said: “Younger patients are not routinely screened and symptoms are often attributed to benign conditions, leading to later diagnosis.”

Colorectal cancer generally develops from precancerous polyps over 10 to 15 years, creating an opportunity for prevention through early detection.

Screening can identify and remove these polyps before they turn cancerous.

When caught at stage one, survival rates exceed 90 per cent, but this drops below 20 per cent by stage four.

Symptoms can include changes in bowel habits, bleeding, weight loss, fatigue, and abdominal pain, though early disease may present without signs.

Risk factors include family history, inflammatory bowel disease, smoking, and lifestyle factors.

A Mediterranean-style diet and regular exercise may lower risk but do not eliminate it.

Screening options include FIT, flexible sigmoidoscopy, CT colonography, and colonoscopy – considered the most thorough, as it allows for both detection and removal of polyps during the procedure.

Welbeck Oxford is set to open a new clinic in 2026 offering advanced endoscopy services, including AI-assisted detection and high-definition imaging.

Professor East added: “One in 20 people will develop bowel cancer.

“Screening saves lives, but only if people take part.

“If you are eligible, do not delay.

“If you are younger but at higher risk, seek advice and consider earlier assessment.”

Welbeck Health Partners is investing more than £30 million in the Oxford site, which will deliver multidisciplinary care across digestive health, cardiology, ENT, respiratory medicine and genetics.

The call for action comes as part of growing awareness that earlier screening could save lives, particularly among those currently outside routine testing age.