Roman Gerashchenko from Oxford said that his friend was travelling from Abingdon to the airport at around 3am this morning (Thursday, May 22) when the animal was spotted. 

His pal was on the A4130 and passing through Henley when he encountered a strange sight.

What appeared to be a kangaroo could be seen, hopping along the road alongside the car.

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This is the shocking moment that a ‘kangaroo’ was spotted hopping along a road in Henley, Oxfordshire, at around 3am this morning. Video sent in to @TheOxfordMail by Roman Gerashchenko. 😳 🦘 pic.twitter.com/zQnSrMJ79C

— Edward Burnett (@edwardburnettt) May 22, 2025

“Mr friend saw the creature first at the entrance to Henley and was in shock.

“His second thought was that if it was a kangaroo, he would not swim in the Thames here because he might meet a crocodile.”

Footage was recorded of the incident which shows the animal freely hopping around on the road in the early hours.

Roman remains unsure as to whether the animal was a kangaroo, wallaby or something else but was shocked nonetheless by the footage.

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The ‘kangaroo’ hopping along the road in Henley. (Image: Roman Gerashchenko)

This is not the first time that a wild animal has been spotted in a town or city in the county in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, the public was warned after a large “python” snake was spotted at a beauty spot in Oxford.

A dog walker, who asked not to be identified, saw the snake while walking his pet at Port Meadow at 12.45pm on Tuesday, April 29.

Photographs sent to this newspaper showed a man in the main bathing area with what appeared to be a large python wrapped around his torso.

After concerns were expressed by the public, Oxford City Council warned the public to contact Thames Valley Police if the snake is spotted out in public again.

Three cases of meningococcal infection (meningitis) have been found in young people in Reading, according the UK Health Security Agency (UKSA).

The agency said one young person has died.

“Sadly, one of the individuals has died and our thoughts and condolences are with their friends and family.”

The other two cases are receiving treatment in hospital.

People who have come into close contact with the three meningitis cases are being offered antibiotics “as a precaution”, and information about meningitis symptoms has been passed to students and parents at “all affected schools”.

UKSA said the risk to the wider public “remains low”.

The agency said one of the cases has been confirmed as Meningitis B, while test results for the other cases have not yet come through.

Dr Rachel Mearkle, consultant in health protection, said: 

“We understand that many people will be affected by this sad news and would like to offer our condolences to the friends and family of this student. 

“Students and staff will naturally be feeling worried about the likelihood of further cases, however meningococcal meningitis requires very close contact to spread and large outbreaks as we saw in Kent recently, are thankfully rare.

“We are working closely with partners and have provided public health advice and precautionary antibiotic treatment to close contacts of the cases. Meningococcal disease does not spread easily and the risk to the wider public remains low. 

“Anyone can get meningitis, and around 300 to 400 cases of meningococcal disease are diagnosed in England every year. It’s most common in babies, young children, teenagers, and young adults. It needs to be treated quickly so it is important to know the signs and symptoms. They can appear in any order and may not all be present, so seek rapid medical attention if there is ever any concern.

“Signs and symptoms of meningococcal meningitis and sepsis can include a fever, headache, rapid breathing, drowsiness, shivering, vomiting and cold hands and feet. Sepsis can also cause a characteristic rash that does not fade when pressed against a glass.”

UKSA said young people should check that they are up to date with their vaccinations.

Early symptoms of meningitis such as vomiting, fever, aches, muscle pain, cold hands and feet and headaches – can look similar to common illnesses like colds or flu, but someone with meningitis or septicaemia will usually become seriously ill in a matter of hours.

Early recognition of meningitis and sepsis symptoms can greatly improve the outcome of the disease, and so anyone concerned about any of these symptoms, at any time, should contact their GP, call NHS 111 or 999 in an emergency.

Symptoms can appear in any order and some may not happen at all. For meningitis, common signs and symptoms include:

• fever
• a very bad headache (this alone is not a reason to get medical help)
• vomiting
• stiff neck
• dislike of bright lights
• rash
• confusion, delirium
• severe sleepiness, losing consciousness
• fits 

UKSA said their specialists are working closely with local authority and NHS partners in Reading following the discovery of the three cases.

The vehicles were stopped in a ‘commercial vehicle enforcement operation’ conducted in Bicester on Thursday.

During the operation 29 alleged offences were identified and dealt with.

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Two drivers were arrested on suspicion of drug driving.

Another driver was arrested on suspicion of immigration-related offences.

The alleged offences included three hazardous goods breaches, six vehicles with illegal tyres, and one driving without due care and attention.

One driver was found with an insecure load, one had an illegal window tint, one did not have a valid MOT, and one was stopped due to a mobile phone offence, police say.

Four vehicles were stopped for being overweight and four were tachograph offences which involves mandatory devices for recording driving time, speed, and distance in commercial vehicles.

One vehicle was stopped in relation to a suspected seatbelt offence, one for no operators licence, one for a mobile phone offence and four for lighting offences.

A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said: “These targeted operations are carried out regularly and will continue as part of our ongoing commitment to improving road safety.”