At a meeting of Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet today (Tuesday, April 21), the local authority agreed to withdraw a proposal to remove the second fire engine at Thame’s station.

This was put forward based on low availability of crews and because the vehicle had been attending fewer than 20 incidents a year.

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In addition, Oxford’s existing Rewley Road Fire Station and its allocation of fire engines will remain as proposals for a new fire station north of the city are paused due to developer negotiations and the need for further engagement.

Finally, the specialist fire and rescue vehicle based at Kidlington fire station will remain in place.

These announcements follow a consultation between October 2025 and January this year on controversial fire service reforms in Oxfordshire which would have seen Henley, Eynsham and Woodstock fire stations close.

Protestors outside County Hall (Image: Esme Kenney)

Protests were held outside County Hall in Oxford and a number of senior figures, including Lucy Powell the deputy leader of the UK Labour Party, expressed their opposition to them.

In a letter last week to Liz Leffman, leader of the county council, Ms Powell said: “I would urge you to pause these cuts, engage with the Fire Brigades Union and the Government on alternative measures which protect jobs, and maintain the integrity of the fire service in Oxfordshire.”

Following today’s meeting of the council’s cabinet, Rob MacDougall, chief fire officer in Oxfordshire, thanked all those who had contributed to the consultation.

Chief fire officer Rob MacDougall (Image: Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service)

He said: “Building on that brilliant community support, today (April 21) Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet approved plans to work with communities to support recruitment at on-call stations, particularly in Henley, Woodstock and Eynsham.

“This is with the aim of increasing on-call firefighter numbers, so the fire engines are more often available for emergency callouts.”

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On-call firefighters are everyday people who balance their other jobs and commitments with being ready to respond to emergencies at a moment’s notice.

Work will continue to identify how Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service can deliver its key objectives of improved first response times, increased daytime cover, stronger service resilience, and an increased amount of fire prevention work.

Further engagement with employees and the Fire Brigades Union will take place to help shape how proposals could work in practice.

Councillor Neil Fawcett, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for resources, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to the consultation, from employees to residents, businesses and politicians.”

Abir, aged 15, is from Hillingdon in London and was last seen at around 3pm on Saturday, April 18.

The 15-year-old has links to Reading and Oxfordshire, according to Thames Valley Police.

Abir is described as wearing black Nike tracksuit bottoms, a zip-up jumper worn over a shirt, and black-and-white Nike Air Max trainers.

The force is appealing for the public’s help finding the missing teen, as they are “concerned for Abir’s welfare”.

If you have seen Abir or have any information about where he might be, please contact police on 101 or via their website, quoting reference number 43260192980.

Staff at Delice, a popular deli and coffee spot in Witney, shared a photo of the visit on Facebook, hailing their “special visitor in Witney today” alongside a picture of the creator inside the shop.

Gymskin, whose real name Jack Smith, is a 32‑year‑old content creator from Essex who has rapidly become one of Britain’s most talked‑about online personalities.

This is thanks to his off‑the‑cuff humour, stream‑of‑consciousness rants and trademark “waheyyy” catchphrase.

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He first built a following with gym clips and social experiments before exploding on TikTok, Instagram and live‑streaming platform Kick.

Commentators have dubbed him “the most viral man in Britain”, noting his unusually positive message and willingness to laugh at himself in an online landscape often driven by drama and controversy.

Gymskin’s latest wave of fame has been driven in large part by his viral “follow that tune” moment.

In the original clip, filmed on one of his IRL livestreams, he is walking down a street at night when he hears music in the distance and suddenly tells his cameraman to “follow that tune”, before breaking into a short, shoulder‑dropping dance as he heads towards the sound.

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Fans clipped the phrase and dance, turning it into a TikTok and Reels trend where people use the audio to show off the songs that get them hyped or to recreate his walk and moves.

The track playing in the background is Madonna’s 1985 hit Into The Groove, which has since surged back into the UK charts off the back of the meme.

His stop in Witney came during a whirlwind few weeks that most recently saw him at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Sunday.

Gymskin watched on as Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-1 in a top-of-the-table Premier League clash.