Crime & Safety
Faringdon teenager facing rape trial denied bail by court
Charlie Page was the subject of a hearing at Oxford Crown Court for an application for bail on Wednesday, April 8.
The 19-year-old has been charged with one count of oral rape and one count of assault by penetration.
READ MORE: Man found dead after major police response at Culham Lock
The offences are said to have been committed against a 13-year-old girl in Oxford on January 8.
Judge Nigel Daly refused to grant Page bail ahead of the trial.
The next hearing related to the case has been set for April 17 with the view to bringing the defendants trial date forward, as the current date of December 14 is outside of his new custody time limit.
Crime & Safety
I’m A Celeb’s Sinitta slams Gemma Collins’ acting career
Collins, 45, who has been struggling with life in the jungle, was confronted by pop star Sinitta.
It came after the campmates merged again after previously being split into two camps.
The singer questioned Gemma’s career and talent, referring to the TV personality as a “comedian”.
Tension rises in camp as Sinitta questions Gemma Collins’ career
In her original series, Collins quit after three days because she struggled with the environment in Australia, but she has called her appearance on the South African version of the TV show a “redemption”.
Sinitta asked the reality TV star about the musical Chicago, which Collins had been due to feature in as Matron “Mama” Morton in 2022, but had to withdraw from the production due to a “terrible injury”.
The singer, who has also featured in Chicago on stage, told Collins she thought the casting was a “joke announcement”.
Collins replied: “It’s not a joke, Sinitta, I auditioned for it fair and square.
“Did all the training and everything, had a voice coach.”
Sinitta explains: “I think you had just presented something, some awards, and fallen off the stage – it was like you were more of a comedian.”
Comparing her to US socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor, Sinitta adds: “Very camp, very glamorous.
Winners of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here
“You don’t really do anything, but you make a great entrance and make everybody laugh.
“I didn’t know you could actually sing, dance and all that jazz.”
Former Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt and comedian Seann Walsh look shocked as they listened to the tense discussion.
Gemma defended herself, saying: “I don’t think you’d get cast as Mama Morton in Chicago if you didn’t pass the audition.”
Speaking to the camera in a segment where she’s alone, Gemma said: “I’m not a joke, darling.
“I am not a joke.
“I have done everything in my life on my own.
“So I was just taken aback, but it was just a bit weird.”
Fans seemed to enjoy the drama with one sharing on X: “Sinitta Just digging herself further into this hole with what shes said to Gemma Collins
“#ImACeleb #ImACelebSouthAfrica”, adding a GIF of a man inside a big hole digging to make it bigger.
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Another fan suggested: “I think Sinitta feels a bit threatened by the possibility of loss of screen time since Gemma Collins joined main camp! #ImACeleb”.
Someone else said they thought Sinitta was “harsh”: “Sinitta Malone was a bit Harsh tonight.
“I mean, I Had to Google her Last Name.
“So Gemma Collins is more well-known than her.”
How to watch I’m A Celebrity… South Africa
I’m A Celebrity… South Africa is on at 9pm on ITV1, STV, ITVX and STV Player.
You can watch new episodes of the ITV show on weeknights.
Are you watching the new series? Let us know your favourite campmate in the comments below.
Crime & Safety
Delayed GP surgery for Didcot gets a new developer
Great Western Park, a 3,300-home estate is due to be finished this year, and was initially granted planning permission in 2008, with a new GP surgery included.
The planning permission for the new surgery dates back about 10 years but there have been repeated delays.
Didcot West county councillor Ian Snowdon launched a petition calling for swift action after the previous developer Assura pulled out, and it quickly attracted more than 2,000 signatures online.
Didcot West county councillor Ian Snowdon (Image: Oxford Mail)
He said: “Finding a new developer is a positive step but there is still some legal work to be done.”
Woodlands Medical Centre has appointed London-based Apsley Henley Med Ltd as the new developer for the long-awaited project.
The appointment, confirmed today, follows action taken by the former NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB) to identify an alternative developer.
This comes after Assura’s proposal for the new surgery building was deemed unaffordable.
Great Western Park in Didcot (Image: Oxford Mail)
Olly Glover, MP for Didcot and Wantage, has repeatedly pressed for updates on the delayed scheme.
In October, he raised the issue in the House of Commons with Health Secretary Wes Streeting urging action to help unblock plans. Following this exchange, Mr Streeting promised to ‘find out what’s gone wrong’.
Mr Glover explained at the time that Great Western Park has added more than 3,000 homes to Didcot, with Valley Park under construction adding over 4,000 more. Yet the GP surgery promised in 2008 remains an empty patch of land.
Despite the council having granted planning permission, Woodlands Surgery prepared to run the new facility, and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) supporting the case for one, progress was stalled with NHS England, leaving local primary care services struggling to cope with increasing demand for appointments.
Mr Glover said: “Residents in Great Western Park have waited far too long for the GP surgery that was promised years ago.
“However, today’s announcement is an important step in the right direction. With a new developer now appointed, this should provide the momentum that is needed to get this project up and running.
“My constituents deserve access to primary care that keeps up with housing growth, and I will continue to press the ICB to make sure that this project finally becomes a reality.”
Mr Snowdon’s petition calls for a binding timetable and delivery commitment from the ICB and urgent interim GP capacity measures such as temporary clinical space, additional staff, or expanded appointment capacity.
About £791,000 in developer contributions was secured for the new surgery in 2016.
Crime & Safety
RSPB warning over decline in two of UK’s most loved birds
They noted long-term declines in the numbers spotted during the RSPB’s long-running Big Garden Birdwatch citizen science scheme.
Average starling counts per garden fell to a record low for the second year in a row, dropping by another 3% in this year’s birdwatch.
According to the RSPB, starling numbers recorded in the survey have plunged by 85.1% since the scheme began in 1979.
Greenfinches saw a modest 2.3% rise in average counts this year, but the charity said their numbers remain around two-thirds down on 1979 levels.
RSPB scientists warned that these songbirds are among the species vulnerable to diseases that can spread at bird feeders, and are urging households to reconsider when they feed birds, how they do it and what food they put out.
Beccy Speight, the charity’s chief executive, said: “We’re not asking people to stop feeding, just to feed in a way that protects birds’ long-term health.”
This year, more than 650,000 people took part in the birdwatch, which involves spending an hour counting birds in a garden or local green space during the last weekend in January.
The results can help conservationists gauge how the country’s bird life is faring.
The house sparrow held on to the top spot and the blue tit remained at number two again this year, followed by starling in third, woodpigeon in fourth and blackbird in fifth.
While starlings jumped from fourth to third place for the most commonly spotted species in 2026, it was largely because fewer woodpigeons were reported compared to last year, the RSPB said.
The charismatic birds are found across the UK, with numbers swelling during winter when more of the species arrive from northern Europe, and can be seen in huge numbers performing aerial displays known as “murmurations”.
Before the year 2000, starlings were regularly the most numerous species recorded in the Big Garden Birdwatch.
However, they are now “red-listed” because of concerns over their falling population.
What is causing the decline of birds?
The RSPB said there is a lack of evidence behind what might be driving the decline although a fall in chicks’ survival rates over their first winter could be contributing.
Greenfinches have seen their population particularly devastated by the disease trichomonosis, which spreads more easily when birds gather around feeders in summer and autumn.
The songbird is also on the conservation “red list”, with other UK-wide surveys indicating a loss of more than two million birds since the mid-1990s.
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Ms Speight said: “Feeding birds is something millions of us love and value, but the science shows us that birds such as greenfinches have been affected by the spread of disease at feeders.
“By making small changes together, we can ensure garden feeding continues to be a positive force for nature.”
What’s your favourite type of bird in the UK? Let us know in the comments
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