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Greggs sausage roll captured by bird of prey in Oxfordshire

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Mark Hopkins snapped the hungry red kite while he was enjoying the warm weather over the weekend.

He was taking pictures in his garden in Ruscote, in Banbury, when the giant kite soared over head.

A red kite with a sausage roll in its talons in the skies above Ruscote (Image: Mark Hopkins)

A red kite with a sausage roll in its talons in the skies above Ruscote (Image: Mark Hopkins)

A red kite with a sausage roll in its talons in the skies above Ruscote (Image: Mark Hopkins)

Several shots captured the bird carrying away what appeared to be a fresh sausage roll in its giant claws.

The 57-year-old welder said: “There are often kites flying over us but I’ve never seen this before.

“There was one huge red kite that banked up in front of me and it was clearly holding something in its talons.

“I wasn’t sure what it was at first but looking at the pictures on my camera it was obvious it was a sausage roll.

“Whether it had snatched it out of someone’s hand or picked it up off the floor I don’t know but it did look fresh.

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“It was a remarkable thing to see and I’m just so happy I had my camera ready at the right time.”

There are an estimated 4,000 to 6,000 breeding pairs of red kites in the UK with increasing numbers living in urban areas.

A spokesperson for Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust said: “Once considered a threat to game birds and domestic animals like cats and dogs, the red kite was hunted close to extinction in the UK.

“Now a protected species – and following several reintroduction attempts, the number of red kites has recovered and they can be spotted in lots of places across the UK.

“Rather than purely hunting for food, red kites are in fact largely scavengers, so mainly like to eat scraps and small prey like rabbits. Listen out for their ‘mewing’ calls.”





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Aureus School girls were inspired by Navy’s women’s day

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Three Year 10 pupils from Aureus School in Didcot travelled to London for the Royal Navy International Women’s Day event, held on HMS President during Careers Week and designed to showcase opportunities within the Royal Navy and beyond.

Students Antonia Pop, Ellie Swan and Tilly Mulvey are all taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme.

Ellie Swan said: “It was fantastic to see the possible career paths within the Navy.”

Rob Hayden, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award manager at Aureus School, accompanied the students to the event.

He said: “During the day, students had talks from individuals within the Navy and from guest speakers, including Hannah Botterman, who last year won both the Rugby World Cup and the Six Nations with England.”

He said: “Students also had the chance to network with the speakers and other attendees.

“The event showed the students a wide range of inspirational females within the Navy and other careers.”

Aureus School, part of the GLF Schools multi-academy trust, says its vision is focused on ‘cultivating ambition’ and ‘high standards for all’.

Headteacher Kirsty Rogers says the Didcot-based co-educational comprehensive has undergone a ‘transformative journey’, creating a community where students feel a strong sense of belonging. She emphasises inclusivity, high expectations, and a broad curriculum that encourages ambition, resilience and respect, supported by dedicated staff and diverse extra-curricular opportunities.





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Ryanair launches two new routes in significant move

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The flights mark a major boost to the airport’s connectivity ahead of the budget airline’s record Summer 2026 schedule.

The new routes form part of Ryanair’s expanded Glasgow programme for Summer 2026, which will see the airline operate over 100 weekly flights across eight routes.

The new double-daily London Stansted service further strengthens Glasgow’s access to the English capital, while the launch of the Warsaw service enhances Glasgow’s international offering.

Jonathan Ford, portfolio manager at AGS Airports, said: “It’s fantastic to see Ryanair’s new services to London Stansted and Warsaw take off today.

“The double-daily Stansted route offers even more flexibility for business and leisure travellers heading to and from England’s innovation corridor, while Warsaw provides a valuable new link that expands the international connectivity available to our passengers.

“These launches mark the start of what will be a record summer for Ryanair at Glasgow, and we look forward to welcoming even more travellers through our doors.”

Last month, Ryanair launched its 2026 plan for Glasgow with 10 routes, including holiday hotspots like Lanzarote, Palma de Mallorca, and Tenerife, as well as city break destinations like Barcelona and Pisa.

The budget airline will also operate extra frequencies on its Alicante, Faro, Pisa, Malaga and Murcia routes.

The new schedule is underpinned by Ryanair’s two Glasgow Prestwick-based aircraft.





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Drug driving arrest carried out in Oxfordshire market town

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Thames Valley Police said it stopped a vehicle yesterday evening (Saturday March 28) after noting it had defective lights in Woodstock.

The car “smelt of cannabis” and following a “positive drugs test” the police arrested the motorist.

READ MORE: Investigation launched as unidentified Toyota ‘hits’ pedestrian near Uni Parks

A positive drugs test (Image: TVP)

A spokesperson for the the roads policing unit said they “stopped a vehicle this evening with defective lights in Woodstock”.

They added: “The vehicle smelt of cannabis. The driver provided a positive drug wipe and was arrested.”

Driving under the influence of drugs (drug driving) is a criminal offence and if found guilty, the driver could face an automatic driving ban, a hefty fine, and potential prison time.





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