Crime & Safety
Historic attack jets in dramatic flight over Oxfordshire town
Multiple people in Bicester heard and saw the pair of BAC 167 Strikemaster Mk.82A jets on Saturday May 30.
Taking off and landing at North Weald Airfield near Harlow, the planes went to Stratford-upon-Avon and back, passing over Oxfordshire including Bicester.
READ MORE: RAF response as transport aircraft spotted low over Oxford
Their journey time was just over 45 minutes, taking off at 1.18pm and landing at 2.03pm.
On social media, Andy Stowe shared photos of the aircraft and said they came over Bicester at around 1.20pm, while noting that people may have heard them.
He added: “They were on the outskirts and moving pretty quick.”
Others also said they saw and heard the planes with many seemingly delighted by the dramatic flyover.
The BAC 167 Strikemaster planes were produced by the British Aircraft Corporation and were first flown in 1967.
The model was typically marketed as a light attack or counter-insurgency aircraft but was also used to train pilots.
READ MORE: RAF update after transport aircraft spotted low over Oxford
Reportedly it did see combat service in Ecuador, Oman and Yemen with only around 150 having been produced.
Oxfordshire is well used to seeing unusual planes in the air, being home to RAF Brize Norton, the RAF’s largest UK airbase, but the air force said the Strikemaster jets were nothing to do with them.
Instead, according to flight radar, they are operated by Strikemaster Flying Club.
A mobile speed camera van was parked up along the Hennef Way in Banbury, close to the M40, between 6.30am and 8.30am on Monday, June 1.
Police caught 97 drivers exceeding the 40mph speed limit of the A422.
The highest recorded speed was 81mph and two large goods vehicles were also caught speeding.
A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: “Speeding significantly increases the risk of serious collisions and puts everyone in danger.
READ MORE: TV legend’s home on sale amid ‘new chapter’ in life
“These figures highlight why our enforcement activity is so important.
“Please slow down, stick to the speed limits, and help keep our roads safe for everyone.”
Data reported on earlier this year revealed 69 per cent of speeding tickets handed out in Oxfordshire are from mobile speed camera vans.
Thames Valley Police caught 10,817 instances of speeding in the county for three months during the summer between July and September.
And of those, 7,512 vehicles were caught by somebody with a speed gun at the side of the road.
The worst area to get caught by a speed camera van is in the West Oxfordshire and Cherwell districts of the county, the data suggests, where 3,540 were caught in the three months.
Overall in Oxfordshire, fixed speed cameras flashed 3,305 times during the three months of summer, while mobile speed cameras recorded 7,512 instances of speeding.
St Hilda’s College completed the purchase of Stonemason House, 145 to 146 Magdalen Street, on Friday, May 29.
The building was purchased by the college from a vendor represented by Allsop.
It is being used for student accommodation with plans to house 44 St Hilda’s graduate students from October 2027.
READ MORE: Country home for sale at £1.5m after two cottages knocked into one
Stonemason House allows the College to house roughly 50 per cent of its graduate students, in addition to all undergraduates.
This then relieves some of the strain on the private rental market, says St Hilda’s College.
Bursar Chris Wood said: “The acquisition of Stonemason House is a landmark moment for St Hilda’s.
“It advances our commitment to providing accommodation for nearly half of our graduate students and represents a significant investment in the College’s long-term future.”
The future graduate accommodation has been placed to complement the College’s existing accommodation in Cowley Road and Iffley Road.
READ MORE: Cotswolds music festival named the UK’s must-visit summer event
This lively area of the city is popular with students and young professionals thanks to the wide variety of local restaurants and bars.
It is also within walking distance of the College on Cowley Place.
A statement regarding accommodation from St Hilda’s College reads: “We allocate accommodation for new graduates on a first-come, first-served basis once funding has been confirmed.
“We own several graduate houses where we can offer rooms to most first-year and some second-year graduates who want them.
“Many choose to rent privately. We have a small number of rooms for couples, but do not have accommodation suitable for families.”
According to the Met Office, the rain is expected for the rest of the afternoon (Tuesday, June 2), much of Wednesday and Thursday with a cloudy break on Friday.
On Wednesday, temperatures are to feel like 14C – nothing like the 30C-plus weather last week – with a 40 per cent chance of rain from 7am.
There are no thunderstorm warnings or flood alerts issued for any of Oxfordshire.
READ MORE: 97 drivers caught speeding in two hours by speed camera
The sudden change in the skies comes after the Met Office on Monday, June 1 said the UK had the warmest spring on record.
The mean average temperature in England across March, April and May was 10.41C, beating the previous record of 10.23C set in 2025, according to provisional figures from the Met Office.
It is the third year in a row that a new record has been set for the warmest spring in England.
Met Office scientist Dr Emily Carlisle said: “This spring highlights both the natural variability of the UK’s weather and the longer-term warming we are observing.
“While conditions varied through the season, all three months of meteorological spring recorded mean temperatures within the UK’s top 10 warmest on record.
“While we expect fluctuations from year to year, this spring shows some of the changes we’re seeing in our weather patterns, with more extreme conditions becoming more frequent.
“The fact that nine of the 10 warmest springs in England have occurred since 2007 illustrates this ongoing shift in the UK’s climate.”
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoWaitrose supermarkets across UK shut due to ‘critical error’
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoMan arrested in connection with rape in Oxfordshire town
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoBanbury woman jailed after lying to police about kidnapped children
-
Crime & Safety4 weeks agoHow to spend a day in Harpsden among UK’s poshest villages
-
Oxford Events3 weeks agoStage Watch: Somerset House enters the comedy arena with major new festival Laughterama
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoStrictly Come Dancing new hosts reportedly Emma Willis
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoCBI posts 14% revenue rise as payment services grow
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoUK Hantavirus update as 22 ship passengers moved to hospital