Crime & Safety
Lord Mayor to start Run Jericho fun run this weekend
Councillor Chewe Munkonge is set to start the children’s one-mile fun run at 9.15am as part of Run Jericho, a family-friendly running event taking place on Sunday, June 7.
The race raises funds for St Barnabas C of E Primary School, with organisers aiming to reach a target of £20,000 this year.
Peter Arbuthnott, race director, said: “Run Jericho takes you through some of the most historic and beautiful parts of Oxford, including Worcester College grounds, the canal, and Port Meadow.
“It’s a route that never gets old. What makes it special is the range of people it brings together, from serious club runners chasing a PB to local kids experiencing the thrill of their first race.
“There really is something for everyone.”
More than 1,000 runners, spectators, and volunteers are expected to attend, including ice creams for every child who completes the fun run.
Funds raised will go towards air conditioning, outdoor sports equipment, and classroom screens for the school.
Beccy Harris, headteacher at St Barnabas, said: “St Barnabas is rooted in the Jericho community, and Run Jericho is one of the most wonderful expressions of that.
“It’s a chance for the school and the wider community to come together and celebrate something joyful.
“We’re proud that Run Jericho sits at the heart of JerichoFest.”
More details are available at runjericho.com.
Crime & Safety
Huge A34 queues at Oxfordshire border after rush hour crash
A rush hour crash at the South Oxfordshire border has sparked huge queues on the A34.
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Crime & Safety
Grade II-listed boutique Oxfordshire hotel for sale at £2.25m
The Wroxton, near Banbury, is being marketed as a substantial hotel opportunity in a sought-after rural location popular with both leisure guests and business travellers.
Offering 32 guest bedrooms, the spot also has a large restaurant and bar area, which together can accommodate around 60 diners at full capacity.
There are also a number of meeting and function spaces, making the site suitable for corporate events, private parties and smaller conferences.
READ MORE: Oxfordshire country pub to reopen this month after three years closed
The Wroxton in Oxfordshire is up for sale. (Image: Savills)
As well as the main hotel building, the sale includes a four-bedroom staff house, plus on-site parking with room for about 40 vehicles.
Miranda Ashcroft, Savills Hotel Capital Markets, said: “The Wroxton presents a genuine opportunity for an operator or investor seeking entry into the Cotswolds market, with significant potential for further value creation and future upside.”
The hotel’s location close to Silverstone Circuit is described as a key trading advantage, with major motorsport fixtures helping to drive exceptionally strong performance.
During the busiest race weekends, the hotel is said to achieve full occupancy, with room rates reportedly reaching as high as £900 per night.
READ MORE: Two Cotswolds towns named among top 50 spots in UK for 2026
The Wroxton in Oxfordshire is up for sale. (Image: Savills)
Research from Savills has underlined the resilience of the Cotswolds hotel sector, where properties are continuing to outperform rival areas on revenue per available room (RevPAR).
So far this year, RevPAR in the region is understood to be 9.5 per cent higher than in 2023, supported by an average daily rate premium of more than £50 in 2025.
Occupancy levels across the Cotswolds have also remained robust, in contrast to the more pronounced swings being seen in other parts of the UK hotel market.
The Wroxton is being marketed by Savills Hotel Capital Markets on behalf of the current owners.
Crime & Safety
Waitrose issues new customer notice on free coffee machines
Last month, the two coffee dispensers at the Botley Road Waitrose were out of order for about a week, leaving some customers disappointed they can no longer access their free cappuccino or flat white using their Waitrose card.
According to staff, the store was waiting for an engineer to source parts for the coffee machine, which is positioned close to the store’s entrance.
READ MORE: Tributes after aspiring pilot killed in Cotswolds crash
One of the dispensers was eventually fixed, but now it has broken again, leaving customers with the choice of going without their free coffee, or buying one from the store’s cafe.
The Botley Road Waitrose store (Image: Andy Ffrench)
A member of staff said: “It’s a real shame this has happened again – we’ve got calls in to the engineers to come and fix it.
“This time round, a refrigeration part has gone which affects the milk.”
Another member of staff added: “Some of us use the machine as well – we notice when it’s not working.”
The customer notice fixed to the front of the coffee dispensers says: “Sorry, we are unable to serve hot drinks at the moment because our coffee machine is out of order.
“Please ask a partner (member of staff) if you require assistance.”
The issue is not a countrywide problem – coffee machines at other Waitrose stores including the one in Abingdon are working well.
The member of staff at the Botley Road store said she did not know how long it would be before the machines was fixed.
One customer, who works on a trading estate nearby, said: “Not again – the cappuccinos and flat whites this machine makes are excellent and I definitely need one first thing in the morning.
“I’m really hoping there isn’t a long delay this time before they fix it.”
The Waitrose chain, owned by the John Lewis Partnership, restored its free coffee offer in January 2025.
Following outrage over the withdrawal of the offer during the pandemic, the company told the nine million members on its My Waitrose loyalty scheme they would again be entitled to a complementary americano, cappuccino, latte or tea once a day regardless of whether they bought anything – as long as they have their own reusable cup.
The Botley Road Waitrose store (Image: Andy Ffrench)
In a statement, Waitrose said at the time: “Some of our My Waitrose members like to have the free coffee before they shop or during the shop, rather than afterwards, so we are just offering a bit of flexibility in response to customer feedback.”
There were queues at coffee stations and complaints from customers that the offer was attracting the “wrong type of shopper” when Waitrose introduced the perk in 2013.
In 2017, it cracked down on ‘freeloaders’ by forcing members to buy something before pouring themselves a free hot drink.
The scheme was scrapped during the Covid crisis, but reintroduced in November 2022 – again for customers making a purchases. This is no longer a requirement.
The free coffee offer is seen by some industry insiders as a way of building customer loyalty in the face of fierce competition from rivals M&S, which has been building a series of large foodhalls, including one in Abingdon.
A spokesperson for the John Lewis Partnership said last month: “We are sorry that the free hot drink offer is currently unavailable due to a fault with the coffee machine.
“We are working to fix it it as quickly as possible and apologise for the inconvenience.”
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