Tackle Club in Kidlington (OX5 1JD) is having its opening party tomorrow (Saturday, August 8) between 10am to 5pm.

The event will include a barbeque, some free beer and live music, with the owners hoping anglers and others from the around the county attend.

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Born out of their shared love of fishing, the owners of Tackle Club hope that the shop will inspire a love for the sport in younger generations.

Sam Harris, 37, said: “We are all trying to get more youngsters involved and get them off their TVs and catching some fish.”

Stocking all fishing equipment – apart from for sea fishing – the shop will be open from 8.30am to 6pm from Monday to Friday, and 10am until 5pm on weekends.

Betfred has confirmed plans to shut 132 betting shops from September, blaming higher taxes and wider economic uncertainty for the move.

The Warrington‑based bookmaker said the closures would affect just over a tenth of its UK estate and leave it with around 1,100 branches nationwide.

Betfred, founded by brothers Fred and Peter Done in 1967, has grown into one of the country’s biggest betting shop operators, with the pair’s combined wealth recently estimated at £3.61 billion.

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Chief executive Jo Whittaker said the company had “worked hard” to protect high street outlets and jobs, but rising employer National Insurance contributions, wage pressures and increased gambling duties had made that more difficult.

“We have tried hard to protect all our sites and the colleagues who work in them, but the combined impact of higher employer national insurance contributions, wage inflation, increases in gambling taxes and wider economic uncertainty has left us with no choice,” she said.

“These are well-run shops, staffed by dedicated colleagues, and it is incredibly hard to see any of them close, but the current fiscal and regulatory environment has made it impossible to keep trading all our shops.

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“Our priority now is to support the colleagues affected, and to continue serving customers and communities across the rest of our estate.”

Betfred has not published a full list of locations earmarked for closure, and it is not yet clear whether any Oxfordshire branches will be affected.

The company currently operates several betting shops in and around Oxford, including sites on Cornmarket Street, Cowley Road, Barns Road, in Templars Square and in Headington, as well as other outlets elsewhere in the county.

This newspaper enquired directly with Betfred as to whether any stores in Oxfordshire would be closing as part of the plans and, if so, which ones.

A spokesperson for Betfred responded: “We cannot comment on individual shops as there is a consultation process underway for the staff concerned.”

One hundred and 12 members of parliament have signed an open letter to the environment secretary and Ofwat, the water services regulation authority, calling for Thames Water to be placed into special administration without delay.

Since June 2025, Thames Water creditors, a group of US hedge funds, has been negotiating with Ofwat to formally take over the utility.

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Calum Miller MP (Image: Office of Calum Miller MP)

The proposed deal includes waiving fines for the water company, suspend pollution and performance targets, and raise bills for households beyond the level currently set by Ofwat.

Calum Miller, MP for Bicester and Woodstock, Olly Glover, MP for Didcot and Wantage, Freddie Van Mierlo, MP for Henley and Thame, Layla Moran, MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, and Charlie Maynard, MP for Witney all signed the list.

In total 53 Liberal Democrats signed the list, 46 Labour MPs, six independents, five Green party MPs, one from Plaid Cymru and one from the Conservative party.

Freddie Van Mierlo (Image: South Oxfordshire District Council.)

The letter highlights the dangerous possibilities of the company setting its own rules would create a dangerous precedent for all of England’s privatised water companies.

Thames Water was responsible for a third of the worst pollution incidents in 2025.

The CEO of the company, Chris Weston, recently drew controversy for saying that some of the firm’s targets were beyond what they could achieve.

The comments came after he gave himself a 14 per cent pay rise to £1.163 million in the year to March, while other directors received bonuses totalling £4.1 million