Trains to and from the city up north were cancelled on Tuesday afternoon (April 21) following the incident in the Evesham area.

Great Western Railway confirmed late morning that one of its trains had struck a person on the railway line.

A spokesman said the operator worked with Network Rail and the emergency services to deal with the incident as “sensitively, quickly and safely” as possible.

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“A person has been struck by a train, leading to all lines being blocked. It is necessary to bring all trains in the affected area to an immediate stop,” he said.

“If you are onboard one of the services in this incident and have been affected by this incident or know someone else who needs support, there is always someone to talk to.

“Contact a Samaritan on 116 123 for free, any time, on any phone. Help is only a phone call away.”

He added that journeys were likely to take 90 minutes longer to finish as a result of the incident and that some trains were revised, only completing parts of their normal journeys, and there was some cancellations.

The British Transport Police confirmed the injured person is in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

A spokesman said: “Officers were called to Evesham railway station at 11.38am today (21 April) following reports of a casualty on the tracks.

“Paramedics also attended, and a person has been taken to hospital with injuries that are not thought to be life threatening or life changing.

“The incident is not being treated as suspicious.”

Lesbian Visibility week runs from Monday, April 20 to Sunday, April 26 and this year’s theme is Health and Wellbeing.

Events run nationwide and queer people can find numerous events happening across Oxfordshire in the run up to Oxford Pride.

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One highlight is “Book at Lunchtime: A Queer Scrapbook,” taking place at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities.

Hosted by The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH), the session explores A Queer Scrapbook: Britain and Ireland since 1945, a collection documenting LGBTQ+ life through interviews, photographs and archival material.

The programme at The Jolly Farmers, one of the city’s well-known LGBTQ+ pubs, will host its “No Hangover Club” social on Wednesday.

The Jolly Farmers is also hosting two more events throughout the week including a Thursday night club night and a Queer boardgames event on Saturday afternoon.

Queer Life Drawing at the East Oxford Community Centre invites participants of all skill levels to draw in a supportive, body-positive environment.

T(ART) production will run the event through May and June and bosses emphasise the sessions celebrate a wide range of identities and experiences, with queer models and a focus on inclusivity.

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The company will also run Queer Yoga on May 7 which offers “a gentle, restorative class led by a queer instructor, designed to create a safe and affirming space for participants to reconnect with their bodies”.

The sessions highlight the importance of mental and physical health within LGBTQ+ communities.

Oxford Pride 2025 (Image: Ed Nix)

Meanwhile, grassroots initiatives such as T-TIME will reunite for a coffee social this Saturday as they continue to build informal networks, offering games, conversation and mutual support in a welcoming setting.

The group hosts monthly queer events at the Cosy Club in Oxford and is open to all queer and trans people.

These events form part of a broader build-up to Oxford Pride, and the city has become a hub for LGBTQ+ culture and activism.

Oxford Pride will take place on Saturday, June 6, with events happening across the city.

The first official Oxford Pride started in 2003, with the event held in Oxpen Meadows by the River Thames.

Now the event is members if the UK Pride Organisers Network, Interpride, and the Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action.

This year’s Pride is partnered with local businesses including The Jolly Farmers and Oxford Farmers, as well as Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council.

The driver sustained £86.40 of damage to his vehicle when he hit a 70mm-deep pothole in Blackthorn near Bicester on November 22, 2025.

The pothole, which is outside Malvern Cottage on Station Road, was hidden under floodwater caused by blocked drains.

Oxfordshire County Council has apologised for an error and the authority said steps have been taken to ensure it is not repeated.

The motorist Matthew Kitchen said: “On November 22, I was driving through Blackthorn when my car struck a massive pothole outside Malvern Cottage.

“It was raining, and because the council had failed to clear the drains, despite reports of them being blocked for months, the road was flooded.

“The water acted as a mask, making the 70mm deep hole a ‘hidden trap’ for any unsuspecting driver.”

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After claiming for the cost of repairs, the 20-year-old received a standard rejection letter from the council, which stated it had no prior knowledge of the pothole and had met its legal obligations through routine inspections.

Unconvinced, the driver made an Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) request and discovered the council had been notified of the pothole on November 19, three days before his incident.

The pothole was also sent to the website FixMyStreet multiple times in the run up to Mr Kitchen’s accident.

The pothole Matthew Kitchen hit (Image: Matthew Kitchen)

The pothole was recorded as a “valid defect” and later measured at 70mm deep.

Oxfordshire County Council policy classifies defects over 40mm as a hazard requiring urgent repair.

Records also showed the council had been informed of blocked drains at the same location a month earlier, but no action had been taken.

Armed with this evidence, the driver challenged the council’s decision, pointing out its failure to act.

He said: “If I hadn’t filed that FOI request, they would have gotten away with it.

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“This isn’t just about £60. It’s about the fact that the council is using ‘standard denials’ to avoid paying for damage caused by their own documented negligence.”

 Mark Morrell, otherwise known as ‘Mr Pothole’ said: “The potholes in Oxfordshire are some of the worst in the country due to decades of disappointment from the council.

“The fact of the matter is they simply just aren’t doing their job properly anymore; there isn’t any money or resources for the council to do better.”

The renowned pothole campaigner has formally complained about the dangerous condition of Hook Norton Road in Oxfordshire.

Oxfordshire County Council said: “The claim was initially turned down on the grounds that the council had taken reasonable action in respect of the pre-accident pothole report at this location.

“Following receipt of correspondence from Mr Kitchen, a full claim review was undertaken at which stage a settlement offer was made to him as it appeared an additional report was overlooked during the initial investigation.

“We apologise for this error and have taken steps to ensure that this is not repeated.”