The first-edition volume was identified among a batch of donated books in Thame and later consigned to auction, where it achieved the four-figure sum last week.

The book had initially been processed for shelving after arriving in several bags of donations.

Stride Toward Freedom, inscribed by Martin Luther King found in Thame Oxfam Bookshop. (Image: Bonhams)

However, its distinctive dust jacket and prominent author prompted further inspection by a volunteer, leading to the discovery of a handwritten inscription beneath the cover: “To Mr & Mrs Richard Llewellyn Davies, with best wishes and warm Regards Martin Luther King Jr.”

It is understood that the book is a first-edition, author’s presentation copy from 1958.

The donated edition retains its original dust jacket, the publisher’s blue and black cloth binding with silver gilt lettering on the spine, and is inscribed with the message alongside Martin Luther King Jr’s stamped signature – making it especially appealing to collectors.

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Following specialist assessment, the book was consigned to Bonhams, where competitive bidding drove the final sale price to £2,560.

Julia Worms, manager of the Oxfam Bookshop in Thame, said: “The whole team are very pleased. It is special to find a book which is actually a tangible piece of history, and to be able to preserve it.”

Oxfam spokesman Ian Falkingham added that the sale highlights the extraordinary finds that can pass through charity shops every day.

The newly constructed walkway over the weir opened to the public on Wednesday, April 1, nearly four years after it was first shut for safety reasons in November 2022.

A ‘significant project’, the rebuilding of the weir was necessary to due ‘weakening of the overall structure’ worsened by floating objects hitting the ‘deteriorated’ steelwork.

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A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “This significant project needed to be delivered over a 2-year period due to its scale and complexity.

Benson Weir reopened to the public on April 1 (Image: Contributed)

“Periods of high flows during the construction work increased the complexity and duration of this project as our contractor used floating pontoons to position all of their cranes and equipment.

“Our contractor has substantially completed the weir replacement works, and the weir walkway re-opened at 9am on 1 April, 2026.”

The ‘new and improved’ walkway over the weir is wider than before, at 1.5m instead of 0.9m, allowing more people to use the Thames Path National Trail route.

The agency said replacement of the weir gates was prioritised first, so that the lock keeper could continue managing the flow of the River Thames during the project.

The new and improved walkway opened on April 1 (Image: Environment Agency)

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Following that, the focus was on a new fish and eel pass, created to improve biodiversity by allowing marine life to pass easily through the weir structure.

Works also improved the weir guarding system to reduce the likelihood of objects hitting the new structure during high river flows and causing damage.

Recycled concrete from the old weir structure was used to give the new weir a longer life, with large concrete ‘boulders’ placed immediately up- and downstream of the structure to reduce the forces that the river itself puts on the weir.

The alleged racially aggravated incident happened outside the H&M clothing shop in the Westgate shopping centre at around 8pm on Saturday, March 28.

While walking past the shop, a woman was approached by a man who tapped her with a mobile phone.

He is alleged by police to have said: “I was going to cut your face, stop ruining my country.”

Thames Valley Police has now released an image of a man who they would like to speak to as part of the investigation.

Do you recognise this man? (Image: TVP)

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“We would like to speak to them as we believe they may have vital information about a racially aggravated incident,” a police spokesman said.

Anyone with information, or the person pictured, should call 101 or make a report on Thames Valley Police’s website, quoting reference number 43260152611.