Oxford News
Thames Water issues update as over 2 million people face restrictions
A spokesperson for Thames Water confirmed the company are continuing to monitor river levels, reservoir levels, and groundwater levels as South East Water introduce a hosepipe ban.
South East Water announced that 2.4 million customers in Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, and Berkshire will be affected by temporary restrictions from Saturday.
The company is urging residents to cut back on water usage immediately, asking them not to use hosepipes for gardens, cars, patios, boats, or swimming pools.
The ban was previously in place for customers in Kent only.
Thames Water continues to urge customers to stop using hoses and sprinklers, delay washing vehicles, stop filling up paddling pools, turn off taps when not in use, report leaks and only use the water you need.
The company reported a “decline in river levels” and the need to “protect some groundwater sources” due to lower-than-average rainfall, hot weather, and high demand for water.
Douglas Whitfield, water supply director at South East Water, said: “Our absolute priority has to be making sure there is always enough water for everyone’s essential daily needs: drinking, cooking and hygiene.
“To safeguard our shared resource and help prevent any homes from facing a sudden loss of water, we sadly need to ask our communities to not use their hosepipes immediately.
“We are deeply sorry for the disruption this causes, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone helping us protect water supplies in Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire.”
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The announcement comes as central and south-east England have experienced the longest unbroken spell of no recorded rainfall this century, according to Met Office figures.
An average of zero rainfall has been measured across the organisation’s weather stations in both regions for 14 days in a row, from July 2 to July 15, according to the latest available data.
The Environment Agency reports that reservoir storage levels in England are currently at 79%, around five percentage points below the long-term average for this time of year.
Six reservoirs, including Wimbleball in Somerset and Grafham in Cambridgeshire, are classed as having “notably low” levels.
Blagdon reservoir in Somerset is classed as “exceptionally low.”
The announcement comes after 28 days this year have seen temperatures exceed 30C somewhere in the UK.
At the end of June Thames Water confirmed soil was drier than average, river flow in the River Thames and River Lee were below average, and reservoirs in London were 89 per cent full which is below average.
However, the water company confirmed Farmoor Reservoir was 99 per cent full, above average for this time of year.
As of April 2028, the current mix of county, city and district councils in the county will be no more as they are replaced by three unitary authorities.
The proposals were announced by the Labour government last week and will see Oxford City Council expand to create a Greater Oxford Council, taking parishes from Cherwell, South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse.
A North Oxfordshire Council will also be created with the remainder of Cherwell, along with West Oxfordshire with Ridgeway Council taking up South Oxfordshire, the rest of Vale of White Horse and West Berkshire.
Despite the massive changes to local government though, two major infrastructure projects in the county are expected to proceed as planned.
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The Bicester asylum accommodation centre is unlikely to be impacted after plans were announced by the Home Office to house about 1,200 single adult men.
The project has faced strong local opposition over concerns about safety, service capacity, and community impact.
The new council will take over the site, its conditions, and the responsibility for managing its impact.
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The council will also be in charge of negotiating with the government over any expansion or extension.
Meanwhile, the success of the Universal UK resort at Kempston Hardwick, near Bedford, will depend heavily on regional transport and tourism strategies.
The new councils will decide whether to pursue spin-off investment, such as hotels, attractions, and road upgrades along the Oxford-Bedford corridor, or to focus on protecting rural character.
According to Thames Valley Police, in recent months Bampton has faced issues with unruly behaviour.
Following investigations involving CCTV and reports from residents, those involved have been issued with acceptable behaviour contracts for 12 months.
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The contracts, which are signed by both the children involved and their parents, outline a set of rules to follow in public places and serve as a warning about the potential consequences of future misbehaviour.
The contracts are not criminalising but are designed to help individuals avoid peer pressure and reflect on their actions.
The forces says they offer a chance for improvement, especially for those on the brink of criminal activity.
Detectives are continuing to investigate any possible political or terrorist motivation for the murder of Ms Widdecombe after a 28-year-old man was charged with the killing.
Joshua Kerry, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday charged with murder, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
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He was first arrested on July 11, two days after the 78-year-old Reform UK spokeswoman was found dead at her home in Devon.
Speaking outside New Scotland Yard on Monday, head of UK Counter-Terrorism Policing Laurence Taylor said: “I want to make it very clear that our investigation into this individual, determining his motivations and any wider activity he may have been involved in is continuing.
“Given Ann Widdecombe’s profile and the targeted nature of the attack, determining the motivation, including any possible political motivation, remains an active avenue of investigation for our detectives.”
He said that detectives are working through more than 800 lines of inquiry, and asked for time for investigators to carry out the work.
Two days after he was arrested for murder, Kerry was additionally arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, but has not been charged with this offence.
Frank Ferguson, chief crown prosecutor of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “We have decided to prosecute Joshua Kerry for murder following a police investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe in Haytor, Dartmoor.
“Police inquiries into the defendant’s motives are ongoing, including a potential political or terrorist connection.”
Miss Widdecombe was first elected as a Conservative MP in Kent in 1987, and went on to become an MEP for the Brexit Party and then a spokeswoman for Reform UK.
She also found fame outside politics after starring in Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother.
Ms Widdecombe read Latin at Birmingham University before studying philosophy, politics and economics at Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, where she was involved in the Oxford Union.
While there she had embarked on a three-year romance, ending it in order to focus on her career.
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Otherwise she claimed to have no interest in sex, and never married.
Tributes were paid to her by figures across the political spectrum after her death, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood calling her “one of those rare politicians who was bigger than politics”.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham called for a serious review of MPs’ safety after she died, and Mr Taylor said officers are working with parliamentary officials to make politicians aware of protection measures that are in place.
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