Crime & Safety
Thames Water slammed as ‘disgraceful’ by GMB Union
Tap water in the Chipping Norton area stopped running on Monday, March 23 after a water main burst on the B4030 towards Bicester.
It followed a similar incident in Eynsham and happened on the same day it was reported that the sewage treatment site between Wallingford and Didcot was the worst for “illegal spills” in Thames Water’s network.
Cliff Roney, former water worker, a GMB Union activist and contributor to Channel 4’s Dirty Business, said Oxfordshire is “crying out for change”.
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He said: “Thames Water hiked bills by 31 per cent last year and yet ordinary people are going without water and still seeing sewage dumped in their waterways.
“The way in which Thames Water is run is disgraceful, and residents in Oxfordshire and across the country are crying out for change.
“We urgently need to nationalise water to protect consumers, water workers, and our natural world before it’s too late.”
On the Chipping Norton incident, Thames Water said workmen went on through the night to fix the problem and apologised to householders.
Thames Water claims that improving the health of rivers is a “key focus”, adding that for the first half of this financial year has been marked by “solid progress” across all areas of operation.
The rural crime police found and recovered a red Ducati Monster in the Cane End area of south Oxfordshire, close to Reading.
According to officers, the bike was involved in an incident last month where it failed to stop for blue lights and made off in a “dangerous” manner having crashed into a police van.
It was found on Wednesday evening, May 13.
The Ducati Monster is a popular motorbike made by the Italian manufacturer since the early 1990s.
Some 350,000 Ducati Monsters have been produced since the model’s introduction in 1993, making it the best-selling and longest-running motorcycle in Ducati’s history.
Its often credited in the motorbike world as being the one that ‘saved Ducati’ due to its popularity and cheap development costs
The Rose & Crown in Ratley, a village new Banbury on the northern tip of the Cotswolds AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), shut down unexpectedly ahead of the festive period in December 2024, due to personal circumstances, according to the owners.
The village pub and restaurant, 10 miles north of Banbury, is now set to be reopened under new owners after more than a year on the market.
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In a statement released to introduce themselves, new owners Dee and Norm Knight-Barrett said: “We wanted to reassure everyone that we intend to reopen The Rose & Crown as a traditional British ‘pie and pint’ pub.
“There is quite a bit of work to do internally in particular the cellar and kitchen.
“We want to offer the best beers and pies that we can so we need to carry out some upgrades. We will keep you posted with regard to progress so please bear with us.
“We are looking forward to meeting you all and making lots of new friends.”
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The new owners revealed the plans include theme nights, pizza, curry and barbecues, live music, a pool table and sports games, and has invited further suggestions from the village.
The property is a grade II listed, detached building which is believed to have operated as a pub for more than 250 years.
No opening date has yet been announced and works to renovate and refresh the venue are ongoing.
Green Templeton College’s long‑running Management in Medicine Programme has been shortlisted for the Empowering People Award.
The university‑wide awards celebrate outstanding contributions across Oxford’s collegiate community, with nearly 170 entries submitted across 13 categories this year and more than 1,000 individuals nominated.
Shortlisted as one of the five nominees in the Empowering People category, the Management in Medicine Programme is recognised for empowering medical students and healthcare professionals to develop their management and leadership potential.
The programme helps those working in and around healthcare build the skills and knowledge needed to navigate today’s complex health and care systems.
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Programme lead Dr Nicholas Hicks said: “This recognition reflects the commitment of everyone who contributes to the programme, including our speakers, participants and colleagues across Green Templeton and the wider university.”
The Management in Medicine Programme offers workshops, seminars and a shadowing scheme focused on healthcare leadership, service improvement and the practical challenges facing NHS and other health organisations.
The Management in Medicine team will present their work at the Vice‑Chancellor’s Awards Showcase at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities on Tuesday, June 2.
The winners and highly commended nominees will be announced at the awards ceremony on Thursday, June 4.
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