It has been claimed that Gosford and Water Eaton Parish Council has been paying to trim hedges and litter pick in the alley adjacent to the Kidlington store’s car park.

Plastic bags, graffiti and other bits of litter has been a blight on the landscape for frustrated shoppers.

Green Kidlington councillor Fiona Mawson earlier this week called on Sainsbury’s to take “more pride” in the appearance of the area.

Responding to this, a spokesman for Sainsbury’s said it is looking into the concerns raised, but failed to say whether it would clean up the mess.

A Sainsbury’s spokesman said: “We take the cleanliness and presentation of our stores very seriously and we are looking into the concerns raised locally, including working with local authorities to address any issues as quickly as possible.”

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Ms Dawson had accused supermarket bosses of “relying on the council to clean up for them”.

She said: “I’ve received numerous reports from local residents about the state of this area and have attempted to engage with Sainsbury’s about it, but they don’t seem to be interested.”

The latest mess in Kidlington comes after the Bicester superstore in Pioneer Square was under fire for the increasingly poor condition, prompting a petition to be started to get the chief executive to visit.

The incident occurred just before 8pm on Tuesday, April 14, when an electric bicycle was stolen from outside Popeyes in Queen Street.

Thames Valley Police now wishes to speak to two men regarding the theft and has published an appeal with their photos today (Wednesday, April 22).

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CCTV footage. (Image: Thames Valley Police)

A spokesperson for the force said: “Do you recognise these men?

“We are appealing for your help to identify them, as we believe they may have vital information about the theft of an electric bike in Oxford.

“If you recognise the people pictured, or if this is you, please contact the force on 101 or by making a report via the link in the comments quoting the reference number 43260181448.”

Rendcomb College, near Cirencester across the border from Oxfordshire, announced it will permanently shut its doors this summer.

This will bring an end to a 106‑year history of educating day pupils and boarders in the heart of the Cotswolds.

The independent day and boarding school opened in 1920 and has around 380 pupils on its roll.

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It said that current and projected pupil numbers, combined with the economic climate facing fee‑paying schools, mean it is no longer financially viable.

In a statement, governors said they had “reluctantly” concluded that the college must close at the end of the 2025‑26 academic year, after exploring “every other feasible option”, including potential mergers, alternative owners and additional sources of funding.

“Despite Rendcomb College’s extremely strong track record as a school, the reality is that current and projected pupil numbers, alongside the economic situation facing independent schools across the country, do not make the school financially viable in the future,” read the statement.

“It has therefore reluctantly been decided that the school will close at the end of the academic year.

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“The staff and governors have done everything to make Rendcomb College an excellent school, and its closure is highly unfortunate but sadly unavoidable.

“For many years, the college has benefited from significant funding from the Rendcomb College Foundation.

“Whilst this has made the operation of the college possible until now, the enormous increase in the deficit for the current year, and the anticipated financial picture for next year, mean that such support is unsustainable.

“This is a very sad decision to have taken and follows the exploration of every other feasible option, including mergers and other forms of funding.

“Our focus now will be on helping pupils find appropriate alternative provision and assisting our highly professional and dedicated staff to find posts elsewhere.”

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Wycliffe College, another independent school in Gloucestershire, has said it is prepared to offer places in all year groups to affected Rendcomb pupils and has pledged to match existing fees for those transferring into certain years, in a bid to minimise disruption.

The closure adds to growing concern about the pressures facing private schools across the region, coming after a series of high‑profile warnings about the impact of rising costs and the introduction of VAT on school fees.

In Oxfordshire, Our Lady’s Abingdon, a 160‑year‑old Catholic independent day school, shut in 2025.

A range of “economic pressures” were cited, including the planned imposition of VAT on school fees, higher National Insurance contributions, the loss of business rates relief and falling pupil numbers.

Carrdus School, a prep school serving the Banbury area, also confirmed it would close in 2025 due to financial pressures.