People may have been startled to spot a helicopter flying low and slow over the west of the city this morning (Wednesday, May 13).

Pictures captured the moment the chopper traversed over the Osney Mead Industrial Estate at about 11.30am, revealing the bright yellow body work of the helicopter.

The helicopter was spotted over the Osney Mead Industrial Estate on Wednesday morning (Image: Ed Burnett / Newsquest)

READ MORE: Oxford offender wanted for ‘poor behaviour and assault’

The helicopter was spotted over the Osney Mead Industrial Estate on Wednesday morning (Image: Ed Burnett / Newsquest)

The helicopter is understood to be one of the National Grid’s fleet, which are periodically deployed to check for damage or issues to the company’s infrastructure.

This includes pylons, cables, poles and overhead lines, and checking the network for issues such as encroaching vegetation and using thermal cameras to identify electricity ‘hot spots’ or overheating on the lines.

The helicopter does not necessarily mean there is a fault in the grid as helicopters regularly head out for preventative maintenance and inspections of the network.

Criterion Capital’s Zedwell hotel chain is planning to convert Oxenford House, at 12-15 Magdalen Street above Five Guy’s, into a 276-bed hotel.

Rather than traditional hotel rooms, however, the company has proposed sleep pods or ‘cocoons’, futuristic-looking rectangular capsules containing a mattress and some storage space for each occupant within a shared dormitory.

The plans propose ‘sleeping pods’ instead of rooms in the new hotel (Image: T2S Architecture Ltd)

READ MORE: Oxford thug jailed for knocking out friend who went in coma

In the planning application submitted to Oxford City Council in March, which remains under consideration, the applicant said: “A capsule hotel is a modern and efficient form of visitor accommodation that offers compact, self‑contained sleeping pods arranged both vertically and horizontally to make optimal use of space.

“This form of accommodation is increasingly popular in major cities around the world as it provides a budget‑friendly yet high‑quality alternative to traditional hotel rooms, particularly for short‑stay visitors, business travellers and those seeking affordable, centrally located lodging options.

The plans propose ‘sleeping pods’ instead of rooms in the new hotel (Image: T2S Architecture Ltd)

“The proposal will introduce this innovative accommodation model to Oxford, diversifying the city’s hospitality offer and responding to contemporary tourism trends.”

Its part of a major expansion of Zedwell’s sleep-pod model across the UK, with the company committed to deliver more than 9,000 rooms by 2028.

READ MORE: Possible new park and ride near Wallingford met with doubt

However, a comment from a resident’s association representing those who live around St Giles submitted an objection to the proposal.

The association said: “We would be pleased to see this building brought back into full use and the badly neglected corner of the city centre conservation area tidied up.

“However, we consider that this application fails to meet the standards which should be required for applications for substantial work on buildings which are in the conservation area and close to listed buildings.”

Five Guys on the ground floor of Oxenford House (Image: Oxford Mail)

The group of locals took issue with what they saw as the ‘lack of information in the application’, such as undefined ‘plant’ floors, how sustainability requirements would be met and what would happen to the building’s windows if the internal ‘pods’ were installed.

They also said the user facilities at the proposed hotel were ‘basic’, with no apparent food provision, just one customer lift to serve the 276 pods, and no evidence of ‘appropriate facilities’ for customers with disabilities.

Concerns were similarly raised about ‘supervision’ of the densely-occupied site and the impact on utilities like sewage and drainage.

READ MORE: Brazilian drug dealer who posed as pizza man jailed

Previously plans from the same developer saw proposals for student accommodation and offices on the site, which now appear to have been replaced by the boutique hotel plans.

Other hotel plans in the city include a 145-room aparthotel and community hub on the site of the former Odeon Cinema in George Street, and two separate plans for hotels in Queen Street and Bonn Square.

These are a 129-room hotel above the Halifax and Waterstones shops on the corner of St Ebbe’s, and the £60million transformation of County Hall in Speedwell Street, with the council due to move out next spring.

Yasmin Anjum Sarwar, 44, from Cyncoed, Cardiff has been charged with multiple theft and fraud offences worth around £5 million, alongside her husband Nadeem Sarwar, 49, from Pentwyn, Cardiff.

In addition, Ragu Sivapalan, 39, from Penylan, Cardiff has been charged with false accounting between January 2013 and January 2016.

READ MORE: Alliance discussions continue after West Oxfordshire election

These relate to their time working at Cardiff Sixth Form College, specifically between 2012 and 2016.

All three denied the charges at Cardiff Crown Court in May last year, with a pre-trial review hearing set for later this month on May 22.

The trial is listed to start on September 21.

The fraud was allegedly committed at Cardiff Sixth Form College (Image: Cardiff Sixth Form College/PA)

The college, where the trio were either directors or trustees, is a fee-paying school for 16- to 18-year-olds and regularly records some of the highest A-level results in the country.

In 2016 it was the subject of the BBC documentary Britain’s Brainiest School.

The college has changed ownership since the alleged fraud, with the charity that oversees it now called the Cardiff Educational Endowment Trust.

Specifically Ms Sarwar has pleaded not guilty to fraud, two counts of theft, two counts of fraudulent trading, possessing criminal property and three counts of transferring criminal property.

Between January 2017 and January 2025, Ms Sarwar worked as chief education officer at Oxford International College, a private school based at London Place that offers GCSE and A-Level education.

Oxford International College students on A-level results day (Image: Oxford International College)

The school, which refused to comment on the case, is marketed at students from around the world, helping students to secure places at both Oxford and Cambridge universities.

On its website, it states its vision is: “To create pioneers who excel in the world’s most competitive universities and go on to become leaders who use science with compassion to solve humanity’s greatest challenges.”

Her LinkedIn states she is working at Curriculum.com, an AI-powered learning management system company that she co-founded.

She was initially charged on March 24, 2025 as announced by South Wales Police.

READ MORE: Arrests for ‘immigration offences’ and ‘prolific offending’ in Oxfordshire

A spokesperson for the force said: “Following an investigation by South Wales Police, with vital evidence provided by the Charity Commission for England & Wales, three people have been charged in connection with a multi-million pounds fraud and theft investigation into the former independent Cardiff Sixth Form College which happened between 2012 and 2016.

“Yasmin Anjum Sarwar, 43, from Cyncoed, Cardiff and Nadeem Sarwar, 48, from Pentwyn, Cardiff have been charged with multiple theft and fraud offences totalling some £5 million.

“Ragu Sivapalan, 39, from Penylan, Cardiff has been charged with false accounting between 2013 and 2016.”