BBC Local Live: Oxfordshire on Friday 8 January 2016

Summary

Updates on Friday 8 January 2016
News, sport, travel and weather updates resume at 08:00 on Monday

Live Reporting

Stephen Stafford

'Medieval conditions' in war-torn Syria, says Oxfampublished at 14:16
Food deliveries to the besieged Syria town of Madaya should begin on Monday, according to the United Nations.
Image source, AP
It comes amid reports of people starving to death at the rebel-held town.
Oxford-based charity Oxfam says conditions for people there are reaching "medieval" levels.
Quote Message
The warring parties on both sides are resorting to the sort of tactics that mean we're seeing medieval conditions of warfare for people."
Shaheen Chughtai, Deputy head of humanitarian policy campaigns, Oxfam
£1m drugs gang leader 'destroyed lives'published at 14:02
The judge sentencing a Didcot man described as the ring leader of a £1m drugs gang says he had "destroyed lives".
Image source, Thames Valley Police
Image caption,
Some of the drugs seized by police
Sentencing 48-year-old Neil Wadley at Oxford Crown Court today, Judge Peter Ross told him he was a professional criminal who had "pedalled drugs knowing they killed, caused crime and destroyed lives".
Ten other men have also either been found or pleaded guilty to drugs offences, with sentencing due to continue this afternoon.
Future of learning centre may rely on launch of new charitypublished at 13:32
Banbury Cake
The county council is hoping an independent company will foot the bill after it pulls the plug on funding for an outdoor education centre, external.
Oxfordshire man jailed over £1m drugs ringpublished at 13:19
An Oxfordshire man described as the 'ring leader' of a major drugs gang has been sentenced to 17 years in prison.
Image source, Thames Valley Police
Image caption,
Neil Wadley
Neil Wadley, 48, of Pound Lane, in Upton, Didcot organised the buying and selling of cocaine, cannabis, amphetamine and MDMA.
It's thought the drugs had a street value of more than £1million.
Drugs gang leader jailedpublished at 13:11
Breaking
An Oxfordshire man described as the 'ring leader' of a major drugs gang has been sentenced to 17 years in prison. More to follow...
Travel latest: A44 congestionpublished at 12:56
BBC Travel
- Lower Street in Islip is still closed between MIll Street and Middle Street because of flooding
- There is also disruption on the A44 as one lane is closed on Woodstock Road northbound in Oxford between Wolvercote Roundabout and Peartree Interchange, because of roadworks
For more details check out the BBC Travel site.
Weather: Sunshine and showerspublished at 12:52
A band of showers will push eastwards across Abingdon and the rest of Oxfordshire during the afternoon, but there will still be some dry weather with sunny spells.
You can get a full forecast on the BBC Weather site.
Sport headlines: Oxford United ready for FA Cup clashpublished at 12:44
Danny Cox
Presenter, BBC Radio Oxford
The top sport stories this lunchtime:
- Oxford United are confident ahead of facing Premier League side Swansea in the FA Cup third round on Sunday
- Oxfordshire darts player Deta Hedman is through to the the semi-finals of the World Darts Championships, after she beat Lorraine Winstanley last night at the Lakeside in Surrey
Latest headlines: Hospital's plan for strike, foster care concerns, and Oxford Stadium meetingpublished at 12:34
Clare Woodling
Radio Oxford news
Oxfordshire's top stories this afternoon:
- The John Radcliffe Hospital says no emergency or urgent services will be affected when junior doctors strike next week
- Eighty-three children from Oxfordshire are placed in care outside the county, missing council targets
- More than 100 people attend meeting on the future of Oxford Stadium
Rare interview with Oxfordshire investment gurupublished at 12:16
BBC 5Live
One of Britain's most successful and influential investors has given a rare interview to BBC Five Live's Wake up to Money.
Image caption,
Neil Woodford, left, spoke to the BBC's Adam Parsons
Neil Woodford manages about £14bn of clients' funds from his office on the edge of Oxford.
In the exclusive interview with Adam Parsons, he speaks about why GlaxoSmithKline needs radical restructuring and the prospects for the global economy.
Meanwhile, he launches a defence of his support for tobacco companies, saying he is "paid to exercise investment judgement" not moral judgement.
FA Cup: Lundstram confident Oxford Utd can pull off shock winpublished at 11:58
BBC Radio Oxford
Swansea will be "in for a shock" when they visit the Kassam Stadium for the FA Cup third round match against Oxford on Sunday, according to U's midfielder John Lundstram.
Image source, getty Images
Quote Message
The main thing in games like this is to have belief that you can win it - and there is belief in the camp that we can. They'll give us a tough game obviously, no doubt about that, but I think we'll nick it."
John Lundstram
A new bin for Christmaspublished at 11:41
Clare Woodling
Radio Oxford news
Three people placed orders for a new recycling bin on Christmas Day, Cherwell District Council says.
A blue and brown bin sale over the last month by the authority saw 452 sold at a cut price of just £10, as opposed to the normal £18.
Why food producers have a taste for making their local markpublished at 11:26
Alastair Fee
Business Correspondent, BBC South
Food producers are increasingly opting to add a place name to their product in an attempt to distinguish them from other brands.
Last year Supreme Sausages in Chalgrove was given permission by Trading Standards to change the name of their sausages to Chalgrove English Pork Sausages.
The marketing ploy is to make a foodstuff stand out and suggest quality.
We spoke to the Oxford Sauce company about the importance of local branding.
Castle Mill boatyard developers criticised for ‘failing to engage with community’published at 11:13
Oxford Times
The company behind the £20m redevelopment of the Castle Mill Boatyard in Jericho was criticised for failing to engage with the community at an emotionally charged meeting, external.
Hospital announces junior doctor strike planspublished at 11:02
Natalie Verney
BBC Radio Oxford
Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital has confirmed that all urgent and emergency provision - including maternity, oncology, dialysis and trauma - will continue as normal on Tuesday, the day of the proposed strike by junior doctors.
Image source, ceridwen
It says all non-urgent elective operations and outpatient appointments on that day are being rescheduled, and all of those patients who will be affected should be contacted and offered an alternative appointment.
Talks are planned later between the British Medical Association and the government to try to find a resolution to the dispute.
In-form U's aim for FA Cup giant killing against Swanseapublished at 10:44
Adam Williams
BBC Sport
League Two promotion-chasers Oxford United are guaranteed a sell-out crowd for the visit of Premier League Swansea City to the Kassam Stadium for the third round of the FA Cup.
Image source, Dan Westwell
Michael Appleton's side, who overcame National League clubs Braintree and Forest Green to reach this stage, are relaxed ahead of the tie.
Quote Message
It's great to be able to test yourself against Premier League players. Whichever team they pick, it's going to be one of a good pedigree.
Jake Wright, Oxford United captain
Latest headlines: Foster care concerns, police savings, and Oxford Stadium planpublished at 10:31
Clare Woodling
Radio Oxford news
Oxfordshire's top stories this morning:
- More children from Oxfordshire are being placed in care outside the county
- Thames Valley Police says it has saved £140,000 through changes to their purchasing policy
- Oxford City Council is to consider applying for a compulsory purchase order to return Oxford Stadium to speedway and greyhound use
Call to keep Oxfordshire foster care localpublished at 10:19
BBC Radio Oxford
With rising numbers of children in care, and a lack of children's homes and foster carers, it's emerged that more vulnerable children from Oxfordshire are being sent into care outside the county.
Krish Kandiah from Thame, who has been fostering for 10 years, says it is better for children going into care to be kept as close to home as possible.
Quote Message
Going into care is a really traumatic experience for a child. So if they are taken out of county there is going to be a change of school and harder for them to have regular contact with siblings or controlled contact with parents, so we try to minimise the amount of change in their life.
Krish Kandiah, Foster carer
Proposals for 'breakthrough' developments in Oxford's West Endpublished at 10:04
Oxford Mail
Proposals to redevelop Oxford’s West End into a new quarter of the city have been unveiled. In a “breakthrough” development, Nuffield College has confirmed it will step in to help buy land in the Oxpens area and form a partnership with Oxford City Council, external.
Ice causing rail delayspublished at 09:56
Al Ryan
BBC Oxford travel presenter
Looks like winter temperatures could be getting back to normal - the delays and cancellations to Great Western Railway, external services this morning through Oxford have been caused by a signalling problem put down to ice preventing trains getting electricity from the third rail.
Image source, Getty