Updates on Friday 15 January 2016
News, sport, travel and weather updates resume at 08:00 on Monday
There were over 50 more arrests in December, external for drink-driving in the Thames Valley than the previous year.
Image source, PAArrests during the Christmas campaign increased from 273 to 325.
Quote MessageWe’ve seen a rise in the number of people we have arrested for drink- or drug-driving. New legislation and equipment have made detecting drug drivers much easier.
Ch Insp Henry Parsons, Acting head, Roads Policing
A fungi that has not been seen in Oxfordshire since 1958 has been found in Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve.
Image source, Aston Rowant National Nature ReserveOlive earth-tongue
The olive earth-tongue is an endangered species and was so named because they were thought to resemble the dead and buried sticking out their tongues at passers-by.
Quote MessageThese grassland earth-tongues only fruit if there’s sufficient rain and it’s still warm in November. If it’s too cold, they never show, even if it’s wet enough. They fruit best in extremely short rabbit-grazed turf. I’ve never seen them before and didn’t realise they were so pretty, with blue-green stalks.
Dr Judith Webb, Ecological consultant and Natural England volunteer, Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve
County council leaders have backed a new bus route, external to serve passengers travelling to the revamped Orchard shopping centre in Didcot.
Oxford United manager Michael Appleton is demanding more from his players despite their 2-0 win against Millwall in the first leg of their Johnstone's Paint Trophy southern area final.
Image source, Getty ImagesOxford United manager Michael Appleton
The win came just four days after the Us upset Premier League Swansea City in the FA Cup third round.
Quote MessageI knew it was going to be difficult for the players to get themselves up for tonight after the euphoria and impact of the result on Sunday. I thought they hung in there at times, stuck to their task and passed the ball OK.
Michael Appleton, Manager, Oxford United
South Today
On South Today this afternoon: Two district councils in Oxfordshire say it's unlikely they'll return to offices which were destroyed by arson.
A car was driven into South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils' buildings in Crowmarsh Gifford a year ago today, triggering a major blaze.
Join Jessica Parker at 13:30 for the full story.
BBC Travel
You can get the latest where you are on the BBC Travel site.
It should be a generally sunny day, but feeling very cold with a raw north-westerly wind.
You can get a full forecast on the BBC Weather site.
Robyn Cowen
Presenter, Radio Oxford Sport
This afternoon's top sports stories:
Andrew Humphrey
BBC Local Live
Oxfordshire's top stories this afternoon:
A gift and art shop in Henley is to close with the owners blaming the growth of online sales, external.
Tom Turrell
BBC South Today
Carers in Oxfordshire are experiencing life as an elderly patient for themselves with a specially designed bodysuit.
It's designed to raise awareness of the restricted mobility many elderly people have when carrying out simple, everyday tasks.
Network Rail has apologised to residents in south Oxfordshire who have objected to the design of electrification gantries, promising to work with them on "alternative designs".
A public consultation has been promised on the new designs for the overhead line equipment.
Quote MessageWe apologise to residents for not carrying out the public consultation before the installation of the existing overhead line equipment. Going forward we are committed to working with them and other stakeholders on alternative designs.
Network Rail statement
Primary schools have called on parents to help them battle the continuing obesity crisis in the county’s children, external.
Adam Williams
BBC Sport
Oxford United have handed longer-term deals to Jordan Evans and Jonny Giles., external
Image source, PAJordan Evans has extended his loan from Fulham
Left-back Evans, 20, has extended his loan from Championship club Fulham until the end of the season.
Giles, a physics graduate from Durham University, initially join the club on a short-term deal in September after impressing on trial.
The 21-year-old winger will now remain at the Kassam Stadium until the end of next season.
Hannah Bewley
BBC News Online
The 11th member of a gang that supplied cocaine, MDMA and amphetamine to the south of England has been jailed.
Image source, Thames Valley PoliceAaron Wright
Aaron Wright, 34, of Didcot, Oxfordshire, who admitted his part in the operation, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court to four years and eight months.
Ten other members of the gang were sentenced on 8 January following an 18-month police investigation.
The relocation of hundreds of staff from the Crowmarsh Gifford base of two councils after last January's arson attacks has had an impact on trade, according to local businesses in the area.
Image source, ReutersFirefighters at the council building in Crowmarsh Gifford
About 400 South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district council staff have been working from home or at temporary sites since the fire, and are now unlikely to return to the Crowmarsh Gifford site.
Quote MessageWe've lost hundreds of customers every day on a daily basis, and it has had an impact on our shops and our little businesses.
Elaine Hornsby, Chairwoman, Wallingford in Business
Medical researchers are hoping for a breakthrough in tackling pancreatic cancer with a new bank that stores tissue from patients, including those in Oxfordshire.
Jane Dreaper reports on the new pancreatic cancer tissue bank
The complex illness has the worst 10-year survival rate of any cancer, with most patients being told they may have less than a year to live.
Samples will be collected from consenting patients at six hospitals - in Oxford, Swansea, Leicester and Southampton and Barts and the Royal Free in London - with the aim of eventually providing better treatments and earlier diagnosis.
A person has been taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital after a crash involving a car and a pedestrian in Kidlington this morning.
South Central Ambulance Service were called at just after 09:00 to the Bicester Road junction, where one person was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital.
The road was partially blocked for a time but is now clear.
A noise barrier installed in a street in Littlemore, external has been criticised for making residents feel like they are “living on an industrial estate”.
Andrew Humphrey
BBC Local Live
Today's top stories in Oxfordshire:
