Summary

  • News, sport, travel and weather updates resume at 08:00 on Tuesday

  • Updates on Monday 25 April 2016

  1. And that's it from uspublished at 18:02 British Summer Time 25 April 2016

    We're finishing for today, thanks for joining us. We'll be back tomorrow with the latest news, sport, weather and travel. See you at 08:00.

  2. Weather: Showers clearing to leave cold nightpublished at 17:59 British Summer Time 25 April 2016

    BBC Weather

    Showers, locally heavy and perhaps wintry over high ground, will clear away southwards this evening.

    Oxford weather April 25

    It will feel cold with a slight rural frost developing. Low temp 2C (36F).

    You can get more details on the BBC weather site.

  3. Sport headlines: U's fans expected to flock north for Carlisle clashpublished at 17:53 British Summer Time 25 April 2016

    Marie Indge
    Radio Oxford Sport

    Your top sport stories this evening:

    • Oxford United are set to be backed by a four-figure crowd for the game at Carlisle on Saturday. More than 900 tickets from a total allocation of just under 2,500 have been sold so far
    • United left-back Joe Skarz has declared himself ready to play at Carlisle - this is after a surprise comeback appearance in the U's win over Hartlepool
    • Oxford United's star striker Kemar Roofe has tweeted about his pride at being named in the League 2 team of the year at the PFA awards last night
  4. Travel latest: Accident in South Newington, and delays in Swinford and Clifton Hampdenpublished at 17:52 British Summer Time 25 April 2016

    BBC Travel

    • The A361 in South Newington is partially blocked and there's very slow traffic in both directions at the High Street junction, because of an accident involving two cars
    • Meanwhile, it's slow on the B4044 Oxford Road westbound in Swinford at the B4449 junction
    • And there's heavy traffic on the A415 Abingdon Road in both directions at Clifton Hampden at the B4015 Oxford Road junction

    For more details, get the latest on the BBC Travel website.

  5. Tickets for Oxford United's last games selling fastpublished at 17:52 British Summer Time 25 April 2016

    Marie Indge
    Radio Oxford Sport

    Tickets for Oxford United's last home game of the season are selling out fast, external, with the club also hopeful of a four-figure crowd for the Carlisle on Saturday.

    More than 900 tickets from a total allocation of just under 2,500 have been sold so far to U's fans. 

    Two wins from the final games will guarantee automatic promotion from League 2.

  6. Families' 'outrage' at demolition plan at Didcot power stationpublished at 17:39 British Summer Time 25 April 2016

    Two months after the collapse of the boiler house at Didcot A Power Station, it's been announced explosives will be used to bring down the half of the building which is still standing.

    Didcot power stationImage source, Thames Valley Police

    Mark Anthony, editor of Demolition News, has been in touch with the families of the three workmen still buried under the rubble.

    He says they are "outraged" at the news.

    Quote Message

    There is outrage - ultimately they have a single focus and that's getting their loved ones back home. I think this is a double whammy for them. Not only is there no date for that blast, but they will see it as some kind of desecration.

    Mark Anthony, Editor of Demolition News

  7. Latest headlines: 'Outrage' at plans to demolish Didcot power stationpublished at 17:18 British Summer Time 25 April 2016

    Chris Brown
    BBC News

    The top stories in Oxfordshire this evening:

    • Families of the workmen still buried under the rubble of Didcot A power station are said to be "outraged" by plans to demolish the remainder of the building
    • Banbury's Castle Quay shopping centre could struggle to fill the BHS store should it close down in the wake of the company going into administration today
    • Patients are being urged not to come to hospital emergency departments from tomorrow unless they have a real emergency, as junior doctors stage a 48-hour strike
  8. Prescribed drugs failing many arthritis suffererspublished at 16:47 British Summer Time 25 April 2016

    Prescribed drugs are failing to control the pain for many arthritis sufferers, according the charity Arthritis Research UK, external.

    ArthritisImage source, PA

    The condition that causes pain and inflammation in joints affects about 10 million people in Britain. 

    Many say they top up the medicine with a mix of over-the-counter pain relief. 

    Professor Tonia Vincent from Oxford University is also director of Arthritis Research UK and says everyone is affected differently.

    Quote Message

    It's the chronic nature which patients find so debilitating. Some patients have different types of pain, which means they are more difficult to treat. So some painkillers work in some patients but don't work at all in others.

    Professor Tonia Vincent

  9. Survivor's memories of the Nepal earthquakepublished at 16:33 British Summer Time 25 April 2016

    Oxford-based charity Oxfam is warning the most vulnerable people in Nepal are at risk of missing out on reconstruction aid following last year's devastating earthquake.

    Angnu Sherpa is trying to rebuild his business in Nepal following the earthquake
    Image caption,

    Angnu Sherpa is trying to rebuild his business in Nepal following the earthquake

    The resturant near Lukla, where most people begin their climb to Mount Everest base camp
    Image caption,

    The resturant near Lukla, where most people begin their climb to Mount Everest base camp

    BBC Oxford reporter Georgina Sullivan is in Nepal and spoke to Angnu Sherpa a tourist guide who owns a resturant near Lukla, where most people begin their climb to Mount Everest base camp.

    He told her of the fear when the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the country - the largest there in 80 years - killing some 8,000 people.

    Quote Message

    Me and my wife were in the dining hall and [when it happened] we all moved outside. All the houses were damaged and our hearts nearly died. That night we made a tent and spent the night out there. We stayed there for four or five months.

    Angnu Sherpa

  10. Banbury shopping centre 'could struggle to fill' BHS storepublished at 16:13 British Summer Time 25 April 2016

    Banbury's Castle Quay shopping centre could struggle to fill the BHS store should it close down in the wake of the company going into administration today.

    BHSImage source, Getty Images

    That's the view of Oxfordshire retail consultant Keith Slater, as it emerged some 164 shops and almost 11,000 jobs are at risk.

    The company decided to bring in administrators after talks to sell some of its 164 UK stores to Sports Direct collapsed over the weekend.  

    Administrators are looking to sell all or part of the 88-year-old department store group, although it will continue to trade in the meantime.

    Quote Message

    You can rent any number of stores in there [Castle Quay] at the moment, current occupiers would like to get out of their leases. They've been talking to Sports Direct but of course they already have a store in Castle Quay, so why would they want to take over the BHS one?

    Keith Slater, Retail consultant

  11. Oxford hospitals urge patients to avoid A&E if possible during strikepublished at 15:53 British Summer Time 25 April 2016

    Chris Brown
    BBC News

    Patients are being urged not to come to hospital emergency departments from tomorrow for two days unless they have a real emergency, as junior doctors stage a 48-hour strike.

    Junior doctors strikeImage source, Reuters

    Paul Brennan, director of clinical services at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said he was sorry the two sides in the increasingly bitter dispute had not found an agreement.

    He added urgent and emergency provision (including maternity, oncology, renal dialysis, trauma and other urgent services) would continue, but non-urgent operations and outpatient appointments would be rescheduled. 

    Advice for patients is available on the NHS website, external.

  12. Fewer homes planned for Oxfordshire green beltpublished at 15:36 British Summer Time 25 April 2016

    Fewer homes are being planned for green belt land around Oxfordshire. 

    Just over 3,500 are set to built in the protected areas, according to research by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). That's down 22% on the figure for March last year.

    Oxfordshire was the only area highlighted by the CPRE to see a fall.

  13. Roundabout work 'affecting business'published at 15:28 British Summer Time 25 April 2016

    Wolvercote RoundaboutImage source, David Gould @bizcostmgt

    "People are just not coming into Oxford and therefore the footfall is way, way down, and without the footfall we can't survive," says Prescilla Carter, of Unique Creations ceramics studio in Summertown.  

    Roundabout work 'affecting business'

    Major roadworks at three roundabouts in Oxford that have seen long delays are affecting trade, retailers say.

    Read More
  14. Appeal after endangered red kite birds of prey found shotpublished at 15:20 British Summer Time 25 April 2016

    Police are appealing for information after two birds of prey were found with gunshot wounds in south Oxfordshire, external.

    Red kiteImage source, Thinkstock
    Image caption,

    Red kites have been protected by the RSPB since early in the 20th Century

    The red kites were found injured in Oakley Wood, near Crowmarsh Gifford, on 29 March and 5 April. X-rays have shown that both birds contain shotgun pellets.

    On 22 March another red kite was found dead in Oakley Wood, but the cause of death is not known.

    The red kite is subject to the longest continuous conservation project in the world, with the RSPB thought to have been involved continuously in its protection, external since 1905.

    Quote Message

    Fortunately incidents of this nature are very rare in the Thames Valley and a thorough investigation is under way. The two birds were lucky to survive ... I’m appealing to anyone who might have information that could assist us with our investigation.

    PC Robert Searle, Thames Valley Police wildlife officer

  15. Getting down and dirty to glimpse Oxford's 'fatberg' menacepublished at 15:02 British Summer Time 25 April 2016

    Fatbergs, made up of fat and oil mainly from food outlets dumped into drains illegally, are building up under Oxford's streets.

    We joined Thames Water engineers to see first hand the effect of this greasy mess.

    Media caption,

    How city's drains are being blocked by waster fat, oil and grease

  16. Brian Blessed tells the story of his incredible life at Chipping Norton Literary Festivalpublished at 13:52 British Summer Time 25 April 2016

    Oxford Times

    The booming baritone of Brian Blessed rang out across Chipping Norton at the weekend. The actor, famous for his appearances in films such as Flash Gordon and Star Wars Episode I, and a range of Shakespeare plays, appeared at the town's literary festival to share the story of his life, external.

  17. Oxford Brookes nursing students run 5k for mental health charitypublished at 13:28 British Summer Time 25 April 2016

    Oxford Mail

    Nursing students at Oxford Brookes pulled on their trainers and ran around the university's Harcourt Hill campus to raise money for a mental health charity, external.