FREE evening bus travel into and out of Oxford is being provided in the run-up to Christmas in a bid to boost trade.

People will be offered free travel on park-and-ride services in the hope of tempting people into the city centre stores to take advantage of extended opening hours.

With traders bracing themselves for a recession-hit Christmas, a deal has been struck between Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford Bus Company.

Bus services to all the park-and-ride sites will be extended from the usual end time of 7pm through to 9.30pm on Thursday, December 11, Monday 15 to Friday 19 and on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23.

Travel will be free from the park-and-rides from 5pm on all these evenings, and free to the park-and-rides sites from 7pm.

The free service will not include journeys from stops between the park-and-ride sites and the city centre.

Graham Jones, spokesman for traders’ group Rescue Oxford, said: “It is great that something positive is being done for the city centre at a time when we are fighting Oxford City Council plans to increase car parking charges by 15 per cent.”

Keith Mitchell, the leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Any little help we can offer will bring benefit.”

Parking has been free at all city park-and-ride sites since October.

Source: Witney Gazette

The bulldozers will be moving in to Witney’s college campus in the next few days as a £30m redevelopment begins.

Fencing and danger keep out signs are going up this week, with demolition and clearance expected to take about five weeks.

Steve Bilcliffe, director of development for Abingdon and Witney College, said: “It is somewhat earlier than planned, so we are making excellent progress on the timescale for the project.”

The campus scheme is replacing all the existing buildings as well as the town’s redundant ambulance station at the same time that, on the opposite side of Welch Way, the new £50m Marriotts Close shopping, housing and multi-storey care park project is taking shape.

During the demolition and rebuild all students will remain on campus in temporary classrooms and study centres.

These are costing £1.2m to rent and furnish over the two years of the project.

Dan Large, 17, of the Cogges estate, Witney, joined the college from Wood Green School. He said: “The college needs modernising, definitely.

“Unfortunately, I will be finished before the new campus buildings are ready, but the temporary accommodation is good and very well equipped.”

The temporary cabins were hoisted into the site over the summer holidays.

Media studies student Zoe Harris, 17, said: “When you are inside you can’t tell they are temporary cabins.”

Planning conditions restrict the working hours on site to 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays and up to 1.30pm on Saturdays, to minimise noise nuisance to nearby residents.

Contractors have also been told to spray demolished rubble with water to curb dust nuisance.

Source: Witney Gazette

WITNEY will be sparkling with its seasonal lights when they are formally switched on this Friday, November 28, with less than a month to go before Christmas Day.

It promises to be a full early evening of fun for the family, starting from 5pm, and continuing until 8pm.

The organisers, Witney Town Council, have lined up exhibitions, displays, live street entertainment, and, of course, plenty of Christmas music and carols.

Star of the show will undoubtedly be Witney’s Winter Princess, 11-year-old Amber Tarrant, from Madley Park School, in a resplendent costume made by former town mayor Chrissie Curry.

Amber is the fourth princess, chosen each year from a different primary school in the town.

TV celebrity Mark Wells, of Holby City, Conservative Party leader and Witney MP David Cameron, along with Father Christmas and town mayor Alvin Adams will be sharing the limelight with her when they gather on a platform in the Market Square to switch on those lights.

The event marks the run-in to Christmas, with many shops opening late for the occasion, but a full programme of amusement and fun has also been organised.

It ranges from a an inflatable assault course in the Langdale Hall car park, a bouncy castle in the Market Square, and vintage vehicles and steam traction engine in the High Street to street strollers, the Fox FM radio van for live broadcasting, a model and collectors’ club in the Langdale Hall, a charity fair in the Corn Exchange and a Rotary Club pig roast.

The Witney Gazette will also be at the event, giving away free hot chocolate with every copy of the paper.

Source: Witney Gazette

Temperatures dropped to -4C in Oxfordshire last night as large parts of the UK were waking up to a blanket of snow.

An Arctic front swept across the country in the first prolonged cold snap of the winter.

Motorists were warned to be prepared for hazardous driving conditions with up to ten centimetres (4in) of snow predicted to fall in eastern England.

But MeteoGroup UK, the weather division of the Press Association, said much of the snow would be washed away by rain as the day progresses, with milder air coming from the south west.

Rachel Vince, a forecaster for MeteoGroup UK, said temperatures dropped below freezing in many places on Saturday night, with a low of -4C recorded in Surrey, Suffolk and Oxfordshire.

She said Wales, the south west and Northern Ireland would probably escape the snowfall, but there could be a couple of centimetres in London.

"The snow band is moving eastwards and will have cleared by the end of the morning. It will be a showery day in the West and a largely fine afternoon in most eastern parts of the UK."

The Met Office issued severe weather warnings stretching from northern Scotland to south-east England and advised people to be prepared for heavy snow and icy roads.

The AA advised motorists to limit their speed to the conditions and to be aware of the greater stopping distances required in ice and snow.

It said it was deploying snow-busting patrol vehicles to help rescue drivers stranded in ice and snow.

Meanwhile, councils across the country said they had gritters at the ready to clear roads of any snow and ice and the charity Age Concern has warned older people to take extra care to stay warm in the freezing weather.

Source: Witney Gazette

Rail passengers in Oxfordshire are facing fare rises in the New Year as train companies across the country announced ticket price increases today.

Countrywide, regulated fares including season tickets are due to increase by an average of six per cent from January 2.

Unregulated tickets, including most advance fares, will rise by seven per cent on average, with some fares rising 11 per cent.

First Great Western passengers travelling with standard season tickets to London Paddington face an increase of 4.4 per cent.

Passengers travelling from Oxford and Didcot face an increase from £111.40 to £116.30 a week.

There are substantial reductions to some non-London off-peak day fares, including the journey from Reading to Didcot Parkway, which is being reduced from £6.90 to £5.

The fare increases have been announced by the Association of Train Operating Companies.

ATOC said the increased revenue will help pay for major investment to improve the railways and deliver better value for taxpayers.

Train operators are currently carrying out work worth over £800m to introduce new trains, refurbish existing fleets and improve stations.

ATOC said the measures will benefit passengers through more reliable journeys, improved station facilities (including more car and cycle parking) and better personal security.

Source: Witney Gazette

Car firm Honda is to halt production at its UK plant for two months next year in the wake of the "dramatic change" in the global market, the firm announced today.

The plant at Swindon will not produce any cars next February and March, although none of the 4,800 workers will be laid off.

The Japanese firm is the latest carmaker to scale back production because of the economic downturn.

The news follows a decision to close BMW’s Cowley Mini plant this weekend and for an extended period during the Christmas break.

Honda had already planned to have 13 non-production days at Swindon next February but has decided to extend the cutback and will also scale back carmaking at two plants in Japan and the United States.

A company spokesman said there would no redundancies at Swindon and workers would still be paid. The plant produces the Civic and CR-V models and is due to start production of the small car Jazz next autumn.

The spokesman said Honda wanted to keep the workforce intact in readiness for the new car.

The company said in a statement: "Honda today announced a plan to adjust automobile production at its UK factory in Swindon for the current fiscal year in response to a dramatic change in the global automobile market.

"In addition to 32,000 units production adjustment between December 2008 and March 2009 that had previously been announced, production at Honda of the UK Manufacturing Ltd (HUM) will be further adjusted by 21,000 units.

"This will be achieved by suspending production for 29 days during the months of February and March 2009, combined with 13 non-production days previously planned in this period. Therefore HUM will stop all vehicle production in February and March 2009. There are no plans for redundancies."

Honda said it was reducing car production at Swindon in the current financial year from an originally announced 228,000 units to 175,000 units.

Source: Witney Gazette

PLANS have been drawn up for three centres that could recycle food waste from all homes in Oxfordshire from next year.

Recycling company Agrivert has submitted a £6m scheme to build a plant on Green Belt land at Cassington. A food waste plant near Ardley – also costing £6m – would serve the north of the county under the plan. It is proposed both plants could be operating by next autumn.

A third £6m plant between Wallingford and Benson, to serve south Oxfordshire, would follow in 2010.

It has emerged Agrivert wants to create a pioneering anaerobic digestion facility at Worton Farm, Cassington, which would turn up to 26,000 tonnes of food waste into electricity and compost.

An anaerobic digestion facility uses technology which involves mixing food waste with energy crop silage to produce methane. The methane is used to power a gas engine, which subsequently generates electricity. As well as saving food from being buried in landfill, the company said anaerobic digestion could eventually produce enough electricity to supply ten per cent of all households in Oxford.

Agrivert marketing director, Harry Waters, said: “What we are proposing is pioneering. Using anaerobic digestion on this scale has never been attempted. It will be the first plant of its kind to operate at county level.”

The planning application will go to the county council’s planning and regulation committee on Monday.

But the report by Chris Cousins, head of sustainable development, said the development on a Green Belt site was justified by the need for a facility to help the council meet recycling targets.

It adds: “Potential local impacts, such as smell, would not be significant and could be adequately mitigated against and controlled.

“The locational benefits and the limited visual harm to the Green Belt constitute very special circumstances for allowing this development in the Green Belt.”

The county council invited bids from companies to treat food waste last year.

The council said a decision is yet to be made about who will be the preferred bidder.

A planning application to create what would be Oxford’s second anaerobic digestion plant, on farmland, off the A4074 between Benson to Wallingford Road will be submitted next year.

It is understood if Agrivert wins the contract, it would build and operate the three facilities, with the county council paying gate fees for the waste delivered from homes.

The county council said it was still determined to stick to its plans to see food waste recycled by the spring. The company that secures the contract would be expected to make arrangements for food waste while the plants in Oxfordshire are being built.

The giant composting centre at Ardley would be close to the site where an waste incinerator is being proposed in an entirely separate scheme. Ardley and Sutton Courtenay are two sites shortlisted by Oxfordshire County Council to build incinerators to burn non-recyclable waste.

Source: Witney Gazette

Millions of pounds were ploughed into Icelandic banks by local councils in Oxfordshire shortly before the banking collapse.

An investigation by The Oxford Times has shown that long after some local authorities had been trying to withdraw their money, three councils were still opening new accounts with Icelandic banks as late as September.

The collapse of Iceland’s major banks in early October left British savers, companies and local authorities facing the loss of millions of pounds. But it has now emerged that Oxfordshire County Council put £2m on September 5 into Iceland’s biggest bank, Landsbanki, and another £3m on September 10. The Vale of White Horse invested £1m into an Icelandic bank on September 24.

Using the Freedom of Information Act, the former Oxford Lord Mayor, John Power, also established that Oxford City Council made four separate investments this year totalling £4.5m. Sums of £1m were invested in June, July and on September 12.

The news will focus attention on the varying quality of the financial advice local councils received — for months before these investments were being made, Cherwell District Council was strenuously trying to get money that it had invested in 2006 and 2007 back from Glitnir Bank as the financial storm clouds gathered.

A spokesman for Cherwell said: “Glitnir’s overall rating remained in the lowest risk category until March 2008. We tried to take the money out in March 2008 and again in April 2008, regardless of any penalty we would have had to pay. However, we weren’t allowed to remove our money.”

Both West Oxfordshire District Council, which invested £9m in 2007 for a two-year period, and Oxford University, which invested £30m more than 18 months ago, had also been trying unsuccessfully to get their money back.

Newspaper and City analysts began raising doubts about Iceland’s banks at the start of the year, with the Financial Mail in March describing Icelandic banks as “the most unsafe in the developed world”. There have been reports that both the Government and the Bank of England had received warnings that Iceland’s banks were in trouble in April.

Liz Brighouse, the county council Labour group leader, said she had known nothing about the September investments made by her council until approached by The Oxford Times.

She said: “I had understood that money had been invested in Icelandic banks before September and the investment had accrued significant interest.”

Mr Power said: “It simply makes no sense to me. We cannot have weekly bin collections in Oxford because it will cost another £600,000 a year, but now we hear about city council officers squirreling away millions of pounds. I wonder how many of our elected members actually knew about this. In March there were articles saying that Iceland’s banks topped ‘the riskiness league’.”

Charles Shouler, the county council’s cabinet finance portfolio holder, said: “Perhaps those who think the incredible and unprecedented extent of the financial convulsions of September 2008 could have been foreseen should lend every council, police authority, university, health authority and the Audit Commission their crystal ball.

“Wise after the event remarks are not welcome. The simple truth is that Icelandic banks had a high credit rating when the money was invested."

Ed Turner, the deputy leader of Oxford City Council, said: “The world of local government, charities and universities has been let down by experts, who it turns out, were very late in forecasting the banks’ demise. Once we received the experts’ warning no more money was invested. But by then our money was locked in and the damage was done.”

Local councils are now working with the Government through the Local Government Association to try to recover their money from the Icelandic banks’ administrators.

Source: Witney Gazette

Oxfordshire has become one of the hotspots of the country for people looking to rent a home.

A report by website Propertyfinder.com shows the county is now second only behind Surrey in terms of popularity in the lettings market.

Experts at the firm say Oxfordshire’s proximity to London is a key factor in the findings, which have been backed up by local lettings agents.

Robin Swailes, director of North Oxford Property Services in Jericho, said: “We have 500 properties in our portfolio and at the moment we do not have any available.

“It is normally slow at this time of year, but we are experiencing exceptional dem- and. The quality of life and schooling is better than in London but people can still commute into the City and we are seeing those 35 and over moving up here.”

Mr Swailes said the lettings market was being driven by the credit crunch, which has seen property prices falling in the county with people deciding to rent instead of buying a home.

And in Oxford itself, the supply of rented housing is at a premium because of planning restrictions and growing demand from the expansion of Oxford Brookes University and the hospitals.

As a result, rents are increasing by about three per cent this year after rising four per cent in 2007.

Frank Webster, of letting agents Finders Keepers, said all six of its offices across the county were very busy.

He said: “Oxfordshire has a lot to offer tenants, and our Abingdon and city centre offices are letting more than normal at this time of year.”

But he said there was still a decent supply of available property caused by people renting their homes when they found they had not been able to sell them.

He said investors were also looking to get back into the market because of uncertainty over the security of banks and low interest rates.

Simon Cadd, lettings manager at the Witney branch of Breckon & Breckon estate agents, said: “We have a cross-section of young professionals and families, some of whom have come from Europe and the United States and work in London, but don’t want to live in the City.”

Nicholas Leeming, director Propertyfinder.com, added: “Commuting is the perfect way to rent and save money for a deposit — and to make home purchase more affordable when they come to take the plunge.

“With everyone increasingly worried about finances, a growing number of people are going to be making the journey out of London and into the commuter belt.”

Source: Witney Gazette

Police are appealing for information after a recent spate of burglaries in the Witney area.

Yesterday, a house was burgled in Park Road, Ducklington, between 2.30pm and 6.30pm and some jewellery and a 32-inch flatscreen television was stolen.

The thieves managed to get into the property by removing a window pane in the kitchen.

This burglary is in addition to the other burglaries previously publicised, which happened between October 26 and 30.

Det Con Kerry Boyle said: “I suspect that these burglaries could be linked and I’m keen to catch those responsible.

“The thieves seem to be going to the rear of the property and breaking their way in through windows or patio doors.

"There have been reports of a blue car, possibly an estate, in the area and I am keen to speak to anyone who has any information about this car.

“I would urge anyone who may have seen suspicious activity in the area to contact the police. Also, if you have been offered any jewellery for sale at a cheap price, please get in touch."

Source: Witney Gazette

The number of people out of work and claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in Oxfordshire has risen by 33 per cent over the past year, according to figures released today by the Office of National Statistics.

The numbers indicate that 1.1 per cent of the county’s work age population – 4,563 people – were jobless and claiming benefit in October, up from 4,423 in September.

In October 2007 there were 3,417 people claiming benefit in the county, 1,140 fewer than in October 2008.

Oxford had the highest rate of unemployment in October at 1.5 per cent – 1,634 people – and the Vale of the White Horse and West Oxfordshire had the lowest — both at 0.8 per cent.

Nationally, the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance rose by 36,500 to 970,279, – 2.6 per cent – in October, the highest monthly increase since 1992.

The figures show that 169,320 more people were claiming benefit last month than in October 2007, up nearly 20 per cent.

Source: Witney Gazette

Five rivers in Oxfordshire have now been placed on Flood Watch alerts by the Environment Agency following heavy rain.

This morning only the River Evenlode, from Moreton-in-Marsh to Cassington, near Witney, was on Floodwatch, but the rivers Ray, Thame, Windrush and Cherwell were later put on alert.

A Flood Watch warning means that flooding of low-lying land and roads is expected, while a Flood Warning indicates that some properties are at risk of flooding.

Helen Chivers, a spokesman for the Met Office, said heavy rain was forecast for the region today, with between 15mm and 25mm falling by the end of the afternoon.

She said: “It is not a huge amount but following recent heavy rain, groundwater levels are already quite high.

“The rain is not expected to persist for too long and following showers tonight and tomorrow morning we might start to see some sunshine.”

Source: Witney Gazette

Strike action which could have caused dozens of schools across Oxfordshire to close has been narrowly averted.

A slim majority of members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) voted in favour of going out on strike over pay later this month — but because the majority was so small, the union’s executive last night decided it did not have sufficient mandate to take action.

Oxfordshire NUT president, and NUT executive member, Chris Blakey said: “In view of the slim majority, 51.7 per cent in favour, it is probably the best way to make sure the NUT stays together.

“Teachers in Oxfordshire, who I know are very angry about the pay situation, are telling me the time is not right and I think they would support this decision.”

An estimated 1,800 Oxfordshire teachers went on strike earlier this year, with 600 marching through the streets of Oxford in protest over a below inflation pay increase of 2.45 per cent.

Hundreds of public sector workers in the county are planning to walk out on Monday after civil servants in the Public and Commercial Services Union voted to strike over a below inflation pay rise of two per cent. Job centres and driving test centres are expected to be affected.

Among the strikers will be hundreds of workers at the Inland Revenue offices in John Smith Drive, Cowley and about 90 workers at the job centre in Gloucester Green in the city centre.

A walkout by court clerks, ushers and security guards is not expected to close any of the courts in Oxford or across the county.

Managers and agency staff are expected to fill the empty posts.

Source: Witney Gazette

Production of the Mini is to be cut back in the latest sign of problems facing carmakers in the wake of the economic slowdown.

Workers at the firm's factories in Cowley and Swindon have been told the two-week Christmas shutdown is to be extended to four weeks this year as a result of the credit crunch.

The factory will shut down on December 7 — and not re-open until January 5 —11 days longer than previously thought.

Despite a slump in the global economy, sales of the Mini have risen in the USA as they swop gas-guzzling vehicles for more fuel efficient city cars.

To help offset the cost of Christmas, part of the factory workers’ annual bonus is being brought forward.

They are set to receive £400 before they break for the festive period.

However, this latest news is a blow to the industry following an announcement earlier this week by Jaguar Land Rover that a voluntary redundancy scheme was to be extended to hundreds of workers.

Roger Maddison, national officer at Unite, said: "We understand the very difficult economic conditions car manufacturers are facing.

"We have robust agreements in place to protect our members as much as possible during these difficult times. However, we remain vigilant and we are keeping a close eye on developments in the car industry."

Unite said the extended shutdown of Mini production would not affect workers' pay.

Source: Witney Gazette

Campaigners are claiming bumper public support against the building of Witney’s £15m Cogges link road.

In a public consultation over the scheme, West Oxfordshire Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) said more than 1,000 Witney residents have so far recorded their objections, with only four showing support.

David Condon, CPRE spokesman, said: “I got the figures from the county council’s planning department in the middle of last week. It is the latest they have and it obviously shows the way people are thinking.”

Oxfordshire County Council is carrying out consultation on the scheme until November 28. It backs the link road which has been on the drawing board for nearly 20 years.

Council spokesman Paul Smith said they would not officially discuss the figures: “We would not release them while consultation is going on because it might influence the way people respond.”

The CPRE’s claim is the latest move in a battle for public support. They brought out thousands of leaflets to persuade residents to back their scheme for a four-way junction on the A40 Witney bypass at Shores Green.

In reply, Witney Town Council last week started a similar campaign urging people to back the Cogges link. Both sides are disputing facts and figures used in the leaflets.

Mr Condon added: “This is the biggest issue the town has had for years. But we have to keep the pressure on. We might be winning the campaign, but I am not yet convinced we will win the war.”

The county council is expected to decide on the link road in January.

If it decides in favour, that will not be the end of the story. Local landowner James Mawle, of the Mawle Trustees, has vowed he will resist compulsory purchase of land needed for the line of the road.

That would force a public inquiry which, at the least, would delay the road’s construction. If the inquiry upheld the Mawle Trustees objection, the council would have to decide what further action to take.

Source: Witney Gazette

Fears over the future of hundreds of banking jobs in Oxfordshire are growing after HBOS and Lloyds TSB increased the cost-cutting targets of their proposed merger to £1.5bn.

Neither of the banks could give any assurances to staff as the financial implications of the Government-backed merger started to unravel.

About 300 staff are thought to work for the banks in the county and with Lloyds and HBOS branches currently operating independently in high streets, it is thought branches could close in a bid to avoid duplication and cut overheads.

There are 24 branches of HBOS and Lloyds TSB in the county.

HBOS spokesman Andy Maciver said: “There is no further detail on branches or job numbers and we don’t know when that sort of information will be available.

“Executives are making sure the deal goes through and decisions will be made after that.”

Lloyds TSB spokesman Emile Abu-Shakra added: “This is being revealed stage by stage over a period of weeks and months and the detail is yet to be announced.”

The uncertainties over job cuts came after Lloyds TSB said it now hoped to find an extra £500m from the combined cost base after its takeover of HBOS.

Both banks confirmed their commitment to the deal, despite speculation of potential rival bids from mystery suitors waiting in the wings.

In trading statements also released by both banks HBOS revealed a further £2.72bn hit from the credit crunch, while Lloyds said it had seen a "substantial reduction" in profits since the start of the year.

Lloyds is hoping to deliver annual cost savings of more than £1.5bn by the end of 2011, compared with its previous estimate that it would be able to save around £1bn or 10 per cent of the combined group's cost base.

The acquisition will change the face of high streets particularly in market towns like Witney and Abingdon which will each have three branches of the new proposed combined banking giant.

Bicester, which has Halifax and Lloyds branches in Sheep Street, could also be affected.

Source: Witney Source

Police today renewed an appeal for witnesses after three further houses were burgled in the Witney area, bringing the total to six in the same series.

At some time between Sunday and yesterday, a rear window was forced at a property in Woodstock Road and jewellery worth £1,200 was stolen.

Between Tuesday and yesterday, someone attempted to force windows at the rear of a house in Beech Road. They may have gained entry to the property but it seems nothing was stolen.

Then in Church Street, Ducklington, a window was forced on a property overnight between Wednesday and yesterday. Two copper-coloured ‘luster’ jugs were stolen, which are of great sentimental value to the owner.

These burglaries are in addition to three others previously publicised, which occurred on Wednesday.

At some time between 10.30am and 8pm there was an attempt to enter a property in Chedworth Drive, but nothing was stolen. Between 11am and 9pm, a house was broken into in Woodlands Road and jewellery was stolen.

Between 7.20pm and 8pm, another house in Woodlands Road was entered via an upstairs window. The residents were at home, but they neither saw nor heard anything.

A wallet containing £400 cash and bank cards was stolen along with some jewellery, including a silver cigarette case.

Det Con Kerry Boyle, of the Priority Crime Team at Witney, said: “It is unusual for the Witney area to have this many burglaries in such a short time, so it does concern us.

“If you saw anything suspicious over the last few days in the areas of the burglaries, particularly any suspicious vehicles, please contact us. None of the address are secluded and are in places where there is a good chance people may have seen something. Also, if you have been offered any jewellery for sale at a cheap price, please get in touch.

“Many of these houses have been left unoccupied for some time - it is a stark reminder that residents should take measures to deter burglars by making it look as though someone is at home when they are away.

“Make sure your house is never left in darkness: leave your curtains pulled use timer switches to make sure you have lighting coming on when it gets dark and maybe even a radio. A burglar will look for houses in darkness; make sure you’re not one of their victims.”

Det Con Boyle can be contacted via the Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505.

If you don’t want to talk to police and don’t want to leave your name, call the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Source: Witney Source

A scheme to pay Oxfordshire doctors for not referring patients to hospital must not compromise GPs' duty of care, the Government has warned.

The Department of Health has written to the Oxfordshire health trust behind the controversial incentive scheme for family doctors, which has caused a national storm after being first reported in The Oxford Times.

Under the scheme, introduced by Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust, up to £1.2m is being handed over to GPs in bonuses to reduce the numbers being sent to hospitals.

But there have been mounting fears that the quality of care could be hit, with the chairman of the British Medical Association's GP Committee, Laurence Buckman, dismissing it as "morally dubious, ethically disturbing and quite wrong".

The Government has now stepped in, writing to local trusts to warn that incentive schemes similar to Oxfordshire's must not override the clinical needs of patients.

The incentive scheme in Oxfordshire was introduced in response to an eight per cent rise in hospital referrals, contributing to a feared PCT overspend of up to £23m.

The PCT says that 79 out of the county's 82 practices have already signed up for the scheme, which will earn GPs thousands of extra pounds if they can meet referral targets.

The Department of Health responded to concerns from patient groups and the BMA with a clear message to trusts that patient care must not suffer.

Dr David Colin-Thome, the Government's national director of primary care, tells trusts that they must be sure that incentive schemes must "improve quality and appropriateness of care for patients in the most appropriate setting".

Despite warnings from some specialists that payments to bring down referrals could result in patients being misdiagnosed, Oxfordshire PCT said it would be going ahead with its scheme.

A spokesman said: "Any patient in Oxfordshire who needs a hospital referral will get one."

But Jacquie Pearce-Gervis, of the Oxfordshire Patient Focus Group, said: "There is still considerable concern about this from people of all ages.

"People simply do not believe these payments are right.

"It is only thanks to The Oxford Times that this issue has been highlighted locally and nationally, otherwise people would simply have not known about what was going on."

Source: Witney Gazette

Burglars who climbed in through a window while the residents were at home during a spree in Witney have been described by police as ‘audacious’.

The burglars broke into a house in Woodlands Road some time between 11am and 9pm yesterday and stole jewellery.

They attempted to force their way inside a second home in Chedworth Drive some time between 10.30am and 8pm but were foiled and left empty-handed.

Then between 7.20pm and 8pm burglars got inside a house in Woodlands Road through an upstairs window and grabbed a wallet with £400 cash inside, bank cards, jewellery and a silver cigarette case.

The residents were at home at the time but did not hear the burglars.

PC Kerry Boyle, of the Priority Crime Team at Witney, said: “It was audacious to say the least for whoever broke into this house to do so while the residents were at home. Although they were not confronted or threatened, the homeowners have been left terrified and we would like to catch whoever committed this burglary.

“If you saw anything suspicious in the Woodlands Road or Chedworth Drive areas yesterday, please contact us. Also, if you have been offered some jewellery for sale at cheap prices, please get in touch.

“I would also like to remind local people to make sure their homes are secure, especially now the evenings are much darker. Even when you are home, make sure windows and doors are locked in parts of the house you are not frequenting; this includes upstairs windows that are accessible from outside.”

Anyone with information should contact police on 08458 505505 or to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Source: Witney Gazette

House prices in Oxfordshire are tumbling at an annual rate of 3.8 per cent, according to figures released by the Land Registry.

The average price of a house sold in the county in September was £241,444, compared to £250,363 for the same month in 2007.

Between August and September this year, the figure slipped by 0.6 per cent as the rate at which prices are falling increases.

But Oxfordshire still compares well with figures for England and Wales as a whole, which saw an eight per cent annual average house price fall to £168,814.

Account manager Louis Burford, 25, has been trying to sell his flat in Abingdon for five months.

He said: "A few more viewers have come along to see the flat in October — and when interest rates come down, as expected, that will help too."

He bought his two-bedroom flat, in Penlon Place, for £210,000 in March 2006 and put it up for sale at £225,000 in June.

In September, he reduced the price to £219,000.

Mr Burford said: "I am not desperate to sell, but I thought that if I could I would — and then live with my father until I could find a house, rather than a flat, to buy.

"I am very sorry for people who now find themselves in negative equity.

"Part of the trouble in Abingdon is there are a lot of new-build flats for sale and some developers are offering incentives with which I cannot compete — stamp duty paid for buyers, for instance."

Lawyer Mike Dibden, head of the conveyancing team at Oxfordshire law firm Brethertons, also suggested some "clever money" might once again be going into the county's property market.

He said: "The market is still very fragile, and it's too early to call this a trend, but we have seen an increase in the number of conveyances we are handling this month.

"It could be some people who have sold equities on the falling stock market are now putting their money into property instead."

He said the number of transactions in October was up about 10 per cent over September levels — but stressed many of the new conveyances were for properties at the top end of the market.

Mr Dibden said the freeze in the housing market had two causes — potential buyers finding it impossible to get credit and potential cash buyers holding off in case prices fell further.

"There are signs some of these cash buyers think now is the right time to make a move," he said.

The Land Registry figures, which were released yesterdayalso showed there were 580 house sales in Oxfordshire in July, up from a low of 533 in March.

Source: Witney Gazette