Latest news with #Bicester
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Man arrested in town as 'cloned' car seized
A man has been arrested in Bicester as a "cloned" car was found and seized by police. The incident occurred today (Monday, June 23) in which police were "alerted" to a cloned car in the area. Officers from Thames Valley Police's rural crime taskforce responded to the alert and located the vehicle in question. READ MORE: A40 delays as Burford High Street closed due to fire A spokesperson for the force said: "The officers located the vehicle parked up and detained the driver for a search. "Further checks found that vehicle had clearly had its identity changed. Experience the pulse of Oxford at your fingertips 🗞️ With our flash sale, Oxford Mail keeps you updated for less: only £4 for 4 months or save 40 per cent on an annual subscription. Don't miss out on what's happening locally #DigitalDeal #LocalJournalismhttps:// — Oxford Mail (@TheOxfordMail) June 16, 2025 "A male was arrested and the vehicle was seized to be more closely examined." Cloning a car is a kind of vehicle identity theft with guidance from The AA explaining the criminal practice in which a car's number plates are replaced with those from an almost identical vehicle. This is done to mask a stolen car's identity or to avoid paying parking tickets, speeding fines and other charges.
The Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Huge banking giant to slash opening hours in HALF at 36 high street branches within days
A HUGE banking giant is about to cut opening hours in half at 36 branches within days. Santander is set to change the opening hours of dozens of its branches from June 30. This move comes as part of a broader restructuring, which also includes the closure of 95 branches and the conversion of 18 to "counter-free" service desks. Currently, most of these branches are open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 3pm, with many also open Saturday mornings from 9.30am to 12.30pm. Going forward, these branches will be open only three days a week. Of the affected locations, 21 branches will adopt a Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday timetable. These include branches in Bicester, Braintree, Durham, and Stevenage. This means that, from June 30, these branches will open just three days a week - instead of six. An additional 14 branches will adopt a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday timetable, opening from 9.30am to 3pm on these days. Branches affected by this change include Banbury, Great Yarmouth, Newark, and Washington. Meanwhile, the final branch on the list, located in Caerphilly, will see its hours cut further, from every week day to just Tuesdays and Thursdays, with opening hours from 9.30am to 3pm. Our map above reveals exactly which branches are reducing their hours and which days they'll be open from the end of June. Inside the hubs restoring high street banking and reversing the tide of mass branch closures The bank says the changes are due to changing customer behaviour and a significant increase in digital transactions. A spokesperson for Santander UK, said: "As customer behaviour changes, we are ensuring that our branches remain fit for the future. "Our new combination of full-service branches, alongside Work Cafés, counter-free branches and reduced hours branches, aims to provide the right balance between digital banking and face-to-face money management and guidance. "As a business, we must move with customers and balance our investment across all the places where we interact with customers, to deliver the very best for them now and in the future." The bank, which serves over 14million UK customers, announced in March that it plans to close 95 branches across the UK. Following the shake-up, just 349 branches will remain on the high street. What you can do if your local bank is set to close There are still a number of ways people can access basic banking services without having to venture to another town with a branch. You can use one of the Post Office's 11,684 branches to perform basic banking tasks — but not to open new bank accounts or take personal loans and mortgages. You can find your nearest Post Office branch by visiting Meanwhile, many banks offer a mobile banking service - where they bring a bus to your area offering services you can usually get at a physical branch. Other banks use buildings such as village halls or libraries to offer mobile banking services. It's worth contacting your bank to see what mobile services they have available, and when they might next be in your area. New super ATMs are being rolled out across the UK where branch closures have left residents unable to access essential banking services. These ATMs will allow customers to withdraw funds, access their balance, change PIN numbers and deposit cash. Bank of Scotland, Barclays, Halifax, Lloyds, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank are already signed up to allow deposits, at the super ATMs. Banking hubs are also being opened across the UK with 250 set to be available by the end of 2025. These sites typically feature a counter service operated by the Post Office as standard, enabling customers to conduct routine banking transactions conveniently. Each hub also has a private area where customers can consult with staff representing their banks for more complex matters. What services do banking hubs offer? BANKING hubs offer a range of services to bridge the gap left by the closure of local branches. Operated by the Post Office, these hubs allow customers to perform routine transactions such as deposits, withdrawals, and balance enquiries. Each hub also features private booths where customers can discuss more complex banking matters with staff from their respective banks. Staff from different banks are available on a rotational basis, ensuring that customers have access to a wide range of banking services throughout the week. Additionally, customers can receive advice and support on various financial products and services, including loans, mortgages, and savings accounts.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Bicester Motion fire: Charity football match in honour of victims
A charity football match in honour of three people killed in a fire at a business park is about "getting the community together", one of its organisers has told the Jennie Logan, 30, and Martyn Sadler, 38, along with father-of-two Dave Chester, 57, were killed in the blaze that engulfed a hanger on the Bicester Motion site on 15 United, based near the town, will face off against a team of Oxford United legends to raise funds for the Firefighters Charity on 20 club's chairman, Ian Feaver, said it "needed to do something" as the incident had "affected the whole of the Bicester community". "When we think about Jennie, Martyn and David, pretty much everyone knows someone who knew one of those three people - so it really does affect everybody in quite a bad way," he said."Raising funds for the Firefighters Charity is important, but [it's also important] to get the community together to have an enjoyable evening whilst remembering those people." Mr Feaver said Oxford United had been "absolutely fantastic" in "supporting us to do something to raise funds".Several U's legends, including three players who secured the club's return to the Football League at Wembley in 2010, will feature in the Constable, who scored the second goal in that win over York City, said he was "massively looking forward" to the encounter."It's something really tough hearing that news that people have lost their lives trying to keep us all safe," he said."As soon as there was a mention of a game and something as simple as kicking a ball around with mates and raising money, it was something that I was keen do."The match - which will be refereed by current Football League ref and former firefighter Sam Allison - is a ticket-only event, with all money raised going to the Firefighters Charity. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Yahoo
Appeal for missing elderly woman as police 'increasingly concerned'
A search has been launched for an elderly woman missing from Oxfordshire as police have said they are "increasingly concerned". Yu, whose surname has not been released, is missing from Wendlebury near Bicester. The 69-year-old woman has links to Abingdon, and an urgent appeal to help trace her has been launched by Thames Valley Police. READ MORE: Oxford off-licence owner to be sentenced after vapes seized She is described as Chinese, 5ft 3in tall, of slim build and with black hair. She was last seen wearing a cream trench coat. Experience the pulse of Oxford at your fingertips 🗞️ With our flash sale, Oxford Mail keeps you updated for less: only £4 for 4 months or save 40 per cent on an annual subscription. Don't miss out on what's happening locally #DigitalDeal #LocalJournalismhttps:// — Oxford Mail (@TheOxfordMail) June 16, 2025 A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said: "We are becoming increasingly concerned for her welfare. "If you see Yu, believe you may have sighted her or have information that may help us, please call 999 quoting the incident reference 43250300946. "Yu enjoys walks and has links to Abingdon so please call 999 if you see her." Anyone with information about Yu's whereabouts can make a report by calling 101 or by contacting the police online.
BBC News
16-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Phased plan to build Alexandra House of Joy in Bicester announced
The time it will take to build a specialist care and respite centre for adults with severe learning disabilities will take longer because of rising construction House of Joy will now be built in three phases, instead of all at once, at a site on Middle Wretchwick Farm off Wretchwick Way, in Bicester, charity said the strategy would ensure it progressed in a "responsible, sustainable way - one that reflects the needs of our future guests, the realities of the current climate, and the generosity of our supporters to date".It has so far raised more than £950,000 to build the centre of excellence, with phase one expected to begin in mid-2026. The charity is named after founder Rachael Scott-Hunter's daughter Alexandra, who died of sepsis in 2019. She had a brain haemorrhage four days after she was born and grew up with severe learning Scott-Hunter said her dream was to support all aspects of care under one roof."Everything you could possibly think of that they needed," she said. "And I know it's never ever been done before. There are respite centres, there are day centres, nobody's ever brought the whole lot together." 'Long-term vision' When Alexandra House of Joy registered with the Charity Commission in 2018, it was aiming to construct all the facilities at once at a projected cost of £2.1m. But it said because of inflation, the Covid pandemic and supply chain challenges, this had risen to about £ said the three-phase construction model would enable it "to begin supporting families sooner, while retaining the full scope of our long-term vision". Phase one involves the construction of a purpose-built centre of four ensuite bedrooms with individual patios, an assisted bathroom, accessible toilets, a sluice room, nurses' station, staff room, communal dining area, kitchen and reception will also be three bespoke activity rooms offering music, arts and crafts, and sensory two sees two additional bedrooms added, as well as a hydrotherapy pool and two more activity three adds two high-dependency hospice bedrooms, a family stayover flat, a chapel of rest, another activity room, and convalescent support services. The charity said: "This phased plan represents a careful and deliberate response to changing circumstances. "It honours the original promise made to our supporters and preserves the long-term goal of a centre that provides both short-term respite and holistic end-of-life care."It said it was moving forward "with renewed energy and hope". You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
