Category: Thame news

A 22-year-old man was yesterday (12/3) sentenced at Oxford Magistrates? Court to 44 days in prison on two charges of abducting a child whilst in care.

Robert Newitt, from Van Diemans Road in Thame, pleaded guilty to the two charges today.

Det Con Lianne Phillips, investigating the incident, said: ?This is a case where an adult male has engaged in a relationship with a vulnerable young girl who is in the care of the local authority. His continued association with this child resulted in her being reported missing on several occasions and being put into potentially dangerous situations.

“I would like the men who are in relationships with young vulnerable girls to know that the police and local authority will not tolerate this type of behaviour and will work together to use this legislation to prosecute offenders.”

OXFORDSHIRE County Council’s Fire and Rescue service pulled out all the stops to raise around

THAME is likely to get 850 new homes by 2026, if the recently published Draft Core Strategy for the district becomes policy.

The document is the culmination of studies and consultations carried out by South Oxfordshire District Council and lays out the preferred options for the distribution of 10,000 new homes throughout the district within the next ten years, a need brought about by a growing popuation, changes in the aging population and the break up of families who will need more, smaller homes.

Having looked at many sites suggested in and around Thame by both developers, land-owners and the public, the district council’s prefered site for Thame’s allocation is to the South of the town.

The Strategy recognises that the three market towns (Henley, Thame and Wallingford) are all significant service and employment centres as well as attractive towns and sets out plans to strengthen them and help improving the retail and service offer by focusing some new development within those towns to support and enhance their role. It is proposed that 8.5 hectares in the three towns be identified for employment development.

“We need to work with other stakeholders to retain and improve leisure, tourism, cultural and educational facilities in these towns,” states the report.

SODC’s Cabinet has approved the strategy, apart from a proposed site north of Watlington, which will now go forward for further consultation around the district.

The full strategy can be read on South Oxfordshire District Council’s website at: LINK

Picture: for illustrative purposes only; affordable housing courtesy of Rutland.gov.uk

AFTER a ten year absence, First Thame Scout Group has re-formed.
The group, which re-opened on February 28, becomes Thame’s second scout troop. The troop originally met from 1972 until 1998 but had to close because of a lack of Leaders.

To form the new group, sixteen new members were taken from the waiting list for scouts and four new leaders were invested into the Scout Group. The scout troop will be called Rowallan, after the Third Chief Scout -Lord Rowallan. It meets on a Saturday mornings at Thame Scout Headquarters, in Southern Road, Thame.

This additional scout group increases the youth membership of the scout group to 131, but there still remains a waiting list for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts.

The Scout leaders are always looking for helpers, leaders and Fundraising Committee members. If you would like to help, contact shelaghhutson@aol.com for further information.

THERE were delays on the M40 this morning, following an incident near Thame this morning.

The incident involved a van and two cars near junction seven for Thame on the southbound carriageway shortly after 7am.

Although the incident caused traffic to back up to junction 8a at Oxford, all lanes were reopened by 9am.

No serious injuries have been reported.

THE traditional art of Lacemaking, once a common sight in Thame, Long Crendon and other local villages, returned to Thame last weekend, when St Mary’s church hosted its 15th Lace day.

On Saturday (28/02), 173 Lacemakers attended from a wide reaching area to meet friends and make lace. Two suppliers of lacemaking materials such as the bobbins, threads, patterns and pins needed for the lacemaker’s skill were there to sell their goods. One had travelled from as far as Yorkshire and another from Warwick, such is the popularity of this event.

The church was open for visitors to come and watch the lacemakers at work and all funds raised at this event will, as in previous years, be used for restoration work to the church building.

Hot drinks were on sale all day and a raffle made

A former police officer who lives in Thame, has been banned from driving for 12 months for dangerous driving.

Candida Easton was arrested after she was stopped and hemmed in by two other drivers who told Oxford Crown Court how she drove erratically, including attempting dangerous over-taking manoeuvres that they felt put lives in danger.

The offence took place along a stretch of the A418 north of Aylesbury in June, 2007, and included an incident where one driver, carrying a pregant passenger, was forced to swerve to avoid hitting an articulated lorry coming in the opposite direction.

Ms Easton, aged 45, who resigned from her post after her conviction, was also given a community order with a two-year supervision requirement. She must also take an extended driving test before she is allowed to drive again.

A FORMER High Wycombe police officer who resigned after being convicted of dangerous driving has been banned from the roads for 12 months.

Candida Easton, who was formerly based at High Wycombe police station, resigned from her post shortly before she was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on Friday.

She was given a 12-month driving ban and

The 45-year-old from Thame had been found guilty of dangerous driving by jurors at Oxford Crown Court after driving erratically .

Superintendent Richard List, Thames Valley Police’s area commander for Aylesbury Vale where the offence took place, said the sentencing sent out a ?strong message? poor driving would not be tolerated.

He said: ?This decision needs to be seen in positive terms. It clearly shows, whether an individual is a police officer or a citizen, no one is above the law.?

Supt List added Ms Easton resigned from her role as a police constable before being sentenced, adding she was ?not a long-serving police officer?.

A Police Road Safety officer has expressed his disappointment that drivers in Thame are flouting laws designed to protect them.

Constable Mark Pilling, who lead a road side check for seat belt and mobile phone offences in Upper High Street, Thame yesterday, said today: “Despite wide-reaching road safety campaigns and regular enforcement operations, 81 people were detected not wearing their seatbelts and 10 drivers were stopped for using their mobile phones while driving. Five people did not have valid road tax.

“This is a high number of offences at this spot – many more than we would expect.

He continued: “It is massively disappointing that people continue to flout road safety laws that are there for their own protection.”

Of the 81 drivers stopped for not wearing a seatbelt, 75 opted for the option of roadside education from county council road safety offices.

?We will continue our campaign of enforcement and education to reinforce road safety messages,? added PC Pilling.

Picture: This farmer, passing through Thame yesterday, was stopped for driving without wearing a seatbelt and received a fixed penalty charge of

TWO men have been charged following a robbery and Whittalls Wine Store in Thame High Street.

The robbery took place on Friday, February 20, just as the store was preparing to close at around 10pm. Two members of staff were told to lock the shop door and forced to hand over cash.

Jonathan White, aged 24, from Van Diemans Road in Thame and Jason Morgan aged 28 from Cotteslowe Road in Aylesbury have been released on bail to appear at Oxford Magistrates? Court on March 17.

DRIVERS passing through Thame, not wearing seat belts or using their mobile phones whilst driving, were in for a nasty shock this morning.

Plain clothes police officers acting as spotters radioed their uniformed colleagues stationed close to the car park in Upper High Street, Thame, the car registration of any offending drivers, who were then pulled over.

All those caught committing these offences (over 30 in the first hour of Operation Pride) were issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) for the appropriate offence. County Council road safety officers offering education were close by with a mobile unit offering education as an alternative to a FPN for seatbelt offences.

Those using their mobile phone were offered the option of the ?Call Divert? course in place of a fixed penalty.

The maximum fixed penalty fine for using a mobile phone whilst driving is