A man has been charged with attempted murder after a woman received serious injuries in the early hours of Sunday morning.

David Cairnie, aged 39 of Belgrave Road, Aylesbury, has been charged with one count of attempted murder.

The charges follow an incident in Belgrave Road at 1.57am on Sunday in which a woman in her late fifties received serious injuries.

She is undergoing hospital treatment and remains in a serious but stable condition.

Cairnie has been remanded in custody to appear at High Wycombe Magistrates Court tomorrow.

A mystery woman from Buckinghamshire has scooped nearly £250,000 on the EuroMillions Lottery.

The woman, known only as Mrs. F from Buckinghamshire, has won £224,264.80 without ever touching a ticket according to Camelot. The lucky woman won after matching the five main numbers and one Lucky Star number in the EuroMillions draw on 16 February 2018 and has indicated that she’ll be spending her windfall on some home improvements.

Mrs. F played EuroMillions through national-lottery.co.uk and has become one of over eight million players that win each week on The National Lottery’s range of games. Lucky Mrs. F won using her own special numbers which were made up of birthdays.

Andy Carter Senior Winners’ Advisor at The National Lottery, said, “Huge congratulations to Mrs. F for winning this fantastic prize without even touching a ticket. After a few simple clicks she has become just over £220,000 better off!”

Interactive winners have the opportunity to release their name, remain anonymous or like this winner, release some details through partial publicity.

One of the UK’s fastest growing pub groups, Oakman Inns & Restaurants Ltd - which has popular venues across Herts, Bucks, Beds, Northants, Warwickshire and Oxfordshire - has again been voted by their own team as one of the top employers in the UK.

Oakman, which started as the brainchild of entrepreneurial founder Peter Borg-Neal at the Akeman in Tring, has come 17th in The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For.

Oakman Inns operates 20 pubs including Kings Arms, Berkhamsted, The Red Lion, Water End in Hemel, The Akeman, Tring, Beech House, Beaconsfield, The Akeman Inn, Kingswood, Betsey Wynne, Swanbourne, The Navigation at Thrupp Wharf, Cosgrove, The Crown & Thistle, Abingdon, The Old Post Office, Wallingford, Blue Boar, Witney, The Globe, Warwick and the White Hart in Ampthill.

The 2018 Best Companies list which “celebrates and showcases the very best in workplace engagement” were revealed at an awards ceremony held at the Battersea Evolution venue in London’s Battersea Park lastw week.

Oakman Inns, which currently employs just over 750 people across its 20 pubs, inns and restaurants – seven of which double as small boutique hotels (see below) - has also secured a Best Companies 3 Star “extraordinary” accreditation, which recognises the highest standard of workplace engagement and represents organisations that excel. This is the third year that Oakman’s team culture has been given this accolade.

Headquartered in Tring, the company, which was founded in 2007 by CEO, Peter Borg-Neal, has redefined the concept of the modern public house, successfully transforming both historic coaching inns and modern buildings into all day contemporary spaces with a strong sense of identity and integration within their local communities.

Their first venture was The Akeman in Tring, Hertfordshire, which set the standard with a wide choice of drinks, imaginative Mediterranean-inspired and modern British food menus. All their dishes are freshly prepared in an open theatre-style kitchen using a charcoal grill and wood-fired oven, with an emphasis on freshness, quality, sustainability and taste.

The Best Companies survey examines company life and reveals how employees really perceive their working environment. The research looks at a total of eight engagement factors such as working conditions, company values, employees’ opinion of their managers and how valued they feel.

Oakman’s Operations Director, Alex Ford (pictured), said: “The entire process is about as objective as it can get, and the score is based upon what our people say about where and how they work, as well as engagement experts examining how the entire HR process from training to pastoral care is undertaken. This is so important for us because we’re a people business, and good customer contact and relations are born out of confident, happy, well-trained staff, who are always engaged in trying to be the best they can be.”

Oakman has already won two other HR awards over the past four months, recognising the efforts of their HR team led by Jill Scatchard:

Jill said: “We were one of 40 UK companies recognised by The Princess Royal Training Award for training excellence last November and also won the British Institute of Innkeepers’ National Innovation in Training Award (NITA) for Best Casual Dining Training Programme. Much of the effort is actually taken by our team when they use our interactive training software, Oakmanology. We developed it over two years and launched it in late 2016 and it has revolutionised our teams’ training. We can give them new skills, new responsibilities and fully developed careers as a result of our growth and their training success.”

Peter Borg-Neal, Oakman Inns CEO, added: “We are delighted to be in the top 50 for the fourth year running and to have achieved the maximum Three Star accreditation for the third time. We see the achievement of high levels of employee engagement as key to the success of our business.”

If you are getting married then Waddesdon Manor could be just the place for you this weekend.

The popular tourist spot is hosting it’s Wedding Inspiration Day at Waddesdon on Sunday March 4 from 10am-3pm at the The Dairy and the Five Arrows Hotel.

Whether getting married at Waddesdon, another local venue or much further afield, Waddesdon’s Wedding Inspiration day is free to attend.

The event is anything but your typical wedding open day, designed with the help of independent luxury wedding planner The Bespoke Wedding Company, to be exciting, interactive, fun-filled and beautiful.

Guests will be greeted with a complimentary cocktail or glass of prosecco and introduced to a hand-picked line-up of luxury bridal wear, grooms wear, photographers, florists,entertainers, gastronomes and professional wedding planners.

“I really don’t know how you manage time after time to pull off such an amazing showcase – Sunday’s event definitely had the absolute ‘wow’ factor!”

Mark Sisley, Photographer In addition to giving guests access to over 60 of the regions finest wedding professionals committed to sharing their expert knowledge and advice, Waddesdon’s Wedding Inspiration Day has a fabulous line-up of catwalk shows, talks, tastings and demonstrations all designed to give you ideas to help make your wedding day utterly wow!

Highlights include the latest bridal trends shown on the catwalk by Ellie Sanderson Bridal Boutique, and demonstrations of wedding hair trends with Elle Au Naturel and Kelly Spence.

Couples who pre-register their attendance on the Waddesdon website will also receive a fabulous goody bag on the day. Visitors are invited to explore the Waddesdon Estate’s enchanting choice of wedding venues, the lakeside Dairy and the boutique Five Arrows Hotel, both created for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in the 19th century.

For more information visit www.weddingsatwaddesdon.co.uk/wedding-inspiration-day

Unsung heroes from Chinnor are to be celebrated with the launch of new awards.

The Chinnor Awards are being launched by Chinnor Parish Council on March 26 at the Community Pavilion, at 8pm.

Nominations open that night and all forms will be returned to a sealed box at the CPC office, and nominations close on June 22.

The categories wil be for Achievement in the Arts – music, art, drama; Sporting Achievement; Volunteer of the Year; Honorary Award; Lifetime Achievement Award

The winners will be announced at a gala event in August.

A spokeswoman for the parish council said: “We want to celebrate all of our local unsung heroes. We have many voluntary groups who are very successful and a lot of this is down to the volunteers who give up valuable time to run the groups. We would like everyone to have the chance to say ‘thank you’ to them.

“We would very much like local businesses involved and would like to invite businesses to support this event in the form of sponsorship.”

Businesses are being invited to support and attend the launch evening where they have the opportunity to promote themselves, and again at the event in August.

If you are keen to be involved and support the awards email Jo Willis at jowills@btconnect.com or call into the Chinnor Parish Council, Community Pavilion, Station Road, Chinnor, OX39 4PU, office before March 19.

A spring concert being held in Thame will celebrate the English composer Edward Elgar.

Prepare to experience the isolation of the creative artist in Edward Elgar’s The Music Makers, performed by Lord Williams’s Festival Chorus on Saturday, March 17, with Ealing Symphony Orchestra, under the leadership of John Gibbons.

The concert will also feature Midori Komachi playing the deliciously spring-like Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor.

Sergei Rachmaninov’s Spring, a short work for chorus, baritone and orchestra, will celebrate the return of a new season.

The concert is being held at Thame Leisure Centre at 7.30pm.

Tickets are £13 for adults, £10 concessions, £1 under 18s, at Eventbrite via lordwilliamsfestivalchorus.org.uk and on the door.

Thame residents, businesses and street collectors raised an amazing £22,362 for the Poppy Appeal in November 2017.

The town’s Poppy Appeal organiser would like to thank everyone for their generosity and support.

They said: “Could you help the Thame Poppy Appeal 2018 by joining the High Street collecting team? Please contact 0808 802 8080 or drop your contact details into the Information Centre at Thame Town Hall.

“Together “We will remember them” in this centenary year 2018.”

The Lord-Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, Tim Stevenson, has appointed six new deputies to assist in the role of representing Her Majesty the Queen in the county.

The new Deputy Lieutenants are Brian Buchan, from Fyfield, Jane Cranston, from Besselsleigh, John May, from Weston on the Green, Sir Tom Shebbeare, who lives in North Oxford, Lady Cynthia Hall, from Henley-on-Thames and Martin Fiennes, who lives at Broughton Castle near Banbury.

Along with a number of formal tasks, the deputies will help to encourage and support all positive contributions to community life in Oxfordshire, particularly from volunteering activity.

Deputy Lieutenants are appointed for the contribution they have already made to the life of the county, and for their potential for contributing even more in their new role. The current Deputy Lieutenants are drawn from all walks of life, displaying a wide range of different skills and experience.

Mr Stevenson said: “I am delighted to announce these new appointments to the existing group of dedicated Deputy Lieutenants. I know that they will each bring skill, commitment and enthusiasm to their new role. Oxfordshire will benefit greatly.”

Brian Buchan studied Chemistry at Jesus College, Oxford and went on to an international management career with Procter & Gamble becoming Group Vice-President and a Company Officer. Upon his return to the UK, he held a number of CEO, Chairman and non-executive roles with consumer goods companies. Brian currently serves as the Chair of the Finance Committee at the Story Museum in Oxford, is Treasurer of OXSRAD a disability centre in east Oxford and is a member of the Jesus College Development Committee.

Miss Jane Cranston has retired from the wine trade where she ran a wine merchant’s business she co-owned in Oxford. She is now a Trustee of Vale House Care Home for Dementia, chairman of her local village shop, chairman of the Charity Youth Challenge Oxfordshire (YoCO) and a Governor of the School of St Helen & St Katharine in Abingdon. In April she finishes her year as High Sheriff of Oxfordshire.

Mr John May is the Secretary General of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award; A teacher and youth worker, he has spent his career working with and for young people in the United Kingdom and around the world. John has been a teacher, headteacher, the national Education Director of Business in the Community, Chief Executive for Career Academies UK and Chief Executive for Young Enterprise.

He is a national trustee of The Marine Society and Sea Cadets and chairs the trustees of Oxfordshire Scouts. He volunteers with Charity Mentors, Oxfordshire and is a visiting lecturer in education at Oxford Brookes University. In 2008, he received The Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion in recognition of his long-standing dedication to enterprise education.

Sir Tom Shebbeare was an international Civil Servant with the Council of Europe (Strasbourg) and Director of the European Youth Foundation before becoming the first Chief Executive of The Prince’s Trust in 1988. He subsequently served as Director of The Prince’s Charities (2004 - 2011). He is currently Chairman of Spring Films, Virgin StartUp, Virgin Money Giving and until 2018 The Royal Parks Foundation. He is a Fellow of Green-Templeton College and a Trustee of ‘China Exchange’. For the past five years Tom has helped to create and deliver the Drayton (Vale of the White Horse) Parish’s Neighbourhood Plan.

Lady Cynthia Hall has been Head of The School of St Helen and St Katharine Abingdon; Head of Wycombe Abbey School High Wycombe. She is currently working as a consultant with Saxton Bampfylde. She is a former member of the Oxfordshire Independent and State Schools Partnership Forum, was President of the Girls’ Schools Association and was Team Inspector with the Independent Schools Inspectorate.

She is a trustee of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and has previously held governorships for Cressex Community School, Portsmouth Grammar School, Magdalen College School and St Paul’s School.

Mr Martin Fiennes works with Oxford Sciences Innovation plc, an investment company supporting spinouts from the Mathematical, Physical & Life Sciences Division and Medical Sciences Division of the University of Oxford. He has spent over 20 years working in early stage technology venture capital in the UK. He lives at Broughton Castle, near Banbury, a house which has been in the family since 1377 and which welcomes over 15,000 visitors each year. Martin is responsible for managing the house upkeep and farming operations on the Broughton estate. In addition he is a Trustee of the grant-giving charitable trust, the HDH Wills 1965 Charitable Trust, and a Non-Executive Director of Kings Arms Yard VCT plc.

More than £4,000 has been raised so far as swimmers splashed it out at the sixth Thame Swimathon, covering almost 41 miles.

The fun fundraiser, organised by Thame Rotary, took place at Thame Leisure Centre on Sunday, February 25.

The event was possible due to generous local sponsors, including Thame Leisure Centre, Haddenham Beer Festivals Trust, Aston Hearing, and Ignite Sport, who kindly covered most of the costs so that more money can be directed towards good causes.

The event received volunteer support from other local groups including Thame Lions, Thame Inner Wheel, Princes Risborough Rotary, Wheatley Park School Interact Club as well as family members and friends of Thame Rotarians.

Cllr Tom Wyse, Mayor of Thame, awarded medals to swimmers to recognise their fundraising and physical efforts. The Mayor said: “I really enjoyed visiting the Swimathon on Sunday. It was a great event to raise money for the charities. I wish I had the energy that all the swimmers possessed.”

Jo Sackett, of Barley Hill School PTFA, who recruited four teams of pupils from the largest Thame primary school, said: “It is such a pleasure to organise teams to take part in this wonderful event. Everyone is so enthusiastic, we raise an amazing amount of money and the children love every minute of it. Very proud of all of them and can’t wait for next year.”

Thame Swimming Club participated with 10 teams. Will Hard, the club’s communications manager, added: “Our swimmers had great fun at the Rotary Club of Thame Swimathon whilst raising money for worthwhile charities. Thank you to the Rotary Club for running such a well organised event. See you next year.”

Pete Quartly, who took part with his family for the first time, added: “This was a fantastic event, run very slickly and massively enjoyed by the family. Will be there next year.”

The teams swam 2,640 lengths which represent 66km or approximately 41 miles.

Most of the teams have taken the option to allocate 50% of the money raised towards their favourite cause, and 50% towards Thame Rotary’s main local charity, SeeSaw.

John Singer, president of the Rotary Club of Thame, said: “It’s been another highly successful fundraising Thame Swimathon. Everyone involved on Sunday seemed to be having a great time with plenty of enthusiastic support from family and friends - a really great advert for the communities of Thame and its neighbouring villages.”

The amount raised by the teams so far exceeds £4,000 and the public can donate up to March 5 at www.thame.rotary1090.org

Visit www.facebook.com/thamerotary

Building work on Thame Town Cricket Club’s new clubhouse has been given the mayoral seal of approval.

The Mayor of Thame, Tom Wyse, joined Angus Lachlan, the club’s vice chairman, Graham Hunt, Thame’s town clerk, Steve Macdonald, director of Sports Clubhouses - who are building the new facility - and David Lockhart, site foreman, for a ground-breaking ceremony on the site at Church Meadow.

Thame Town Council and South Oxfordshire District Council, together with the ECB, have all contributed to the funding of the new facility. In addition, many other businesses, club members and local supporters have ‘bought a brick’ to help fill the fundraising gap for fitting out the upper floor of the new facility.

The new clubhouse is expected to be ready in October of this year.

A club spokesman said: “Not only will it be one of the best cricket facilities in the region, adapted to cater for the growing numbers of men, women and children playing at Thame Town CC, but it will also be available as a facility for use by other local sports clubs. It will have two function rooms and other adaptable spaces available for hire by local clubs, community groups and businesses.”

The cricket club is a not-for-profit organisation, which ploughs back its revenues into the development of local cricket, including a Women’s squad which was successfully launched in 2015.

It is centrally-located, at the south-west corner of Church Meadow, next to the Barns Centre and easily accessible on foot or by bike.

For more information about the club, go to Thame Town Cricket Club’s website at http://www.thamecricket.org.uk/ or email enquiries@thamecricket.org.uk

A brave team from a law firm in Thame will be attempting a 24-hour mountain challenge to help a heart charity.

The team of 20 men and women from Lightfoots Solicitors, based in High Street, want to push their physical and mental boundaries and attempt the gruelling Three Peaks Challenge during June.

The challenge includes climbing Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in England and finish off on Snowdon in Wales.

The team will face the challenge overnight and complete it carrying massive rucksacks.

They plan to raise at least £3,000 for the British Heart Foundation, which aims to help those with heart problems and find cures for new and changing cardiovascular health issues.

One team member, Megan, said: “Our aim is to raise £3,000, as we feel this is achievable, yet will still have a massive impact on the charity.

“We have already raised nearly 10% of our overall aim so far. We are relying on the support of friends, family and the wonderful community to help us get there. It is only with their generosity that we are lucky enough to have this experience.

“Our team is already in training, with group meet-ups on the weekend for some, and solo missions for others. Practice walks are commencing in Wendover Woods and other hilly areas - although this can prove difficult around here to find anywhere mountainous!

“Some of us have never done anything like this before, so it really is a massive challenge. As a team we will motivate and guide each other through this tremendous task.

“As a local company it would be great for the local people to know what we are doing, and get some community support.”

To support the team, visit the fundraising page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/lightfootsteam

Matt Adcock reviews Red Sparrow (15), starring Jennifer Lawrence

Sex is a weapon in this brutal espionage thriller which sees Jennifer Lawrence star as Dominika Egorova, a prima ballerina, who becomes coerced into a dangerous high-level intelligence operation.

Forced into an abrupt career change, Dominika becomes a ‘Sparrow’, a secret branch of the Russian intelligence network where the recruits were trained in a depersonalised type of manipulative sexual training to seduce targets and extract information.

What follows is a kind of slow-burn cat-and-mouse game of intrigue as she stalks her prey - CIA agent Nate Nash (Joel Edgerton) - with a view to winning his trust and finding the name of the high level Russian mole he is in contact with.

As the two collide, things get muddled as Dominika employs her ‘special skills’ on Nate and in the charged atmosphere of trade-craft, deception, and forbidden passion the only question is who is playing who.

Director Francis Lawrence (no relation) reunites with Jennifer Lawrence after working together on several Hunger Games films and the reward is one of Jo-L’s bravest performances to date. Red Sparrow isn’t really an action film even though it covers similar ground to last year’s Atomic Blonde or the classic La Femme Nikita but it does feature some crunching violence and much sexualised nudity.

Charlotte Rampling and Jeremy Irons are on hand to offer some classy support on the Russian side and Douglas Hodge gives good sleaze as Dominika’s Budapest Bureau chief. Speaking of sleaze, Red Sparrow is not a feminist friendly film – whilst based on an actual and disturbing use of women to wield their bodies as tool for the Motherland, it does feel exploitative at times.

The plot is engaging in a nasty way but the film reaches for wannabe ‘epic’ status with an unnecessarily bloated running time of well over two hours. Red Sparrow pushes the limits for a 15 rating with very strong violence and torture as well as the sexual content. It certainly makes for uncomfortable watching at points and isn’t a feel good popcorn flick by any means.

So this Sparrow isn’t for everyone and won’t be remembered as a classic but it does effectively capture the paranoid feel of not being able to trust anyone and atmosphere of just how depressed life in Russia was.

Be careful who you fall for…

Latest research has revealed how the price of a Freddo chocolate bar has dramatically risen by 200 per cent in 18 years, from 10p to 30p, revealing how Brits are getting less for their money than ever before.

But it’s not just the price of the children’s 18 gram chocolate bar that’s been affected by inflation.

The research from price comparison website MoneySupermarket, which used historical inflation data from the Bank of England, revealed how other key goods and services like the cost of monthly bills and even the price of a pint, have been risen since the year 2000, with inflation and slow growth in wages has contributed to the decreasing value of the £10 note.

In fact, the study shows how the value of a £10 note has actually decreased since 2000 as price fluctuations, inflation and stagnating wages effects Brits across the country – with a £10 note in 2000 holding the equivalent value of £16.51 today. The research, which found that despite the average annual salary growing 24 per cent since 2000, inflation has increased the price of goods and services by over 65 per cent.

The property sector has seen dramatic price rises with the average house price rising 131.60 per cent from 2000 to 2018, from £97,600 to £226,071. The study has also revealed how household bills have rocketed in price over the last eight years too with energy bills rising the most. For example, the average domestic electricity bill has risen 132.78 per cent from £238 in 2000 to £554 and the the average domestic gas bill has risen by 84.74 per cent from £308 to £569.

A food shop (per person, per week) has also risen sharply by 54.4 per cent since 2000, with the average shop rising from £23.97 to £37.

A loaf of bread has also gone up in price from 52p to £1.07 since 2000. Social activities haven’t escaped the effects of inflation either and buying a ticket for the cinema has gone up 70.23 per cent from £4.40 to £7.49.

A Premier League Season ticket has also gone up by 46.40 per cent from £317 to £464. A few drinks in the pub has got a lot more expensive too with drinkers paying 105.70 per cent more than in 2000 for a pint as prices have risen from £1.75 to £3.60.

The research comes ahead of the old £10 note going out of circulation on 01 March 2018. Sally Francis-Miles, money expert at MoneySuperMarket, commented: “With just days to go before the old £10 note goes out of circulation, looking back at what £10 would buy you in 2000 provides an interesting snapshot of the past 18 years.

“At the turn of the millennium, your tenner would easily stretch to cover a few drinks and a couple of loaves of bread, with change left over for a chocolate bar. Today, you’d struggle to cover one round in your local pub.

“Those paying utility bills are the real inflation sufferers here, seeing their prices skyrocket over the past 18 years. With inflation shooting up and wages remaining relatively stagnant, it’s no wonder families are feeling more squeezed than ever before.”

Channel 4’s Location Location Location are on the lookout for house-hunters to star in upcoming episodes of the hit property programme.

The long-running show, which first aired back in May 2000, follows presenters Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer around the UK as they set out to match home buyers with their dream properties. “

We’re looking for house hunters who need help and guidance from our property finding experts on what and where to buy,” said a spokesman for the show.

“If that sounds like you, please fill in an application.”

To apply to take part, visit the Channel 4 website at channel4.com/programmes/take-part and scroll down to ‘Location Location Location’ Your application will be received by a member of IWC Media and they will contact you directly.

Manufacturers of some of the most common morning after pills have been criticised after hiking the price by 151 per cent.

Industry data shows the cost of Levonorgestrel has risen every month for the past year, in a move women’s health campaigners described as “concerning”. Levonorgestrel is sold under a number of different brand names, including Plan B, Ezinelle, Emerres, Levonelle and Consilient and prevents pregnancy by delaying the ovaries from releasing an egg. It is only useful within 120 hours as an emergency birth control.

In January 2017 the pill was priced to retailers at just £2.87, and by December 2017 it was up to £4.33.

Superdrug sell Ezinelle for £13.49, while Lloyds Pharmacy sells Consilient for £24.99. Industry experts say they are concerned the hiked cost may mean retailers are forced to increase their already inflated prices.

Online pharmacy Chemist-4-U.com, which offers a generic version of a branded version of the pill for £7.99 – the cheapest on the market – criticised the price hike.

Pharmacist Shamir Patel said: “These are inexpensive products to create, and yet they carry very large mark-ups when bought over the counter. Women should not be priced out of being able to buy emergency contraception, yet that is the risk that this price hike carries.

“Of course, anyone using the morning after pill should do so knowing all the facts and seek expert advice when possible.

But it is unfair that in Britain the price of the pill is a barrier to accessing it.

Women should not fear having to pay what would seem an exploitative amount for it.”

Last month, Boots finally reduced the cost of their morning after pills in stores – six months after pledging to do so.

The high-street chain was criticised in July last year after it broke rank amid criticism from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) and numerous MPs at the high charges imposed by major retailers for contraception.

Boots compounded criticism of its refusal to reduce prices when it attempted to defend itself. The company claimed it did not want to be accused of “incentivising inappropriate use”, by significantly by offering a price cut.

But it was forced to issue an apology over claims of “sexist” moralising, and promised to examine sourcing less expensive emergency contraception.

The chemist followed Tesco and Superdrug’s lead on discounting the price of Levonorgestrel from £26.75 to £15.99. High street prices for emergency contraception range from around £13.49 to £30.

n other parts of Europe, emergency contraception can be bought for as little as £5.50. Cheaper generic versions are available to all retailers through national pharmaceutical wholesalers.

The morning after pill is available for free from a variety of sources including GP surgeries, sexual health clinics and most NHS walk-in centres.

A spokesperson for BPAS said: “It’s concerning to see the wholesale pries of levonorgestrel emergency contraception increase in this way, although it is clear that pharmacies are still able to enjoy a healthy mark-up on the products when they sell them on to women, largely on the basis that a consultation is provided before sale. “We know there is no clinical justification for this consultation and ultimately would like to see emergency contraception sold straight from the shelf.”

Loose Gravel makes for skiddy start.

With news of a new Sega Sonic racer, Mario Kart coming to mobile, Burnout Paradise getting remastered and the release of arcadey off-road racing revival effort Gravel, it’s pedal to the metal right now.

New arcade racers are rarities these days, particularly those with a focus on off-road.

It is a genre which others have tried to reignite without much success before but rest assured there’s some fun to be had here.

One big plus point from the off is the inclusion of a plethora of licensed cars and great track settings.

In fact the scenery, which is set across the globe, is probably the crowning achievement of Gravel and there in lies the problem but more on that in a moment.

Let’s focus on the positives and there are many, including a good level of AI to race against, the over-the-top physics courtesy of Gravel’s use of the Unreal Engine for the first time (although this won’t be for everyone you do have to remember it is an ARCADE racer even if it looks more like a sim).

There is a nice blend between stadium and circuit racing too.

But as I mentioned, while graphics and scenery are important, they should not be the USP of an arcade racer. Heart pounding, thrill-a-minute action should be.

And in that respect Gravel falls a little bit flat on its face in the.... gravel?

There are not too many race types to enjoy and handling doesn’t really change throughout or depending on your vehicle, at least it felt that way for me.

Everything just feels a bit dull which is frustrating because the foundations are there for a top, top racer.

I think the key here is expectations. Gravel is a decent racer, but it masks a lack of true racing excitement with pretty locations and graphics off the track.

I’ve seen Gravel referred to as ‘boring’ in other reviews which for me is too harsh because it’s hard not to have fun.

Milestone are definitely on to something here and while far from perfect, Gravel should give them hope that they can eventually hit the dizzy heights with a few additions and tweaks if they do decide to make a sequel.

The following people from Aylesbury Vale and beyond have recently been sentenced at magistrates courts in the county.

Wycombe Magistrates Court

February 19:

Stephen Mather, 37, Willowbrook Road, Aylesbury: obstructed a police constable in the execution of their duty. Discharged conditionally for 12 months. Ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20 and costs of £85 to the CPS.

February 20:

Jeremy Gilliland, 53, Cotswolds Way, Calvert Green: drove an Audi on Hillesden Road, Gawcott, while over the alcohol limit. Fined £692, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £69 and costs of £85 to the CPS. Disqualified from holding a driving licence for 36 months.

Denmark Dzirambe, 37, St John’s Drive, Stone: drove a Vauxhall Astra on Ellen Road, Aylesbury, while over the alcohol limit. Community order made – 60 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months. Ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £85 and costs of £85 to the CPS. Disqualified from holding a driving licence for 23 months.

Sonny Mahey, 30, Chappell Close, Aylesbury: failed to provide a specimen for analysis when suspected of driving a vehicle over the alcohol limit.

Given a 14-week prison sentence suspended for 24 months. Ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115 and costs of £85 to the CPS. Disqualified from holding a driving licence for 48 months. Drove a Mercedes while on Buckingham Street, Aylesbury while disqualified and without an insurance/a licence. Fined £461.

Alexandra Holland, 22, Watermead, Aylesbury: drove a Volkswagen Polo in the car park of the Dairy Maid pub in Elmhurst Road, Aylesbury, while over the alcohol limit. Fined £186, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30 and costs of £85 to the CPS. Disqualified from holding a driving licence for 12 months.

February 21:

Danielle Orkibi, 67, Pitcher Walk, Aylesbury: used threatening or abusive words/behaviour to cause harassment or distress to another individual in Pitcher Walk, Coldharbour. Given a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £85 and £400 in costs to the CPS.

Anthony Foday, 20, Bierton Road, Aylesbury: assaulted a prison officer in the execution of his duty. Committed to six weeks concurrent in prison due to seriousness of offence. Ordered to pay £115 in compensation.

Tariq Williams- Dawodu, 20, Bierton Road, Aylesbury: possessed a mobile phone inside HMYOI, Aylesbury. Committed to a six month detention in a Young Offenders Institution.

February 22:

Nazaqat Hussain, 42, Havelock Street, Aylesbury: used a handheld mobile phone while driving a vehicle on Chinnor Road, Thame. Fined £175, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30 and costs of £620 to the CPS.

James Edmonds, 23, Collington Road, Aylesbury: sent a threatening communication to an individual. Community order made – ordered to carry out 64 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months. Restraining order made. Ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £85 and costs of £85 to the CPS.

Karl Hutton, 33, Cromwell Avenue, Aylesbury: assault by beating on two separate occasions. Community order made – ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months. Restraining order made. Ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £85 and pay costs of £500 to the CPS.

February 24:

Jayden Bellingy, 21, Wendover Road, Aylesbury: without reasonable excuse communicated with the applicant mother which you were prohibited from doing so by a non-molestation order made by Milton Keynes Family Court. Discharged conditionally for 12 months. Ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20 and costs of £85 to the CPS.

A popular brand of hair straighteners has been recalled by its manufacturer, due to fears that using it could result in an electric shock.

A popular brand of hair straighteners has been recalled by its manufacturer, due to fears that using it could result in an electric shock.

Lee Stafford has found that on their Coco Loco Straightener, on two occasions, the mains swivel connection has failed allowing the mains lead to pull out from the straightener.

The model reference and batch code are printed onto the rating plate, located on the top of the lower half of the straightener handle. The straightener, which is available online from Tesco as well as Amazon, has its model reference and batch code printed onto the rating plate, located on the top of the lower half of the straightener handle.

The versions of the appliance which are part of the recall have Model Ref: LSHS15 and Batch Code: 1623. Owners of product with this above batch code should immediately stop using the appliance. The company can be contacted at MPL Customer Service on 03454676743 or email: warranty@mplhome.com

Marks and Spencer has admitted a massive bloomer and backtracked on a redesign of its beloved ‘granny pants’ – after a backlash from angry customers.

The retail giant made a few minor alterations on its best-selling five pack of ladies cotton briefs, including moving the seam from the front, to the side. It will be moved back to the front later this year. But shoppers including many who have bought the pants for years were furious and posted angry reviews.

Buyers complained the altered knickers – sold under the same name – were SMALLER at the sides and less comfy thanks to seam adjustments. The M&S website features reviews from loyal shoppers complaining the redesign was a “downgrade” and the “fit was not as good”.

Reviewers who had bought the pants for years begged the retail chain to ditch the new design and bring back their “old much loved knickers”. And after a BBC radio consumer affairs programme featured a plea from one disgruntled customer, M&S bosses promised to ditch the new design and bring back the old undies. One review said: “They were perfect fit before and so comfortable! Please could M&S go back to the seam and the front!

“I think it would make some happy customers as quite a few of us are rather disappointed with the new version.”

Another added: “Old version was great, these are awful. “The old version with the front seams was very comfortable, however this version now has seams at the side which make the fit much worse.

“Bought several packs as I expected them to be like the old ones and I will be returning all unopened packs.

“I agree with many other reviewers, please go back to the old front seam version, they are were great.”

One wrote: “Were my fav knick before changed seam. “Front seams have been changed to have side seams, therefore these knickers are not as structured at the front. Please change back.”

The popular M&S Collection five pack of Supima Cotton & Modal No VPL pants come in a ‘full brief’ and ‘high leg’ design and cost £12 in black, or white and nude. Judging by the change in usually-sparkling reviews from devoted buyers, the design was changed in around April last year. It is understood the flat seams on the front of the pants were scrapped and replaced with more typical raised ones on the sides.

Shoppers also claim the overall size of the pants was increased, but the material over the hip was made smaller. The photograph on the website initially remained the same – as did the product code for the pants – prompting shoppers to unknowingly buy the altered design. Negative reviews were left online throughout last year without avail, until one loyal pants-buyer contacted BBC Radio 4 programme You and Yours. In an interview broadcast on Friday, shopper Dinah Barry told the programme: “They were just extremely comfortable and I know form reviews that lots of other women felt the same.

“[On the new design] the seam arrangement had changed so that they were raised seams at the sides as most knickers are. They were also cut so that the side of the knickers was a lot smaller. “They were very different. The thing they had in common was the fabroc, and the fact that they were knickers, but not much else.”

Bosses responded by looking at reviews and speaking to suppliers, before promising to bring back the old knickers later this year. They also gave Dinah a bespoke run of six knickers in the old style.

A spokeswoman said: “Our loyal customers are very important to us. We looked into this and decided to change the knickers back to the original style lines following her valuable feedback.

“As a gesture of goodwill we are making the customer some in her size until we can get them into stores again.

“We really appreciate the customer taking the time to contact us.” M&S said it has 27.6% of the UK lingerie market and more than one in four women buy from the store, with them selling two pairs of knickers a second every day. As news hit that the high street giant will revert to the old design again, many customers praised M&S.

A simple urine test could measure how much our body has aged and even how long left we have to live.

A simple urine test could measure how much our body has aged and even how long left we have to live. Researchers have discovered that a substance indicating oxidative damage increases in urine as people get older. The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Ageing Neuroscience, also describes a way to easily measure levels of the marker in human urine samples. Researchers say the new marker potentially provides a method to measure how much our body has aged – our biological rather than chronological age. And they believe it could help predict our risk of developing age-related disease and even our risk of death. While everyone born in the same year has the same chronological age, the bodies of different people age at different rates. Researchers said it means that, although the risk of many diseases increases with age, the link between our age in years and our health and lifespan is relatively loose. Many people enjoy long lives, relatively free of disease, while others suffer chronic illness and premature death. Some researchers consider normal ageing to be a disease, where our cells accumulate damage over time.

Variable rates

The rate of cellular damage can vary from person to person and may be dictated by genetics, lifestyle and the environment we live in. The researchers said that cellular damage may be a more accurate indication of our biological age than the number of years since we were born. And finding a way to measure biological age could help to predict the risk of developing age-related disease and even death. One mechanism thought to underlie biological aging involves a molecule vital to human survival – oxygen – in what is called the free radical theory of ageing. Dr Jian-Ping Cai, of the National Centre of Gerontology in China, said: “Oxygen by-products produced during normal metabolism can cause oxidative damage to biomolecules in cells, such as DNA and RNA. “As we age, we suffer increasing oxidative damage, and so the levels of oxidative markers increase in our body.” One such marker, called 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine – or 8-oxoGsn for short, results from oxidation of a crucial molecule in our cells called RNA.

Markers down

In previous studies in animals, the researchers found that 8-oxoGsn levels increase in urine with age. To see if this is true for humans as well, the researchers measured 8-oxoGsn in urine samples from 1,228 Chinese residents aged from two-years-old to 90, using a rapid analysis technique called ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography. Dr Cai said: “We found an age-dependent increase in urinary 8-oxoGsn in participants 21 years old and older. “Therefore, urinary 8-oxoGsn is promising as a new marker of ageing.” Levels of 8-oxoGsn were roughly the same between men and women, except in post-menopausal women, who showed higher levels. The researchers said that might be down to the decrease in oestrogen levels that happens during menopause, as oestrogen is known to have anti-oxidant effects. The researchers said their rapid analysis technique could be useful for large-scale aging studies, as it can process urine samples from up to 10 participants per hour. Dr Cai added: “Urinary 8-oxoGsn may reflect the real condition of our bodies better than our chronological age, and may help us to predict the risk of age-related diseases.”