06/05/2014 BBC Oxford News

report from South Africa, on the impact of the long-running Oscar

Good evening. The bodies of five men Pistorius murder trial.

Good evening. The bodies of five men have been flown into to RAF Brize

Norton. They were killed when their helicopter crashed in Afghanistan

ten days ago. Tonight, the servicemens' bodies have been taken

from the base to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital. As Stuart

Tinworth reports, more than a thousand people lined the route.

BELL TOLLS. Dark skies above Brize Norton as five servicemen returned

home. The people of West Oxfordshire and beyond gathering to pay their

respects. I said we should make every effort to go and do something

for them and to show our support to their families. Poignant to us. My

brother is out there at the moment. He is based out there as well. They

are his friends that we are saying goodbye to today. The five men,

named as Captain Thomas Clarke, Warrant Officer Spencer Faulkner,

Corporal James Walters, from the Army Air Corps and RAF Iintelligence

Flight Lieutenant Rakesh Chauhan, who were based at RAF Odiham. Army

Reservist, Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas was based in London. The

memorial garden here on Norton Way, the focal point of grief this

afternoon, more than 1,000 people lining the streets to pay their

respects. A little earlier, the families of the five men were given

the chance to grieve privately at a purpose`built facility at RAF Brize

Norton. This is the second largest repatriation here since 2011. A

poignant day and one so close to the end of military operations in

Afghanistan. With five billion tonnes of rain falling on the Thames

Valley, this year's floods were the worst on record. Three months on, an

Oxfordshire farmer says he's concerned not enough is being done

to prevent a repeat. Tim Hook is worried the Environment Agency isn't

clearing the River Thames as effectively as it might. When the

water level rises it becomesital and the water flows up our drainage

ditches. They become full. Eventually the water spills out onto

the land. We've had five billion tonnes of water fallen on the Thames

catchment and only half of that has made its way out. We still have more

water slowly making its way through. Levels will be high, but it's not

through lack of maintenance. We have an ongoing programme. You can see

work is going on on the Thames behind me. Councillors have turned

down proposals for a community solar farm in West Oxfordshire. The ?5

million facility would have been among the biggest of its kind in the

country, and could have generated up to a ?100,000 a year for Charlbury

and neighbouring villages. Councillors decided the impact on

the landscape would be too great. The group behind the project is now

considering an appeal. Next tonight, police say they were astounded to

see a driver on a busy road in Oxford this morning eating a bowl of

cereal behind the wheel. What's more, he was a driving instructor on

his way to give a lesson. Our reporter, Sinead Carroll's, here.

Incredible! "8.00am, Cowley. We stopped a driver eating a bowl of

muesli at 30mph. No hands on wheel, a driving instructor enroute to a

lesson!" Police have confirmed that it was a male driver. He was stopped

on the Garsington Road for driving without full control of his vehicle,

fined ?100 and given three points on his licence. Two years ago a driver

hit and killed a cyclist on a country road near Abingdon. It was

discovered he'd been eating a sandwich moments before the crash.

He was sentenced to community service after admitting a charge of

death by careless driving. 60 years ago tonight, something extraordinary

took place at Oxford's Iffley Road running track. In front of a

cheering crowd, Sir Roger Bannister became the first man in history to

run a mile in under four`minutes. He went on to become a highly respected

doctor, but it's his achievement as an athlete on that spring evening

that lives on as one of the greatest ever sporting moments. A race

against the clock. A sport story that is stands the test of time.

Going sub`four`minutes would be superhuman, unachievable according

to some. Those here 60 years ago tonight will tell you that was

wrong. The crowd was quite a small one, because I hadn't wanted to

advertise the fact that I was attempting it. If the weather had

been impossible I wouldn't have attempted it. Barbara was 14 at the

time. She was taken to see him race by her father. We were on the grassy

bank, just before the last bend. You know we cheered him on each time he

came round. The fine lap, he looked so exhausted and frail. I can

remember my legs shaking as though I was almost trying to run it for him.

It wasn't really until the last lap that it became painful and

difficult. NEWS REEL:

The tape is broken. So the record that athletes have been long

dreaming about. The announced went like this "3... " nothing more was

heard because the crowd were then absolutely delighted. No`one heard

the "59.4 seconds" they realised he had done it. There was a total joy

and excitement all around. 60 years ago tonight, Ted East was the lone

police man patrol ing the area. I heard the cheer. People were

shouting. I thought it's not usual. It wasn't a football match, it was

an athletics evening. I was completely unaware the four`minute

mile had been broke. Sir Roger is fighting park Parkinson's disease.

He has come to terms with the fact he is one of Britain's few sporting

immortals because of what he achieved on this track 60 years. It

was a cool breezy evening in Oxford 60 years ago, the weather is coming

up targeting with the regional forecast. Good night. Unsettled week

all in all. Tonight we are looking at showers. Temperatures will stay

in double digits. Lows to nine to ten Celsius. Showers will continue

through the course of the night. They could be heavy in a few places.

Most places will have light to moderate showers. The showers will

continue through the day tomorrow on and off. Heavy bursts here and

there. Sunny spells to be had. Away from the breeze, which will be brisk

tomorrow, fairly mild temperatures, highs of 14`15 Celsius. Unsettled

through the rest of the week. Spells of rain at times. Rain on Thursday,

showers on Friday. Strong winds. Up on Friday as well. I rather wet

start the weekend and it will be blustery during the week. As you may

have just heard, our weather is taking a turn for the worse. Some

lovely weather on the Spanish Costas. We leave that behind and

find low-pressure close by the British Isles. Behind