18/08/2014 BBC Oxford News

An inquest has heard how a robber who raided a jewellers

in Oxford died after several people sat on him to stop him escaping

33`year`old Clint Townsend, from Headington, had stopped

breathing by the time the police arrived at the Covered Markdt.

Sinead Carroll was at Oxford Coroner's Court.

Seven witnesses took to the stand at Oxford Coroner's Court today

including shopkeepers and assistants and people shopping

The inquest also heard a further seven in statement forms,

including accounts from the doctors who treated Clint

that two men rode into the covered market on a motorbike beford 09 15.

One of the men dressed in ldather, the passenger who has since been

identified at Clint Townsend, hit the shop window with wh`t's

The driver of the motorcycld ran away but the second man,

who had hit the window, was caught by a group of men and ended up being

One witness, John Gowing, who has been running

the jewellers for 42 years, said that at one point up to eight men

were restraining the suspect on the floor "to stop him getting `way .

Other witnesses and a nurse who happens to be at the barber is close

by, only remembered three mdn holding him down. This is an

inquest, not a criminal casd. It is not about apportioning blamd. The

coroner has stressed about. It also means that Clint Townsend's family

have been able to ask the whtnesses direct questions as they trx to find

Tomorrow, we will hear from the Tomorrow, we will hear from the

pathologist who did the pathologist Dasher did the postmortem after

Clint Townsend was declared dead. We will also hear from the polhce.

The company which provides food for patients at Swindon's Great Western

hospital is being told to m`ke major improvements, after being ghven

The catering arm of the firl Carillion scored poorly for the way

it stores food, during the lost recent inspection at the hospital.

The Department of Health called the results unacceptable.

Carillion says improvements are being made.

A family of four have had an incredible escape after thehr car

went off the road and fell lore than 30 feet before crashing into

the River Cherwell near Banbury The car was crushed.

Remarkably the mother, fathdr and their two teenage daughters managed

to free themselves but were then left stranded in waist`deep water.

Still broken and battered, this is what's left of a Mercedes

estate returning to Banbury yesterday morning.

The family inside had just returned from holiday.

Tyre marks show where the vehicle left the road,

collided with the sign behind me before crashing through a b`rrier.

It sent the vehicle careering through the air ten metres down

It landed on its side half submerged in water.

A member of the public saw what happened and called 998.

Two teenage sisters escaped out of side door, the parents climbed

out of a front window, suffdring only minor cuts and bruises.

Fire crews using specialist equipment managed to get

the family up the steep emb`nkment to safety and recover the c`r.

The shock and horror for thdse people as they are falling.

But they managed to get out and despite the shock in thd cold,

it is amazing that they sustained such minor injuries and that is

down to the reliability and the safety of the car and the fact

that they were wearing seat belts. They were very fortunate.

It seems impossible that thdy got away without more serious injuries.

This was a particularly difficult rescue

operation, with challenging access issues, waist`deep water and fuel

leaking from the vehicle. You can still smell the petrol todax.

The Environment Agency and the Fire Service used water filled booms

to stop the pollution spreading downstream.

Police are continuing their investigations into what catsed

the crash but say it's remarkable no one was seriously injured.

The Environment Agency says its own contractors will now take over

the operation to shift thousands of tonnes of rubbish from a recycling

site in Swindon, where a fire has been burning for nearly a month

The company which owns the business, Averies, had been ordered to start

clearing the area over the weekend, but missed the deadline.

The waste needs to be moved so fire`fighters can reach

It's expected to take sever`l days to transfer the non`burning

Guests may not notice the difference, but the people

running a West Oxfordshire hotel should see their energy bills fall

The Old Swan and Minster Mill near Witney is

the latest riverside business to take advantage of the free power

They're installing an Archiledes Screw, as Adina Campbell explains.

The gardens here are a tranquil beauty spot but

in a few weeks' time part of this area will become even greendr.

All 44 rooms will be powered by the River Windrush

A similar Archimedes Screw hs already in place at Mapledurham

Flowing river water turns the turbine inside, generating dnergy.

It is costing significantly over ?200,000 to install the scrdw

but according to the experts, the investment should be recoupdd within

seven years and the life of the screw is probably 25 to 30 xears and

as electricity will continud to go up in price,

It's not the only recent green installation.

Earlier this year, Blenheim Palace put in a similar device.

It's become one of the first stately homes in the UK to use an

And it's hoped it will save ?5,500 from its energy bills.

Ground work has now started to install the six`metre long screw.

It's expected to be up and running from September.

The weather is coming up. Wd will be back in BBC breakfast tomorrow

morning at 6:25 a.m.. Good night. The risk of the odd shower tonight

but it should stay mainly dry. With light winds temperatures should fall

away. In the towns and citids, a bit warmer. A chilly start to the day

tomorrow. Some showers throtghout the day but they will be hit and

miss. Some areas could stay dry altogether. Showers may be on the

heavy side. The rest of the week, things are going to be fairly

settled on Wednesday. The rhsk of a shower throughout the day. @lso the

case on Thursday. and Thursday as well. A bit of rain

around on Friday. And with more on all of that, of course, here is

Alex. Good evening. There's no sign of

things warming up any time soon It will stay on the fresh side, despite

there being some decent spells of August sunshine. A sprinkling of