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Oxfordshire weekly round-up: 18 September - 24 September 2023

Cancer Research UK Ella HinesCancer Research UK
Ella Hines has already beaten two different types of cancer but statistics show that she has a high chance of facing it again

A woman who has had cancer twice could be part of a new clinical trial is one of our most read stories this week in Oxfordshire.

A variety of local issues featured on the BBC News website, BBC Radio Oxford and South Today.

We have picked five stories to keep you up to date.

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Woman with rare condition given clinical trial hope

Ella Hines Ella Hines getting her head shaved by her partnerElla Hines
Miss Hines said the hardest part for her had been losing her hair, leading to "the complete loss of my self-confidence"

A young woman with a rare genetic condition that increases her risk of cancer has been given hope with a new clinical trial.

Ella Hines, 24, from Wantage, Oxfordshire, has Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS), which predisposes her to certain, often rare, cancers.

This summer she was told she was likely to be accepted on a clinical trial for a drug usually used to treat diabetes that could help people with LFS.

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Burst pipe sends water shooting into air

Thames Water were able to stop the water at about 15:00 BST on Sunday

A burst pipe in Rymers Lane, in the Cowley area of Oxford, saw water shooting into the air and above nearby homes.

Thames Water engineers stopped the leak at about 15:00 BST on Sunday.

Video courtesy: Brian Lovatt

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Princess Anne launches new SEND river initiative

rEvolution UK Princess Anne visits River & Rowing MuseumrEvolution UK
The Princess Royal met local school children during her visit to the museum

Princess Anne launched a new educational programme for people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The Princess Royal visited the River & Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames to learn more about the initiative.

Created by the museum and the Rivertime Boat Trust, the scheme aims to promote education about the River Thames and the natural environment.

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Police called over missing cats returning injured

BBC Cat at the vetsBBC
Some cats are returning home "injured and afraid of human contact", a vet says

Cat owners in a village have said their pets have been going missing and returning injured.

Several disappearances in Milton-under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire, have been reported to police over 10 months.

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Exhibition brings out colourful Victorian world

Claire Collins Queen Victoria’s mourning dressClaire Collins
Queen Victoria’s mourning dress encapsulates the dark preconceptions of the era, the museum said

A major exhibition, featuring one of Queen Victoria's mourning dresses, is hoping to show the true colours of an era often labelled as bleak.

The Ashmolean Museum's Colour Revolution is presenting art, fashion and design from the Victorian period.

Curator Matthew Winterbottom said it aimed to be "a joyous and surprising tour" through a "misunderstood" period of history.

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