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Oxfordshire weekly round-up: 12 November - 18 November 2023

Family handout Sammy PhillipsFamily handout
Sammy Phillips died aged 19 when the car he was a passenger in crashed into a tree in February

The story of two men who died in a high-speed road crash was among our most read 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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Men died in crash after driving at 'insane' speeds

Sammy Phillips' mother Justine Morris said she was "utterly heartbroken" by her son's death

Two men died in a road crash that saw a car driven at "insane" speeds, an inquest has heard.

Lewis Moghul, 22, from Whitchurch Hill, and Sammy Phillips, 19, from Henley-on-Thames, died instantly when the BMW they were in hit trees in Bix, Oxfordshire, on 3 February.

The inquest heard Mr Moghul, the driver, was more than three times over the legal alcohol limit.

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MP confirms death of family member in Gaza

UK Parliament/PA Layla Moran MP in ParliamentUK Parliament/PA
Layla Moran told the House of Commons her family member died due to their inability to access medical care

Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran has said a member of her family has died in Gaza.

The Oxford West and Abingdon MP, whose mother is Palestinian, told the Commons her family member died due to their inability to access medical care.

She was speaking ahead of a vote on a motion calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war.

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Owner left detailed notes with dumped python

RSPCA The pythonRSPCA
The python, called Barry, was transferred to a specialist exotic centre

A "very lucky" snake has been rescued after it was found dumped by a bin in a park.

Detailed notes were left on the box containing the ball python, including its name - Barry. It was found by a member of the public in Oxford.

The reptile was passed on to the RSPCA, which said it was lucky to have survived the cold.

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Coffee factory proposal puts 280 jobs at risk

BBC The factory in BanburyBBC
The company expects 134 roles will remain at the site if the proposals move forward

A coffee company has announced plans to close part of a factory and potentially put 280 workers at risk of redundancy.

Jacob Douwe Egberts (JDE) in Banbury, Oxfordshire, has proposed closing the processing part of the site and making it a packing facility.

Unite union said the job losses would be "devastating" and it would leave "no stone unturned" in finding an alternative plan.

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New scheme to tackle hospital bed blocking

PA Media The John Radcliffe HospitalPA Media
The Discharge to Assess programme is being rolled out across Oxfordshire, including at the John Radcliffe Hospital

Patients who are ready to leave hospital will be encouraged to return home more quickly under a new scheme.

The Discharge to Assess programme, which is being rolled out across Oxfordshire, will offer people three days of immediate social care at home, instead of remaining in hospital.

It follows recent NHS data that showed hundreds of patients in England were taking up hospital beds every day, despite being ready to leave.

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