The repatriation of a 21-year-old soldier will take place today in Carterton.

Signaller Ian Gerard Sartorius-Jones, of 20th Armoured Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron, was killed in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province in Afghanistan, on January 24.  Signaller Sartorius-Jones, a former British Tae Kwon Do champion from Runcorn, in Cheshire, leaves behind his wife Kellyanne, son Dylan, parents Robert and Amanda, and brother Alan.

The family of signaller Sartorius-Jones said in a statement: “Ian was a lovable character. He will always be missed and loved by all his family and friends.”

Signaller Sartorius-Jones enlisted in the Royal Corps of Signals in February 2007. Following his basic training, he attended the Royal School of Signals in Blandford where he started his career as a communications systems operator.  He joined 20th Armoured Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron in May 2008, when he was deployed to Iraq on Operation TELIC 13.

Major Stu Whittley, officer commanding 20th Armoured Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron, said: “Signaller Sartorius-Jones was a gregarious, immensely respected and highly capable signaller.  One of the longest serving members and biggest characters in the squadron, he had accrued a vast amount of experience in his short career.

“I will remember Signaller Sartorius-Jones for his dedication to his mates, upbeat nature and cutting sense of humour. A hugely popular soldier, notorious for his own individual style and taste in music, he was always to be found at the centre of any activity with a smile on his face.”

Signaller Sartorius-Jones’ repatriation ceremony will take place at the memorial garden on Norton Way at around 2.30pm. The cortege will reach the John Radcliffe at around 3.30pm.  To keep up to date on times, which are subject to change, visit www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/repatriations or call 01865 816345.

CCTV images have been released by detectives investigating a robbery at a bank in Oxford in which the manager was locked in his own vault.

Officers are continuing to appeal for information regarding the raid, which happened at a branch of Lloyds TSB in Summertown on Thursday, January 19.  Two men forced their way into the premises in Banbury Road at around 7.30am as the manager arrived at the bank.

It is thought that they stayed inside the building for around half an hour before fleeing with an unspecified amount of cash.  The images released show two vehicles outside the bank shortly after 7.30am, both of which are believed to have been involved in the robbery.

The vehicles shown in the images, a black hatchback and a silver Vauxhall Zafira, both left the scene in the direction of the city centre shortly after 8am.  The alarm was raised by a member of staff shortly after 9am, and police attending the scene found the 51-year-old manager locked in the vault.  He had been slapped but while the robbers are believed to have possessed a knife, it was kept in a bag and he was not threatened with it.

Both offenders were wearing a black mask covering their mouth and nose. The first was white, 30 years old, 5ft 10ins, with a grade one shaved head and he was unshaven.  The second was black, 25 years old, 6ft, with tight curly hair and he had thin features. He was also wearing a head covering.

Investigating officer Det Sgt Matt Jarman, of Force CID in Oxford, said: “I am hoping the images will help jog people’s memories as I am still appealing for witnesses to come forward, particularly anyone who was in the area of the bank before or during the time the offenders were inside the premises, as well as anyone who saw the offenders or the cars leaving the area.

“We are continuing to examine CCTV footage in the area. No arrests have been made as yet, but the inquiry is progressing.”

The Lloyds Bank Group is a member of the British Bankers Association (BBA) Reward Scheme and is offering a reward of up to £25,000 to any member of the public who can provide information which leads to the arrest of the offenders.

Anyone with information should call police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Oxford United's new signings Scott Rendell and Mark Wilson will have to wait to make their debuts for the U's after Saturday's home game with Barnet was called off.

A Football League official inspected the pitch at 3pm today and judged the surface to be unsafe despite covers being on the pitch since the start of the week.  A club spokesman said the Kassam Stadium had been experiencing temperatures as low as -10 degrees celsius overnight, and it had remained near freezing during the day.

No new date has been agreed for the fixture as yet, but tickets already purchased will still be valid.  Assistant manager Mickey Lewis said: "It is disappointing that the game is off but there is nothing we can do about it and the referee has made the right decision. We are looking forward to preparing for the match with Accrington now and hopefully the big freeze will be over."

Oxford United have been making use of the new 3G surface at neighbours Oxford City during the past week, and boss Chris Wilder paid tribute to the lower league club.

"We have had the use of a fantastic facility up at Oxford City that has been made available. We have a great relationship with them and we appreciate them helping us out. So we will train properly and we can get back to football. I think it has been a tough month for everybody at the club but I think that we have come out at the end of it in better shape than when we went into it."

The match with the Bees also marks the first U's match since the end of the January transfer window, and Wilder said he was pleased with the new players brought in to the club.

"We have gone out there and looked at players, and we have done our homework," he said.  "I know for sure that Scott Rendell, Mark Wilson and Oli Johnson add to the group.  "One of the biggest things that really impressed me and the staff was their desire to come and be a part of this. They turned other clubs down to come and join us and that speaks volumes about the profile the club has in the world of football."

Rendell will compete with James Constable, JP Pittman, Alfie Potter and Johnson for a place in the starting line up against Accrington, but there was bad news for fellow striker Tom Craddock.  The forward, who hit 17 goals for the U's last season, has had an injury-plagued campaign and after back trouble has picked up a hamstring injury that is expected to keep him out for a month.

A man arrested for fighting in Oxford city centre has been jailed for headbutting a police officer and racially abusing his colleagues.

Jason Bourton, of Fern Hill Road, in Oxford, was sentenced to 135 days in prison at Oxford Crown Court on Wednesday, February 1.  The 32-year-old was found guilty of assault by beating and racially aggravated harassment.  

The court heard Bourton was arrested by officers following an altercation between himself and another man in Park End Street on July 16, 2011.  Prosecuting, Tim Boswell said Bourton had shouted and sworn at officers as they put him in the back of a police van.

One of the officers, PC Robert Parker, tried to restrain him at which point Bourton edged forward and headbutted him.  CCTV cameras caught PC Parker’s hat falling off, and he sustained injuries including a lump the size of a 10p piece and a graze above his eyebrow, and a one centimetre graze on the bridge of his nose.

As Bourton was transported back to the police station, he unleashed a torrent of racial abuse and bad language at PC Mavindra Narrainsawmy, who is of Asian origin.  After using a string of offensive racial epithets, the court heard other officers in the van reported Bourton told PC Narrainsawmy: "This is white man's country.  White power."

When in custody, Bourton initially refused to comment on his use of racial slurs, but then said: “No, no comment, I’m not saying I did it, I’m not saying I didn’t."  And he then admitted he had "probably" used an offensive word towards PC Narrainsawmy "because he started on me."

Defending, Alistair Grainger said the incident had been extremely unpleasant for all involved.  The court heard Mr Bourton lived lives his 85-year-old grandmother, who suffered from dementia and he acted as a part time carer.

When Judge Eccles asked whether Bourton could make a compensatory contribution, Mr Grainger said: “He is not somebody who is subject to the ravages of a drug habit. He is in receipt of benefit however he is in position to compensate £10 per fortnight.”

Concluding, Judge Eccles said: “I have taken into consideration that you have pleaded guilty and so you are entitled to a modest discount.  You have no history of racially aggravated attacks or remarks on other persons in the years gone by. There is absolutely no reason for headbutting an officer who was doing his duty and no reason for racially abusing an officer.

“You have a shocking record for criminal offending and you did cause some injury to PC Parker. It wasn’t wholly trivial, it caused him some damage.”

Mr Bourton's sentence was reduced by 131 days, to include the number of days he had been tagged on remand.  He was also ordered to contribute £150 as compensation for PC Parker’s injuries with the first payment due on February 29.