Weekly round-up: Five stories you may have missed

Old photo of Antonya and her son Hamish. Hamish has no hair.
Antonya Cooper said she gave her son Hamish a large dose of morphine to stop his suffering and "quietly end his life" [PA Media]

A mother's admission that she ended the life of her terminally ill son in 1981 was among our most read stories this week in Oxfordshire.

The news was dominated by the election, but a variety of other local issues featured on the BBC News website, BBC Radio Oxford and South Today.

We have picked five of them to keep you up to date.

Dog rescued after setting kitchen on fire

A dog that destroyed a kitchen by starting a fire had to be given CPR after being rescued.

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews were called to the home in the Smith's estate area of Witney on Thursday at about 15:20 BST.

Firefighters said the dog apparently turned on a hob beneath a chip pan.

They said neighbours rescued the dog, which is expected to make a full recovery.

Recently repaired castle ruins targeted by vandals

The remains of a medieval castle that recently underwent major repairs have been targeted by vandals, a council has said.

Wallingford Castle was saved from ruin in 2023 following a grant of almost £300,000 from Historic England.

But since the work was completed people have been seen damaging the monument, according to Wallingford Town Council.

The vandals were caught on camera within hours of new CCTV being installed at the site, the authority added.

Mum admits ending life of terminally ill son

Hamish grinning in photo
Hamish was left in great pain following 16 months of "beastly" cancer treatment, his mother said [PA Media]

A mother has admitted giving her terminally ill seven-year-old son a large dose of morphine to stop his suffering and "quietly end his life".

Antonya Cooper, from Abingdon, said her son Hamish had stage four cancer and was in “a lot of pain” before his death in 1981.

Now facing a terminal diagnosis herself, she made the admission to BBC Radio Oxford as part of an effort to change the law on assisted dying.

Police said they were investigating her case.

Listed building's condition a 'significant concern'

A council has said the condition of a derelict listed building is a “significant concern”.

West End House, in Witney, has been listed since 1952 and has visibly deteriorated over recent years.

West Oxfordshire District Council said it was in the “preliminary stages” of assessing what it could do to protect the building in West End.

It said while it was not “committed” to a specific course of action, it wanted to prevent further wind and rain damage to the Grade II listed building.

Henley Royal Regatta draws thousands of spectators

Large crowds have gathered in Henley for the Royal Regatta.

The event, which began on Tuesday and ends today, attracted a record 772 entries from 27 nations.

All races are held over a course on the River Thames which is one mile 550 yards (2.1km) long.

See also