25 Years Ago

ENGINEERING experts have been left baffled by a mysterious hole which appeared in a Henley resident’s garden and swallowed him up to his knees. The mysterious sighting of the hole at the bottom of Mr John Durrant’s garden, in Greys Road, is still stumping experts nearly six months after its first appearance. The ground suddenly gave way and crumbled around him, and he was left standing in a depression that went up to his knees. Mr Durrant said: “I was so shocked to find myself in the ground.”

While the rest of the county suffered severe flash flooding over the Easter weekend, Henley escaped unscathed from some of the worst weather in living memory. Emergency services dealt with no more accidents or incidents than usual, despite the heavy rain, snow flurries and hail showers that accompanied the howling winds sweeping across Oxfordshire.

Police have issued a warning to Henley motorists not to leave any valuables inside their vehicles after a spate of thefts. Residents have reported 10 incidents during the past week. Thieves have stolen radio cassette players and CD players from a range of cars in the town centre and surrounding streets.