Witney Shopping

• By Jen Rivett »

FRIENDS of a well known Witney IT worker who died after collapsing have paid tribute to his kindness and intelligence.

Grant Bennett collapsed in Church Lane on Friday and was declared dead at the scene at around 11pm.

The 42-year-old, who was born in Minster Lovell, moved to Witney as a teenager and lived with his mother Jean in Gloucester Place.

Friend Sam Flynn, of Wadard’s Meadow, Witney, said: “Grant was one of the best friends I ever had, he would have done anything for anyone. He was the kindest man I ever met. I will love and miss him eternally.”

A memorial page has been set up on social networking website Facebook.

The former Burford School pupil was known around the town from his time working at House Wong, in High Street, 25 years ago and as a barman at the Hollybush, in Corn Street.

He worked for the Vale of White Horse District Council for the past 20 years as an ICT support assistant.

Mr Bennett formerly lived in Wadard’s Meadow with a long-term girlfriend, but moved in with his mother when his father died three years ago.

He was the youngest of five children.

Ms Flynn, 28, who had known Mr Bennett for the past 12 years, said: “He was a selfless man who cared about other people more than he cared about himself.

“He liked to have fun and to be the centre of the action, the life and soul of the party.”

Mr Bennett, who did not have children, was a regular at The Plough Inn, in High Street.

Landlord Guy Ripley said: “He was a real gentleman.”

Mr Bennett was also a big fan of music acts Nightwish, Blondie, Iron Maiden and Alice Cooper.

Jo Hawkley, 46, who met Mr Bennett four years ago at a house warming party, said: “He was an absolute true gentleman in every way, he was generous to a fault and would do anything for you.

“He loved his music, he was an absolute computer expert, he was very into history and science and was the most intelligent bloke you would ever meet.

“You could talk to him about anything, his brain was huge, he reminded me of Stephen Fry.”

Paul Parsons, who worked with Mr Bennett at the district council, said: “I am going to miss my buddy.”

A date for his funeral has not yet been set.

David Buckle, chief executive at the district council, said: “Grant was a popular member of staff who often went out of his way to help colleagues.

“He will be sorely missed by all his friends at the Vale.”

l Following Mr Bennett’s death a 33-year-old man from Witney was arrested on suspicion of harassment and possession of class A drugs.

He has been bailed until Sunday, June 20, to appear at Abingdon police station.

AN INDEPENDENT cinema in Witney is fighting back after customers drifted away to watch movies at a new multiscreen complex.

John Richards has been running the single-screen independent Screen @ the Square cinema at the Corn Exchange for the past 16 years.

But when five-screen Cineworld arrived as part of the Marriotts Walk shopping centre in October, it hit Mr Richards’ trade hard.

Mr Richards says business has picked up a little as he focuses on movies the multiplexes usually ignore.

He said: “We are a small minnow in a very big pond and our numbers definitely dropped when Cineworld opened because they are the third-biggest cinema operator in the country.

“We had a huge dip but trade is starting to pick up again.

“We can’t show 3D blockbusters like Avatar, but films like An Education, which was made for the BBC, we have shown three times because of popular demand. I like to think that we are not in direct competition with Cineworld and, instead of competing, we try to complement what they do.

“We don’t show slasher movies because our audiences don’t want them and we don’t show many 18 certificates, although we are showing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which is an 18. We are not street-cred enough to satisfy the 18- to 26- year-olds – what I call the popcorn market – so we try to satisfy a different audience.

“I wouldn’t describe us as an arthouse cinema but we try to achieve something similar to the Phoenix Cinema in Oxford.”

Mr Richards said the film industry was at a “precarious stage” and is looking for another Mamma Mia! to revive people’s interest in the big screen.

He added: “That was such a great film and ticked all the right boxes for so many people – it gave cinemas a real boost.”

West Oxfordshire District Council has successfully prosecuted a Witney woman for failing to report

changes in her circumstances in order to claim Housing and Council Tax Benefit and Income Support.

Fiona Middleton, of Mirfield Road, Witney pleaded guilty on May 14 at Oxford Magistrates Court for

fraudulently obtaining Housing and Council Tax Benefit totalling £2212.66 and Income Support totalling

£3,890.02. She was given a fine of £125.00 and ordered to pay £25.00 costs and a £15.00 victim surcharge.

The Council will seek to recover the outstanding amount of Housing and Council Tax Benefit which has

been fraudulently obtained. The Department for Work and Pensions will seek to recovery the amount of

Income Support fraudulently obtained.

Cllr Simon Hoare, Cabinet Member for Resources said, “Benefit Fraud is a deception against honest

taxpayers and is a crime that cannot be tolerated. We have a dedicated benefit fraud team at the Council

who will investigate all cases reported to them in our efforts to clamp down on fraudsters.”

Benefit Fraud can be reported confidentially on the Council’s benefit Fraud HOTLINE: 01993 861234 or

online at

SCOUTS can now stay warm and dry at their headquarters – after the donation of a new heating system.

The Scout hut in Minster Lovell flooded in January after its plumbing failed.

The hall was filled with around 80 gallons of water which damaged two heaters. But the hut is warm once again after village maintenance company Property Care, from Brize Norton Road, gave the group nine radiators and a boiler.

Group Scout leader Margaret Thompson said: “It is absolutely fantastic. The kids are now all warm.”

Beaver leader Cornelia Campbell said that before the repairs, she had to get to the hut two hours early to switch the heaters on to make it warm enough.

She said: “It is now so much better that it is at a nice temperature.”

Derek Beesley of Property Care said: “It was nice to help a local community project within the village where our company is based, as we have, in the past, helped many projects away from Minster Lovell.”