If you are in a life threatening
emergency situation right now, do not delay. Please dial 999 and ask for Police, Ambulance, or Fire Brigade
This page is intended to support community resilience in preparing for, and responding to common emergencies, such as weather events, power and other utility failures, and major fire, traffic or industrial accidents and incidents that cause town-wide or significant disruption. It will also be useful for residents seeking help in such emergencies. If you know what to do and who to contact, it makes it much easier to deal with an emergency effectively.
Emergency Contact Numbers
With thanks to Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum for the following list of important contacts. Click on the green links to visits their emergency pages.
Thames Valley Police non-emergency number 101
NHS 111 online dial 111
Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service 01865 842999 – 24/7
Anti Terrorism Hotline and reporting page 0800 789 321
General Enquiries 08708 506 506
Floodline 0845 988 1188
Incident Reporting 0800 80 70 60
Thames Water 24 hour hotline: 08459 200 800
Local Contact numbers – West Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire County Council General enquiries 01865 792422 24/7
Oxfordshire County Council Highways 0345 310 1111
Out of hours emergency 01223 849731 (only for matters imminently likely to cause an accident or damage property)
West Oxfordshire District Council 01993 861000
Witney Town Council 01993 704379
In a genuine out of hours emergency, relating only to Witney Town Council services or property, such as dangerous structures in cemeteries and play areas, that are a threat to life, please call 07423 124006
John Radcliffe Hospital (A&E) 01865 741166 – 24/7
Horton Banbury Hospital (A&E) 01295 275500 – 24/7
Defibrillators
There are defibrillators across Witney. Remember, the first thing to do in any emergency is to ring 999.
The Emergency call centre staff will be able to direct you to your nearest defib and talk to you about what to do while help is on the way.
Flooding – where to get sandbags
West Oxfordshire District Council provides sandbags
During an imminent risk of flooding to property, when an Environment Agency Flood Alert or Flood Warning has been declared, West Oxfordshire District Council will give out sandbags free of charge. If you are elderly or disabled they will deliver them for you. In an emergency loose sand and bags can be made up by members of the public at the District Council’s premises at
Witney: Elmfield Offices, New Yatt Road, OX28 1PB
Oxfordshire County Council is the Lead Local Flood Authority and has a flood toolkit on its website.
Registering for Priority Utility Services
The Priority Services Register is a free service provided by suppliers and network operators. Each energy supplier and network operator maintains its own register and offers different services.
There are no clear-cut definitions regarding who qualifies, but lots of people and families are eligible . The following are a few examples of what makes you eligible for priority services:
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You’re of pensionable age
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You have a disability
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You need additional support in a certain way
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Your well-being would suffer if you lost your energy supply
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You have a chronic illness
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You have a hearing or visual impairment
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Families with young children are usually eligible
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Those dependent on medical equipment
No proof of your disability, impairment, or age is required but you do need to check that you are eligible as this varies with different providers.
Any households with children under the age of five are given priority, so if this applies to you it’s worth contacting your supplier.
If you are not sure who your provider is – it will be on a recent bill. If you don’t have one you can try using your postcode on the energy networks site to determine the main supplier for your region.
Water Gas and Electricity Priority Services Registers can be found below:
Thames Water Priority Services register
Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) Priority Services register
Emergency Planning
To help you plan for emergencies the Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum have produced a booklet that informs you of how you and your family can be better prepared.
Are You Ready Emergency Planning Booklet
Business Continuity Planning
Oxfordshire County Council has lots of information on creating a Business Continuity Plan