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On your marks for Northamptonshire village's first annual soapbox derby this weekend

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A Northamptonshire village is set for its first soapbox derby this weekend.

Over two dozen homemade carts of all shapes and sizes will race through Earls Barton on Sunday (September 23) starting at 11am.

A 330m-metre course has been plotted for the race, starting outside the bait & tackle shop on West Street, past the All Saints Church, through the crossroads and finishing outside the library.

The 25 entries for the soapbox race will be on display from 9am at the recreation field.

There will be prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in a junior race and an adult race, as well as an award for the most creative cart.

Road closures are in place for the duration of the day. Between 9am and 4pm on September 23, all roads leading to the junction outside All Saints Church - including Station Road, West Street, High Street and outside of Churchhill Road - will be shut.

Chairman of the village's event committee Wayne Mills said: "I think this weekend's derby will really put Earls Barton on the map. We're going to try and make this an annual event.

"The best part is all 25 of this year's entries are from Earls Barton.

"We'd love to have visitors come and enjoy the village and see what Earls Barton has to offer."

The inaugural derby is the dream-come-true of village 12-year-old Archie Reeves, who saw potential in the parish's steep main street.

The Y7 Woolaston School student was inspired by the imagination of racers in the annual Red Bull Soapbox Derby and pitched his dreams to the parish council.

He said: "I thought all the carts were really creative and everyone was having fun. I thought, 'why not have one in the village'?

"I took it to the parish council in 2017 and they thought it was a great idea. I've been working on it ever since."

With his community in mind, Archie has pitched the race to local shops so they can sponsor what could become an annual event, and even ran a contest with local primary schools to design the new derby's logo.

Earls Barton Primary School student Aiden Stone won the contest and his logo will feature in all the race's artwork.


Travellers visit Northamptonshire 251 times in just one year

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The number of unauthorised traveller encampments in Northamptonshire has risen by 75 per cent in four years.

In 2014/15 there were 145 encampments in the county; but in 2017/18 travellers visited 251 times.

The figures also show that just 46 of the 2014/15 encampments were on private land, almost tripling to 121 by 2017/18, by which time many more councils had protected their land with prohibitive fencing, bunding and height barriers.

During 2017/18, out of a total of 251, the number of traveller encampments in Northampton was 101, followed by 43 in Corby, 30 in South Northants, 22 in Kettering, 21 in Wellingborough, 18 in Daventry and 16 in East Northamptonshire.

Also during the same year, private landowners were forced to take removal action 113 times, with the police using their eviction powers 27 times and the councils acting to remove travellers 111 times.

Travellers parked up on private land 121 times, on Northamptonshire County Council land 55 times and local authority land 75 times.

During the past four years the budget for the Northamptonshire Countywide Traveller Unit (CTU) remained static at £135,558 per year, with 2.5 full time staff.

The figures were revealed as part of a detailed Freedom of Information request by this paper to the CTU which is run as a partnership between the county councils and all the boroughs, excluding East Northamptonshire.

Communities have repeatedly told this newspaper they are concerned about mess, damage and crime when travellers arrive in town.

But Cllr Andy Mercer, chair of the executive board of the countywide traveller unit says many travellers fly under the radar and do not cause any problems.

He said: “Travellers are individuals and each do things for different reasons.

“We don’t know why the number of encampments has so much increased in Northamptonshire. There’s no over-riding driver.

“There’s been a dramatic increase of about 60 per cent in 18 months.

“Nobody has done a survey to ask them why, all we can say is there’s been a big upturn.

“The pressure on the staff at the CTU will have increased as a result but they’ve done a superb job.”

Cllr Mercer said that the reasons for the upturn would probably only become apparent in the future when the unit could look back with hindsight.

“You can’t make definitive statements about people’s behaviour when it is happening,” he added.

The data also showed that in 2014/15, 91 out of the 145 encampments eventually left after negotiation with the countywide traveller unit, while in 2017/18 only 69 out of 251 encampments were ended after negotiation.

Local authorities have the powers to move travellers on from their own land, but only after following a strict set of guidelines. The police also have powers under section 61 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 to require travellers to leave.

Cllr Mercer added: “The first thing is to determine whether the land is publicly or privately owned.

“If it’s public land the police will visit and site and do an inventory of who is there,” he said.

“The CTU will then help if there are issues with schooling or medical care.

“If someone turns up in a strange place at a strange time we can usually say it’s because they’ve got a medical issue.

“We’ll talk to them and ask them how long they’re planning to stay.

“Only in a small minority of places will they seek to move them on.”

Cllr Mercer said there are many examples of peaceful, low-key encampments that are not causing an issue to people in the county.

“We know of one couple where the lady was heavily pregnant and then had her baby and we are just letting them stay because there’s no reason for us to interfere with their lifestyle.

“We just make arrangements for their litter to be picked up by the local authority.”

Cllr Mercer said he has seen some threatening behaviour by members of the public towards travellers.

“It’s certainly not our job to ‘get rid’ of travellers,” he said.

“A couple of years ago I actually had to threaten someone with legal action.”

He said that there are all different types of nomadic groups in the county who all behave differently.

“There’s Romany, English, Irish, New Age and other smaller groups and you just can’t lump people together.

“As with any community there’s people that are good and people that are bad.

“There’s any number of groups that travel around from one place to another and our staff know them by their first names and we sometimes move them to more appropriate areas.

“If you’re reasonable with them then they’re reasonable with you.

“The staff are working very hard and with not extra personnel and a 60 per cent higher workload. What they’re doing is pretty incredible.

“The level of experience they have, you can’t buy.”

Cllr Mercer says he hopes that the CTU is one part of the council that is able to remain when unitary councils are established.

He said: “The process is going to split the county in two.

“My personal choice would be to retain the CTU, funded jointly by the two unitaries. I can’t see how something like the CTU would be able to be run by the smaller authorities.”

You can access all the travellers data in the Freedom of Information requests for the past four years using this link

Scheme that logs late and cancelled Northampton buses could hold Stagecoach to account

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A Northampton parish council is encouraging residents to report tardy or no-show bus services to its clerk, and help force improvements if required.

West Hunsbury Parish Council will discuss the idea at a meeting this evening (Thursday) as it seeks to gather evidence of recent poor service by Stagecoach.

The X10 - which runs between Kettering and West Hunsbury via Northampton town centre - has been complained about consistently over the summer. Reports of buses arriving 45 minutes late to the Drapery or failing to show up at all have left would-be passengers fuming, especially given there are no live update boards on West Hunsbury bus stops.

Despite a revamp of the route in mid-August, instances of buses not arriving persisted in the last few days of the month.

Richard Matthews, chair of West Hunsbury Parish Council, said he wished to map the scale of the reliability problems, and encouraged other parishes to do the same.

He said: "The only way people can complain at the moment is to go through Stagecoach. They get an answer about that instance but that's the end of it.

"This is a way of gathering evidence and, if there's a wider problem there, getting it addressed. If they don't do it to our satisfaction, we can take further action."

Councillor Matthews, a former Northampton Borough councillor, said there was a precedent for forcing changes following poor service as the borough council had successfully brought First Bus before the Traffic Commissioner.

"They almost had their licence revoked over it," he said. "If it turns out there is a problem and Stagecoach don't resolve it, that's obviously the ultimate action.

"This isn't about doing the bus company down, it's about making sure people don't get a second-rate service."

Posters publicising the scheme and listing the parish council clerk's contact details will go up at bus stops across West Hunsbury if the scheme is approved this evening (Thursday).

Stagecoach said some of the reliability issues with the X10 are being caused by ongoing roadworks at the northern end of its route.

A spokesman said: "Route X10 has been badly affected by a series of roadworks both on the A43 and more seriously in Kettering around Eskdaill Street and Newland Street. Therefore earlier this week we adjusted our routing in Kettering to divert away from those roads to improve reliability.

"This has dramatically improved the situation although not totally eliminated it. Roadwork's are due to continue in Kettering until December 2."

Austerity vigil to be held in Northampton as Home Secretary arrives at secret location to thank Tory grassroots

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Campaigners will attempt to shame the Home Secretary and local Conservative Party members when they arrive in town for a black tie fundraiser.

The annual gala event will raise money for Northamptonshire-based election campaigns such as the Police and Crime Commissioner ballot in 2020.

The fact that tickets for a meal will cost up to £90 to sit with Sajid Javid - who refused to bail out Northamptonshire County County out of its ongoing financial chaos earlier this year when he was local government secretary - has attracted the ire of Save Northants Services.

The campaign intend to hold a candlelit vigil outside County Hall - the actual venue for the fundraiser is a secret - highlighting the fact that people and services in Northampton continue to struggle due to county council cutbacks.

A spokesman for Save Northants Services said decisions made by Tory councillors at a Northamptonshire level led to the cuts but local Conservatives are still denying political responsibility, instead blaming the Government for turning of the funding tap.

The spokesman said: "This vigil will remind them that while they stuff themselves raising money for their party, the people of Northamptonshire are the victims of their nasty and brutal austerity policies that are hitting children, the elderly and the most vulnerable.

"We hope to make their evening less enjoyable."

To reinforce their point, they are also encouraging people to bring non-perishable food to donate to food banks.

Paul Crofts, a Save Northants Services co-ordinator said: "We just want to remind them that while the rich and powerful Conservatives of this county gather together for a slap-up meal, the poor and vulnerable are still being forced to use food banks."

Suresh Patel, deputy chairman of Northampton South Conservatives, said the main point of the evening was to thank grassroots members and maintained the campaigners would not be allowed anywhere near the unknown building.

He said: "This is a normal fundraising event that was organised a while ago - it's a different minister every year.

"The main way of raising the money is not the meals, it's a raffle but the point of the whole thing is Sajid Javid saying thank you to Conservative Party volunteers."

Major route in Northampton at a standstill after bus fire

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Traffic is at a standstill on a major route into Northampton after a bus caught fire earlier this morning.

Commuters on the A45 are experiencing long delays in both the east and westbound directions this morning as a result of the fire at the Earls Barton junction.

Delays of 45 minutes and more are being felt on the eastbound carriageway, with traffic backing up to the Riverside roundabout.

In the westbound direction, AA Travel is reporting delays of 20 minutes and more on the approach to the Earls Barton turn.

Updates to follow.

Parents urged to apply for Northants school places for September 2019 on time

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Parents and carers can now apply for a reception place in a primary or infant school, or a Year 7 place in a secondary school for the September 2019 intake.

The closing date for applications for places in reception is January 15, 2019, at 5pm.

Parents and carers can apply for a place in reception if their child will be four years of age before August 31, 2019.

The closing date for applications for Year 7 places is October 31, 2018, at 5pm.

Applications can be made online at www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/admissions.

All admissions, whether postal or online, must be received by the closing date to be considered as on time.

Late applications will not be processed until after the National Offer Day.

All on time applicants will receive an offer of a school place on the National Offer Days – March 1, 2019, for secondary places and April 16, 2019, for reception places.

The county council’s school admissions team is holding a series of free information events across the county to help parents and carers with the application process and to answer any queries that may be raised.

These events will be held at:

- Wellingborough Library on Thursday, October 4, from 10am to midday

- Corby Library on Tuesday, October 9, from 10am to midday

- Weston Favell Library on Wednesday, October 10, from 10am to 12.30pm

- Kettering Library on Tuesday, October 16, from 9.30am to 11.30am

- Northampton Central Library on Friday, November 30, from 10.30am to 1pm

The county council’s cabinet member for children’s services and education, Cllr Victoria Perry, said: “I would encourage families who are applying for a school place for September 2019 to utilise the free support and advice and make their applications in good time to avoid a delay in the process.”

An independent admission appeals process is available for families who wish to appeal against refusal of a place at any school for which they have applied.

To find out more about applying for a school place in Northamptonshire and to submit an application, visit www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/admissions.

Manhunt launched for stranger who offered teenager £20 to 'go with him' on Northampton towpath

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A 13-year-old girl was touched inappropriately and propositioned by a passer-by on a towpath in Northampton.

The girl was walking with friends along the towpath between Sixfields and Briar Hill when they passed a man who stopped them and accused the girl of stealing his money.

The man then searched the girl by looking through her jacket and the back pocket of her jeans, touching her inappropriately in the process, according to a police spokeswoman.

He then offered her £20 to go with him.

The man is described as white, in his 40s, 6ft 4 inches tall with a skinny build and shoulder-length brown hair with some grey in it. He was wearing light brown jogging bottoms, a grey hooded jacket and was pushing a red bicycle.

The incident happened on Friday, August 13, between 5pm and 5.30pm.

Witnesses, or anyone who may have seen a man in the area acting suspiciously and matching the description above, are being urged to contact police.

Anyone with information should contact Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Police and crime commissioner against plans for two unitary councils in Northants

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Northamptonshire’s police and crime commissioner has written to the secretary of state for local government to voice his objection against two unitary councils for the county.

Stephen Mold, who as PCC has responsibility for Northamptonshire Police, is in favour of one large unitary to cover the whole of the county as he fears that vulnerable people could fall down the gaps between two unitary authorities.

He is asking the minister for a chance to discuss his concerns and says in his letter that one unitary would offer the maximum economies of scale and would provide better uniformity of services.

At the end of last month seven of the eight councils in Northants put in a joint bid to Secretary of State for Local Government James Brokenshire  to replace the current two-tier system in the county with a unitary system.

This would mean a huge reshaping of local services as the two proposed new unitaries, one in the north and one in the west, would each deliver services currently provided by the county council and the borough or district councils.

There have been a number of critics of the two unitary system and now one of the county’s most important politicians has added his name to the list.

Referring to why he has written the letter Commissioner Mold said: “Local government reorganisation in Northamptonshire gives us a tremendous opportunity to take a fresh look at the way we do things and design a system that focuses on providing people with effective services in a more efficient and affordable way.

“I would have liked the consultation on reform to consider a countywide unitary option and I have asked for assurances that the needs of our countywide services are being taken into account and any risks are identified and managed during the transition period to new arrangements.

“My reasons for that are very practical: I focus on community safety and public protection so I do not want to see artificial borders, or inconsistent practices and levels of service that don’t serve people well or even put the vulnerable at risk from being caught in the gaps between different authorities.

“I would prefer us to work on a consistent way, to one set of standards and following one process right across Northamptonshire.  

“As we move to two councils, I have asked for assurances that this are taken into account.”

Since the joint submission by the councils for two unitaries there has been no public word from the secretary of state.

It is understood he will need to consult with Corby Council before he makes any decision as the borough council has refused to join the bid following consultation with local residents who were overwhelmingly against.

The current timetable being spoken of is for elections to the two unitary authorities to take place in May 2020.


Schools in Northampton, Wellingborough and Kettering urged to raise awareness of dangers of carbon monoxide

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Cadent is calling on schools in Northampton, Wellingborough and Kettering to help spread the carbon monoxide (CO) safety message after figures revealed the areas are a hot spot for dangerous gas appliances.

Faulty or badly maintained gas appliances can leak carbon monoxide, a colourless, odourless gas that kills 40 people a year and sees a further 4,000 visiting accident and emergency departments with symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.

During 2017-18, 674 gas cookers, boilers, fires and other gas appliances in Northampton were condemned as being at risk or immediately dangerous.

A total of 316 were similarly condemned in Wellingborough and Rushden, with a further 235 in Kettering.

The figures come from properties attended by Cadent engineers where they have had to condemn or isolate an appliance or installation as being at risk or immediately dangerous following attendance at a reported gas emergency.

Now, with the help of a bear named Safety Seymour, Cadent is aiming to tackle the scourge of CO.

It is urging schools to sign up to a free day of carbon monoxide safety educational activities, run in the classroom, aimed at Year 2 pupils and aligned to the National Curriculum.

The call to action comes during Gas Safety Week 2018 (September 17 to 23), the annual gas industry initiative to raise awareness of the dangers of poorly-maintained gas appliances, including the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Cadent stakeholder and customer specialist Amanda O’Shea said: “Research shows that families with children are among those most at risk from carbon monoxide poisoning.

“Safety Seymour teaches youngsters how to stay safe and they take that knowledge home to their mums, dads, wider families and carers.

“It’s all about safeguarding future generations by embedding CO safety knowledge at an early age.

“Carbon monoxide poisoning is easily preventable yet thousands of people every year suffer from CO symptoms or even die.”

Any school that would like to sign up for the Safety Seymour sessions can contact Amanda O’Shea by emailing Amanda.oshea@cadentgas.com.

Children in the first 150 classes to sign up for a session will receive a free CO alarm.

Picturesque Northamptonshire village fails to meet criteria for conservation status

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A quaint Northamptonshire village has been refused to be added to a conservation area because it 'doesn't meet the criteria'.

The village of Piddington, in South Northamptonshire, was hoping to be added to the list of areas included, with historical sites including the remains of a large Roman Villa were first discovered in 1781 by workmen digging for limestone.

There is also evidence of Bronze and Iron Age settlements in the area, whilst the wider area is nationally known for its Roman Archaeology.

But South Northamptonshire Council believes that Piddington, although 'an attractive rural village', does not fulfil the criteria set out under legislation.

The council added: "Therefore, Piddington is not considered to be an area suitable for conservation area designation."

Councillor Roger Clarke, who sits on the council's planning policy and regeneration strategy committee, said: "I found very little of that history on show during a drive through, and if we are to maintain these standards then it’s right and proper that we don’t include every village."

Councillor Steven Hollowell added: "It’s remarkable that somewhere like Piddington that has such a rich history but it doesn’t remain in the architecture. It’s a shame so I agree with the recommendation."

And Councillor Robert Atkison, the ward member for the area, said: "I gave the parish the bad news. They could see in the assessment where we were coming from.

"They were a bit miffed, but accepted it. At one time it was a thriving industrial village with Hackleton as the smaller of the two. But when the businesses moved out it was a role reversal."

The start of 2016-2017 financial year marked the start of a second phase of work which commenced an assessment of the qualities of the district’s 38

settlements not benefiting from a conservation area.

Licence revoked after illegal workers discovered working in Northampton shop

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A convenience store caught employing illegal immigrants by coppers has had its licence revoked - while a sister store has had its licence suspended for up to three months.

Officers tested the Nisa Local store in Broadmead Avenue in June after receiving tip-offs that underage girls had been sold tobacco. When underage test purchasers entered the store they were able to buy two cans of polish lager.

After the shop worker was reprimanded by police in the form of a £90 fixed penalty notice, and ID was requested, he showed the officers an email from the Immigration Service which outlined an ongoing visa application. When asked about this, he stated that he had no entitlement to work in the UK and that the owner of the premises was aware of this.

The store was visited again four days later, where officers found an Indian male ‘leaving abruptly’ to the bemusement of queuing customers. When police stopped him they discovered he had failed to be in contact with the Border Agency since 2013 and had no right to work in the UK. He was arrested and taken to the police station.

The same day saw another Nisa Local store in Birchfield Road, owned by the same family, visited by officers, where they discovered the same illegal worker from the other store four days earlier.

Requests for CCTV footage were not provided, leading to the police asking Northampton Borough Council’s licensing committee to review the store’s licence.

The hearing, which took place yesterday morning at The Guildhall, heard how the licence holder was in the process of selling the stores.

Duncan Craig, representing the licence holders, said: "What has happened has given my client cause to consider whether to continue with these stores, and they have decided to dispose of them.

"A sale has been agreed and is in extremely advanced stages, so on balance we do not believe the licences should be revoked or suspended."

But PC Chris Stevens, of Northamptonshire Police, said: “Revocation should be seriously considered where illegal working is uncovered even in the first instance. The police are asking for the revocation of this licence today because it is clear that the conditions that were introduced to the licence to prevent illegal working have not been adhered to.

“Similarly the conditions attached to the licence to prevent the sale of alcohol to children have also not been adhered to. It is also apparent that the licence holder has also taken no steps to remove either of the illegal workers in the premises when they were made aware that the first had been discovered and continued to allow both to work in premises owned by them or their spouse.”

Members of the committee decided to revoke the licence of the Broadmead Avenue store, and suspend the licence of the Birchfield Road store for a period of up to three months.

Conditions that would be applied upon it opening again include weekly checks on the CCTV system, a staff log book being implemented to record incidents and staff being on duty who can access and operate the CCTV.

'I don't want to knock on that door' : Northamptonshire constable explains why drivers should give cyclists a wide berth

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Northamptonshire drivers are being reminded of the safe passing distance when overtaking cyclists and horseriders as the evidence of near misses grows.

Statistics show that a handful of cyclists are killed on the county's roads each year but helmet and handlebar-mounted cameras are now showing that there are a huge number of a unreported near misses.

Northamptonshire Police's Operation Close Pass, launched today, seeks to educate motorists how to overtake at a safe distance of 1.5 metres and not add to the horror clips online.

There will also be emphasis on plain clothes cyclists and volunteer horse riders who can report dangerous manoeuvres to police officers waiting nearby.

But PC Maureen Allsopp-Clarke said she would rather the campaign made drivers change their risky behaviour than it result in more arrests, especially given she and colleagues are the ones who have to inform families of a tragedy face-to-face.

She said: "A day when we don't catch anyone for hitting a cyclist or horse rider is a good day.

"I'm the one that has to knock on the door. I don't want to knock that door."

Operation Close Pass emphasises respect for those using four legs or pedal power who always have the potential to act unpredictably, suddenly veering around hazards unseen by the motorist.

The operation was the brainchild of cyclist David Dawes, a father of two who says he has at least three near misses per week while pedaling to and from work.

He showed the video footage of potential accidents from his helmet camera to former Chief Constable Simon Edens, who was shocked.

Mr Dawes said: "The figures showing cyclists who are killed and seriously injured don't tell the story. On paper it doesn't look like a problem.

"Until that half-hour meeting, there was an acceptance there was an issue but the videos really showed how bad things are out there."

Operation Close Pass is part of a range of road safety work being undertaken by the force’s Safer Roads Team and partners Northamptonshire Highways and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

Also at the launch was Wellingborough cyclist Tom Jones, whose video of his daughter Rhoda giving a thumbs-up to an HGV driver passing the family safely went viral on YouTube during the summer.

He said: "In some ways it is sad that that's the video that did so well. One that could do with being shared was when her sister, Ruth, was almost knocked over by a caravan."

Mr Jones said if motorists took the same care passing an adult cyclist as they usually would passing a child on a bike, there would be far fewer tragic accidents.

"I suppose what drivers need to remember is that they should be careful overtaking all cyclists. I'm just as squishy as a little girl. And we are all someone's child."

Death near Delapre Abbey 'not being treated as suspicious'

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Northamptonshire Police have today confirmed why a public footpath was taped off near Delapre Abbey.

Eyewitnesses reported sightings of emergency services close to the lake near Ransome Road yesterday (September 19).

A spokeswoman for Northamptonshire Police today confirmed that a man had died at the scene.

She said: "We were called at 1.40pm after we received reports of a sudden death. We attended and we are preparing a report for the coroner."

The incident is not being treated as suspicious, she added.

Northampton teenager, Lizzie grateful for National Citizen Service boost to confidence

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A Northampton teenager is flying the flag for the National Citizen Service (NCS) after finding that her new-found confidence has helped boost her A-Level studies.

17-year-old Lizzie Nash took part in the NCS summer programme and is now encouraging others to take part in the scheme.

Speaking about her experience she said: “I started NCS feeling unsure about what I would get out of it but it really was a life changing experience for me.

“Before NCS I was quite shy and couldn’t speak to more than six people in a group but now I am calm and confident making class presentations as part of my A-Levels and this is thanks to NCS.

“We did loads of fun bonding activities and group work such as presentations which boosted my confidence to the point where I even performed in the talent show.

“NCS can seem like a scary thing but it’s really not once you get there.

“It’s an incredibly worthwhile scheme and it’s given me great lifelong friends and so many life skills that I am very grateful for – I would 100 per cent recommend NCS to anyone.”

NCS is a unique programme open to all 16 and 17-year-olds in Northamptonshire and is focused around fun and discovery, with participants spending time away from home, learning skills for life and volunteering at least 30 hours to a community project they create.

To date almost 500,000 young people have taken part in NCS with more than ten million hours of social action completed.

Places on the autumn NCS programme are now available with the programme starting on Friday, October 19, 2018.

For further information and to sign up to the autumn NCSEM1 programme 16 and 17-year-olds should visit www.ncsyes.org.uk or call 01522 574101.

'Northampton needs a hug': Conference calls for businesses and shoppers to love their town and make most of incoming students

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A call went out last night for businesses and shoppers to “love Northampton” and look forward to it’s future.

The “Northampton Town Centre - Our Nexts Steps” conference was held yesterday (September 19) to discuss how councils, businesses and shoppers can rethink the high street.

It included an appeal for retailers to hire and make the most of the 12,000 students arriving at the Waterside Campus next week and find ways to “entice, attract and even seduce” shoppers into Northampton.

Rob Purdie, executive director of Northampton BID, who hosted the conference, said: “Let’s love Northampton. The town needs a bit of a hug. It’s had a hard old time and we must be positive about the future and move forward.

“We’re not just open for business. We mean business.

“Join us as we build a new Northampton. That’s what we need, what we deserve and what we’ve earned.”

Speeches and a Q&A session were held for an audience of over 140 people made of Northampton businesses, industry heads and borough council bosses.

It also saw the director of marketing for the University of Northampton, Deborah Mattock, urge the town to make the most of the new student population in the south of the town.

She said: "Over 12,000 students are about to arrive and they are going to be vital to the future of Northampton. These people have money to spend. They have skills to offer.

"They love coffee shops and bars and they like to go out and have a good time."

Editor of the Chronicle & Echo David Summers took the stage to discuss the results of this paper's town centre survey, which had over 1,400 responses from readers earlier this year for what you wanted from Northampton.

Mr Summers said: "What the Chronicle & Echo has shown is that people care passionately about Northampton town centre. It feels like there is a wind of change in Northampton. This is the time to capture that passion for our town centre.

"We cannot be sitting here in five years time talking about how Northampton town centre is underperforming and how it needs to change."

The conference took place at the Park Inn by Radisson in Silver Street.


This is when Storm Bronagh will hit Northamptonshire bringing high wings and torrential rain

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The Met Office has named the second storm of the season, which will bring high winds and torrential rain to Northamptonshire.

An intense low-pressure system, which will develop across parts of Wales and South West England during this evening before spreading further eastwards across the entirety of England, has been named Storm Bronagh by the Met Office.

It is expected to hit Northamptonshire at around 6pm.

A frontal zone will bring heavy rain throughout today (Thursday) before the winds strengthen later in the day bringing gale force winds through this evening and overnight into Friday, and possibly severe gales in a few places.

Storm Bronagh will bring wind gusts of 45-50 mph quite widely around exposed coasts and in a few spots inland, while some gusts of 60-65 mph are possible, particularly overnight into Friday across eastern England. The strong winds will be accompanied by short-lived outbreaks of squally heavy rain in places.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: “Although the strongest winds are expected to occur as Storm Bronagh moves offshore into the North Sea, there is a low likelihood of damaging winds in places through this evening and overnight with possible could impacts to people travelling in England and Wales. However the strongest winds are most likely along the north east coast of England in the early hours of the morning."

There is the possibility of damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs or through falling trees and branches, as well as a danger to life. Keep up to date with the weather warnings via our forecast pages, mobile app or social media as there may be up dates throughout the day.

Highways England’s Head of Road Safety, Richard Leonard, said: “We’re encouraging drivers to check the latest weather and travel conditions before setting off on journeys. If you do intend to travel, then plan your journey and take extra care, allowing more time for your journey.

“In high winds, there’s a particular risk to lorries, caravans and motorbikes so we’d advise drivers of these vehicles to slow down. Drivers of other vehicles should be aware of sudden gusts of wind which can affect handling and braking, and give high-sided vehicles, caravans, and motorbikes plenty of space.”

Two Yellow Met Office Weather Warnings are in force, the first is for rain covering Wales and parts of North West England, then later in the day, a Yellow wind warning is also in place for Storm Bronagh covering much of England.

Looking further ahead there is another weather system expected to bring more wind and rain across parts of the UK on Sunday and into Monday, with some possible coastal impacts.

'Croydon Cat Killer' who was thought to have struck in Northampton is unmasked

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Police investigating the Croydon cat killer say they have found the culprit

The three-year investigation has concluded humans are unlikely to have been responsible for the dozens of killings they looked into.

Instead detectives believe, a fox or foxes, are believed to be responsible for the mutilations.

Last year, an animal charity - South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty (SNARL) - had speculated that the same killer - or a copycat - was at work in Northampton after four horrific feline killings in September and October last year.

But the naming of a member of the animal kingdom as the culprit in south London has seemingly ruled out a scenario where a killer based in the capital had extended their territory into Northampton.

That is because the condition in which most of the Northampton cats were presented strongly indicated human intervention.

In August 2017, a teenage girl had found her cat, Rusty, dumped in a plastic bag on her doorstep in Betjeman Court with its ears, head and limbs cut off. Another cat belonging to the same family had recently been set on fire.

Days later, in September 2017, owners of 15-year-old Topsy found the mutilated animal outside their front door in Brookfield Road.

Two mutilated feline bodies were discovered in the Kingsley area in the same month.

And in October 2017, horrifically mutilated bodies of two more family pets were left in a black bin liner in Bants Lane, Duston.

Today, the Metropolitan Police said forensic tests and postmortem examinations were carried out on a number of cats.

Frontline policing commander Amanda Pearson said: “The decision was made to allocate a large number of similar reports of mutilated cats to the officers who were investigating the initial spate of such allegations.

“While this increased the workload of those officers, it significantly reduced the resources that would have been required for different officers in different units to record and assess each allegation separately.

“It is this collating of reports that enabled officers to work with experts and reach the conclusion that no further police investigations are required into any of the allegations relating to mutilated cats.”

Northampton Male Voice Choir home dates end tour

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Forty men from the Northampton Male Voice Choir (NMVC) have returned from a brief tour of Lincoln.

The choir, accompanied by Andrew Poole on piano and under the musical dierction of Stephen Bell, performed in St Mary’s Church, Horncastle; the Chapter House of Lincoln Cathedral; St Nicholas Church, Lincoln, and Southwell Minster.

NMVC is now looking forward to a busy schedule of autumn engagements including a joint concert with the touring Australian Welsh Male Choir Tuesday, October 9 in the United Reform Church in Abington Road, Northampton and its annual concert on Saturday, October 20 in The Cripps Theatre, Northampton School for Boys.

For concert and how to buy tickets go to www.nmvc.co.uk or email info@nmvc.co.uk

Green fingered efforts see Northampton awarded gold by In Bloom judges

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Fine floral efforts have been awarded for the second year in a row in Northampton after the town was handed a gold award in the East Midlands in Bloom competition.

Judges visited the town in July to view floral displays created by some of the community groups, schools, businesses, residents and allotments who participated this year’s competition, which centred on the theme of remembrance.

The Far Cotton Residents Association and Far Cotton Land Girls group were recognised for the distinctive beds they planted along the Towcester Road, which combined flowers and plants with hundreds of hand-crocheted poppies and information signs.

Judges were also impressed by the variety of hanging baskets and planters dotted around the town by the Borough Council, which joined a geranium bed on the Cobbler’s Last in Abington Street and a planted tribute to local war hero Walter Tull in Guildhall Square, provided by competition sponsors Cramden Nurseries and K&J Hird Ltd respectively.

Councillor Mike Hallam, cabinet member for environment, said: “We are delighted to achieve the gold award for Northampton for a second consecutive year, and I would like to thank all the community groups who took part in the judging day, including the Buddies of Becket’s, Delapré Primary School, St Giles’ Terrace in Bloom, Northampton and Country Club, Oasis House, the Friends of West Hunsbury Country Park, residents of Parsons Meade and the gardening volunteers at Delapré Abbey.

“Along with the Far Cotton Residents Association and the Far Cotton Land Girls, the hard work of these groups, our team and our sponsors has resulted in another gold award for the town, which is something we are incredibly proud of.”

East Midlands in Bloom judge Richard Stephen said: “Once again, the judges were shown the enormous amount of hard work carried out by volunteer groups, contracting partners and the borough council staff. Well done Northampton, another solid entry.”

The groups, businesses and individuals who entered into this year’s Northampton in Bloom competition will be recognised at an awards ceremony on October 4, while the result of Northampton’s entry into this year’s Britain in Bloom competition, which has already been shortlisted to a final five nationwide entrants, will be revealed on the October 19.

Drapery redesign worth £55,000 will end Northampton town centre traffic jams, says council leader

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Northampton Borough Council has pledged to redesign traffic flow in the Drapery and "pick up the tab" from the county council.

Number plate recognition cameras and a scheme to control how buses use the town centre street could be installed within a year.

Highways and roads are typically handled by the county council - but at a conference on Wednesday (September 19) leader of Northampton Borough Council, Councillor Jonathan Nunn, announced they would foot the £55,000 bill for the cash-strapped local authority.

Councillor Nunn said: "We are never going to have a period where people are sat in a bus on the Drapery for an hour before they start moving.

"We all know of the financial struggles facing the county council. Well, we aren't the county council. We have a balanced budget and the Christmas lights will be on this year.

"The borough council is going to pick up the tab for improving the traffic in the Drapery."

The announcement came at the "Northampton Town Centre - Our Next Steps" conference by Northampton BID to discuss the future of the high street.

Councillor Nunn also announced the council and BID were drawing up a "masterplan" to redesign pedestrian and traffic flow in the town, which could also include refreshing the "gateways" into the town centre through Bridge Street, Gold Street and Wellingborough.

The leader also took the opportunity at different points in his speech to apologise for the botched £10.25million Cobblers loan, the sale of the Sekhemka Statue, the former Enterprise contract, the return of weekend parking charges and the state of the Greyfriars plot.

He said: "Greyfriars is a big hole in the ground in the middle of the town... but we want something more iconic and bold. We are looking for fresh ideas."

It comes after the borough council voted in favour of overhauling the local government system in Northamptonshire and replacing it with two new unitary authorities - in effect voting to end its own existence.

Councillor Nunn told the conference: "We're not winding down into unitary. We're sprinting to unitary. We have ambitious plans and are in a great place to make this happen."

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