The Care Quality Commission (CQC) visit was carried out in November at the premises of Thames Ambulance Service Ltd, which transports Northampton patients for free to NHS appointments.

Although an inspection report has still not been published, a paper written for NHS Nene board members has revealed a long list of worries.

The report - which will be discussed in public on Tuesday (January 15) at Francis Crick House, Moulton, - says: "A risk summit led by NHS England was called in response to concerns identified at a recent CQC inspection (report to be published) and subsequent conditions that have been placed on the provider's CQC registration.

"The four main areas of concern identified were; staff training, infection control issues, transport of children, bariatric patients or patients with mental health issues and governance."

Both the CQC and NHS Nene declined to expand on the concerns.

However, the report says regular oversight meetings have been arranged and a quality improvement plan has been developed by Thames Ambulance Service, whose headquarters are in Essex.

It is not the first time that the ambulance service, which has contracts across the country, has been lambasted by inspectors.

This newspaper reported in 2017, when Thames Ambulance Service was awarded the contract for Northamptonshire, that a recent CQC report had found oxygen cylinders were stored unsecured overhead, posing a danger to patients and staff.

Ambulances were also found to be dirty, with discarded food, sweet wrappers and dust.

And previous to that, a CQC report in December 2016 revealed staff took a patient who was deteriorating straight to A&E instead of calling 999 and the patient later died.

A spokeswoman for NHS Nene said: “This was based on an inspection in another county and the Northants quality team have been visiting local bases regularly to ensure Northants patients are safe.

"We are not able to provide any further comment until the CQC report has been published.”

The application to build 10 homes on the land at Station Road, originally intended to be an overspill car park for the rail station, proved controversial after the parish council changed its objection to the scheme on receipt of a £10,000 windfall from the developers.

Long Buckby Parish Council spoke out against the development as it felt it breached council policy on building in rural areas.

But following a meeting with developers Bovis Homes, the council voted to withdraw its objection.

Bovis agreed a ‘contribution’ to the parish of £10,000 in the form of a section 106 agreement, with £5,000 to go towards the recreation ground equipment and £5,000 agreed for street lighting improvements. The scheme will also contribute four affordable homes.

But a number of councillors on Daventry District Council’s planning committee, which was determining the scheme, felt uneasy about the change of heart from their parish colleagues.

Conservative councillor Richard Auger said: “It’s great that this is resolved because affordable houses are needed.

"But I just want some reassurance that we are comfortable with that legally, because it was originally about policy - then £10,000 was offered to the parish and the objection was withdrawn. Sometimes you get this feeling about something. Are we quite happy that there’s no suspicion that any form of corruption has taken place?”

The meeting took on an added dilemma in that Councillor Steve Osborne, the chair of the Daventry planning committee, was also the chairman of Long Buckby Parish Council. Councillor Osborne walked out from the planning debate and said he did not vote on the objection withdrawal at the parish council meeting because of his dual role. Planning officers admitted that the wording used by Councillor Osborne in describing the ‘successful’ parish council meeting had been ‘clumsy’.

Labour councillor Ken Ritchie added: “I think this stinks, it strikes me as being bribery. Perhaps the words chosen by our chair were not appropriate but Councillor Osborne has been in this process for a long time. To me, this will simply embolden developers. If Long Buckby are going to do this they should have at least demanded a decent amount of bribe. I just think it’s outrageous.”

But the Daventry councillors were given assurance by the district council’s executive director for community, Maria Taylor, who said that ‘officers were satisfied’ there was nothing to be worried with.

She said: “If there was any worry that there was corruption it would not be on the agenda and we would not be discussing it.”

She later added: “This is fundamentally how developers make deals with parish councils.”

A council solicitor added: “I can only suspect that if there was the slightest chance that deals were being done under the table then our chair would have made it clear.”

The committee eventually decided to grant the scheme planning permission, with seven votes in favour, four against, and with Councillor Auger abstaining.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service after the meeting, Councillor Osborne - who returned to his seat after the debate to chair the rest of the meeting - said: “The developer came along and said that it had been given an indication that it would get recommended for approval. They said if we removed the objection they would build 40 per cent affordable housing and give £10,000 towards local facilities.

“If the developer sold the land on then the new owners would not have had to provide any affordable housing at all. It was a matter of whether they wanted to remove their objection and gain something for the village out of it, or keep the objection and gain nothing.

“The parish council has been criticised in the past for not getting for the village, so that was the decision it took.”

Councillor Osborne reiterated that he had not voted in either the district council planning committee meeting, or the parish council meeting where the objection was withdrawn.

A 28-year-old man has been charged with the murder of Lithuanian national Juozas Meilunas in Kettering.

Mindaugas Kaminskas, 28, of No Fixed Abode, will appear at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Monday, January 14, charged with murder.

Detectives launched a murder investigation after Mr Meilunas, aged 51, was found dead in a flooded flat in Woodlands Court, Wood Street just before 6.30pm on December 26.

A post-mortem examination revealed he died from a head injury and police believed his body had been there for some time.

Anyone with information is still encouraged to contact detectives working on the case and you can do so by calling them on 101 or alternatively, if you want to remain anonymous, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Jeffrey Lendrum of Cliftonville Road, Northampton, was stopped at Heathrow in June 2018 after arriving from South Africa.

Officers found 56-year-old wearing a sling under his coat containing up to £100,000 of endangered birds' eggs.

The stash of eggs from birds of prey, including vultures, eagles, hawks and kites, was worth up to £100,000, the Telegraph reported.

He pleaded guilty to four offences on the second day of his trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court and was jailed for three years and one month.

Lendrum was also jailed for 18 months in 2010 after he was caught at Birmingham Airport with egg boxes strapped to his chest.

He had taken 14 eggs from peregrine falcon nests in South Wales and tried to smuggle them out of the UK.

Police described him at the time as 'the highest level of wildlife criminal'.

In October 2015, Lendrum was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison in Sao Paolo after he was again found carrying rare falcon eggs. He fled Brazil after he was released on bail.

Remi Ogunfowora, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "We worked with our partners in the National Crime Agency to ensure this prolific bird egg smuggler faced appropriate charges.

"We hope the sentence passed deters others from becoming involved in the damaging trade around rare and endangered wildlife."

Tens of thousands of pounds were spent on “paupers’ funerals” in Northampton last year, as more families are unable or unwilling to cover the costs of their loved ones’ arrangements.

Northampton Borough Council spent a total of £24,872 on public health funerals over the 2017-18 financial year, according to a Freedom of Information request submitted by mutual insurer Royal London.

The Local Government Association said there are thousands of people across the country “with no family or friends to care for them or arrange, attend or pay for their funeral”.

Public health funerals, which are also known as paupers’ funerals, are “no frills” services provided by local authorities, which in general include a coffin and the services of a funeral director but do not include flowers, obituaries or transport for family members. Families can attend if they wish.

There were 16 carried out in Northampton in 2017-18, compared with 11 in 2016-17.

The total cost of public health funerals across the UK in 2017-18 was more than £5 million, according to Royal London, which received responses from 275 local authorities.

More than 3,800 such funerals were carried out across the UK last year, costing councils an average of £1,403.

Nearly a third (31%) of families who turned to their local council for a public health funeral did so because they were unable to foot the bill, Royal London found.

The mutual insurer said the average cost of a basic funeral is £3,757.

Other reasons for public health funerals included the deceased having no family, and families being unwilling to pay for the funeral.

The amount spent by Northampton Borough Council on public health funerals in 2017-18 increased by 29% compared with 2016-17.

Louise Eaton-Terry, a funeral cost expert at Royal London, said: “More support is needed to help those struggling with funeral costs.”

An LGA spokesman said: “Public health funerals are a last resort but, where there is no-one able to pay for a funeral, councils will hold one in a respectful and dignified way.

“Councils will try to establish whether the deceased had any religious requirements to enable them to respect their wishes in the provision of a burial or cremation.”

He added: “The increase in these funerals is an extra pressure on over-stretched council budgets which pay for them.”

He said the figures also do not take into the account funerals paid for by the NHS when people die in hospital.

A 13-year-old girl who has been missing from Northampton since last Monday has been found.

Northamptonshire Police has reported that missing girl Chantae Kelly has been found.

Chantae Kelly left her school in the town at 3.10pm on January 7 and failed to return to her home address.

Residents are invited to join the Mayor of Northampton, Councillor Tony Ansell, and Councillor Anna King for a special ceremony at 12pm in the Guildhall Courtyard.

This will include short speeches from Stephen Mold, Police and Crime Commissioner and the Chair of Northampton Inter Faith Forum, and a minute silence led by the mayor, to honour everyone affected by the Holocaust and more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

Councillor Anna King, Cabinet member for community engagement and safety, said: “Each year we are proud to host events marking Holocaust Memorial Day and this year is no exception.

“Genocide is a horrific act and these events provide the perfect opportunity for us all to come together to remember everyone affected by pasts events. Tying in with this year’s theme, it also gives us a chance to reflect on the impact that enforced loss of home and separation from family members, friends and communities, can have when genocide does occur.

“People of all ages and backgrounds are welcome to join us at both events, which take place a day after the global Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January.”

Later that day, residents can also get involved in a community event at The Deco Theatre from 6pm. The event includes a programme of music, film, poetry and dance inspired by this year’s theme – ‘Torn from Home’.

Speakers for the evening include Councillor Jonathan Nunn, Leader of Northampton Borough Council, Chief Inspector Dave Lawson from Northamptonshire Police and Dr Melanie Cross, the Chair of Northamptonshire Rights and Equalities Council.

There will also be performances from Year 9 students from Thomas Becket Secondary School, Northampton School for Boys and the Borough Council’s Youth Forum.

The event will come to a close with the blowing of the Shofar and memorial prayers led by the Northampton Hebrew Congregation. This will be followed by music from Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust.

For more information about these events, please email forums@northampton.gov.uk

Officers investigating an incident in which a girl was approached by a stranger are appealing for witnesses and anyone with dashcam footage to come forward.

The incident happened between 7.10am and 7.15am on Friday, January 11, a girl was walking towards a bus stop on Harlestone Road, in St James, Northamptonshire Police today said.

As she passed a row of shops close to the junction with the A4500 St James’ Road, an unknown man approached her from behind and put his right arm around her upper body.

He did not make contact with her but the girl was able to bite his wrist, breaking the skin and drawing blood.

The man then pulled his arm away and walked off up Harlestone Road towards the Spencer Bridge Road junction.

A police spokeswoman said: "He is described as white and was wearing a black waterproof jacket or coat.

"Any witnesses or anyone with information or dash cam footage from the Harlestone Road/Spencer Bridge Road area taken between 7am and 7.25am on Friday should call Northamptonshire Police on 101."

Information can also be shared anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Police are appealing for witnesses following a robbery in Northampton.

Two G4S officers were threatened by a man after they pulled up in a van outside the Nationwide Building Society between 10.45pm and 11.10pm on Thursday, January 10.

The offender threatened the men with what is believed to be a dark grey or black hand gun, and demanded they hand over a cash box, Northamptonshire Police today confirmed.

The offender then made off on foot in the direction of Towcester Road.

A spokeswoman for Northamptonshire Police said: "The offender is described as white, about 6ft, with a slim build and in his mid-20s.

"He was wearing a dark green balaclava with a bobble on the top and a dark-coloured top and trousers.

"He was also wearing dark brown gloves that looked like thick leather material with stitching on the outside."

Witnesses, or anyone with information, are asked to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Officers investigating a Northampton burglary in which a motorbike was stolen are appealing for witnesses and information.

Between 6.30pm and 11.30pm on Saturday, January 12, unknown offender/s entered a property in Stowe Walk, Parklands, and took items from within the garage and house.

Items stolen include a white and red Honda CBR 600 FA-B motorbike (pictured), a motorcycle helmet, cash, alcohol, a laptop and a pressure washer.

Witnesses or anyone with information about the incident are asked to call Northamptonshire Police on 101. Information can also be shared anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Thieves broke in to Saffron in Castilian Street, Northampton in the early hours of Friday, January 11, making off with thousands of pounds worth of alcohol, electrical goods and the Tiffin Cup – a prized crystal trophy won by the restaurant in 2016.

The restaurant is now offering a £1,000 reward for information leading to its safe return.

The Tiffin Cup is an annual competition run by the House of Commons to honour the UK’s best South Asian cuisine. It is awarded by the Tiffin Club of MPs, formed in 2006.

Saffron became the first Northampton restaurant to ever win the competition and the trophy has taken pride of place in the restaurant ever since.

Owner Naz Islam said: “It is absolutely devastating. We worked incredibly hard to bring the trophy back to Northampton, it was an honour not just for us, but the whole town.

“To have it snatched away from us is sickening. The burglars may think they’ve stolen a nice piece of crystal but in reality they have stolen so much more than that. They have stolen our memories and robbed us of the reward for our team’s work over the years.

“I would urge them to do the decent thing and give it back. It’s worth so much more to us than it is to them. We are offering a £1,000 reward for its safe return, no questions asked.”

Saffron was presented with the trophy during a reception at 10 Downing Street and staff were also given a formal reception at the Guildhall with the Mayor of Northampton in recognition of their triumph.

The break-in was captured on the restaurant’s CCTV system and detectives from Northamptonshire Police are now investigating.

It is the latest in a series of break-ins at town centre retailers in recent months and Mr Islam has called on police to do more to protect businesses and bring the offenders to justice.

He said: “We feel vulnerable. We want to see more police on the streets and we want to see those responsible apprehended and punished. At the minute it feels as though not enough is being done to support businesses and reassure us that these types of crime are being taken seriously.”

Saffron remains open for business as normal.

House prices in Northamptonshire declined slightly, by 0.1%, in October, despite witnessing a 4.6% rise over the last 12 months.

The latest data from the Office of National Statistics shows that the average property in the area sold for £231,415 – slightly above the UK average of £231,095.

Across the East Midlands, property prices have risen by 4.3% in the last year, to £191,993. The region outperformed the UK as whole, which saw the average property value increase by 2.7%.

The data comes from the House Price Index, which the ONS compiles using house sale information from the Land Registry, and the equivalent bodies in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The average homeowner in Northamptonshire will have seen their property jump in value by around £72,000 in the last five years.

The figures also showed that buyers who made their first step onto the property ladder in Northamptonshire in October spent an average of £194,696 – around £61,000 more than it would have cost them five years ago.

Frances Clacy, research analyst at estate agents Savills, “House prices across the UK increased by an average of 2.7% in the 12 months to October 2018, according to the latest ONS house price index.

“This annual growth figure represents a slow down when compared to last month.

“We are continuing to see house price growth slow because of the uncertainty surrounding the UK’s negotiations for leaving the EU, as well as tighter lending criteria and increases to mortgage regulation which mean it’s harder for buyers to borrow against their incomes.”

Between September last year and August this year, the most recent 12 months for which sales volume data is available, 13,699 homes were sold in Northamptonshire, 6% fewer than in the previous year.

The highest house prices in the country in October were found in London’s Kensington and Chelsea, where properties sold for an average of £1.24 million – 15 times the cost of a home in Burnley, where the average property cost just £83,500.

Earlier today (January 14) the victim used the cash point at the BP service station in Mill Lane between 12.10am and 12.30am, and withdrew £40.

As he did so, two men approached him from behind and one of them pressed a knife to his leg and demanded he hand over the cash.

The man did so and the offenders ran off.

A spokeswoman for Northamptonshire Police said: "The men were both black and about 6ft.

"One of the men was wearing a black coat with a white stripe along the arms and the other was wearing a black coat with the Adidas logo on the back."

Witnesses to the incident, or anyone with information, are being asked to call Northamptonshire Police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Police officers are on the lookout for a would-be burglar with white paint on their shoes.

Between 1am and 1.30am yesterday (Sunday), the burglar climbed over a wall into the garden of a home in Garfield Street, Kettering, and entered the garage, spilling a tin of white paint and stepping in it.

An unsuccessful attempt was then made to get into the back door of the house before the intruder was disturbed by an occupant and fled back over the wall.

No items were stolen but the intruder would have had white paint on their shoes from the spilled tin.

Witnesses who saw anyone acting suspiciously in Garfield Street or Hawthorn Road, or anyone with information about the incident, should call Northamptonshire Police on 101.

Information can also be shared anonymously with Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

The search has begun for this year’s Northampton’s Rising Star as the charity talent show returns for its third year.

Registration for the competition, that will be raising money for Cynthia Spencer Hospice, is now open.

Groups and individuals of all ages are invited to register their act online on the Northampton Rising Star website. Last year local gymnastics group Gymnastricks were crowned overall winners.

This year, the charity talent show will feature a brand new category – a nomination category.

Producer and event organiser Tommy Gardner reveals that anyone can nominate a group or individual they think deserves to go straight through to the Grand Final.

The show will be officially launched at a red carpet event at the Old White Heart pub in Cotton End, Northampton, on Friday January 18 from 8pm. The evening will feature guest performances from previous contestants and interviews with members of the Rising Star team revealing what this year has in store for the competition.

Tommy Gardner said: “I am excited to be back for another year in search of Northampton’s Rising Star. We have had an amazing response so far in registrations with lots of variety from singers, dancers and even a comedian! I cannot wait to get started on what is set to be another fantastic year for the competition showcasing the incredible talent that Northamptonshire has whilst supporting Cynthia Spencer Hospice along the way.”

Once contestants have registered online, they will be invited to attend auditions in March/April before a panel of judges.

The judging panel this year will be event organiser, Tommy Gardner; dance champion and owner of Step by Step Dance School Andrzej Mialkowski; singer songwriter Vickii Stocker and singer songwriter and actress Robyn Wilson.

Twelve acts will be chosen along with the nominated act to perform in a grand final at the Spinney Theatre in Northampton in the summer.

Registration is open to contestants of all ages and will close on February 25, 2019.

Contestants can register at www.northamptonsrisingstar.co.uk and a group or individual can be nominated at www.northamptonsrisingstar.co.uk/nomination

Each business is given a hygiene rating from 0-5 when it is inspected by a food safety officer from the council, and a database is kept by the Food Standards Agency. A five-star rating means “very good”, a four-star rating means “good” and a three-star rating is “generally satisfactory”. A zero rating signifies “urgent improvement necessary” and a one-star rating indicates “major improvement necessary”. The inspection criteria includes how hygienically the food is handled, how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored, how hygienically the food is handled, how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored, the cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation and other facilities and how the business manages and records what it does to make sure food is safe. At the end of the inspection, the business is given one of the six ratings from 0-5.

The Salvation Army Superstore in Abington Street has been given three amazing dolls houses.

One house, which is on display in the shop window, measures 6ft by 6ft while standing on its base, and has 16 fully furnished and decorated rooms.

The three dolls houses were built by Tony Ward and furnished by his wife, and dolls house enthusiast, Maureen.

The shop is awaiting to price the six houses following valuation talks with a specialist dealer next week before they chose whether to go ahead and sell them.

Chris Brian store manager at the Salvation Army Superstore said: "We were gobsmacked.

"We knew we were going to pick up some dolls houses and they said 'you are going to need four people to lift it'."

"I'm quite surprised. It's not an object that you usually see in a charity shop. They're quite unique pieces."

At 9.30pm yesterday (Sunday, January 13) the business in Wellingborough Road was targeted by an unknown man, who got in via a rear door.

Once inside, the man took the till out of view of the firm’s CCTV, forced it open and stole the cash float before leaving.

A spokeswoman for Northamptonshire Police, who did not give the address of the shop, described the offender as: "White, in his 20s, of very slim build.

"He was wearing a very bright blue and white striped hoody and very loose fitting jeans."

Anyone who saw anything or has information about the incident is asked to call Northamptonshire Police on 101, or Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555111.

The centre supports adults in need and is also the home of the Wellingborough and District Foodbank.

Jon Rees, of Earls Barton Music, knew that he would like to put on a concert to commemorate the end of the First World War and approached a number of local choral directors to see if their singers would like tobe part of the venture.

In the end, more than 200 singers from Bozet Windmill Singers, Earls Barton Music, St Cecilia Singers, Wellingborough Orpheus Choir and Wellingborough Singers were joined by an orchestra of over 55 players to perform ‘The Armed Man’ by Sir Karl Jenkins.

Paul and Viv Adams, of the Daylight Centre, explained that donations were vital to the centre throughout the year adding that just £10 could provide hot meals for five adults and £35 would pay the rent and heat the centre for a day.

"From the outset, we knew that this would be a non-profit event for the choirs involved and it was unanimously agreed by our concert committee that the Daylight Centre should be the sole beneficiary," explained Mr Rees.

"The Daylight Centre provides essential services for the most vulnerable members of our society and we are grateful to Paul, Viv and the team for the support they offer."

To find out more about the work the Daylight Centre carries out, visit their website: http://www.daylightcf.org/

A 27-year-old man has appeared before magistrates charged with rape.

Obi Forgive, of Methuen Road, Belvedere, London, was arrested on Saturday (January 12) and appeared at Northampton Magistrates’ Court today (Monday) charged with rape.

The alleged offence took place in the early hours of New Year’s Day (Tuesday, January 1), in Chapel Lane, Corby.

He was remanded in custody and is next due to appear at Northampton Crown Court on Wednesday, February 13.

Kettering murder trial: Accused ‘violently assaulted toddler’