Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police, Nick Adderley, requested that Northampton Borough Council review the licence of Kubus General Stores, on Kettering Road, as a result of several concerns the force had over the shop.

The licence was revoked during a private session of the council’s licensing sub-committee this morning (January 21) at The Guildhall, but many of the details were put in the public domain in council papers.

A written statement from PC Chris Stevens alleges that there was ‘an evidential link’ between the premises and the sale of illicit tobacco, despite warnings from Trading Standards.

A visit by underage test purchasers on May 31 resulted in the premises being searched, and a back door being discovered behind which 559 packets of cigarettes and 50 pouches of tobacco were seized. They were later confirmed to be counterfeit or non-duty paid, and not intended for the UK market.

Despite numerous attempts to contact the premises licence holder, no letters or calls had been returned and the last documented whereabouts was a visit to a family member in Iran in August, according to someone claiming to represent the store in a telephone call with council officers.

The hearing was eventually closed to members of the press and public due to the potential prejudicing of a future trial, with police representatives at the meeting indicating they were currently in the process of looking towards prosecutions.

In the short public section of the meeting to determine the licence, the sub-committee of three councillors was told that a new premises licence holder was attempting to purchase Kubus, and asked councillors not to revoke the licence.

The potential new licence holder already owns a store on Kettering Road, but it was a plea that was ultimately ignored as the committee determined during the private session to revoke the licence.

Many of the main routes around Northampton are congested this morning (Tuesday).

One lane was closed at around 7.30am this morning following an accident involving two cars on the A45 Nene Valley Way Eastbound at the Queen Eleanor Roundabout.

It caused congestion back to junction 15 of the M1 and onto Mere Way.

Traffic is also back up from Sixfield to Upton and then up to Mere Way.

There are also severe delays reported further down the A45 eastbound towards Brackmills.

Pytchley Court Nursing Home in Brixworth has repeatedly breached two regulations since February 2016 relating to governance along with safe care and treatment.

It is now in special measures following the publication of a Care Quality Commission (CQC) report from a visit in September 2018, during which safeguarding alerts were raised over the care and welfare of 11 elderly residents.

And the health watchdog has now confirmed it could close the home within weeks if it cannot demonstrate it has turned a corner.

A CQC spokeswoman said: "The service is being closely monitored and it will be inspected within six months [of the September 2018 visit], or earlier if we receive information of concern.

"If the service does not make the required improvements within six months, we will take action to prevent the provider from operating this service.”

The September visit found numerous serious concerns relating to recognising when people were unwell and referring people for medical care:

- When people became unwell there were no systems in place to compare their condition with their 'healthy' condition as no baseline observations had been recorded.

- Three people were hospitalised with potentially deadly sepsis in the previous month. The CQC said nurses had not been taking full sets of clinical observations, which can allow infections such as sepsis to develop,

- One person had frequent falls and their blood pressure and pulse indicated they could be bleeding or in shock. Staff stopped taking their blood pressure after a while and took two hours to call the GP.

- One person's records showed they regularly had blood sugar levels above the normal acceptable limits, but they were not referred to the diabetes team for assessment .

- One person was at risk of not receiving a pureed meal because it was omitted from their care plan and was at risk of choking.

- A resident with dementia broke their their arm when they fell in the home. An exercise plan prescribed by the physiotherapist was not carried out, meaning they risked not regaining the full use of their arm.

-Four people had lost weight in the last few months. Their risk assessments recommended fortified foods and drinks; however, there was no system in place to ensure they received these.

-Where people had not met their daily target for drinks, nursing staff did not take any action.

-Staff had recorded in the daily notes that two people had unexplained bruising; no action had been taken and these incidents had not been reported to the local safeguarding team.

The spokeswoman for the CQC said it had declined to close Pytchley Court so far because, in deciding sanctions, "we determine which will result in the best outcomes for people living at services".

As things stand. the conditions placed on Pytchley Court require the manager to "update the CQC regularly with evidence of regular audits" and "provide action plans detailing the work being done to make improvements."

A spokeswoman for Pytchley Court said: “The health and wellbeing of our residents is always our number one priority, and we take all feedback from the CQC seriously.

“Following the CQC’s inspection, we quickly put a comprehensive action plan in place, and the senior regional team is supporting the implementation of this at Pytchley Court. A recent internal inspection has shown that the home has already made positive progress.

“We continue to work closely with the relevant authorities to make and sustain improvements, and we are confident we will have made significant positive progress by our next inspection.”

The following people were sentenced at Northampton Magistrates’ Court:

OCTOBER 22:

Saulius Astromskiks, aged 36, of Salcey Street, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 55mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; fined £300, surcharge £30, costs £85, banned from driving for 14 months. No insurance; fined £300.

Aaron Dunstan, aged 29, of South Holme Court, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 120mcgs in 100mls of breath; jailed for eight weeks suspended for 12 months, surcharge £115, banned from driving for three years.

Catalin Potoroaca, aged 28, of Stanhope Road, Northampton, possession of cannabis; fined £400, surcharge £40, costs £85.

Cristian Petran, aged 34, of St Pauls Road, Northampton, failed to provide a breath test; fined £200, surcharge £30, costs £85, banned from driving for 12 months. No insurance; fined £100.

Callum Rumsey, aged 24, of Lincoln Way, Daventry, drunk and disorderly; fined £50. Had a knuckleduster; fined £833, surcharge £83, costs £85.

Daniel Duracik, aged 27, of Campbell Street, Northampton, stole jeans worth £27.99 belonging to New Look; jailed for eight weeks. Stole ladies coat with £89; jailed for eight weeks consecutive, surcharge £115, costs £85.

Danny Walden, aged 21, of Aquitaine Close, Northampton, stole two drills and two batteries; community order made to carry out 40 hours of unpaid work, compensation £1,339, surcharge £85, costs £85.

William Hampton, aged 30, of The Firs, Daventry, possession of cocaine, assault; pleaded guilty and sent to Northampton Crown Court for sentence.

Joe Bamford, aged 18, of Blenheim Road, Northampton, no insurance; fined £660, surcharge £66, costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Ruslians Cerepanaks, aged 38, of North Holme Court, Northampton, driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £220, surcharge £30, costs £85, licence endorsed with three points.

Julian Eastwood, aged 47, of Thomas Chapman Grove, Northampton, no insurance; fined £660, surcharge £66, costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Constantin Fuerea, aged 37, of Charles Street, Northampton, driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £220, surcharge £30, costs £85, licence endorsed with three points.

James Gale, aged 48, of Clickers Drive, Northampton, failed to give information relating to the identity of a driver; fined £660, surcharge £66, costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Marius Habalau, aged 22, of Portland Place, Northampton, no insurance; fined £660, surcharge £66, costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Neil Hart, aged 42, of Wordsworth Road, Daventry, driving at 70mph in a 50mph zone; fined £440, surcharge £44, costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Ashley Honey, aged 30, of Walkers Way, Northampton, driving while using a mobile phone; fined £153, surcharge £30, costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Ionut Ilie, aged 23, of Stoneyhurst, Northampton, driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £220. No insurance; fined £660, surcharge £66, costs £85, licence endorsed with eight points.

Simas Ivanovas, aged 26, of Brockhall Road, Northampton, driving not in accordance with a licence; no separate penalty. No insurance; fined £660, surcharge £66, licence endorsed with six points.

Billy James, aged 21, of St George’s Avenue, Northampton, driving at 35mph in a 30mph zone; fined £220, surcharge £30, costs £85, licence endorsed with three points.

Simon Loveland, aged 42, of Ruddington Close, Northampton, driving at 37mph in a 30mph zone; fined £216, surcharge £30, costs £85, licence endorsed with three points.

Karl Marriott, aged 25, of Jasmine Road, Northampton, driving at 43mph in a 30mph zone; fined £93, surcharge £30, costs £85, licence endorsed with four points. Driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £46.

David Newton, aged 58, of Shard Close, Northampton, driving while not wearing a seat belt; fined £46, surcharge £30, costs £85.

Bevan Nzanga, aged 19, of Prentice Court, Northampton, no insurance; fined £660, surcharge £66, costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Andreas Poulopoulos, aged 48, of Baker Street, Gayton, driving at 36mph in a 30mph zone; fined £220, surcharge £30, licence endorsed with three points.

Jamie Pryer, aged 45, of The Roundway, Daventry, driving at 50mph in a 30mph zone; fined £120, surcharge £30, licence endorsed with three points.

Lee Sambrooks, aged 41, of Talavera Close, Daventry, driving while using a mobile phone; fined £220, surcharge £30, costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Kiane Savory, aged 22, of Saxon Street, Northampton, no insurance; fined £120, surcharge £30, licence endorsed with six points.

Andrew Sharpe, aged 40, of Grovebury Dell, Northampton, no insurance; fined £660, surcharge £66, costs £85, licence endorsed with eight points. Driving not in accordance; fined £220. No test certificate; fined £220.

Leonard Simionica, aged 22, of Ryland Road, Northampton, driving not in accordance with a licence; no separate penalty. No insurance; fined £660, surcharge £66, costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

David Stanley, aged 55, of Bouverie Road, Northampton, driving at 39mph in a 30mph zone; fined £220, surcharge £30, costs £85, licence endorsed with three points.

Iosua Stefan, aged 22, of Eastfield Road, Duston, no insurance; fined £220, surcharge £30, costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Paulina Szablinka, aged 25, of Countess Road, Northampton, failed to give information relating to the identity of a driver; fined £660, surcharge £66, costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Fasial Tariq, aged 27, of Croughton Close, Northampton, failed to give information relating to the identity of a driver; fined £660, surcharge £66, costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Mojir Uddin, aged 32, of Charles Street, Northampton, driving while using a mobile phone; fined £220, surcharge £30, licence endorsed with six points.

Anthony Wood, aged 27, of Welland Green, Northampton, driving while using a mobile phone; fined £38, surcharge £30, costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Daniel Brown, aged 28, of The Causeway, Northampton, driving while using a mobile phone; fined £220, surcharge £30, banned from driving for six months.

Shane Creighton, aged 31, of Stoneacre Close, Daventry, failed to give information relating to the identity of a driver; fined £660, surcharge £66, licence endorsed with six points.

David Kehoe, aged 45, of Brockhall Close, Northampton, failed to give information relating to the identity of a driver; fined £660, surcharge £66, banned from driving for six months.

Marie Palmer, aged 51, of Gallfield Court, Northampton, no insurance; fined £660, surcharge £66, costs £85, banned from driving for six months.

A 25-year-old man from Leicester was arrested and charged with actual bodily harm and harassment after incidents in Kettering last month.

Aiden Holland, of no fixed address, appeared at Northampton Magistrates' Court yesterday following his arrest.

He was bailed to appear at Northampton Crown Court on February 20.

One in seven Northampton babies are born to single parents, according to new statistics.

Single parent charity Gingerbread said lone parents still face some stigma, but that recent reports debunk the idea that having only one parent can negatively impact children.

Office for National Statistics figures show that 272 babies were registered by just one parent.

A further 183 had two parents living at different homes.

That’s a total of 455 children being raised by single parents in 2017 – 14% of the births in Northampton.

Across England, 52% of babies were registered by parents who were married or in a same-sex civil partnerships, in line with the average for the UK.

In Northampton, it was just 50%.

Rosie Ferguson, chief executive of Gingerbread, said single parents’ aspirations for their children may be thwarted by circumstances out of their control.

She said: “The majority of single parents work, but many are still locked out of the secure, flexible employment opportunities they need in order to provide for their children.

“Low-paid and insecure jobs, as well as the lack of affordable childcare, mean that some single parents struggle to put food on the table for their children.

“The Government must work with Jobcentres, employers and childcare providers to ensure that work genuinely provides a route out of poverty.

“We need to strengthen the system of support for single parents to provide a decent standard of living for them and their children.”

There were 1,143 babies born to couples who were living together but not married - 36% of the total.

When counted alongside those who are married or in a civil partnership, it means that 86% of babies in Northampton were born to a family with two parents at home.

In 2017, there were 3,169 births, 1,590 boys and 1,579 girls.

In 110 cases, mothers in Northampton went into labour at home.

Andrzej Zyms, 44, is taking on a series of extreme endurance challenges in memory of his father, Wojciech Zyms, and the outstanding hospice care he received from St Barnabas House.

Fresh off the back of his first major fundraising event – the National Three Peaks Challenge - in October 2018, Andrzej is celebrating after completing his second challenge, the Fan-Dance, on 6 January.

The famed - and feared - Fan Dance is a gruelling 15.4 mile SAS selection weight-bearing test march staged over Pen-Y-Fan, the highest mountain in the Brecon Beacons.

It is used as the first major indicator of whether a candidate has the physical and mental aptitude to complete the legendary selection course.

Andrzej said: “I thought that the Three Peaks was hard, but that was nothing compared to the Fan Dance. I think I can safely say that it is, physically and mentally, the hardest thing I have done.

“I went with the expectation of finishing within the seven-hour time limit - the SAS hopefuls have to complete it in less than four hours.

"In the end,I finished in 5 hours 1 minute and 4 seconds.

Andrezej wore his heart rate monitor and was operating at over 90 per cent of his maximum heart rate for two hours 15 minutes, and the rest of the time somewhere between 80 per cent and 90 per cent.

"I was in tatters by the end and had burnt a total of 6,200 calories", he said

Not pausing for long, Andrzej is currently gearing up for his biggest challenge of all – Everest Basecamp – departing from Lukla, Nepal on 11 May 2019.

Andrzej’s series of endurance challenges are all raising money to support the work of St Barnabas House.

The hospice in Worthing, West Sussex, cared for his father, Wojciech, aged 72, during the later stages of his battle with cancer in 2012.

Andrzej said: “Had it not been for St Barnabas, Dad may have had to spend his final weeks in a random, bleak
hospital room. Heading for the unknown, surrounded by the unknown."

St Barnabas arranged for him to have a hospital bed installed in the living room and all the things needed to be comfortable. Nurses came in twice a day to care for him.

Andrzej said the standard of care for his father was high but it was difficult to watch.

He said: "The man that was always my rock, the one I looked up to, was now pretty much helpless and incoherent a lot of the time due to the amount of morphine he needed just to keep the pain at a manageable level.

“But I was able to spend time at Dad's bedside, at his home, surrounded by the people and things he knew and loved.

"All this was made possible by the Hospice at Home service, which is why I am raising money to help St Barnabas House do for many more what they did for my Dad.”

To read more about Andrzej’s experience and follow his fundraising challenges visit his JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/andrzej-zyms1

A severe weather warning for ice is currently in place across the town up until around midday as temperatures dip to a 'feels like' temperature of around -2C.

This afternoon heavy snow has been forecast between 2 and 6pm.

The Met Office has said there is a 90 per cent the snow will arrive and is set to be heavy.

A second severe weather warning for ice will also be in place from 4pm today until 11am tomorrow (Wednesday).

Eighty-year-old Ann almost lost £4,500 to fraudsters when she was contacted by a man claiming to be a sergeant from the Metropolitan Police. He told Ann they were investigating a bank fraud involving card cloning and counterfeit money being committed by staff employed by her bank, and went on to explain how she could help catch those responsible by withdrawing a large amount of money from her account.

Thankfully, Ann realised what was happening and was able to report the fraud to the police.

Here, Ann explains what happened when she took the call:

“A voice said I'm Sergeant Liam Rogers from the Metropolitan Police Hammersmith division. We've arrested a man this morning and he has being trying to get money from your card.

“He wanted me to get my card, which I did. He said to turn it over and you'll see a telephone number and I would like you to ring that number.

“I was wondering what was happening but I called the number and a voice said it was Lloyds Bank. I explained I’d been told some money had been taken out of my account. He asked for my full name and then said £4,000 had been taken out of my account. He told me it had been put back again, but as counterfeit money. He also said I should go to the bank to make sure my account was safe."

When Ann called 'Sergeant Rogers' again he made her give him her mobile number and told her if she went to the bank and withdrew the 'counterfeit' thousands they could catch whoever was 'stealing people's money'.

Ann agreed because she hoped to help the police, but on the way there she knew something was wrong.

She said: "On the way I started to feel a little bit uneasy, but I still kept on going. When I got there I called them on my mobile, as they'd asked me to, to let them know I was there.

“The cashier obviously suspected something when I asked for a lot of money. Perhaps I looked frightened, I don't know, but certainly she suspected. She gave me a leaflet about fraud in the banks and talked to me for quite a long time and finally she said ‘I can't let you have that money, it’s too much. You'll have to see the manager’.

"I was shown into the manager's office and he was wonderful, so kind and he tried to dissuade me from withdrawing the money. But by that time, although part of me felt things weren’t quite right, I felt a bit like a rabbit in the headlights and I kept thinking I’ve got to get the money. So the manager got me the money.

"My mobile phone kept going off, but I didn't answer it – I think it must have been the man claiming to be Sergeant Rogers."

But when she put the money in her handbag, something told Ann it was her last chance to back out of what was happening.

She said: "When I got the money, I put it into my handbag, put it under my arm and I knew I must not go back home. They hadn’t indicated how they would get the money but I felt sure I must not go back home. So I went straight to the nearest supermarket and rang my cousin who arrived in about 20 minutes. I told him what had happened and he said of course, it's a scam!

"I knew I needed to get the money straight back to the bank so he came with me and the manager called the police.

"Thankfully, I eventually trusted my gut instinct and didn’t part with any cash.

“These people are very believable and I would urge others to be suspicious of any such call. My advice would be simply to put the phone down. It doesn’t matter who they say they are. Always, always check with someone you trust and don’t take any action based on one person and one random telephone call.”

Investigating officer DC Jamie Lindley praised Ann’s common sense and courage during a worrying and unnerving experience.

He said: “Thankfully Ann listened to her inner voice telling her something was wrong and didn’t hand any money over to the fraudsters. But sadly, all too often, people do fall victim to criminals.

“I’m really grateful to her for sharing her experience with others and I hope it helps to highlight the issue and gives people the confidence to be suspicious of anyone cold-calling about a financial matter."

Northamptonshire Police has issued a list of top tips to keep in mind to not be caught out by scam telephone calls:

- Never assume a phone call is genuine. even if the caller knows basic details about you such as your name and address.
- Criminals can make any telephone number appear on your phone handset, so even if the number shown seems authentic, never trust this.
- Under no circumstances would the police or banks ask you to withdraw money from your account, or transfer funds into another account for fraud reasons, nor would they ever ask you to become part of an undercover investigation.
- Have the confidence to end a call if it does not sit right with you
- Fraudsters can keep telephone lines open for a while. If you have to make subsequent phone calls use a different available phone. If you must use the same phone, wait at least five minutes after replacing the handset and call someone you know first to make sure the line is free.
- If you have vulnerable or elderly family members, please talk to them and share this advice so they understand how to protect themselves

Anyone receiving a suspicious phone call should report it either the police on 101 or online at www.actionfraud.police.uk. For more information about how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud visit the Take Five To Stop Fraud website at www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk.

A former Northampton College music student is breaking into the big time, having been named one of the BBC’s top five acts to watch in 2019.

Tyron Frampton, better known by his stage name slowthai, is quickly earning a worldwide reputation for his unique style blending grime, rap, dubstep and garage.

The 24-year-old was a Level 3 music technology student at the college in 2011 and since leaving has established himself as one of the hottest new acts in the UK.

He was listed at number four in the BBC’s Sounds of 2019 poll – an annual search for the artists most likely to break into the mainstream over the next 12 months.

His music has been featured on Radio 1 and he has recently returned from a sell-out gig in South Africa before heading off for a European tour.

It’s all a long way from his upbringing on a Northampton council estate but staying true to his roots is a key part of slowthai’s message.

In an interview with the BBC he said: “Being included on the Sounds of 2019 list gives people back home confirmation that something is really happening. It shows them that they can do whatever they want, if I can do it.

"The majority of people who know me, know the situation I'm from.

"They can be like, 'he's strived, he's stuck to what he's doing and he's got somewhere.

“Northampton's always been a band town, there's always been good music but never a strong scene to keep it going.

"People want the quick and easy route, they give up too easy, but it's coming to a point where everyone is picking back up the instruments and starting to get involved.

“I'm trying to go everywhere I can and connect with people who feel the same way who haven't got much and give them a voice and let them know they're not alone, not just in Northampton.”

With his popularity on the rise, slowthai has enlisted the help of his cousin and another former Northampton College student, Lewis Levi, to act as his manager and the pair are now looking to break into America – where the British grime scene is gaining critical acclaim.

Northampton College Music team’s Sarah Thursby, said: “It’s brilliant to see Tyron doing so well. He is remembered as being a pleasure to be around and was a very engaging and chilled out young man who clearly had a lot of passion and determination to succeed.

“His lyrics set him apart. He’s very progressive and has a positive attitude towards women, identity, discrimination and gender which is refreshing to hear. He’s authentic and really invests in the idea of grime being music by the people, for the people.”

The University of Northampton has joined forces with Northampton International Academy in a move they say will reap dividends for students, pupils and the community.

The organisations have signed a partnership agreement that will see them collaborate on a number of projects.

The institutions are converting two spare rooms at the school’s newly-opened Barrack Road site into a STEAMSpace – a place devoted to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and maths) activities.

The space will be used by staff, university students, academy pupils and those from other schools, plus members of the community.

Opening in the spring, the STEAMSpace will be kitted out with equipment from the school and University, including laptops, a 3D printer, virtual reality hardware, robots and Lego.

The space will provide a base for University staff and students to conduct workshops and masterclasses designed to help Academy and other school pupils in the town raise their attainment and aspirations in the field of STEAM subjects. Community groups will also be invited to use the rooms.

“When people think of our University, they probably only think about the Higher Education we provide to students,” said Linda Davis-Sinclair, Schools Engagement Lead at the University. “But we also play a major role within our county’s schools throughout the year, engaging with thousands of pupils via a packed series of activities and events designed to inspire the next generation of STEAM superstars.

“The new STEAMSpace at Northampton International Academy provides us with an amazing specialist space to enhance the delivery of our schools engagement work even further, and we’re incredibly excited about the partnership and its possibilities.”

Northampton International Academy headteacher, Tim Marston, said: “We’re really excited to be working with the University of Northampton on this incredible project, which will enable our pupils to develop their skills in science, technology, engineering, arts and maths with support and tuition from the University.

“In return, we’re delighted to offer the University a home here at Northampton International Academy for the STEAMSpace and I look forward to the two organisations sharing not just facilities but also a passion for learning.”

Future partnership projects in the pipeline include link ups with staff and students from the University’s Fine Art and Media courses, while the University is also hosting a 10-week Code Club programme at the school, providing computer programming coaching for pupils.

The University’s Schools Engagement Team also organised a hugely successful debating club at the Academy for its pupils and a number of other secondary schools in the county, while the University and Academy are collaborating on a European research project which promotes digital learning.

The council revealed last year that its fleet would be reducing the number of roads it will grit from October 2018 and taking longer to attend to them.

Some roads that would have been treated when temperatures are forecast to fall to 0.5 degrees Celsius have been downgraded in priority.

These roads will now only be treated when sub-zero conditions are set to last 48 hours or more.

And about 500 grit bins across the county - 30 in Northampton- that were filled by the council during the big freeze earlier last year will be either removed or left to the community to replenish.

The roads in and around Northampton that will no longer be treated as a priority will be:

Queenswood Avenue
Yardley Drive
Reynard Way
Obelisk Rise
Port Road
Park Drive
South Oval
East Oval
Welland Walk
Severn Drive
Avon Drive
Witham Walk
West Oval
Merthyr Road
Dallington Road
Baring Road
Dallington Green
Dallington Park Road
Chiltern Avenue
Chiltern Way
Cotswold Avenue
Limehurst Road
Eastfield Road
Northfield Road
Firsview Drive
High Street
Ashbrow Road
Thorn Hill
Ringway
Ladybridge Drive
Acre Lane
Link Road
Greenshills Road
Whitehills Way
Whitehills Crescent
Crestwood Road
Holmecross Road
Birds Hill Road
Russet Drive
Fishponds Road
Fieldmill Road
Penfold Lane
Cherry Lodge Road
Blackthorn Road
Goldings Road
Rectory Farm Road
Olden Road
Ecton Brook Road
Overmead Road
Fir Tree Walk
Charnwood Avenue
The Headlands
Birchfield Road East
Birchfield Road
Broadway
Collingwood Road
Abington Avenue
Stimpson Avenue
Clare Street
Earl Street
Duke Street
Bailiff Street
Balmoral Road
St Davids Road
Nursery Lane
Yelvertoft Road
Hastings Road
Cranford Road
Aintree Road
Goodwood Avenue
Oulton Rise
Spinney Hill Road
Churchill Avenue
Keswick Drive
Quinton Road
Curtlee Hill
Wootton Hope Drive
The Warren
Hardingstone Lane
Butts Road
Penvale Road
Hill Farm Rise
Queen Eleanor Road
Farmhill Road
Barley Hill Road
Pine Ridge
High Street, Upton
Scribers Drive, Upton
Telford Street, Upton
Telford Way, Upton
Station Road, Great Billing
High Street, Great Billing
The Green, Hardingstone
High Street, Hardingstone
Wake Way, Grange Park
Bridge Meadow Way, Grange Park
Quintonside, Grange Park

Locations in Northampton where grit bins will not be filled by the county council:

Ardington Road / Billing Road, Abington

Beech Avenue / Wellingborough Road, Abington

Purser Road / Adnitt Road, Abington

Ardington Road / Wellingborough Road, Abington

Cliftonville Court, Abington

Hillside Way (2 bins), Abington Vale

Ridgeway / Weston Way, Abington Vale

Bougainvillea Drive / Magnolia Close, Abington Vale

Maclean Close (to side of no. 10), Abington Vale

Herne Hill Court, Camp Hill

Parsons Meade (2 bins), Camp Hill

Harksome Hill (near no. 21), Camp Hill

Lodge Avenue, Collingtree

Pinetrees (opposite no. 37)

Pleydell Gardens near George Nutt Court, Delapre

Shale End , Duston

Hill Farm Rise / Hawks Nest, East Hunsbury

Cottage Gardens (opposite no. 34), Great Billing

Lime Farm Way / High Street, Great Houghton

IIex Close (near garages). Hardingstone

South Oval (near shops), Kings Heath

Fylingdale (end of road), Kingsthorpe

Bunting Road / Balfour Road, kingsthorpe Hollow

Barley Hill Road, Southfields

Castle Street / Phoenix Street, Spring Boroughs

St James Mill Road (by railway bridge), St James

Sharman Road, St James

Streambank Road (opposite no.10), Thorplands

North Hayes Court, Thorplands

Curtlee Hill /Villa Way, Wootton

An indoor play park will become the latest addition at Rushden Lakes when it opens its doors next month.

360 Play is set to open its seventh UK centre at the retail park on Wednesday, February 13.

The centre features a host of attractions and activities including a multi-level play frame with ball showers, ball zones, slides, a carousel and dodgem track.

The 20,000 sq ft unit will also have a 360 Street creative play zone with play units such as a fire station, supermarket, pizza parlour, vets and dressing up boutique.

All of the activities included are designed so that adults can also join in and enjoy the fun, which is aimed at toddlers and children up to the age of 12.

Managing director Duncan Phillips said: “We are excited to bring something that we feel is suited to the local market in Rushden and surrounding areas.

“We look forward to providing a great quality family destination in Rushden, employing local people and meeting the needs of local families.”

A party zone and a dedicated toddlers’ area are among many other elements on offer, alongside a family café and comfortable seating areas.

The excitement starts on Monday, February 11, with the first of two exclusive golden ticket preview days when winning members of the public can be among the first to vist the centre and try out what’s on offer.

To find out how to win tickets, pick up a copy of Thursday’s (January 24) Northants Telegraph.

Drivers are being warned of delays on the M1 near Northampton after an accident.

Highways England, in a tweet at 1.35pm on Tuesday, January 22, one lane is closed on the M1 northbound between Junction 14 at Milton Keynes and Junction 15 due to an accident.

A spokesman said: "Emergency services including @ThamesVP are in attendance. Delays building in the area. Please approach with caution #Buckinghamshire #Northamptonshire"

There are no details as to the nature of the accident

Northamptonshire County Council is in the process of handing responsibility for 22 of the county's libraries over to volunteers and residents.

The cash-strapped local authority has run consultations since last year to ask residents for their thoughts on 28 of the county's 36 libraries.

It comes as the authority must make savings of £42.9m, and was banned twice from spending any money in 2018.

Now, a new consultation is launching tomorrow (January 23) to cover residents' thoughts on the last remaining eight libraries.

They are St James, Duston, Long Buckby, Far Cotton, Abington, Higham Ferrers, Finedon and Irchester.

To comment on the consultation, visit the Northamptonshire County Council website.

The proposals are for all of these libraries to be managed by their communities and become non-statutory, with the exception of Duston which will remain part of the council's statutory offer and under county council management.

The existing consultation on the first round of 28 libraries in Northamptonshire will end on February 8.

Councillor Cecile Irving-Swift, deputy leader of the county council with the responsibility for the library service, said: “At the heart of this proposal is the fact that we’ve worked with some wonderful community groups who, like us at the county council, clearly have a passion for books.

“At this stage these are simply proposals and what we need now is for people to have their say on what they think of these plans.”

The consultation will run for just over eight weeks until March 22 and there will be public engagement events at all of these except for Duston, where there is no change proposed.

Once the consultations have been completed then the county council will consider all of the responses as one and will be taking a paper to Cabinet in May with the outcome of the consultation and final proposals for Cabinet to approve.

On January 18, Adrian Mark Westley, 56, of Long Lawford, Rugby, was convicted and sentenced for nine charges after a 10-day trial at Northampton Crown Court.

The offences included multiple rapes and indecent assaults which took place in the 1990s at the Post House and Move On House, where Westley was then deputy manager.

The homes provided accommodation and support for children coming out of social care from the age of 15, as well as homeless people dealing with issues such as drug or alcohol abuse.

Investigations into Westley began in August 2016, when a woman contacted Northamptonshire Police to report that she had been regularly raped and sexually assaulted by Westley while living at the Post House in the 1990s.

The subsequent investigation identified a second victim who also disclosed being raped by Westley as a teenager.

At his trial at Northampton Crown Court, Westley denied 13 charges against him.

Jurors heard from both victims, as well as witnesses including fellow residents, a former manager who detailed an internal investigation into Westley’s actions and counsellors who helped one of the victims.

After the guilty verdict, the prosecution read from victim personal statements which revealed how Westley’s abuse of the two women had led to a lifetime of physical and psychological suffering.

Passing sentence, His Honour Judge Marcus Tregilgas-Davey said both victims were troubled and vulnerable and should have felt safe and secure in the home, branding Westley’s actions ‘utterly wicked’.

Speaking after court, investigating officer Detective Inspector Simon Barnes, of Northamptonshire Police, said: "I would like to praise the courage of each victim and other residents of the Post House who provided evidence in this investigation.

"Mr Westley maintained his innocence throughout the investigation and trial, forcing each witness to attend court and give their account.

"I do not underestimate the personal strength and resilience this required from all those that gave evidence.

"Without their evidence, this verdict would not have been possible.

"Some may think that [time passed] is a barrier to a successful investigation and prosecution – it is not.

"I would like to encourage any victims of crime, recent or not, to report it to the police.

"Not only can we provide you with support through partner agencies, but as this case shows, we can bring offenders to justice."

Mark Westley was convicted of nine charges including multiple rapes and indecent assaults, for which he received five 15-year sentences, to be served concurrently.

He was acquitted of four further counts of indecent assault.

Anyone who may have been a victim of this type of crime is encouraged to report it to police on 101. Support for victims and witnesses can be accessed via Voice, regardless of whether a report has been made to police. To speak to Voice, call 0300 303 1965 or visit www.voicenorthants.org

Northamptonshire County Council’s much delayed audit is expected to cost an extra £300,000.

Work is still being done by external auditors KMPG on the 2017/18 accounts in which the authority overspent by £35.3m.

The authority’s chief finance officer Andy Duncan has said the report won’t be ready to be viewed by the council’s audit committee until early March.

The audit will reveal the final situation for the 2017/18 financial year. The additional £300k cost is on top of the £253,000 paid by the authority to KPMG according to its draft accounts.

Chairman of the council’s scrutiny committee Labour’s Cllr Mick Scrimshaw said the news was disappointing.

He said: “I’m not surprised the audit has been so delayed as the auditors clearly had a lot of work to do as there were so many issues with the council’s finances.

“It is really disappointing that the financial mismanagement has led to further financial expense.

“This means that we will not know the true position for 2017/18 until after we have set the budget for 2019/20.”

The authority has had to make a number of savings this year across a range of services to get itself on the path to balancing its books this coming April.

It has not been restocking its libraries with new books and this winter it will cut back on gritting 400km of its road network.

The audit was supposed to be ready for final sign-off during the summer. Since then it has been delayed a number of times and auditors KPMG have said they have been held up in their work due to waiting for information from the authority.

The two commissioners who have been appointed by central government to oversee the county council until it is replaced with a unitary council, also appointed their own team from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy to analyse the 2017/18 accounts.

In November central government gave the authority a £70m capital dispensation which has allowed it to use £35m of the sale proceeds from headquarters One Angel Square in Northampton to settle the 2017/18 overspend.

Another £20m has been put into reserves and the remainder will be allocated to capital projects.

Plans to restore a grade II listed hall ravaged by a fire have been recommended for approval by planning officers.

Overstone Hall has been in disrepair ever since the 2001 blaze, but a change in owners in December 2015 has helped bring forward plans to redevelop the hall. Now those plans have been formally submitted.

Barry Howard Homes is proposing to restore the hall to its former glory - but the 16 residential units that will be built would not be open to members of the public.

It will form one of two phases of an overall development plan for the site, with the developers intending to build 60 homes in the grounds to enable the restoration, which is estimated to cost £20million.

The plans have provoked strong responses both in favour and against the application.

Historic England has raised concerns that the enabling development proposed in the parkland ‘may not actually achieve much in terms of progressing restoration of the Hall, but will cause harm to its setting’.

Overstone Parish Council has ‘strongly objected’ to both the restoration and enabling applications, saying: “Barry Howard Homes (BHH) has no transparent ‘Exit Plan’ to complete the restoration of the hall and no secured funds or secured any land interests to fully fund the cost of renovation.

“BHH has no submitted plan to prove he ever will have in the future. The villagers are not prepared to put up with a partial renovation over many years, with the site covered in tarpaulin and scaffolding.”

County councillor Judy Shepherd has given her backing to the parish council, saying: “The relationship that already exists between Overstone Park and Overstone village is at present very finely balanced. The extra traffic that would be generated from an enabling development scheme would be overbearing and burdensome upon the whole locality.”

She adds that the plans would see Overstone Hall ‘no longer being worthy of a Grade II listing’.

And residents group Overstone RUINED has previously warned that there are ‘no guarantees the renovation would ever be completed’.
But Daventry District Council has raised no objections, with its planning case officer writing in a report to councillors: “The restoration to the hall itself should be given great weight, and in cases similar to these you would expect to see some compromise. Although the council would prefer to see further supporting information, in the interest of preserving a building which is of national importance, it is considered that the benefits of its restoration outweigh the harm.”

And the Victorian Society has also ‘welcomed’ the scheme, praising the ‘thorough approach being taken by the applicant to conservation, repair and reinstatement of features and spaces of key significance’.

Overstone Hall was built for the first Lord Overstone by W.M. Teulon, and over its history has also acted as a girls school, and as a home to the New Testament Church of God.

Elected councillors on Daventry District Council’s planning committee will meet on January 30 to determine the application.

The principal of Northampton College says courses that provide vital jobs to the town are under threat from frozen Government funding.

Funding for 16 to 18 year old college students last increased in 2010, during which time costs such as utilities and pensions have risen dramatically.

It means that Northampton College needs £720 more per pupil to bridge the gap, with principal Pat Brennan-Barrett saying the institution is nearing a "cliff edge".

She said: "At the moment, I'm watching every penny. We've stopped all our capital projects. If you want to buy a big piece of equipment, the answer is 'no' because who's going to lose their job to pay for that?

"Long term, the impact is that we can't afford to run certain courses, we mightn't be able to attract the right staff into our courses."

Since the last funding increase for colleges, universities have had a 22 per cent rise and schools have received grants for teacher pay rises

Wages for college teachers are now £7,000 behind their contemporaries in schools - and it is that fact which may imperil some courses at Northampton College.

She said: "A really good example is engineering and construction. You can earn a lot of money in industry and, at the end of the day, if we can't pay those salaries to attract those people we then can't run the courses.

"A school will come along and say, that's a good construction teacher, I'll offer them another £4,000."

Mrs Brennan-Barrett said she therefore worries about the local skills shortage in key industries, which is already pronounced, becoming significantly worse as the flow of workers from other European countries dries up.

"We know there's a skills shortage in construction and engineering, IT, creative industries, health and social care and childcare," she said. "We've got 900 students in creative industries, 800 in health and social care and child care, 700 in construction and engineering; IT about 300.

"That's our skills for the future and the schools can't do that.

"Who is going to pick up the skills gap after Brexit? Schools cannot do that."

A Department for Education spokeswoman said it is spending on colleges may be subject to change in 2020.

She said: "We recognise that the financial position for colleges is challenging and are looking carefully at the needs of further education in the run-up to the next spending review.”

Here are eight cats who are now waiting at RSPCA Northamptonshire's branch in Brixworth every day between 11pm and 2pm for someone to take them home.