Phipps NBC has come full circle in its one-hundred-year on-and-off history in Kingswell Street.

As well as its previous use as a brewery, a century ago in 1919, it was used as a jam and preserve factory under the James brothers who sold Christmas puddings and groceries too.

The original Phipps brewery in Northampton closed in 1974 and the firm’s famous India Pale Ale (IPA) disappeared from the county’s bars.

But the company was revived in 2008 and a £1 million revamp saw the brewery make a comeback following a 39-year absence.

The venue, which fully re-opened in 2015, houses a bar with rotating house and guest ales, which customers can watch being made.

Behind the brewery is a gin distillery too where their six gins - including its colour-changing Opal brand - is made.

There's a big focus on Northamptonshire-made products here. Since Steve Reid joined Phipps Albion Brewery as bar manager the pub has started selling his homemade Friar's Farm chutneys on site.

"What we are aiming to do here is talk about the history," Steve said. "People have probably driven past it hundreds of times and don't realise we are here.

"If you want to learn about the history of Northampton brewing this is the key place to be honest because there's nowhere else like it.

"You would not be able to sit in the same building where the same beer was brewed about 100 years ago."

No-fuss food is back on the menu at Phipps for those wanting a taste of their childhood with local culinary-enthusiast Tracy Farrell cooking her families age-old recipes, from liver and bacon to faggots for £5.99 a plate.

"There's restaurants in Northampton for fine dining but to me, there's a lot of people that don't want that."

Bar manager Steve Reid wants to introduce more families and students into the pub too.

"The perception is that ale is an old mans drink. In fact, it's much more than that. More young people are trying ales instead of lager or other drinks, there's an upturn in ale sales.

"You don't have to come in for an ale, if you want to come in for a coffee. It's like a sitting museum.

"People should support local businesses as it's good for the economy and the bar is a nostalgic and relaxing place."

The Kingswell Street brewery was built in the 1880s and was last used as a leather tannery.

"People still walk past and don't know it's here - even the traffic wardens," added Steve.

"We are attempting to highlight what's good about the town and this is one of the oldest places in it."

In the basement of the Kingswell Street building is The King’s Well, which was once used to provide water for Northampton Castle – formerly on the site of the current railway station – but was last used in 1966 to make beer.

As well as the well, the building’s basement also contains a large tunnel which was sealed up until the 1980s, now equipped with its own skeleton.

At that time, the tunnel also stretched out to another part of the building, which has since been demolished to make way for Asper's Casino.

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.

Northampton Community Shed, which operates from the Spencer Contact Centre, formed in 2016 with the aim of helping largely retired men to get out of the house and learn new skills.

But now the Gladstone Close-based group is 'bursting at the seams' and it's small workspace is packed on meeting days, without a breakout area for teas and coffees.

Co-founder Martin Price said the 40 members are now hoping a landlord can offer them a 400-square metre hard floor workshop on a long lease so they can expand.

He said: "That can be because someone wants to loan it to us, to give it to us - or even if someone has that amount of land we can build on.

"Some of us think there could be at least six or seven men's sheds in Northampton."

The 'shed' has had to turn away new members for the past six months, due to its popularity.

Twice a week, its workshop - complete with a lathe, scroll saw and all manner of other equipment - is used to build and repair useful items.

Often the team are tasked with commissions from other organisations, such as a mobile phone charging unit for the night shelter in St Andrew's road and a potting bench for the students of Kingsthorpe's Beehive College.

Sometimes members help restore broken furniture that has been donated to Spencer Contact Centre and sometimes they can simply work on their own craft items to sell at fairs.

Though extra space is the main priority for the shed currently, skilled new members will also be needed to help with the expansion.

"We are looking for people who might have been shopkeepers, headmasters," said Martin. "Individuals who are good at organising groups of people.

"We need more people like that to serve on the committee."

Martin says the expansion of the enterprise relies on the 'goodwill of Northampton people' who recognise the value a bigger community shed could have to the town.

Northampton man Dave McLachlan, used to make a living restoring classic cars and building contraptions for BBC's Robot Wars but his woodwork skills left a lot to be desired.

After retiring five years ago he found himself missing his workshop and joined the shed to get out of the house.

"What I wanted was something to help me get away from daytime television," he said.

"It's the most boring thing in the world.

"Whatever wood I used to touch I destroyed - but I'm much better now. I can do wood turning and scroll saw work."

But the shed is not exclusively for men and recently welcomed women into the fold.

Retired employment programme manager Theresa Leadbetter, 60, lives in Wilton near Daventry and joined because she wanted to pursue her upholstery hobby.

"I really enjoy the company to be honest," she said.

"I think, like most of the members here, I spend half of the time just talking. I'm also enjoying learning new skills. This morning I learned to use two types of saw."

Northampton Community Shed meets on Tuesdays and Fridays between 9am and 1pm at the Spencer Contact centre workshop and is open to anyone aged 18 and over.

Anyone who believes they can help with providing extra space - or land - can contact Martin at: mprice@engagementworks.com

The following people were sentenced at Northampton Magistrates’ Court:

OCTOBER 23

James Summerfield, aged 37, of Drayton Walk, Northampton, failed to comply with a community order; order to continue, costs £60.

Jacqueline Fox, aged 43, of Gladstone Road, Northampton, failed to comply with a community order; costs £60.

Paul Mckintosh, aged 52, of Sharrow Place, Northampton, damaged items belonging to another person; community order made to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work, compensation £500. Assault; compensation £100.

Raymond Beasley, aged 70, of Danetree Gardens, Northampton, driving while not wearing a seatbelt; fined £97, surcharge £30, costs £620.

Guido Monterzino, aged 36, of Main Street, Hannington, driving while using a mobile phone; fined £311, surcharge £31, costs £300, licence endorsed with six points.

Mohammed Nur, aged 62, of Knighton Close, Northampton, driving while using a mobile phone; fined £220. No insurance; fined £660, surcharge £66, costs £620, licence endorsed with eight points. No test certificate; fined £220.

OCTOBER 24

Walie Roberts, aged 43, of Wordsworth Road, Daventry, driving at 55mph in a 30mph zone; fined £369, surcharge £39, costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Marian Stoica, aged 20, of St Pauls Road, Northampton, driving at 35mph in a 30mph zone; fined £146, surcharge £30, costs £85, licence endorsed with three points. Driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £146.

Ben Turner, aged 24, of Skinner Avenue, Northampton, driving at 68mph in a 40mph zone; fined £569, surcharge £56, costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Anthony McCormick, aged 68, of Salcey Street, Northampton, driving without due care and attention; fined £139, surcharge £30, costs £85, licence endorsed with three points.

Adam Goode, aged 40, of Vernier Close, Daventry, driving at 53mph in a 30mph zone; fined £650, surcharge £65, costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Pedro Teixeira, aged 58, of London Road, Northampton, driving without due care and attention; fined £440, surcharge £44, costs £85, banned from driving for 12 months. Driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £220.

Farai Jonga, aged 34, of Great Ground Walk, Northampton, damaged property; compensation £420. Possession of a class B drug; fined £80, surcharge £30, costs £85.

OCTOBER 25

Henry Cuffe, aged 38, of Greenfield Avenue, Northampton, dangerous driving, failed to provide a blood test, no insurance; pleaded guilty, sent to Crown Court for sentence.

Sean Sye, aged 44, c/o Lower Mount, Northampton, trespass; conditional discharge for three months, surcharge £20.

Marcus Walfall, aged 33, of Penn Court, Northampton, failed to provide a breath test; fined £120, surcharge £30, costs £85, banned from driving for 12 months.

Lauren Bates, aged 32, of St Albans Road, Northampton, damaged property at a pub; community order made, compensation £462.

Louise Davy, aged 50, of Banbury Lane, Northampton, failed to notify Department for Work and Pensions of changes relating to employment allowance; community order made to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work, surcharge £85, costs £300.

The hospital is currently overspent by £12.5m this financial year, but forecasts by finance director Phil Bradley predict that will increase to £18.5m by April.

A complex system of penalties is to blame, with NGH being penalised for huge numbers of patients through the doors of its A&E departments even though it has no control over the influx. If numbers breach a ceratin threshold, the hospital gets less money per patient.

An NGH spokeswoman said: "The number of patients who attend our A&E department has risen and they are more unwell.

"This means we need more staff and facilities available to look after them, leading to the opening of winter escalation beds.

"We are working with colleagues in the Northamptonshire Health and Care Partnership to reduce length of stay and improve discharge because it is better for our patients, enables us to admit patients more quickly and makes the best use of our resources."

Northampton General is far from alone in suffering from a large deficit - most NHS acute hospitals are failing to balance the books because of penalties.

Although the fines are funnelled back into the NHS, and trusts cannot go bust, it means hospitals are unable to spend as they would like on improvements.

However, hospital bosses are hopeful for an improvement. The tariff issue has been recognised nationally and the payment system could well be changing to remove this under-funding in 2019/20.

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 situation is nearing a "cliff edge" for institutions across the country.

She said: "At the moment, I'm watching every penny.

"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."

Mrs Brennan-Barrett said she 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 childcare, 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.”

Cake chain Patisserie Valerie has entered administration.

The firm, which has a cafe at Rushden Lakes, said discussions with its lenders HSBC and Barclays to extend a standstill agreement had come to nothing, leaving it with no option but to appoint KPMG as administrator.

Its parent company Patisserie Holdings has been grappling with the fallout of an accounting fraud.

It said: "Patisserie Holdings plc announces today that, as a direct result of the significant fraud referred to in previous announcements, it has been unable to renew its bank facilities, and therefore regrettably the business does not have sufficient funding to meet its liabilities as they fall due."

Chairman Luke Johnson has extended an unsecured, interest-free loan to help ensure that the January wages are paid to all staff working in the ongoing business, the company said.

The loan will also assist the administrators in trading as many profitable stores as possible while a sale process is undertaken.

A Thrapston fisherman has reeled in an incredible haul of antique weapons - including a cache of live grenades and guns.

Dad-of-three Nigel Lamford, 47, has recovered more than 20 guns and grenades as well as wartime bullets when magnet fishing in a 10-mile stretch of the River Nene.

Over the last three months his £140 magnet has pulled up a 1918 German Mauser handgun, a Colt Service Revolver from 1917 and a 1914 Browning high power 9mm handgun.

He’s also found a Second World War Spigot mortar, 1980s sawn-off shotguns, a Mills no.5 grenade from 1917 and a fully loaded gun magazine.

His finds have led to five police road closures and an armed police response to his home.

Click here to see some of Nigel’s finds in the Nene.

On at least five occasions a bomb disposal squad has been called to the river bank to carry out controlled explosions.

Nigel, who has been magnet fishing since October, said: “It’s shocking how many dangerous weapons are just laying on the river bed.

“They are ticking time bombs under water.

“They are better off out of the water than in there. I’ve found some grenades under bridges. You never know what could happen.

“I’ve got to be so cautious because they are just as dangerous now as they were 100 years ago.

“I get quite a buzz out of it and it’s incredibly addictive. You definitely get a kick out of it and a real adrenaline rush when you find live explosives.

“Whenever you find something you want to push yourself to go one further.

“I have been told that I have found more guns that anyone in the UK. For some reason this spot is a hot spot. It has so much potential.”

As a magnet fisherman he sends a mega magnet to the bottom of the river to fish for metallic antiques, rather than baiting a hook with a maggot.

The magnet is capable of hooking metals that weigh up to 500kg.

Whenever Nigel pulls a live explosive from the riverbed he handles them with extreme care before calling the Ministry of Defence’s bomb squad.

And each time he pulls up a gun he has had to hand it over to the police within about 24 hours - or risk being in breach of the law for weapons possession offences.

But not each trip to the river is successful and he admitted he can sometimes can spend hours searching before leaving empty-handed.

Nigel first got into magnet fishing after being encouraged to give it a go by old friends at his local pub.

His trips have turned into a family affair and his eldest son, Ethan (19), and his wife Kim (44) often join in the fun.

Nigel, who is also dad to Riley, 12 and Willow, 16, said: “I can never keep any of them for very long.

“I can give them a quick clean and take my photos before I have to phone the police.

“I do the responsible thing because they can’t be left on the side of the river or thrown back in.

“They could endanger a life. I’ve had the armed response vehicle come to collect some of the guns. When it’s anything explosive they come within a few minutes.

“I’m not proud of closing roads but it is the responsible thing to do. They are better off being blown up safely than just left there.”

Almost all of Nigel’s finds have virtually no or very little value due to how rotten or rusted they have become underwater.

Nigel has also reeled in old bikes, tools and scrap metal and he gets a kick out of clearing the local waterways and the recycling of tonnes of scrap metal.

Nigel added: “I’m hooked on it now. It’s too addictive.

“Anyone could start doing this if they wanted to with a cheap £20 magnet to get started.

“I get a lot of enjoyment out of it.”

Northampton Borough Council spent £256,000 on CCTV to watch its residents last year, according to official figures.

Despite the pressure on council budgets, spending has risen by 56% since 2010, when the annual bill was £164,000.

The AA has accused councils of making “shed loads of money” from drivers caught by cameras and warned they have become dependent on the cash that fines bring in.

Across England, councils spent £78 million on cameras in 2017-18. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government figures show that it is one area of spending that has gone up nationally since 2010.

The highest spender last year was Leeds, with a CCTV cost of £4 million. There were five other councils which spent more than £1 million.

Northampton Borough Council’s CCTV budget for the current financial year has been reduced to £47,000.

Councils use cameras to keep watch on roads and public spaces.

The AA says councils are using cameras to issue penalty charge notices (PCNs) and are dependent on the cash.

Luke Bosdet, of the AA’s motoring policy unit, said: “Councils are making shed loads of money out of cameras and they are not re-investing it to make roads safer.

“There are certain yellow box junctions that catch people by the thousand. If so many people are being caught it shows that the road layout needs to be improved.

“Normally law-abiding drivers are being caught but councils won’t do anything as they are pulling in the cash to prop up their other spending.”

Civil liberties campaigners say councils are spending millions of pounds spying on residents despite cutting services in many other areas.

Big Brother Watch director Silkie Carlo said: “Research consistently shows that public cameras are ineffective at deterring, preventing or even solving crime, but that too much CCTV does curb citizens’ freedom.

“Surveillance is no substitute for policing, and this will prove to be a terrible waste of money.”

The Local Government Association had defended council spending on cameras.

The LGA’s Simon Blackburn said: “CCTV plays a vital role in protecting the public by dissuading crime and antisocial behaviour, assisting police officers on the ground and supporting prosecutions for offences ranging from fly-tipping and traffic violations to acts of theft, robbery and serious violence.

“CCTV also reduces costs to the public purse as anyone caught committing an offence on camera is likely to plead guilty, saving time on trials.”

Moulton Joggers will first meet at Moulton Community Centre for two sessions on a Monday and one session on a Saturday.

The sessions are free of charge and ideal for beginners with little if any running experience and an interpreter will be there to support people with any communication needs they may
have.

Northamptonshire Sport’s Disability Development Officer, Graeme Wilson said: “This is absolutely brilliant to have such a group starting in the county.

"Deaf people are sadly still the least active of any group in society, and often it’s their concern about communication barriers with providers that prevents them from being involved in more mainstream activities."

The running group starts on Monday, January 28 and the interpreter will only be on hand on Mondays.

“Deaf people should feel confident at being included in most activities as coaches, or instructors will usually find an appropriate way to communicate with them," Graeme added.

"However having an interpreter in place to support a group like this is fantastic, so I just hope that deaf people join them in order to make the most of this great service and inclusive opportunity."

For more information about Moulton Joggers people should contact either Kathy on kathyholley48@yahoo.co.uk 07718 369382, or Alexy on community@deafhub.co.uk
07817 753187 (text only).

If any deaf people would like information about more opportunities available to them, or activity providers would like help to include deaf people in their activities then both should
have a look at the UK Deaf Sport website for further assistance: ukdeafsport.org.uk

Stuart Stocker was last seen by family on Sunday, January 20 and has not been in contact with anyone which is out of character.

He was last seen wearing a purple/blue pullover top, blue jeans and brown Lonsdale trainers.

Stuart or anyone who has seen him in the last couple of days can call police on 101 quoting missing person reference 34073.

Northamptonshire has lost almost a quarter of its firefighters since 2010, while crews are taking longer to respond to emergencies.

The Fire Brigades Union has lambasted the “appalling cuts” to fire services across the country, which it says are putting public safety at risk.

In the Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, the number of full-time equivalent firefighters fell from 501 in 2010 to 384 in 2018 - a drop of 23%.

At the same time, crews took almost a minute and a half longer to respond to callouts in the 12 months to March 2018 than in the same period in 2010 - a 16% increase, bringing the total response time to 10 minutes 36 seconds.

The figures refer to primary incidents, which are the most serious fires with potential to harm people or cause damage to property.

Across England, the number of firefighters has fallen by more than 22% since 2010, from 41,632 to 32,340, and there are now 45 fewer fire stations.

The average time taken to respond to serious incidents increased by more than 30 seconds over the same period.

The Home Office said local factors could affect response times, and that there is not a straightforward link between response times and the outcomes of a fire.

However, Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said there was a clear link between slower response times and government cuts.

“Year on year we are seeing appalling cuts to the service and these figures are clear evidence that the cuts have gone too far,” he said.

“Understaffed fire stations across the country struggle to provide a 24-hour service to their community, with the starkest effect outside of cities.

“Fire and rescue services are expected to do more with less and it is only down to the dedication of fire and rescue staff that the service is performing at all.

“The service is at breaking point. Public safety is being put at risk.”

Response times in Northamptonshire are slower than the England average, which last year stood at 8 mins 45 secs.

The slowing responses in England have come despite the fact that firefighters are attending fewer primary incidents.

In 2009-2010, there were 1,178 in the Northamptonshire area, compared to 798 by 2017-18.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The Government is thankful for the continued tireless efforts of firefighters across the country.

“There has also been a long term downward trend in both fires and fire deaths for many years, recently reaching historically low levels, and we are confident that fire and rescue services have the resources they need to do their important work.”

All three lanes southbound between junction 15 for Northampton and junction 14 for Milton Keynes have been closed today (Wednesday) following a crash involving a van and a lorry.

The accident happened at around 10.15am leaving one person trapped in a vehicle, according to traffic reports.

All lanes northbound between J14 and J15 were temporarily shut to allow for the air ambulance to land on the carriageway and re-opened again at 11am.

Southbound remains shut with emergency services deal with the incident.

Queuing traffic at the scene has been left trapped on the carriageway following the closure, while other drivers are being diverted ahead of the incident.

Highways has advised that trapped vehicles will be turned around shortly.

A spokesman said: "We have now begun turning the trapped traffic around. We will have you all moving real soon. Please remain stationary until advised by #TrafficOfficers"

The following diversion is in place: Follow Hollow Circle. Off at #J15, onto #A508 south, to #A5 south and then on to the #A509 to rejoin at J14.

Anyone travelling south is being advised to exit the M1 at J19 and to use the A14.

A spokeswoman for Northamptonshire Police said: "We confirmed that the M1 southbound is closed from junction 15 and we are about to close it from the slip road.

"We are dealing with a serious collision that happened just after 10am, which looks like a van and lorry."

A spokesman for Highways England confirmed that the collision involving a van and HGV occurred on the southbound carriageway, adding that emergency services were on the scene dealing with the incident.

Stagecoach Midlands tweeted: "Due to the closure of the M1 southbound between junctions 15 and 15a, we are experiencing severe delays to our X6 and X7 services.

"Should the resulting congestion continue, this may also cause delays to our number 7 service. Apologies for any inconvenience caused."

Police are appealing for witnesses after cars were damaged in Kettering.

Two cars sustained damage while parked in Ford Street earlier this week.

Wing mirrors of the cars were damaged at some point between 4.30pm and 5.20pm on Monday, January 21.

A force spokesman said: “Police would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed this incident or who has any information regarding it.

“Witnesses can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.”

A Northampton neighbourhood was 'overjoyed' last night to hear their community centre could be set for a £250,000 renovation.

Plans have been announced to overhaul Rectory Farm Community Centre and give the 'worn-out' hall a full refurbishment.

The face lift, which was announced at a residents' association meeting yesterday (January 22), could include a new kitchen, a second 75 square metre hall and even a mezzanine office for a future parish council.

The quarter-of-a-million-pound renovation will be funded in part by a £100,000 compensation payout by Hawthorn Leisure to the council over the conversion of the Barn Owl pub into a supermarket in 2017.

Councillor James Hill [Con, Rectory Farm] announced the project yesterday. He said: "It's really great news. It's going to be a real benefit for the community. We're going to have a whole extra hall to essentially double what we can do with the centre at the moment.

"Although we lost the Barn Owl pub to get here, this is a silver lining to the whole saga."

In 2017, the borough council was paid an out-of-court settlement by Hawthorn Leisure to be released from a 'community covenant' when they applied to convert the Barn Owl pub into a Co-Op supermarket.

The money was earmarked to be put back into Rectory Farm, and will now be used entirely to renovate the Community Centre.

The remaining £150,000 will be tabled at a full borough council cabinet meeting on February 20 - but this funding still needs to be approved before work can start.

The plans also include a complete refit for the centre's toilets, a baby-changing room and an outdoor terrace

Acting chair of Rectory Farm residents' association Toby Birch said: "We're very excited. It's going to make a huge difference to the local community.

"The building really is in need. It's in a bit of a state at the moment and this will transform the area when it's finished.

"I think it's a good example of a council working with a community group to make a difference."

Planning permission for the project will be applied for after the funding is approved in February.

The M1 remains closed between Northampton this afternoon following a serious crash between a van and a lorry at around 10am this morning (Wednesday).

All three lanes are currently closed between junction 15 and 14 southbound as emergency services and highways continue to work at the scene.

It is not expected to open until around 5.30pm today. Highways England has apologised for the inconvenience.

Officers from Highways England have been working for several hours to release stranded motorists.

The latest update stated: "We are now releasing traffic from the front of the queue through the works lane as well as turning traffic from the rear. Please remain in your vehicles and await further instruction."

If you are diverting off at junction 15 please use the A508 and A5 which will divert you back on to the M1 at J14.

All other routes advised are to use the A42 at J23A and then the M40.

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service has lost more than 30 of its firefighters since 2010.

The Fire Brigades Union has lambasted the “appalling cuts” to fire services across the country, which it says are putting public safety at risk.

In Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, the number of full-time equivalent firefighters fell from 279 in 2010 to 242 in 2018. Not all of these are ‘frontline’ posts working in fire stations, some are senior officers and fire prevention staff.

In terms of retained, or on-call firefighters, Northamptonshire has 254 posts, although 90 of these are currently vacant because of difficulties in recruiting on-call firefighters for daytime duty.

Northamptonshire’s crews almost a minute and a half longer to respond to callouts in the 12 months to March 2018 than in the same period in 2010 - a 16% increase, bringing the total response time to 10 minutes 36 seconds.

The figures refer to primary incidents, which are the most serious fires with potential to harm people or cause damage to property.

Across England, the number of firefighters has fallen by more than 22% since 2010, from 41,632 to 32,340, and there are now 45 fewer fire stations.

The average time taken to respond to serious incidents increased by more than 30 seconds over the same period.

Darren Dovey, chief fire officer at Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “The decrease in firefighter numbers is not a factor in increased response times in Northamptonshire, as we have not closed any stations or removed appliances.”

Mr Dovey said response times are made up of three factors.

He added: “These are, call handling times, this is the time the 999 operator answers a call, gains the relevant information and then mobilises a Fire Appliance. In the period 17/18 these have increased slightly.

“Secondly, mobilisation time, this is the time the station is alerted to the time the appliance leaves the station, this is largely unchanged.

“Finally, travel time, this is the time the appliance leaves the station to the time it arrives at the fire. This has increased as it generally has nationally and is largely due to increased traffic and traffic calming measures.

“In addition in Northamptonshire we have struggled to recruit on-call firefighters who are available in the day, as such wholetime fire appliances may have to travel further to reach a fire where the local on-call station is not available.”

Mr Dovey said response times in Northamptonshire are also in line with other similar fire and rescue services, adding that an overall comparison is unfair as Northamptonshire is then compared with urban fire and rescue services which are better resourced and cover smaller geographic areas.

The Home Office says local factors could affect response times, and that there is not a straightforward link between response times and the outcomes of a fire.

However, Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said there was a clear link between slower response times and government cuts.

“Year on year we are seeing appalling cuts to the service and these figures are clear evidence that the cuts have gone too far,” he said.

“Understaffed fire stations across the country struggle to provide a 24-hour service to their community, with the starkest effect outside of cities.

“Fire and rescue services are expected to do more with less and it is only down to the dedication of fire and rescue staff that the service is performing at all.

“The service is at breaking point. Public safety is being put at risk.”

Controversial plans to build 132 homes on a former school site in Parklands have been granted outline planning permission by councillors, despite a heavy turnout against the application from residents.

Northamptonshire County Council is applying to build the dwellings on the old Parklands Middle School site on Devon Way, which has been vacant since the buildings were demolished in 2011. It had also been used as a campus for Northampton School for Girls up until 2008.

Parklands residents turned out in force at The Guildhall last night (January 22) to make their objections to the plans known to members of Northampton Borough Council’s planning committee.

Their calls for the scheme to be objected were spearheaded by ward borough councillor Mike Hallam.

He told fellow councillors: “Parklands only has one major route in and out, and that is Spinney Hill Road. We have three schools on that road, and more than 50 per cent of the pupils come from elsewhere across the town.

“The times of 9am, 3.30pm and 5pm are times when people know to avoid Parklands. Traffic has been queuing back almost 50 cars and along the length of the road. I was amazed to read no mention of this in the traffic report.

“It also mentions about improving junctions near Morrisons, which I welcome. But there is no mention about improving the roads in the estate. There is simply nowhere for these extra cars to go. This scheme should be rejected, and the residents behind me think it should be rejected.”

Parklands resident Peter Travers has lived at his family home on Spinney Hill Road for 35 years, and told the planning committee: “There is inadequate capacity and the survey doesn’t take into account school drop off times. There is nose to tail traffic already, and the pressures on existing facilities won’t be able to cope.”

But David Walton, from The Environment Partnership - the agents acting for the county council - said that the ‘community had been listened to’ during consultation.

He said: “The number of homes has been reduced from more than 180. I understand the views and concerns from residents but it has been demonstrated that there is safe access, and there has been no objections from any of the statutory organisations.”

After hearing from the public speakers, councillors on the planning committee hotly debated the application.

The provision of 35 per cent affordable housing within the scheme swayed many of the ten members.

Councillor Alan Bottwood said: “Given that we need houses I will be supporting this application. I think delays at school time happen in a lot of places, and it’s often down to parents not parking properly.”

But his Conservative colleague Cllr Andrew Kilbride was one of four to vote against the scheme, saying: “The pressure on the junctions will be enormous. I want the houses but I’m concerned that this would lead to a major blockage.”

Ultimately it was voted through by six votes to four, but the scheme being discussed by councillors was only an outline planning application.

It means that although it was approved, the county council will have to come back with a separate application detailing the layout, scale and appearance of the homes at a later date.

Hashtag Justin Chef, on Wellingborough Road, was reportedly burgled at around 00:35am on Tuesday (January 22).

The restaurant has now released footage of a man in a striped hoody with a fur lining and wearing grey winter gloves emptying the till and reportedly making off with a tip box kept on the front desk.

Witnesses or anyone with information is asked to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101 and quote incident number 19000037233.

Northamptonshire Police has been contacted for a comment.

KP News and Off Licence, in Weedon Road, sold a pack of 20 Mayfair kingsize cigarettes to a 16-year-old in May 2018.

But the teenager was actually sent as part of a test purchase by Northamptonshire trading standards.

Now, the company and a director have been fined a total of £1,500 for selling age-restricted products to a child.

Eshani Ltd and Arundhati Patel pleaded guilty to the breach at Northampton Magistrates yesterday (January 22).

It comes after Patel sold cigarettes to a person under the age of 18 in 2016 and was made to sign an Enterprise Act pledging not to sell cigarettes to persons under the age of 18 in the future.

Yesterday, Eshani Ltd was fined £1,000 while Patel as a director was fined £500. Full prosecution costs were awarded and a £150 victim surcharge was ordered to be paid.

Eight visits were carried out during the test purchase on May 31, 2018, with two premises selling to the underage volunteer.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire County Council said: “This case demonstrates that our Trading Standards team will not hesitate to take action if they suspect a business of selling age-restricted products to children, and we will continue to carry out checks and test purchases whenever we receive complaints and intelligence about underage sales.

“Both businesses and the individual seller can be prosecuted for selling and it’s essential that they must ask for valid proof of age from young people.

“We recommend that they at least challenge anyone who looks under 21, and we are aware that many shops challenge anyone who looks under 25.”