A motorcyclist was airlifted to hospital after colliding with a car in Potterspury, Northamptonshire.

The 27-year-old man sustained multiple limb injuries in the crash, which happened on Friday evening.

Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA) were called out to the incident. They left their base at 6.15pm and landed at the scene 12 minutes later.

A spokesman for WNAA said: “The patient was given advanced pain relief to allow the crew to apply splints to his injuries. He was carefully immobilised before being airlifted to University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire for further treatment. His condition was stable on handover to hospital staff.”

Electrical tools were stolen from a van which had been parked in a golf club car park in Northampton.

The Vauxhall Combo van had been parked at Delapre Golf Club in Eagle Drive on Wednesday, April 30.

It was broken into sometime between 11.30am and 3pm.

The car park was very busy at the time of the theft, according to police.

Witnesses, or anyone with any information about this incident, can call Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Drivers in Northamptonshire are being warned to avoid the A4500 Weedon Road from Kislingbury towards the M1 as police work to remove a lorry toppled on its side.

The incident occurred at the roundabout off junction 16 of the motorway shortly after noon.

PC Dave Lee, of Northamptonshire’s Roads Policing Unit, said both the driver of the juggernaut and another car involved in the incident suffered only minor injuries.

The officer tweeted via the account @NorthantsPolice_RPU: “If you are leaving Northampton heading north on the M1 or to Daventry, please join the M1 at Jct 15a and exit at jct 16. The A4500 is closed.”

Police say the road will likely be open again at 4pm.

Thieves stolen jewellery, electrical items, cash and paperwork during a burglary at a Northampton home

Burglars forced their way into the home in Ash Lane, Collingtree and searched it, taking jewellery, electrical items, cash and paperwork.

A burglary took place sometime between 10pm on Monday April 21 and 9.45am on Tuesday April 22.

A man was seen acting suspiciously in the area on Saturday April 17, including looking through the windows of the house that was broken into.

This man was white, 5ft 10in to 6ft, with short dark hair. He was wearing dark clothes.

Witnesses or anyone with information regarding this incident are asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A man was kicked and punched on the floor after he was set upon by a gang in Corby.

The man was walking home alone along Rockingham Road sometime between 1.20am and 1.35am on Saturday May 3 when he was chased by a gang of four people.

He was pursued to the junction of Telfords Lane where he fell over and was beaten up by the gang.

The gang included two men and two women. The main offender was white, in his mid thirties, eastern European, about 6ft and of medium build with short dark hair.

He was wearing dark jeans and a long sleeved top.

One of the women he was with was white, about 30, about 5ft 5in and of medium build. She had her hair tied up and wore distinctive tight trousers with a cloud pattern printed on them.

Witnesses, or anyone with any information about this incident, can call Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

A van driver had his tools stolen after his vehicle was broken into in Northampton.

The black Peugeot Expert van had been parked in the car park of the Jade Pavilion in Kettering Road when it was broken into sometime between 4.45pm and 5.25pm on Wednesday April 30.

A black tool chest on wheels, which contained power tools, was stolen from the vehicle.

Witnesses, or anyone with any information about this incident, can call Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

A safe was stolen from a Northamptonshire school at some point over the bank holiday weekend.

Pytchley Church of England Primary School in High Street, Pytchley was broken into sometime between 6pm on Friday May 2 and 7am on Tuesday May 6.

The thieves prised open a widow to get into the building.

Once inside, they took a locked safe from an office.

Witnesses, or anyone with any information about this incident, can call Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

The Weston Favell Shopping Centre has been evacuated after a motor on one of the escalators overheated.

Centre manager Kevin Legg said all shoppers were evacuated from the centre as a precaution after smoke was seen coming from the escalator at about 4.30pm today (Tuesday).

Mr Legg said fire crews were called out to the shopping centre to make sure the scene was safe but he expected the centre to be back up to shoppers within 30 minutes.

He said: “We had a motor on one of the escalators overheat so we evacuated the centre as a precaution.

“We’ve got engineers coming out to fix the escalator.”

The University of Northampton has unveiled plans to dispense with the traditional three-month student summer holiday and move towards a “52-week, 24 hour” campus arrangement.

In a proposal sent out to all staff, Jane Bunce, director of student and academic services, has said the university is considering a radical change in the academic year ahead of the institution’s move to the new town centre Waterside campus in 2018.

Mrs Bunce said the new academic year would be split into four quarters, rather then the current three, and will involve greater use of the July to September period when students normally have no teaching or studying time.

Rather than two teaching terms of 12 weeks, broken up with two four-week holidays, followed by an examination period in May/June, the university will have 10 weeks of teaching, split by two-week holidays, followed by a period of formal examination and then another three-month period that can be used for “optional activities” or further teaching and study.

Easter will be a long weekend instead of automatically at the centre of the two week break.

The proposal paper states: “There should be no ‘down time’ within the year and the university should be designated as open for all days except those specifically noted as bank holidays.

Mrs Bunce said the changes to the academic year would offer greater value for money and provide opportunities for students to carry out extra-curricular activities.

Students will also be able to retake their exams in the summer period rather than having to wait until the next academic year.

For staff, the changes would mean annual leave would be managed more tightly and research activity may be allocated in a concentrated block within a quarter of the year.

The university has said staff contracts will be affected by the plans and this will require discussions with the unions.

As a result of students resitting their exams in the same academic year, the university could lose some module income but may make up for this loss through more students studying throughout the year and being in halls of residence for a longer proportion of the year

The plans are likely to be finalised and approved by the University of Northampton’s Senate Council by July this year and introduced from 2015

Deborah Mattock, Director of HR and Marketing at the University of Northampton, said: “We are currently reviewing the academic year as part of our ongoing commitment to continuous quality improvement.

“We want to ensure that we continue to offer our students an excellent university experience. Some alternatives to the current academic year structure have been put forward for consideration through our internal institutional committee structures. We are involving staff and students in our decision making to ensure we find the best way forward.”

Officers from Northampton Borough Council’s environmental health team and neighbourhood wardens will be raising awareness about the impact of noise later this month.

Highlighting the impact that noise has on people’s health and well-being is the focus of Noise Action Week 2014 which is being supported by Northampton Borough Council.

Throughout Noise Action Week, from May 19 to 21, Northampton Borough Council’s environmental health team and neighbourhood wardens will be out and about in the town to raise awareness of noise issues for people who make noise and noise sufferers.

As well as raising general awareness of the issue across the town, a group of officers and wardens will spend time in Castle Ward talking to residents and giving advice.

Councillor Mike Hallam, Northampton Borough Council cabinet member for the environment, said: “Noise makers don’t always realise that the noise they are making is irritating or annoying others. Usually asking them to keep the noise down is enough, but if that doesn’t work and the problem becomes more extreme then we can step in to help. Last year we issued 625 official warnings and 12 Noise Abatement Notices.

“Education and awareness raising are also important ways to tackle the issue. Summer is one of our busiest times for noise complaints and so Noise Action Week gives us a good opportunity to raise awareness of the issue of noise and the impact it can have on people’s health. We would ask everyone to be considerate towards their neighbours and keep noise levels down.”

Research shows that noise is important to people’s happiness and physical and mental health well-being.

According to figures quoted by Environmental Protection UK, which co-ordinates Noise Action Week, most neighbourhood complaints to local authorities are about noise. Over 78 per cent of councils who responded to a Freedom of Information request by Churchill Insurance reported a total of more than 200,000 noise complaints between January and September 2013.

Figures from Public Health England for 2012 show that nationally 7.5 per cent of the population were negatively affected by noise. In Northamptonshire the figure was 8.2 per cent and in Northampton’s Castle Ward the percentage of people affected by noise was even more, at 8.7 per cent.

For more information about noise nuisance and what to do visit www.northampton.gov.uk/noise or to report noise nuisance call 0300 330 7000 or email ehealth@northampton.gov.uk.

Hundreds of people are expecting to line the streets of Northamptonshire today (Wednesday) as the inaugural Women’s Tour of Britain comes to the county.

The Women’s Tour will bring world-class women’s cycling to the UK in the country’s first ever international stage-race, bringing the world’s top riders to compete against Britain’s Olympic heroines.

Over 100 of the best female riders, including past and current Olympic medallists and World Champions representing 17 trade and national teams will be competing to become the first ever Women’s Tour champion.

The tour will begin at 10am in Oundle and the cyclists will take on a 57.5 mile route through the county including Grafton Underwood, Boughton House, Rushton, Desborough, Harrington, Brixworth, Spratton, Chapel Brampton, Althorp and Rothersthorpe, before finishing in Northampton town centre at around 1.26pm.

Tomorrow’s route (Thursday) will also include some parts of Northamptonshire including Naseby, Brixworth and Sywell.

Here are some key timings to help you plan your viewing schedule {http://www.northamptonshiresport.org/viewing-opportunities|Cycle Tour click here}

British Cycling will be offering Go Ride sprint races for budding cyclists, using the finishing straight along Derngate before the Women’s Tour arrives. The sessions will run from 11am to 12.30pm.

In the Market Square there will be a number of information stands and attractions for the public to take part in.

Northamptonshire Highways has a cycle road show at the finish area of the tour. It will include crazy bikes, Ministry of Bikes Bomberdrome, stationary bikes on rollers, plus bike-powered equipment, such as a cycle-powered Scalextric and smoothie maker.

Northampton Leisure Trust will be bringing their Trilogy Gym to the town centre to offer 10 to 15 minute Spin taster sessions. Spinning has grown to be one of the most popular forms of indoor exercise. Spinning on a regular basis will build your core strength and leg strength and your cardiovascular fitness. All classes will challenge the rider mentally and physically regardless of their skill level.

British Cycling will be offering the latest tips and advice from the experts. A spokesman said: “However you ride your bike and whatever your ability, you will find comprehensive advice to help improve your riding plus there will be a range of information some new local cycling initiatives including Skyride Locals and social cycling groups.”

Breeze, which is inspiring more women to get back on their bikes, will be on hand to give advice on how to get involved with the organisation in the county.

In the afternoon, British Cycling is holding a Go Ride Schools Competition, from 2pm to 4pm, giving an opportunity for secondary school children to get into the spirit of the Women’s Tour, with a range of sprints and endurance races as part of a level 2 School Games Competition.

ROAD CLOSURES

WHY ARE THE ROAD CLOSURES HAPPENING?

Northamptonshire is hosting Stage 1 of the first ever Women’s Tour cycling event on Wednesday 7th May, bringing world-class women’s cycling to the UK in the country’s first ever international stage-race – the world’s top riders competing against Britain’s Olympic heroines. Entrants include GB riders Laura Trott, Dani King, Joanna Rowsell, Lizzie Armistead and Northamptonshire’s own Hannah Barnes who will all be pitting their skills against multi World Champion Marianne Voss, considered by many to be the finest cyclist of her generation.

Starting in Oundle at 11am the event will deploy a rolling road closure (a 20min bubble) around the peloton as they head the 57 miles into Northampton. With a town centre finish the roads need to be closed for longer with a large amount of infrastructure (crowd barriers, gantries, banners, etc) needing to be put in place ahead of the riders anticipated arrival at 1.40pm.

WHICH TOWN CENTRE ROADS ARE AFFECTED?

The town centre road closures will be implemented in 2 phases. Phase 1 impact those located within St.Giles Church, Guildhall, Beckets Park triangle. Phase 2 impacts the Bedford Road between the bottom of Cliftonville and the Cheyne Walk/Victoria Promenade junction.

The closures start at 4.30am. Limited access for vehicles will be managed by event staff and volunteers from 4.30am until 9.30am although this cannot be absolutely guaranteed. From 9.30am until 4.00pm NO vehicular access will be permitted.

WHERE CAN THE STAFF/VISITORS OF BUSINESSES LOCATED WITHIN THESE AREAS PARK?

To be guaranteed vehicular movement on the 7th May the best advice is to avoid parking within the road closure areas. The main town centre public car parks of St.Johns, St.Michaels and Mayorhold are all accessible all day.

Anyone wishing to enter/exit the road closure areas on 7th May should note that on safety grounds access between 4.30am and 7.30pm will be extremely limited and only managed where possible and under the strict direction of the stewards.

IS ST JOHN’S CAR PARK ACCESSIBLE?

Yes, at all times, via the roundabout that also acts as entrance to Morrison’s supermarket. The road closure of Victoria Promenade will begin on the roundabout exit.

IS MORRISON’S SUPERMARKET ACCESSIBLE?

Yes, at all times. See above.

WHAT IF WE HAVE DELIVERIES BEING MADE DURING THE DAY?

The best advice is to re-arrange for a different date if possible. Otherwise, the delivery needs to be made prior to 9.30am or after 4.00pm. Even outside of those times it needs to be noted that the road closures are actually in place between 4.30am to 7.30pm so access will only be permitted where it is possible. Event staff and volunteers on the road closure points will do their best to get vehicles in and out but will have to restrict access if it is a matter of safety.

I’M A RESIDENT IN THE ROAD CLOSURE AREA. WILL I BE ABLE TO DRIVE IN AND OUT DURING THE DAY?

The easiest time to manage entry and exit to the area, under the direction of the stewards, will be prior to 9.30am and after 4.00pm you should allow for some delay as movement can only be managed when safe to do so.

Between 9.30am and 4.00pm vehicle movement will be far more restricted, particularly around the time of the rider’s arrival between midday and 2.00pm.

A pensioner was left with a broken hip after he was hit by a cyclist outside a Corby supermarket.

The man, 71, was hit by a man on a bike sometime between 9.40am and 10.20am on Sunday outside the Morrisons store in Oakley Road, Corby.

After the collision, it is believed the cyclist then approached the pensioner and pushed him onto the car park floor.

The cyclist was tall and skinny and was wearing a cap.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said: “Two members of the public who were in the car park at the time helped the victim after the attack, and we are appealing for them to come forward. One of these was driving a small red hatchback car.”

Witnesses, or anyone with any information about this incident, can call Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

A former business manager, alleged to have stolen more than £20,000 of cheques from Simon de Senlis Primary School when she was employed there, appeared in front of magistrates on Tuesday.

Janet Wheeler, 51, of Chatsworth Avenue, Northampton, entered no plea to three charges of theft and one of false accounting in relation to the East Hunsbury school.

Magistrates bailed her to reappear for a plea and case management hearing at Northampton Crown Court on Wednesday, September 3.

Along with the theft of cheques Wheeler is alleged to have created duplicate invoices and falsified documents in a bid to balance the books of the school.

She is also accused of taking more than £1,100 of petty cash and £87 from a school bank account.

The University of Northampton has submitted an outline planning application to Northampton Borough Council to build 800 homes on Park Campus when the institution moves to a new site in the town centre.

The town’s university is planning to relocate to a new £330 million campus in the town centre, off Bedford Road, which is part of the Waterside Enterprise Zone, in 2018.

In the plans, there is no intention to create any other access roads to the site, apart from the two existing entrances from Boughton Green Road.

At one of the public consultation events in November, Neil Rowley, director of planning for Savills which has drawn up the plans, said he thought local residents would notice reduced traffic levels.

He said: “People coming through the door have been supportive as it is a relatively low density development and there will be less traffic than there currently is in the area when students are at the university.”

Professor Nick Petford, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Northampton said the submission of the plans was “another milestone step” in the university’s plan to move to the town centre.

Northampton Borough Council is expected to make a decision on whether to approve the plans in September this year.

Motorists in Northampton are being reminded to make sure their cars and vans are locked at all times after a spate of thefts.

The warning comes after seven vehicles were broken into in the Hunsbury and Wootton area of the town overnight last night (Tuesday). In all seven cases tools were stolen.

A police spokesperson said: “This type of incident happens very quickly and does not give us much opportunity for investigation as usually there are no witnesses and little forensic evidence.”

Officers advise that tools, sat navs, handbags, CDs and mobile phones should be removed from cars and vans when leaving them.

The police spokesperson added: “Our message is clear: do not leave valuables in your vehicle, ensure it is locked, and if it has an alarm, use it. Similarly, if you have a garage, please use it.

“Whenever you park your car, whether it is in a public street or on your driveway, it is always worth taking a few seconds to remove items that are on show.

“It is also worth bearing in mind that even if you remove a Sat Nav from your car then a mark may have been left on the windscreen, so it is always advisable to remove any marks left behind.

“It is easy to fall into the habit of not parking your car in your garage, or not using a steering lock or the alarm system, but these quick and simple steps could be the difference in you becoming a victim of vehicle crime or not.

“If you do need to park your car in a public place and leave in unattended, make sure you park in a secure, busy area.”

People are also advised to be on the look-out for anyone acting suspiciously and to call police if they have any concerns.

Officers would like to speak to anyone who may have witness any suspicious activity in the Hunsbury and Wootton areas of Northampton last night, or anyone who may have been offered any tools for sale.

Witnesses or anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Conservative MP Michael Ellis is calling for the reinstatement of a commemoration marking where one of his predecessors was assassinated in the Houses of Parliament.

The Northampton North MP has said he is upset that the set of “disordered tiles” in St Stephen’s lobby - which marked the spot where Spencer Perceval was assassinated on May 11, 1812, while serving as Prime Minister - had been removed by workman after a recent renovation.

Mr Ellis said he believed it was important Mr Perceval’s death should be marked in the Houses of Parliament and said he is planning to raise the issue with the Leader of the House, during business questions on Thursday morning.

Mr Ellis said: “The spot where Spencer Perceval was assassinated has been marked with the disordered tiles in St Stephen’s lobby for decades and it is an important part of Northampton’s and the country’s history.

“I am calling for some sort of brass plaque or marker to be placed on the ground to mark Spencer Perceval’s place of death.”

Perceval was on his way to attend an inquiry but, as he entered the lobby of the House of Commons, a man stepped forward, drew a pistol and shot him in the chest.

He was declared dead shortly after.

The assassin, John Bellingham, was a merchant who believed he had been unjustly imprisoned in Russia and was entitled to compensation from the Government, but all his petitions had been rejected.

A rare one hundred year old cap, awarded to a Wellingborough-born Northampton Town star who made history by becoming the shortest player ever to play for England, is set to fetch around £300 at an auction.

The 1913-1914 purple and white quartered Football Association international trial cap was awarded to Frederick “Fanny” Walden, who, after leaving the Cobblers, went on to become England’s smallest football star.

For in his football socks, he was only five feet two and a half inches tall.

In the early 1900s some potential England players were required to take part in trial matches to decide whether they were good enough to play in internationals.Outside right Walden impressed sufficiently in his trial to play for England in 1914 and again in 1922.

In his book, An English Football Internationalists’ Who’s Who, Douglas Lamming says: “This most diminutive of footballers enjoyed a popularity in inverse proportion to his size. Crowds revelled in his capacity to wriggle past bigger opponents outwitted by uncanny control and left floundering by smart acceleration.”

Frederick Ingram Walden was born at Wellingborough on March 1, 1888, and after playing for Wellingborough junior clubs, White Cross,A ll Saints and Redwell – he joined Northampton Town in 1909.

Four years later,in April 1913, the Cobblers sold him to Tottenham Hotspur for £1,750. That might not sound a lot of money now, but one hundred years ago that sum would have been enough to buy at least three decent houses in Northampton,

Walden, nicknamed Fanny because of his size (it was slang at the time for someone of short stature), also played county cricket for Northamptonshire between 1910 and 1929.

He later became a first class Umpire and stood in several Test Matches.

The imminent sale of his FA trial cap, at Graham Budd Auctions in London on Thursday May 22, coincides with the sixty fifth anniversary this month of his death, in Northampton at the age of sixty one, on May 3, 1949.

A Northamptonshire man appeared in front of magistrates today facing multiple charges of making, distributing and possessing child pornography.

Joshua Lee, 29, of Bengal View, Greens Norton in Towcester entered no plea to all of the 20 charges, which date back to 2007.

Lee is alleged to have made indecent videos and images of children under the age of 13 and to have possessed 1,170 ‘extreme’ pornographic images.

One of the charges alleges Lee made an indecent video involving a child under 16 and an animal. He was bailed on the condition he does not have any unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18.

Lee is to reappear at Northampton Crown Court on May 23 for a second hearing.

Coach passengers are being urged to contact police if they have been the victim of a sexual assault.

The call comes after a 23-year-old-man was arrested and charged in connection with two sexual assaults that took place on coaches.

He was arrested at the Rothersthorpe service station on the M1 at junction 15A after an allegation of a sexual assault was made on April 28.

He was charged in connection with that assault and another that took place on a bus on the A1 in Yorkshire in January 2013. He appeared before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on April 29.

Police would like to speak to anyone who may have any information about sexual assaults that have taken place on coaches travelling across country in the last 18 months.

Witnesses or anyone with information is asked to contact Northamptonshire Police on 03000 111 222.

A post office in Northampton will close for two weeks next month ahead of a refurbishment of the building.

Kingsley Park Post Office will close on Saturday June 7 at 12.30pm and will reopen on Thursday June 19 at 1pm after a full refurbishment.

The refurbishment is part of Post Office plans to modern its network and extend opening hours.

Once complete the new-look Kingsley Park Post Office in Kingsley Terrace will have three serving positions.

One will be open-plan, one a modern screened position and the other will be an open-plan post office serving point.

Opening hours at the modernised branch will be Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5.30, offering customers an extra five hours of post office service every Saturday afternoon.

Post Office area manager Mark Jacobs said: “We understand how important post office services are to the people of Northampton and we are confident that this new modern post office service will meet the needs of the local community and secure services for the future.

“This modernisation is part of a major investment programme, the largest in the history of the post office and marks a commitment to no more branch closure programmes.”

During the closure of the post office the nearest branches are:

Barry Road Post Office, Co-operative Stores, Barry Road, Northampton, NN1 5JS

Birchfield Road Post Office, 178 Birchfield Road East, Northampton, NN3 2 HG