A Northampton man who set up a private hire company using a forged driving licence has been fined.

Manvinder Singh Ahluwalia, aged 30, of Mershe Close, Hardingstone, was prosecuted by Northampton Borough Council.

He appeared at Northampton Magistrates' Court on September 27 and pleaded guilty to offences under the Fraud Act 2006, Forgery & Counterfeiting Act 1981 and no insurance.

After being found guilty on all three charges, the man was sentenced to a Community Service Order for 12 months including 60 hours of unpaid work for false instrument under the Fraud Act, a Community Service Order for 12 months including 60 hours of unpaid work for making a false document under the Forgery & Counterfeiting Act, eight points on his DVLA licence for having no insurance, a £300 fine and a £60 victim surcharge.

Cabinet member for community safety, Councillor Mike Hallam, said: “Having fully licensed vehicles , operators and drivers who work to ensure the safety of Northampton residents is very important to us.

“As part of our commitment to keeping our night time economy and public transport safe, we carry out regular checks and enforcements and we hope prosecutions will act as a deterrent to other people from committing offences in the future.”

Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom visited a Wellingborough brewery to see first-hand how the demand for a locally-brewed British pint has grown.

With 22 microbreweries now open in Northamptonshire - up from just eight in 2010 - Mrs Leadsom visited Hart Family Brewers in Nene Court by The Embankment yesterday (Friday).

The brewery makes around 5,000 pints a week for Northants pubs using only British grains and hops and they are planning to expand next year due to demand from licensees.

Speaking during her visit, Mrs Leadsom said: “Our food and drink is renowned the world over and for most of us there’s nothing more quintessentially British than enjoying a pulled pint of ale in a classic English pub.

“Thanks to the popularity of our pint we’re now seeing a record number of microbreweries opening up in Northamptonshire and across the country as a whole, bringing quality beer to communities across the nation and creating countless jobs and opportunities for our economy.

“Hart Family Brewers are bringing a real boost to Northamptonshire and showing our independent ales can rival the very best.”

Rob Hart, co-owner of Hart Family Brewers, said: “The renaissance in locally-brewed beer has really gained pace in the last four years we’ve been brewing and we’re delighted to show the Environment Secretary our progress and growth.

“We’re committed to supporting local suppliers which is why we use 100 per cent British malt and hops for all our beers.

“Cask Ale is uniquely British and it’s great to see the Government lending its support to Cask Ale Week and celebrating our national drink.”

Cask Ale Week is in full flow this week – a national event to promote the UK’s ale industry and celebrate our national drink.

With almost 900,000 people employed by the beer and pubs sector in 2015, the British beer boom is helping to drive our food and drink industry – which, from farm to fork, contributes over £100 billion to the UK economy.

Britain now has more breweries than any other country, with the latest figures from the British Beer and Pubs Association revealing a new brewery opened in Britain every other day in 2015, with almost 8 billion pints sold.

A generous Northampton man, who has raised £10,000 to build a school in Africa, is appealing for people to donate 200 shoeboxes filled with fun and education material for disadvantaged children.

Druve Patel of Wootton went to Gambia seven years ago with a friend and saw that there was severe poverty in the country and had a vision of opening a school for 20 of the neediest children in the area of Jarra Soma.

After five years, the primary school now has 171 children in full-time education and is the only school in the world which gives free malaria treatment to all their pupils.

Mr Patel said: “I went to Gambia over seven years ago and realised that there was severe poverty and parents couldn’t send their children to school, as not all schools are state run.

“The average wage in Gambia is £1.10 a day, and a school fee is £1. You might get one child in one family who goes to school.”

Mr Patel, who raised thousands of pounds to fund the school through charity events such as the London marathon and charity dinners, is appealing for shoeboxes as many children have never had a present before.

He added: “ We would like 50 percent to be filled with new or used toys and the other 50 percent should be a fun educational matter. We will record the boxes given to the children. It will create so much happiness and I thank everyone for their kind generosity. A little help gives a lot of hope.”

The boxes cannot be sealed as they need to be inspected prior to shipping.

The deadline for the appeal is October 15 and the shoeboxes can be dropped off at the Kingfisher club in Billing Aquadrome.

Seven executives at a charitable hospital in Northampton were each paid more than £200,000 last year, latest accounts show.

And the new figures reveal the total amount spent on payments for St Andrew’s Hospital’s eight executive directors, including pay, bonuses, benefits and pensions, exceeded £1.9 million.

Several members of the St Andrew’s executive team also received substantial bonuses, with Warren Irving, its chief operating officer, being paid £43,000 and Fiona Mason, its chief medical officer, getting a £40,000 bonus.

Thomas Harris, the charity’s chief finance officer and interim company secretary, received a £51,000 bonus.

A total of 144 employees were paid £60,000 or more in 2015/16, up from 138 in the previous year, the accounts show.

St Andrew’s has been criticised for salary levels before.

Former CEO Philip Sugarman, being paid £751,000 in his final year, including a £285,000 wage and pay in lieu of notice of £389,000.

Gil Baldwin, who became CEO in July 2014, was paid a basic wage of £328,000 in the year to 31 March 2016, and £489,000 once a £99,000 bonus, pension and other benefits were added.

St Andrew’s Healthcare - which runs the mental health hospital, one of the largest in Europe - said the quality of its leadership justified the money paid.

A spokeswoman said: “As a major charity playing a vital role in the support of patients with very complex needs, it’s essential that we have strong leadership. Without it, we won’t achieve our vision of transforming lives by building world-class mental healthcare services.

“World-class services need world-class leadership, and our board and court of governors recognise that it’s well worth investing in this level of leader.”

Violet Smith, 29, of Bath Road, Slough, and Lisa Murphy, 39, of Montgomery Way, Wootton, are said to have demanded money from the 28-year-old Wasps fly-half between September and October last year.

On Friday, the pair appeared at Kingston Crown Court to deny blackmail.

Murphy, wearing a black jacket and trousers with a white shirt, and Smith, wearing a purple cardigan and black top, spoke only to confirm their names and deny the charge.

Cipriani now looks set to give evidence against the pair when the case goes to trial.

With the pair pleading not guilty, Judge Peter Lodder QC set a trial date of February 6, 2017 at Kingston Crown Court.

He said: "You will come back to this court for trial commencing on February 6 of next year.

"You have been released on bail with the same conditions as before.

"If you breach these conditions or fail to attend, you will be committing an offence and you will be charged.

"If you don’t attend then it will go ahead in your absence and you may not be represented," he added.

In June, the rugby ace was convicted of drink-driving after getting behind the wheel having spent the night drinking cocktails and champagne.

He was found guilty of the offence following a trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court and ordered to pay a total of £7,620 in fines and costs. He was also banned from driving for 18 months.

The rugby union player claimed he was 'shocked' that the breathalyser was positive, despite admitting he had drunk two espresso martinis and a glass of champagne less than an hour earlier.

Smith and Murphy have been ordered not to contact each other or Cipriani and were bailed ahead of trial.

A JustGiving website has been launched to help a Northampton man who was punched in the face and had his mobility scooter stolen.

As the Chronicle & Echo reported yesterday, Brian Tew, who lives in Spencer, was punched in the face three times, pushed over and had his mobile phone and mobility scooter stolen by two young men on Monday evening at around 8.30pm.

Katie Lumb, of Kingsley, who set up the Just Giving site for Mr Tew, said: “It touched me when I read the article, I felt really bad for him.”

Mr Tew was sat on the sofa watching TV when he saw two men enter his back garden.

In an attempt to steal the mobility scooter, one punched Mr Tew in the face three times and pushed him over, which caused the 62-year-old to sprain his ankle and bruised his knee.

Mr Tew then made his way into the bedroom to call for help but the second robber followed him into the room and stole his phone before fleeing.

The mobility scooter is covered by Mr Tew’s insurance but Katie Lumb is on a mission to raise £300 to cover costs of the stolen smartphone.

For details, visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/katie-lumb?utm_campaign=jgdonation%3Asupport&utm_content=katie-lumb&utm_medium=Yimbyproject&utm_source=Facebook

Two Northampton filmmakers, who have been nominated for a MOBO award, are competing against internationally known superstars, Nadia Rose, M.I.A and Bugzy Malone.

Lewis Levi, 22 and Alex Motlhabane, 27, of The Rest, have been shortlisted for the ‘Best Video’ category at the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) awards ceremony which will take place on November 4th, 2016.

The duo, who have known each other for more than ten years, have a reputation for creating fictional films and music videos with an “unapologetic view of the world".

Lewis said: “The Rest just organically happened, we’ve been doing creative stuff since we were 12-13. We were both in the same circles when we were younger and both did a film-making course at the University of Northampton, but at different times.

“We have the same ambition so we kind of just formed. We produce what we love.”

The film-making pair created the music video, ‘Footsteps’, which stars Kojey Radical, an artist who conveys poetry through rap.

Alex said: “We met Kojey at a live show, he then Tweeted us afterwards about a meet-up and the rest is history.

“Kojey Radical’s video was filmed in London just off Portobello Road. The last video we shot for Kojey got a great response.”

The Rest has been established for nearly two years and both Lewis and Alex have been invited to London to speak to prospective filmmakers at the Tate Modern about their profession.

Lewis added: “This was a big deal for us, the Tate Modern hold up artists, they are a huge institution. The fact they considered us is really cool.

The directors, who used to use Northampton as a backdrop for a lot of their work, had to change their location because they were getting kicked out of car parks and the town centre.

The duo told the Chronicle & Echo: “People come to us because we have a vision.”

The winners of the annual Northamptonshire Community Foundation awards were revealed at a gala evening at the Royal Theatre.

The event, sponsored by The University of Northampton and Rathbones Investment, also marked the 15th anniversary of the foundation.

Twenty groups from across Kettering, Corby, Daventry and Northampton were up for an award across six categories, Lifetime Achievement Award, Edge Award, Best Newcomer Award, Trailblazer Award, Brilliant Group Award and the High Sheriff Initiative Award.

In memory of Lady Juliet Townsend, past Patron of Northamptonshire Community Foundation, Lady Juliet’s husband John Townsend presented a special Award for Volunteering.

The nominations highlighted the outstanding commitment, passion and energy given by the volunteers and their value to the community groups they support.

The winner of this award Yvonne Orland has been a volunteer at Home-Start Northampton for 34 years. Amarjit Singh Atwal was highly commended for the award for his work at Sikh Community Centre and Youth Club.

The Foundation announced the winners of its Capture the Moment photography competition, launched as part of its anniversary celebrations, the Foundation asked the people of Northamptonshire to enter a photograph that they believe represents their community and reflects their experience of life in Northamptonshire.

With a fantastic response and over 70 entries the winner of the Judges’ Choice Award was Barry Richardson with his photo of Braunston Canal. The winner of the People’s Choice Award was also revealed, this award was open to the public on Northamptonshire Community Foundation’s Facebook page to choose their People’s Choice Winner out of all 75 photo entries from the competition. Ria Farmer’s photograph was crowned the People’s Choice Winner with her photo receiving a total of 193 likes.

Performances by the Masque Theatre entertained the guests who saw the winners take to the stage, including a refuge for women experiencing domestic abuse, a service providing Moses baskets to women who are struggling financially, a resource centre for recyclable goods, a film group created to promote and encourage the creation of moving image and a community centre and youth club that provides quality services to the Sikh, local and wider communities.

The University of Northampton generously sponsored the event for the third year and Professor Nick Petford, Vice Chancellor of The University of Northampton said: “I am delighted that the University is the key sponsor of these Awards and of an evening that recognises and celebrates the achievements of so many organisations and individuals. The University of Northampton’s Mission is to transform lives and inspire change - everyone nominated in these awards has exemplified this aspiration and, through their passion, commitment and dedication, made a significant positive impact on their local community”.

Judges included Liam Condron -Age UK, Hassan Shah of SP Law, Hazel Kouzaris from Always a Chance, Sandra Bell, trustee Northamptonshire Community Foundation and High Sheriff, Mrs Caroline Brocklehurst.

Here are all the winners from the night:

Best Newcomer Award sponsored by Stanair

Winner: Baby Basics – Northampton

Set up by four mums this group provides Moses baskets full of essential items for mums who find themselves’ struggling financially at this critical time.

The Edge Award sponsored by Santander Northampton

Winner: EVE Northampton

Offering safe refuge accommodation Eve provides a programme for survivors of domestic abuse.

Trailblazer Award sponsored by Bambino Mio

Winner – Phoenix Resource Centre

Established in 2009 to promote and practice re-use, recycling and waste reduction in a variety of ways this groups collects surplus, unwanted, damaged stock from industry which is redistributed to members from the centres, to partner projects, food banks and abroad as Aid.

The Brilliant Group Award Sponsored by The Wilson Foundation

Winner – The Film Lab Northampton

A Northampton-based group that works with local artists and film-makers providing support and help by building an audience and using its network of contacts to build the local film community.

Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by Gorell Barnes

Winner: Sikh Community Centre and Youth Club

This community centre and youth club is an innovative and strong forefront organisation that provides quality services to the Sikh, local and wider communities through a host of structured services to all ages and backgrounds.

The High Sheriff Initiative Award

Winner: Green Acres Rural Enterprises CIC

Based in Daventry this group helps young people develop life skills through growing and cooking their own food and work skills by learning how to run a small enterprise.

The Lady Juliet Townsend Award for Volunteering

Winner: Yvonne Orland, a volunteer at Home- Start Northampton.

Capture the Moment The Judges’ Choice Award supported by Digital SLR Photography

Winner: Barry Richardson.

Capture the Moment The People’s Choice Award supported by Digital SLR Photography

Winner: Ria Farmer.

The following people were sentenced at Northampton Magistrates’ Court:

AUGUST 19

Shay Rowlands, aged 18, of no fixed abode, failed to comply with a community protection notice; fined £25. Failed to surrender to custody; fined £25, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30 and costs of £45.

AUGUST 22

Duda Gorania, aged 51, of Sheerwater Drive, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 85mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; fined £800, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £80 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 22 months.

Matthew Brown, aged 24, of Nethermead Court, Northampton, possession of cannabis; community order to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £60 and costs of £500. Used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour; community order to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work. Failed to surrender to custody; fined £150.

Lee McFarlane, aged 19, of Forest Road, Northampton, driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £110. No insurance; fined £600, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £60 and costs of £300, licence endorsed with six points.

Victoria Marshall, aged 32, of Park Square, Northampton, dishonestly received bank card. Community order made, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £85, compensation of £24.30 and costs of £85. Committed fraud with bank card; community order made.

Damien Culverhouse, aged 22, of Fairfield Road, Northampton, assault by beating; jailed for 10 weeks, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115, compensation of £200 and costs of £200. Assault; jailed for 10 weeks consecutive.

Madaha Perrett, aged 32, of South Holme Court, Thorplands, Northampton, stole groceries worth £42.89 belonging to Tesco; jailed for three weeks consecutive suspended for 12 months. Failed to surrender to custody; jailed for one week consecutive. Stole meat worth £100 from the Co-Op; jailed for three weeks suspended for 12 months, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115, compensation of £100 and costs of £85. Failed to comply with a community order; order to continue, fined £50. Failed to comply with a community order; fined £50.

Said Ramazani, aged 40, of Argyle Street, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 57mcgs in 100mls of breath; community order to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £85 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 36 months. No insurance; no separate penalty. Driving not in accordance with a licence; no separate penalty. Drove a stolen car; community order to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

Frederick Samakin, aged 67, of Blossom Way, Little Billing, Northampton, failed to notify Northampton Borough Council of changes relating to housing benefit; community order made, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £60 and costs of £85. Similar offence relating to Pension Credit; community order made.

Sonney Hopper, aged 23, of Park Avenue South, Northampton, used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour; jailed for eight weeks suspended for 12 months; ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115 and costs of £85.

Ice Thompson, aged 20, of Gloucester Close, Northampton, used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour; jailed for eight weeks suspended for 12 months, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115 and costs of £85.

AUGUST 23

Jason York, aged 46, of Oakley Street, Northampton, possession of a class B drug; fined £90, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30, costs of £85.

AUGUST 24

John French, aged 32, of Brookside Meadows, Kings Heath, damaged a radiator; conditional discharge for 12 months, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20 and costs of £85.

Paul Arnold, aged 40, of Drywell Court, Northampton, assault; jailed for five months suspended for 24 months; ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115 and costs of £85.

Michelle Moffat, aged 40, of Raeburn Road, Northampton, stole alcohol worth £63 from Waitrose, jailed for two weeks consecutive. Failed to surrender to custody; no separate penalty. Committed an offence while on a suspeded sentence for following offences. Stole food items and a gift set worth £65.62 belonging to Asda Stores; suspended sentence of one week imposed. Stole food worth £60 from Asda; suspended sentence of one week imposed. Failed to surrender to custody; suspended sentence of one week imposed. Stole fragrances worth £184 belonging to Boots; suspended sentence of one week imposed. Stole a handbag worth £159 belonging to Debenhams; suspended sentence of one week imposed. Stole meat and alcohol worth £76.42 belonging to Waitrose; suspended sentence of one week imposed. Stole meat from Waitrose; suspended sentence of one week imposed. Stole meat from Waitrose; suspended sentence of one week imposed. Stole alcohol worth £15.49 belonging to Waitrose; suspended sentence of one week imposed.

AUGUST 24:

Michelle Moffat, aged 40, of Raeburn Road, Northampton, stole two fragrances and three Gillette razor blades belonging to Boots; jailed for two weeks consecutive, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115 and costs of £85. Attempted to steal a Braun razor worth £159.99 belonging to Boots; jailed for two weeks consecutive.

AUGUST 25:

Kamrul Ali, aged 24, of Overstone Road, Northampton, possession of cannabis; conditional discharge for three months, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20 and costs of £85.

Rebecca Abley, aged 60, of Littlewood Close, Northampton, non-payment of fine of £263.40; further time ordered to pay.

Charles Mead, aged 73, of Nether Jackson Court, Blackthorn, Northampton, non-payment of £10,286 fine; further time ordered to pay.

David Archer, aged 54, of Willis Way, Towcester, owner of a dangerously out of control dog that caused an injury to another person; ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30, compensation of £500 and costs of £50.

John Caullay, aged 49, of Highlands Avenue, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 104mgs of alcohol in 100mls of blood; fined £425, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £42 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 12 months.

Craig Lawrence, aged 43, of Rossiter House, Manor Road, Brackley, stole one bottle of Waitrose brandy worth £13.25; conditional discharge for 12 months, ordered to pay compensation of £13.25. Stole four jars of Azera Coffee and six packs of chicken breasts worth £34.90 belonging to the Co-Op; conditional discharge for 12 months, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20, compensation of £34.90 and £17.45.

Lawrence Uranie, aged 27, of Morris Road, Northampton, stole alcohol worth £29.45 belonging to BP Filling Station; fined £295, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30, compensation of £29.45 and costs of £85.

Robert Sherriff, aged 54, of Alma Street, Northampton, stole meat worth £27.99 belonging to Morrisons; fined £80, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20 and costs of £85. Failed to surrender to custody; no separate penalty.

AUGUST 26:

Matthew Boxley, aged 28, of Castle Street, Northampton, driving not in accordance with the licence; fined £220. No insurance; fined £660, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £66 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with eight points.

Margaret Jarvis, aged 75, of Churchill Road, Earls Barton, driving without due care and attention; fined £330, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £33 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Diana Kozlovska, aged 29, of Bruce Street, Northampton, driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £220, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £22 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with three points. No test certificate; fined £220.

Gabriel Pascal, aged 30, of Whiteland Road, Northampton, no insurance; fined £660, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £66 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with eight points. Driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £220.

Georgia Shingles-Madgen, aged 24, of Rugby Road, Lower Harlestone, Northampton, drove at 86mph in a 70mph zone on the M1; fined £83, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with three points.

Daniel Smith, aged 19, of Burwell Hill, Brackley, driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £83. No insurance; fined £250, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £25 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Magdalena Tamert, aged 35, of Malthouse Close, Northampton, failed to stop at an accident; fined £200. Failed to report an accident to a police officer; fined £200, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points. Driving without due care and attention; fined £200.

Ionel Tudoran, aged 37, of St Edmunds Road, Northampton, driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £67. No insurance; fined £200, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20 and costs of £85, banned from driving for six months. Faulty stop lamps; fined £67. Faulty indicator lights; fined £67. Faulty tyres; fined £133.

Callum Gordon, aged 26, of Benjamin Square, Camp Hill, Northampton, entered a building known as Everything Apple Ltd in Weedon and stole computer equipment; jailed for four weeks consecutive, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115 and costs of £85. No insurance; no separate penalty, licence endorsed with six points. Commission of a further offence while on a suspended sentence; dealt with original offences which were as follows: dishonestly received stolen goods, namely a Debenhams gift card; suspended sentence of eight weeks imposed. Dishonestly received stolen goods, namely a Honda motorbike; suspended sentence of eight weeks imposed. Stole a motorbike; suspended sentence of eight weeks imposed. Stole another motorbike; suspended sentence of six weeks imposed. Stole a bottle of perfume from Boots; suspended sentence of six weeks imposed. Stole a motor vehicle; jailed for two weeks consecutive. Overall length of sentence, 14 weeks.

Daniel Hawtin, aged 30, of Church Close, Milton Malsor, assult; conditional discharge for 12 months, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20, compensation of £50 and costs of £150.

Catalin Rohan, aged 20, of no fixed abode, damaged six sandbags belonging to Northamptonshire County Council, community order to carry out 70 hours of unpaid work. Had a bladed article in a public place without good authority; community order to carry out 70 hours of unpaid work. Failed to surrender to custody; community order to carry out 70 hours of unpaid work.

AUGUST 27

Carl Ward, aged 36, of Salisbury Street, Northampton, stole meat and alcohol worth £25.82 belonging to Aldi; jailed for two weeks consecutive. Assault; jailed for 10 weeks consecutive. Failed to surrender to custody; jailed for two weeks consecutive. Stole a quantity of clothing from Xplicit in Abington Street; jailed for 10 weeks, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115. Commission of a further offence while on a conditional discharge; no adjudication, dealt with original offence which was theft of goods worth £13.47 belonging to Co-Op; jailed for two weeks consecutive. Overall length of sentence 26 weeks.

AUGUST 29

Toni Bates, aged 34, of Abbey Road, Roade, breach of a criminal behaviour order; new order made, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30 and fined £50. Failed to surrender to custody; fined £50.

Ashley Willmott, aged 46, of Long Mallows Rise, Northampton, stole nine bottles of Persil washing liquid worth £67.41 belonging to the Co-Op; conditional discharge for 12 months, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20 and compensation of £44.94. Stole meat worth £24.10 belonging to Waitrose; conditional discharge for 12 months. Failed to surrender to custody; conditional discharge for 12 months.

The family of a missing puppy have given their heartfelt thanks to supporters after their pet was returned home.

Cocker Spaniel Poppy was taken from outside her home in East Haddon on Wednesday September 21 and her owner issued a desperate appeal for help via social media.

And last night, Poppy's owner Gilly posted on Facebook the news that she and all her family and friends had been hoping for.

"We have the most amazing news. POPPY IS HOME!!!!!!"

Gilly said that there was a police investigation underway which meant she could not give details of how Poppy was returned.

"From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to thank Northamptonshire Police and every single person who shared Poppy's page, poster, sent encouraging messages or information.

"She wouldn't be curled up in her bed next to Tumble right now if it wasn't for the amazing power of social media, decent people and some wonderful people at the police. Thank you," she added.

Her post has been liked 43,000 times since Sunday night.

Earlier last week, Gilly had issued a desperate please for information.

"I can’t describe how awful the last few days have been,” she said at the time.

“We miss Poppy desperately. There’s a huge, gaping hole in our lives at the moment. All we care about is getting Poppy home where she belongs. There is a no-questions-asked reward for Poppy’s safe return.

“Amid the despair and sadness we feel, I can’t describe how touched we’ve been by the response to Poppy being taken,” says Gilly.

“The kindness of people, many of whom are complete strangers, has been truly humbling," she added.

A Northamptonshire-based logistics company has launched a new service into Ireland in a link-up with another firm.

The Knights of Old Group has teamed up with VOREX to start the new service into what they describe as Europe's fastest growing economy.

A spokesman for The Knights of Old Group said: "In post-Brexit Britain, whilst trade deals with the UK are still being brokered around the globe, the launch of the dedicated Ireland Service is a move to support trade between the UK and Ireland its fifth biggest trading partner, and beyond into Europe.

"With Ireland recording a hugely impressive €75 billion rise in exports in 2015, from €220 billion to €295 billion, now is the perfect time to launch a service dedicated to serving and helping grow this important economy within Europe," he added.

"The Group’s 460 dedicated partners and 53,000 employees have extensive knowledge working with freight into and out of Ireland, through the UK, Europe and beyond," he said.

"The scale of the operation The Knights of Old Group and VOREX can offer its customers, combined with the highly bespoke levels of service that only individual operators can deliver, is the perfect mix that has served the Group well over many years," he added.

A 17-year-old girl has thanked an optician in Northampton who spotted a brain tumour during a regular eye check up.

Lauren Whittington, aged 17, had been experiencing migraines for several months, which neither a specialist nor her regular opticians could diagnose. It was only during a visit to the Specsavers store on Abington Street with her mum that an anomaly was picked up behind her eye.

"As part of our regular eye tests, we take a digital image of the back of the eye using our state-of-the-art Fundus cameras," said Specsavers optometrist Nicole Barber.

"I could see that there was a build up of pressure behind Lauren’s eye, which immediately rang alarm bells," she added.

Nicole referred Lauren directly to Northampton A&E for a closer inspection, where they took an ultrasound of her eyes and confirmed that something was causing the build-up but were unable to see what it was.

Lauren was then sent for an MRI scan at the Nottingham University Hospital Eye Clinic, where they delivered the news that it was most probably a brain tumour.

“I’m glad my mum was with me," Lauren said.

"We went from having our eyes tested to me being admitted to Nottingham University hospital. Being told I had a tumour growing in the back of my brain was frightening, I am just glad that it was diagnosed so quickly," she added.

Within a few days, Lauren was given an operation to remove the tumour at Nottingham Hospital, which thankfully proved successful.

After several months away from her studies, she returned to school in September to study psychology, business studies and history at A-Level.

"The last couple of months have been the scariest in my life," Lauren added.

"I am glad to be back at school so that I can work towards completing my education. I plan to take a gap year after my A-levels so that I am fully recovered from my operation before I go to university, where I hope to continue studying psychology," she said.‘We’re so relieved that Lauren’s case was treated so successfully and she is now well on the way to a full recovery,’ says

Specsavers Northampton store director, Marinos Constantinides, said: "All too often, people’s symptoms are misdiagnosed and all it takes is a simple sight test to reveal a deeper problem.

"This just highlights the vital importance of having regular eye tests with highly trained opticians and specialist equipment.

"We recommend that as a minimum, you should have your eyes checked every two years. These not only provide a prescription check, but also help us monitor general eye health to track any changes and identify problems as quickly as possible."

Mrs Leadsom visited Dovecote Farm in Upper Heyford, which is run by David Banner, on Friday. The farm sits within the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire’s (BCN) Nene Valley Living Landscape. This wildlife-rich river valley runs through Northamptonshire and is one of our four top tier Living Landscapes where the Government focus resources in a bid to make the biggest difference for nature.

The farm features two restored meadows along the banks of the River Nene that have been locally recognised for their wildlife value. Prior to entering the new scheme, Mr Banner was growing arable crops (most recently oil-seed rape) on this part of the farm. The area regularly flooded, washing soil into the river, along with pesticides and fertilisers.

Following discussions with the Wildlife Trust BCN one large field was divided into two by a new hedge. The southern section is a floodplain meadow and was seeded with a wet-meadow mix. The northern field is much drier and was seeded with a combination of wet meadow and general meadow seed mix.

The fields have been monitored for eight years and demonstrate that this method of restoration can be very successful. They are highly productive, supplying a heavy crop of hay and supporting a herd of grazing cattle or sheep in the autumn, both of which are vital for the financial viability of the farm. The meadows have now been designated as a Local Wildlife Site.

Mrs Leadsom said, “It was a great pleasure to visit Northamptonshire and see first-hand the innovative and effective ways we can help our wildlife, landscapes and farmers to work together. I want us to be the first generation to leave our natural environment in a better state than we found it and examples like Dovecote Farm show our investment is delivering real results.

“We’re working with farmers and environmental organisations to learn from their expertise and develop an ambitious plan setting out a new approach to managing our environment to bring about even more successes like this.”

Oliver Burke, director of Living Landscapes, said: “In the last 70 years 98 per cent of floodplain meadows have been lost across the country. One of the Wildlife Trusts’ Living Landscape objectives is to reverse this decline by restoring and creating floodplain wild flower meadows throughout the Nene Valley. David’s restoration work, funded by Defra, is making an invaluable contribution to turning this loss around.

“There are more than 700 LWS in Northamptonshire, mostly privately owned and we work with their owners to ensure that they are as good as they can be for local wildlife by providing advice, practical support and information," he added.

Work to improve lock gates on the Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire is being carried out this winter.

The Canal & River Trust, the charity that cares of the 2,000 miles of canals and rivers in England & Wales, is carrying out the work.

The works, which are due to start in November, include:

* replacing the lock gates at lock number 6 (near Milton Malsor) and refitting the gates at lock number 15 (near Hunsbury Hill) on the Northampton Arm of the canal

* replacing and refitting nine sets of lock gates at Stoke Bruerne

* refitting the lock gates at Cosgrove Lock at Cosgrove.

The works form part of the trust’s winter maintenance programme, through which £43million is being spent to give the nation’s waterways some TLC at a time when more people than ever are visiting their local canal or river.

Charlotte Wood, from the Canal & River Trust, said: “The waterways in Northamptonshire are a real gem, but they are more than 200 years old so needs plenty of looking after. Keeping it running requires constant maintenance, so we’re using this winter period, when there are fewer boats travelling on the canal, to get as much done as we can.”

Lock gates typically last about25 years and allow countless boats to travel up and down the canal. Each new made-to-measure lock gate weighs several tonnes, and are handcrafted from seasoned oak so that they fit perfectly in the lock chamber. Once in place the new lock gates will help the Trust conserve water and keep boats moving along the waterway.

For more information on the works planned on the nation's canals this winter, visit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/winter/#staticFiles

A man has died and another suffered serious injuries following a crash on the B645 near Hargrave.

The 51-year-old man was driving a white Citroen van towards Chelveston when he was in collision with a grey Vauxhall Insignia travelling in the opposite direction on Friday afternoon.

A police spokesman said: “Sadly the man died at the scene of the collision, which happened at about 2.20pm.

“The 41-year-old man driving the Insignia was taken to Northampton General Hospital with serious injuries.

“Officers investigating the collision would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed this incident or who may have any information regarding it.”

Anyone with information or who witnessed the incident is asked to call the Drivewatch Hotline on 0800 174615.

An under-nines football team in Northampton has launched a fund-raising campaign with Northamptonshire Health Charitable Fund.

GLK Utd Stripes, which is part of the GLK Acadamies group, is raising money for The John Greenwood Shipman Centre which helps give respite care to children with life-limiting conditions, disabilities and complex needs.

The team is trying to raise £5,000 for a new sensory room.

Coach Brian Lehane said the team was proud to be supporting the appeal.

"This will be our third season and I have worked with the boys since they were five and six years old," he said.

"This season the decision was taken to adopt a charity or local community cause and raise funds for it throughout the season.

"The children appreciate that they are fortunate to do something they love and have parents with the whereabouts to support them - it has been really nice to see a group of eight-year-olds embrace the challenge.

"In their own words, 'they want to help children who can't play football because they think everyone should be able to'," he added.

The Northamptonshire Health Charitable Fund (NHCF) gave the team a list of potential projects to support and they chose the John Greenwood Shipman Centre.

Mr Lehane added: "The NHCF logo adorns the children’s football kits to raise awareness when we play on Saturday mornings - this was funded by a local company who were happy to forgo their name on the shirts.

"We officially launched the fundraising on the John Griff show on Radio Northampton earlier this month and early donations have been pleasing. A host of fundraising activities will take place throughout the season with the boys to play a central part of the fundraising. A visit back to the centre in the coming weeks is also scheduled to bring the children new footballs and goals," he said.

I currently coach an under 9s football team in Northampton known as GLK Utd Stripes. We form part of the overall GLK Academies umbrella which currently operates ten teams playing competitively in the NDYAL (Northampton and District Youth Alliance League).

The team is part of GLK Acadamies which was founded in 2008 to deliver football coaching in primary schools and has now been extended to 23 schools in the area.

To find out more about the fund-raising appeal, visit www.justgiving.com/glk-utd

A presenter on a BBC Radio 4 science programme has been given an award by the University of Northampton

Robin Ince, co-presenter of the highly successful BBC Radio 4 popular science programme The Infinite Monkey Cage, has won the annual Crick Science Journalism award.

Strictly speaking, Robin is neither a scientist nor a journalist – he’s a comedian. However, as a writer, entertainer and commentator Robin has done as much as anyone in the UK to bring scientific issues and subjects to a wider and younger audience.

In accepting the award, Robin indicated how much he enjoys making science entertaining for audiences.

"I have had so much fun making and touring shows about science that it seems excessive that I should get something like this too. I feel very honoured to receive the award," he added.

The Crick Science Journalism award is presented annually by the University of Northampton to the writer/journalist who has presented a scientific issue effectively to a lay audience. It is named after the Nobel Laureate Francis Crick, who was born and educated in Northampton.

Previous winners are Tom Clarke, science editor of Channel 4 News and Tulip Mazumdar, global health correspondent for the BBC.

In presenting this award, the University is not only recognising Robin’s work on the Infinite Monkey Cage (winner of the 2011 Sony award for best speech programme) but also his other science-based initiatives. Notable among these is the Incomplete Map of the Cosmic Genome, an online video-based science magazine and archive, as well as his annual science-based Christmas show Nine Lessons for Godless People which features comedy and music as well as contributions from leading figures such as Richard Dawkins and psychiatrist Ben Goldacre.

Professor Nick Petford, Vice Chancellor of the University, said: “We are pleased to acknowledge Robin’s wide-ranging contribution to the popularisation of science. His ability to combine comedy and scientific commentary is unique. “

Robin will be presented with the 2016 Crick Science Journalism Award on Friday, October 14 at 2pm at a special event for science and journalism students at Newton Grand Hall, Avenue Campus. That evening he will be on the stage at the Royal and Derngate, Northampton, with his co-host physicist Brian Cox in their touring show, Brian Cox Live.

A nightclubber is being sought by police after reports he grabbed a woman by her throat and pushed her to the ground in a Northampton venue.

Northamptonshire Police is appealing for witnesses after an assault took place in NB’s, in Bridge Street, in the early hours of Thursday, September 29.

An 18-year-old woman was inside the nightclub when she was grabbed by the throat and pushed to the ground, resulting in her hitting her head and sustaining facial injuries.

The incident took place at the club between 3am and 3.15am.

A police spokeswoman said the offender was an Asian man, aged around 19, about 5ft 3ins and of "chubby build."

He had short, black hair and was wearing a black jumper.

Officers would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed this incident or who may have any information regarding it.

Witnesses or anyone with information about this incident can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

An organised crime gang of 20 men and one woman have been handed a total of 147 years and seven months in prison for their roles in trafficking lethal cocaine into the county - with an estimated street value of £4 million.

Three gangs - headed by Liam Stray of Earls Barton, Paul Bush of Rushden and Raunds man Stuart Bailey - organised the purchase of large quantities of high-purity Class A drugs.

The criminal enterprise trafficked cocaine with a purity of up to 71 per cent, into Northamptonshire and the "import strength" cocaine would then be dangerously diluted down with other chemicals for onward sale.

Detectives from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) - supported by police in Northamptonshire, Luton and Manchester - discovered regular arrangements for the purchase of cocaine from Luton and Manchester, and spent weeks observing the gang members.

A sting in January 2015 uncovered a number of safe houses across Wellingborough where drugs were stored. More than £85,000 in cash was also recovered during the investigation, as well 125 grams of heroin.

In total, 32 courier runs by the Stray and Bush group in Luton were identified. It was estimated that this have been in excess of 9.5 kilos of high-purity cocaine.

A further three drugs exchanges were identified between Bailey and a Manchester gang at Rushden Golf Club in Chelveston, with an estimated exchange of 1.5 kilos of cocaine.

The leader of the Northamptonshire arm of the operation, Stuart Bailey, 33, of Grove Street in Raunds was handed a sentence of 10 years and eight months, though in mitigation he claimed to have turned his life around since police closed the net on his operation.

Sentencing the group, judge Michael Fowler, said: "Drugs kill people. They ruin lives - not just of those who take them, but the lives of their families - ruin lives of many children. All of you know that.

"Many know, as you’ve seen through your own lives, what drugs do to people and families.

"What makes your actions particularly stupid is the penalties are so great it makes no sense to risk it for the short-term benefit you get from money. It’s plain some of you are just bad."

EMSOU Detective Constable Ian Hollyoake, the lead officer in the case, said: “This has been an extensive investigation which started in 2014 and has concluded today with lengthy sentences.

“Stray, Bush and Bailey were running extensive operations in which they were collectively bringing considerable amounts of lethal drugs to the streets of Northamptonshire.

“Drugs are big business in the criminal world but, like any illicit activity, they come at a high price.

“Whether it’s human trafficking, turf wars between rival gangs, infighting within a single crew, or violence towards their relatives and friends, there are always casualties. And that can be before a single gram of an illegal substance has been taken.

“We are all too aware of the incredible damage drug addiction can have on an individual and the wider community.

“Those sentenced today played their parts in this cycle of harm and their jailing goes some way toward reducing the damage. It also means three substantial drug routes into Northamptonshire have now been blocked.”


The criminal gang were jailed as follows:

Liam Stray, aged 37, of Blackwell Close in Earls Barton: 12 years and eight months.

Paul Bush, aged 38, of Raglan Close in Rushden: 12 years.

Ben Monaghan, aged 35, of no fixed address: 10 years.

Charles Holland, aged 32, of St Andrews Crescent in Wellingborough: 10 years.

George Russell, aged 31, of Constable Drive in Wellingborough: four years.

Daniel Coxall-Carr, aged 25, of Newton Road in Little Irchester, Wellingborough: nine years.

Jamie McKinnon Phillips, aged 36 of Abbey Road in Wellingborough: six years and four months.

Helen Moore, aged 28, Arkwright Road in Irchester: five years and four months.

Nathan Inkley, aged 24, of Arkwright Road in Irchester: two years and two months.

Will Owens, aged 24, of Wing in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire: three years and eight months

John Parker, aged 50, of Hayway in Irthlingborough: six years.

Brian Kingsnorth, aged 33, of Leighton Road in Corby: 12 years.

Nathan Rennoldson, aged 24, of Bugby Drive in Irthlingborough: four years and eight months.

Armajit Singh Sembhi, aged 73, of Hargrave in Wellingborough: Six years.

Stuart Bailey, aged 33, of Grove Street in Raunds: 10 years and eight months.

Callum Mains, aged 31 of Grove Street in Raunds: Four years and four months.

Tony Bolton, aged 42 of Rushden: Nine months, suspended for two years.

Tauyyub Ulshan, aged 31, of Royal Avenue in Bury: 10 years and eight months

Bradley Nathan Hall, aged 31 Raymond Avenue in Bury: Five years and eight months.

Michael James Campbell, aged 28, of Ivy Road in Bury: Six years.

Paul Greenwood, aged 28, of Cheshum Road South in Bury: Five years and eight months.

Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal collision on the A509 near Wollaston.

A black Mercedes driven by a 29-year-old man from Wellingborough was in collision with a white Ford Transit, driven by a 48-year-old man from Finedon, at about 5.30am on Saturday near to the junction with London Road.

A spokesman for Northants Police said: “The driver of the Mercedes sadly died at the scene.”

Witnesses, or anyone with information about the collision, is asked to contact the Northamptonshire Police Collision Investigation Unit on 101 or call the Drivewatch Hotline on 0800 174615.