Two people have been taken to hospital after crashing into a lamp post in a supermarket car park.

The incident took place in the upper car park of Morrisons in Lower Street, Kettering, at about 8am on Monday.

A police spokesman said the incident appeared to be down to driver error.

The spokesman said: “Two people, the driver and passenger of the car, were taken hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

“The fire service also attended to make the scene safe.

“The crash wasn’t a medical episode so it looks like it was down to driver error.”

A Corby garage was robbed by a man who was holding what police believe was a silver handgun.

The incident took place at about 4.30pm on Friday (November 11) at the Esso garage in Oakley Road.

The offender approached the cashier, demanding cash and cigarettes while holding what appeared to be a silver handgun.

The shop assistant handed over the items and the offender made off.

The offender was a white man wearing a black balaclava, a black jacket with a white zip and white tick on the left chest area.

He wore black gloves, dark trousers, dark trainers and rode a black mountain bike.

The shop assistant was not injured in the incident but was left very shaken by what happened.

Officers investigating the incident would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed it, or who may have seen a man matching the description of the offender in the area between 4.30pm and 4.45pm.

Witnesses or anyone with information about this incident can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Police in Essex are appealing for help to trace Gavin Hollands, who is wanted on suspicion of breaching a harassment order in April.

Hollands, 38, has links to the Kettering area, as well as Clacton and Colchester.

Anyone who knows of his whereabouts is asked to call PC Chris Coyles at Harwich police station on 101.

Half of British children will own a mobile phone by the age of ELEVEN, according to new research.

The study of 2,000 parents shows the average child will receive a phone worth £120 on their eleventh birthday, and will then spend two hours every day glued to the device.

But four in 10 parents end up regretting giving their youngster a phone at such a young age - as by their teenage years the child is transfixed by the likes of social media, texts, and computer games.

Incredibly, researchers found one in 20 children will own a mobile handset by the age of SIX as parents give in to primary school peer pressure.

Owning a mobile phone comes at a price for parents - in addition to the £120 upfront fee, mums and dads will be expected to replace the phone at least twice due to it being lost, stolen or damaged.

Dan King, Nationwide’s Head of FlexPlus Current Account, which commissioned the poll, said: “Mobile phones have become central to our lives, so it’s not surprising that more and more young people are being given a phone.

“With children as young as primary school age being entrusted with a device, parents shouldn’t be surprised if it needs replacing or repairing on more than one occasion.”

The study, which considers mobile phone ownership amongst children, reveals two thirds of parents will allow their child to have internet access on their device as soon as they get it.

And 28 per cent of kids are then allowed to use their phone all day without any supervision from an adult - despite 46 per cent have access to social media channels.

A third of parents fear their children spend far too much time on their phone - with one in eight kids spending more than four hours a day chatting to mates and playing games.

According to the data, one in 10 children will use their mobile during the school day, and 12 per cent will log in to their phone as soon as they get home from school.

Just 10 per cent of children can wait until after dinner before checking their phone.

That’s on top of the £163 parents spend on securing a new mobile phone deal or device for themselves.

Just one in six parents will limit their child’s phone usage to emergencies only - with many admitting their child uses their phone for a range of activities.

Six in 10 children use their phone to play popular computer games, while 54 per cent will watch videos on the likes of YouTube and other social media channels.

More than half of youngsters will spend much of their time surfing the internet, and 49 per cent regularly listen to music.

But many parents purchase a phone for their children because they want them contactable at all times - 55 per cent want the flexibility to stay in touch and more than a third cite safety fears as a reason for getting a handset for their children.

Unfortunately, purchasing a phone only ADDS to the worry parents have.

A fifth of parents are concerned their child’s phone has now led to them not enjoying enough quality time with the family, and 16 per cent are concerned their child is missing out on face-to-face interactions with others.

One in five mums and dads understandably worry about how much they are having to spend on phone calls, apps, music and games.

As a result, two thirds of parents control how long their child spend on their phone by limiting their credit (42 per cent), confiscating the device in the evenings (21 per cent) and introducing strict rules on phone use (16 per cent).

M&S say a national story which lists Kettering as one of their stores which could close is “pure speculation”.

Last week the retailer announced it would be shutting 30 UK outlets and converting others to food stores.

National newspapers such as the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror have today (Monday) published a list of stores which are ‘at risk of shutting’.

The list, derived from data by the Local Data Company, includes Kettering’s High Street store - but M&S say no decision has been made yet.

An M&S spokesman said: “The list that has appeared in the Daily Mail is pure speculation.

“It is not based on any M&S data and we have not published any locations.

“What we have done is outlined plans to improve our store estate over the next five years which include opening 200 new food stores and selling clothing and home from 60 fewer stores.”

Kettering councillor Michael Brown (Ind, Brambleside) has urged shoppers in the town to use the store this Christmas.

He said: “It is hugely encouraging that M&S are distancing themselves the list, particularly for the staff.

“However the uncertainty at this time will still be concerning for many.

“I urge everyone to show M&S how much their local store means to them by going and purchasing, even just one item, from their Kettering store this Christmas.”

A cyclist was knocked off his bike in Northampton by a motorist who then drove off without leaving his details, police have reported.

In a statement issued today, a spokesman for the force said: “The victim was cycling along the Gladstone Road bike path towards Northampton town centre, sometime between 1pm and 1.30pm on Thursday, November 10.

“When he crossed Kingsfield Way a car knocked him from his bike. The driver stopped to check on the cyclist but he did not give any details.

“The car was possibly a Ford or Rover and was in a champagne colour. The motorist was white, aged between 30 and 35 with a stocky build and some facial hair. He was wearing a grey/blue baseball cap, a grey/blue coat and dark blue jeans,” the spokesman added.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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A man from Daventry has been remanded in custody after being found guilty of the sexual abuse of a child.

Aaron Thornhill, aged 28 and from Roderick Way on the Headlands, was found guilty of 10 counts of sexual abuse which happened over a one year period.

He is due to be sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on Wednesday, December 7.

Police are hunting for a man who exposed himself to a woman out walking alone at Bradlaugh Fields.

The victim was walking alone in Bradlaugh Fields, at about 4.10pm on Tuesday, November 8, when the incident happened, roughly 200 metres north of the playground.

The offender was first seen when he appeared within arms-reach behind her with his private parts exposed. When the woman challenged him, he then performed a lewd act.

He is described as being white, aged 19-23 with a round “baby face”. He was 5ft 7in, pale, with shoulder-length brown hair that had tight curls. He was wearing a white shirt with a dark sleeveless top over it and pale blue jeans.

PC Tamlin Rees, who is leading the investigation, said: “We would urge people to be vigilant and to think about carrying a torch if necessary. If anyone has any information or has experienced something similar we would urge them to call us immediately.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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A huge feline predator feared to be a wild leopard that was spotted prowling near a sleepy Warwickshire village has been unmasked - as a pet cat.

Footage that appeared to show a 4ft (1.2m) long beast skulking in a field went viral after dad-of-one Philip White, 39, spotted it on October 29.

But despite having the same markings as a lynx the mysterious animal on the loose in Warwickshire was in fact a 50cm long Bengal Cat called Hiro.

His perplexed owner, who did not wish to be named, came forward after footage of her 14-month-old puss spread across the internet.

The 4kg domestic pet has a very long tail that has identical markings to an Asian leopard and regularly hunts for mice in the field where he was filmed.

Hiro’s owner said: “The moment I saw the video footage I knew it was Hiro.

“The story has gone viral, appearing in local and national newspapers and across social media and has sparked real fear among some of the people in the village.

“I can assure everyone that there is no Big Cat stalking the fields of Great Alne - at least not this time - it is just my lovely pet cat Hiro.

“There is no question whatsoever it is him - just look at him and then factor in that he plays in the field in question all the time.

“I do have to see the funny side of things, but I want the story put to bed now before it escalates further.

“I want the people of the village to know they are perfectly safe to let their pets out and I want everyone who is interested in spotting the mystery Big Cat to realise it is Hiro.

“You never know how silly some people might be if they thought there was a chance to find themselves a genuine Big Cat.

“In fact, I’ve been so worried about what people may do that I haven’t been able to let Hiro or Qurroa out.”

Bengal cats are bred to look like exotic jungle cats and are descended from Asian leopards.

The sighting baffled experts due to the angle from which the film was shot giving no sense of scale.

Big cat expert Frank Tunbridge, 70, who has investigated wild animal sightings for 30 years, said at the time: “From the size of this big cat, it looks like some kind of leopard.

“It has an enormous tail and appears to be preparing to get into a crouching position, probably to pounce on a small mammal.

“It is definitely a big cat, you can tell that from its body movement and the size of its tail.

“It could be jaguar but the colouring suggests it’s a leopard hybrid of some kind.”

Production remains on hold at Northampton’s Carslberg brewery today while a worker continues to recover in hospital following a gas leak.

At around 12.30pm om Wednesday (November 9) emergency services were called out to the factory in Bridge Street, following reports of an ammonia leak.

A worker there - a man in his forties who has not yet been named - was killed in the tragic incident, while a 51-year-old man was taken to hospital in a serious condition.

Today Carlsberg say that worker remains in a “serious but stable condition.”

A further 10 people working on-site, and a further 11 members of the emergency services, were also taken to hospital on Wednesday and subsequently released.

Today a Carlsberg spokesman confirmed that production is still on hold to allow police and fire officers to continue their investigation on the site.

“The specific location of the incident within the brewery will remain under the control of the authorities until the investigation is concluded,” the spokesman added.

Chief executive officer of Carlsberg UK, Julian Momen, said: “It’s only a matter of days since we were all affected by the tragic incident at our brewery.

“Our thoughts remain with the families of all of those impacted.

“We are continuing to offer everyone concerned the support they may require. We are now focusing on assisting the authorities with their investigation so that we can understand what happened.

“We have also put in place the necessary plans to re-start aspects of production on the site, but we will only do this at the appropriate time and in a controlled manner. We will continue to provide further updates as matters progress.”

Carlsberg says a “site recovery plan” is in place while plans are also in place to source beer from within the wider Carlsberg Group for the UK market.

A post-mortem of the worker who was killed is due to take place tomorrow (Tuesday).

Eyewitnesses also saw ambulances entering and leaving the factory with flashing sirens on Thursday, the day after the leak.

A further cordon was placed around the factory and a canal path running alongside the River Nene at around 1pm the same day, prompting fears the leak was more widespread.

But Northampton General Hospital has now confirmed that no further patients have been admitted to accident and emergency from Carslberg, since November 9.

The brewer says the site poses no health risk to anyone in the surrounding area.

A Brixworth father-of-two has signed up to compete in a six-day ultramarathon to raise money for a little girl he has never met.

Lynton Dawson will compete in what has been described as the toughest footrace on Earth, The Marathon des Sables - a six-day race through the Sahara Desert.

Through a Facebook group which pairs up volunteers, Lynton was buddied-up with four-year-old Hannalise Sanders Smith from Oregon in the USA.

The I Run 4 Michael(IR4) group provides a different motivation for runners and athletes by giving them the opportunity to provide hope and excitement for those who can’t be as active, by taking part in different events.

In 2017, the year he turns turns 40, Lynton will join 1,000 other runners in southern Moroccan desert to race across the Sahara, the equivalent to running six marathons in six days in temperatures touching 50 C.

Lynton, whose daughter Bella is the same age as his IR4 buddy, said of the challenge: “It provides me with an opportunity to raise some money and awareness for the familiesforHOPE charity - a non-profit organisation for families and children diagnosed with holoprosencephaly (HPE) and related brain malformations.

“Only 3% of all babies with HPE survive to birth and the vast majority of these infants do not survive past the first six months of life.”

“One of the goals I have set is to present my finishers medal to a young girl who I am in contact with who suffers with this condition.

“She will turn four in 2017, as she continues to defy odds with her enthusiasm for life and courageous approach to living it to the fullest.”

He added: “ My wife Melany thinks that I am totally mad for taking on the challenge.”

Lynton, who trains fitness instructors is hoping to raise £10,000 for familiesforHOPE with a raffle and through his Just Giving page.

Support Lynton at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/lynton-dawson or anyone would like to offer any prizes please email him at lynton.dawson@premierglobal.co.uk

A quartet of students from a Northampton school have been awarded prizes to honour the memory of the town’s most prestigious scienctist.

Awarded in the name of the Nobel Prize winning co-discoverer of the DNA molecule The Sir Francis Crick Memorial Prize has been given to four students from Thomas Becket School.

The Northamptonshire Natural History Society initiated the annual young person’s award for scientific interest in microscopy, honouring the memory of the Nobel laureate.

Year 7 students Ryan Jones, Kessiwah Salipu, Jamie Stones, and Weronika Arnista entered the society’s competition each winning a certificate and a microscope.

The society, founded in 1876, has a long association with the Cricks.

A celebration event was held at Northampton’s Guildhall to mark the official launch of the new Northamptonshire Emergency Services Cadets (NESC) scheme.

The NESC programme, which merges the existing police and fire cadet units, is believed to be the first scheme of its kind in the country to set up as an independent charity.

VIPs and invited guests from local councils and organisations including Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service and the East Midlands Ambulance Service attended the launch, held in the Grand Hall.

NESC is aimed at 13 to 18-year-olds, to give young people the opportunity to learn new skills and take an active role in supporting the work of police, fire and ambulance staff.

More than 200 young people, within eight units across the county, are now members of NESC learning skills as diverse as First Aid and basic firefighting techniques.

The programme offers the opportunity to follow an action-packed curriculum which has, at its heart, the key skills used by emergency services.

Becoming a cadet involves a variety of activities, including taking on roles as part of disaster training operations with the emergency services, attending community events such as fun days, road safety events, the balloon festival, Silverstone Circuit events and open days.

The cadets also take part in Remembrance Day parades, assist at local rugby and football matches, attending organised trips, aiding in test purchase operations with the police.

NESC Chief Executive Ann-Marie Lawson said: “We are thrilled to have finally launched the NESC programme, which is already proving a popular choice for the young people of Northamptonshire. Young people who join the scheme are usually impressed with how action-packed the programme of activities is. It’s great for all those who are interested in an career in the emergency services and for those who want to build their confidence and CV, and to make new friends.”

A new service to provide a hot meal and a friendly face has been launched in the eastern district of Northampton.

Being run by Age UK Northamptonshire the new scheme, Meals with Care, will operate seven-days-a-week, 365 days-a-year and is being offered to vulnerable older people who live within the NN3 area.

The service aims to help prevent loneliness and isolation and involves reheating a pre-prepared meal and offering befriending during mealtimes to ensure that the client is well, to offer emotional support and friendship.

Age UK Northamptonshire is now appealing for more volunteers so the charity can offer even more friendly faces and hot meals.

Volunteers are required to reheat and serve pre-delivered frozen meals, offer nutritional support and advice, and spend time just having a chat, giving people the opportunity to share any anxieties or concerns and increase social interaction.

The volunteers can also signpost to other support services, however, Meals with Care is unable to provide any personal care or toileting service.

For information call the Service Advice Team on 08456 772 220 lines open from 9am-noon Monday to Friday or contact Meals with Care Co-ordinator Juliet Barnes 01604 611200

juliet.barnes@ageuknorthants.org.uk

A woman was taken to hospital after being hit by a car in Corby.

Emergency services were called to the incident in Elizabeth Street, Corby, at about 5.50pm on Saturday (November 12).

A spokesman for Northants Police said: “A woman was hit by a car.

“She was taken to hospital, but she had minor cuts and bruises.

“The driver was arrested and has been released on bail pending further enquiries.”

Any witnesses or anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police on 101.

A couple marked their 60 wedding anniversary with their family, friends, and the Mayor of Daventry.

Gillian and David Castle (pictured right), from Harpole, celebrated their diamond anniversary on Thursday November 10.

They marked the milestone with a family party (pictured top) at the Wheatsheaf Care Home in Daventry.

Mrs Castle was born in Harpole in August 1938, while Mr Castle was born in Ealing, West London in December 1933. The couple met purely by chance when David stayed on a farm in Harpole, prior to being called up for national service. He served two years in the Royal Artillery, being demobbed in September 1954.

They kept in touch by letter during his National Service, and in 1956 they married in Northampton. For two years they lived in Middlesex, but then moved to Harpole with their son Grahame.

Mrs Castle worked from home making curtains and soft furnishings and was also an accomplished dressmaker. Mr Castle worked in a number of small engineering companies before joining Herbet Ingersoll until closure, and then Cummins at Daventry from where he retired after 23 years service in December 1996.

They have two children, Grahame and Janet, four grandchildren – Adam, Ashley, Beth and Ross, and two great grandchildren Harry and Daisy.

The couple have a passion for dogs, gardening and looking after their grand and great grandchildren. David played cricket for Harpole for nearly 20 years.

The also travelled extensively throughout the UK. On David’s retirement they travelled to many overseas countries including America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

In February 2011 Gillian was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and went into a care home in April 2013.

A homeless man who tried to set fire to his room at a Northampton night shelter was handed a four-and-a-half year prison sentence after a judge found he had 59 previous convictions since arriving in the UK.

Said Ahmed was staying at the Hope Centre in Campbell Street on March 16 this year when he started a fire in his bedroom using a lighter.

When shelter staff heard the fire alarm sound, they tried to get into the 45-year-old’s room, but he would not let them in, telling them he intended to take his own life.

The building had to be immediately evacuated while firefighters came to break Ahmed’s door down.

At Northampton Crown Court yesterday Judge Adrienne Lucking QC sentenced Ahmed to four-and-a-half years in prison for arson likely to endanger life.

“The actual risk to life depended on whether the glass (window) to your room failed,” said the judge.

“The risk was relatively low, practically speaking,.

“But the reality is you took a risk with other people’s lives.

“It is impossible to say as fire is a very difficult creature to control once it is let loose.”

The court heard how Somalian national Ahmed had racked up 59 offences since entering the UK in 2005, most of which were described as “low level” and many of which involved him not complying with probation officers.

“You are not co-operating with and have not intended to co-operated with the probation service,” the judge added.

“It is clear that you had no wish to do so.

“You simply want to be sentenced.”

However judge Lucking said Ahmed was known to suffer from post-traumatic stress following an experience he had in Somalia before coming to the UK.

He will serve at least half of the sentence in prison and the remainder on licence.

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A Northampton songwriter, who was signed to a publishing label when she was 15 years old, has co-written this year’s Children in Need single alongside Craig David.

Rachel Furner, now 24, of Gayton, shot to success this year with the hit ‘Secret Love Song,’ which was released by former X-Factor winners, Little Mix. She has now been told that the song she has helped to write with the R&B star, Craig David, is set to raise thousands of pounds for the BBC’s annual appeal.

Miss Furner told the Chronicle & Echo that David was “super spiritual and amazing” and the pair wanted to make listeners aware that they “should love for now” on the track titled, ‘All We Needed’.

The songwriter said: “Craig and I have worked together for years before his big comeback, it’s been really organic, he is an amazing songwriter. Craig sings ‘All We Needed’ incredibly well - it fits with what Children in Need were looking for.

“Helping a charity such as Children in Need to give back in that way is amazing. Craig’s help will hopefully get as much money as possible.”

The former Northampton School for Girls pupil, who has always loved music, playing the piano and writing, wrote both songs in 30 minutes.

She adds: “Both of these songs, including the Little Mix song just happened. I wrote them in 30 minutes, there was no stress behind them, they just happened.

“Secret Love Song meant a lot to me. I was in a relationship and wrote the song about why couldn’t I be with this person. Three years later, Little Mix was singing it.”

Former Northampton Saints star Ben Cohen was on hand yesterday to officially open a school sports initiative in Kettering.

The 2003 Rugby World Cup winner met children at the launch of The Pacesetter Games at Arena Sports in Thurston Drive on Monday.

The initiative, run by Pacesetter Sports and sponsored by The Wilson Foundation, sees primary school children from across the county take part in free sports competitions.

Cohen, 38, took time from his work during anti-bullying week to speak to children at the games.

He said: “It’s important to keep kids active, especially in the days of iPods and TVs.

“It’s a lot different to when I was younger and I didn’t have anything like they have today.

“Children need to be introduced to sport and hopefully my visit can inspire them.

“This is a great opportunity for them. It’s nice to give something back to the community.”

The initiative will see about 2,000 children across 50 schools take part in a wide variety of sports including: football, dodgeball, orienteering, gymnastics, handball, benchball, duathlon, multi-skills, athletics, cricket, tag rugby and cross-country.

Events are scheduled every Monday and Friday morning between now and June 2017, with a three-week break for Christmas, before the grand finals in July.

Pacesetter Sports’ managing director Nick Bellamy said Cohen’s visit would act as an inspiration to the children.

He said: “It’s amazing to have somebody who has been there and done it here with us today in Ben.

“For a lot of these children to have somebody they can look up to is the inspiration they need.

“We want children to get active and enjoy sport from a young age.

“These competitions will hopefully provide them with opportunities that they might not get elsewhere.”

Yesterday’s event saw school children from Little Harrowden, Kettering, Gretton, Wellingborough and Maidwell play football against each other.

For many schools, they would be unable to take part without funding from The Wilson Foundation, which helps provide transport to the games.

Foundation trustee Polly Wilson said: “I think there’s 60 children here today and it’s great to give them this opportunity.

“There are some schools who could not take part without transport.

“If we can get them taking part at the games it’s giving them an extra chance.

“It’s lovely to see so many of them enjoying sport.”

Schools who are not part of the Pacesetter Sports programme can get five free entries into the initiative, with places still available.

If your school would like to take part or to find out more about the games, contact 01604 686367 or email.

Disabled drivers are being warned over “spate” of blue badge thefts in Northampton after thieves broke into a car belonging to an 82-year-old.

Five disabled badges have been stolen from cars parked in the county during the last week, a source from Northamptonshire County Council has confirmed.

One incident took place between 8.30pm and 10pm, on Thursday, November 10 where the front driver’s side window of a grey and navy Toyota Auris was smashed and the disabled parking badge was taken.

The badge, which belonged to 82-year-old woman was stolen from Albion Place Car Park, the Chronicle & Echo reported last week.

The source, who wants to remain anonymous, told the Chron that there was a spate of blue badge thefts around Northampton.

They said: “Unfortunately, these badges are worth money on the black market and blue badge crime is on the up. Not saying that is the case in Northamptonshire, however, as these badges are used all over the country. “Another reason may possibly be that people are facing hardship and will look at savings any way they can so they use these badge for free parking. These are my gut feelings as to why the thefts are happening. What other motives can there be?”

The source has advised blue badge holders to “make sure they’re not on display when they are not being used, as the crimes seem to take place overnight”.

Police are appealing for any information and can be contacted on 101.