Firefighters cut a man from his car after a single vehicle collision on the M1 near Milton Keynes.
Three crews from Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service attended the incident around 7.35pm on Monday night.
The car was found between junction 14 and 13 - no other vehicles were involved.
An officer accompanied the fire crews.
Bucks and MK Fire @Bucksfire tweeted this morning: “Picture from this evening’s collision on M1 near #MiltonKeynes taken after casualty had been released.”
Three armed men entered a house in Northampton while the occupants were in. They then searched one of the rooms and left, empty-handed.
The burglary happened just after midnight on Monday, 21 November in Goldcrest Court.
Police described the all the burglars as carrying weapons, including a screwdriver and possibly hatchets or knives.
They are all described as black. One of them wore a balaclava.
Another was about 5ft 10in with braided hair, facial stubble and wore a thick, grey scarf around his neck and a black jacket. He held a screwdriver and was first through the door.
The third offender was about 6ft with a skinny build.
Witnesses or anyone with information about the stolen property are asked to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
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Four men who pretended to be police officers as they conned more than £100,000 out of elderly and vulnerable victims have been jailed.
The four men, all from London, were Malik Amer, Shah Ahmed, Rahim Ali and Ruhel Miah.
A total of 60 offences were recorded in Northamptonshire, Humberside, Staffordshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Bedfordshire Norfolk, Kent, Essex, Sussex, Hertfordshire and the Thames Valley and London areas.
In Northamptonshire, three offences were identified although the victims did not part with any money.
All three calls were made on March 2, 2015, in Northampton, Bugbrooke and Towcester, but no money was handed over.
The investigation started after a number of fraud cases involving people pretending to be police officers were reported to police in the Yorkshire and Humber region.
The men would phone unsuspecting victims, pretending to be a police officer claiming to be investigating fraudulent transactions or activities within the victim’s bank account.
The bogus police officer would then try to convince his victim that he needed their money to be able to investigate the fraud.
From this point the victim was informed they needed to go to the bank and withdraw a large amount of money (usually between £5,000 and £20,000).
The bogus officer would then send someone around who would also pretend to be a police officer or someone working for the police to the victim’s house to collect the money.
An alternative method the group used to collect their ill-gotten gains was to get the victim to directly transfer the cash (again somewhere between £5,000 to £20,000) to another ‘safe’ bank account.
As officers began to investigate the cases it was quickly established that the offenders were committing similar offences across the country.
Many of the recorded crimes did not succeed - but they still managed to con 10 victims out of a total of £118,000.
The largest single amount defrauded was £37,000.
The four men admitted conspiracy to commit fraud after a 15-month investigation by the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit.
Amer, 24 of Monthorpe Road, and Ahmed, 22, of Toynbee Street, were each sentenced to four years and seven months in prison.
Ali, 22, of Vernon Road was given three-and-a-half years and Miah, 19, of Chilton Street, was given four years and 11 months.
A further man from London admitted one offence of fraud and will be sentenced at a later date.
Another major retailer is to disappear from UK high streets, as struggling office stationery brand Staples has been offloaded by its American owner.
The UK arm of US firm Staples – which employs around 1,100 staff across 106 stores in Britain including Northampton, Banbury, Milton Keynes, Aylesbury and Luton – has been bought by restructuring specialist Hilco, which also owns HMV, for a “nominal sum”.
Hilco said it would now phase out the Staples brand in the UK over the coming months. Plans for the store estate and the impact on staff were not disclosed.
Staples’ European operations are also under threat. Officials in the US put the European business under review in May, and the outcome of this review has not yet been concluded.
According to its most recent accounts, Staples’ UK retail operations reported pre-tax losses of £5m for the year to the end of January 2015, and this followed losses of £7.1m a year earlier. The firm has debts of £60m.
Kettering IT consultant Karthik Nagesan won the hearts of many during his seven-week stint on The Apprentice.
His charm offensive, tendency to talk a bit too much and that monobrow made him stand out head and shoulders above the other candidates.
The 34-year-old was fired by Lord Sugar after one of the worst results the show has ever seen, selling just £188 compared to his rival’s £40,000 plus.
But Karthik says he didn’t play the game, and if he did he might have survived.
He said: “Each task is about two to three days long and there’s a lot of filming, there are some really hard days.
“They cram that into a one-hour show and 20 minutes of that is in the boardroom, so there are decisions people take that don’t get shown.
“If I had gone all out TV and played the game and distanced myself from some people I think I could have stayed.
“I didn’t get any help in the boardroom when Lord Sugar asked if I was a good project manager.
“One day you’re a hero, one day you’re a villain.
“It wasn’t the worst team performance, just the worst result.
“There were only two high-ticket sales in it but it wasn’t a car crash, it was a s***storm!”
Karthik was given the boot along with Samuel – who he is good friends with – leaving nine candidates remaining.
He doesn’t know who thinks will win, but thinks it could be a surprise package.
He said: “I think 25 years ago someone like me could have won and Lord Sugar could have worked with me.
“But now he’s a bit older he will go for a producer because he can do the selling.
“He wants someone who will listen to him so it could be someone who’s a bit shy who might not be the best in business.”
Is Lord Sugar as fierce as he comes across on TV? Not according to Karthik.
He said: “I think Lord Sugar is very sweet old man and I can imagine him in his pyjamas at Christmas.
“When the cameras are on he too is under pressure.
“I do not think he is that bad but he does not show us that side of him on TV.”
Despite his bid to become Lord Sugar’s business partner coming to an abrupt end, Karthik says the experience has seen a number of people offer him roles in their business.
He said: “The whole experience was absolutely amazing, the house is lovely and the food is brilliant.
“Everyone is pretty normal and gets on, people are completely different in the tasks.
“Quite a few people have come up to me and told me I should have won, and not because they found me funny but because what I was saying made sense.
“People are asking me to be their business parter.”
When the show reaches its final stages, candidates must present their business idea to Lord Sugar.
Karthik, who is originally from India, says his idea was ‘Skype for doctors’, and it’s something he’s still pressing ahead with even without the tycoon’s investment.
He said: “My business idea was basically a version of Skype for doctors.
“Everyone will require medical advice at some point in their life and the world is changing so much now that there are many people here who speak different languages.
“My idea was that there will be a website or app so that if you’re say, Hungarian, and want to speak to a Hungarian in your mother tongue, you can do so very easily.
“I still plan on starting this with one language and one country and then go from there.
“It’s not live yet but the website will be elifeguru.com.”
Karthik settled in Kettering at the age of 23 with his then-fiancee, after travelling around the world.
He soon got into business and has offered advice to any budding young entrepreneurs out there looking to make their mark.
He said: “If you want to go on The Apprentice do so, but treat it as a fun adventure.
“Do not treat what you see on TV as how businesses are run, because on TV if you fail you are fired.
“But in real life nine out of 10 ideas fail and my motto is to fail fast.
“When you get to the 11th idea it could be the money maker.”
Police are appealing for witnesses after a man in his 20s approached a group of three schoolgirls in suspicious circumstances this morning (Tuesday).
Shortly before 8.30am, the man approached three girls in Kettering Road, Rothwell.
The girls became concerned and ran off.
A police spokesman said: “We are trying to establish the facts of exactly what happened this morning and what caused the girls to become afraid.
“We know that this was a busy time on a busy road and it is likely that other people may have seen something, and we would urge them to contact us.
“The man in question is described as being around 5ft 7ins tall with short, dark brown hair.
“He was wearing a blue Adidas jacket, jeans and a dark coloured rucksack.
“The same man may have been at the bus stop outside Tesco in the town centre.
“We don’t want to alarm anyone and the children involved were not harmed in any way.”
Anyone with information can contact Northamptonshire Police on 101 or they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
A major high street shoe retailer has opened its doors in Northampton town centre just in time for Christmas.
Office opened on the ground floor of the Grosvenor Centre last week, selling both its own label and branded footwear.
The Chron revealed in August that Office would be moving to town.
Office, which describes itself as a “leading-edge fashion footwear specialist”, has moved into the unit opposite Primark which was previously occupied by gadget store Menkind.
Menkind has moved to the unit next door.
Officer has taken up the 3,000 square ft unit on a 10-year-lease.
Bosses at the Grosvenor Centre said they were delighted that Office was moving into the centre and said they were confident the store will provide a modern and vibrant addition.
The closure of Monsoon in July also created some additional retail space which has now been filled by jewellery chain Warren James.
Warren James was previously located on the top floor of the Grosvenor Centre but has now moved to a more prime position on the ground floor, next to Superdrug and opposite H Samuel.
A Northamptonshire over fifties club has raised almost a thousand pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support in just two hours.
The Kislingbury over fifties group (KOFS) played host to a coffee fundraising morning where they organised a bring and buy stall, as well as a cake sale and raffle, which in two hours raised £900 for the Macmillan fund.
On Thursday, November 17 the regional fundraising manager for Northamptonshire Macmillan Cancer Support, visited the KOFS to receive a presentation cheque from the chairman, Eddie Harley.
The group, which was founded in 2004, welcomes over 50 members through the doors every week and holds weekly coffee mornings for the local village community to meet and catch up with the local news.
The Northamptonshire group has raised funds for Macmillan Cancer Support every September for the past twelve years.
Brewing operations could restart at Carlsberg in Northampton tomorrow, the firm says, as investigations into the fatal accident continue.
The plant shut down beer production following the incident at the St Peter’s Way site on November 9, when a leak of ammonia lead to around 28 people needing treatment, and led to the death of David Chandler, aged 45 and from Shropshire.
Julian Momen, chief executive of Carlsberg UK, said: “Many people, outside and inside our business, have been profoundly affected by the recent incident at our brewery and we will continue to support them as best we can over the coming weeks and months. Our thoughts in particular remain with the family and friends of those directly impacted.
“We continue to help our colleagues and our top priority remains the importance of safety for all our staff, across all our sites.
“The investigation into what happened is being led by the authorities and has our full cooperation.
“The initial on-site enquiry work has now been concluded, meaning we have been able to make good progress against our site recovery plan, and our production teams have been able to return back on site.
“Subsequently, we have been packaging beer on site since the weekend and we anticipate that some brewing will re-commence tomorrow.
“During this period, when we will not be at our optimum production levels, we will continue to source some beer from other Carlsberg breweries for the UK market.
“This has been a very difficult time for everyone concerned, and I speak on behalf of everyone working at Carlsberg UK, when I say that we truly appreciate all of the support we have received from the industry, our customers and the local community.”
Carlsberg has released the following summary and update to the incident and investigation.
Incident overview
– On 9 November at 12.31pm, there was a serious safety incident within our brewery on Bridge Street, Northampton, concerning an ammonia gas release.
– We are deeply saddened to confirm that there was one fatality as a result of the incident. Police have confirmed the deceased as David Chandler, who was aged 45, from Bridgnorth in Shropshire. David was engaged on site as a contractor at the time of the tragic incident. A post mortem examination was carried out at Leicester Royal Infirmary and the cause of death was given as inhalation of ammonia. The thoughts of everyone at Carlsberg UK are with David’s family, friends, employer and colleagues at this very difficult time.
– The police have also confirmed that one individual who was in critical condition is improving and remains in hospital.
– A further 10 individuals working on site, and a further 11 members of the emergency services, were also taken to hospital and subsequently released.
Production status
– The wider investigation of the incident by the authorities remains ongoing, and they have our full support and cooperation.
– The initial on-site enquiry work has been concluded and our production teams have been able to return back on site. As such, we have made good progress with the implementation of our phased and controlled site recovery plan. The packaging of beer on site resumed over the weekend and we anticipate that some brewing will re-commence tomorrow. Although we are not yet at our optimum level, we are progressing in line with our recovery plan.
– During this period, when we will not be at our optimum production levels, we will continue to source some beer from other Carlsberg breweries for UK market.
An elderly woman had her purse stolen from her bag when she was walking in Semilong.
The incident happened in Arnold Road at about 11.20am yesterday (Monday) when the 78-year-old victim felt somebody tug at her handbag.
She later discovered her purse was missing, containing two debit cards, loyalty cards, cash and a gift voucher.
A man was seen running past her and he is described as wearing dark trousers and a green coat with a fur trim on the hood. He wore the hood up.
Officers would like to speak to anyone who noticed anybody in the area at the time who matched this description
Witnesses or anyone with information about the stolen property are asked to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.
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A distinctive red and white racing bike stolen was from a busy road in Northampton.
The Bianchi Via Nirone Coast to Coast racing bike was stolen from outside a business on Wellingborough Road, Northampton, close to the park.
The theft happened sometime between 7pm and 7.30pm on Saturday, November 12.
A man was seen to take the bike and ride off down Ardington Road.
Anyone with information can contact Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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A car salesman who was jailed for lying about the cars he sold has been ordered to repay £35,000.
Spencer Hannon, 40, and from Rushden, was convicted in September 2015 of defrauding 24 customers by giving them false information about the tax and MOT status, warranties, sale prices and history of vehicles they bought from his businesses in Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire.
Hannon has now been ordered to pay £35,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act, including more than £28,000 in compensation, following a hearing at Northampton Crown Court.
A Northamptonshire County Council Trading Standards investigation found Hannon had failed to disclose that vehicles he sold had been insurance write-offs, promised to tax and MOT cars but instead pocketed the money, and failed to honour warranties when customers reported faults with vehicles they bought from him.
Hannon was also said to have been aggressive towards customers who complained about poor quality cars he had sold them.
He has been given three months to pay, or he is liable to serve nine months in prison for non-payment.
Cllr André Gonzalez de Savage, Northamptonshire County Council cabinet member for public protection, strategic infrastructure and economic growth, said: “Spencer Hannon’s dishonest business practices have earned him not only a three-year prison sentence but also a court order to repay £35,000 of his ill-gotten gains. This really does prove that crime doesn’t pay.
“Trading Standards will not hesitate to take action against anyone found to be engaged in unfair trading.
“If you have concerns about suspicious business trading, you can report it by phoning the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 04 05 06 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
Four friends were killed instantly on the way home from a vegan festival after their car swerved into the wrong side of the road in a horrific crash with a car carrying a family of three, an inquest heard today.
Driver Samuel 'Krop' Jones and friends Sam Kay, - who had worked in Northampton - and Nicoletta Tocco and Brogan Warren - who were both from Northampton - all died in the collision along the notorious A420 in Oxfordshire while travelling home from VegFest in Bristol.
The group of friends - all aged in their twenties - were travelling in a black Citroen Saxo, which crashed head-on into a black Mercedes just before midnight on Sunday, May 22.
Twenty-three-year-old drive Samuel, a welder, crossed over into the wrong side of the road into the opposite lane of traffic towards the Mercedes being driven by Jean-Paul Gashema.
Mr Gashema tried to swerve out of the way in a bid to avoid a crash. However, when Mr Jones tried to do the same they collided in the central reservation resulting in the quadruple fatal crash.
Mental health care worker Sam, aged 24, Nicoletta, an administrative clerk, aged 25 , were cut free from the wreckage by paramedics but were pronounced dead at the scene.
Samuel and Brogan were also pronounced dead shortly after the crash at around 11.17pm after suffering multiple injuries, with evidence leading investigators to believe Miss Warren was not wearing a seatbelt. However, a collision investigator claimed her fate would have remained the same even if she had been wearing one.
Mr Gashema, his wife and their three-year-old son were also injured in the crash, which left Mr Jones's Saxo on its roof.
In a statement read during the inquest in Oxford, Mr Gashema said: "The journey went well until after the McDonald's roundabout and three or four minutes later the accident happened.
"The road is straight but slightly uphill and there is a slight dip in the road, where it used to flood all the time. Ahead I saw another car on my side of the road and I saw the lights. They seemed to be bouncing around.
"The other car was on my side and coming straight at us.
"I had time to think to myself what are they doing, are they foreign and on the wrong side.
"I kept hoping it would go onto its correct side and in the end I had to do something and slowed down. The only option was for me to go to the right to avoid it.
"I moved towards the lane on the right and suddenly the other driver must have realised what he was doing and we met in the middle of the road.
"The other car went in the air and upside down and I gripped the steering wheel to control the car.
"Even if they had had time, they would never have been able to control that car. There was absolutely no-one else about and there was no movement from the other car."
Mobile phones were recovered by police at the scene but were so damaged it was made impossible to analyse them.
A collision forensic investigator said he believed Brogan was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of impact and had no reason to suggest the Saxo had been travelling in excess of the 60mph speed limit.
Police Constable James Henderson said: "The vehicle had sustained catastrophic damage and the most significant damage was to the front offside corner.
"I examined each of the four seat belts. The rear offside seatbelt was in a stored position and I couldn't find any webbing. I don't believe this seatbelt was being worn at the time of the collision.
"I don't believe wearing the seatbelt would have made any difference in this case."
Recording a conclusion of road traffic collision, Senior Coroner for Oxfordshire Darren Salter said it is impossible to know the reason behind the cause of the crash.
He said: "Pc Henderson refers to a couple of potential causes which are driver fatigue and driver distraction.
"It seems likely, having discounted other causes, that these are the most likely potential causes.
"Alcohol was below the legal limits and is not something that contributed to the accident."
Mr Salter, having also heard that THC, the active chemical in cannabis, was not present and dismissed suggestions cannabis could have affected Mr Jones' driving leading up to the crash.
He added: "I couldn't say that alcohol or cannabis caused or contributed to this collision because the evidence isn't there for it. That leads us back to fatigue, perhaps nodding off at the wheel, or some kind of distraction inside or outside the vehicle."
A Northamptonshire artist, who has seven sculptures used as gaming PokeStops, is set to remove his work to be renovated
Mick Henson of Wollaston says that since the launch of the Halloween edition of Pokemon GO, it has sparked new interest in both the game and spectators visiting his Northamptonshire artwork.
Artist, Mr Henson said that this year his work has attracted much more interest than previous years due to the location-based gaming craze with seven of his sculptures - including those in Billing Aquadrome - being used for Pokemon stops, which are cartoon digital overlays produced on camera phone displays of gamers.
He said: “With the craze slowing down, I assumed it would be okay to remove them for a new coat of paint ready to install in their new locations for next year. A couple of sculptures have already been removed due to on going works at the parks.
“I’m overjoyed to see that a worldwide computer game can introduce the general public to the wonderful places and couture of Northamptonshire.”
Mr Henson’s sculptures are exhibited around the county and can be found at Billing Aquadrome, Wicksteed Park and the Castle Theatre in Wellingborough.
He adds: “I’ve always exhibited my work in amusement parks and public places enabling young families to see art in a fun and relaxed environment.
“For children, it’s a good way to be introduced to art. It’s also an easily available resource for school projects.”
An inspirational Northampton woman, who has lost nearly 18 stone in two years, is now the life and soul of the party.
Tracey Topping, 46, of Thorplands joined the Weston Favell Slimming World group on November 1, 2014, and has since lost 17st 7lbs.
Back in 2014, Mrs Topping weighed in at 29st 6lb and told the Chronicle & Echo that she was struggling to walk and wanted to be around to see her grandchildren grow up.
She said: “At first I didn’t have a target weight, I thought I’d really struggle through and there would be no way that I’d ever get to being 13 st. I still didn’t set a target, but now I’m 11st 13lb.
“My life has changed loads, I am so much happier. I used to be miserable and moany. If I went out, I sat in the corner. Now, if I am invited to a party I am singing on karaoke and dancing.”
Mrs Topping has been unemployed until July this year when she managed to successfully land a job at a nearby supermarket.
This week, the inspirational dieter is due to start training to become a Slimming World consultant and is set to play host to her very own group in Cogenhoe next January.
She added: “I’ve found Slimming World easy. The food is simple and the recipes are so good, it’s quick and easy food.”
Weston Favell, group consultant, Alicia Myall told the Chronicle & Echo that Slimming World has seen countless weight losses, but there have been few and far between like Tracey’s.
She said: “The Slimming World team at Weston Favell have helped Tracey by supporting, encouraging and inspiring her.
“Apart from one man I’ve heard of, who lost 26 stone, it’s rare to have somebody to lose like this - men tend to lose weight a lot faster.”
Northampton students donate 147 boxes filled with gifts to send to less fortunate children around the world.
Students at the Northampton Academy have been busy taking part in Operation Christmas Child, a scheme, which is coordinated by international relief charity, Samaritan’s Purse.
The shoebox donation scheme was organised by pupils from the Student Leadership Team across the academy, who got together to donate 147 shoe boxes filled with toys, books, and toiletries.
Naomi Francis, Head of Year 13, said: “Operation Christmas child has been a fantastic success. We have thoroughly enjoyed the experience which has shown how generous students and staff at our school are. We have all come together to help make Christmas more special for others.
“The commitment from the students has been overwhelming and the student leadership team have spent a lot of their own time wrapping and packing boxes. It really shows that Christmas is a time for giving.”
As well as this, Northampton Academy students have also raised more than £230 to cover the postage.
The Christmas shoe boxes shall be sent across the globe and received by less fortunate children of all ages.
Hollie English, Deputy Head Girl, said: “Students across the academy relished the opportunity to take part in this project,” “I’m so proud of the school coming together to help those that are less fortunate. It has been such a humbling experience and I have enjoyed leading the team on this initiative.”
Head Boy, Matthew Bates added that he was “overwhelmed with the amount of boxes collected and proud to do our bit for the wider community.”
The first images of how one of the High Street shops heading to Rushden Lakes will look have been submitted to planners.
River Island has applied for permission to have its branding above the doors of its new store at the multi-million pound development, which is due to open next year.
The High Street name wants to put up three illuminated signs at its unit at the former Skew Bridge site just off the A45 at Rushden.
The image above shows how the illuminated signs will look on the front of the shop if approved by councillors.
The second image reveals where the store is located within the major retail and leisure scheme, which will also be home to big names including Marks & Spencer, Primark, H&M, House of Fraser and New Look.
Once finished, the 244-acre site will also have names including Joules, L’Occitane, Jigsaw, Phase Eight, Clarks, Tiger and Costa Coffee as well as numerous restaurants.
River Island will be one of several units in the site’s Northwalk, which leads up to the lakeside visitors centre and boathouse.
East Northants Council will consider the application by River Island for consent to display its advertising.
For more information about the Rushden Lakes scheme, click here
The owner of a Desborough hotel has told viewers to expect fireworks after they announced they would be taking part in a C4 TV show.
The R Inn hotel in Station Road will feature in Four in a Bed, where four hoteliers compete to be the best establishment of the group.
The show airs on Monday, November 28, with the Desborough hotel acting as guests on Thursday before then hosting ‘payment day’ on the Friday.
Owner Kris Malde, who is taking part with events manager Vikki Cheatham, says they don’t get on with one of their fellow competitors.
He said: “We left quite negative reviews on one of the hotels and that sort of hangs over us all week, there’s plenty of fireworks.
“Channel 4 approached us and came down to do some auditions, which they use on the out-takes for the show, and then we had a formal interview.
“When they were here we had a big Asian wedding so the place looked brilliant.
“I’m doing the show with Vikki and we get to host the final day as well so Desborough gets two bites of the cherry.”
In the show, owners take turns to stay at each other’s hotel before paying what they consider is a fair price. The winner is the hotel rated as the best value for money.
The R Inn last made national headlines when it was forced to change its name from The Ritz after legal action by its more famous London namesake.
Mr Malde said: “It’s putting Desborough on the map again which can only be a good thing.
“A lot of people have given up on Desborough but it’s a vibrant place and a place where people should invest.”
More recently, the hotel’s adjoining restaurant became the first in the county to offer a tapas delivery service.
The TV show is on at 5pm from Monday to Friday on C4.
Three GP Practices in Northampton are teaming up to provide their 33,000 patients with a new way to access emergency, same-day appointments.
The new pilot service, launched in response to patient feedback, is being introduced on 1 December 2016 by Langham Place, Leicester Terrace and Greenview Surgeries in Northampton.
One of the major issues that patients identified was a lack of available pre-bookable appointments.
The three practices’ response is to arrange for all emergency appointments to be seen at a single surgery. This pilot project will happen each week on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. By having a single surgery offering emergency appointments, the other two practices will be able to offer significantly more routine appointments.
Elizabeth Perryman, practice manager at Greenview Surgery, said: “We value our patients’ feedback, which showed through our patients’ surveys that access to routine appointments was a concern.
"These changes are as a direct result of this feedback and we hope that our patients will be pleased that we have listened to their concerns and are addressing them.
"It is important that our patients are aware this is not three practices merging and that they will remain as a registered patient at their current practice.”
The practices will take turns to be on emergency appointments duty. Patients can book appointments for telephone or face to face consultations as normal and they will be informed which surgery to go to. While this pilot project is in operation, each practice will retain responsibility for visiting its own patients up until 12 noon on those days.
After 12, afternoon emergency visits will be done by the practice that is on emergency appointments duty.
On the remaining days (Wednesdays and Fridays), the surgeries will continue to see their own registered patients for both routine and emergencies as required.
The pilot project will initially run for four months to give staff and patients time to assess the service and provide valuable feedback.
Under the new system, receptionists will ask a number of questions about patients’ healthcare needs to ensure that each patient is seen by the right professional for the care they require.
Dr Darin Seiger, GP Chair of Nene CCG, said: “We believe it is vital that patients have access to the right professional at the right time and this scheme should ensure routine appointments are easier to access for patients registered with these practices.”
Small corner shops in Northampton could go out of business if it a tax on tobacco is announced later today, a newsagent says.
Jayesh Patel who has run Classic News in Park Avenue South, Abington, for about thirty years says that smokers will turn to the black market if prices go up significantly.
And he fears the effect of that on his shop, which benefits from sales of groceries off the back of cigarettes.
He said: "In this tough, economic climate we retailers are all struggling to maintain sales across the board.
“Introducing a Minimum Excise Tax for tobacco will only drive more customers away from our shops and to the criminals who run the black market.
“This will lead to closure of small shops and businesses, who are the lifeblood of the UK economy and at the heart of the community. I would think this will only reduce income for the local council and government.”
The Government believes taxing tobacco would be a popular move that could generate money, but also save the NHS money if it reduces smoking-related diseases such as lung cancer and heart disease.
Mr Patel said the new tax would predominantly hit smokers who are unable to afford premium cigarette brands.
Some packs cost £7 and if - as is thought - the minimum amount of tax is £8, some smokers may feel inclined to circumvent taxed tobacco altogether - and small shops that rely on the income.
He said: "I think a better way would be education of younger people not to smoke. That would be more gradual and it'd allow time for shops to adapt, rather than be hit with loss of income."