Nicholas Taylor was found guilty of 84 sex offences against children yesterday following one of the largest investigations of its kind ever carried out by Northamptonshire Police.

The, 43-year-old, of Pitstone Road, Briar Hill, got children hooked on crack cocaine before making them carry out horrific sex acts on him and his wife Joan, over a period of 10 years.

But an astonishing interview from 2006 - given to a Chron reporter before his abuse of children was uncovered - has revealed how the paedophile managed to dupe the authorities into believing he had got back on the straight and narrow following a life in a and out of prison as a drug dealer.

Taylor revealed he had become a speaker on a lecture circuit that brought him into contact with schools in the county as well as the HMP Wellingborough Young Community project, which aimed to prevent youngsters turning to crime.

The Chron spoke to Taylor as he gave a talk to the county's Neighbourhood Watch in 2006 about crime prevention.

At one point the brazen criminal went on to tell an audience how to avoid being robbed on Northampton Racecourse.

"There are always robberies at the Racecourse in Northampton, because people would rather cut across than stay on the main road," he said.

"But if you feel vulnerable, walk on the side of the street opposite to the Racecourse and try to walk behind someone, even if you don't know them.

"Anyone would rather rob one person than two. Keep your money in your front pocket and your wallet in the back. If someone pulls a knife out and says, 'Give me your wallet!', you can then give it to him and they will run off, but they won't have anything else."

That talk to Neighbourhood Watch in 2006 was part of a Northamptonshire Police initiative to help people keep themselves, vehicles and possessions secure.

He admitted, that up to that point, he had spent between £50,000 and £60,000 on drugs.but claimed to be free of a £500-a-day crack cocaine habit. This turned out to be one of a series of lies as the trial heard that police testing just weeks after the talk revealed traces of the class A drug in his hair.

The court heard how the then 37-year-old would make his wife Joan act as a lookout for him while he took the drug, so as not to damage his overhauled reputation.

During he interview with the Chron in 2006, Taylor gave a glimpse into how he began his life of crime.

He said: "It started off as solvent abuse, when I was aged between 11 and 13, and then it progressed to cannabis and then to speed, pills, coke and crack cocaine.

"Cannabis affected my school work and I got chucked out of secondary school at age 11 for hitting a teacher. I was suspended, then I went back and hit the same teacher again."

At age 14 and 15 he started burgling businesses and afterwards spent time in prison.

"I went in for a commercial burglary and learned about credit card fraud," he said. "You are banged up with different cons and I learned more stuff about street robberies and card theft and how to obtain information about people without them even knowing."

Taylor is due to be sentenced at a date to be decided.

Anyone with concerns as a result of this trial can contact Northamptonshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 111 555.

The interview Taylor gave in 2006 is at this link.

Two cars parked in Church Green, in Welland Way, off Derwent Drive, Kings Heath were set alight between 3am and 3.30am. Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service attended and extinguished the fire.

Witnesses can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 111 555.

Witnesses are being sought after a 14-year-old was assaulted and nearly robbed in Northampton.

He was walking along the pathway adjacent to Billing Brook Road, near Rilwood Court, parallel to the play area and small lake, on March 15.

Three teenage boys spoke with him before assaulting him and pushing him to the floor.

He managed to escape and run away.

The first offender is described as a 6ft black 16-year-old boy with medium build wearing a black school uniform suit with no emblem on it.

The second is also described as a black 16-year-old boy with slim build, 5ft 10in and wearing dark clothing.

The third is described as a 6ft black 16-year-old boy of fat build, wearing a black school uniform suit with no emblem, who had a white mountain bike.

Witnesses can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 111 555.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a number of items were stolen from a property in Wellingborough.

At some point between 3pm on Tuesday, February 7 and Monday, March 13, the property in Albert Road was broken into through the back door.

Items including jewellery, iPads, mobile phones and cash were taken.

Witnesses can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Officers have released an image of someone they believe may have information about a theft in a Northampton supermarket.

Between midday and 1pm on February 24, a woman was shopping in Aldi, Wellingborough Road, when someone put their hand into her handbag, which was in her trolley, and took her purse.

Witnesses can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 111 555.

A TV hard-man whose on-screen persona once burned down the Queen Vic in a fit of rage is coming to Northampton - to try his hand at bingo calling for a night.

Steve McFadden, better known as law-dodging Eastenders brute Phil Mitchell, is set to show his lighter side when he calls out the numbers at Beacon Bingo on Saturday, April 1.

The RADA graduate and multiple British Soap Awards winner will meet and greet guests at the Weedon Road hall, as well as signing autographs on he night.

However the timing of the occasion led some to question whether Beacon Bingo's event is actually a hoax.

Among many to comment on its Facebook page, Tasha Mackenzie, said: "I wanna know if it's an April fools or not?"

But Beacon Bingo says the event is definitely for real.

Assistant manager, Adam Charlesworth, said more than 40,000 people have now seen the Facebook post advertising the actor's visit and admissions will be on a first-com-first-serve basis.

He said: "We booked him through his agent because one of our other clubs in Ilkeston had Kane Dingle (actor Jeff Hordley) from Emmerdale and it proved a really popular event."

McFadden recently picked up the outstanding achievement award at the National Soap Awards, shortly after his persona Phil Mitchell received a last-minute liver transplant likely to keep him on the small screen for years to come.

Beacon Bingo will announce the timings for Mr McFadden's arrival via its Facebook page in due course.

The incident took place in St Matthews Parade, off East Park Parade, Kingsley, at around 10.500am this morning (March 17).

The driver of the car - an orange Hyundai - was helping her passenger to the nearby shop, when a man went into the car and stole her handbag.

The offender is described as white, with a slim build and wearing dark clothing. He was riding a light-coloured bike.

Witnesses, or anyone with information, are asked to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

The multi-agency, cross-border operation, which took place on the A5 border with the county, intercepted and checked 62 HGVs and vans.

In total, 14 offences were found and six vehicles were prohibited from continuing their journeys.

The list of offences included three MOT offences, three vehicles being driven without insurance, one vehicle excise license offence, four documentation offences and three waste carrying offences.

Six vehicles could not continue their journeys because of defects, including faulty emissions, inoperative headlights, cracked windscreens and load offences.

Checks were also made on the welfare of livestock being transported and dogs in vehicles were micro-chip tested.

Six vehicles prohibited from continuing on their journeys because of various defects ranging from faulty emissions, inoperative headlights, cracked windscreens to load offences.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Community Safety and Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue provided information on bridge strikes, weight restrictions and the 'fatal 4' driving offences – not wearing a seatbelt, speeding, driving while using a mobile phone and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Jerry O'Driscoll, 33, of Patterdale Walk, off Churchill Avenue, and Thomas O'Driscoll, 52, of Eskdale Avenue, off Broadmead Avenue, both pleaded guilty to theft after stealing twelve 11-gallon beer kegs from Whittlebury Hall, near Towcester, last year.

They took part in the offence after being made "an offer they couldn't refuse'"of £50 from a third party.

None of the beer, worth an estimated £4,300, has been recovered since the incident.

At around 7.45pm on February 18 2016, the O'Driscoll brothers and a third offender, who has not been identified, approached Whittlebury Hall in a white van.

The brothers were caught on CCTV as they pulled up to the beer storage area, where Jerry O'Driscoll got out of the van with a pair of wire cutters.

The men stole the 12 kegs, loaded them into the back of the van and drove off.

In sentencing, Recorder Nigel Daly said: "I understand you were approached to take part in this act when money was short and you were made 'an offer you couldn't refuse.'

"You say you were offered £50 for your involvement. This is a sum you never saw as the third offender in this case drove off with the beer without paying you.

"I have to sentence you today for trying to steal quite a lot of beer. You did it under a suspended sentence. You deliberately stole this beer to order, and you would not have got a great deal of money for it."

Jerry O'Driscoll, a father of three children, one of who is three-weeks-old, was sentenced to four months imprisonment.

Thomas O'Driscoll was sentenced to eight months.

Northamptonshire homeowners are being encouraged not to buy goods or services from cold-callers after a spate of complaints about suspected rogue traders.

The recent warmer weather has resulted in a number of calls to Northamptonshire County Council’s Trading Standards from people who have been offered maintenance work on their property by doorstep traders.

County council cabinet member for member for public protection, strategic infrastructure and economic growth Cllr André Gonzalez de Savage said: “Unfortunately the recent mild weather seems to have sparked a spate of suspected rogue traders who are cold-calling on elderly and vulnerable residents to try to pressure them into unnecessary work on their home at an inflated cost.

“All too often, this work is never completed or carried out to a poor standard.

“Our advice is clear – do not pay for goods or services from a doorstep trader. If you do need work carrying out, our Buy With Confidence scheme will help you to find a reputable tradesman who has been approved by Trading Standards.”

Some of the complaints received relate to cold-callers who have offered roofing work which has been unnecessary and over-priced, and the householders, who are often elderly, have said they felt pressured to hand over cash payments.

In one case, the elderly couple handed over £1,000 and no work has been completed. On a number of occasions, the rogue traders told the householders that they have been working on a neighbour’s roof and noticed that work needed doing on theirs, which was found to be untrue.

If you are concerned about a caller at your door or suspect that rogue traders or distraction burglars are operating in your community, contact the dedicated Doorstep crime Action Network (DAN) on 0345 23 07 702, or if a crime is in progress, dial 999.

More than 2,000 Northamptonshire County Council staff are set to move into a £53 million new office in the centre of town - but with only 65 parking spaces for car sharers and a park and ride scheme on offer, there are fears it just won’t work.

The authority will move employees from all 13 of its current buildings into the new glass-fronted Angel Street offices next month.

It had been hoped workers could take a salary sacrifice of around £600 a year to use one of Northampton Borough Council’s 14 car parks all-year-round. A total of 900 spaces would have been made available to employees across the town - but the county and borough have failed to strike such a deal.

It means the only parking available will now be underneath Angel Street itself - though only for fleet vehicles and those taking part in a car share scheme. Chief executive Paul Blantern will have the only reserved spot. This week, plans were announced for a park and ride bus scheme travelling from behind Franklin’s Gardens, off Edgar Mobbs Way, exclusively for employees.

But will the £1.20-per-journey scheme work?

No, it won’t

The planned park and ride will deposit up to 900 cars in St James every day, clog up side streets and force drivers from the east to cut across the town centre in peak times, those against the move say.

Chair of the county branch of Unison Penny Smith said staff now have serious concerns about the move to Angel Street in a month’s time – with many who still have no idea of how they will get to the new headquarters and some worried they will have to resort to paying £7-a-day to park in a multi-storey.

She said: “We are getting a lot of people ringing us up really quite stressed.

“The park and ride is fine if you live in that part of town.

“But if you live anywhere else, you have got to get there first – the congestion that will cause will be unbelievable.”

Mrs Smith said the lack of parking at Angel Street could even put people off from taking up a job at the county council, which like many across the country, is struggling to fill children’s social worker posts.

“We already have disproportionate amount of agency workers,” said branch assistant chair Ged Carlton. “How on earth is this going to retain the best staff?”

There are also wider issues surrounding St James, where the 900-car capacity park and ride will be based.

Councillor Gareth Eales (Lab, Dallington and Spencer) said: “If you come from in from the other side of the county, you have got to drive pretty much past your place of work, to come around the other side of town.”

He added that the promise of journey times taking just 12 minutes were just “sheer fiction.”

He said: “I don’t know if they are proposing to use a helicopter, I have never managed to make it into town in 12 minutes.

“It’s embarrassing the county council couldn’t plan this better.”

And chairman of St James Residents’ association, Graham Croucher, said to save time, many will be tempted to park in free side streets before boarding public transport, clogging up residential areas already jammed with cars.

He said: “The reality is that most (cars) will enter the area via Spencer Bridge Road and St Peters Way and if they don’t like parking so far out they may find it more convenient to park in our side streets and either walk to town or catch the same bus in a more convenient location.”

Councillor Eales has urged both the county and borough councils to go back to the negotiating table and come to an agreement on town centre parking.

Yes, it will

The chief executive of the county council said he does “empathise” with people travelling in from the east of town – but he believes a new app, flexible working hours and even electric bikes will be the making of the new building.

Paul Blantern has conceded there may be some “teething issues” around the lack of town centre parking for some 2,000 employees likely to use the Angel Street headquarters.

“I have empathy with the people who currently come in from the east and will drive round,” he said.

“But we have also put in place a massive amount of flexible working - really, anyone can work anywhere where there is internet.

“There will be a lot more people working from home.”

Mr Blantern said workers will be able to avoid rush hour by the new arrangements, which will see employees ‘hot-desk’ at the new headquarters, rather than remain seated at a permanent desk.

There are fears the park and ride scheme will be over-stretched at rush hour - with staff possibly forced to wait for a bus home at 5pm when hundreds pile out of the new offices.

But Mr Blantern believes flexible hours and staggered start times will prevent any “peak blip” as well as mitigate the traffic impact in St James. “If there are queues we will put more buses in, it’s as simple as that,” he added.

As for why the deal to provide town centre parking with the borough council fell through, Mr Blantern said the borough was not willing to allow for 900 spaces to be saved for county staff over Christmas.

He said: “From the lights switch-on to the end of the panto season, they would only allow us 200 spaces. We can understand the argument.”

The authority has provided all of its staff with an app known as Faxi, which will enable them to contact people in their area who have the same commute. Employees will be able to send messages to one another to discuss car sharing and splitting the fuel costs.

But the app will also be able to trace car movements, meaning those parking in side streets will be spotted - and maybe even barred from boarding the park and ride bus.

Those living within the Northampton area will also soon be encouraged to take up a reduced price electric bike to get to work instead of their cars.

A fleet of pool cars will be available for social workers and Mr Blantern has assured staff they will not need to take a bus back to their car first before heading to jobs around the county.

On the accusation the park and ride scheme was a rushed alternative to town centre parking, Mr Blantern disagreed. He said: “The park and ride scheme was always going to be plan A. It was always part of our long-term plans.”

A law has been passed to help Northampton borough Council control and manage the number Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMO).

Homeowners in Far Cotton, Delapré and Cliftonville will now have to apply for planning permission before converting a family home into a shared house.

Julie Davenport, ward councillor for Delapré & Briar Hill, said: "I'm very happy for the homeowners of Far Cotton particularly, who have so many terraced houses that developers seem to love.

"Through this, at least we can inspect HMOs for proper fire standards, insurance and safety regulations."

An HMO is a property rented out by at least three people not from the same family but share facilities like bathrooms or kitchens.

The direction - Article 4(1) - was voted on due to "a growing rental sector and increasing demand for student accommodation," making the housing option popular with landlords.

The proposal was passed at a cabinet meeting on March 15. It will take place in two phases, at first taking immediate effect within a small area bounded by the River Nene Rothersthorpe Road, with the wider area being affected in 12 months.

Councillor Davenport said: "We were seeing available family houses being taken up with HMOs and you could have eight people living in three bedrooms. That also brings problems with rubbish collection and parking.

"Thank you to all the residents of Far Cotton who helped gather the evidence we needed to have this put forward."

Councillor Tim Hadland, cabinet member for regeneration, enterprise and planning, said:

“Far Cotton, Delapré and Cliftonville have been identified as they are desirable locations, within walking distance of the town centre as well as the new university campus, and we want to make sure we can balance the growing demand for student accommodation with the need to protect the existing amenities and the wellbeing of other local residents.

“The change does not mean that planning permission won’t be granted, as each application will be considered on its merits. However, it does give us an opportunity to consider is

Northampton Borough Council has a dedicated helpline for anyone concerned about a privately rented HMO near them and for landlords who might want advice – the number to call is 0300 330 7002.

Northampton Borough Council has finally agreed to hold crunch talks about match-day parking congestion in St James after a group recommended parking permits for frustrated flats residents.

In 2015 the borough set up a scrutiny panel to look into ways of alleviating blocked residential streets in St James on days when the Cobblers and Saints play.

People living in the area had become fed up of inconsiderate parking on those days making it difficult for them to put cars anywhere near their own homes.

The panel first made recommendations, such as giving the flats in St James match-day parking permits, back in September 2015.

Finally the borough council's cabinet has agreed to look into putting some of the recommendations into action and has agreed to table talks as soon as April.

Panel member Rufia Ashraf (Lab, St James) said she was pleased at the decision:

“Of course I welcome any initiative to improve match day parking in St James," she said. "Having a match day attendant in St James to oversee parking is one such good initiative.

"We need to ensure the Claret Car Park is more extensively used, particularly just when the Saints are playing at home.

"Council tenants, particularly those in the flats with allocated parking bays, must have free permits on match days."

The panel's recommendations include offering residents of the flats in St James such as Cordwainer House, Stitchman House, Stirup House, Lapstone House, Eyeletter House, Abbey House, Melbourne House and Devonshire House, match-day parking permits.

Northampton Saints will be asked to provide a match-day steward to police the crossing outside Franklin's Gardens in Weedon Road.

The free Claret car park will be given "heightened publicity."

Bus company Stagecoach will be asked to set up a pilot scheme whereby a season ticket holder can travel to the ground for £1 each way.

Consideration will also be given to giving supporters access to the Doddridge and Castle car park in Chalk Lane on Saturday match days.

But Councillor Ashraf said the traffic in St James will only improve once the long-discussed St James Mill link road is finally completed. In order to do so, a section of unused railway track needs to be ripped up, though Network Rail has stalled on the proposals for years.

"There is utter frustration in St James about the delay in this," she said. "Everybody, including Network Rail, need to pull their finger out.

"We should also recognise that the problems isn’t just confined to match days. There are people coming into St James taking up residents’ and tenants spaces to avoid paying the parking charges in the town centre.”

Rushden man Joseph Sharp junior wanted a lift to see his dying sister in hospital on September 16, 2015, but when his elderly dad refused, he became upset and pushed the old man to the floor.

The fall caused the 77-year-old to fracture his hip, setting off a chain of events that led to his death 17 days later from pneumonia.

Sharp, who was originally accused of causing grievous bodily harm and suffers from an anxiety disorder, was later charged with manslaughter and pleaded guilty just before a trial on March 1.

But despite the gravity of the charge, the 46-year-old of Short Stocks was handed a an 18-month suspended sentence and 100 hours of community service at Northampton Crown Court yesterday.

Judge Rupert Mayo said: "This is a tragic case and one which is highly unusual.

"So unusual that the counsel prosecuting and defending this case have been unable to find something that is anywhere near similar."

Prosecutor Stephen Kemp said that, back in September 16, 2015, Sharp had allowed his 77-year-old father to come and stay with him at his flat in Short Stocks.

But the relationship was fraught with tension at that time, the court heard.

Sharp junior had been subject to various physical abuses from his "mercurial" father growing up, but had decided to let the elderly man stay at his home.

On September 16 he had pleaded with his father, the only driver in the family, to take him to see his sister at hospital. She was in a coma at the time and has since passed away.

The court heard that Sharp became upset after being refused the lift and was captured on CCTV first "throwing a small dog" out of the way and pushing his father over outside the flat, before immediately helping him up.

The prosecution case centred around the fact Sharp knew his father used a walking stick and was frail when he assaulted him.

But, defending for him, Steven Evans said the 46-year-old could not have known of the consequences and said it could not be compared to other so called "one-punch" manslaughter cases, because the defendant showed minimal aggression.

Psychologists' reports also backed up how Sharp's anxiety disorder and learning difficulties would have impaired his decision-making ability at the time.

Mr Evans, said: "This is an unusual case of manslaughter, which should be seen and dealt with on its own particular facts.

"This defendant must have had no idea about the consequences.

"He has suffered himself as a result of what happened."

Sharp's clean record was also a factor in mitigation. The 46-year-old had volunteered with charities, helped out at the local food bank and raised money for Macmillian Cancer Care by cycling around Silverstone racign circuit.

Smyths Toys Stores has recalled a popular product amid safety fears.

The Safari Ball Pit - with product code 151650 - is to be removed from shelves from the company’s stores across the country.

A statement on the company’s website read: “We have recently found out that the Safari Ball Pit (151650) from Global Industry BV may present some safety concerns.

“Please return this item to a Smyths Toys Superstore for the product to be inspected and a refund issued.”

Want to save £139 a year on your Sky TV subscription with a single click of a button?

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And why wouldn’t you? After all, getting a Sky subscription can be an expensive business.

If you’ve been a Sky customer for a year or longer you could be overpaying almost £140 each year.

Some Sky viewers are paying as much as £696 per year if they have the movies and sports package.

You might be paying too much, but if you’ve not already got a discounted subscription this trick could save you the difference.

Be warned, though – while this should work to get you a discount, you will also be signing up to a new contract.

So only do this if you’re happy to stay with Sky for another year.

Follow this easy guide.

Go to sky.com and log in to your account.

Find the bit that says “thinking of leaving sky” by clicking on this link .

At the bottom of the page at the right hand side is the subheading “Still looking to cancel?” Click on the SKY TV option underneath.

If you are eligible for a discount you should be directed to a questionnaire page, which will ask you the reasons for wanting to cancel your package. Click on “worried about the cost”.

Again, if you are eligible, you will be directed to a page offering you a discount on your bill depending on your account. This could be for as much as a 20% discount.

If you are happy with the terms and conditions (READ THEM FIRST) click confirm and you’ve just saved yourself some money.

New research has determined which sex gets more stressed over “every key life event” - from losing their smartphone to Brexit.

And the research shows it is women who suffer more stress than men in their lives.

The greatest difference between the sexes showed women are far more fearful of terrorism than men while the narrowest gap was over the birth of the first child.

The Physiological Society spoke to 2,000 Britons to discover the difference in the way the men and women react to the tensions of modern life and the impact on health.

The report ‘Stress In Modern Britain’ published by the Society showed London was the area most stressed about Brexit, but the controversial issue also had the greatest variety of responses.

Respondents were given 18 different life events, and asked to grade them on a scale of 0-10, with 0 meaning “not at all stressful”, and 10 meaning “Very stressful”.

People living in London and Scotland were most likely to get wound up about “the process of leaving the European Union” than those in Wales and most of the rest of England.

Those with degrees were almost more upset about leaving Europe than people with just GCSEs or A-Levels.

Not surprisingly, the most stressful event was the death of a spouse/relative with an average score of 9.43 out of 10, closely followed by fears of imprisonment, with an average score of 9.15.

The end of a long term relationship or losing a job, both scoring 8.47, appears to be less stressful than being flooded which scored 8.89.

But after terrorism the greatest differences between the sexes were over being seriously ill, moving house and money problems.

Becoming a parent was the issue the genders had the most similar rating towards, with particular prominence among those aged 25-34.

Scotland was found to be the the most stressed area in the UK, with the South East of England the least stressed.

The study also revealed stress levels increase with age, most notably over concerns over long-term problems such as illness or imprisonment.

However, an exception to this trend was over the loss of a smartphone, which was a more prominent cause of stress for younger respondents.

Overall, the most common responses concerned driving: car breakdowns, traffic, busy motorways, road rage, or being the passenger of a careless driver all featured.

One person replied writing “Being driven by my wife. This is a serious comment.”

Next on the list was work-related stresses, particularly job applications and

interviews.

Another set of common responses described caring for aged, ill, or disabled people. Illness and loss of pets also featured commonly, showing that those close to us need

not be human to cause emotional effects.

Some answers revealed concerns over more trivial matters such as “family arguments at Christmas” or “the scrutiny of social media”.

The Physiological Society conducted the study to raise awareness of the effect of stress and its impact on health.

During stress, the body responds by releasing hormones into the blood stream, which affects the heart as well as digestive and immune systems.

Frequent and prolonged stress can cause long term physiological problems in the body.

Dr Lucy Donaldson, Chair of The Physiological Society’s Policy Committee, said: “The modern world brings with it stresses we would not have imagined 50 years ago, such as social media and smartphones.

“It was striking that for every single event in this study, from money problems to Brexit, women reported greater stress levels than men.

“This could have a real impact on women’s health.

“While many people are aware of the effect of stress on mental well-being, it is also important to consider the impact on the body’s systems.

“Your brain, nervous and hormonal systems react to stress and it affects your heart, immune system and gastrointestinal system.

“When stress is prolonged, these effects on the whole body can result in illnesses such as ulcers or increased risk of heart attack.”

The following people were sentenced at Northampton Magistrates’ Court:

JANUARY 26:

Daniel Cheney, aged 32, of Ridgeway, Northampton, damaged a police car; conditional discharge for 12 months. Assault a police officer; conditional discharge for 12 months, ordered to pay compensation of £75. Possession of a class A drug; conditional discharge for 12 months, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £20 and costs of £85.

Ion Poseica, aged 24, of Hall Piece Close, Northampton, intentionally touched a woman in a sexual manner without consent; community order made to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £85, compensation of £250 and costs of £400.

Thomas Nelligan, aged 31, of Pyramid Close, Northampton, entered a house with intent to steal; pleaded guilty, sent to Crown Court for sentence.

Francisco Castellano, aged 37, of Strawberry Hill, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 49mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; fined £400, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £40 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 12 months.

Mark Chambers, aged 28, of Grafton Street, Northampton, no insurance; fined £120. Drink-driving with a breath test reading of 94mcgs in 100mls of breath; community order made to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £85, banned from driving for 24 months.

Karl Glover, aged 21, of Kingsland Gardens, Kingsthorpe, Northampton, handled stolen goods, driving not in accordance with a licence, no insurance. Pleaded guilty to all offences, sent to Crown Court for sentence.

Matthew Jane, aged 39, of Damselfly Road, Northampton, stole two electric toothbrushes worth £120 belonging to Boots; fined £80, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85. Commission of a further offence while on a suspended sentence for harassment; no action taken on breach, fined £5.

Ayoola Layi-Hassan, aged 23, of Rothesay Terrace, Northampton, possession of a class B drug; fined £100, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85.

Kevin Truong, aged 20, of Nursery Lane, Northampton, possession of a class B drug; fined £80, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85. No insurance; fined £120, banned from driving for six months.

Craig Feasey, aged 40, of no fixed abode, assault; jailed for eight weeks suspended for 24 months, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115 and costs of £85. Assault; jailed for eight weeks consecutive suspended for 24 months. Damaged items belonging to another person; jailed for six weeks concurrent suspended for 24 months. Failed to provide a breath test; jailed for two weeks concurrent suspended for 24 months, banned from driving for two years. Driving not in accordance with a licence; no separate penalty. No insurance; no separate penalty. Dangerous driving; jailed for 10 weeks consecutive suspended for 24 months, banned from driving for two years.

Edgars Logins, aged 36, of Lowlands Close, Northampton, possession of a class A drug; fined £120, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85. Possession of a false driving licence; fined £200.

Eliot Packwood, aged 21, of Lower Meadow Court, Northampton, possession of a class B drug; jailed for 26 weeks suspended for 24 months, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £115 and costs of £85.

Jason Portsmouth, aged 29, of Carlton Road, Northampton, stole Yankee candles worth £70.97 belonging to Boots; fined £120, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85.

JANUARY 27

Ahssan Ahmed, aged 30, of The Headlands, Northampton, drove at 79mph in a 50mph zone; fined £183, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Harjot Gill, aged 38, of St George’s Avenue, Northampton, drove at 67mph in a 50mph zone; fined £350, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £35 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with four points.

Brett Gant, aged 46, of High Street, Earls Barton, drove at 44mph in a 30mph zone; fined £87, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with five points.

Rosaleen Milner, aged 56, of Salcey Rise, Piddington, driving at speeds exceeding 30mph; fined £70, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30, licence endorsed with three points.

Jack Nowak, aged 23, of Cambria Crescent, Northampton, failed to give information relating to the identity of a driver; fined £250, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

John Campbell, aged 67, of Derngate, Northampton, failed to stop at an accident; fined £146. Failed to report an accident to a police officer; no separate penalty. Driving without due care and attention; fined £146, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with five points.

Emily Fox, aged 24, of The Headlands, Northampton, driving without due care and attention; fined £440, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £44 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with seven points.

Aimee Marlow, aged 24, of Pembroke Road, Northampton, driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £220. No insurance; fined £660, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £66 and pay costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Rescha Turay, aged 25, of Bective Road, Northampton, non-payment of a fine of £282; further time ordered to pay.

Leslie Whittle, aged 48, of no fixed abode, stole bottles of alcohol worth £14 belonging to Spar; no separate penalty. Used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour; jailed for four weeks concurrent. Used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour; jailed for 18 weeks, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £115 and costs of £85.

JANUARY 28

Cory Barnes, aged 25, of Greenside, Northampton, had a bladed item in a public place without good authority; pleaded guilty, sent to Crown Court for sentence. Commission of committing an offence while on a suspended sentence for a similar offence; pleaded guilty.

JANUARY 30

Corrine Brennan, aged 28, of Buckfast Close, Monksmoor Park, Daventry, assault on a special police officer; community order made, ordered to pay compensation of £50. Assaulted a police officer; community order made, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £85, compensation of £50 and costs of 85. Assaulted a police officer; community order made.

Nicholas Dunne, aged 42, of Kingsland Avenue, Northampton, stole meat worth £34.40 belonging to Aldi; jailed for four weeks concurrent, ordered to pay compensation of £34.40. Stole an iPhone worth £500; jailed for six weeks, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £115 and compensation of £200. Stolen a debit card, tablet computer , printer and clothing; jailed for four weeks concurrent. Committed fraud; jailed for four weeks concurrent. Stole make up products worth £133.81 belonging to Boots; jailed for four weeks concurrent. Went equipped for theft; jailed for four weeks concurrent.

Michael Hyam, aged 29, of Candleford, Northampton, damaged a wall and candles; jailed for four weeks concurrent. Assault; jailed for 12 weeks, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £115 and costs of £85.

William Bowen, aged 49, of Vicarage Road, Northampton, destroyed a window; fiend £80, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30, compensation of £154 and costs of £40.

Sean Brogden, aged 30, of Swift Court, West Hunsbury, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 139mcgs of 100mls of breath; jailed for 12 weeks suspended for 12 months, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £115 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 32 months.

Iulian Funkstein, aged 36, of West Ridge, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 124mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; jailed for 12 weeks suspended for 12 months, community order to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £115 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 30 months.

Alyn Meikle, aged 25, of Rosenella Close, Northampton, used threatening or abusive words or behaviour; conditional discharge for 12 months, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £20 and costs of £85.

Johnny Mensah, aged 58, of Victoria Promenade, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 88mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; fined £75, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 22 months. Failed to comply with a red light; fined £25.

Cherise Merrifield, aged 23, of Billing Road, Northampton, assault; fined £40, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30, compensation of £100 and costs of £40.

Jones Offeh, aged 38, of Hangerfield Court, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 63mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; fined £200, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £40, banned from driving for 18 months.

Calum Mead, aged 24, of Collins Hill, Flore, possession of a class B drug; conditional discharge for 12 months, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £20 and costs of £85. Possession of a class A drug; conditional discharge.

Darren Anderson, aged 46, of Swain Court, Northampton stole a car; community order made, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £85 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 12 months. No insurance; no separate penalty. Driving not in accordance with a licence; no separate penalty. Driving not in accordance with a licence; no separate penalty. Failed to stop; no separate penalty.

Children are tucking into lunchboxes containing more than double their daily sugar intake, a study has found.

These images show six different lunchboxes with the typical ingredients eaten by 52 per cent of children up and down the country every day. But four of them contain at least 47g of sugar - more than double the 19g maximum recommended daily intake for 4-6-year-olds and almost twice the 24g 7-10 year olds should be having. Four of them also contain between 1.51g and 2.09g of salt - more than half of the maximum 3g a 4-6-year-old should be consuming.

Recommended maximum daily amounts:

4-6 year-olds

Sugar 19g

Salt 3g

Fat 18g

7-10-year-olds

Sugar 24g

Salt 5g

Fat 22g

But research has found 39 per cent of parents have no idea how much salt and sugar their children should be having in a single day, so admit they struggle to keep to the limit.

A spokesman for MyProtein, the creators of healthy snack range Little Beasts, which commissioned the research, said: “Even though parents often have their children’s best interests at heart, many kids are eating much more salt and sugar than they should be.

“And many of the so-called ‘lower fat’ or ‘non-sugar’ snacks make up the shortfall in other ways, with a low-fat content usually replaced by a higher amount of sugar, and sugar-free items often containing more fat.

“Our study found that there is a real danger of British children growing up less healthy than they should be, due to the packed lunches they take to school.”

The study, of 2,000 parents found that 46 per cent of parents make packed lunches so they can keep a closer eye on what their kids are eating - with another four in 10 saying they prefer it because it’s cheaper.

But one in five parents admit that, in general, they’re clueless when it comes to how healthy the food they put in their child’s lunchbox is.

And that figure jumps up to 3 in 10 when asked about how much salt and sugar their kids are consuming from their packed lunches.

Despite the evidence to the contrary, 55 per cent of parents think their children are consuming about the right amount of salt for their age.

Sixty per cent think their children are eating about the right amount of calories, although nearly a third admit their child probably eats more sugar than they should.

Almost a third of parents have been told by schools that their child’s lunchbox contains unhealthy items that shouldn’t be there.

A spokesman for Little Beasts added: “With reduced sugar, fat, and sodium, as well as zero artificial sweeteners, colours or flavouring, the Little Beasts range has been developed to offer healthy snacks for children’s lunchboxes, while appealing to their visual senses and taste buds.”

The Forestry Commission is urging dog walkers to change their method of dealing with poo in the countryside.

Advice from the Forestry Commission - including a somewhat bizarre poem - asks that dog walkers, while in the countryside, should ‘stick and flick’ the poo into undergrowth rather than bagging it up.

“No one likes to see discarded dog waste bags,” a spokesperson said.

“We are trying to encourage people to use ‘stick and flick’ in the forest. If your dog fouls the path in the forest please use a stick to remove the waste from the path into the undergrowth where it can break down naturally.”

And Tory MP Anne Main is to raise the issue in a debate at the House of Commons.

The member for St Albans,a dog-owner herself, believes that the ubiquitous poo-filled bags hanging from trees are a nationwide problem. And research has found that in 2014-15, local authorities in England and Wales received 73,824 complaints about dog fouling.

Speaking to the BBC, the MP described the countryside blight of plastic bags as “a massive problem”.

“People think it’s the right thing to do to pick it up, but when they find there aren’t any bins, they jettison the poo-bag into the undergrowth or lob it over a garden fence where animals can eat them, children pick them up or cyclists ride into them,” she said.

During the debate she plans to call for better signage, advising people what to do with their animal waste, and is backing the ‘stick and flick’ guidance.

The Dogs Trust says that dog owners should use regular litter bins to dispose of dog mess if there are no special dog waste bins nearby.

The Forestry Commission has supplied a poem which will help animal owners to get into the ‘stick and flick’ habit...

If your dog should do a plop, take a while and make a stop,

just find a stick and flick it wide into the undergrowth at the side.

If your dog should do a do, you don’t want it on your shoe,

find a stick, pick a spot, flick into the bushes so it can rot. ~

If you dog should do a poo, this is what you should do,

just find a stick and flick it wide into the undergrowth at the side.

If your dog should make a mess there really is no need to stress.

Find a stick; pick a spot, flick into the bushes so it can rot.