A lorry driver had to be cut from his vehicle in Northamptonshire after two trucks collided on the M1 this morning.
Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue crews were called to junction 15 of the M1 for Northampton at about 4.30am today (June 7) after the crash.
The driver of one of the vehicles had to be cut free from the cab.
Two lanes of the southbound carriageway remained closed until around 7.30am, with tailbacks felt back to junction 16 for Daventry.
Essex Police are appealing for information to help find a man wanted on recall to prison and for failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements.
Levi Paige, 52, was released from prison on March 14 and was taken to an approved premises in Essex. He was last seen on March 16 when he was authorised to go to Southend Police Station and collect some property. He has not been seen since and attempts to find him have been unsuccessful.
Paige, who also goes by the name of Michael Clough, is described as white, 5'7'' in height with a slim build and brown hair. He has a Yorkshire accent and tattoos on his neck and arms.
He was last seen on March 16 and is known to frequent the Southend area where he has been known to sleep in tents. However Paige is also believed to have travelled across the country in the past and could have links to Northamptonshire, police believe.
Anyone who has seen Paige or has information on where he might be should call Essex Police on 101 quoting incident number 828 of April 3, 2017
After the polling miss at the 2015 general election, many politicians and journalists loudly declared they would never trust polls again. Two years later, opinion polls have regularly been leading the election news. First they foresaw a Conservative landslide, including a resurgence in Scotland, and more recently they’ve pointed to a shock Labour fightback.
A number of factors can confound poll interpretations. Here’s a quick guide to the pitfalls:
1. Demographic problems
Election polls generally aim to be “nationally representative”. They usually collect data from samples of respondents on the rationale that by reflecting the demographics of the general population according to key quotas including sex, age, social class and region, you get a more accurate estimation of the national vote.
Yet while it is often possible to gain some insights on the voting intentions of particular demographic groups, the samples within these quotas are small and not themselves designed to be representative of the demographic in question. Even if they were representative, the “margin of error” on a sample of 100 people is nearly ten points of party support.
This means that a high degree of uncertainty should be attached to the data about particular demographics. To take one example from the Scottish independence referendum campaign in 2014, Lord Ashcroft’s headline-making poll finding that 16 to 17-year-olds were the most pro-independence age group was based on a sample of just 21.
2. Poll differences
With new polls, a lot is often made of small movements in party support. Yet these can often be attributable to sampling error – that is, they are simply random noise. Some variation may also result from “house differences” – methodological choices by a given pollster in how they design their sample and weight respondents. Consequently, some pollsters might be more favourable to Labour and others more favourable to the Conservatives, for example.
The solution is to pay more attention to the average “poll of polls”, which will offset some of the sampling error; and to compare each poll to the last poll from the same firm – while checking whether the pollster has changed their methodology. The performance of that pollster at the last election can equally help assess their record. Even there, however, sampling errors in the final polls can make this difficult.
Fluctuations in the polls can also result from what is called “differential non-response”. This is where voters become more or less willing to respond to surveys when their party is doing well.
3. National polls and local/regional results
The UK election includes 650 constituencies, and we cannot assume that national swings in the polls translate evenly across them. Support for individual candidates, their incumbency or media profiles, as well as leader visits can all influence constituency contests against national trends.
Poll analysts also often try to use these polls to infer electoral dynamics in different parts of the UK. Scottish and Welsh surveys with samples of around 1,000 are conducted less frequently than their national counterparts, for example, so trends are often inferred from Scottish and Welsh sub-samples of British polls.
These sub-samples are substantially smaller – usually fewer than 200 people, sometimes fewer than 100. Not only are they subject to much larger margins of error, they are not independently weighted. And while the UK sample will match the demographic profile sought by the polling company, any sub-sample may not. The demographics of a Scottish sample might look nothing like Scotland itself.
Sub-samples are no more likely to provide insight into regional dynamics as national polls are to provide insight into local dynamics. Hence two Panelbase and two YouGov polls conducted simultaneously in April had the four main parties in Scotland up or down by a total of 14 and 18 points respectively – the first was a Scottish sample of around 1,000 and the second was a sub-sample from a UK poll.
The solution is to use polls for what they were intended: a snapshot of views across the sampled electorate as a whole.
4. A possible alternative
One alternative to over-relying on polls is to look to by-elections or local election results instead, but there are risks too. One issue is timing – a vote cast in a previous year might be different. Another is whether voters make their minds up based on the same factors. In 2007, for example, Scotland voted in the Holyrood and local elections on the same day and the main parties saw differing levels of support.
5. Case for the defence
People may not be aware of many of these limitations with polls, but there has recently developed a conventional wisdom that they can’t be relied upon and that polling errors have got larger over time. This is partly thanks to recent electoral events not widely foreseen by pollsters such as the Conservative over-performance in UK election 2015, Brexit and the election of Donald Trump.
In fact, the pollsters in the 2016 US presidential election were not far off in their estimates of the national popular vote by historical standards. Meanwhile, pollsters performed well in recent elections in Canada (2015) and Australia (2016), and did a good job in the first round of the recent French presidential election (less so the run-off).
As already discussed, polls are subject to both “bias” and “error”, and even a poll of polls doesn’t get rid of all problems since the polls may still be wrong collectively. Yet much of the problem stems from our own over-confidence in the precision of polls. The “headline” figures of any poll can still provide relative insights on the state of party support once you accept the potential for sizeable error in either direction.
In short, pay attention to the polls. They remain a valuable bulwark against the “conventional wisdom” of partisan anecdotes from the doorstep. Just be cautious about the latest individual results and especially finer demographic details, while bearing in mind recurring biases such as the tendency to over-estimate Labour support in elections since 1983.
The best approach is always to collect clues about how the political wind is blowing from multiple sources. And remember that with a little patience, you will know the result by the morning of June 9.
Will Jennings is Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, University of Southampton
Ailsa Henderson is Head of Politics and International Relations, University of Edinburgh
This article originally appeared on theconversation.com
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A Hamerton Zoo keeper suffered “traumatic injuries” when she was mauled to death by a tiger, a coroner said today (Wednesday).
Rosa King, 33, was fatally attacked by the wild animal after it entered an enclosure she was in during a “freak accident” at Hamerton Park Zoo near Huntingdon.
An inquest into her death was adjourned as an investigation is currently under way between the police and the market town’s local authority to establish the circumstances of the incident on May 29.
Senior Coroner David Heming revealed the cause of death found by a post-mortem examination on her body carried out by Dr Martin Goddard on May 31 at the opening of the inquest into her death.
The coroner said a jury inquest will be heard because her death was a “work-place inquest” and said: “The cause of death is given as 1A traumatic injuries.
“The current position is that there’s an ongoing investigation as to the circumstances to how the tiger come into direct contact with Rosa.
“Given that this is a work place incident this will necessitate a jury inquest.”
Reading from a Huntingdon police constable’s statement who identified Rosa’s body after attending the incident at 3pm, he said: “I attended Hamerton Zoo Park where I saw the lifeless body of Rosa King.
“The body of Rosa was identified by Andrew Swales who stated he was the employer of the deceased and had known Rosa for 15 years.”
The short hearing was adjourned for a pre-inquest review hearing on November 23, 2017.
The coroner said: “It’s fair to say that if the investigation is completed prior to the date, that hearing may be brought forward and we will alert the press.”
Earlier he paid condolences to the family of Rosa King.
Opening the inquest into her “tragic death” he said: “First if I could extend my sympathies and condolences to Peter and Andrew, the mother and father of Rosa and to other members of the family.”
Her parents Peter, 56, and Andrea, 54, had earlier described their daughter a “very caring, generous person” who was living her dream looking after wild animals.
A statement released by the family said: “Peter and Andrea, the proud parents of Rosa King, would like to thank all those that have shown an abundance of love and sympathy at the passing of our beloved daughter.
“Rosa was a dedicated professional when it came to her work.
“She lived and breathed a vocation that meant the world to her, living her dream.
“She had a care and understanding of her animals that was a joy and privilege to behold.
“As well as our daughter, Rosa was a big sister to her brother Mark, who like his parents, had nothing but love and admiration for her.
“Rosa was passionate about animals from the age of two when she first sat on the back of a horse.
“After that, her life was always going to be about animals.
“She lived her life to the full and was a very caring, generous person.”
The zoo confirmed the tiger that killed her will not be put down after describing the incident as a “freak accident”.
Hundreds of people had backed an online petition calling for it to be saved following her death.
It’s not yet known which of the four tigers is responsible for Rosa’s death, but the park is home to four - White tigers Mohan and Shiva and Malayan tigers Cicip and Sahaja.
A statement posted on the park’s Facebook site said: “We have received a number of enquiries from members of the public asking about the tiger following last weeks incident.
“After extensive consultation with the staff at the zoo, we have decided not to put down the tiger.
“This decision has been fully supported by Rosa’s family.
“We are awaiting the findings of the investigation to fully understand what happened before we take further action on this matter.
“If we receive regulatory or professional guidance to the contrary, we will review our position.”
The family, from Chippenham, Wiltshire, described how Rosa felt it important to raise money for animal charities as she wanted to “stand up for those who couldn’t stand up for themselves”.
The statement continued: “Rosa completed a skydive in 2014 to raise money for Animal Asia and then travelled to China to visit the sanctuary for Moon bears to see for herself the work they do, and just recently returned from a visit to a Sun bear rehabilitation centre in Borneo.
“Rosa’s whole attitude to the animal kingdom is probably best summed up in the following statement.
“When I look into the eyes of an animal I do not see an animal. I see a living being. I see a friend. I feel a soul.”
The incident came four years after inspectors had raised concerns over “ageing” fencing and safety barriers and “escape protocol” procedures in a 2013 report.
But a spokesman for Huntingdonshire District Council - responsible for licensing the zoo - confirmed “all of the conditions on that report were fully complied with”.
The zoo’s licence was renewed until in 2019.
The wildlife park opened in June 1990 and covers 25 acres.
It includes enclosures for Malaysian tigers, Bengal tigers, cheetahs, wolves, corsac foxes, kangaroos as well as a variety of birds, reptiles and domestic animals.
The zoo opened a new enclosure for its Malaysian tigers in July last year.
In October 2008 a cheetah which escaped from the park was found by a nine-year-old boy in the back garden of his family home.
Keeper Sarah McClay, 24, was killed by a tiger at Cumbria’s South Lakes Safari Zoo in May 2013.
Motorists are being advised to avoid a main route out of Northampton due to emergency repair works.
Currently, there are delays of 15 minutes and more on the A43 southbound between the A5 junction and the A413.
The road is closed for emergency repairs and resurfacing work with a diversion in place along the A5 and the A422.
Motorists are being advised to use a different route if possible as traffic is queuing back to the junction with Brackley Road. There are delays of up to half-an-hour being experienced on the A5 southbound as motorists take the diversion route.
A man has died following a road collision in Northamptonshire on Monday.
The 83-year-old man was driving a blue Ford Fusion which was involved in the single vehicle collision in Valley Road, Brackley, at about 9.50am, on Monday, June 5.
Sadly, the man died in Horton General Hospital last night.
Anyone with information, or who witnessed this incident, is asked to call the ‘Drivewatch Hotline’ on 0800 174615.
Daventry hosted international cycle race the Ovo Women’s Tour on Wednesday morning with a large crowd lining the town’s streets to cheer on the riders, which included a number of world and Olympic champions.
A mixture of young and old attended the event, which also attracted spectators from across the district. The race could make a return to Daventry next year, which would be its fifth consecutive appearance in Northamptonshire. Read more about the morning’s events here
Daventry was transformed on a sunny and blustery Wednesday morning as the Women’s Tour got under way, watched by a large, enthusiastic crowd of all ages who had come out to catch a glimpse of the riders taking part in the international event.
Cardboard bicycles could be seen in window displays up and down High Street and around the town as Daventry got in the mood for the one-off event.
The race organisers did a brilliant job in helping with the town’s cycle-themed makeover, with banners and bunting adorning the roadside and hanging over High Street.
After the previous day’s torrential rainfall, the sun’s appearance was a welcome sight for spectators.
With the bunting blowing in the strong winds, each team and its riders, which included world and Olympic champions, was invited on to the stage in Church Walk and presented to the crowd.
A little further down High Street, between the Conservative Club and down towards Tavern Lane, hundreds of pupils from the Grange School, accompanied by teachers and parents, waited anxiously for the race to begin.
With flags and clappers in hand they were by far and away the loudest spectators.
Pauline Banks, a teacher at The Grange School, who brought all the Year 3 through to Year 6 children along to Daventry, said: “We really like to support community events and get the chidren involved.”
As the 11am start neared, the anticipation was palpable.
Staff from the banks and shops along High Street took a short break from work to spill out onto the pavement, as the race got underway amid a chorus of cheers and clapping.
Lynne Guest, from Daventry, said: “I think it’s fantastic for the town.
“I would definitely like to see the Women’s Tour back again next year, and perhaps even the men’s race.”
The women riders were not the only people in Daventry dressed in lycra at the Grand Depart as cycling enthusiasts donned their gear, saddled up, and joined the hundreds of others on the High Street.
One gentleman, Jon Wood, from Coventry, decided to combine his morning bike ride with the start of the Women’s Tour, cycling into Daventry to watch the start of the race.
Mr Wood said: “The more women cycling events there are in the UK the better.”
Also making an appearance at the event, among others, were Chris Heaton-Harris, the recently elected Mayor Lynne Taylor, the new chairman of Daventry District Council Cllr David James, and the district council leader Chris Millar.
Mr Millar was pleased that Daventry was able to capably host an international event with success and did not rule out the possibility of the Women’s Tour returning to the town again next year, which would make it a fifth consecutive appearance in Northamptonshire for the race.
Alan Hills, Daventry District Council’s community, culture and leisure portfolio holder said after the riders had completed their circuit in the neutralised zone: “I thought it was brilliant.
“Daventry has really come alive and there has been an excellent turnout.”
But hosting the Grand Depart was not just about putting the town on the map, there are also long-term goals in mind.
Mr Hills said: “We wanted to showcase Daventry but we also wanted to encourage women and children to take up sport.
“Tuesday’s Fit Fest event on the High Street was a success with 150 people showing up in spite of the bad weather.”
Shortly after 11.30 the town slowly went back to normal, as young and old returned to their daily routines.
There may have been an extra spring in their step too because, after all, Daventry and its people can be proud at having been, albeit briefly, the centre of attention of an international sporting event.
You can see more pictures from the Grand Depart here
Northampton town centre has come to a standstill after a road collision closed a major road near the St James End area.
Even though the road has since reopened, motorists are still reportedly queueing for 60 minutes in some parts of town.
Spencer Bridge Road was closed earlier this afternoon (June 7) to allow an air ambulance to land after a serious crash.
Northamptonshire Police say one person is believed to have serious injuries.
Spencer Bridge Road has now reopened but tailbacks from the incident have now led to severe delays for commuters heading home.
Detectives did not pursue a number of claims of physical abuse against a Northampton-based religious sect because ‘corporal punishment’ was not illegal in the 1970s and 1980s.
Jesus Army members contacted the religious organisation between 2013 and 2015 to make allegations of physical abuse perpetrated within the community.
These complaints were passed on to Northamptonshire Police along with a number of allegations of sexual abuse.
The force formed operation Lifeboat to look into the sex assault claims, and is understood to be on the verge of making a number of prosecutions.
But the officer that led that investigation – detective chief inspector Ally White - has now confirmed that the force did not pursue a number of allegations of physical abuse, or ‘rodding’. The term is used to describe a form of physical beating using a cane or blunt implement, which would be illegal by today’s standards.
In a statement to the Chron this week, DCI White, said: “We have investigated allegations of physical assault - so-called ‘rodding’– from the 1970s up until the mid-1980s.
“However, these allegations were made at a time when corporal punishment was still legal in this country and no potential victims have since come forward to pursue a complaint. We have spoken to a lot of people in relation to these allegations.”
DCI White went on to confirm that police were in fact told of a number of abuse allegations some 14 years before Operation Lifeboat was formed, though he did not say why further action was not pursued then.
In its heyday the sect, which many have called a ‘cult’, operated a number of communal houses, often with several families living in them at a time.
Its leader and founder Noel Stanton operated a strict regime, which involved members paying into a communal fund and in some cases taking a vow of celibacy.
The Chronicle & Echo has learned that some of the physical abuse allegations related to a summer school run by the Jesus Army at Cornhill Manor in Pattishall. The purpose of the school was to provide activities for the children in the Jesus Army over the summer holidays.
The news that a number of physical abuse claims were made comes a month after the sect itself revealed claims of physical, sexual and financial abuse were made against the army’s deceased founder Noel Stanton.
In a statement made to an annual meeting, current leader Mick Haines claimed Stanton had operated in an ‘unaccountable position’.
However Mr Haines and senior leaders of the church – known as the apostolic order – have refused interviews with the Chron, even though former teacher Mr Haines has been with the sect since the 1970s. He also played a part in the running of the summer school in Pattishall.
Instead, all responses have been issued by Jesus Army spokesman, Laurence Cooper.
The organisation underwent a safeguarding review in 2015 carried out by another Christian organisation, the CCPAS. Though critics have questioned how thorough that review was, given that its scope was limited to looking at the current practices in place.
A former senior leader told the Chron the current apostolic team had a duty to respond to some of the allegations of historical abuse directly, rather than relying on an anonymous spokesman.
“I would say there is no problem with any of those guys giving interviews,” the source said.
“Mick Haines is the most senior leader so of course he should. He may not be aware of all the facts.
“But in terms of the culture of authority, he himself was a part of that.”
A spokesman for the Jesus Army said: “Parents - and people in the church generally- are actively and strongly discouraged from physical violence of any sort. “If we became aware of anyone using physical punishment this would be a matter we would want to refer to social services and/or police.
“We encourage church members to be aware of what’s going on around them, and if they feel that there is a person being mistreated they should speak up.
“They are encouraged to voice any concerns to our safeguarding team, or the Police, or CCPAS.
“We want anyone who has experienced any sort of physical abuse at all to talk to the Police, or CCPAS, or to the Jesus Fellowship’s own safeguarding team, who will offer them every support.”
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The former Soundhaus music venue in Great Russell Street has been the subject of several noise complaints arising from a number of parties - including accordion music from a christening party - which was covered by temporary licences.
Owners Moldova JR Ltd has now applied for a permanent licence.
In a noise assessment, David Randall of Rand Tech Consulting said he believed events on regular basis would not be a problem for neighbours.
The document concludes: “When used for Romanian wedding functions, the noise emission from the building radiating towards the noise sensitive windows on the rear facade of the terraced houses adjacent to the rear site boundary, can be controlled to a level unlikely to cause a nuisance during night time period.”
Mr Randall said this could be achieved with proper noise insulation on the fire exit doors.
Documents submitted to Northampton Borough Council say that the existing building consists of two function rooms divided by the main entrance and a lobby, with a capacity for 150 patrons in function room one and a capacity for 70 people in function room two.
Notwithstanding extra soundproofing, senior environmental health officer for Northampton Borough Council Louise Marshall has objected.
If approved, however, various steps will need to be introduced to ensure the venue does not become a public nuisance.
Licensing consultant John Birch said every person employed at the premises must prove their Right to Work in the UK.
A 16-year-old girl who has dreams of singing in the West End has been crowned the winner of a Northampton talent show for her 'phenomenal' voice.
The finalists of the Northampton's Rising Star talent show took to the stage at the Spinney Theatre, in Spinney Hill Road, on June 4 for the live audience finals.
The show saw 11 competitors battle for one of three places in the grand finals.
After one final performance from each of the acts, singer Kara Hamer, from Corby, was crowned as the winner Northampton's Rising Star 2017.
Kara said: "When they read out my name I burst into tears. I was speechless. The other acts were amazing and I didn't think I stood a chance."
Kara stole the show by singing Leona Lewis' cover of 'Run'. Organiser and judge Tommy said: "When Kara started singing so softly at first but then out of nowhere she came through with such a powerful voice. It blew the judges away.
"We all had an amazing night at the theatre in celebration of the amazing talent that this town has to offer. I would like to thank everyone that has been a part of this project in any way. We will return in January."
Also in the final three was six-year-old 'body-popping' dancer Theo Medcraft and performance group Gymnastricks.
Northampton's own Step by Step Dance School opened the show while singer-songwriter Billy Lockett returned to his hometown to perform for the interval.
A minute's silence was also observed before the show to honour those affected by the recent attacks Manchester and London.
The charity talent show was held to raise funds for Cynthia Spencer Hospice.
A spokesman for Cynthia Spencer said: "It was wonderful to see such a diverse, talented group performing in front of a large audience and supporting the hospice along the way. It really showed what a talented community we have in the town.
"We are extremely grateful to everyone who organised or took part in this wonderful showcase of talent for raising funds and highlighting our hospice care."The judging panel consisted of Northampton's Rising Star producer and organiser Tommy Gardner, Strictly Northampton's Beth Marshall, Miss Galaxy England Stefanie Williams and the winner of BBC Let it Shine Sario Solomon."
Kara said: "I really happy to have won. It will help get me name out there. I want to sing in the West End someday. I just love making that connection with the audience.
"I want to thank my mum and dad for supporting me, as well as Terry Meechen, Paul Balmer and the Travers Foundation for everything they've done, and Julie Riley for encouraging me to enter Northampton's Rising Star."
The fundraising total amount will be announced on the Northampton's Rising Star Facebook page soon.
Northampton's Rising Star 2018 will begin its search for new talent in January.
Moldova JR Ltd has applied for a grant premises licence at the former Soundhaus music venue in Great Russell Street
Documents submitted to Northampton Borough Council say that the existing building consists of two function rooms divided by the main entrance and a lobby with a capacity for 150 patrons in function room one and a capacity for 70 people in function room two.
In a noise assessment, David Randall of Rand Tech Consulting said: "The building at 76-92 Great Russell Street, a purpose built nightclub and entertainment venue, formerly the Soundhaus night club, is to be operated as function rooms for Romanian weddings venues."
The noise assessment looks at the impact on residential properties surrounding the site when in operation after midnight.
The document concludes: "Based on our inspection and testing of the two function rooms, improving the noise insulation performance of the two emergency exits as advised and actively controlling the operational noise level within the function rooms, when used for Romanian wedding functions, the noise emission from the building radiating towards the noise sensitive windows on the rear facade of the terraced houses adjacent to the rear site boundary, can be controlled to a level unlikely to cause a nuisance during night time period of low background noise.
"The existing building was purpose built as a nightclub and is very situated to the proposed new use, only requiring the improvement in the noise insulation performance of the function room emergency exit doors, that are obviously deficient compared to the noise insulation performance of the overall building envelope."
To date, there is no set plans where both function rooms would host events at the same time.
Despite efforts by Moldova to make the former music venue sound proofed, senior environmental health officer for Northampton Borough Council, Louise Marshall said in an objection letter: "I am objecting to the above application on the grounds of prevention of public nuisance.
"Based on the information submitted, I have concerns about the potential for noise and disturbance on the premises."
This comes after police were called to Moldova to reports of "extremely loud music" coming from the former Soundhaus building on April 30 at 5.35am
A concerned caller told police that he thought the building was not in use and "persons may have gained entry illegally in order to play music," incident logs submitted to Northampton Borough Council licensing department say.
In a previous licencing hearing on May 10 2017, an arrangement to modify three temporary event notices to reduce event hours and restrict the type of musical activity at the former Soundhaus venue were unanimously approved by councillors.
Now as part of the prevention of crime and disorder, various steps will be introduced to ensure the venue, if granted a premises license, does not become a public nuisance.
In new grant premises licence papers, licencing consultant, John Birch said:
"A fully working and maintained CCTV system capable of recording and storing images must be installed on the premises.
As well as this a minimum of two licensed door supervisors must be employed and on duty at the premises at all times when events involving 100 or more people - not including staff members - are taking place after 11pm on a Friday and Saturday."
Customers must not take open vessels of alcohol from the premises at any time.
The premises licence holder must keep an up to date list of all members of the management team including contact numbers, available on request.
A member of the management team must be on duty and present on the premises at all times after 10pm.
Every person employed at the premises must prove their Right to Work in the UK copies of documentation.
Mr Birch added: "Based on similar venues elsewhere guests arrive at different times between 6pm and approximatley 9pm and depart at staggered times based on family circumstances.
"Functions take the form that guests bring their own alcohol and food, there are circumstances when the venue will actually cook the food.
"The trading pattern based on experience and other similar venues show that most functions will take place on a Saturday into Sunday or on a Sunday prior to a bank holiday Monday and generally one function per week."
Between December 2014 and February 2015, 32-year-old Richard Hepworth stole a haul of historical documents from the archives of the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts club, which holds thousands of historic documents relating to the prestigious brand at Hunt House in Paulerspury.
He had been volunteering in the vast archives of the club at the time while on bail for another offence of causing death by careless driving.
Hepworth, of Ossett, Yorkshire, appeared at Northampton Crown Court yesterday to be sentenced for the thefts - but the hearing was adjourned after it emerged he may have been suffering from extensive neurological damage when he carried them out.
Opening the case against him, Hannah Whelan said: "These were documents, many of which were completely irreplaceable and many could not be valued because of that."
Members of the enthusiasts club had been noticing items going missing from the archives up until the date Hepworth quit as a volunteer in June, 2015.
The trust launched an internal investigation and Hepworth was eventually arrested in December, 2016.
In his bedroom documents were found relating to a bespoke Rolls Royce ordered by pop icon Elvis Presley and even pages of a document relating to John Lennon's famous multi-coloured 1965 Phantom V.
His family also had an interest in Rolls Royce memorabilia and owned some of the cars, the court heard. Some of the documents stolen, related to cars they owned and others were ripped out of books.
In total 17 items were recovered from his bedroom including flags taken from a Rolls Royce owned by the royal family.
However, judge Adrienne Lucking QC adjourned the sentencing hearing yesterday after reading a doctors report carried out on behalf of the courts.
It found that Hepworth could have been suffering from extensive neurological damage at the time the offences were committed.
He may also have been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, both of which could have been the result of a car crash he had been involved in some months prior in which a person died.
Hepworth was later convicted of causing death by careless driving for the incident.
Judge Lucking QC, said: "I am concerned at your state of mind at the time these offences were committed."
She added that it would be unfair and unjust to proceed to sentence without an updated medical report.
He was asked to reappear at Northampton Crown Court on the week commencing August 7.
This story will be updated through to the last local results on Friday morning. Please update the page for the latest information.
It’s going to be a long night as the UK goes to the polls for its snap 2017 general election.
So should you stay up all night or take a democracy nap? Here are the key moments to look out for and the seats which might indicate early on whether Theresa May has secured the thumping majority she originally envisaged.
Toby S James is Senior Lecturer in British & Comparative Politics, University of East Anglia
This article was originally published on theconversation.com
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Commuters are facing queues on the M1 in Northamptonshire again this morning after a collision left a car facing the wrong way on the carriageway.
One lane is blocked and the AA is reporting very slow traffic due to the collision on the M1 northbound.
Lane one is blocked and the reports suggest the accident took place just south of the Watford Gap service station.
A car is facing the wrong way in lane one and a lorry is also stationary in the same lane a little further on.
Tony McMurray of Towcester has planned a week of a lifetime for Nepalese Sherpa, Sukman for his first ever trip to the UK including a three-day excursion to London after he flew to stay at their family home on Sunday.
Sukman’s one-week stay started with a special ‘Evening with Tony, Ellis and Sukman’, on Sunday, (June, 4) at the Saracens Head Hotel in Towcester.
Both intrepid explorers and their friend, Ellis, another mountaineer who flew to Nepal with Tony in 2015, appeared on stage in front of more than 100 people and each told of their own unique journies to Everest as well as what it was like to experience a quake on the highest mountain on earth.
Mr McMurray said: “The theme of the night was centred around the stories of Ellis, Sukman and I.
"My story took the audience through my years of fundraising leading up to April 2015.
"I then handed over to Ellis who enthralled us all with pictures and stories of a 20-year journey in his attempt to climb Mount Everest but it was Sukman’s story that had many in the audience in tears.
"[He showed] images of his very humble surroundings in Nepal where he works tirelessly to support his two ageing parents, a wife and four children, all devastated by the effects the quake had on their village."
The evening also included a fundraising auction, with £1,650 of proceeds raised going towards the rebuild of Sukman’s village after it was destroyed by the avalanche in 2015.
Towcester businessman Mr McMurray was leaving the Mount Everest base camp when his whole world shook around him on April 25, 2015.
He added: "What I did not realise at the time was that I was up on the highest mountain in the world during the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal killing 9,000 people and injuring more than 22,000."
During the "harrowing" days that followed, Tony and his team were evacuation from the natural disaster and had to rely on the skill of Sukman to take them to safety.
To Sukman’s surprise this week, Tony has managed to gather together old friends who met the Sherpa over years of trekking in Nepal and was thanked by loved ones for bringing Tony and Ellis to safety.
Offender(s) forced open a cat flap and removed a homeowners car keys from a hook in the kitchen, Northamptonshire Police today reveal.
The incident happened sometime between 10pm on Tuesday, June 6 and 7am on Wednesday, June 7 at a property in Main Street, Little Brington Village.
The offender then stole their car, a silver VW Golf Estate, GR66 AZX.
Anyone with information can contact Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
The Brackley Soap Box Derby returned last weekend as avid mechanics and amateur racing drivers lined up their homemade karts on the town’s high street to compete in the annual time trial event.
The thrills and spills got underway on Sunday afternoon with spectators able to see what a real racing car looks like as Mercedes AMG Petronas, based in Brackley, brought along one of their championship winning cars.
The Mercedes team also entered their own soapbox in the race, pictured here.
David Cullimore claimed first place in the Premier Class, with Amber Morris and Dominic Clements finishing second and third.
In the Seniors Class, Bilal Gilgil topped the podium, flanked by Doug Peel Yates in second place and Jack Chambers in third.
First place in the Young Juniors category went to Louis Cain, with Alex Harris and Noah Gilgil in second and third.
After 15 yearly events, the Soap Box Derby is now a well-established fixture of the Brackley calendar, and the 2017 edition was supported by a £750 Community Grant from South Northamptonshire Council.