Toby Carvery in East Hunsbury is inviting Armed Forces personnel to enjoy a free breakfast or carvery on Saturday, June 24, as a way of saying thank you for all of their hard work.

For military personnel who can’t attend, the restaurant will be hosting a Veterans Breakfast Club all week from Monday, June 19, where former and current members of the Armed Forces can book to enjoy breakfast for £1.

Martin Gosling, brand operations director for Toby Carvery said: “Armed Forces Day is a brilliant opportunity to show our thanks for the work both serving and ex-military have done for our country.

“We are proud to support our troops and can’t think of a better way to thank all those involved than by giving them a roast dinner on us.”

Armed Forces Day helps the country to show its support to the men and women who represent the UK in the Army, The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.

Toby Carvery’s offer is open to all military personnel, from serving troops and reserves to veterans and cadets, and can be claimed by downloading a voucher from the website and presenting this along with their military ID or veteran’s card.

Toby Carvery has also announced its charity partnership with The Royal British Legion, which will see it support the charity with fundraising initiatives over the next two years, and has added a special charity pudding to its menus with 25p from each pudding sale being donated to The Royal British Legion.

It is aiming to raise £100,000 for The Royal British Legion by the end of 2018.

For an eat free voucher, click: https://www.tobycarvery.co.uk/content/dam/toby-carvery/pdf/offer/armed-forces-2017.pdf

The incident happened on June 16 between 2.30pm and 2.45pm on the South Way-Eastern Way iCon roundabout.

A white Audi A3 undertook a convertible car on the roundabout before then pulling across the front of the other vehicle and stopping in front of it.

The man in the Audi was verbally abusive to the driver of the convertible before he sped off along Eastern Way.

The Audi driver was mixed race, aged under 30 and slim. He had short dark hair and was wearing a blue polo shirt.

The incident happened last Friday (June 16) between 2.30pm and 2.45pm.Anyone with information should call Northamptonshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers, in confidence, on 0800 555111.

A cheeky craze has taken off with the soaring temperatures - of people baring their BUMS across the country.

The sizzling sunshine has seen men and women uploading photos of their backsides to an Instagram account called Cheeky Exploits.

It is dedicated to ‘making the world happier through butts’ and shares photos of people exposing themselves in places around the world.

Some of Britain’s best known places feature in the gallery and the heatwave has seen an upsurge in activity.

The latest shots includes two blondes frolicking in an unnamed forest with their rear ends on full show.

In another a woman lifts her skirt at a farm while one man showed his bum at London’s Regent’s Park.

Other recent posts include half naked golfers and scuba divers.

One of the most daring includes a buttocks-only shot at famous Durdle Door on the Dorset coast.

The woman had pulled down her trousers and underwear from the rear while facing a group of unsuspecting people.

Another shows a completely naked woman from the rear with arms outstretched at Hope Cove in Devon while a fully nude woman is also seen standing among the gorse on the clifftop in nearby Salcombe.

Other more daring shots have also been taken in London’s Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

The annual Earls Barton Carnival took place on Saturday, June 17 and was blessed with 30-degree heat.

Organisers say it was the best-attended carnival in many years and the committee members had worked hard to provide a day to remember.

Earls Barton Carnival Committee member, Steve Watkins said: "It all got underway at 1.15 pm with the Carnival Parade winding its way through the streets of the village.

"The many hundreds of cheering spectators lining the route were treated to a colourful and noisy spectacle of bands playing, trick cyclists, dancers and entrants dressed in brilliant costumes.

"Once the parade had reached the recreation ground, the Carnival Queen declared the carnival officially open and the fun began."

Youngsters and adults alike had plenty to keep them busy with stalls selling food as well as a magician, animal petting and an indoor cinema.

He added: "The day continued with a carnival after party - with the bar still open and the barbeque still serving, many people danced away to the DJ into the warm night as Earls Barton saw its longest conga ever.

"Someone was overheard saying: 'If Carlsberg did carnivals, this is what they would be like', praise indeed."

The organising committee wishes to thank all the volunteers, the sponsors who supported the event and spectators.

A missing 73-year-old woman from Northamptonshire has sadly been found dead, police say.

Geraldine Turner, from Old Stratford, who had been missing since Monday morning (June 19), was found in a field near Grafton Regis after 9pm yesterday.

Officers have prepared a report for the coroner and are currently not treating her death as suspicious.

Northamptonshire Police say they would like to thank the public for their help in sharing the appeal and to Northants Search and Rescue team for their assistance.

The additional funds are being sought to complete a series of 'supplementary pieces of work', which fall outside the scope of the original contract with restoration firm, Robert Woodhead Limited, the council says.

These include alarm upgrades, additional security measures, decorating further rooms and improved car parking.

Northampton Borough Council leader Councillor Jonathan Nunn (Con, Nene Valley) said: “We’ve worked closely with Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust throughout this project to ensure the buildings are the best they can be.

“The trust believes that a reasonable amount of additional funding at this stage to complete rooms across the wider Abbey site will help create a more attractive visitor offer and avoid later disruption.

“While Robert Woodhead continues work to deal with snagging issues arising from the original work, it’s appropriate for cabinet to consider whether it’s sensible for us to bring the project to full completion.”

During a Cabinet meeting tomorrow, June 21, members will be asked to approve a budget of £490,000 for the work.

The extra funding comes in addition to the extra £930,000 the borough council gave the project last year and a £3650,000 fund approved in February, which was required due to unexpected delays to the scheme.

The latest funding will bring the total cost of the project over the £8 million mark.

The incident happened on Saturday, June 17 shortly before 1.30pm on the junction of Harlestone Road and Spencer Bridge Road, in St James End.

A maroon Ford Focus collided with a blue Vauxhall Astra, leading to severe traffic delays in the area.

A spokeswoman from Northamptonshire Police say they are yet to find the driver of the Ford Focus and are asking them to come forward.

Anyone with information should call Northamptonshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers, in confidence, on 0800 555111.

A Kettering man was at the centre of a criminal gang which imported almost £120m of drugs into the UK.

Yesterday, the last man to be sentenced as part of a wide-ranging investigation into the supply ring was jailed at Northampton Crown Court.

Andreas Leonidou, 35, of Stapleton Hall Road, Crouch End, London, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class C drugs before a trial was due to start last year. He was sentenced to 18 months.

And George Charalambous, 35, of Alexander Park Road, Muswell Hill, London, was charged with one count of conspiracy to supply Class C drugs.

He was found guilty at trial last year and sentenced this April to two years imprisonment.

Leonidou and Charalambous’ criminal activity came to light during a major investigation by officers into Kettering man Daniel Taylor.

While Leonidou and Charalambous were relatively minor players in the conspiracy, Taylor was involved in a large-scale importation of benzocaine.

Taylor, 44, of St Andrews Lane, Kettering, appeared at court in October 2016, having been convicted of nine counts of production and supply of Class A, B and C drugs following a trial.

While the original case began in October 2016, sentencing for Charalambous and Leonidou had been delayed due to a Newton hearing – held before a judge to determine which conflicting evidence is the truth - which took place at court this year.

Taylor was sentenced to 18 years for masterminding one of the largest ever illegal importations of Benzocaine into the UK.

He was convicted of importing 2.7 tonnes of the cocaine cutting agent which would have given it an estimated street value of £118m.

Between 2011 and 2014 Taylor placed numerous orders of benzocaine – a cutting agent used to bulk out cocaine, from both UK and overseas companies.

The scale of the operation was uncovered in early 2014 after Border Force intercepted a 300kg shipment of benzocaine from a company in China and destined for Acuchem Ltd – a company set up by Taylor.

Taylor’s defence had been that he had sold most of the benzocaine to a man named Alexander Shennan, 65, of Roxton, Bedford, and that he believed it was to be used in the production of and within legal highs.

During the course of the investigation officers discovered Taylor was also sourcing and importing steroids to supply within the UK, to which Leonidou and Charalambous were connected.

Communications data linked Taylor to the importation, supply and purchase of anabolic steroids to and from James Lewis, 35, of Portland Road, Rushden.

Lewis was previously known as Glenn Parkes, before he legally changed his name.

Shennan was found guilty at trial of four counts relating to the production and supply of Class A, B and C drugs, and sentenced to 19 years in prison in October 2016.

James Lewis pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to supply Class C drugs. He was sentenced to two years in prison.

Taylor’s wife, Jo-Ann Taylor, pleaded guilty to money laundering offences and was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.

DC Scott Allan, who led the investigation, said: “This was a complicated investigation that involved two years of detailed enquiries by Northamptonshire Police in collaboration with the National Crime Agency (NCA), Border Force, Bedfordshire and Met Police Forces.

“I would also like to thank the Crown Prosecution Service for presenting such a clear, comprehensive and persuasive case.

“The defendants in this case used the guise of legitimate companies to purchase, manufacture and sell controlled drugs, as well as cutting agents and pre-cursor chemicals used in the manufacture of Cocaine, Meth-Amphetamine and Anabolic Steroids, many of the items purchased where imported in from China.

“The criminal enterprise had been ongoing since early 2011, and had it not been for intervention initially from the NCA and Border Force and subsequent diligent and dedicated police work by the Organised Crime Team, I have no doubt their activity would have continued and the true enormity of the scale of drug activity would not have come to light.

“While sentencing had been delayed for some of the defendants due to legal proceedings, I am relieved that all have now received sentences and are behind bars.”

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a 30-year-old was suffered multiple stab wounds in an attack in Northampton this morning.

Officers were called after they received reports of a man stumbling outside an address close to the Mill Lane-Nene Way junction in Kings Heath, shortly before 4am today.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said the victim had suffered multiple stab wounds to the chest, back and abdomen and was taken by paramedics to Northampton General Hospital where his condition has improved during the day.

Det Sgt Hayley Thurston, who is leading the investigation, said: "This was an extremely violent incident in which the victim suffered very serious injuries.

"We have arrested one male on suspicion of attempted murder. We are particularly keen to speak to a number of other people in connection with this. One of them is described as a white woman, aged about 19, with a large build. She was about 5ft 5in to 5ft 6in with black hair that was tied back in a ponytail. She was thought to be wearing dungarees.

"We're also looking for two other girls, both white and aged about 14-15, with skinny builds and straight brown hair. We also want to speak to a boy aged about 16 with a small, slim build and dark brown hair. He was wearing a black top and jeans," Det Sgt Thurston added.

"Anyone with information about the attack should call Northamptonshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers, in confidence, on 0800 555111.

A man was featured on Crimewatch Roadshow in connection with a firearms offence in Northamptonshire.

Officers from Operation Worcester, which was set up to tackle drugs and firearms offences, believe Alain Mbuku, 32, may be able to assist with their investigation into the discharge of a firearm in Wellingborough in March 2016.

Mr Mbuku, who is also known as Alain Sengua, is from Bedford and officers are appealing for him to make contact with them.

Crimewatch Roadshow aired an appeal to trace Mr Mbuku last week, as part of their latest series, currently airing on BBC One at 9am, Monday to Friday.

Mr Mbuku, or anyone who knows of his whereabouts, is asked to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Northampton's heat wave could break by tonight (June 21) ahead of a heavy rain storm tomorrow morning.

The Met Office predict Northampton will experience highs of 30 degrees celsius by 3pm today (June 21), which could last until 7pm. Thunderstorms are also expected to arrive overnight.

But heavy rain has also been predicted starting 8am tomorrow (June 22) with highs dropping back down to only 21 degrees.

Today also marks the summer solstice and is the longest day of the year, with the sun setting at 9:29pm.

Organiser Crispin Slee, who has been running the event since 2014, wants the local ciders to be a central feature of this year’s festival and is thrilled that three cideries have opened in the county this year.

He said: “Cider making is taking off in Northamptonshire, with new makers popping up all over the county - we need to support these new businesses.”

Among the new brands are two different makers – one from Badby and the other from Pipewell near Kettering – who have chosen the same name: 'Badboy'.

Julie Bridge from Badby chose the name as a play on the village name and by coincidence, Shawn Baker of Pipewell claimed the name when he couldn’t use Butcher’s Boy.

Shawn is the son of a livestock farming family and will also have a stall at the festival selling his artisan sausages.

The other new cider maker is Ben Healy from Winwick.

The trio joins the county’s cider grandees – Phil Saxby from Farndish, Davey Chambers from Greens Norton, John Malvern from Daventry and Angus Richards from Eydon– who will all have their tipples at the festival.

Organisers say, the festival is a celebration of real cider and artisan sausages and will take place at the Old Scouts playing field in Rushmere Road, Northampton on Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25.

Adults are £6 in advance and £8 on the gate.

The rugby club will also play host to bouncy castles, bubble football and a free family circus.

For more information, visit the Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/NorthamptonSausageAndCiderFestival/

Danielle Stone (Castle, Lab), said: “The weather was with us and we had a wonderful afternoon with lots of children and their adults having a great time.

"Everyone loved the animals, the reptiles, the farm animals and the birds of prey.

"It was great to see a lot of activity with young people having a go on the trapeze with the circus school and drumming with the African drummers. The donkeys were a great hit and the three-week-old piglets drew 'oohs and aahs' from everyone."

The Spring Borough's estate also welcomed hospitality throughout the day, which was provided by Castle Hill Church, the Lasaan restaurant and the Arabic community.

She paid thanks to those that made the day a success including Northamptonshire Police, a whole host of volunteers and Northamptonshire Community Foundation and councillors who pledged to fund the day.

But "the biggest thanks go to the community for turning out and making our day so successful,” she added.

A €1million greyhound subjected to a high-profile ‘dog-napping’ could land the biggest prize in racing when it lines up in the English Greyhound Derby at Towcester.

The likely presence of superstar Clares Rocket in the field for the £350,000 Star Sports Greyhound Derby on Saturday, July 1 has triggered a review of the track’s security operation, with extra staff drafted in to guarantee the dog’s safety.

Clares Rocket was snatched from his yard in Limerick, Ireland in December last year, prompting an investigation which saw police dramatically stop a car during an attempted handover of the dog, with the kidnappers demanding a ‘ransom’ for the canine speedster.

Four men with links to dissident republicans, including one who survived a 2015 assassination attempt, were later arrested.

Security has now been stepped up ahead of the sport’s biggest race – which is being held for the first time at Towcester next month.

Kevin Ackerman, chief executive of Towcester Racecourse, said: “These greyhounds are superstars and as such are extremely valuable. Clares Rocket is arguably the most exciting of them all and, with a likely stud value of €1m, we need to ensure his safety.

“We have reviewed our security arrangements and no stone is being left unturned to make sure all the dogs involved in the Greyhound Derby are protected.

“Each dog will be escorted from the kennels to the track by its own verified security team and we have invested in an enhanced CCTV system to provide panoramic coverage of the track. There will also be a notable police presence on the night.”

The dogs will remain in their kennels until shortly before the start of the race, and CCTV at the ground will monitor the kennels and security staff will be patrolling the area as well.

Police officer numbers will be slightly higher than usual at Towcester Racecourse given the nature of the event. A Racecourse spokesman said that, should there be any animal rights protestors on the day, the police will be able to manage the situation comfortably without extra security measures.

The kidnapping of Clares Rocket has drawn parallels with the disappearance of Shergar, the prized racehorse who was stolen from Ballymany Stud in County Kildare by masked gunmen in 1983 and was never seen again.

If he makes the final, Clares Rocket will go head-to-head with five rivals to compete for the £175,000 first prize, with a sell-out 10,000 crowd set to descend on Northamptonshire for the race - the biggest ever to be staged at Towcester.

The event will feature a live DJ set from Northamptonshire-based DJ Jo Whiley while eight 80-seater coaches are being laid on to provide free transport from Milton Keynes and Northampton. These can be booked on a first come, first served basis. Free parking is also available at the Racecourse.

Mr Ackerman added: “A night at the races is always an occasion to remember but this is a chance to be part of something special – a chance to see history made – and we can’t wait to see the best greyhounds in the world at Towcester.”

Tickets, priced £20 for adults, are available to buy now at www.towcester-racecourse.co.uk while admission for under 16s is free. This is a ticket only event. Hospitality packages including a four-course meal and private bar are available by calling 01327 353414.

A Towcester father will hike up Mount Kilimanjaro later this year to help raise funds for the hospice which takes care of his terminally ill baby daughter.

In August 2015 Hugh and Demet Taylor’s daughter Melina was born, but eight weeks later she was diagnosed with a rare and deadly illness, spinal muscular atrophy type 1.

The genetic disease causes muscle degeneration resulting in the babies losing their ability to move, swallow and smile, and ultimately preventing them from breathing.

When Melina is feeling particularly poorly the Taylors take her to Helen and Douglas House, a children’s hospice in Oxford, and Hugh wants to repay the care the staff have given his daughter by climbing Africa’s tallest mountain in September.

“You expect a hospice to be a sad place but when you get there all the staff are smiling,” said Hugh.

“They know Melina and it’s not only the help they give to her but also to my wife.

“I want to thank the staff for making Melina’s short life happy. More than anything it’s the fact that they shine a light in an otherwise difficult situation.”

When a baby is diagnosed with SMA their chances of reaching their first birthday are around the five per cent mark.

Melina, however, has fought bravely against the illness and will celebrate her second birthday in two months.

“We as parents have fought for her but in return she has been incredible,” said Hugh.

“We managed to get Melina on a clinical trial which only 120 babies worldwide were on. Unfortunately she ended up being the baby who was given the placebo.

“It was a horrific and frustrating situation but we didn’t take it badly because Melina will help other children in the future to get better.”

The drug is being rolled out in America and Europe after the tests showed that the health of the babies on the drug improved significantly when compared to those on the placebo.

Hugh said: “The fact that Melina has gone through all that, not received the drug, and that she is still with us is amazing in itself.”

On September 10, Hugh will begin the five-day trek up Mount Kilimanjaro accompanied by his best friend Gary Purnell.

He hopes to raise money for the hospice which currently receives little funding from the Government, relying mainly on private donations.

You can donate to Hugh’s cause here.

A Northampton village has thanked the captain of their local Boys' Brigade division for 50 years of service by sending him to a royal garden party.

Doug Wright, 71, from Harpole, was invited to Buckingham Palace for one of the Queen's annual garden parties to thank him for his service to generations of boys in his village.

He joined the Harpole Boys' Brigade in 1956 when he was 11, but he loved the youth organisation so much he has now served as a leader of the group for 50 years.

Mr Wright said: "Five generations of my family have been in the Boys' Brigade now. My grandfather and my father were in it, my son and my grandson have been in it, and I'm currently its captain.

"Being in the Boys' Brigade gives you a strong grounding for life. It teaches obedience, reverence, discipline and self-respect."

Mr Wright has been leading the boys of Harpole at weekly meetings as their captain for 34 years, and he invited to visit Buckingham Palace in May after being nominated for his services by Harpole Parish Council.

He said: "I couldn't believe I was going. It was a glorious sunny day. It's an amazing feeling to walk right into Buckingham Palace, sit in its garden and start eating cucumber sandwiches.

"I didn't get to meet any of the royal family, but the Queen was there of course, even if I only saw her at a distance. It was a brilliant day.

"It's been wonderful seeing these youngsters growing up over the years, and some of them even come back when they're older to say thank you.

"The Boys' Brigade has always been appreciated in the village, from our parades on Remembrance Sunday to our charity work. We pride ourselves on hard work and good fun."

The Harpole Boys' Brigade meets at Harpole Methodist Chapel, in School Lane, every Wednesday at 6.30pm and are always open to new members. They are open to all ages between 5 and 18.

Visit the Harpole Boys' Brigade on the parish council website for more information.

Miglio Designer Jewellery is a small company, established in Cape Town, South Africa back in the 1990's by designers Jenny and Mike Miller and is marketed from Northampton by their daughter, Victoria Miller.

But recently, the company has been made aware that pieces from their September 2015 collection seemed to have appeared on the stands of high street giants, Marks & Spencer.

Victoria said: "Recently we were informed that Marks & Spencer were selling jewellery bearing a striking resemblance to our own.

"We are a small company, my mum designs from the heart and there is just no way we can compete with a high street giant."

The company based in Lakeside House, Northampton says that one significant difference between Marks & Spencer products and Miglio's is the quality.

On taking a trip to the Abington Street branch in Northampton, the company claims that there is more than one product, which is very similar to their creations.

Jenny Miller, company director said: “We are fortunate our customers are loyal and brought this to our attention.

"But how many other designers and businesses are Marks and Spencer, and other high street department stores imitating?

"We work extremely hard to provide affordable, good quality jewellery and this situation could compromise us as a business and jewellery maker - but we can’t compete with someone like M&S.”

A spokeswoman for M&S said: “We take all claims of intellectual property infringement extremely seriously and we’re happy to discuss this with Miglio if they would like to get in contact with us directly.”

The policy should be "enforced" across the town to curb pollutant levels and would have an immediate benefit, says Northampton's labour leader Danielle Stone.

The comments come as recommendations for the Northampton Borough Council's draft emissions strategy are discussed at a full cabinet meeting tonight (June 21).

But as this week's ongoing heatwave threatens to cause more pollution problems, other parties say the emissions strategy looks "weak and unfocused" with not enough being done to combat pollution on a short-term basis.

Councillor Stone said: "I'm very disappointed in the proposed emissions strategy. We have a serious pollution issue in the town and it's urgent that it gets addressed. The proposals are only looking at long-term plans and we need something done now."

A Northampton Borough Council report claims that one-in-20 deaths in Northampton, or roughly 102 deaths a year, can be attributed to air pollutants, and in particular pointed to the diesel engine byproduct nitrogen dioxide as the main cause of health problems.

Councillor Stone said: "One of the things Labour have called for is to stop cars idling in traffic. Taxis and buses waiting for fares and cars standing in traffic for 20 minutes with the engine running can cause the most awful air pollution.

"The Highways Act says it is a legal requirement to turn off your engine after two minutes, and this can be enforced by borough council officers and parking attendants. This would be an immediate benefit to the air pollution levels of Northampton."

But the Green Party's Tony Clarke, a former MP for Northampton South, said: "Buses and all diesel engines have higher pollution levels at the point they are started. Turning them off and on again would only cause even more pollution.

"What Northampton Borough Council needs to do is get the bus companies to retroactively fit their buses so they no longer run on diesel, and say if they don't make these changes then they can't operate in this town."

A road in Kingsthorpe briefly became the most polluted area in the country last July when a traffic jam during a heatwave brought ozone levels to just short of the "dangerous" threshold set by the European Union.

Northampton Borough Council monitors the town's production of the poisonous diesel engine byproduct nitrogen dioxide through a series of testing stations.

In 2016, 47 of Northampton's 70 stations registered illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide, according to EU guidelines.

At time of writing, this data is not available on the Northampton Borough Council's website. Additionally, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) have not listed any updated figures for the town's pollution levels for over 10 years.

Also, a pollution forecast produced by DEFRA predicts a higher than average pollution level in Northampton today (June 21) as temperatures are set to rise to 32 degrees celsius.

Mr Clarke said: "The Northampton Borough Council's emissions strategy so far is not fit for purpose. They could make changes immediately; they are not forthcoming with their pollution data; our cycle network could be one of the worst in the East Midlands and doesn't support or encourage cycling; and our Hackney Carriage taxi cabs are too dirty by even London's regulations.

"When you think about how 102 deaths a year in Northampton are down to pollution, it's just shocking."

Recommendations for the emissions plan include setting up a town-wide air quality management zone and installing electric car charging points in car parks and residential streets across Northampton.

Councillor Mike Hallam, cabinet member for the environment, said: “We have been working with a range of partners to develop a borough-wide low-emission strategy and associated action plan to improve the air quality in the town.

“The strategy isn’t due for publication until later in the year as we wanted the input of the overview and scrutiny panel. Recommendations from the panel will be discussed at a cabinet meeting on June 21.”

When then council leader David Mackintosh revealed proposals to buy part of the former County Hall jail block using the monies form the sale of the ancient Sekhemka statue in 2014, the scheme was originally costed at £14 million.

But with the council now setting this phase of the project at £7.7 million, Liberal Democrat leader at the Guildhall Councillor Sally Beardsworth (Lib Dem, Kingsthorpe) has asked for detailed plans to be revealed.

She said: "If I was having an extension at home I would know where every light switch was going to go before building even started.

"You would have thought they would have learned their lessons from Abington Street. They seem to have rushed into this process."

The council says it has produced a business case for the museum expansion but has not made it public due to commercial sensitivity.

A spokeswoman for the authority confirmed that visitor figures are projected to be between 100,000 and 130,000 people each year.

She also said the cost of buying the adjoining former old jail block was £900,000, while £100,000 of the £7.7 million total cost of the scheme is being spent on consultants.

The new building will feature new galleries and a glass atrium linking the buildings. There will be a new temporary exhibitions gallery in the old gaol block and a great hall events space.

A large cafe will be run by an outside operator, with the whole expansion due to open in 2018 on a precise date yet to be set.

Later phases of the work, including further expansion into the jail block, are expected to be paid for through 'fundraising activity' and grants and could bring the whole project up to the initial £14 million, first announced in 2014.

However, designs and artists' impressions of the interior have been so far absent.

"We don't know what it is going to look like," said Councillor Beardsworth.

"People want to know what is being built.

"If the museum does become a trust, it will need to be a viable business. If it's too big it might not be viable."

Replying to Councillor Beardsworth at Monday night's full borough council meeting, cabinet member for community engagement, Councillor Anna King, (Con, Phippsville) said; "Final design work is being completed and will be available for the public to view soon with a range of exhibitions and activities going on tour.

"A final date will be known once all initial tests are completed."

A man who police in Northamptonshire want to speak to in connection with a firearms offence has featured on Crimewatch Roadshow.

Officers from Operation Worcester, a police drive to tackle drugs and firearms offences, believe Alain Mbuku, 32, may be able to help with their investigation into the discharge of a firearm in Wellingborough in March 2016.

Mr Mbuku, who is also known as Alain Sengua, is from Bedford and officers are appealing for him to make contact with them.

Crimewatch Roadshow aired an appeal to trace Mr Mbuku last week, as part of its latest series which is currently airing on BBC One at 9am Monday to Friday.

Mr Mbuku, or anyone who knows of his whereabouts, is asked to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.