A planning committee has recommended that an additional public exhibition on the proposals for the strategic rail freight interchange (SRFI) be held in a Northamptonshire town.

People in Towcester will be asked for their views on the plans as well as residents of Collingtree, Milton Malsor, Blisworth and Roade, who will be directly affected by virtue of the depot being proposed on the land between the villages.

The proposal, known as The Northampton Gateway SRFI, would comprise: a rail freight terminal with rail sidings, a gantry crane and container storage area, up to 468,000sq metres of associated warehousing with vehicle access via the A508, proposed highway works including a reconfiguration of junction 15 of the M1 and a new A508 bypass for Roade.

Submitted by Roxhill Ltd, the proposal is separate from a similar one submitted by Ashfield Land Management for another rail freight terminal, known as Rail Central SRFI, on adjoining land at Arm Farm between Milton Malsor and Blisworth.

On August 3 South Northamptonshire Council’s (SNC) Planning Committee recommended that an additional public exhibition be held in Towcester during the consultation period, that the Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC) be revised to include details of this event, and that matters covered in the consultation should be set out more clearly.

Cllr Roger Clarke, SNC’s portfolio holder for planning and environment said: “As with the proposed Rail Central SRFI we think it is vital all those who might be affected to have a fair opportunity to view the proposals for the Northampton Gateway SRFI and have their views recorded.”

The statutory consultation will run for six weeks from Monday, October 2, 2017 until Monday, November 13, 2017.

During this time, consultation documents describing the proposal will be available for the public to view at libraries in Roade, Wootton, Hunsbury and at The Forum in Towcester, as well as the offices of Northampton Borough Council and Northamptonshire County Council.

Public exhibitions are provisionally proposed to be held in the following locations:

- Hilton Hotel, Collingtree – Monday, October 9, 1.30pm to 7.30pm

- The Royal Oak pub, Blisworth, - Wednesday, October 11, 1.30pm to 7.30pm

- Milton Malsor Village Hall, Friday, October 13, 2pm to 7-30pm

- Roade Primary School – Saturday, October 14, 12 noon to 5pm

A summary document is to be delivered by the applicant to all households and businesses within the consultation area, with key details of the proposed development and information on how individuals can make representations.

As nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIP) these proposals will be examined by the Planning Inspectorate and decided by the Secretary of State with SNC acting only as a statutory consultee.

Following a £800,000 investment to the former Groove nightclub in Gold Street, Turtle Bay will create 50 new jobs in the run up to the restaurant opening date on Sunday, September 24.

Now, Turtle Bay is calling on aspiring restaurant and bar staff to join the team for two-day recruitment sessions where hopefuls will be tasked with various challenges on the day 'designed to bring out the applicant’s personality'.

Jacob Cross, new openings manager from Turtle Bay, said: “The auditions are a great couple of days and are a really fun way of getting in tune with the Caribbean vibe and the essence of Turtle Bay.

"We can’t wait to meet the interviewees from the Northampton area as we gear up for our opening. It’s set to be an eventful couple of days."

Turtle Bay's signature dishes include their 'famous' jerk chicken and curried goat, but the eatery says that there is plenty for all palettes to choose from, including a burger menu, salad selection and a selection of dishes for vegetarians, vegans and gluten free diners.

A Northampton hospital is using scooters, Saints bed sheets and fidget spinners to make young patients feel more at home in care.

Yesterday (August 17), BMI Three Shires Hospital, off Cliftonville, opened a refitted consultancy room especially for children yesterday (August 17), with Saints winger George North on hand to cut the ribbon.

The service has been kitted out with children in mind, with low-seat sofas, toddler-sized chairs and a "distraction box" of toys like fidget spinners to help young patients when they have blood taken.

Poorly inpatients who are fit enough can also take a scooter or pedal car on their trips to see specialists across the hospital.

The approach comes after Three Shires launched their children's service for under 18s in March, but took on feedback from parents that the care was too "adult".

Parent Claire Heath, 46, from Earls Barton, who helped shape the new approach, said: "My little boy needed surgery in March. It's a worrying time for a parent but from a child's point of view, it can be just daunting. It's important to be relaxed and not stress."

As part of their care, young patients' rooms are furnished ahead of their arrival with personalised bedsheets, such as Saints colours or Disney's Frozen, which were donated by a member of staff.

Executive director of Three Shires, which is a private hospital, Dominic Bath said: "It can be incredibly stressful to come into a hospital and we should do what we can to make a visit more child-friendly.

"We now have a stationed paediatric nurse at all times and a dedicated space for them to come off of general anaesthetic after surgery."

Plans have been submitted to bulldoze a largely vacant cul-de-sac near Northampton and replace it with 22 new social homes.

The long-awaited proposals for Toms Close in Collingtree have finally been submitted to Northampton Borough Council by the authority's social housing management company, Northampton Partnership Homes.

The street is still home to 17 pre-fabricated Airey properties built in the 1940s following the end of the Second World War.

But over the past years residents of the close have gradually moved out as the properties have fallen into disrepair.

In 2015 the borough council launched plans to demolish the entire close, but it sparked a row between the authority and those who owned their Airey properties on the cul-de-sac.

Former master builder Richard Crow, who had lived in number 10 for 50 years when the scheme was announced, said the £122,000 the council were offering to compulsorily purchase his home would not have been enough to buy a new house.

Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH) has now lodged multi-million plans to knock down the empty Airey homes and replace them with 21 modern new properties. It is understood those who wish to stay, including Mr Crow, will be allowed to.

All of the new houses, of varying sizes, will be available for social rent.

A spokeswoman for NPH said: "We have applied to Northampton Borough Council for planning permission to build 21 new homes at Toms Close. There is a huge demand for affordable housing in Northampton and if approved, this development will provide good quality homes in a great location for 21 families in housing need.

"We have appointed contractors to carry out the first phase of the redevelopment, which will allow existing residents to remain in Toms Close. Pending planning approval, we will then be in the exciting position of being able to use this land to provide much needed affordable housing in Northampton."

Airey Houses were designated defective under the 1985 Housing Act where it was found the presence of chlorides in the concrete were resulting in the corrosion of the steel reinforcements and cracking of the concrete.

A section from the design and access statement of NPH's plans, states: "The development proposals will improve Toms Close both visually and physically providing improved highways and services."

The red unmarked Vauxhall can be seen approaching at speed in the opposite on Dashcam footage seen by the Chronicle and Echo.

The clip, above, clearly shows the car driving the opposite side of a set of bollards and forcing a silver car, travelling in the opposite direction, to swerve at the last second.

The vehicle was responding to an emergency callout along Weedon Road at 6.08pm on Thursday, August 16 and was caught on camera near to the Saints rugby ground.

"An ambulance and a fire engine had already gone up the road a few minutes earlier when this car was driven erratically up the same stretch of road," said the owner of the Dashcam footage.

"They had absolutely no reason to go around the bollard like that as the cars in front of him or her were clearing it and moving over.

"It appears to be someone running on too much adrenaline."

Mick Conlon, the group commander at Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue, promised to launch a full investigation.

He said: "We believe that this video shows one of our vehicles driven in a manner that fails to reach an acceptable standard.

"We are now in the process of a full investigation into this incident.

"I would like to see reassure the public that we will be taking appropriate action."

Major proposals to knock down the fire-ravaged former Fat Cat bar on Bridge Street and replace it with a £10 million hotel are set to be submitted to the council.

The Old Northampton Group (ONG) has given the Chronicle & Echo an exclusive glimpse of its most ambitious project yet - a bid to turn around one of the town centre’s most prominent eyesores.

Five years after a blaze destroyed the Fat Cat Cafe bar, the company, which owns four other venues across town, now wants to restore the site as the Angel Hotel.

Plans drawn up by the same architects that renovated the town’s Guildhall Stimpson Walton Board, show the three-storey hotel would have 84 beds with the current courtyard area converted into glass-fronted shops.

The company spokesman said it was ONG’s most ambitious project yet.

“We won’t see much change out of £10 million, let’s put it that way,” he said.

But added that the new hotel would require a complete demolition of the former Fat cat site.

“We are going to knock the whole thing down and start again,” he said.

“The fire was five years ago. The foundations there are gone, the building can’t be saved.”

To date, the group has invested £9 million across its four venues in Northampton: The Dept for Meat and Social Affairs, the Old House, Sazerac and the Lighthouse.

It has also recently purchased a former car park next to the Lighthouse in Wellingborough Road, which it plans to turn into a bar and restaurant.

The details of that scheme are being kept under wraps, but the spokesman confirmed the new venue would be “completely different” to its current venues.

The Fat Cat scheme, the spokesman said, could reinvigorate Bridge Street, which has been covered in scaffolding since 2012.

“Bridge Street is an eyesore in the town centre,”said the spokesman.

“We get a lot of negative feedback about it.

“This could be seen as a key project the town,

“The hotel is a step towards to opening Bridge Street up to a daytime economy as well as a nighttime economy.”

The scheme has been two-and-a-half years in the making due to complications around the ownership of the Fat Cat site and the level of research that has gone into the design of the hotel.

Old Northampton Group had considered a hotel close to Delapre Abbey, but a planning agreement wit they Marriott Hotel chain prevents any competition in the area.

Proposals are to restore the Angel Hotel as close as possible to the way it looked in the 18th and 19th centuries with an exposed brick front.

The Old Northampton Group spokesman said the plan is to create a four star venue, which he says is currently lacking in the town centre.

ONG also aims to use local contractors for all of the building work.

The retail units in the courtyard, which could include cafe’s and shops, will effectively back onto the county council’s multi-million pound new offices in Angel Street.

“This has always been about adding value to Northampton,” said the ONG spokesman.

“If this was just about making money, we would have opened somewhere in London or Milton Keynes.

“This is about regenerating an area and getting local people behind this.

“This is our home town.

“It means a lot to us.”

The New Years Day fire at the Fat Cat Cafe Bar came as a huge blow to traders back in 2012.

Not only was a Grade II listed building gutted, but the street was left blighted by scaffolding and an unsightly wooden underpass.

Records show a hotel may have existed on site of the former Fat Cat as early as 1585 . It was rebuilt in 1746 with various additions being made over the years.

But a document compiled by architects Stimpson Walton Bond shows that the fire and water damage from the 2012 blaze was so severe “significant elements” have been recommended for demolition.

The Fat Cat chain had hoped to reopen the site within a year of the devastating fire, which was believed to have been caused by accident during roofing works.

Managing director Matt Saunders said at the time he was expecting to open again “within eight to nine months” as the company was only halfway through a 20-year lease.

But in 2013 any hopes of a swift refurbishment were dashed when Fat Cat went into administration.

At the time Mohammed Ahmin, director of The Royal Bengal restaurant that had been on the street for 40 years, said he was getting “quite concerned” about the lack of a tenant to push the work forward.

Balloon Bar the neighbouring premises, opened again in 2013 however.

Traders have put up with the scaffolding for the past four years and many have cited the ugly metal poles and coverings as a reason for a dip in trade.

Mr Ahmin eventually elected to shut the Royal Bengal in April after stating the “reputation” of Bridge Street had hampered trade.

Hope resurfaced in 2016, when the Old Northampton Group bought the site off its landlords in Ireland.

A spokesman for the company told the Chron that it was working with Heritage England on an exciting new scheme for the former Fat Cat.

The site is believed to have played host to the oldest coaching house in the country.

“We’ve put two or three different proposals forward,” he told the Chron in March 2016.

“At this stage it’s highly unlikely it will be a bar.

“I can say the project we have in mind will be pretty spectacular.”

Plans for the new Angel Hotel are set to be submitted in September, with construction work due to commence in “early 2018”.

​Four unknown offenders on three motorbikes wheeled off another motorbike in Northampton town centre.

The theft happened in Mercers Row between 5pm and 5.30pm yesterday (August 17) when one of the bikes mounted the pavement outside the Nationwide before the passenger wheeled the stolen motorcycle (pictured) off in the direction of Nandos.

One of the males was wearing a green and blue motorbike helmet with a grey hoodie, a second wore grey trousers and had a dark grey and black motorbike helmet.

The third offender was wearing cream trousers, a black hoodie and a white helmet with stripes down the middle. A fourth male was wearing dark grey tracksuit bottoms, a navy blue hoodie and a light blue helmet.

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

Children who skip breakfast may be doing themselves long term harm by not getting enough nutrients, warns new research.

The findings show that youngsters who often skip the first meal of the day may not be consuming the daily amounts of key nutrients for growth and development recommended by Government guidelines.

British kids who ate breakfast every day were deemed to have ‘overall superior nutritional profiles’ compared to those who didn’t.

The eaters were found to have higher daily intakes of key nutrients such as folate, important for the development of genetic material, calcium, iron and iodine,

key to the development of thyroid function, than children who skipped breakfast.

The study also showed that only 6.5 per cent of four to 10-year-olds missed breakfast every day, compared with more than a quarter of 11 to 18-year-olds (27 per cent).

The findings also suggested that girls were more likely to miss breakfast than boys while household income was found to be higher in the families of children eating breakfast every day.

The researchers from King’s College London used food diaries collected for the National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling programme between 2008 and 2012 from a group of 802 children aged from four to 10 and 884 children aged 11 to 18.

Nutrient intake was assessed using a food composition databank from the Department of Health.

Breakfast was considered as consumption of more than 100 calories between 6am and 9am.

The findings also showed that almost a third of those who skipped breakfast (31.5 per cent) didn’t meet even the lower recommended nutrient intake (LRNI) of iron, compared to only 4.4 per cent of children who ate breakfast.

A fifth of non-breakfast eating kids (19 per cent) didn’t meet LRNI for calcium, compared to 2.9 per cent of those who had breakfast, while 21.5 per cent didn’t meet lower levels for iodine, compared to 3.3 per cent of those who ate breakfast.

None of the children who ate breakfast daily had a folate intake below their LRNI, compared to 7.3 per cent of those who skipped breakfast.

The study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition and conducted with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, also compared breakfast habits and nutrients within individual participants.

The analysis showed that, in children aged four to 10-years-old, on days when breakfast was consumed, children had higher intakes of folate, calcium, vitamin C and iodine compared to their breakfast-skipping days.

Out of these same nutrients, for older children aged 11 to 18 only calcium intakes were higher on breakfast-consuming days.

The researchers attributed the findings to higher levels of parental control over eating habits at a young age.

They said there is also the possibility of mis-reporting in food diaries, particularly in older children who reported their own intakes.

Study senior author Dr Gerda Pot, lecturer in Nutritional Sciences at King’s College London said: “This study provides evidence that breakfast is key for parents to ensure that their children are getting the nutrition they need.”

She added: “Further studies that investigate specific foods and dietary quality would help to identify if the differences are due to the different types of breakfast being eaten by different age groups, as well as provide more insight into the impact of breakfast on dietary quality overall.”

A Brackley man has swum across the world’s busiest shipping lane to raise money for a children’s charity.

Jeam-Michel Dixte, 43, set off at 4.40am accompanied by the Sea Farer II boat and took 14 hours and 22 minutes to cross the English Channel, setting foot in Wissant, France around 7pm.

Sea temperature was around the 18C mark throughout the crossing, just above the average of 16C.

His mother Christine said her son was able to complete the swim despite tearing his shoulder cuff.

Jean-Michel, who is married with two children, practised for three years and paid £6,000 of expenses the challenge entails himself, namely the hiring of the boat, an observer, training sessions and a swimming certificate.

Part of his training saw him join a training group in Dover.

Jean-Michel is raising money for the DM Thomas Foundation for Young People, and hopes to collect £5,000 in total.

The foundation are dedicated to helping disabled, sick and disadvantaged children to transform their lives. You can donate here.

A new season of wedding fairs is about to get underway, organised by Silverlinings.

The series of 11 fairs starts on September 3 at Knuston Lodge Farm and finishes on November 19 at Northampton Guildhall. The autumn series includes some brand new venues and some of their biggest ever fairs.

Building on their previous success, the fairs will be attended by a specially selected number of local wedding suppliers including photographers, cake decorators, and car hire companies.

This season, the stunning Lyveden New Bield is hosting a wedding fair for the first time. Now a National Trust property, it was left unfinished in 1605 when its original owner Sir Thomas Tresham died and today hosts marquee weddings in the gardens. The fair at Lyveden New Bield is on October 1.

Emma Tuckley from Silverlinings said: “We’re excited for our new season of wedding fairs, which includes some great new venues.

"We hope all those couples who got engaged over the summer will come along and find inspiration for their own wedding.”

One of the largest fairs of the season will be held at Northants County Cricket Club on October 15, where over 40 wedding suppliers will be exhibiting. Couples will be able to explore the venue and see what there is to offer.

Claire Clarke from Northants County Cricket Club said: “Autumn wedding fairs are always an exciting showcase of the next year’s predicted trends and we’re excited to see the variety of local suppliers that are sure to have been lined up for couples looking for inspiration for their big day."

Very slow traffic and an average speed of 5mph has been reported on the A45 Nene Valley Way and London Road.

Another traffic collision has also partially blocked the A5080 St Andrew's Road both ways at the junction with Saint Andrew's Road.

Slow traffic has also been reported on the M1 near Kislingbury with an average speed of 10mph.

It comes as heavy rain has hit Northampton for the afternoon drive home.

More to follow.

A Northamptonshire resident has accepted a £150 fixed penalty fine after dumping two black bags of general waste into a supermarket recycling bin.

On Thursday, May 15 an environmental enforcement officer from South Northamptonshire Council (SNC) witnessed the man placing the black bags into a wheelie bin, designated for recycling, at Waitrose in Towcester.

The enforcement officer recovered the bags and upon inspection found it contained clothing, vehicle keys, addressed paperwork and other general waste.

The man voluntarily attended an interview at the SNC offices where he admitted the offence and accepted a fixed penalty notice.

Cllr Dermot Bambridge, SNC’s portfolio holder for environmental services said: “Fixed penalty notices for fly tipping are £250, but this gentleman benefitted from an early payment discount.

“We can’t, and wouldn’t want to have enforcement officers on every corner, so people need to be aware if they are caught red-handed we will not be overlooking an offence such as this.”

Details of household tips and ways to manage household waste, can be found on the SNC website, alternatively call 01327 322344 to discuss any problems you might have.

Northampton's mayor is hoping publicans will help raise money for his chosen charity by buying kegs of his new beer.

Mayor's Mash is a 4.2 per cent golden Northampton ale brewed by Phipps NBC and endorsed by Northants CAMRA, which is available for pre-order now.

And the man on its label Councillor Gareth Eales, has pledged to donate all profits from casks sold to his chosen charity for the year, Alfie Bear's Journey .

He said: "We are now taking orders and the beer will be on sale in the near future.

"So, if you own, run or work in a pub and want to take part and sell Mayor's Mash, please get in touch. Or if you're a regular in a pub and you want your local to take part and serve up Mayor's Mash, please encourage your local to contact us. "

For more details, or to order casks of Mayor's Mash, email mayor@northampton.gov.uk or call (Northampton) 837804.

"Let's try and get this beer in as many pubs as we can and raise as much money for Alfie Bear's Journey," Councillor Eales added.

Alfie Bear's Journey raises funds for paediatric brain tumour research, to help children affected by a DIPG tumour. For more information on Alfie Bears Journey, head to the charity website here.

The Independent Café / Tea Room of the Year’ in this year’s Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards saw many culinary successes from around the county.

The competition, which is now in its ninth year, is aimed at celebrating all that is great about local produce and drink, recognising excellence within the county’s dining venues and rewarding those who work hard within the culinary sector.

It was scored by a panel of judges which included former cookery school director Mary Laing, Fabien Levet, who was proudly representing Pidy UK, and Deborah Manger, a contestant in the 2013 series of the ‘Great British Bake Off’.

Deborah said: “It’s obvious that the news about these awards has spread and the venues participating are just upping their game, year on year.

“Not only did they create some amazing cakes and scones, but they did it all with such calmness which was great to watch. I was really very impressed."

There were four finalists chosen to compete at the bake-off at Northampton College.

Forget Me Not Café, Moulton, Workbridge Coffee Shop, Northampton, The Apothocoffee Shop, Earls Barton and The Bread & Butter Factory, Northampton.

The four finalists now have to wait until Wednesday, November 15 to discover their fate when the winners and runners-up in all of the categories will be announced at the Awards Dinner taking place at Northampton’s Royal & Derngate.

A traveller encampment consisting of more than 30 caravans has been given orders to leave a playing field in the east of Northampton.

The caravans arrived at Northampton Borough Council owned Lings Park, off Lings Way, and stopped by the football pitches there on Thursday.

A Northamptonshire County Council spokesman said on behalf of the Countywide Traveller Unit: “We are aware of a group of around 30 vehicles that arrived yesterday and we have visited the site with Northamptonshire Police.

“Police have served a section 61 notice to vacate the site by this afternoon.”

A man and a woman are in police custody after six robberies in less than six hours in Wellingborough.

The first incident took place in Knox Road at about 7.20pm yesterday evening (Thursday), when the victim was approached by a man and woman who got out of a black car.

The man pushed her to the ground and stole her bag.

In Stanwell Way at about 7.50pm, just 30 minutes later, a man got out of a dark-coloured car and attempted to grab the victim’s handbag, pulling her to the floor as he did so.

Passers-by came to help and the offender made off empty-handed.

Five minutes later at about 7.55pm in Westfield Road, a man got out of a black car, approached the victim and stole her rucksack.

About an hour later, at 8.50pm, in Gillitts Road, the driver of a dark-coloured car approached a woman with her two children, grabbed her and made an unsuccessful attempt to steal her handbag.

Two further incidents happened in Cannon Street, one at about 12.25am today (Friday, 18 August) and the other a few minutes later.

The victims were threatened by a man and had property stolen.

Officers are appealing for witnesses and anyone with any information about any of the incidents is asked to call Northamptonshire Police on 101.

Alternatively, the can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Mini-lover and owner, Deborah James - affectionately known as 'Debs' - passed away on July 27 at Cynthia Spencer Hospice.

For the 37-year-olds last wish, Deborah of St Crispins, asked for a Mini convoy to follow the hearse to Towcester Road cemetery.

Her brother, Derek Rusling, led the 42 cars while driving Deborah's own Mini and described the send off for the mum-of-one as "amazing."

"She put it in her will that she wanted a convoy of Minis at her funeral," he said.

"We thought we would get half a dozen cars, we put it on social media and it just went mad - we were over whelmed, most of those people we didn't know, it's really humbling.

"It was an amazing day, we were equally as joyful as we were sorrowful."

As a result of her cancer diagnosis, Deborah started up her own HR business specialised in running workshops teaching employers how to treat staff with cancer in the workplace.

She often fundraised for Bowel Cancer UK, raising awareness for their 'Never Too Young' campaign and took part in the Race For Life in 2016 where she gave a speech to an audience in Abington Park about her two-year on-and-off battle with the illness.

The family would like to thank Wollaston BMW, Northamptonshire Police and Northampton Town Football Club for their support on the day.

Colin Whitlock, from Helmdon, Brackley, was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court yesterday (August 18) after earlier pleading guilty to downloading and distributing the collection of extreme images.

They included nearly 200 files - both moving and still - that were classed as "category A", the most severe grading possible for their content.

His Honour Judge Timothy Smith said: "The images that you were viewing were images of real children, young children, being abused against their will. That is what you were viewing."

In July 2016, police searched Whitlock's house and found hundreds of indecent images of children on his phone, computer and two USB sticks.

Whitlock, who was "fully co-operative" with the police, had also shared 13 images from his collection with others by email and had amassed it over 18 months - right up until the night before the police intervened.

In sentencing, Judge Fowler said: "There is no excuse. It may give the impression that it was distant and they were just harmless photographs. How anyone can categorise them as harmless is beyond belief.

"You were dredging the darkest corners of the internet. Any why? To satisfy your own sexual gratification."

Whitlock was sentenced to 10 months suspended for two years. He has also been handed a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years and his devices have been destroyed."

A 66-year-old Northampton man is set to race the London Marathon in April to fundraise for MacMillan Cancer Support, who helped his late wife in her final stages of life.

Trevor Hardwell of West Hunsbury lost his wife, Ros to breast cancer in January this year and has since signed up to race 26-miles to help give back to the charity who helped support the duo.

The former housing officer from Bristol last raced a 10k back in 1998 and 19 years later he is gearing up to raise £2,500 in memory of Ros, who raced the marathon in 1982.

Not put off by age, Trevor, who has predicted his finishing line time at four hours 45 minutes, said: "It's a matter of belief if you believe you can do it, you will.

"I'm going to have to get a new pair of shoes, they were state of the art in 1982."

Ros, 71, formerly of Leamington Spa, was diagnosed with breast cancer back in March 2015 before the illness spread to her ribs and spine.

She was assigned a MacMillan nurse who supported the family bi-weekly and even assisted Trevor following Ros' death at her inquest.

"She was an individual, she was something else and really had a mind of her own and what she wanted to do, she did," he added.

"She didn't have a fear of dying, she was such good fun, the life, and soul, absolutely great."

Trevor was inspired to run again after listening to a radio interview featuring Eddie Izzard, who lost his mum, and felt he could relate to his struggle after Ros passed away.

He is now in the process of setting up a fundraising page so good-hearted Northamptonians can pledge some cash towards the good cause.

A mum-to-be from Northampton found the "paw-fect" way to make sure her husband heard the sound of their unborn baby daughter's heartbeat.

"Flo Berry recorded the heartbeat onto a chip inside a teddy bear during a routine NHS scan and sent a video of it to her husband Ian, who was away from home, training to be a stonemason.

And now the couple's daughter Lottie has been safely born, they use the heartbeat sound to help soothe her to sleep.

The heartbeat bear came from North Wales company, Be My Bear, which has supplied Harrods, Selfrdges, Butlins, X-Factor, The Apprentice and Hollyoaks.

Flo, who is a maternity blogger and primary school teacher, said: “I had heard about the Heartbeat bears and thought they would be perfect, as my husband Neil was away training at Moulton College - he’s just swapped careers from being a physiotherapist’s assistant.

“I bought the bear and the recording chip and took it into my NHS scan: my midwife was very supportive of the idea. When she used the fetal doppler machine to listen to my baby’s heartbeat, I recorded the sound - the recorder was very easy to use.

“I then put the chip into the bear and made a little video for my husband, which I sent to him on email to listen to - he was so happy to hear it.

“I’ve also put the video on my Instagram account a.berry.mummy.life and everybody just loved the idea, and it’s been shared across social media. The page is all about life as a new mum so there are a lot of other new parents who are following my posts.”

Baby Lottie Rose Berry arrived on June 21 - two weeks early - and fortunately dad Neil was at home to be there for the birth.

Flo added: “Lottie weighed 6lb and 4oz, and is now doing very well, despite being early. However, my husband is still away for part of the week, as he’s been working on Worcester Cathedral since Lottie was two weeks old, so I use the heartbeat to help settle her.

“She obviously recognises the sound of the heartbeat as she moves her head to listen and it does help soothe her - as a new mum who’s coping alone that is a real help. I am recommending it to all the mums-to-be that I meet.”

Be My Bear say there is growing interest from parents for its new product. The sound of a baby’s heartbeat in the womb, taken during routine ultrasound scans, is captured on a chip inside the bear.

The recording is played by pressing a heart button on the teddy bear, which the parents-to-be take home to treasure and also share with family and friends.

Once the baby is born, the cuddly toy’s heartbeat recording can also be used to help soothe the infant to sleep.

The heartbeat bears are also helping grieving parents whose babies tragically do not survive birth.

Be My Bear’s business endeavours are being supported by Colwyn Business Improvement District (BID), which is aiming to revitalise the area.

Anna Openshaw, project manager of Colwyn BID, said: “Be My Bear is a terrific company that has thrived and flourished during its 16-year history and it continues to innovate.

“Such a well-respected business provides a welcome boost to the region and we are confident that Be My Bear will continue to go from strength to strength.”

Be My Bear director Pippa said: “We are really excited about our heartbeat bears and are getting some terrific feedback from the scanning clinics across the UK that are purchasing our products.There is a huge market out there, as yet untapped.

“