Neighbours in a Northampton neighbourhood have objected to a plan to demolish an abandoned petrol station and build a two-storey office.

A proposal to pull down the empty New Duston Garage, in Harlestone Road, New Duston, has been approved by the borough council.

The garage has stood empty for over three years - but neighbours are not happy that it will be replaced by a 15-metre wide office block with up to 25 parking spaces.

In a letter of objection, one resident wrote: "I object to being next to this extremely large and imposing building. Just its sheer volume will dwarf the houses on either side."

Plans show the new office, which would have 11 full-time employees, would stick out some eight metres from the building line of its neighbouring houses.

The proposal would also demolish an empty bungalow behind the garage to free up around 1,500 square metres.

Another neighbour said: "I object most strongly to the proposal because of the effect it will have on our gardens. We have many wild birds that come to feed in my garden. Placing the car park here would have a detrimental effect on the wildlife in this area.

"This is a residential area. An office block of this dimension and all that goes with it has no place here."

The borough council granted full planning permission on March 13.

Northamptonshire's seven MPs believe the county should convert its local government structure to a unitary system "while the iron is hot" following yesterday's "hard-hitting" inspection report.

Peter Bone (Wellingborough), Michael Ellis (Northampton North), Chris Heaton-Harris (Daventry), Philip Hollobone (Kettering), Andrea Leadsom (South Northamptonshire), Andrew Lewer (Northampton South) and Tom Pursglove (Corby) responded to Max Caller's report in a joint statement this morning.

In it, they state the days of two-tier local government are over and that the solution to the county's problems is, as set out in the report, an adoption of two unitary authorities.

The joint statement reads: "We welcome and endorse the Max Caller inspection report on the county council.

"It was thorough, hard-hitting and sometimes made uncomfortable reading, but it was badly needed and it has come to the right conclusion.

"The county council was hit by a perfect storm of poor leadership in a financially challenging environment.

"Now is not the time to keep scrabbling around.

"The days of complex two-tier local government in the county are at an end.

"We need to strike while the iron is hot for two unitaries as the solution set out by the report.

"We MPs were quick and direct in calling for this inspection and demanding action.

"The county council ultimately ran out of time fuelled by poor management and indecision.

"It is imperative that we do not make the same mistake again. Time needs to be used wisely.

"For the sake of our constituents, who rely on local services, the county council needs to be abolished and a new local government model created in its place."

Inspector Max Caller's long-awaited appraisal of the embattled council released yesterday, found a series of failings in the leadership of the authority.

He described how living within budget retrains was not "part of the culture at NCC" and called for Government commissioners to take over the running of services for the next two years.

He also called for Northamptonshire to reduce its current eight council system to just two unitary authorities.

Yesterday, leader of the council Councilor Heather Smith, announced her resignation from the role, describing herself as a "scapegoat" for criticism.

But Unison, the union which represents some 1,200 workers at One Angel Square, called on the cabinet member for finance, Councillor Robin Brown, to resign with her as well.

Today, group chairman for the Northamptonshire Conservative group Councillor Suresh Patel, has confirmed that Councillor Brown has been fired from his cabinet role by the group's acting leader.

An email has been sent to all Conservative councillors today confirming the move.

He said: "We do need to move on from here.

"Councillor Matthew Golby is acting group leader and I will be fully supporting him in his decisions until we find a permanent leader."

Branch secretary of Unison Penny Smith had called for Councillor Brown to resign.

She said: "If you put your hand up and as the portfolio holder for finance and you get a report saying the finances have not been looked after properly - you must take responsibility for that position."

Councillor Brown has been contacted for comment.

More than 100 volunteers, townsfolk and dignitaries turned out to see the grand opening of Delapre Abbey today following a three-year restoration.

From tomorrow, visitors will be able to access 60 per cent more of the former mansion and grounds, once home to a medieval monastery.

The hands-on attraction has now been split into different zones celebrating periods in its history, complete with an area dedicated to the Battle of Northampton, which saw King Henry VI captured by the Yorkists.

Speaking before cutting the ribbon to the abbey today, leader of Northampton Borough Council, Councillor Jonathan Nunn, described it as a "jewel in the town's heritage."

He said: "Today marks the day the whole building becomes open for a tour to the public - and I don't think the place has ever been in a better shape.

"In fact, in its 900 years of history, I don't think it has ever been in this tip-top condition.

"People from the town and everyone around love this place - and for the first time people can access all of it."

Television presenter and property developer Sarah Beeny cut the ribbon by paying tribute to "custodians of heritage" across the country.

"I think being here is a very inspiring thing to see," she said. "What I am particularly inspired with is how many people have worked together for this to have happened."

The restored abbey will have an interactive feel, free of ropes prohibiting access, the Delapre Abbey Preservation Trust claims "you can sit in any chair and touch anything."

The project was funded through a £3.65 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and more than £3.5 million from Northampton Borough Council.

Director of the trust, Rachael O'Connor-Boyd, said the abbey's 150-or-so volunteers would continue to be a big part of the visitor experience, before announcing an "engaging" program of events from "Peter Rabbit trails to Rachmaninov recitals".

"This is a building we can be truly proud of," she added.

Ex-county council leader, Jim Harker, now the regional chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said a project with this level of finding "had to be very good".

And addressing the crowd today, he said: "My God it is."

A former boot and shoe clicker, who worked at Churches factory for 52 years, is getting ready to receive his telegram from The Queen.

George Smith of Leslie Road in Semilong was born in his upstairs bedroom on March 27, 1918, where he still lives almost 100 years later.

After leaving school as a youngster at 14 years old he got his first job at Churches factory where he became a boot and shoe clicker for 52 years - cutting leather to form part of the boot.

He was called up to the Army in 1939 before being deployed to countries including Madagascar, Burma and Palestine with the Northamptonshire Regiment as a private in the 2nd battalion in 1940.

When he came back after his six years of deployment he met his Bristol-born wife, Cath in the Vine Inn pub on Abington Street after she moved to the town when the factory she worked at in the West Country was bombed.

The pair, who tied the knot in 1947, enjoyed holidays away to Ramsgate with their in-laws, and George also enjoyed going away fishing with friends and watching the Cobblers.

To celebrate the centenary of George's birth, his family is set to host a birthday party at Northampton Casuals Rugby Club on Sunday, March 25.

George, who is uncle to Brian, Liz and Anne, said the trick to a long life is "hard work" and "beer".

A man has stolen a statuette of a pink flamingo from a Northamptonshire village pub.

In a video posted by The Admiral Nelson pub on their Facebook page, a man can be seen brazenly putting the figurine under his jacket before walking out of the Braunston pub.

The theft has been reported to the police, who are appealing for witnesses.

"Anybody know this charming man? Came into my house that I open to the public. He stole my pink flamingo," wrote the landlord on the Admiral Nelson Facebook page.

A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said: "We have a report of a pink flamingo being stolen from a pub in Braunston between 5.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday, March 10.

"Witnesses or anyone with information about this incident should call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111."

A Northampton man, who has stumbled upon propane gas cylinders and trees strewn across the road, is calling for the recycling centre to open seven days a week to stop fly-tippers.

Simon Dawson, 57, moved to Rectory Farm in 2003 and has since been using Lower Ecton Lane as part of his running route for 14 years.

He claims that the lane used to be well kept but argues that since Northamptonshire County Council decided to limit the recycling centre opening hours this has "directly led to the destruction of the environment along this lane and its environs."

He wants the council to review the recycling centre opening times and councillors to be held accountable for becoming complacent.

He said: "I wish to see the centre open seven days a week, regular and robust monitoring of this and perhaps other locations, a sensible budget adjustment to allow this problem to be gripped."

He suggests there should also be high profile prosecutions administered to people caught in the act.

He added: "We need to protect our environment from those wishing to destroy it, and also ensure that those whose responsibility it is to protect it are held accountable for their failings.

"At the moment those responsible have failed miserably and continue to do so, our environment here has been seriously damaged and I have had enough."

While Simon has been out jogging, he has stumbled across white goods, bags of bricks, dozens of tyres and gas cans.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire County Council said changes in the opening times at our household waste recycling centres were introduced in 2015 as part of wider budget savings across the council. There are currently no plans to review this policy.

“The recycling centre in Ecton Lane is open five days a week: Monday and Thursday to Sunday between 10am and 6pm.

“This site is one of a network of recycling centres across the county which stagger the days on which they are closed. For example, when Ecton Lane is closed – nearby Sixfields is open.

“Fly-tipping is the illegal disposal of waste and is a criminal offence.”

Simon added: "I do not accept Northamptonshire County Council's explanation of both recycling plants being open effectively seven days a week as being the remedy and the solution to the problem.

"The problem is that their staff have clearly neglected this area - and possibly others- and it is just been allowed to get to the stage now where the whole of Ecton lane actually is the Ecton Lane Recycling Plant - or it may as well be."

Jim Harker stepped down as leader in May 2016, after 10 years in charge.

During his tenure, the former chartered surveyor oversaw successive tax freezes in a bid to win public support.

He was also in charge in 2015, when the council announced plans to deliver its services through a series of "federated" companies - later branded as the Next Generation Model.

On Thursday, his successor Heather Smith stood down after a Government-appointed inspector described a culture of financial mismanagement at County Hall dating back to 2013, when the council's children's services were branded inadequate.

But speaking today, Mr Harker said he bore no responsibility for the recent downfall at a council likely to have emergency spending controls in place for months.

He told the Chron: "I take no responsibility in that respect - the real problem was emphasised time and time again.

"It was a lack of funding for public services from central Government - this is nothing new.

"It was said by the Local Government Association (LGA), we have been telling the MPs this for years.

"We are being squeezed in a county such as this which is seeing enormous growth every year.

"We have 15,000 new people coming to live here every year.

"How on earth can anyone do the job that's required."

Speaking about the treatment of his successor, Mr Harker lashed out at the Conservative MPs who called for her resignation.

"I think that she has been treated really badly and, frankly, I think she can feel as if she has been bullied when she should have been supported by the people around her," he said.

In a defiant interview, Mr Harker went on to say he disagreed with the findings of Government inspector Max Caller "entirely".

He said: "The report seemed to acknowledge that there were real challenges in public funding in one sentence - then say these challenges were 'irrelevant' in another.

"I disagree with it absolutely, I think the report is a whitewash designed to get the Government off the hook."

Mr Harker said he had no regrets about presiding over successive council tax freezes during his time in charge at County Hall.

And despite Max Caller's criticism of the Next Generation Model in his report, the "lack of clarity" over the way it was initially set up and the fact it has been now been virtually scrapped, Mr Harker stood by it.

"The Government told us to use up our reserves and find better ways of doing things.

"Paul Blantern came up with this ambitious, but only potentially successful, way of doing it, but it was never given the proper investment."

A serious crash has closed the third lane of the M1 near Northampton and delays of up to two hours have been reported.

A multi-vehicle collision has been reported between J15A and J16 near Northampton.

The crash is expected to be cleared between 19.15 and 19.30 tonight. In the meantime, severe delays are expected.

A young man claims he was only ever at the knife fight that killed a Northampton teenager because he was bullied by his co-defendants.

James Dodd, 19, from Camp Hill, says he was "peer-pressured" into joining the group now accused of murdering Liam Hunt and never wanted to go with them.

His police interview was read out to Northampton Crown Court yesterday (March 16), in which he told officers his version of the attack - including who was armed, who was keen to find Liam and who dealt the killer neck wound.

The court heard how Dodd had a fist fight with Liam two days before the stabbing in February last year.

Later, on the day of the lethal attack, Dodd says he bumped into Liam again on St George's Street and was chased off by Liam's friends.

In Dodd's police interview, he said: "I ran into [his co-defendants] near the bus station and told them what happened. I never meant to bump into them.

"They kept saying, 'come with us, you'll be safe, where are they'. I was frightened by Liam and his mates, they were big boys. I never wanted to go back.

"I gave in and told them. They were all saying 'we're going to get these boys'. I didn't want to go with them but [one of the group] said 'hurry up or we'll beat you up'".

CCTV has shown how Dodd stayed some distance from the group as they headed towards St George's Street.

Dodd claims two of the group - Lee Warren and another 17-year-old defendant - pressed him to tell them where Liam was. Meanwhile, Kane Allaban-Hamilton asked the others "have you got any weapons", while Aaron Joseph picked up a brick while passing a derelict building.

Dodd says he stayed at the top of St George's Street where he couldn't even see the knife fight that took place minutes later. Then "suddenly everyone started running".

Later, Dodd claims he heard from a girl that witnessed the fight that Allaban-Hamilton had "dibbed" [stabbed] Liam in the neck.

Dodd's defence barrister has said his client is "not responsible for encouraging or otherwise inviting the group that attacked Liam".
Other witnesses have claimed that Dodd threw the first punch in the fight with Liam two days before. Prosecutor Mr John Lloyd-Jones has told the court the day after his fistfight with Liam, Dodd texted one friend to say: "My boys will stab them when I find them".

The trial continues.

Police are appealing for the public’s help for information following three burglaries in Northampton last night (Friday, 16 March), all targeting Asian gold.

The first incident happened in Chewton Close, Duston, at about 8pm, when three offenders scaled a wall to gain access to a property but fled after being challenged by the occupants.

The second happened between 8pm and 9pm in Blossom Way, Little Billing, when five men smashed through a rear door and threatened the occupants with violence before stealing jewellery.

The third was in Beech Grove, Boothville, at about 10.30pm, when six offenders broke in through a back door and this time used violence before forcing open a safe and stealing a significant quantity of jewellery, cash and credit cards.

Detective Superintendent Dennis Murray, the forces Head of Crime, said: "These are very serious offences and I’d like to reassure the community we are responding robustly with a dedicated team of detectives working round the clock to identify the offenders and bring them to justice. During these offences the families were either threatened with violence or in one particular offence, serious levels of violence were used - including the use of weapons.

“We are fully aware these burglaries - in addition to those which have happened recently - are having a significant impact on the Asian community. We are working closely to support the affected families as well as carrying out door-to-door enquiries while extra uniformed officers are being deployed for patrols this weekend.

“Last night’s incidents were highly distressing for the families involved and I am urging anybody with any information, however insignificant it may seem, to get in contact. Were you in the any of the areas mentioned above yesterday evening? Did you see anybody behaving in a suspicious manner or do you know who is carrying out these offences? If you have anything you can tell us, please call 101 or alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.”

Anybody with any concerns following the recent series of burglaries should contact their local neighbourhood policing team.

Police are advising owners of high-value gold or jewellery to consider removing it from their homes and placing it in a safety deposit box scheme - which, they say, remains the best way to protect it.

The county force is also advising people to double lock doors and windows, use timer switches on lamps if they are out and keep a light on in the evening.

Witnesses or anyone with information about this incident or the wider series of Asian gold burglaries should call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Fashion retailer Primark are recalling a number of cushions as a precaution after a fire risk was revealed.

Shoppers who bought the affected products are being urged to return the items to the store after a potential fire risk with the filling was identified.

Every affected customer will receive a full refund, with or without a receipt.

Primark said that following an investigation it has come to the store’s attention that the four pillows do not meet their flammability standards. The cushions were on sale in UK stores from the 28th May 2017 to 13th February 2018.

Which cushions are affected?

The Heart Shaped Cushions (product no. 5512101-03, 4590102 & 4590103, 4393412 and 4393413 and 9752806 and 9752808) were sold in cream, pink, grey, cream and lilac, purple and natural and light pink and grey.

The Sequin Cushion (product no. 0608806-07, 2483901, 7014501, 1615501 and 10380101) were sold in light pink and charcoal, navy, navy/green, aqua and silver.

The Supersoft Cushions (product no. 0822101-05, 6832201, 0594301 & 02) were sold in mocha, natural, blush and cream, grey, pink, navy and blue.

And the Unicorn Cushion (product no. 3685901) is the shape of a unicorn in an aqua colour.

Primark said: “We have identified a potential issue with the cushion filling used in these products. With prolonged exposure to an ignition source the product may pose a flammability risk. “With the safety of our customers at the forefront of our minds we are asking you to return this item for a full refund.”

Not so long ago the Happy Meal toy was the best freebie available at McDonald’s but diners now have the chance to win thousands of prizes, including £100,000, as McDonald’s Monopoly WiiiiN! returns next week.

Running from Wednesday 21 March and run until Tuesday 1 May, the McDonald’s Monopoly WiiiiN! will give diners the chance to win holidays, cars, vouchers and even £100,000 cash prizes. This year McDonald’s has revealed the thousands of giveaways it’s offering as part of the Monopoly WiiiiN! including: four £100,000 cash prizes, 20 Mini Coopers, 20 holidays to Universal Orlando, 500 Xbox One Xs, 1,200 £250 Red Letter Days vouchers, 3,000 wireless speakers, 14,600 £30 Misguided fashion vouchers, 13,000 Now TV box + passes and 1,500,000 McDonald’s medium extra value meal vouchers available.

Other prizes include millions of free food and drink vouchers.

Like previous years, diners can take part by collecting the corresponding property sets.

But despite there being millions of prizes available, there is still no guarantee diners will win anything and contestants have to be aged over 16. It hasn’t dampened the spirits of McDonald’s fans though who are already counting down the days until their nearest takeaway begins the game.

How do you get on with your ex? Could you sit down over a meal to have a frank, honest conversation about your past relationship – and all while the cameras are rolling?

Is this going to be super-awkward or is there still a spark? If you’d like to find out, Shotglass Media is looking for contestants to take part in an exciting new BBC Three TV show, Eating With My Ex.

‘We’ll follow each of our couples as they prepare for their date, meet up in a significant location and, over a three-course dinner, ask each other questions about their relationship’, reads an advert on the BBC’s website.

‘Our couples will get the chance to speak their mind, find closure, reminisce or even get back together. It should be a really fun and constructive experience for all who take part’.

If you think any of this sounds like a good idea, the closing date for applications is Friday, 30 March.

Applicants must be between 18 and 34 years of age.

To apply

Call: 020 7691 6000 (standard geographic charges from landlines and mobiles will apply)

Email: casting@shotglassmedia.co.uk

Write: Eating With My Ex, Thames TV / Shotglass Media, 1 Stephen Street, London W1T 1AL

The penny is “safe”, according to 10 Downing Street, after public backlash brought a one-day consultation on its abolition to an end.

The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, had announced that the Treasury would look into whether 1p and 2p coins were still needed in an era of digital payment.

In fact, well over half of copper coins are used only once before finding their way into the coin jar – or even in the bin.

But now the Prime Minister appears to have helped the Treasury come to its conclusion after a baffling one day of investigation, assuring the public that their small change is safe.

A great shame

The proposal prompted a backlash, including from charities concerned that donations could dry up if people had less low-denomination change in their pockets.

“A lot of charities live for those pennies,” said Tory MP Ian Liddell-Grainger.

Caroline Lucas, the Green co-leader and MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: “I do think it would be a great shame to lose our 2p machines on the pier – and wonder if the government hasn’t just found another way to ruin peoples’ fun.”

However, a number of analysts yesterday saw the move towards a copperless purse inevitable.

Spent force

“When it costs more to produce and distribute a coin than the coin itself is worth, governments tend to decide it’s a spent force – and we’re rapidly heading in that direction for coppers,”

Sarah Coles at Hargreaves Lansdown told the Guardian.An increasing number of countries have scrapped their smallest denominations as inflation renders them less useful.

Australia, Israel, Sweden, Russia and Switzerland have all dumped coins, while even countries that use the euro – such as Ireland and Belgium – have introduced rounding so people don’t get 1c and 2c in their change.

The Treasury consultation did not actually propose taking any coins out of circulation, but it could have led to that conclusion in theory – or some other solution to reduce the number sitting unused.

A version of this story originally appeared on our sister site inews.co.uk

The #MeToo movement has been a powerful force in helping to raise awareness of sexual harassment, especially in the workplace.

It has provided a platform for those affected to speak openly about their ordeals. So far, most of the people who have come forward have been women, but there have been a few notable exceptions, including the actors Terry Crews and James Van Der Beek. Does that mean that very few men are victims of sexual harassment?

Academic research supports the idea that women do experience more sexual harassment in the workplace than men. However, emerging evidence suggests that sexual harassment against men in the workplace also exists and is on the rise.

When all reported complaints of sexual harassment to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Fair Employment Practices agencies was analysed between 1997 and 2011, most of the cases were reported by women, however, the percentage of cases filed by men between these dates increased by 15 per cent.

In a similar long-term study of 522 workers, up to 58 per cent of women and 37 per cent of men reported experiencing some level of sexual harassment. This sample seems to indicate that the gap is not as wide as some believe.

Overall, sexual harassment against men is not as widely studied as sexual harassment against women; this has called into question whether the reported figures of men who have been sexually harassed may actually be much higher than currently stated. On top of this, men may be more reluctant to report sexual harassment than women. There are a number of suggested reasons for this – stigma being one of them. Many men may be too embarrassed to report sexual harassment, or they may consider it to be “unmanly” to report such behaviour.

Another reason may be perceptual differences. What is deemed to be sexual harassment may differ between men and women. A number of findings indicate that men can view certain behaviour, deemed as sexual harassment by women, as less threatening or serious – and sometimes even flattering.

It starts early

Sexual harassment against men appears to occur in educational environments prior to working life. In both middle school and high school in the US, there is evidence to suggest that boys can experience quite high levels of sexual harassment. Boys are especially likely to be victims of verbal sexual harassment.

Other findings have been observed where both men and women have experienced similar levels (61 per cent and 62 per cent respectively) of one or more forms of sexual harassment while at university. These studies show that many people experience sexual harassment even before working life begins.

Contributing factors

An investigation into some of the factors that may contribute to men experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace was recently explored. One of the key findings indicated that men tend to experience sexual harassment if they deviate from traditional male gender roles and are pro-feminist, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Yet it was also found that displaying pro-feminist attitudes buffered against some of the negative effects of the sexual harassment. Men tended to experience more sexual harassment if they also worked in organisations that were more tolerant of such behaviours. Research has shown, and the #MeToo movement has highlighted, that men have a tendency to tolerate the sexual harassment of women by other men. Evidence has emerged to suggest that women may also share the same sexist attitudes when it comes to tolerating the sexual harassment of men. In a 2015 study from Pennsylvania State University, the researchers found that there was no significant difference between males and females in terms of sexist attitudes that are known to reinforce gender inequality. This highlighted a shared set of beliefs across both sexes to justify toleration of sexual harassment. The researchers conclude that this shared set of sexist attitudes and toleration of sexual harassment may serve to enforce or maintain gender roles, for both men and women.

Impact on mental health

One consistent finding across the evidence on male sexual harassment is that it can have a detrimental impact on mental health. Men who have been sexually harassed are more likely to experience high levels of anxiety, depression and alcohol abuse. This can in turn lead to education and employment problems, such as dropping out of school, quitting work and low morale. It seems that sexual harassment is an issue that impacts both sexes. The #MeToo movement has been very successful in helping women find their voice on this issue, maybe it’s time more men found their voice. The #MeToo movement is inclusive, after all. Robin Bailey, Senior Lecturer in Psychological Therapies, University of Central Lancashire This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Today we reveal the most expensive postcodes to buy a house in Northampton and the surrounding areas.

Our figures, provided by Zoopla, use the Zed-Index - the average property value in a given area based on current estimates from the UK’s biggest property website.

The arrest happened yesterday and officers also seized a vehicle they believe may have been used to carry out these offences.

Detective Superintendent Dennis Murray, the forces Head of Crime, said: "We understand the recent burglaries have caused a great deal of distress to our Asian communities. We have deployed extra officers on patrol, have specialist officers supporting families affected and have a dedicated team of detectives working relentlessly to track down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

“We continue to appeal for anybody who has any information about the recent incidents to contact us.

“Do you know who is carrying out these offences? If you have anything you can tell us, please call 101 or alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.”

Anybody with any concerns following the recent series of burglaries should contact their local neighbourhood policing team, Northamptonshire Police advise.

Police are also advising owners of high-value gold or jewellery to consider removing it from their homes and placing it in a safety deposit box scheme - this remains the best way to protect it.

The county force also urges people to double lock doors and windows, use timer switches on lamps if they are out and keep a light on in the evening. If you see anything suspicious please call police as soon as possible to optimize our chances of catching these offenders.

Just some of the homes families in Northampton are paying rent to live in 2018.

This week, drastic new measures to dish out fines to the rogue landlords who allow their properties to fall into disrepair in Northampton have been roundly welcomed.

Cabinet members on the borough council approved plans to impose fines of up to £30,000 per offence for a variety of misdemeanours committed by landlords and managing agents.

But experts believe the authorities are only just grasping a largely hidden problem far more widespread than figures suggest.

They say a hidden swathe of poor housing in the borough could go undetected as people fail to report it through fear of eviction.

Last year in Northampton, inspectors found 153 homes in the town with a “category one” hazard.

These are houses that can cause a “serious threat to the health or safety of people living in or visiting”, according to national guidelines.

They could feature exposed wiring, overloaded electrical sockets, damp so serious it can cause breathing problems, mould or broken stairs.

They can also be homes that are simply so cold, they are dangerous to live in throughout the winter.

But the housing advisor at Northampton’s Community Law Services, Sean Murray, believes the 153 known dangerous homes could be the tip of an iceberg.

He said: “There are a lot of properties on the Wellingborough and Kettering Road above shops that I am not sure are recorded as well as they should be, for example.

“You have to remember some of our housing stock goes back 100 years and has no insulation in the walls.

“There are also some bad landlords out there.

“People forget that being a landlord is a job that comes with a set of responsibilities.”

Council leaders in Oxford took drastic steps to monitor poor housing, hiring planes with thermal imaging cameras to scan areas of the town dense with terraces. Those seen to be losing the most heat were then subject to a visit from council officers.

In the past year CLS took 260 complaints related to poor quality housing alone.

Damp and mould top the lots of issues, just ahead of broken boilers.

One family the Chron spoke to moved into a property in Abington Vale in 2016 and spent the best part of two years fighting the landlord to clear a chronic mould problem.

She believes it could have made her two children, both of whom have serious allergies, ill.

She said: “The kids got a lot of chest infections here and there - but it’s so hard to say for definite it was the mould.

“But we were always told the mould was our fault. We were ventilating everything, but some old houses are just prone to it without insulation.

“We were just sleeping in there and mould was appearing - what were we meant to do?”

Most of the houses found to have category one hazards were privately owned and just 17 of the 153 unsafe homes were social homes.

Last year, in fact, the Northampton Borough Council spent £2.5 million converting dangerous properties.

Councillor Danielle Stone, whose Castle ward covers most of the town centre and Spring Boroughs, has dealt with many housing issues with her ward members over the years.

She believes part of the trouble is that council houses bought through the Right to Buy scheme often fall into the hands of bad landlords.

“The house is very difficult to monitor once it is bought for cheap and owned privately,” she said.

“They are not subject to the same forms of quality control.

“In places like Spring Boroughs, more than half have been bought through Right to Buy.”

The borough council plans to build 1,000 new affordable rented homes over the next ten years to improve the town’s housing stock at the cheaper end.

And the managers of the town’s council house stock, Northampton Partnership Homes, are beginning to renovate estates one area at a time (see Thorplands, below).

If you are experiencing issues with poor housing, Sean Murray of CLS has urged people not to withhold their rent.

Instead, he said they should seek advice from CLS or the town’s Citizen’s Advice bureau first.

Housing charity Shelter also hosts legal advice for tenants in dangerous houses on its website.

A woman was left unconscious by a brutal robber in Corby.

The incident happened between 3.45pm and 4.15pm on Friday, March 16, when a man confronted a woman in West Glebe Park and demanded she hand over her phone.

He then pinned her to the floor, unzipped her pocket and stole her phone, money and keys.

He then punched the woman in the back of her head, causing her to fall and lose consciousness for a short while.

The man is described as white, aged about 30, of medium build, with brown hair and pale complexion.

He wore a black T-shirt with green camouflage down the side, matching tracksuit bottoms and grey trainers.

Witnesses or anyone with information about this incident can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.