One of the most often-cited features of the Cobblers’ season so far has been the immediate changing of focus from one game to another.

“Onto the next one,” players will say after matches, some referencing the Jay-Z song of the same name. Aidy Boothroyd says it too but without the reference, and with the knowledge that while the players can be permitted to largely forget the previous game, it will form the basis for the latest piece of learning about his squad.

So while the majority of the people who watched Saturday’s win over Plymouth will have forgotten pretty much all of it by the time it took the traffic to clear in Northampton’s sporting square mile, the manager will have spent a good chunk of his weekend watching it again, dissecting it and making notes about things that went well and things that went not so well.

It was a game of tight margins that was always likely to be settled by a set-piece or an individual error - as it turned out a combination of both produced the match’s only goal, a Clive Platt tap-in that looked controversial at the time but replays have proved to be perfectly valid.

Momentarily discounting the theory that good teams gather points when playing badly, this was a game that will provide some concern for Boothroyd.

Plymouth were the better side in the first half, in which a lack of accuracy undermined the Cobblers’ ability to create attacking positions.

The direct style of football the team has used this season is fine - it has produced good results and taken the team to fourth in the division. No complaints can be made about it from an end product point of view.

But it did not function well on Saturday. The long passes from the back almost always fell short of the targets up front, giving visiting defenders Guy Branston and Anthony Charles - who played well on his return to Sixfields - the simple task of picking the pass off an recycling play for their own side.

It was not all bad - the defence was very solid and enhanced further by the addition of Lee Collins, who looks an excellent player and ensured Joe Widdowson’s suspension was easily covered.

And the healthy crop of substitutes (among whom was Luke Guttridge, curiously unused for the second successive game) provided the manager with plenty of options to swap things around. For the first change, a centre-forward replaced a right-back, whose place was taken by a central-midfielder, with the left-winger moving there and a centre-forward switching to the left.

Northampton learned their lessons during the game, and in fact improved considerably in the second half to ultimately grind out the win that keeps them firmly in touch with the promotion parties, both the one that will take place on April 27 and the one booked in for Wembley a fortnight later.

The sign of a good side? Maybe. But they will need to learn the lessons from a game that was forgettable for the spectators before they move so quickly onto the next one.

LEE NICHOLLS

Another exemplary display of clean handling, although kicking slightly off-key ...7

JOHN JOHNSON

Played with the usual spirit but struggled with distribution at times ...6

CLARKE CARLISLE

Got away with an air shot in the first half but two similar misjudgements in the second almost proved costly ...6

KELVIN LANGMEAD

Outstanding - and painful - block on Banton’s shot in what was Plymouth’s best chance of the game ...7

LEE COLLINS

Solid in the tackle, won just about every 50-50 he went for and brave in possession ...8

CHRIS HACKETT

Not his most effective game but played a part in what felt like a counter-attacking game plan ...7

BEN TOZER

Slotted in nicely in central midfield and then at right-back during the tactical reshuffle on the hour mark ...7

LEWIS HORNBY

Outmuscled once or twice but there’s no denying his technical ability. Becoming a real force in the side ...7

BEN HARDING

Much better than his recent form and showed some signs of a return to the Harding of old ...7

ROY O’DONOVAN

Plenty of energy but very often his team-mates did not play the right kind of passes to him ...6

CLIVE PLATT

Seems to be getting fitter and more sprightly but was well marshalled by Charles, who had a good game on his Sixfields return ...6

Substitutes:

ADEBAYO AKINFENWA (for Johnson 61mins)

Rampaging run and header set up the corner from which the goal arrived ...7

JAKE ROBINSON (for Platt 86mins)

Not used: Guttridge, Demontagnac, Snedker, Artell, Oyeleke

The daily commute into and out of Northampton has, somewhat surprisingly, been named the most enjoyable in the country.

Insurance firm, Allianz Your Cover, surveyed motorists to find out which town in Britain was the best to travel to and from.

Their survey found that 75 per cent of Northampton’s drivers actively enjoyed their daily commute.

It also found the town had the calmest commuters.

Discussing the more stressed motorists, the firm’s spokesman, Jon Lott, said: “People are spending nearly an hour a day commuting and a third are frazzled before even arriving at work, feeling rushed, stressed and anxious from their morning journey, which isn’t a good way to start the working day.”

The firm’s survey found the average commute covers a total of 7,130 miles a year.

After Northampton, the next best commuting destinations were Newcastle, Worcester, Norwich and Cardiff.

In contrast, Coventry was considered the worst place for commuters, followed by Gloucester, Sheffield, Portsmouth and Liverpool.

And while Northampton was home to the calmest commuters, Belfast had the angriest.

But drivers in Northampton have questioned the insurance firm’s results.

Commenting on the Chron’s Facebook page, many said potholes, traffic lights, school traffic and discourteous drivers made their blood boil on the town’s roads.

Stuart Lamberth said: “It’s a nightmare. At 7.30am the A45 is like a race track, everyone wants to cut in front of you.”

Nicola Hillery added: “Getting in and out of Kingsthorpe is a nightmare, especially with all the roadworks every which way you go. And the potholes are a grade-a nightmare.”

Commuters into the town also disliked their journey.

Cate Earnshaw said: “It’s absolutely abysmal. I drive 15 miles from near Kettering. It takes almost an hour in the morning.

“The tailbacks at Moulton are shocking. If I could work nearer home I would and never return to Northampton.”

Clive Platt is confident the Cobblers’ form at fortress Sixfields will be vital in the race for promotion this season.

Town beat Plymouth 1-0 on Saturday in what was their ninth win in 10 home games and only one team in the Football League - npower Championship leaders Cardiff City - has picked up more wins on their own ground than Northampton this season.

They have also improved their away form recently, taking four points from difficult road matches at Southend United and AFC Wimbledon, and currently sit fourth in npower League Two ahead of Tuesday night’s visit of Bristol Rovers.

Aidy Boothroyd’s men are a point behind third-placed Burton Albion (and eight off Port Vale in second) and a gap of five points has now been established between them and the team outside the play-off bracket, Southend,

Platt admits the games the team have yet to play on their own ground will not be as easy as the league table suggests but is confident the home form can provide the platform for a promotion push.

“Teams are coming here and they’re just trying to get a point or just see the game out,” he said. “It is a difficult place for any team to come to now and if we maintain that and keep picking up points away from home then we’ve got every chance of being successful this season.

“Any team that is right down the bottom is hard to play. I’ve been in that position with teams myself and you’re fighting for your lives.

“It becomes a lot harder. You want a couple of mid-table teams who have nothing to play for really, they are the games you want but they’re few and far between at this stage of the season.

Town’s goal that settled the Plymouth game seemed a controversial one at the time, with the visiting players strongly appealing for a foul on their goalkeeper Jake Cole, but repeated viewings show it was actually winger Paris Cowan-Hall who collided with Cole, causing him to spill to ball.

Platt tapped it in for his seventh of the season, and although midfielder Ben Harding admitted the game was not a pleasing one on the eye, he was delighted to contribute the vital set-piece.

“I just aimed to put it (the corner kick) on top of the goalkeeper and hopefully one of the lads could get a nick on it,” said Harding.

“We’ve got some big and strong lads in the team and luckily for us it went in and we got a goal from it.

“It wasn’t the loveliest game to watch but it was a massive three points for us that puts us in the mix and we just need to maintain that form.”

Two-try hero Jamie Elliott admitted it was the Saints backs’ time to shine after Saturday’s success against Bath.

The 20-year-old winger starred in Northampton’s 25-23 win, which owed much to the sharpness of their attacking players.

A week earlier it had been the forwards who had stolen the show, turning on the power in a 27-18 win at Worcester.

But against Bath, Ben Foden, James Wilson and Co showed their skills as Saints continued their push for a Premiership play-off place.

And Elliott, who was on the end of fine team moves for his two tries, said: “We (the backs and the forwards) take it in turns. It’s a team game.

“The team built it all in, ruck after ruck, and I’m just happy to be on the end of the line. I’ll take that.”

Saints had surged into a 20-9 lead at one point thanks to Elliott’s opening score and the boot of Stephen Myler.

But Bath pegged them back and went 23-20 up with 12 minutes to go after Semesa Rokoduguni’s score.

In a see-saw game, Saints had the final say through Elliott, scoring his fourth try of the season, and the youngster was happy with the character his side showed.

“It swung both ways,” he said. “In the first half a few mishaps happened and they nearly scored a try, but our character was big and we held them out.”

A man who has never held a driving licence and has 48 previous convictions has been jailed for drink-driving.

Mark Culverhouse, aged 23, of Fullingdale Road, Headlands, was jailed for 10 months and disqualified from driving for two years at Northampton Crown Court after a police chase in Northampton on December 17.

Police said he drove at speeds of 50mph in a 30mph zone and swerved across the road.

He finally jumped out of the car while it was still moving, sending the vehicle crashing into a lamppost.

He was jailed for aggravated taking of a vehicle, drink driving and driving without insurance.

A quick 24-hour remedy proved the perfect tonic for trainer David Bridgwater as 11/2 winner Speedy Bruere took the day’s feature contest at a raw Towcester on Sunday.

Bridgwater had found himself a topical figure in the run-up to the weekend after the sale of Wyck Hill to JP McManus, but that horse’s below par running when favourite for Saturday’s Racing Post Chase had removed some of the instant gloss.

However, just as it was some small measure of consolation in Wyck Hill needing 14 stitches in a leg wound, in part explaining the setback, another arrived when Bridgwater’s grey scored an 11 length success in the Jerry Moynihan Memorial Handicap Chase.

After Topaze Collonges proved an early casualty, Pensnett Bay tried to cut out all the running but was collared by the Turgeon gelding by the second last to score cosily under Tom Scudamore.

Speedy Bruere’s owner Terry Amos who lives at Deddington, on the county border with Oxfordshire, owned a third of Wyck Hill before its sale to National Hunt racing’s ownership magnate and he was joined in the winner’s enclosure by Northampton-based Simon Hunt who was introduced to Bridgwater by Amos through their contact in the construction business and who is now looking forward to The Giant Bolster’s run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup next month.

The victory brought Bridgwater his 14th winner of the current season and he said: “We probably needed that after yesterday. Terry has been an owner with me since I started training 13 or 14 years ago.”

Scudamore later completed a double on board the David Pipe-trained favourite Volt Face (1/2) although the fact there were only four opponents makes it hard to know what the horse had achieved.

It was a good day for the name Bridgwater all around as Kevin Bishop trains near that Somerset town and sent out Tarabela (11/2) to take the 3m handicap hurdle after a thrilling finish which saw four horses in a line at the last.

And it was one of Bishop’s former charges Chilbury Hill (4/1) who took the 2m selling hurdle although he is now trained by Tim Vaughan. The ten year-old was retained without a bid.

The opening 2m novices’ hurdle was won by Darkestbeforedawn (9/2) for trainer Caroline Keevil and jockey Ian Popham with 100/1 shot Bowie in second.

A teenage boy ran off after a woman screamed when he tried to snatch her handbag while she was walking to McDonald’s.

The attempted theft happened on Friday, while the victim was walking along Billing Brook Road, near the Weston Favell Centre.

A police spokesman said: “An attempted handbag theft took place on Friday, sometime between 7pm and 7.15pm.

“A 21-year-old woman was walking on Billing Brook Road, Northampton, towards McDonald’s, when she was approached from behind by a man who grabbed hold of her handbag.

“The woman screamed and the offender ran away, without her handbag.”

The attempted thief then ran across the B&M Stores car park, formally Focus DIY, and into an alleyway.

He was white, aged between 15 and 18, around 5ft 5in, with a fair complexion and freckles on his face. He was wearing a grey woolly hat, a red hooded jumper, with grey tracksuit bottoms and a pair of trainers.

Officers would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed this incident or who may have any information regarding it.

The first academy school to open in Northampton has been rated “good” by Ofsted for the first time.

Northampton Academy, which opened in 2004 after Lings Upper School closed, was inspected last month and a report published today has concluded teaching is good and “sometimes outstanding.”

Dilip Kadodwala, lead inspector, praised principal Anne Hill, who took over from Peter Hullah in September 2011, for her “highly effective leadership.”

The report says: “Leadership across the academy is ambitious. Governors and staff understand the academy’s motto, ’Bringing out the best in everyone’, and work hard to put this vision into practice.

“Lessons are observed regularly by leaders. They develop teaching well and provide good training for teachers at all levels of experience to continue improving their skills.”

Principal Anne Hill said: “We are very pleased with this report which recognises the significant progress Northampton Academy has made over the past few years.

“Everyone here works tirelessly to provide students with a challenging and inspiring education and so I was particularly delighted that the inspectors praised so many aspects of our teaching and learning.

“It is also great for our students to read that inspectors were impressed by their attitude to learning, their behaviour and their aspirations for themselves and the academy.

“We know what we need to do to improve even further but as this report testifies, we are well on the way to becoming an “Outstanding” school. That is our next challenge but I know that everyone at the academy; staff, parents and students believe that we can achieve it.’

Northampton Academy was opened as part of the Labour government’s education reform and received a visit from former Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2007 and he described it as “one of the most amazing schools in the country”.

The school is sponsored by United Learning, an education charity which runs 21 academies.

Andy Buck, managing director of academies at United Learning, said: “This is a highly encouraging report which demonstrates that the hard work of everyone at the academy is paying dividends.

“Northampton Academy is quickly becoming the “go-to” choice for parents in Northampton and this report explains why. It is particularly pleasing for Anne Hill and the staff that so many initiatives that they have put in place have been praised.”

Conservative MP for Northampton North Michael Ellis said: “This is an excellent result for Northampton Academy.

“The school has come a long way and has worked hard to get this rating. I congratulate all the staff and pupils for this excellent achievement.”

The “bungled” Police and Crime Commissioner elections in November have been heavily criticised after it was revealed just one in 10 people know who their commissioner actually is.

The Electoral Reform Society today revealed there was “unprecedented criticism” of the Government’s handling of their flagship policy – which resulted in just 15 per cent of the electorate bothering to vote.

In Northampton, where the Corby parliamentary by-election was held on the same day, turnout was slightly higher, at 20 per cent.

Polling commissioned by the society has also showed just one in 10 voters can identify their new elected PCC.

It comes as the Electoral Commission prepares to publish a report into the election.

Katie Ghose, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society said: “This was a flagship policy designed to reconnect the public and the police. Yet after spending £75 million nearly 90 per cent of Britons have no idea who their elected Police and Crime Commissioner even is.

“November’s bungled poll failed both candidates and voters. Government mismanagement has handed our elected Commissioners a poisoned chalice, and it remains unclear how they can overcome it.

“The Electoral Commission’s forthcoming review must not pull its punches. The Government has singularly failed to accept any responsibility and would like to see nothing more than a whitewash.”

Research of candidates found 88 per cent of candidates felt that public awareness of the elections was low, with the Government’s media campaign labelled “a complete disaster”.

Today’s report called for no major election to ever by held during the winter months.

Rob Foster scored twice to inspire leaders Sileby Rangers to a comfortable 4-0 UCL Division One win over Rushden & Higham at Fernie Fields.

Michael Byrne and Dam Spaughton also found the target, and it was a crucial win for Rangers as their title rivals also claimed three points.

Eynesbury were 3-0 winners at Wootton Blue Cross while goals from Jake Gillingwater and Jake Newman gave AFC Rushden & Diamonds a 2-1 success at Bourne.

There was a nine-goal thriller at Billing Road, but home side ON Chenecks were left cursing their luck as they were edged out 5-4.

James Allcock will feel particularly aggrieved to have ended up on the losing side as he scored a hat-trick for Chenecks, with the other goal being scored by Adam Hancock.

First-half goals from Jamie Jollands and Chris Griffin ensured Bugbrooke claimed a 2-0 success at Raunds, while Spencer’s first home match in four months saw them defeat Potton 3-1.

With the Kingsthorpe Mill pitch finally playable following a series of floods, Spencer won it thanks to efforts from Luke Stone (penalty), Paul Pickering and Matt Long.

Olney beat bottom-placed visitors Burton Park 4-1 at East Street with two Faud Ahmed goals and singles from Neil Walton and Sam Parrish, Luke McIlroy replying for Burton.

Jedd Whiteman, Gavin Cullum and Iain Blaikie shared the Thrapston goals in a 3-1 success at Buckingham who replied through Kyle Stimpson.

Jim Whitmore’s first half goal gave Rothwell Corinthians a 1-0 victory at Whitworth.

The shoe was on the other foot for Long Buckby this week, as they threw away a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with AFC Kempston.

The previous Saturday, Buckby fought back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with Shepshed Dynamo, but Scott Goodwin’s side were the ones left frustrated this weekend.

Dan Mullarkey and Gary Stohrer were the men on the mark to fire Bucks into a 2-0 lead, Mark Bunker (penalty) and Sam Holmes levelled it up to leave Bucks without a win in eight games.

It was another disappointing day for Cogenhoe United as they were beaten 3-1 at Yaxley, despite a goal from Jack Bowen.

The Premier Division title race moved a step further in favour of Holbeach as they picked up three points while their rivals for honours dropped points.

The Tigers triumphed 1-0 at Desborough with a Dan Flack goal 10 minutes from time.

St Ives drew 2-2 at Quorn having trailed to home goals from Wade Ball and Liam Turner at the break but fought back on resumption to take a point with goals from Dom Lawless and Karl Gibbs.

Spalding also drew, 1-1 at Huntingdon.

Dan Cotton had the Tulips in front at the interval but former Cobblers striker Tony Battersby’s penalty miss proved costly as Ricky Dear levelled late on to preserve Town’s unbeaten record since the turn of the year.

Basement side Irchester crashed 4-0 at home to Sleaford who took a big step towards safety thanks to two Liam Tunstall goals, one a penalty, and singles from Luke Hollingworth and Kris Jones.

Harborough returned to the bottom two after a 4-2 reverse at Blackstones.

Wellingborough moved out of the drop zone after a late fightback brought them a 2-2 draw with visiting Deeping.

Matt Heron and David Burton-Jones put Rangers in charge but a late Rob Parker brace, the second from the spot, gave the Doughboys a share of the spoils.

First half goals from John Thorpe and Steve Brooks gave Newport Pagnell a 2-0 home win over Shepshed while manager Ian Dunn’s late goal gave Boston Town a 1-0 verdict at Peterborough Northern Star.

Luke Guttridge is in line for a recall to the Cobblers’ starting line-up for the visit of Bristol Rovers to Sixfields on Tuesday night (7.45pm kick-off).

The midfielder’s ongoing absence from the first team has been cited by manager Aidy Boothroyd as proof that a squad assembled with quality in mind is now gradually growing in terms of quantity.

Guttridge has been on the bench for the past two matches, the draw at AFC Wimbledon and the win over Plymouth Argyle, and has failed to come on for even a brief cameo in either of them.

But Boothroyd said: “Luke is fine physically but I don’t think he has been in the form he was in before he got injured.

“He is a terrific player and it shows you the quality of Lewis Hornby and his recent performances that I didn’t think I could leave him out.

“Luke will get back in that team at some point or another because he is so determined or tenacious to do so.

“When you leave a player of Luke Guttridge’s quality out it says to the rest of the squad that nobody is safe and that everybody must perform at all times.”

Another performance will be required on Tuesday night to defeat a Rovers side who have lost just one of their past seven matches.

Joe Widdowson completes his two-game suspension with the match, with Alex Nicholls as the only absentee through injury.

Defender David Artell is back to full fitness after an Achilles injury and was an unused substitute for the Plymouth game and Nana continues to train but will not be considered for selection at this stage.

“With every different team comes a different problem to solve and Luke will be involved tomorrow,” he said.

“He doesn’t need to worry about being out of the side, he needs to keep focused and that is the case with any player who finds himself out of the side.

“It isn’t about an individual, it’s about the team.”

The leader of Northampton Borough Council has said the authority will bid for more Government cash to invest in the town’s enterprise zone.

The Government has announced the creation of a £59 million funding pot for enterprise zones across the country, designed to bring forward key infrastructure projects.

Northampton’s enterprise zone, which stretches from Sixfields to Bedford Road, is the country’s largest and already has a number of successful projects, including the redevelopment of Northampton’s railway station, the planned relocation of the University of Northampton and the £20 million extension of Carlsberg’s bottling plant.

Councillor David Mackintosh (Con, Rectory Farm) the leader of Northampton Borough Council, said: “We’ll certainly be bidding for some of the money that has been made available today to support infrastructure projects in enterprise zones.

“Now that the details of the scheme are available, we’ll be carefully considering the proposals we want to put forward to help us improve the offer of Northampton Waterside.”

Discussing work already carried out to promote the enterprise zone, he said: “We’ve already been targeting international trade with the aim of promoting Northampton on the global stage.

“We’ve been visited by a Danish trade delegation and Chinese officials are due to visit in March and we’re working with our partners to attract more interest from foreign investors and show them why the enterprise zone is the place to do business.”

The Environment Agency today said it was winning the battle against an invasive non-native weed on the River Nene in Northamptonshire.

Agency contractors have been out on the River Nene tackling floating pennywort - Hydrocotyle ranunculoides - as part of an ongoing annual project managed by fisheries and biodiversity staff which has been running every year since 2007.

Using a boat, a powerful aquatic herbicide was carefully applied to the plant by hand along stretches of 17km of the river. A special film was used to make sure the chemical stuck to the plant.

Robert Pitkin, Fisheries and Biodiversity Technical Officer, said: “Encouragingly, we noted pennywort was absent from sites where we had previously had large populations.

“Over the last two years, there has been a 60 per cent reduction in the length of river where we have found floating pennywort - down from 17km in 2010, to 7km in 2012.

“Although some new patches of pennywort were discovered and treated, the number of sites where it can be found has reduced for the second year running indicating that we are keeping on top of this aquatic invader.”

Floating pennywort is native to South America and can quickly establish dense mats of vegetation, out-competing various native species and completely dominating watercourses.

It eventually chokes waterways making it difficult for boats to navigate and increases the risk of flooding by slowing water flows and blocking channels. In large quantities, it also poses a threat to fish and other aquatic life by starving the water of light, oxygen and nutrients.

This year’s work to remove the weed cost £2,500 and was carried out between Higham Ferrers and Fotheringhay.

Floating pennywort was first spotted on a pond near the River Nene in 2004 but was later found in the river itself, prompting the Environment Agency to begin its eradication programme in 2007.

The work will help move the River Nene towards ‘good ecological status’ as required by the Water Framework Directive, a European legislation.

If people do see floating pennywort, which can grow up to 20cm in a single day, they should should contact the Environment Agency on 08708 506 506 or email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

A chip shop worker who took part in a skunk cannabis farm plot has been ordered to sell his home in Northampton after being stripped of his ill-gotten gains by a judge.

Vietnamese born Lenh Nguyen, aged 48, was one of three men from Northampton who were employed to look after the illegal growing operation, deliver cash and fetch the crop.

He was caught in a van, which he had rented for a trip to Exeter, in Devon, where others had set-up a 328 plant hydroponic unit in an empty warehouse unit.

Nguyen was jailed for four years in December 2011 for his part in the plot and taken back to the same court when the police applied under the Proceeds of Crime Act to seize the profits he is thought to have made from his involvement.

Judge Erik Salomonsen ruled that Nguyen had profited by £43,000 and assessed the benefit by this figure and the available amount as £31,500.

James Taghdissian, prosecuting, said police have calculated his available assets as £31,500, including the equity in a house in Northampton which will have to be sold.

Nguyen did not oppose the order.

He was one of a Northampton-based cannabis growing gang who were jailed for a total of eighteen and a half years.

The three Vietnamese men from Northampton and their local contact in Devon were caught after police found a sophisticated growing operation at a disused industrial unit in Exeter.

They were caught with a huge haul of cannabis in a Transit which chip shop worker Lehn Nguyen had hired to take them from Northampton to Devon.

The other two Vietnamese men both had previous convictions for running cannabis farms and a search of their home in Norman Road revealed a huge stock of growing equipment.

There were enough lights and fans to set up 20 growing rooms and a foil lined nursery had been built in the loft but not yet put into use.

The trio recruited a local cleaning company boss in Exeter who secured the keys to the derelict unit where they set up the sophisticated growing operation.

They were caught by chance when a Hertz manager saw two men acting suspiciously near her depot just after Christmas and called the police.

They found the three Vietnamese men parked nearby along with their local contact. They let them all go but then searched the area and found the 328 cannabis plants.

They rounded up the gang as they drove North with more than two kilograms of cannabis and £18,000 cash.

Sophisticated hydroponic growing equipment had been moved into the warehouse in Exeter after Porsche driving local businessman Omer al-Rawe borrowed the keys from an agent to view property with a view to opening a cage fighting gym.

Nguyen, of Great Gull Close, Northampton, Van Pham, aged 48, of Norman Road, Northampton, and Omer al Rawe, aged 31, from Exeter, all denied conspiracy to supply cannabis.

Illegal immigrant Chung Nguyen, aged 31, also of Norman Road, changed his plea during the trial and admitted the same charge. He also admitted his true identity, having previously been charged as Chung Tran, aged 18.

Judge Erik Salomonsen jailed them for a total of more than 18 years. Pham was jailed for five years, Tran for four years six months, al-Rawe and Nguyen for four years each.

Lenh Nguyen claimed to have come to Exeter in the mistaken belief he was helping a friend move furniture. He said he had agreed to do the job for a fee of £200 because it was the same as the weekly wage he earned at a chip shop.

Detectives have released CCTV images of a prolific gang of suspected thieves they want to trace in connection with a number of high value thefts from high street stores across Northamptonshire.

At least 10 thefts have been linked by Northamptonshire Police over a four-year period, spanning from 2008 and 2012, where between £630 and £2,000 worth of goods were stolen at a time.

They are suspected of stealing bikes, laptops and televisions.

Police say the group entered the stores, often using different disguises.

One of the thieves is thought to prepare the items to be stolen, by de-tagging them and then, while shop staff were distracted, the other men then snatched the goods.

The following offences are thought to have been committed by the same group:

April 10, 2008 – Halfords, Wellingborough

GT cycle and Carrera cycle stolen valued at £630

April 26, 2008 – Currys, Towcester Road, St James Retail Park, Northampton

Silver Hewlett Packard laptop stolen valued at £800

July 8, 2010 – Currys, Phoenix Park Way, Corby

Samsung television stolen valued at £650

March 20, 2011 – Currys, Riverside Retail Park, Northampton

Acer laptop stolen valued at £800

November 8, 2011 - Currys, Riverside Retail Park, Northampton

Sony laptop stolen valued at £750

November 8, 2011 – Halfords, Victoria Park, Wellingborough

Carrera Banshee cycle stolen valued at £600, Boardman Comp cycle stolen valued at £650

September 15, 2012 – Halfords, Weedon Road, Northampton

Voodoo Canzo cycle stolen valued at £1000

September 15, 2012 – PC World, Northfield Avenue, Kettering

Silver Apple Mac laptop stolen valued at £1,000

October 9, 2012 – Currys, Phoenix Park Way, Corby

X2 Apple Mac laptops in silver stolen valued at £2,000

November 28, 2012 – Halfords, Riverside Retail Park, Northampton

Boardman cycle stolen valued at £850

Officers are keen to speak with the men pictured to help assist the investigation into these thefts.

A light aircraft used by an international drugs trafficking gang to fly cocaine worth £1.7million into a Northamptonshire airfield is being sold on eBay.

The plane used to fly the drugs into Deenethorpe, near Corby, in 2011 is being listed with a reserve price of £12,000.

It is thought to be the first time a police force has seized an aeroplane under the Misuse of Drugs Act and progressed to selling it. The money made from the sale can be used for policing activities and community projects.

The gang behind the plot were jailed for a total of 37 years in November last year. Class A drugs were driven from Amsterdam to France, where they were loaded onto the aircraft and flown into the county.

Christopher McGlone, aged 27, of Occupation Road, Corby was sentenced to five years; James McGlone, aged 30, of Occupation Road, Corby was sentenced to six years; Wayne Burgess, aged 36, of Westfields Road, Corby was sentenced to four years; Adel Chouhaib, aged 33, of Lingfield Walk, Corby was sentenced to 10 years; Richard Murray, aged 48, of Greenhill Rise, Corby was sentenced to four years and Abdelilah Hilali, aged 34, of Marsham Street, London was sentenced to eight years.

The plane was confiscated by officers from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU).

Detective Inspector Greg Maides, senior investigating officer from EMSOU said: “When a case such as this results in convictions at court and considerable prison sentences for the defendants, we do not see that as the end of the matter. We have the legislative powers to seize criminal assets to strip criminals of their possessions at every stage of the investigation.

“The fact that this plane was used to commit crime by transporting drugs into the UK meant that it could be forfeited under the Misuse of Drugs Act. In addition, action is being taken under the Proceeds of Crime Act to identify other assets belonging to the offenders, who clearly intended to make significant financial gains from their criminal activity. The money made from the sale of those assets can be used for a variety of purposes, ranging from law enforcement work to community projects.

“It is relatively common to confiscate a criminal’s car, but it’s not often that we make an application to seize a plane so we can’t really predict how the bidding is likely to go. That said, whoever does buy it will do so knowing that their money is being put to good use and that they have helped deprive these offenders of a valuable asset that they planned to use to carry out their crimes.”

The plane will be listed on eBay at 8pm tonight and can be viewed here.

Cobblers manager Aidy Boothroyd has revealed he received a text message from Plymouth boss John Sheridan admitting the decisive goal in Saturday’s game was fair.

Sheridan called the decision to allow Clive Platt’s seventh goal of the season ‘ridiculous’, feeling his goalkeeper Jake Cole had been fouled as he attempted to take Ben Harding’s corner.

But television replays showed it was actually Plymouth winger Paris Cowan-Hall who collided with Cole, causing him to spill the ball at the feet of Platt, who thrashed it into the roof of the net.

Sheridan was furious after the game but his temper cooled significantly after a second viewing of the incident.

“The referee got quite a bit of stick from both benches and some of it was deserved,” said Boothroyd. “But he got that decision right.

“John texted me after the game to say ‘well done’ and that it was a fair goal, which was nice of him to say.”

Boothroyd conceded Saturday’s display was far from perfect but the fact it meant the side have claimed seven points from three games has ‘set everything up nicely’ for the visit of Bristol Rovers to Sixfields on Tuesday night (7.45pm kick-off).

“The performance wasn’t what we wanted but the result was,” he said.

“If you can play well and get results then you’re onto something decent.

“I was pleased on Sunday morning, I woke up and thought I might have been a bit harsh on them because we took four points from two away games and then got another win to consolidate that.

“It sets everything up nicely for the Bristol Rovers game.”

Money saving budget plans have been approved by Northampton Borough Council.

The proposals, which were first revealed at the end of last year, suggest a range of back-office services at the Guildhall, such as IT and human resources, should be transferred to the Local Government Shared Services (LGSS) company, which already provides such services for Northamptonshire County Council.

The proposed move should save the borough council more than £9 million a year.

Speaking during a meeting at the Guildhall on Monday night where the plans were approved, the leader of the authority, Councillor David Mackintosh (Con, Rectory Farm) said: “These are difficult times for local councils, but I’m pleased we’re putting forward a budget which includes not only a proposal to freeze council tax but also contains proposals that will create a more efficient organisation.”

But opposition councillors said council staff who faced being transferred to LGSS were concerned about their future.

Councillor Sally Beadrdsworth (Lib Dem, Kingsthorpe) said: “I think the morale among council workers is now at the lowest I have ever known it.

“A lot of people are worried about their future and I have real concern about the direction this council is taking Northampton.”

The Conservative leaders of the council have warned that some senior management jobs could be cut as part of the ‘re-shaping’ of the authority.

Saints star Tom Wood insisted England must embrace the fact they are now just two steps away from winning a first Grand Slam in a decade, following their 23-13 victory over France.

Two years ago, Martin Johnson effectively banned all talk of a clean sweep as England built towards their decisive game against Ireland.

But the decision to keep preparations low-key backfired.

England were blown away in Dublin by an Ireland side who relished the prospect of ruining the Grand Slam party on St Patrick’s weekend.

Wood stressed England must learn from those mistakes heading into their games against Italy at Twickenham and Wales in Cardiff.

The Northampton forward is not afraid to frame those fixtures in a Grand Slam context because he is convinced England will not get carried away with the hype.

“We took the approach a couple of years ago where we just batted back (questions about the Grand Slam) as much as we could and refused to talk on the issue,” Wood said.

“You’ve got to entertain the fact that that’s going to be a huge expectation and that it is going to be something the opposition want to take away from you as well.

“That’s extra motivation for them.

“We have to be ready for that extra desire in the opposition that comes with trying to rob the English of a potential party.

“The second we forget what got us here, we are in trouble.

“We’ve got very grounded coaches that instil that in us from the start.

“We like to play things down, not get ahead of ourselves and make sure we are always working hard.

“It’s important we stick to those values. We are a very tight group, a very humble group I like to think.

“But within the camp we have a lot of faith in each other.

“I look around the huddle before a game and I think ‘I’m glad he’s on our side’.

“That goes for every player. I’ve got a lot of faith in the guys around me and I’ve got that faith because I see the way they work day in, day out.”

The Twickenham public will expect England to beat Italy and tee up a shot at the Grand Slam against Wales at the Millennium Stadium on the final weekend of the Six Nations.

But Wood cannot look that far ahead.

He views Italy, even without the great Sergio Parisse, as too much of a potential banana-skin.

“We talked about how easy it was to get up for the All Blacks game in December. It’s important for us to be up for the game no matter what the opposition,” Wood said.

“All our motivation and all our self-belief comes from what we do in the week, the way we inspire each other.

“It’s the will to work through for one another.”

That character, drive and determination carried England to victory over France, who were the better team for most of the first hour in a brutal contest.

But England hung in there with the likes of Wood and Chris Robshaw battling heroically with the French back row.

Manu Tuilagi’s try after 54 minutes, created by Wood’s hack from the bottom of a ruck, put the home side in control and they dominated the final quarter.

As a former Bristol Rovers player, Aidy Boothroyd is fully aware the Cobblers’ Tuesday night opponents have underachieved this season.

After installing Mark McGhee as manager in last season’s January transfer window, it was hoped Rovers - who, along with Bradford City contest the title for league two’s sleepiest giant - would form part of the 2012/13 promotion pack.

But such dreams failed to materialise and a 4-1 loss to York City a week before Christmas consigned the club to the league two relegation zone and McGhee to the sack.

Things have improved substantially at the Memorial Stadium since John Ward took up the manager’s job, and Rovers come to Sixfields (ko 7.45pm) on the back of just a single defeat in their past seven games.

Boothroyd fully understands the weight of expectation on anyone representing the club - after all, he did make 16 appearances for them himself as a tough-tackling right-back in the early-1990s.

And he also understands how Ward works.

The two shared elbow room in the Colchester United dug-out for just under a year before Boothroyd moved to Coventry and Ward stepped up in his place.

All of which adds to what will be the Cobblers’ latest attempt to build on their excellent home record and maintain a promotion push.

“I thought we got what we deserved when we played down there earlier in the season,” said the Town boss, for whom the 3-2 defeat at October provided a sign of the difficulties to come for his team away from home this season.

“Tom Eaves caused us all sorts of problems but he’s gone back to Bolton now, and gone back out on loan again.

“They are a team that has been struggling for most of the season, but they are a big club for this division and the bookies fancied them for promotion this season.

“I know how big a club it is because I’ve played for them.

“They’ve got some good players and a good manager and it doesn’t surprise me that they’ve picked up.

“They’ve brought some good loan players in and we’ve got to make sure we don’t become another statistic on their record and that they become one on ours.”

Football’s nature dictates that reasons can be found to make any fixture appear difficult, especially at a time of the season when the play-off system means even the most mediocre of mid-table clubs don’t call time on their season until spring has well and truly sprung.

Rovers’ recent run has put substantial daylight between themselves and the bottom two - six points to be exact - but they are not safe yet, and recent experiences of tight games against Wimbledon and Plymouth has proved the ‘no easy games’ cliche to be as true as ever for the Cobblers.

“We’re due a good performance and I’m looking forward to the game,” said Boothroyd.

“Both teams seem to be better in the first half so maybe the fans should go to the cinema for the first half and then turn up at half-time.

“It will be an interesting game because I’ve seen them a couple of times under John and they’ve got players that can counter-attack and that can play a bit.

“The games against Plymouth and Wimbledon were difficult games but it’s really all about what we do and we certainly need to tidy up one or two individual performances.”