At times during Saturday's game at Franklin's Gardens, it was easy to see why the 2017/18 season has not been one to remember for Saints and London Irish.

The teams had won a total of six Aviva Premiership games between them prior to the meeting, and one of those was Saints' success at the Madejski Stadium back in September.

While title-chasing teams typically stay focused from minute one, teams at the other end of the table are those who switch off at key moments.

And Saints and London Irish were both guilty of that at the Gardens.

During the first half, a poor pass and a failure to gather put Saints in trouble as Alex Lewington pounced.

And Lewington was at it again soon after, showing the sort of concentration, awareness and speed that has earned him a move to Saracens this summer.

He was fastest to react to a bouncing ball, beating George North to it and dotting down.

Those two moments of opportunism and, for Saints' part, slackness, put Irish in control.

Sides like Saracens and Exeter would then grind the opposition down, often inflicting more damage during the second half.

But Irish, with just a solitary league win to their name this season, buckled from the restart.

North did brilliantly to claim the kick-off and 30 seconds later, he was scoring his side's first try of the game, breathing new life into the Saints bid.

Irish then collapsed as Luther Burrell set up Rob Horne for Saints' second, before a big lineout shove allowed Mike Haywood to etch his name on the scoresheet once again.

It was a remarkable 10-minute turnaround that put a different complexion on the game.

And though Irish kept going, replying through a Greig Tonks penalty, they didn't have enough to battle back, with the boot of Piers Francis putting the game beyond them.

While Irish were left to regret not securing at least a losing bonus point, Saints were frustrated that they didn't take a maximum haul.

They rarely threatened to grab a fourth try with their creation and clinical finishing restricted to that 10-minute spell just after half-time.

It meant slight disappointment for both teams, but for Saints, they can now look ahead without any fear of the drop.

Irish look doomed to be playing in England's second tier next season and they are now 19 points behind Saints.

It is time for the black, green and gold to try to enjoy the rest of a campaign that has not brought the amount of highs they were hoping for after that win at Irish in September.

The run-in is not an easy one, but it can be used an opportunity for players to test themselves.

Some youngsters will hope to get a go and others will look to do everything they can to extend their stay at Saints beyond the summer.

They will have to step things up if they are to win at Exeter next weekend, but for now, Saints can reflect on a fourth win from as many home matches in 2018.

And they will look for every possible positive they can after a game that at one stage didn't look like it would provide any.

How they rated...

AHSEE TUALA

Tried to keep Irish on their toes with a couple of counter-attacks, but was shackled well by the away side... 6

GEORGE NORTH

Will know he could have prevented Lewington's second try, but made up for his mistake with some good aerial gathers and the score that got Saints up and running... 7

ROB HORNE

A strong showing from the centre, who looked like a handful for Irish, who could not stop him scoring in the corner... 7

LUTHER BURRELL

Made his first appearance since January 6 and it took him a little time to get up to speed, allowing Lewington an opportunity to score, but he made amends with two assists...7

BEN FODEN

Looked hungry to get involved in the action as he popped up in central positions, but Irish handled him well... 6

PIERS FRANCIS

Struggled to get control of the game at times, with his kicking from hand not the best during the first half, but he did land a clever drop goal and looked sharp when taking Irish on... 6

NIC GROOM

Couldn't inject the usual tempo he likes before half-time, but was able to step things up slightly in the second period... 6

CAMPESE MA'AFU

One eye-catching carry saw the prop put Irish in real trouble and he was a powerful influence on proceedings... 7

MIKE HAYWOOD

The hooker popped up to score yet another try, taking him clear at the top of Saints' scorers list for the season, and this was another high-energy showing...7

KIERAN BROOKES

Didn't get much of a chance to influence the game as he was forced off with concussion after Saints went behind...5

API RATUNIYARAWA

A typically strong presence, the Fijian lock carried well and got through plenty of work in the second row... 7

CHRISTIAN DAY

Made a key contribution just before the break as he claimed an Irish lineout to stop them scoring a third try and he made some big hits, too... 7

JAMIE GIBSON

Got stuck in time and again with his determination to drive Saints on proving key after the break... 7

HEINRICH BRUSSOW

Is starting to build up the match fitness since arriving at Saints last month and he certainly didn't lack gusto here... 7

TEIMANA HARRISON - CHRON STAR MAN

Was the man who gave Saints the most go-forward with his sheer desire there for all to see as he carried his team out of danger and into Irish territory... 7

Replacements (who played more than 20 minutes)

JAMAL FORD-ROBINSON (for Brookes 22)

Made plenty of tackles after coming on and this was a creditable showing from the tighthead prop... 7

DAVID RIBBANS (for Day 53)

Showed his raw aggression as he got involved in a little second-half scuffle and he was up for this after coming off the bench... 6

Facebook might have 2.2 billion users but we can’t all be friends.

Being blocked from a virtual friendship isn’t the nicest feeling in the world, so if you’re suspicious that a colleague, cousin or ex has decided to banish you from their Facebook feed then here are a few ways to work out if you have been blocked.

First of all go to your search bar on Facebook and search for the suspected blocker. If you can’t find them then it’s likely you’ve been blocked, or they’ve decided to delete their account altogether.

Dig up an old conversation with the suspected blocker on Facebook’s Messenger service and try to contact them.

Next click on the conversation to view it and if their name is black and in bold and you can’t click on their name then it’s likely they’re still an active user and have blocked you.

When in doubt speak to a mutual friend. Ask them to search for the suspected blocker on Facebook and if they still access to their profile then it will confirm your suspicions – you’ve been blocked.

Action Fraud, the UK’s fraud and cyber-crime reporting centre, have issued a warning over fraudsters claiming to be from the Home Office.

This new scam’s aim is to obtain an up-front fee from the victim to resolve a supposed problem with their immigration status.

The phone calls come from what appears to a genuine Home Office telephone number: 0207 354 848.

This has in fact been ‘spoofed, the fraudsters using sophisticated software which allows them to display any number on a victim’s phone.

The victim is asked to confirm personal details, such as their passport number and date of arrival in the United Kingdom before asking for a fee in order to resolve the problem with their documentation.

If a victim starts to question the call, the fraudsters point out the ‘spoofed’ number to make the request seem legitimate.

Indians targeted

Many victims who have been targeted by this fraud have had an association to India.

The fraudsters often state that the victim has outstanding criminal charges against them in India, or that their official documentation was not completed satisfactorily upon their arrival into the United Kingdom. Victims are told they have three options – either face deportation; face arrest and imprisonment; or pay the up-front fee.

They are then asked to pay the fees through a variety of methods, including; Bitcoin, money transfers via a Money Service Bureau or by purchasing iTunes vouchers before relaying the voucher code to the suspect.

Fraudsters usually attempt to keep the victim on the phone until the payment is received, which can be hours at a time.

Action Fraud have offered the following advice to allow potential fraud victims to protect themselves:

The Home Office, Police or any UK Law Enforcement Agency will never ask for money over the telephone.

Government agencies do not use non-secure payment methods such as a transfer via a Money service Bureau, iTunes voucher(s) or cryptocurrency e.g. Bitcoin.

When receiving unsolicited calls, be wary of providing personal information, or confirming that personal information the caller already claims to hold is correct. Always ensure you know who you talking to. Ask for the details of the organisation the caller represents and call them back yourself on the officially published numbers rather than the numbers the caller may try to provide you with.

If you have any concerns regarding your immigration status, please visit the Gov.uk to speak with someone regarding your specific immigration issue.

If you think you have been a victim of fraud you should report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 20 40 or by using the online reporting tool.

Nine people go on the run. Where will they hide? Who will they trust? What would YOU do?

That’s the premise behind Channel 4’s thrilling escape series, Hunted, which is appealing for the best fugitives to come forward to take part in the next series.

The popular reality show sees everyday civilians go on the run and then attempt to remain untraced for 25 days, while a crack team of ex-military, police and CIA agents try to track them down.

Those that remain on the run after 28 days and reach the secret extraction point win a share of £100,000. If you think you could outsmart the hunters and evade capture, then visit www.huntedapplications.com to apply.

A spokesman for Hunted said: “We are looking for applicants for the new series of Channel 4’s Hunted. “The series will follow a number of volunteers as they try to go off grid and become a fugitive in the UK. “We are looking for men and women of all ages to try and evade capture from a team of expert trackers.

“We want people from a variety of backgrounds and professions who think they have what it takes to disappear in 21st Century Britain. They could be going it alone or with friends, family or colleagues. “A prize of £100,000 will be shared equally between the fugitives who successfully evade capture.

“We will cover reasonable pre-agreed loss of earnings for everyone who participates.”

You need to be 18 years old or over, a British national and in good health. You can also go to Twitter and look for @HuntedTakePart and also www.facebook.com/Channel4HuntedHQ on Facebook.

The following people were sentenced at Northampton Magistrates’ Court:

JANUARY 2:

Lucian Arama, aged 30, of no fixed abode, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 107mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; community order made to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £85 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 26 months. No insurance; no separate penalty.

Jayntibhai Patel, aged 51, of no fixed abode, committed fraud by opening accounts in another’s name, intending to make a gain; pleaded guilty, sent to Leciester Crown Court for sentence.

JANUARY 3

Joshua Farey, aged 26, of Treetops, Northampton, sent threatening electronic messages; community order made, ordered to pay a surcharge of £85 and costs of £85.

Darius Sutkus, aged 39, of Lower Adelaide Street, Northampton, made threatening phone calls; fined £500, ordered to pay a surcharge of £50 and costs of £85.

Andrew Vass, aged 32, of Underbank Lane, Northampton, assault; community order made, ordered to pay a surcharge of £85, costs of £85 and compensation of £100. Damaged an internal wooden panel door; community order made, ordered to pay compensation of £100.

Brad Matthews, aged 28, of Dovecote Road, Roade, failed to comply with a community order; order varied, now 120 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay costs of £60.

Kristians Olsteins, aged 21, of no fixed abode, breach of community protection order by begging; fined £50, ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 and costs of £85. Begging by use of a sign stating that you were homeless; no separate penalty.

Dean Sargent, aged 36, of Churchill Avenue, Northampton, stole three bottles of vodka belonging to Morrisons; conditional discharge for 24 months, ordered to pay a surcharge of £20 and costs of £105. Failed to surrender to custody; conditional discharge for 24 months.

Matthew Mandipira, aged 22, of Gordon Street, Northampton, assault; jailed for 16 weeks suspended for 12 months, ordered to pay compensation of £600.

Oliver Stratford-Burke, aged 38, of Southampton Road, Northampton, drink-driving with a blood test reading of 361 milligrames of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood; jailed for eight weeks suspended for 12 months, ordered to carry out 50 hours of unpaid work, pay a surcharge of £115 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 48 months.

Hasan Kaya, aged 38, of Gorse Close, Northampton, possession of cocaine community order made to carry out 130 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay a surcharge of £85 and costs of £625. Assault; community order made, ordered to pay compensation of £50.

Matthew Young, aged 21, of Cowley Close, Northampton, assault; conditional discharge for 12 months, ordered to pay a surcharge of £20 and costs of £500.

JANUARY 4

Esther Owusu, aged 60, of The Briars, Northampton, failed to notify authorities of change in circumstance relating to Housing Benefit; community order made to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay a surcharge of £85 and costs of £85.

Lauren Angove, aged 18, of Epping Walk, Daventry, stole two choker necklaces worth £15 belonging to Dorothy Perkins; community order made. Stole various beauty items of a value unknown belonging to Boots in Daventry; community order made. Failed to surrender to custody; no separate penalty.

Commission of a further offence while on a conditional discharge for six offences of theft, criminal damage and failing to surrender to custody; community order made. Stole cosmetics from Boots; community order made.

Used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour; community order made, ordered to pay compensation of £50. Stole various items

worth £286.87 belonging to Superdrug; community order made, ordered to pay compensation of £286.87, Stole a bottle of Grey Goose vodka; community order made, ordered to pay compensation of £20. Stole items of clothing worth £34.99 belonging to New Look; community order and ordered to pay compensation of £34.99.

Jeff Jones, aged 56, of Billing Garden Village, The Causeway, Northampton, damaged a car; conditional discharge for 24 months, ordered to

pay compensation of £500, a surcharge of £20 and costs of £85.

There were no prizes on offer for guessing which name once again dominated both the away end’s songbook and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s post-match interview during and after Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Scunthorpe United.

Ever since his return from injury towards the end of 2017, it’s become a regular occurrence for John-Joe O’Toole to be singled out in Hasselbaink’s interviews, whether that’s before or after matches, with the midfielder growing increasingly important in Northampton’s bid for survival this season.

As the clock ticked past the hour-mark in Saturday’s encounter at Glanford Park, O’Toole was at it again as he thundered in a header from Matt Grimes’ corner for his fifth goal in eight games – in addition to four assists – and that ultimately ensured the Cobblers responded to their tepid defeat against Gillingham in midweek with a handy and deserved point against the fifth-placed Iron, keeping them out of the bottom four by the narrowest of margins.

“It was a bullet header and that’s what he can do,” said Hasselbaink. “He can score those goals and he’s a magnet when crosses come in because he finds the little spaces.

“We need to put more crosses into the box for him and for Chris Long and we’re working on that.

“I think, overall, John-Joe could have played better but I’m happy with the point and he’s one of those players who doesn’t need to play well to score and that’s handy. Sometimes, actually, the worse he plays, the more he comes up with a goal, as strange as it sounds!”

But a fit and firing O’Toole in itself will not be enough. To ensure they avoid the drop, Town must also improve both their form at home and their overall consistency having won just once in the last five games and only three times in the past nine outings at Sixfields.

Couple that with the fact you have to go as high as Doncaster Rovers in 14th to find a team who doesn’t have at least one game in hand on the Cobblers – multiple games in most cases – and it means that creditable draws on the road alone will not be sufficient in keeping them in League One.

“Take nothing away from the boys, they fought (on Saturday) and wanted to put something right after Tuesday’s performance, especially in the first-half,” added Hasselbaink, who could have striker Kevin van Veen back this weekend.

“I thought Gboly (Ariyibi), who came in, gave us something different and now it’s about taking that fighting spirit into the next game and into Saturday.

“It’s a big game for many reasons. Our last two home games we haven’t done ourselves justice. There were a lot of good plusses from Saturday and we want to take them into our next fixture.

“Kevin still has a sore knee and we’re monitoring and hopefully, fingers crossed, he’ll be ready for Saturday.”

Cutting out soft goals is one aspect of Town’s game that would aid their chances of achieving greater consistency.

Thirty-one minutes into Saturday’s contest, Funso Ojo was afforded virtually the whole of Glanford Park to run from one half to the other as Northampton’s defence unwisely back-pedalled and Ojo gleefully accepted the invitation, galloping into the space before landing a precise shot into the bottom corner of Richard O’Donnell’s net.

Later in the game, 13 minutes from time, Town lost the lead for a second time when O’Donnell came but didn’t clear a set-piece and the ball fell kindly for Murray Wallace to nod in from under the crossbar.

“We could have done better with the goals,” admitted Hasselbaink. “The balance of the team, the shape, was gone for the first. We vacated the middle area of the pitch and that’s why he was able to run so far ahead.

“You have to make sure that the balance is right. Crooksy was dribbling with the ball and we lost it on the edge of their box and Grimesy was gone, so there was no balance in our team.

“Our opposite wide player was too far ahead to go and stop the boy. Normally, we have the right balance which stops the counter-attack but we couldn’t stop it.

“To be fair, the boy hit it really well and it was a good shot.”

Irish girl group B*Witched are the latest act to be added to the StepBack 90s concert which heads to the region later this year.

B*Witched have sold more than three million albums worldwide and their first four singles went straight to number one in the charts.

They will now perform alongside Peter Andre, Venga Boys, 5IVE, S Club, East 17, Big Brovaz and Booty Luv at the StepBack 90s Concert at the Ricoh Arena’s Ericsson Indoor Arena in October.

The group, consisting of sisters Edele and Keavy Lynch alongside Lindsay Armaou and Sinéad O'Carroll, shot to fame with debut single C’est la Vie in May 1998 and successfully reformed in 2012 after a decade long break.

Dan Nelmes, director at Coventry based Showtime Promotions, who are promoting the concert, said: “B*Witched are another fantastic addition to what is already a very strong line-up.

“They are one of the groups who helped define the decade, releasing platinum albums both here in the UK and USA.

“People are already very excited for this show and ticket sales so far have backed that up but this is going to make things even better for those who have already bought theirs.

“We can’t wait to bring a night of top music to Coventry and we are expecting spectacular performances from each of our acts.”

The StepBack 90s Concert follows on from a hugely successful 80s themed concert held at the Ericsson Indoor Arena last year, which attracted around 8,000 people.

It is one of a number of live music events the Ericsson Indoor Arena is hosting this year, including Ronan Keating on March 30 and Jonas Blue on April 1.

Tickets are now on general sale costing £45 plus a booking fee, as well as VIP tickets, which are available at £150 per person plus a booking fee.

This event is for over-14s only, while under-18s must be accompanied by an adult.

To buy tickets visit www.eticketing.co.uk/ricoharena or www.stepbackconcerts.co.uk

He nearly won it with the very last kick of the game but, in the end, Matt Grimes was content for the Cobblers to head back down the M1 with ‘a good point’ following their 2-2 draw against Scunthorpe United.

Standing over a free-kick 30 yards from goal as the clocked ticked beyond the 97-minute mark, Grimes had the opportunity to complete the ultimate smash and grab job with another one of his pinpoint set-pieces.

But while on this occasion it was not to be, sending his effort sailing over the crossbar, it was still a productive afternoon for the Cobblers who earned a 2-2 draw that was as important for their points tally as it was for their morale following Tuesday’s home defeat to Gillingham.

“It annoyed me to be honest,” said the 22-year-old on his last-gasp attempt. “It was a tired free-kick at the end. Obviously it was the last kick of the game after putting a big shift in.

“Normally, it’d be a lot better than that but I’ll get back on the training field and keep practising.

“I think it’s a point gained. We’d have taken a point beforehand coming to a strong team like this away from home. It’s a bit disappointing that we gave away the lead a couple of times, but it’s a good point and we need to build on this.”

Of the last six goals scored by Town, Grimes has been instrumental in four. He netted a seventh-minute penalty to open the scoring at AFC Wimbledon last week, provided assists for Ash Taylor and John-Joe O’Toole and it was his set-piece which caused mayhem in the Scunthorpe penalty box as Chris Long nodded home 13 minutes into Saturday’s clash at Glanford Park.

“We work on set-pieces a lot during the week,” added Grimes. “We’ve got our signals and we know exactly where we should be going.

“If I can my delivery right, we have a lot of big lads and good headers of the ball. I just need to find a space and let the boys do the rest.”

Long’s ninth goal of the season nudged Town into an early lead on Saturday but Funso Ojo and Murray Wallace seized on some sloppy defending as Scunthorpe twice came from behind to keep the Cobblers just a point above the drop zone.

“We got caught on the break for their first,” continued Grimes. “We threw a few numbers forward and we tried to get back but no one closed him down and he punished us.

“The second goal, I think it was a scrappy one but there’s not much you can do. Richard (O’Donnell) has come and punched it onto the head of Jordan which has sent it flying up in the air and then it’s anyone’s ball.

“So they were definitely preventable but we’ll take the point.”

The Cobblers claimed a crucial point in their battle against relegation in Sky Bet League One on Saturday.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s men drew 2-2 with promotion-chasing Scunthorpe United, thanks to goals from Chris Long and John-Joe O’Toole.

Town twice led in the match, but the fifth-placed home side fought back to level on both occasions.

The result means the Cobblers moved up to 19th, just one point and two places above the bottom four.

Chron photographer Kirsty Edmonds was at Glanford Park to capture the action, and here is a selection of her pictures.

Northamptonshire's subsidised bus network has shrunk by nearly 500,000 miles in the past four years - and is set to get worse under county council cuts.

In 2016, buses supported by the Government travelled over 40 per cent less than they did in 2013, leaving the residents of villages and rural areas stranded from shops, hospitals and doctors appointments.

Over 30 bus routes in the county are subsidised by the county council - but all of them face an even further reduction in funding under the upcoming budget for next year.

In contrast, the county's commercial bus network only shrunk by 140,000 miles in the same time - a drop of only 1.5 per cent.

Alan Jones, a member of BusUsersUK for Northampton, from Duston, said: "If the money is going to be cut then somebody is going to lose their service.

"Rural areas are the hardest hit. What if you are in Cogenhoe or Pattishall? What if you need to go to the doctors or the hospital, or need to do food shopping? Or even see a friend for a coffee in the town centre? You are left stranded."

The county council is bound by law to identify "socially necessary" bus routes run by commercial companies and help fund them to stay running. They can face legal action if this is not upheld.

The local authority proposed to cut all £1.3million of funding from the buses in a draft budget published last year.

But they have since reversed on this following an overwhelmingly-negative response from the public. This pointed out how cutting buses would just encourage more people to use cars and cause more traffic, while leaving many people socially-isolated.

The buses instead now face a cut of £558,000, with only the on-demand "to-your-door" CallConnect and CountyConnect minibuses being spared.

Alan said: "I don't think it will be enough. It only covers certain areas. For example, it doesn't cover Cogenhoe. It's a sticking plaster at best.

"I don't know if the buses can be saved. I think Northampton Borough Council could try running some of them."

The decline in subsidised journeys in Northamptonshire is in line with a national trend.

Heinrich Brüssow says it was 'very special' to make his first Saints start on Saturday.

And the South African flanker described the whole experience as 'fun' as he helped his new club to secure a 25-17 victory against London Irish at Franklin's Gardens.

Brüssow arrived at Saints last month, following the conclusion of his commitments at Japanese side NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes.

He made his debut in the Anglo-Welsh Cup victory against Harlequins at the Gardens on February 2, getting 18 minutes off the bench.

And he was thrust into the starting 15 for the Aviva Premiership battle with Irish.

"It was very special and the win helps it a bit," Brüssow said.

"We put ourselves under a bit of pressure at the start but we came out nicely in the second half and it was nice to get a win.

"It was my first start and it was special."

Brüssow has been getting up to speed after returning from a groin injury that had kept him out since the end of September.

And the 31-year-old said: "Before the Harlequins game, it had been three months since I'd played so I was a bit worried about the fitness, but I've just tried to play a bit clever and use my opportunities better.

"I definitely got tired on Saturday and I'm going to be quite sore, but that's what it's all about and I enjoyed it.

"It was similar to what I was used to - a quick, fun game.

"I haven't had a wet, typical English game so we'll wait and see.

"it was fun, I really enjoyed it, we got some good tries and it was great to play in front of the crowd.

"I haven't played in front of a big crowd like this for a while now so it was special. You could feel the atmosphere and the passion."

The organisers or this year's Raunds Music Festival have revealed some of the acts which will play this year's event.

The festival runs from Thursday, May 3 to Sunday, May 6 and will begin on the Thursday with a song and tune session at The World Upside Down followed by Family Ceilidh with Ock n Roks at the Saxon Hall the following night.

The Saturday will feature music by the Raunds Ukulele Orchestra, A Different Direction, the Wellingborough Music School Folk Group, Vera Van Heeringen, CarterDolby, Mawkin and Granny's Attic.

The Sunday will feature music by the Raunds Choir, Steve Turner, Chris Quinn, False Lights and Greg Russell.

Early bird tickets which inlcude admission into all six concerts cost £45 before April 1. Concessions are available.

For more details visit www.raundsfestival.com

Saints produced a stirring second-half fightback to secure a much-needed victory in the Aviva Premiership as they beat rock-bottom London Irish 25-17 at Franklin’s Gardens.

Alan Gaffney’s men looked to be heading for defeat at half-time when they trailed 14-3 following an error-strewn 40 minutes.

But they stormed out of the blocks in the second half as George North, Rob Horne and Mike Haywood all scored tries in the space of 10 minutes to get Saints back on track, and they went on to seal the win.

The victory was only Saints’ sixth of the season and keeps them 10th in the table, 11 points off the top six and 12 points off the top four.

Chron photographer Sharon Lucey was at the Gardens to capture the action, and here is a selection of her pictures.

Neighbourhood officers, detectives and search teams entered the Dunroamin site in Whitfield earlier this morning, Northamptonshire Police has confirmed.

Warrants were carried out at two addresses on the fixed-caravan site this morning.

The six arrests, two women aged 46 and 18 and four males aged 48, 26, 17 and 16, were made in connection with a number of thefts in the surrounding area.

Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant, Micki Simons, said: “We have had a very successful morning and have made a number of arrests linked to thefts in the South Northants area.

“The thefts we have had reported to us, especially those involving the theft of tools from work vans, can seriously affect people’s livelihoods and we remain committed to protecting people from harm and bringing the offenders to justice.

“Officers will continue to work at the site throughout the day to conduct a thorough search of the area.”

A number of KFC restaurants in the town have remained shut since Saturday (February 17), with bosses citing a 'delivery hiccup' as the cause.

The company says it is now investigating how many stores have been affected.

KFC has confirmed that Northampton Riverside Retail Park was back up-and-running last night as of 9.18pm, but it is understood a number of town centre restaurants are still shut.

These include:

- Nene Park, Sixfields

- B&Q Retail Park, Towcester Road

- Harborough Road, Kingsthorpe

- NotreDame Mews, Abington Street

In a statement, a KFC spokesman said: "We've brought a new delivery partner onboard, but they've had teething problems - getting fresh chicken out to 900 restaurants across the country is pretty complex.

"We won't compromise on quality, so no deliveries has meant some of our restaurants are closed, and others are operating a limited menu, or shortened hours.

"We know that this might have inconvenienced some of you over the last few days, and disappointed you when you wanted your fried chicken fix - we’re really sorry about that."

As always, there was plenty of sporting action on the county’s parks and sports fields over the weekend.

Photographer Dave Ikin was, as always, out and about to capture some of the action for the Chron.

On Saturday he took in Spratton’s Northants Combination premier division clash with Kettering Nomads, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

He then went to Billing Road for a change of sport to rugby, and saw Old Northamptonians’ 31-17 win over Syston.

On Sunday morning, it was off to Kingsthorpe Rec for some football action.

Here are a selection of Dave’s pictures from the weekend.

Today the Chron reveals how clean the pubs, bars, restaurants, cafes are in Wellingbourough Road, according to inspectors.

Here are the 41 businesses in Wellingborough Road that fall under the ‘pub/bar/nightclub’ and ‘restaurant/cafe/canteen’ section on the Food Standards Agency website.

Click here to see how they were all rated by inspectors.

Each business is given a hygiene rating from 0-5 when it is inspected by a food safety officer from the council, and a database is kept by the Food Standards Agency. 


A five-star rating means “very good”, a four-star rating means “good” and a three-star rating is “generally satisfactory”. 


A zero rating signifies “urgent improvement necessary” and a one-star rating indicates “major improvement necessary”. 


Last month we revealed the 4 Northampton businesses which had been given a one-star rating.

The inspection criteria includes: 


•How hygienically the food is handled 


•How it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored

•How hygienically the food is handled 


•How it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored

•The cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation and other facilities 


•How the business manages and records what it does to make sure food is safe 


At the end of the inspection, the business is given one of the six ratings from 0-5. 



The Food Standards Agency can be contacted on 0207 2104850 or by emailing helpline@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was punched in the face in Gold Street, Wellingborough.

The incident happened between 3am and 4am on Sunday, February 11, when a man was walking through Eastfield Park.

He passed two men on a bench near to the underpass in Gold Street when he felt a punch to the face.

He ran through the tunnel in order to get away but slipped on water and fell to the floor where the two offenders continued to assault him.

The offenders then went back through the park and the man was taken to hospital.

Both offenders are described as having light brown skin, aged 20 to 25, of skinny build, about 5ft 5in, with short black hair.

Witnesses or anyone with information about the attack can contact Northamptonshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Northampton cricketer Mick Allen is determined to make the most of a chance of a lifetime when he flies out to represent England in the Over-70s Ashes in Australia - and grab a slice of sporting glory while he’s there!

The Saints and Northants Over-60s spin bowler is in the 16-man squad that is setting off Down Under on Wednesday, determined to restore English cricket’s pride after the first team’s humbling 4-0 defeat earlier in the winter.

Joe Root and his team had no answer to the Aussies in the main event, but Allen is hoping that he and his new team-mates will be up to the task over the course of five ‘Tests’, which will be staged as one-day internationals.

England travel to Australia as the reigning champions as they enjoyed a 2-1 series win the last time the nations met in England two years ago, but this will be Allen’s first experience as he only qualified by turning 70 last May - making him the youngest member of the touring party.

That could mean a bit of extra workload for Allen, who still plays Saturday cricket for Saints, the team he has represented since he w as a boy.

“A couple of blokes have had to drop out, so the squad is down to 16 which means more work and plenty of game time,” said Allen.

“Hopefully I won’t have to play in all 10 games on the tour, but it depends on fitness I suppose, and if anybody gets sunstroke or something!

“But I am the youngest and might be running around the outfield a lot!”

Allen has trained with his new team-mates in net sessions at Loughborough, and has fitted in well.

“Everybody had a 20-minute bat, and the bowlers bowled at them, so we probably had an hour bowling,” he said.

“It took longer to get the kit sorted out, and the jackets sorted and team picture and things like that!

“The rest of the squad are fine though, and I have no problems with anybody.”

The team haven’t looked at the strengths and weaknesses of their hosts, with Allen adding: “I’m not bothered about what Australia are like - there is no point worrying about the opposition.”

Fitness wise, Allen is very relaxed about how he will cope with what an Australian tour entails.

There were suggestions of the players doing some gym-work to prepare themselves, but Allen says he has been never been to gym in his life, and isn’t going to start now!

“The captain suggested we go to a gym, or go to a sauna or something like that, to get used to the heat,” he said.

“But I didn’t do that, I have been to the West Indies before and had no trouble with the the heat there, so I am just hoping it will all go well when we get there.

“I think it will be a bit cooler than it is at the moment there.”

Northampton-born Allen, who first started playing for Saints in 1961, is now just looking forward to getting started on a trip that has been made possible by the generosity of many sponsors.

The tour had to be self-funded by the players, and donations to a Just Giving page set up by his daughter Rovinj, as well as a comedy night and generous donations ensured Allen could travel.

“There have been a lot of people who have helped,” he said.

“There is FG Watts, O’Connor & Company where I used to work, Mick and Sheila White who have donated. Northants CCC have donated, Pete Teckman ran the comedy night for me at the Saints where we raised a lot of money.

“Wootton Primary School donated, and then there is everybody else who gave to the Just Giving page, which started it all when it was first publicised.

“I appreciate everything that everybody has done.

Allen will spend the first two weeks of the tour on his own, before he is joined for the final week by daughter Rovinj.

As well as the cricket, there are plenty of social activities arranged, including a trip to a vineyard and a wildlife park, as well as the chance to do some sight-seeing and relax.

“I am just going to go out there and anjoy it - or at least I’ll enjoy it until my daughter gets there and starts telling me what to do!

“It will be a proud moment for me, and her as well.”

England play their first warm-up game against a Western Australia XI in Perth on February 26, with the first Test against the Aussies on March 4 in Adelaide.

The final Test, and game 10 of the tour, is in Brisbane on March 17.

Match itinerary

Feb 26: Western Australia XI, Perth

Feb 28: Western Australia, Perth

March 2: South Australia, Adelaide

March 4: Australia, Adelaide

March 5: South Australia Country XI, Mount Gambier

March 8: Australia, Geelong CC, Kardinia Park

March 11: Australia, Brisbane

March 12: Queensland Country (day/night game), Caloundra CC, Mantra Mooloolaba Beach

March 14: Australia, Maroochydore CC

March 17: Australia, Brisbane Premier Ground