An NHS trust in Northamptonshire is among the first in the country to offer video consultations between doctors and some patients.

People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or Aspergers will be able to speak to a clinic from their home from now on using the video calling website Skype and a webcam.

Kobus Van Rensburg, a consultant clinical psychologist at Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS, who has led the scheme, said: “It gives our clients the opportunity to remain in the setting where they feel safe.

“It also means that they are able to have an appointment outside the standard team hours of 9am and 5pm as there is no need to book a clinic room for this.”

Mr van Rensburg said other benefits include reduced travel costs and the chance for his team to see more clients each working day.

Health bosses said that, in many instances, the use of video is not aimed at replacing clinic or home-based face to face contact, but allow more frequent consultations.

It also means the patient can avoid taking time off work or arranging child-care.

Jon Brady has hailed the adaptability of his Brackley side as they aim to make it eight wins out of eight in the Blue Square Bet North against Workington this weekend.

The Saints scrapped to secure a 1-0 victory – earned by a goal from former Cobblers man Gary Mulligan - at Bradford Park Avenue last Saturday, resisting a second-half surge from the home side.

It was the second win in the space of a week for Brackley, following their 4-1 thrashing of Gloucester four days earlier.

On that occasion, the Saints showed their style, but the win at Bradford was more about steel and Brady is revelling in both the offensive and defensive qualities of his talented bunch.

“The win at Bradford just showed how adaptable we are,” said the Saints boss. “It was a tough game and we really had to battle hard.

“We showed another side of our game. There were shot-put and javelin marks on the pitch and it wasn’t the best surface but we played a different way and showed great character.

“We’ve got real adaptability because we can play great football as well. We played really well at Gloucester in the game before as well.”

Newly-promoted Brackley will look to continue their superb start when Workington come calling at St James’ Park on Saturday.

The Saints currently sit top of the standings and will be heavily fancied against a side who lost 3-2 to previously winless Corby Town last weekend.

“I know Corby went there and got a win but I’m told Workington’s defending was very unusual,” said Brady. “They’ve not defended like that for a while, apparently.

“We had them watched against Chester a few weeks ago as well and we know how they play. We’ll be looking to take the game to them and carry on with the hard work we keep doing.”

I have happy memories of playing in the garden at The Three Cranes as a child, but I haven’t been there in years, so I thought it’d be the ideal place for a relaxed dinner.

So my boyfriend, Scott, his dad, Neil, and I went there for a Bank Holiday Monday meal.

We were seated in the far corner of the pub, near to a window. The pub wasn’t packed, but there were other tables of diners, as well as people at the bar, and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. I was extremely impressed with the menu. For a start, it was vast.

I find choosing what to eat from a menu difficult at the best of times, so in this case I was very indecisive, particularly when the specials’ board – which featured a number of meals I’ve never seen on some pub’s entire menus – was presented to us.

The menu itself featured four different burgers, a choice of four home-made pies and an impressive six different curries, not bad when many menus offer only a token chicken tikka masala and little more.

All the dishes were reasonably priced, with most coming in at around £8.

I was severely tempted by the lamb shank on the specials board, but decided to go for a rump steak (£9.95) with a Stilton sauce (£1.50) and chips.

Scott ordered the gourmet burger (£7.95) and Neil went for the Minted Lamb and Red Onion pie (£8.50).

We also chose to share a combo sharing platter (£8.95). Again we were offered plenty of choice, as the pub also serves an ocean sharing platter and an Oriental sharing platter, as well as a range of other starters.

Our platter arrived quickly and featured breaded mushrooms, potato wedges, onion rings, chicken wings and vegetable parcels. None of the components of the platter were greasy, as can often be the case, and the three of us quickly ate it.

The plates were cleared and our mains promptly arrived. My steak was perfectly cooked and the Stilton sauce was really tasty. The steak came with chips and a bit of salad, both of which were nice.

My only niggle is that it would’ve been nice to have had a couple of onion rings and a grilled tomato on there too.

Scott’s gourmet burger, a beef burger with mayonnaise, mozzarella cheese and relish, was a decent size and went down well. Neil was also pleased with his pie, which he had with vegetables and roast potatoes.

By this point we’d had a good feed, but when our waitress brought the blackboard over with the desserts – again with a vast range on offer – we all relented and ordered.

I chose the Malteser ice cream sundae, Scott had an After Eight sundae and Neil chose banana and toffee waffle. Each of the sweets was £3.95; not bad at all in my opinion.

Both of the sundaes were made up of scoops of ice cream complemented with our chosen chocolates, while Neil’s waffle was served on a plate and surrounded by slices of banana.

With our drinks – we had one round and I ordered a second soft drink – our bill was £58.90. Considering we had three courses each, albeit the starter shared between us, I thought less than £20 a head was very good indeed.

Ratings at a glance:

Value: Good

Food: Tasty

Service: Friendly

Disabled Access: Yes

Parking: Plenty on street

Cost of our meal

Final total: Two courses each plus a starter to share, and drinks, came to £58.90.

Bernie’s star rating: 9/10

Darren Frost scored a hat-trick as on-song Cogenhoe United moved joint top of the Chromasport United Counties League Premier Division with a 7-1 thrashing of Harborough Town at Compton on Tuesday night.

Andy Marks’s men were too strong for a Borough side that is still adjusting to life in the top flight following their promotion from division one, wlthough the visitors started the stronger and actually took the lead on 19 minutes through Ben Barton.

It took just three minutes for the Cooks to square the match through Frost, and from then on in it was one-way traffic.

Jamie Russell made it 2-1 in on 27 minutes before in first-half stoppage time Frost made it 3-1, tapping in after Robbie Bushell’s shot was deflected into his path.

A confident Cooks side continued to create openings after the interval. A close range Josh Urquhart header made it four after 52 minutes and four minutes later Lewis Leslie stole in at the back post to head in Jed Ainge’s flag kick from the left.

Frost completed his hat trick after 68 minutes and the scoring was completed nine minutes from time as Sam Heavey notched.

Long Buckby’s woes continued asa they slumped to a 2-0 home defeat to Quorn, who remain unbeaten.

The Bucks were on the back foot from 38 seconds in when Kris Nurse made it 1-0, and it wasa 2-0 midway through the first half.

Buckby battled hard to get back in the game, but could find no way through.

Results, Tuesday, September 11

UCL Premier Division

AFC Kempston Rovers 1 Irchester United 1

Cogenhoe United 7 Harborough Town 1

Deeping Rangers 1 Holbeach United 3

Desborough Town 4 Wellingborough Town 0

Long Buckby 0 Quorn 2

Newport Pagnell Town 1 St Ives Town 1

Shepshed Dynamo 1 Stewarts & Lloyds Corby 2

Sleaford Town 1 Peterborough Northern Star 1

A great deal of tradition and superstition still surrounds the birth of a baby, even in today’s modern society.

And one ritual, which has made its presence felt particularly in the food industry, is that of the baby shower.

Tea parties to celebrate the birth of a baby, once it had already happened, even took place in Victorian times when pregnancy was often kept a closely-guarded secret for as long as possible. But, once the child was born, get-togethers were held for the new mother, including games used to predict pregnancy in other women.

The baby shower, as we know it today, actually started after World War Two, serving a practical purpose in that the event gave expectant parents the items they needed to care for their children.

Despite this, the shower is often thought of as a modern American invention, but one that seems to have been catching on throughout the UK in the last few years.

Local bakeries and cake-makers have reported taking increased requests for party cakes to mark what was once seen as a State-side celebration.

At the family-run Gardners Bakery, based in Kingsthorpe and Market Harborough, creative minds have been busily conjuring up everything from tiny toy bunnies to babies and ducklings... all in the form of cakes and icing.

Owner, Helen Gardner, said: “It has become popular in the last couple of years and now we probably do at least one a week. I don’t know why it is but I think perhaps people see these things in films or on TV programmes. People have been asking for storks or there are many ways of doing the different cakes. Some people know what they are having and some don’t. I used to group the cakes all under ‘christening’ on the website (www.
gardnersbakery.co.uk) but I had so many requests, I created a new category so people knew where to look.”

Where there was once a time when people trod carefully and sensitively around the subject of pregnancy, according to one national paper, humorous baby cakes showing tasteless images such as babies bursting out of stomachs, have also been chosen by some.

But it seems that shoppers in Northamptonshire are still choosing somewhat cuter and fluffier subjects for their baby shower cake designs.

At Weedon-based Buttercup Tea and Cakes, which makes cakes and sets out tea parties from scratch for all different occasions (see www.buttercupteaandcakes.co.uk), owners Joy Fedden and Sandra Brown have also been busily supplying baby shower cupcakes to be given as gifts to mums-to-be.

“We can, of course, create cupcakes or a large cake for the mum as a gift from a guest, or we can come and create a tea party for mum-to-be’s guests in their home or any other venue.”

Meanwhile, Jenny Prideaux, of The Sugar Fairy, in Kettering (www.thesugarfairy.co.uk) has also noticed the popular trend.

She said: “It is quite an American tradition but I wasn’t surprised to see it over here. I get asked to make all sorts of things. I would imagine it will become even more popular in the future.”

Preparatory work is underway to demolish the old indoor market and create the controversial new bus interchange in Northampton.

This week work started in Sheep Street as essential piping, cabling and other services are diverted away from what is set to become a busy construction site.

Over the next year the old indoor market will be demolished to make way for the new bus interchange.

Planning permission for the bus interchange was granted in July and preparation work has been going on over the summer.

Redirecting underground services will be the final works to take place before demolition begins in November.

Councillor David Mackintosh, Leader of Northampton Borough Council said: “Our town is being transformed. Everywhere you look there are Northampton Alive projects taking shape and breathing new life into areas that are ready for investment.

“The new bus interchange will give visitors to Northampton the right impression. We want people to feel welcomed to our town, rather than experience Kevin McLeod’s ‘Mouth of Hell’. Our town is finally getting a modern facility that is welcoming, bright, safe and clean in the heart of the town centre.”

Preparation work in Sheep Street is expected to take six weeks, with demolition of the former indoor market starting in November and construction of the new bus interchange completed by Christmas 2013.

For more information about Northampton Alive visit the borough council’s website

A lentil and seasonal vegetable tart based on a mixture of roasted sweet potato, courgette, aubergine and red lentil in a simple tomato sauce to bind, topped with a light sprinkling of lemon and coriander bread crumbs. Serve with runner beans and watercress salad.

Ingredients:

Savoury pastry cases

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

100ml vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

2 courgettes, diced

1 large aubergine, diced

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes

200g red lentils

50g bread cut into small cubes

Chopped coriander

Zest of one lemon

Method:

1.In a medium heavy based pan, heat the oil and add the onion, cook until softened, add the garlic and cook for a few seconds longer, add the chopped tomatoes, stock and the bay leaf, cook on a gentle heat, stirring often.

2. Place the diced vegetables and sweet potato onto a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil, season and roast for approximately 20 - 25 minutes, or until soft.

3. In a separate pan place the lentils, add boiling water from a kettle covering the lentils, bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer, cook uncovered for approximately 10 - 15 minutes until cooked but still slightly crunchy, drain and set aside.

4. To make the crumb, add semi-stale bread cubes to a food processor until fine and even, then add the lemon zest and chopped coriander, process for a few seconds longer until everything is mixed through.

5. Remove tomato sauce pan from the heat and take out bay leaf, add sugar and seasoning to taste then add the roasted vegetables and cooked lentils.

6. Spoon the hot mixture into the pastry cases, top with the lemon and coriander crumb and place in the hot oven for 10 minutes until golden.

If you prefer to use your own pastry tart cases here is a simple savoury pastry method:

Ingredients:

225g plain flour

1/4 tsp salt

125g chilled butter, diced

2 1/2 tbsp iced water

Method:

Use your fingertips to quickly rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Sprinkle 2 1/2 tbsp of the iced water over the flour mixture and stir with a round-bladed knife or small spatula, mix until it begins to hold together.

Bring the pastry together with your hands and transfer to a lightly floured work surface, briefly knead the pastry lightly with your fingertips for about 1 minute or until smooth and soft. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge for 30 minutes.

Police carrying out a blitz on town centre drunks made a total of 22 arrests in Northampton in just one night.

Operation Challenge was brought in to tackle the problem of alcohol-related violence in Northampton town centre and saw 22 people arrested on Saturday night alone.

A total of 18 people were referred to DAARS (Drug and Alcohol Referral Scheme) and 20 were issued with Section 27 notices – forbidding them from returning from the area within a specified time.

Chief Inspector Andy Cox said: “I’m really pleased with the results of this so far – we’re clearly getting the message across that we are not here to stop people enjoying a night out but will deal with them robustly if they step over the line.

“Visits by officers once offenders have sobered up are also proving effective when the consequences of their behaviour are explained to them in the cold light of day.

“One such offender recently told an Operation Challenge officer: “I was an accident waiting to happen” and “I was a fool, I deserved it.” Again, we are asking people to stop and think – is it worth it?”

THE former imam of Wellingborough mosque has been jailed for sexually abusing two girls while teaching the Koran.

Abdul Matin, 41, was found unanimously guilty of seven sexual assault charges at Northampton Crown Court having told a jury he was the victim of a conspiracy by his victims’ families to discredit him.

The imam, who resigned last year, was accused of sexually touching two girls, who cannot be named, kissing them and putting his hands inside their clothing during religious lessons. However, he was convicted after a trial in July.

At Derby Crown Court today, Judge Michael Fowler jailed the disgraced imam for 12 months and placed him on the sex offenders’ register for the next five years. He was also handed a sexual offences’ prevention order (SOPO) and disqualified from working with children for 10 years.

Rebecca Herbert, prosecuting in the trial, said: “The defendant was a tutor in the Koran and from about 2007 to 2010, he visited child A’s home address several times a week to tutor her in the Koran.

“During these times and at various other times, both girls mentioned to one or other of their parents that the defendant was physically affectionate with them. They said they did not like it and did not really want to have their lessons with him.

“During the summer of 2010, the lessons came to an end by mutual agreement, but it would seem it was due to their ages, not for reasons concerning the defendant’s behaviour.

“The defendant, being an imam, was respected and highly regarded by all but you, the jury, may feel it would have been hard for these two young Muslim girls to have spelt out what was happening. Sexual matters are simply not discussed.

“The lessons finished in 2010, but things came to light because during the autumn term at school, child A watched a video about bullying and as she watched, she saw a section which talked about sexual abuse, along the lines that people should not touch you in a certain way and if they did, you were to tell someone. As a result, she spoke to one of her teachers on November 2, 2010.”

When Matin was arrested he denied any sexual abuse had taken place and claimed the victims’ families were plotting against him.

Mrs Herbert added: “Child A accused the defendant of frequently putting his hand down her top and squeezing her breast area. On one occasion, she remembered he forced her to sit on his lap.

“Child B remembered when she was about seven, he touched her by putting his hand down her burka and ‘bits he should not supposed to touch’. She recalled it happened twice and said she knew similar things had happened to child A. She said the defendant told them not to tell anyone.”

Matin, of Albert Road, Wellingborough, speaking through a Bengali interpreter, said the allegations were part of a conspiracy to discredit him.

He claimed the two girls had threatened to make up false sexual allegations against him to stop him telling their parents they were not concentrating or behaving in the religious lessons.

He added: “One (of the children) said that if you tell my father then I will say that you did this and that, that you touched us. We will go to the police and to the school. Then they said sorry and I thought that was the end of it.

“I was upset I teach children who could say something like that.”

The jury took two-and-a-half hours’ deliberation to unanimously convict him of all charges.

Dorian West says Saints will assess the fitness of centre George Pisi on Thursday morning as they decide whether to name him in the squad for Friday’s game at Bath.

But Courtney Lawes is unlikely to be risked, with West claiming the England lock ‘won’t be far off in another week or so’.

Pisi was withdrawn after 35 minutes of the 24-21 win against Exeter at Franklin’s Gardens on Sunday.

And he remains a doubt for the trip to The Rec, with Luther Burrell, who scored a try in Sunday’s clash, likely to replace the Samoan should he miss out.

“It’s ongoing treatment with him (Pisi) and we’ll assess where he is tomorrow morning,” said West.

And on the subject of Lawes, who has out since July after picking up an elbow injury during pre-season training, West said: “He’s not far off, Courtney. We had a look at him in training yesterday (Tuesday) and we’ll talk about him later.

“He’s improved, he’s worked hard over the last eight weeks and he won’t be far off, another week or so I think.”

James Craig, Paul Diggin (both knee), Jamie Elliott (hamstring) and Sam Dickinson (arm) are absent as they continue to recover from injury, while Calum Clark remains banned.

Northampton has been crowned the winner in the “City” category of this year’s East Midlands in Bloom floral awards.

Following the judges’ visit earlier this year, Northampton fended off the challenge from a host of other entrants to be named top of the class for its flower displays and commitment to keeping the town looking at its best.

Jeff Bates, chairman of East Midlands in Bloom, said: “This year the grey skies and prolonged periods of heavy rain caused a number of problems but high standards were maintained and there were lots of excellent examples showing communities working together to bring long-lasting improvements to their area.”

Each of the entries was judged during July and August on horticultural expertise, the maintenance of the local environment and the involvement of all sectors of the local community.

Bradlaugh Fields was singled out for a gold award by the judges, while the St Crispin development, in Duston, won a silver in the “Best Small Village” category.

Northampton will now go on to compete in the “City” category of the Britain in Bloom awards later this year.

Councillor John Caswell, cabinet member for the environment, said: “It is great to see all the hard work that people have put in this year rewarded, and once again Northampton stands head and shoulders above the competition. It really has been a team effort and we can all be very pleased with ourselves.”

Shane Higgs played 45 minutes for the Cobblers in a practice match againts Notts County at Sixfields on Wednesday but will not be considered for selection for the game at Fleetwood Town on Saturday.

The goalkeeper has been sidelined since rupturing an Achilles tendon in January and the club will not risk even having him on the bench until his injury is 100 per cent healed.

Lee Nicholls, who is on loan from Wigan Athletic until the end of October, will continue in goal with 17-year-old Dean Snedker as his back-up.

Higgs played the first half against County in a match that saw the Cobblers run out 3-1 winners thanks to a hat-trick from teenager Louis Moult.

As well as Higgs, who was replaced by Snedker at half time, and Moult, the other first team squad members to have a run-out were Paul Turnbull, Ishmel Demontagnac, Henoc Mukendi, Lewis Wilson and Anthony Charles.

Looking ahead to Saturday’s Fleetwood game, defender John Johnson will undergo a fitness test on the shin injury he sustained a fortnight ago and if he is cleared to play he will contest the right-back position with Hull City loanee Danny East.

Luke Guttridge is back in the selection frame after recovering from a recent illness, while defender Nana is still at least a month away from full fitness after sustaining a bad knee injury more than a year ago.

SOUTH DEVON is a great place to visit if you have children – and even better if you have the perfect base to call home for the duration of your stay.

Spindrift, a spacious bungalow nestled in the quaint fishing village of Hope Cove, ticked all the right boxes for us even if the typical inclement British summer weather threatened to dampen our spirits.

The one-level property is described as “a charming holiday home” and it is certainly chock-full of charm. As well as a splendid en-suite master bedroom, with walk-in wardrobe, a spacious kitchen and ample lounge, the highlight is the marvellous sun room that doubles up as a dining area, that leads outside on to a balcony/decking platform.

From here, you get a wonderful vista from the rolling hills of the Devon countryside to views of the Celtic sea shimmering in the sunlight.

Blue Chip Holidays prides themselves on providing ‘luxury self-catering holiday accommodation’ and you know before you arrive that you will be staying somewhere special and Spindrift did not disappoint.

As for Hope Cove, it is a picturesque coastal sanctuary on the west side of the region known as the South Hams, just up the shoreline from the sailing-mad town of Salcombe.

There are numerous beaches on your doorstep and Benjamin spent many a happy hour with his fishing net and bucket, exploring the many rock pools, building sand castles and paddling in the clear waters.

If stunning coastal walks are your thing, then you will be well catered for; the popular town of Dartmouth is only a short drive away, as is the National Park of Dartmoor, while a little further afield you will find the holiday towns of Torquay and Plymouth.

For those who enjoy exploring the nooks and crannies of the Devon shoreline, then I can recommend a shore walk with none other than Monty Halls, or at least a member of his knowledgeable team.

The TV presenter/adventurer has opened a shop called ‘Great Escapes’ in Dartmouth, from which he operates shore walks, boat trips and diving explorations, and it was with marine biologist Rachel that Benjamin and I spent an enjoyable hour on the rocky coastline in the shadow of Dartmouth Castle.

From discovering starfish to different types of crab and sea anemones, to indulging in a spot of seaweed eating, Rachel opened our eyes to the various forms of wildlife living quite happily by the sea.

If you’re lucky enough you may even get to meet Monty himself and his dog Reuben, as we did when popping in to his shop.

While you are in Dartmouth, you should treat yourself to a boat trip, provided by the Steam Railway and River Boat Company. We hopped aboard the Dartmouth Princess for a leisurely cruise that took us down the river and back.

We headed towards the village of Dittisham, past Greenway House, the former home of Agatha Christie, and then back down stream with an informative commentary provided by the captain.

A trip to South Devon is not complete without a trip to the east coast of the South Hams to ‘The King of Zoos’ at Paignton, which was founded in 1923 by Herbert Whitley, and provides excellent for money for all the family.

The highlight for Benjamin, though, weren’t the playful gorillas, the giant tortoises, or the endangered black rhinos, but the little diesel train that circumnavigates gibbon island every half-an-hour.

Set in lovely wooded grounds, the park attracts around 500,000 visitors a year and in recent years the zoo has been transformed with the addition of the Ape Centre, Monkey Heights and Animal Encounters Theatre.

Yes indeed, we may only have sampled a week of Devon life, but it was pretty clear to us that it is just the perfect place to go with children who love to be outdoors and a return trip is definitely on the agenda.

Spindrift

Spindrift is a four-star gold rated holiday home, which sleeps up to six guests in three bedrooms and can be booked from £409 for three nights or from £609 for a week. It’s just one of more than 800 four and five star properties available from Blue Chip Holidays in Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Cornwall, and The Isle of Wight. Bookings can be made online at www.bluechipholidays.co.uk or by calling 0844 7044987.

Ranging from cottages to luxury self-catering coastal houses, apartments and barn conversions, Blue Chip Holidays’ properties are chosen for their stunning location, amazing coastal or rural views or hi-spec interiors. Each is reviewed to ensure they meet the high standard set not only by Blue Chip Holidays, but also by VisitEngland.

Monty Halls’ Great Escapes can be booked by calling 01803 431858, or by emailing GreatEscapes@montyhalls.co.uk Booking in advance is strongly advised due to high demand. See www.montyhalls.co.uk/bluechip-holidays for latest available dates.

Former chief executive of Northamptonshire County Council Katherine Kerswell has been appointed as the director general for civil service reform.

Mrs Kerswell, who was paid £197,000 during her time at County Hall and famously pocketed a £500,000 ‘golden goodbye’ after quitting her subsequent post at Kent County Council less than half way through her contract, will be paid £142,000 in her new role.

She said she is “particularly keen to make change take root and really happen with urgency and pace”.

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said Kerswell would help to sharpen accountability, collect consistent management information and improve how government runs its major projects.

Mrs Kerswell started work with the county council in 2007 and only a few months after her appointment launched the infamous Taste the Strawberry campaign, which was designed to represent the overall ‘flavour’ of the council’s services.

The campaign was lampooned by some pundits and even became the subject of a comedy song.

But Mrs Kerswell inistsed it had been a success. A week before she left her post she said: “As you walk around County Hall, people are always going on about strawberries, there’s a real buzz about it.”

The Good Beer Guide 2013 will feature 10 new entries on pubs from Northamptonshire.

Launched, today The Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) annual beer bible sees establishments from across the county recommended to drinkers.

Jointly sponsored by Cask Marque and SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers), it features what the authors determine to be the best 4,500 real ale pubs from across the UK, with details of food, opening hours, beer gardens, accommodation, transport links, disabled access and family facilities.

New additions in the south of the Northamptonshire include The Countryman in Staverton, near Daventry, The King’s Arms in Farthingstone, The Olde Red Lion in Kislingbury, The Plough in Watling Street, Towcester, The Three Conies in Stoke Mandeville and The Moon on the Square in the Market Square, Northampton.

The others are The Hare in Loddington, The Queen’s Head in Bulwick, The Red Lion in Broughton and The Locomotive in Finedon Road, Wellingborough.

It brings to 49 the number of Northamptonshire pubs that now feature in the respected guide

Jo Pickering, a shift manager at The Moon on the Square said: “It’s really good news. We have new local ales regularly and we find people come here when their particular favourites are in.

“It’s great to be recognised and that our reputation for beer seems to be growing because the team works really hard to look after our ales.”

The Environment Agency will be testing its five flood warning sirens in Northampton on Thursday, September 20.

The sirens are located in the St James and Far Cotton areas of the town. They will be sounded from 10am to 2pm.

Anyone who hears the sirens between 10am and 2pm on the day of the test need not be alarmed or take any action.

John Ray, Flood Incident Management Team Leader, said: “The sirens are an integral part of our flood warning system in Northampton. We test them every year to make sure they are working effectively.

“The test will involve the intermittent sounding of the sirens before all five sirens are sounded together. We apologise for any disturbance this may cause but we hope people understand we need to be sure the sirens will work in an emergency.”

If the sirens sound at any other time, people should ring Floodline on 0845 988 1188 for the latest situation and tune into local radio.

Mr Ray added: “After testing, the sirens will only be activated when we issue a flood warning – when there is a risk to life and property.

“This will be a cue to residents to tune into local radio and television stations or call our Floodline service and await advice. In the event that evacuation is advised, this will be organised by the police.”

Environment Agency staff will be located at Morrison’s car park, Victoria Promenade, between 9am and 4pm on the day of the test to answer questions about flood risk and flood warning.

Northampton residents can check the flood risk where they live by logging onto the Environment Agency website or calling the 24-hour Floodline service on 0845 988 1188. The services can also provide information on what people can do to prepare for flooding if their house is in an at-risk area.

A TWICE-convicted rapist jailed only last year for a campaign of burglaries in Northampton served just a fraction of his prison sentence.

Nikolajs Petrovs, 51, was sentenced to four years and eight months’ imprisonment at Northampton Crown Court in April last year for a two-month campaign of burglaries, all committed within a two-mile radius of his Abington address in Northampton.

Petrovs, who claims to be from Latvia, but who is believed to be Russian, admitted committing 12 burglaries and five attempted break-ins, shortly after arriving in the UK after being released from his last prison sentence imposed for rape.

He served just 14 months of a 56-month sentence in prison before being released, despite being recommended for deportation at the time.

And last week, he appeared in court in the Republic of Ireland after carrying out another burglary in Dundalk.

However, despite his record for burglaries and also rapes, Petrovs was again released and walked out of Dundalk Courthouse because Gardai were not told of his previous convictions.

The court heard he was released early from his UK sentence by the Home Secretary, Theresa May on condition that he leave Britain.

Petrovs, formerly of Stimpson Avenue, Abington, has since been staying in Dundalk after his arrest on September 7 and told Dundalk district court, through an interpreter, he now wanted to leave Ireland.

He said had just €100, along with his passport, and would go to his country’s embassy to see if they will assist his departure, so he was granted bail and is due back before Judge Flann Brennan tomorrow.

He was twice jailed for rape, sentenced to six-and-a-half years in 1990 and to six years in 2000, which the Irish court was not told about.

It is understood Gardai only had access to his UK conviction for burglary, not the two rapes and a 1999 burglary in Latvia.

A spokesperson for the Garda said: “We do not discuss named individuals”.

Felicity Gerry, prosecuting at Northampton Crown Court, said the professional burglar used a screwdriver and spanner to take out door locks.

She added: “It was the same modus operandi on each and every occasion.

“They were mostly in daytime and sometimes [the properties were] occupied. All these burglaries and attempted burglaries took place in a two-mile radius of the defendant’s address using with what one might call an accomplished methodology.

“The defendant would bang on the door of a household and when someone was alerted and he was seen, that would be an attempted burglary, but the vast majority were unoccupied, having banged on the door to ensure the property was empty.”

Sentencing in April 2011, Judge Charles Wide QC said: “The impact of your criminality is not just the losses you caused, although that’s been substantial. It is also the damage you have done and the professional way in which you did it.”

“Chuggers” , those zealous charity collectors who can often plague people in Abington Street with their idiosyncratic approach to fund-raising, do seem to have got the backs up not just of shoppers but politicians as well.

Under a new voluntary agreement being introduced next week, limits will be placed by Northampton Borough Council on their times and areas of operation after the Guildhall tired of complaints about the aggressive tactics used by some while fund-raising .

The Chron’s Facebook page has been awash with comments criticising chugging and welcoming the move which in itself is an unexpected pocket of opposition to a very 21st century practice.

Like many places, Northampton remains a struggling retail centre – you only need to cast an eye around at the empty shops tosee that – so anything that can be done to improve that sometimes elusive “shopping experience” so much the better.

As for the charities doing the “chugging” one can only assume the practice does drum up support.

But sometimes the old-fashioned ways of raising money for causes are the best and the sort of practices used by some charities are best left alone. Beyond that, getting rid of chugging might actually do more good in the long term for the charities that continue to use them and that can be no bad thing.

A police operation to tackle excessive drinking in Northampton town centre saw 17 people arrested on Saturday night.

It means since the start of the crackdown, which was launched at the start of the month as part of a battle with violent crime on Saturday nights, almost 60 people have now been arrested for being drunk while out in the town.

The majority of those have either been banned from the town or being ordered to attend alcohol awareness courses, while all have received “morning after” visits from the police.

The mobile custody village was once again set up in Northampton town centre for the Saturday night operation, providing an “on the ground” unit to detain drunks and people who are vulnerable.

On Saturday, one person was retained in custody at Campbell Square police station, while 16 people were released and referred to DAARS (Drug and Alcohol Referral Scheme).

They were also issued with Section 27 notices, banning them from the town.

Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Blatchly joined officers on patrol on Saturday night and made two of the arrests.

He said: “The use of mobile custody suite has proved to be a very successful initiative, demonstrating that we will deal robustly with anti-social and potentially violent behaviour caused by excessive alcohol consumption, while at the same time helping to educate people about the risks involved and the potential consequences of too much alcohol.

“We’re not here to stop people having fun – we want everyone to be able to enjoy their night out safely but also to realise that there can be consequences to getting drunk beyond a hangover.”

Two volunteers from Northamptonshire Police Authority were shown all aspects of the operation and had full access to the custody village to check that the facilities were satisfactory and the welfare needs of the detainees were met.

Anyone given a DAARS appointment must attend otherwise they will receive a summons to court.

So far, no-one has failed to attend an appointment and around a third of people have requested further support.

Saints fans are being invited to invest in the club after the issue of half a million new shares.

Each new share will cost a pound and the club said proceeds will be donated to the Saints “as a contribution towards the initial construction costs of the new North Stand at Franklin’s Gardens.”

Fans can only buy a minimum transaction of 250 shares, which would cost £250 plus stamp duty on transactions over £1,000.

To register your interest and/or request a copy of the Northampton Saints plc annual report and accounts for 2012, email: sharesale@northamptonsaints.co.uk, write to the club secretary or fill in a form on the Saints’ website.