The Chron reported how Jermaine Jones was looking for the Blackthorn Lower School 'teacher' who helped took in he and his brother, Andrew, when their house burned down on 13 December, 28 years ago.

Through spreading our story on social media, word has reached the Good Samaritan in question, Sue Willmer, who was actually a learning support assistant for Andrew's class.

She said she was delighted to have left such a lasting impression on the five-year-old Jermaine - and revealed she had never forgotten him either.

She said: "I remember it was actually playtime when he came up to me and said: 'My house is on fire'.

"I said, no, it can't be, then I looked across and saw it was true."

After getting the children inside, she was approached by Jermaine's mum.

"She was in a bit of a panic. I think she had arranged to stay with a relative but there was only going to be room for her, her husband and the baby.

"I said I could take Jermaine and Andrew home with me as I had plenty of room."

In the end the boys stayed at her home in Donellan Green, Southfields for more than a week. The first task was to find them new clothes as the fire had destroyed all their belongings.

Luckily, Sue's dad worked at the RAF charity shop in town and was able to source some clothes in the appropriate sizes.

She walked the boys to and from school each day and took them to the park at the weekend.

Sue, aged 64. who now lives near Great Yarmouth, said: "It was a bit different having two little boys as I had two teenage girls.

"We played football in the park and I used to bath them every night then they would lie on the bed and I'd read them stories.

"They were two well-mannered boys.

"I'm so pleased Jermaine remembers me. It just felt like the natural thing to do."

It was not the last time Sue did such a good deed.

Later in her career, she took in for a short while a little boy at the school who had hip dysplasia, while his mum was expecting a new baby.

Sue said: "I was happy to help them."

She and Jermaine hope to arrange a meeting in the near future.

Northampton’s economic performance has been ranked as ‘mid-table’ by the council’s head of economy.

A recently published report from Rick O’Farrell to Northampton Borough Council’s scrutiny committee shows wide-ranging results, including that residents are earning less per week than the national average, but that the town centre actually has fewer shops boarded up than it did back in 2010.

Some of the positives included news that Northampton was named the ‘most enterprising town’ for business start up’s in 2016 by the Centre for Cities’ within their Cities Outlook 2016 report. Based on the 2017 Outlook report, Northampton remained in second place with only London moving above the town.

But the report adds: “Locations with high numbers of business start-ups also have a high number of business failures, this is true of Northampton, however the positioning in the Cities Outlook demonstrates that a business has currently more chance of surviving in Northampton rather than anywhere else except London.”

More than 90 per cent of Northampton’s 10,000 enterprises is small to medium (SMEs) with nine or fewer staff members, with the town home to 55 large companies that employ over 250 people.

And the report indicates that major economic shocks, such as any potential fall-outs from a No Deal Brexit, may have less impact on Northampton than some other towns.

The report says: “An advantage of this structure is that because employment is distributed among a large number of smaller companies rather than being concentrated in a small number of large corporations, the economy is less at risk of economic shocks more likely to be experienced by having a high concentration of large internationally mobile companies. This means that SMEs are well placed to support future job creation.”

The performance of the town centre is also discussed. Northampton has seen a number of major retailers close within the town centre, such as Marks & Spencer. And the most recent Retail and Leisure Study reports a town centre vacancy rate of 14.9 per cent within the town centre, a drop from the 2010 figure of 17.3 per cent.

Meanwhile the average weekly wage in Northampton is currently £536.50 per week according to the latest Office for National Statistics Labour Force report. This is reported by the Centre for Cities as an average performing area, but the figure is lower than the national figure of £571.10 per week.

Presenting the findings of the report to the scrutiny committee on Monday evening (February 4), Mr O’Farrell told councillors: “Using a football team analogy Northampton is performing mid-table. We have seen some real positives such as unemployment below the national average, and the highest business start-up rate outside of London. We also have a high level of businesses in the knowledge economy and a high job density. And despite the recent decline in the town centre it’s still the 64th best performing in the country.

“There are still some things to monitor though. There’s a high demand for skilled staff, and employment growth in local companies is starting to slow down. In the last quarter of last year, we actually started to see companies reporting job losses too.”

Fly-tipping has dropped by 10 per cent across Northampton while recycling is up by roughly the same amount, councillors were told this week.

More than 18,000 fly-tipping incidents were reported to the Guildhall from 2017 to 2018, with the council taking action against 1,066 incidents.

But Councillor Mike Hallam, cabinet member for the environment, said that those numbers had gone down according to the latest available figures, whilst recycling had also gone up.

Speaking to members of the borough council’s scrutiny committee on Monday evening (February 4), Councillor Hallam said: “Recycling is up and fly-tipping is down. Fly-tipping has dropped by 10 per cent, although I appreciate there are still bad patches out there. But recycling is up by pretty much the same amount [10 per cent], especially in areas where have rolled out the new wheelie bins.”

But Labour councillor Gareth Eales responded on Twitter that ‘the figures may well be down, but it’s still an epidemic’, while community group Northampton’s Rubbish said the issue was still ‘rife’ in places such as The Mounts.

Councillor Hallam said that a three month trial in reducing the bulky waste removal charge, from £25 to £15, was also currently underway to examine what affect it may have.

He said: “We thought we would put it to the test. We couldn’t play with the numbers before in the previous contract. It’s a £2.5k cost which we will fund through sponsorship or from our own fixed penalty notices. We will look at the end of month three and see whether we revert back to £25, or if it’s worked, continuing with it.”

But speaking at the meeting, member of the committee Councillor Terrie Eales said: “It was not the charge that put me off using the bulky waste service, it was the long wait. Some people might not be inclined to wait.”

Councillor Hallam said he would be looking at improvements to the online service, saying: “It does seem strange that we can book a hotel room on the other side of the world within three clicks, but not sort out the bulky waste. We do need to change that.”

Conservative councillor Alan Bottwood questioned if there was ‘anything that could be done’ about tips that were closed for two days a week.

Councillor Hallam responded: “I did ask for them to change the opening hours to open earlier. I went early one morning after a spring clean and the queue to get in was starting to cause problems on the main road. If it was me in charge of that I would be opening at 8am instead of 10am, and shutting earlier. But I was told there was no flexibility on that.”

He was also keen to impress on the benefits that recycling had for both the environment, but also for the council coffers.

Improved recycling rates bring in additional income from recycling credits, with the council targeting an extra £15k of additional income from further improvement in the recycling levels.

Drivers are facing severe delays on the A45 in Northampton this morning...after a broken down car has partially blocked the road.

The AA reported that delays of up to 40 minutes were being experienced by drivers on the A45 coming into Northampton from Wellingborough.

The AA said the A45 was "partially blocked and queueing traffic for five miles due to stalled vehicle on A45 Nene Valley Way Westbound from B573 Northampton Road (Grendon / Earls Barton Turn Off) to A5076 Great Billing Way (Great Billing Interchange). Congestion to Little Irchester. Travel time is 40 minutes."

A complainant, now in his 50s, who alleges he was sexually abused by the defendant, described Father McDermott as having a very high sex drive, saying: “He was sex mad. He was always talking about it.”

In 2004, the witness was contacted by the Priest after the latter had been accused of sexually assaulting a young girl be-known to the witness. She believed the witness had knowledge of her assaults, which also took place in the 1970s.

Before meeting McDermott, the witness purchased a tape recorder and recorded their conversation.

The witness said: “I just wanted to record what he said as I sensed panic. I guessed it was about the sexual abuse.”

On the tape the complainant can be heard saying he didn't see the alleged offences against the then 12-year-old girl, but did refer to fondling that took place between himself and the priest.

The priest also said on the tape that he believes the girl was an attention-seeker who had a crush on him.

“I can't understand, 30 years down the lane, why she's saying it,” he says on the 2004 recording.

The complainant did not do anything with the tape for over a decade, Aylesbury Crown Court heard yesterday (Tuesday).

“I decided not to pursue it,” he said, and it was only after seeking therapy [after a relationship break-up] that he decided to report his own abuse.

Patrick Hill QC, for the defence, said that the witness had been treated for mental health issues in the past. Mr Hill told the court that he believed the abuse was getting worse in the complainants' mind due to the influence of his therapy. The defence said that what began as “touching” soon became thousands of sexual assaults after the therapy sessions.

But the complainant responded forcefully:

“The abuse wasn't getting worse, I was admitting more.”

Mr Hill then moved on to querying why a second meeting between the defendant and the complainant had not been recorded back in 2004, suggesting that the reason was because he was asking the Priest about compensation.

The witness responded: “This is all fabricated.”

McDermott, now of Bideford in Devon, is charged with 18 counts of indecent assault, four counts of indecent assault on a male person, two counts of indecency with a child, one count of buggery and one count of rape.

McDermott denies the charges.

The trial continues.

Passengers took 520,000 fewer bus journeys in Northamptonshire last year, new figures reveal.

Labour says the Department for Transport data underlined the “devastating” impact of cuts on bus services.

Between April 2017 and March 2018, there were 18.53 million passenger journeys in Northamptonshire, 2.7% less than in the previous year.

Bus use has declined steadily over the last eight years, with the number of passenger journeys in Northamptonshire dropping by 6% since 2009-10, when these figures were first recorded.

Across England, there were 85 million fewer bus journeys last year, a drop of 3.2% outside London and 0.7% in the capital.

Andy McDonald, Shadow Transport Secretary, said: “These figures underline the devastating impact of Tory cuts on local bus services.

“People are being denied opportunities in work and education and are cut off from friends and family, particularly those in rural areas or from low income backgrounds.

“At the same time, cutting and withdrawing services is worsening congestion, air pollution and our impact on climate change.”

Bus fares across England have risen by 71% since 2005.

Over the same time period, bus operators’ revenues have increased by almost £1.5 billion.

The average person took 25 bus journeys in the local authority in 2017-18, down from 26 the previous year.

Nottingham had the most passenger journeys per resident in the East Midlands, while Rutland had the fewest.

The number of concessionary journeys, taken by elderly and disabled passengers, decreased by 4%.

Martin Tett, the Local Government Association’s transport spokesman, said: “It’s nearly impossible for councils to keep subsidising free travel while having to find billions of pounds worth of savings and protect other vital services like caring for the elderly and disabled, protecting children, filling potholes and collecting bins.

“Faced with significant funding pressures, many across the country are being forced into taking difficult decisions to scale back services and review subsidised routes.”

A Department for Transport spokesman said: “It is for councils to decide which bus operations to support in their areas, but we help to subsidise costs through around £250 million worth of investment every year.

“£42 million of this is already devolved to local authorities and a further £1 billion funds the free bus pass scheme, benefiting older and disabled people across the country.”

Police are hunting for a man who sexually assaulted a teenager in Northampton.

Officers investigating the sexual assault have released an e-fit of a man they wish to identify.

The teenage victim was approached in Arrow Head Road, Briar Hill, by a man, described as Eastern European, some time between 5.30pm and 6pm on Sunday, January 27.

He was said to be drunk and carrying a white bag.

He approached the victim, indecently exposed himself and then sexually assaulted the teenager.

Anyone who recognises the man in the e-fit is asked to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Children in Northamptonshire committed more drug offences last year, official figures show.

A surge in county lines networks - which gangs use to transport drugs out of cities to rural areas - has been blamed for the increase in child drug offences across the country.

There were 35 drug offences committed by children aged between 10 and 17 in Northamptonshire in the 12 months to March 2018, Ministry of Justice figures show.

This was almost four times as many as in the previous year when there were nine.

Drug offences among children in Northamptonshire had previously fallen year on year since 2013-14, the earliest period with available data.

Across England and Wales, the number of drug offences committed by children rose by 2.5% last year to 5,965 - the first increase for ten years.

Only proven offences are counted, when a child receives a caution or sentence for the crime.

Not all crimes committed by children will lead to a formal outcome, meaning the actual number of crimes could be higher.

Some may be dealt with informally, such as being given a community resolution or referral to a Youth Offending Team for advice about their behaviour.

The Children’s Society says gangs often target and exploit vulnerable children, such as those living in poverty or in care, to act as drug mules.

It is important that such children are supported as victims rather than criminalised, they added.

Iryna Pona, policy and research manager for the charity, said the increase in child exploitation could be behind the rise in convinctions and cautions.

“After being groomed through promises of cash, drugs and a glamorous lifestyle, children are then terrified into following orders and carrying out drug-related crimes,” she said.

“We have sadly supported children who have been stabbed, raped and tortured, with their activities monitored through mobile phone live streaming and tracking.

“We want police to recognise that in many cases young people haven’t made a choice to get involved in gangs - they have been groomed and coerced in the same way as we have seen young people groomed and coerced into sexual exploitation.”

The National Crime Agency estimates around 10,000 children as young as 11 years old are now being used as drug mules for county lines gangs.

The gangs use dedicated mobile phone lines to take orders and move drugs across their networks.

A new report by the NCA revealed there are now 2,000 such phone lines across the UK - up from 720 a year ago - facilitating around 1,000 unique drug trafficking routes.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Duncan Ball, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for county lines, said: “Police forces across the UK are working together to dismantle these networks and protect the young and vulnerable people who are exploited by them.

“The work of the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre has resulted in more arrests and large amounts of drugs and weapons taken off our streets.

“We will continue to do all we can to pursue and prosecute those who commit violence and exploit the vulnerable.”

Drug offences made up 6% of all proven child offences in Northamptonshire last year.

The dad of a Northampton teenager who requires round-the-clock-care is set to go completely sober for a year and take on a mammoth 1,600-mile run to fund his son's ongoing appeal.

Lewis Herbert was diagnosed with West’s Syndrome at three months old, which then developed into Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) - a rare form of epilepsy which means he can have more than 100 seizures every day.

This year his dad, Gary, is running 1,600 miles and going sober for one year to raise money for the Life of Lewis appeal, which has so far funded a sensory garden for the teen and a wheelchair-accessible front door.

The new funds will go towards a new loft conversion to allow for extra storage for Lewis' vast amount of medical supplies, as well a new specially adapted manual wheelchair suitable for his scoliosis and curvature of the spine as he grows.

Gary said: "With Lewis approaching the age of 16 in November, I have decided to set myself my most demanding personal challenge ever.

"Lewis fights every day to stay alive and is in his sixteenth year of doing so. I've just promised him I will attempt to run 1,600 miles in a year from September 2018 to September 2019, which is 100 miles for each year of his life."

This equates to an average of 133 miles for every month of the year, 33 miles every week, and an average of five miles every day, for a whole year.

He added: "I honestly don’t know if I am going to complete the miles in a year as there is a lot of luck involved with regards to an injury, purely due to the sheer volume of miles involved.

"It will be relentless and I will have no time to rest my legs, but I am going to give it everything I have to complete 1,600 miles in one year."

As well as this pledge, dad Gary has also promised to go sober until September 4 this year.

"Those who know me well know that alcohol is my big Achilles heel, and something that affects my mental health greatly.

"This challenge alone is going to be extremely difficult for me to stick to.

"This double challenge will be by far the hardest and most challenging thing I have done to date, but I’ve promised Lewis so there's no going back now. Even this doesn’t get anywhere near to what Lewis endures on a daily basis."

At the time of writing this appeal has raised almost £7,000. If you want to donate, click here.

The rowing back of cuts to the county council's gritting services will partly be paid for by Northampton Borough Council.

It comes after county council leader Matt Golby said he would go back on the controversial cuts.

Additional detail on the decision has now revealed the introduction of a new 'intermediate' gritting network, which will be treated after the precautionary routes.

However it is not yet known what weather conditions will have to be in place for these to be activated, or if the new routes tally exactly with downgraded roads.

What has been clarified is that Councillor Golby's plea for district and borough councils to contribute to gritting costs has only been answered by Northampton Borough Council.

A deal between the Guildhall and Angel Square will see the borough council give an amount of money depending on how much gritting is needed. Details are still being ironed out, but it is likely the funds will only pay for gritting of roads in the borough.

Cllr Jonathan Nunn, Borough Council leader, said: “While we have no direct responsibility for road gritting, we feel it’s absolutely right that we support the county council’s efforts to keep people safe and keep the borough moving.

“It is important to note that our resources are limited and we will need to put a cap on how much money the borough council could contribute if necessary.

“That said, if we experience the kind of winter weather conditions we are accustomed to, our contribution should be sufficient to ensure extra roads will be gritted when necessary.”

Northamptonshire residents will be paying more from this April for their police and fire services after a local tax rise was agreed.

Members of the Police and Crime Panel yesterday (February 5) approved Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold’s request to charge taxpayers more.

The extra increase will cost a band D household an extra £24 a year for policing and £1.76 extra a year for the fire service.

This is the first time commissioner Mold has levied a fire precept after taking over the running of the Northamptonshire fire service this January.

At the meeting he told the panel he had not wanted to increase the police precept by the new government allowed maximum of £2 per month but he said it was necessary.

He said: “This is one of the hardest decisions I have had to take as Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and one that I do not take lightly. Each day my office receives correspondence from concerned residents who want to see more visible policing in communities across the county, both urban and rural. We also hear from people who feel they have not received the level of service from the force that they would expect.

“Raising taxes is not something I came into public office to do. However, I did promise the people of Northamptonshire that I would work to deliver a safer and more secure county and that I would do everything in my power to protect, and if possible increase the number of frontline police officers.”

Labour councillor for Northampton Gareth Eales had suggested the panel use its powers to veto the £24 increase but Cllr Mary Butcher said in the face of no extra income from central government the money would have to come from local residents.

She said: “What we need to do as a panel is look after the residents. If not getting the fairness of protection for their families it is our duty to put that in. This is the price of a pint of milk. I don’t agree with anybody increasing council tax but we need to face facts – we will not get this money from anywhere else.”

The extra local tax will help increase the 2019/20 police budget increase to £130m. £3m of this will be ring fenced to be spent on priority areas such as more visible policing, burglary prevention, street crime and rural crime.

However the commissioner, who has been in post since May 2016 and whose role is to hold the police force to account on behalf of the public, could not put a figure on how many extra police officers the extra income would pay for. He said he would be able to announce this in April after coming up with a joint plan with chief constable Nick Adderley.

The commissioner also unveiled at the meeting a new three-year plan for the fire service which will see an investment in new fire engines and equipment.

He said there had been ‘dark times’ before taking over the service from Northamptonshire County Council and he had wondered whether the takeover was worth the potential reputational risk to himself.

He said his new budget will mean the biggest investment in the fire service in recent years.

Sarah Ward, Local Democracy Reporting Service

The following people were sentenced at Northampton Magistrates’ Court:

NOVEMBER 7

David Cooper, aged 60, of Chesham Rise, Northampton, driving at speeds exceeding 60mph; fined £220, surcharge £30, costs £85, banned from driving for six months.

Ommar Nasser, aged 32, of Vyse Road, Boughton, driving at 51mph zone in a 30mph zone; fined £692, surcharge £69, costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Lee Warren, aged 46, of Lichfield Drive, Northampton, driving at 35mph in a 30mph zone; fined £335, surcharge £33, costs £85, licence endorsed with three points.

Bernard Gregoire, aged 58, of Edith Street, Northampton, failed to give information relating to the identity of a driver; fined £660, surcharge £66, costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Larelle Lea, aged 29, of Park Crescent East, Northampton, no insurance; fined £80, surcharge £30, costs £85, banned from driving for six months.

Mark Pugh, aged 43, of Penrhyn Road, Northampton, assault; jailed for 12 weeks suspended for 24 months, compensation £200, surcharge £115, costs £85.

NOVEMBER 8

Scott Blake, aged 32, of Aynho Crescent, Northampton, resisted arrest; fined £80, surcharge £30, costs £85.

Mark Chambers, aged 30, of South Holme Court, Northampton, assaulted police officer; jailed for four weeks, compensation £100, surcharge £115, costs £85. Assaulted another police officer; jailed for four weeks consecutive. Assaulted another police officer; jailed for four weeks consecutive. Assaulted another police officer; jailed for four weeks consecutive. Assaulted another police officer; jailed for two weeks consecutive. Assaulted another police officer; jailed for four weeks consecutive. Overall length of sentence, 26 weeks.

Vasile Iachimov, aged 23, of no fixed abode, failed to provide a breath test; jailed for 12 weeks, surcharge £115, costs £60, banned from driving for 29 months.

Carmen Niculae, aged 52, of Cranstoun Street, Northampton, breach of a deportation order; jailed for eight weeks, surcharge £115.

Jurgita Rimkuviene, aged 32, of Longueville Court, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 122mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; jailed for eight weeks suspended for 12 months, surcharge £115, costs £85, banned from driving for 36 months.

Sergiu Ceclu, aged 38, of Flying Dutchman Way, Daventry, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 59mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; fined £350, surcharge £35, costs £85, banned from driving for 16 months. No insurance; fined £350.

Ilja Galkins, aged 30, of Waterpump Court, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 50mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; fined £350, surcharge £35, costs £85, banned from driving for 14 months.

Ryan Leah, aged 19, of Main Road, Duston, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 61mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; fined £320, surcharge £32, costs £85, banned from driving for 17 months.

Mark Potts, aged 44, of Monarch Terrace, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 99mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; community order made, surcharge £85, costs £85, banned from driving for 24 months.

Nicholas McPhedran, aged 29, of Woodside Way, Northampton, assault; community order made, compensation £250.

Liban Aidid, aged 38, of Gloucester Crescent, Northampton, driving without due care and attention; fined £230, surcharge £30, costs £620, licence endorsed with six points.

NOVEMBER 9

Sherry Bruce, aged 34, of Campbell Street, Northampton, intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress; community order made, compensation £85. Assault; community order made.

NCE Plumbing & Heating Ltd, of Jenner Crescent, Northampton, failed to give information relating to the identity of a driver; fined £1,000, surcharge £99.99, costs £620.

NOVEMBER 10

Wain Wynter, aged 44, of Lloyd Road, Northampton, stole confectionary worth £17.88 from Select Convenience; conditional discharge for 12 months, compensation £17.88.

NOVEMBER 12

James Kay, aged 70, of Drayton Walk, Northampton, used threatening or abusive words or behaviour; conditional discharge for 12 months, surcharge £20, costs £85.

Lauryna Brusokaite, aged 34, of Middlemore, Northampton, fraud; jailed for 10 weeks suspended for 24 months, surcharge £115, costs £620. Stole a cheque; jailed for 10 weeks suspended for 24 months.

Vinnie Nolan, aged 23, c/o Cowley Close, Northampton, breach of court order; fined £80, surcharge £30, costs £50.

Karl Spear, aged 38, of Portland Place, Northampton, possession of a class A drug; conditional discharge for 12 months, surcharge £20, costs £40. Failed to surrender to custody; conditional discharge for 12 months.

Vasile-Daniel Aparaschivei, aged 30, of Pell Court, Northampton, no insurance; fined £240, surcharge £30, costs £85, licence endorsed with eight points. Driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £80.

Ivan Toney, aged 48, of Randall Road, Northampton, failed to stop when required to do so by a police officer; fined £220. Failed to provide a breath test; fined £440, surcharge £44, cost £85, licence endorsed with four points.

Danny McCaughey, aged 31, of Eastern Avenue South, Northampton, stole a car; jailed for 12 weeks suspended for 12 months, ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work, surcharge £115, costs £85, banned from driving for 24 months. Failed to stop; jailed for four weeks concurrent suspended for 12 months, ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.

Dale Shoobridge, aged 39, of Ericsson Close, Daventry, stole boxer shorts and a bathroom set from Boots; community order made. Stole a carpet rug worth£90 belonging to BW Male & Son; community order made, compensation £90.

Ryan Beaus, aged 24, of Temples Road, Northampton, dropped a cigarette in Abington Street; fined £220, surcharge £30, costs £125.

Matthew Bowers, aged 27, of Crickley Crescent, Northampton, took fish not in accordance with a licence; fined £40, surcharge £30, costs £127.47.

Diane Brown, of The Causeway, Great Billing, failed to give information relating to the identity of a driver; fined £220, surcharge £30, costs £150.

Erika Corcodel, aged 27, of Harborough Road, Northampton, took fish not in accordance with a licence; fined £100, surcharge £30, costs £127.47.

Lewis Illman, aged 29, of Thorn Hill, Northampton, fished not in accordance with a licence, fined £220, surcharge £30, costs £127.47.

Daniel Lupu, aged 31, of Eyeletter House, Northampton, fished not in accordance with a licence; fined £166, surcharge £30, cost £85.

Anatolie Racu, aged 56, of Arbour Court, Northampton, fished for freshwater fish in the closed season; fined £133, surcharge £30, costs £127.47.

Vasilie Triboi, aged 37, of Flaxwell Court, Northampton, fished for freshwater fish in the closed season; fined £115, surcharge £30, costs £127.47.

The following people were fined £220, surcharge £30 and costs £125 for dropping a cigarette in Northampton town centre:

Laura Chiriloiu, aged 28, of Somerset Street, Northampton.

Maurice Cleary, aged 34, of Paget House, Woodside Way, Northampton.

Georgia Fellows, aged 24, of Raeburn Road, Northampton.

Maxine Finney, aged 46, of Cottarville, Northampton.

Andreea Maria, aged 55, of Ivy Road, Northampton.

Viorel Marinescu, aged 46, of Salisbury Street, Northampton.

Daniel Marius, aged 29, of Penrhyn Road, Northampton.

Michael Miller, aged 43, of Meadowsweet Road, Northampton.

Katarzyna Nowoswiat, aged 28, of Gold Street, Northampton.

Foyezur Rahman, aged 21, of Dryden Road, Northampton.

Rachel Viner, aged 25, of Nursery Lane, Northampton.

Patryk Wiernicki, aged 28, of Penhryn Road, Northampton.

Andy Zevk, aged 28, of Sandringham Road, Northampton.

NOVEMBER 13

Aaron Cohen, aged 32, of St James Street, Daventry, failed to comply with a community order; fined £40, costs £60.

John Howard, aged 50, of Campbell Street, Northampton, failed to comply with a community order; fined £40, costs £60.

Jack Moss, aged 18, of Harefield Road, Northampton, failed to comply with a community order; fined £40, costs £60.

Kyron Smye, aged 21, of St Andrew’s Street, Northampton, failed to comply with a community order; fined £40, costs £60.

Vasile Bargan, aged 36, of Spencer Bridge Road, Northampton, stole make up worth £30 belonging to Tesco Mereway; fined £150, surcharge £30, costs £85. Failed to surrender to custody; fined £150.

Stuart Dean, aged 49, of Gadesby Court, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 72mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; fined £300, surcharge £30, costs £85, banned from driving for 18 months.

Conor Henry, aged 19, of Adams Avenue, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 43mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; fined £200, surcharge £30, costs £85, banned from driving for 12 months.

Vincent Joseph, aged 22, of Hunter Street, Northampton, possession of cannabis; community order made to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work, surcharge £85, costs £85.

Bren O’Brien, aged 18, of Dryleys Court, Northampton, attempted to steal metal; fined £120, surcharge £30, costs £85. No insurance; fined £120, banned from driving for six months.

1 THEATRE
Caroline’s Kitchen
Royal & Derngate, Northampton, February 11 to 16
Caroline Mortimer, the nation’s favourite TV cook, has it all: a sparkling career, a big house in fashionable north London, a (golf) loving husband, smart kids and the best kitchen money can buy. But beneath the immaculate furnishings and studio lighting, Caroline must face the looming collision of living a private life in the public eye. This biting comedy is written by Torben Betts.
Details: royalandderngate.co.uk

2 COMEDY
Lee Ridley - The Lost Voice Guy, Deco Theatre, Northampton, February 9
Britain’s Got Talent winner Lee Ridley – the Lost Voice Guy - kicks off a season of stand-up comedy at Northampton’s Deco Theatre this week. Lee, 38, won the £250,000 first prize last June, and with it an appearance at the Royal Variety Performance, which he did to much acclaim. He has also established himself as one of the country’s favourite stand-up comedians, and his touring show is playing to packed houses.
Details: www.thedeco.co.uk

3ART
2019 Graduate Show, NN Contemporary Art, Guildhall Road, Northampton, February 7 to March 23
See striking work from potential future stars of the art world. The biennial Graduate Show sees art students restaging work that has been selected from their final year graduation shows, showcasing emerging talent as graduates embark on their artistic careers.
Details: nncontemporaryart.org

4 THEATRE
Grease, The Core at Corby Cube, February 9 and 10
Weldon Amateur Theatre School present the global musical phenomenon. Watch as Sandy and Danny fall in love all over again set to a soundtrack of all the hit songs from the blockbuster 1978 film, including You’re The One That I Want, Summer Nights, Greased Lightning and many more.
Details: thecorecorby.com

5 THEATRE
Five Minutes Fast, Castle Studio Theatre, Wellingborough, February 12 to 15
There can’t be many amateur dramatic societies that have produced two world premieres of plays by the same author and with the same director – but Wellingborough Cooperative Amateur Dramatic Society is doing just that. Five Minutes Fast, by Ian Townsend and directed by Jane Cox, is a witty comedy about making the most of time, discovering who you are and helping people, set in the lost property office of a Manchester station.
Details: castletheatre.co.uk

6 MUSIC
Classic Rock Show, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, February 11
Expect everything from AC/DC to ZZ Top and all in between, including Led Zeppelin, Dire Straits, Queen, The Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Meatloaf.
Details: royalandderngate.co.uk

7 THEATRE
Camelot
Parson’s Hall, High Street, Irchester, February 13 to 16
The Irchester Players present their annual panto. The story takes place in the dark kingdom of Camelot, where all is not as it should be. Follow the adventures of three teenage friends as they fight monstrous knights, discover great dragons and defeat evil sorceresses. It’s all set to the music of Queen.
Details: www.irchesterplayers.co.uk

8 THEATRE
Do You Think That’s Wise? – The Life and Times of John Le Mesurier, Kettering Arts Centre, February 9
Actor, mimic and writer Julian Dutton presents his tribute to the much-loved actor John Le Mesurier, who played the urbane Sgt Wilson in Dad’s Army.
Details: ketteringartscentre.com

9 THEATRE
The Mousetrap, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, until February 9
Agatha Christie’s whodunnit has been delighting theatregoers for 67 years with its macabre murder mystery. Find out why.
Details: royalandderngate.co.uk

10 FAMILY
Chinese New Year, Deco Theatre, Northampton, February 10
Chinese dance, face mask changing and lion dancing are just a few of the highlights visitors can expect.
Details: northampton.gov.uk

Lily Canter reviews Agatha Christie's classic whodunit

Watching Britain's longest continuing play The Mousetrap is rather like stepping into a Cluedo board game, with the audience constantly trying to guess whodunit.

There are the familiar mansion rooms; library, drawing room, kitchen and a cast of melodramatic characters, one who conceals a vengeful motive and a deadly, murderous weapon.

Indeed the deliberate playfulness of Agatha Christie's script, first performed in October 1952, may well account for its record-breaking popularity and longevity.

Back again at Royal & Derngate, the box office smash continues its seemingly unstoppable run.

Set in the recently converted guesthouse Monkswell Manor, the action unfolds in the central living room, as heavy snow cuts the house off from the outside world.

In this grand but claustrophobic space, eight characters are gradually introduced, all seemingly mysterious, with something to hide.

In classic Christie style, the tension gradual mounts and red herrings are thrown left, right and centre, until it appears everyone is guilty.

Yet despite the dark plotline, there is much levity in the stage play from a running prop joke to acerbic one liners, as the guests bicker and clash.

Particular standout performances come from David Alcock, who ramps up the ham as Mr Paravicini, a deliciously bizarre and Dracula-like stranger, and Lewis Chandler, as the camp, Christopher Wren whose playful exterior masks his inner turmoil.

The play, which has featured more than 400 actors in over 65 years, still remains a solid crowd-pleaser, due to its mixture of drama, farce and mystery.

If a traditional murder mystery without political subtext if what you are looking for, then you really cannot go wrong with this light but wickedly entertaining yarn.

* The Mousetrap is at Royal & Derngate until Saturday February 9. Visit royalandderngate.co.uk to book.

Police have released CCTV images of a man they want to speak to over a number of thefts in Wellingborough.

The thefts took place at a number of properties in the town between January 27 and February 4, although police have not yet revealed how many incidents there were or where they took place.

The man, or anyone who recognises him, is asked to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101.

Information can also be provided anonymously on 0800 555111.

A sizeable chunk of humble pie was on the menu for many once full-time had been called on this game as Keith Curle managed to confound pretty much everyone, not least Tranmere Rovers, in leading his side to a crucial, pressure-relieving three points at Prenton Park.

At a time when patience appeared to be wearing thin among disgruntled supporters with yet another Cobblers manager, Curle opted to name perhaps his boldest, bravest team yet for the trip to Merseyside, selecting six defenders, four centre-backs and little Sam Hoskins, without a league goal all season, as the only recognised forward player.

It’s not even worth contemplating the repercussions had Town been well beaten at Prenton Park but, as it turned out, Curle’s decisions were entirely justified, not just by the result – which was hugely significant – but also by the committed, battling way his side went about their business.

If some fans were starting to lose faith in the latest Town boss, the same certainly can’t be said of the players as Curle got just the response he wanted and needed following Saturday’s second-half capitulation against Colchester United.

And while the Cobblers have played more swashbuckling, easy-on-the-eye football this season, rarely have we seen them roll their sleeves up and produce such a resolute, gritty display such as this one.

Curle’s team selection stirred much surprise, bordering on disbelief in some quarters (mainly Twitter), when announced an hour before kick-off and you could understand why. Even by his standards, this was a brave line-up. A genius if it worked, a fool if it didn’t.

But it’s become apparent over the last few weeks and months that Curle has a truly unique approach to football management and though his logic hasn’t always paid off in his time in charge of the Cobblers, it certainly did on Tuesday.

In fact, it took less than two minutes for him to be vindicated. Hoskins, in the side to rattle Tranmere’s back four, turned on the afterburners to skip past a home defender and beat Scott Davies with a smart finish.

It was the perfect start and just what Town required after Saturday’s defeat. It also played right into Curle’s gameplan because now his side could sit back, soak up pressure and hit Rovers on the break.

Except they became too negative and too cautious, allowing the home team to have a monopoly on possession for the next 25 minutes, eventually culminating in James Norwood’s 21st goal of the season.

To their credit, though, the Cobblers responded well to being pegged back and re-emerged out of their defensive shells. That said, Hoskins’ second goal, deep into first-half stoppage-time, was still something of a bolt from the blue.

It was a goal of the highest quality. No more than a half chance from David Buchanan’s low cross, Hoskins showed quick-thinking and fine improvisation to produce a wonderfully deft first-time flick that looped over Davies and into the far corner.

Having not scored a league goal all season, now he had two in a half. And they would ultimately be enough for three precious points as Town defended superbly in the second period.

It could have turned into an attack versus defence training drill, as it did at times in the first-half, but this time Cobblers shifted a yard or two up the pitch and refused to get pinned into their own third.

It was not until the final 10 minutes when Rovers finally exerted sustained pressure. Despite some scares though, it came too late as Northampton defied all the sceptics to bounce back from a 4-0 defeat with their first victory at Prenton Park in over 30 years.

The problem with the Colchester game is that it’s easy to take one look at the full-time score and automatically assume Town were thoroughly outplayed from the first whistle to the last and remained on a one-way street to relegation.

Yes, they were poor, especially second-half, and yes, their defending left a lot to be desired, but sport is so often about the finest of fine margins. If Marvin Sordell scores his open goal at 0-0, it could have been different. Equally, if Hoskins does not produce a brilliant first-time finish on Tuesday, perhaps we’d now be dissecting another disappointing defeat.

To emphasise the point, on Tuesday the Cobblers took five shots with only three on target compared to Tranmere’s 11 attempts with four on target. Yet they scored twice and won 2-1. On Saturday, the Cobblers took 16 shots with seven on target compared to Colchester’s 14 (also seven on target) and lost 4-0.

Stats like those are sometimes misleading and they can partly be explained by the fact Town were chasing Saturday’s game while on Tuesday they were protecting a lead. Nevertheless, it only serves to highlight the importance of scoring first. Again, if Sordell nets in the 11th minute against United, Cobblers might be celebrating two wins in a week.

It is also far easier to defend as a unit when you have something to protect. After being picked off on the break time and again by Colchester at the weekend, Northampton were far more compact and showed greater discipline against Rovers, forcing the hosts to lump hopeful balls into the box and take shots from range, playing right into the hands of Charlie Goode, Ash Taylor and Aaron Pierre.

Goode was particularly impressive. While Hoskins will take the plaudits for his two-goal exploits, he was only one of several standout performers.

Goode made at least three goal-saving blocks, tackles or clearances, including one in stoppage-time, to show why Curle wanted to bring him to the club, Jordan Turnbull broke things up brilliantly in midfield and Jack Bridge played a vital role in alleviating Tranmere’s growing pressure with his composure in tight spaces.

But there was only one man rightly being acclaimed at full-time. The thing with Hoskins is that he’s 90 per cent of the way to being a very capable striker at this level. He’s nimble, his movement is excellent and he will always put a shift in.

But it’s that final 10 per cent which makes all the difference. Adding an end product to his game has been the missing piece of his puzzle, as Curle might put it, so Tuesday was a hugely encouraging step in the right direction.

As for the bigger picture, Town have finally manoeuvred themselves away from a position of immediate danger at the bottom of League Two. Now 10 points clear of the drop, fans can breathe easy for the foreseeable future.

To make the next step they must find some consistency and reproduce the effort and desire of Tuesday’s display on a weekly basis, starting at high-flying, title-chasing Lincoln City this weekend.

That game can now be viewed as a free hit, at least by supporters. But while anything picked up at Sincil Bank will be seen as a bonus, the Cobblers must prove Tuesday was no fluke with another wholehearted performance against the League Two pacesetters.

For player ratings, check out the following link: Tranmere 1 Northampton Town 2: Player ratings picture gallery.

The Met Office has issued two severe weather warnings today (Wednesday) which will span across four days.

The first weather warning is in place from 10pm tonight until 9am tomorrow (Thursday) when very strong winds will hit southern and central parts of the UK, including Northamptonshire.

The second warning spans across large parts of the UK which could lead to some travel disruption and will be in place from midday Friday until 6pm Saturday.

Friday looks set to be the worst day with winds of up to 43mph in the county and heavy spells of rains.

Will there still be a reciprocal right to treatment whilst in other European countries if Brexit ever gets completed? Is it worth my while to pay to renew? If the arrangement would remain as is for a short period only would EHIC card holders be entitled to a refund?

A. A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) replaced the old E111 forms in 2005. At the minute, if we fall sick or get injured while visiting the EU, then we can access the same free or discounted medical care that is available to residents of that country. The EHIC proves your eligibility.

The first point that needs making is that European Health Insurance Cards are completely free. Nobody should be paying a penny. There's probably a number of firms out there that will provide the service for a fee, but the card itself does not cost anything. It's really straightforward to apply for an EHIC - simply visit www.ehic.org.uk and fill in the required details.

Read more: Five top tips to Brexit proof your holiday

Now back to the main issue, which is whether the card will still be valid after Brexit.

Regardless of the deal reached, the government will need to renegotiate the reciprocal healthcare arrangements. At the minute, a bill called Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill is being passed through Parliament to help reach such an arrangement. It is important as the scheme provides healthcare for an estimated 190,000 UK expats living in the EU as well as 50 million UK residents who travel abroad to EEA countries each year

Until a new initiative is in place, you should check what the agreement is with the country you're visiting as EHIC may not be valid. Make sure you have travel insurance too (you really should have this anyway).

The short answer is yes, you should renew your card. It won't cost anything and you've got it to hand if an agreement is reached within the next seven weeks. If it becomes invalid then it's no skin off your nose.

Do you have a Brexit-rleated question? Email gemma.jimmison@jpimedia.co.uk

A food poverty survey of 490 students found one-in-three payout for bottled water daily, with many citing a distrust of tap water as the reason, while a fifth buy ready meals every day and 12 per cent eat takeaways on a daily basis.

The survey also found:
- 22% of students overspend their budget every day
- Only 12% of students plan their daily menu
- 49% of students eat simple starchy carbs every day
- 9% of students throw away half their food every day
- Less than 1% of students eat food that is safe but past its sell-by date
- 17% of students exercise every day, but 17% also nap every day.

The survey data, which was collected by Foundation Study Framework students, led to senior lecturer in Social Innovation Tim Curtis to set up a Food Unwrapped project.

The three-day initiative saw a chef and nutritionist from university caterers CH&Co work with students to cook up tasty meals that are cheap to make and full of nutrition. The students were also given a host of tips on how they can change their budgeting and eating habits.

Tim said: “Food poverty is a complex problem and can have negative effects on students’ studies and educational outcomes.

“My Foundation Study Framework students’ survey found a host of worrying trends and we were determined to set up a project to try and help all students live a healthier life.

“The most striking thing for me was the misconception that bottled water is fresher than tap water. A large proportion of students believe tap water to be either dirty, or of low quality, and it doesn’t taste nice.

“We were also concerned that students lacked skills, knowledge or just the confidence to cook for themselves, and we’ve been delighted with the way they’ve responded to our cookery project.”

The sessions gave business studies student, Tom Marshall, a much-needed kick-start to begin cooking for himself again.

“The last time I prepared something properly was in October, when I made fajitas,” said Tom.

“I did food technology at school and really enjoyed it, and I can cook, but it’s always seemed like a waste of time to me. I feel that when I’m cooking I could be doing something else, and just get a pizza instead.

“But working with the chef here has brought back a few cookery basics I’d forgotten, and it’s given me the push I need to get back into cooking for myself.”

Engineering student, Alphonse Okamba, has always cooked for himself, but found the sessions opened his eyes to new ways of doing things.

He said: “I got so many new ideas on how to make a simple meal that more nutritious and appetising, by adding in some different ingredients. The tips from the nutritionist also got me thinking more deeply about the right things to eat.”

It’s hoped the Food Unwrapped project will become an established fixture during the academic year.

James Fish is making the most of a 'brilliant' breakthrough season at Saints.

The hooker had only featured seven times for the first team prior to the current campaign, with all of those appearances coming from the bench.

But he has started eight matches this season, adding a further six replacement appearances to his tally.

The 22-year-old has grabbed a couple of tries in the process, adding to the 2018 pre-season campaign when he scored six in just three matches.

And Fish, who signed a new two-year deal at Saints earlier this season, said: "Personally this season has been brilliant.

"I've played a lot of first-team rugby, whether that's due to injuries - Mikey (Haywood) has taken a bad one - and me and Reece (Marshall) have had a lot of opportunities.

"Boydy (boss Chris Boyd) has put a lot of trust in us.

"We've got a lot of strength in our position and we're pretty happy with that."

Fish is now preparing to take the next step in his Saints progression as he looks to help see off Newcastle Falcons in Saturday's Premiership Rugby Cup semi-final at Franklin's Gardens.

"All the boys are excited," said the Derby-born forward.

"We've had a week off to refresh, some boys have been away and we're ready to go again now.

"It's been pretty full on so far this season and last week was just a chance to wind down and come back feeling refreshed, mentally as well as physically.

"To get a chance to switch off for a few days makes you ready to come back in.

"We've had a good few days' of training and the boys are looking sharp."

The Premiership Rugby Cup has been particularly productive for Saints, who have blooded plenty of young players this season.

And Fish said: "This competition has given us a great chance.

"A lot of players have come in and it's good to have rotation and show the depth of the squad to see how far we've come.

"I've gained experience playing at this level.

"I hadn't done it much before and I've almost been thrown in at the deep end, which I've found very helpful."

And Saints are now be desperate to make it to a cup final.

"There's three trophies up for grabs and we're in the running for all of them," Fish said.

"It's definitely down to squad depth that we are still involved in everything.

"We train together as a whole squad all week and everyone's ready to step in if an injury or niggle happens."