Residents living in St Mary's and Berkeley House might have to move out of their homes in five years if plans are approved to knock down their flats and build 126 new homes in their place.

Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH) say the housing association cannot carry out refurbishment works due to the extent of the renovation needed - but residents say there is nothing wrong with their flats.

Former nurse Judy, 68, and husband Tom Clarke, 70, have been living in St Mary's Court for 40 years.

She said: "I have been crying, I have not been sleeping properly. We got the letter [on Thursday]. I thought: 'oh my goodness'.

"They said we could come back but we want it in writing.

"I like my flat as it is. I like the area because it's near the town and my doctors, it's a community here."

Claire Ashby is Judy's friend. She lives in Spring Borough's and helps Judy to maintain St Mary's Court gardens. She said: "It was such a shock, it rocked people to the core."

Claire says many in the close-knit community even have a cut of each other's flat keys.

"I can't stand the thought of what they are doing," she added. "We all care for each other because we've not been well. We put a gazebo outside in the summer and mow the lawn. It's access to a little bit of outdoors."

On Thursday (February 21) NPH sent an intention to demolish notice to all residents in the two blocks. Receiving the legal notice does not mean demolition will start anytime soon, but it does let residents know formally that their home could be demolished as part of the proposal.

But many in the town are welcoming the news.

Councillor for the area Danielle Stone (Lab, Castle) said the developments 'have been a long time coming'.

"Berkeley House and St Marys are no longer fit for purpose," she said.

"They are damp, cold and have no or inadequate play space. We need good quality houses for families with children and good quality apartments for singles and couples.

"Yes, it will be an upheaval for residents. It will be made tolerable by the promise of better housing that meets their needs. I trust NPH to carry out the consultation and be sensitive to the individual needs of each household.

"I am delighted the proposal includes 24 family homes. Children need space to grow."

If, in due course, planning is approved, NPH promise much improved accommodation for existing residents as well as over 40 additional council homes in the area, many of which will be suitable for families.

Helen Town, assistant director of asset management at NPH said: “It’s really important at this early stage that we keep up open communication with residents. We’re meeting regularly with tenants and leaseholders in their own homes. They have telephone and email information for when we are not there so they can ask questions and stay in touch.

"We want to talk and hear about each individual view. That is why we offered everyone a home visit initially and are following up visits to talk options through and answer any questions. The meetings give us all the opportunity to talk about each person’s concerns, their views on the proposal, and see what we need to do to help each individual person in the event of a move.

"We want to minimise upheaval by providing practical support. Tenants will have the choice of a temporary move and then move back in once the development is finished. We will help them too if they would prefer to make a permanent move to another home when one becomes available."

Northampton Borough Council intends to demolish the following properties:

1-36 Berkeley House, Castle Street, Spring Boroughs, Northampton, NN1 2RQ

37-60 Berkeley House, Castle Street, Spring Boroughs, Northampton, NN1 2RQ

1-22 St Mary's Court, Horsemarket, Spring Boroughs, Northampton, NN1 2SL

Saints showed real spirit as they snatched a dramatic late win against Bath at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday afternoon.

David Ribbans powered over and James Grayson converted to seal a gritty 27-26 success to move the black, green and gold up to fifth in the Gallagher Premiership standings.

Bath thought they had done enough when two Rhys Priestland penalties put them 26-20 up.

But Saints kept fighting and they drew a huge roar from the home fans as they sealed a seventh successive home win in all competitions.

Grayson's early penalty put Chris Boyd's side in front early on but they would not lead again until the end of the game as Bath grew into proceedings.

Scores from Rory Hutchinson and the hugely impressive Alex Mitchell kept Saints in the game, and even though the conceded a bucketload of penalties, they kept battling.

And Grayson had the final say with the conversion after Ribbans used a penalty to finally find a way through the Bath rearguard.

Saints had smashed Sale Sharks 67-17 at the Gardens a week earlier and they came into their latest home game with real confidence.

They almost made another flying start as Paul Hill charged forward, Mitchell made a razor-sharp run and Piers Francis was just held up.

Ribbans was also held up moments later as Saints continued to pile the pressure on, and Bath eventually earned some respite as they forced a rampaging Tom Wood to knock on.

Bath made their way up the field thanks to three quick penalties, allowing them to finally put some pressure on Saints.

But the home side stood tall in what was a frantic opening to the game and after winning a scrum penalty, they took the lead, with Grayson landing the kick.

The game then started to become more fragmented with injuries and delays at the scrum causing frustration for the Gardens fans.

Ahsee Tuala had to be switched on to stop Cooper Vuna scoring on the left, with the Bath winger beaten to his own kick by the Samoan.

But Bath did score soon after as Ruaridh McConnochie raced down the right and just managed to ground the ball under pressure.

Priestland converted and Saints were 7-3 down with nine minutes to go before the break.

Bath were knocking on the door again soon after but Saints, who had been given little by referee Ian Tempest, finally won a penalty to relieve the pressure.

After heading in at half-time four points up, Bath quickly extended that lead in the second period with Priestland landing a penalty won at the scrum.

But Saints hit back straight away, finally grabbing their first try as fine combination play between George Furbank and Hutchinson resulted in the latter scoring in the corner.

Grayson kicked the conversion superbly from the sun-soaked touchline and the scores were now level at 10-10.

But any thoughts Saints had about getting the lead they held early in the game back were soon stifled as Zach Mercer spotted a gap and scored for Bath.

Priestland converted, but Grayson soon landed a scrum penalty to reduce the deficit to just four points with 24 minutes remaining.

Priestland cancelled that effort out to make it 20-13 to Bath, with referee Tempest continuing to attract the ire of the home supporters.

But they were on their feet soon after as scrum-half Mitchell squeezed through a gap in the away defence to score a crucial try.

The noise reverberated around the ground after Grayson converted to level the scores once more and hopes were high that the hosts could claim victory in the final 15 minutes.

Mitchell was forced to make a crucial tap tackle on the onrushing Jonathan Joseph before Bath won a penalty, which Priestland landed to give his team a 23-20 lead.

And Priestland was on target again soon after, with cries of 'you don't know what you're doing' directed at referee Tempest by some sections of the Gordon Terrace.

Saints had fewer than seven minutes to salvage the game but they kept coming and after Bath gave away a penalty, Ribbans found a way through the rearguard to score.

Grayson converted, bringing a huge cheer as the home fans celebrated a dramatic win.

Saints: Furbank; Tuala, Hutchinson, Francis (Burrell 39), Naiyaravoro (Pisi 62); Grayson, Mitchell; Waller (c) (van Wyk 55), Marshall (Fish 55), Hill (Franks 62); Ribbans, Ratuniyarawa (Moon 68); Haskell (Gibson 50), Ludlam, Wood.

Bath: Atkins (Burns 20); McConnochie, Joseph, Willison (Clark 67), Vuna; Priestland, Chudley (cc) (Green 67); Catt (van Rooyen 61), Dunn (Walker 61), Thomas (Lahiff 61); Attwood; Charteris (cc) (Ewels 27); Stooke, Louw, Mercer (Grant 75).

Referee: Ian Tempest

In similar fashion to three years ago, when Ricky Holmes was the last-minute hero on the same ground, Williams sent away fans wild at the Lamex Stadium by coolly slotting home in the 92nd minute, extending Town's unbeaten run to four games and lifting them 12 points above the drop in League Two.

The visitors had been leading for much of the contest after their bright start was rewarded by Joe Powell's first senior goal on 19 minutes, however Alex Revell struck against his old team to level with only 13 minutes to play.

But just when they looked destined for yet another draw - their 16th of the campaign - Cobblers dramatically salvaged all three points through Williams' fine run and finish as he stirred up old memories to surely ensure Northampton will be playing EFL football next season.

Manager Keith Curle settled on two changes for the trip to Stevenage and both saw players return from injury as Marvin Sordell partnered Sam Hoskins up front and Jordan Turnbull started in midfield, with Sam Foley also back on the bench.

Cobblers again played 4-4-2, but they were under early pressure at the Lamex with the lively Ilias Chair shooting off target from range and former Town striker Alex Revell heading Jordan Gibson's cross just over.

However, Hoskins curled an effort over the angle of post and bar as Cobblers worked their way back into the contest with a bright passage of play before moving ahead.

Hoskins was at the heart of their 19th-minute opener when the visitors pressed high and forced Stevenage to lose possession, the ball dropping to Hoskins who remained composed to pick out Powell and he too steadied himself under pressure when calmly sliding past Paul Farman for his first goal for the club.

Hoskins, a livewire in attack for Town, was close again on 25 minutes, shooting wide of the far post after getting into the box, but the visitors then gave up the initiative.

Chair continued to carry Stevenage's biggest threat at the other end and he almost levelled with two further attempts, denied by David Buchanan's last-ditch block and whipping a superb free-kick just wide.

Most of the home side's attacking play went through the dangerous Chair who also sent in a couple of teasing crosses that only needed a touch, however the Cobblers defended well to see out the first-half with their advantage intact.

It was more of the same in the second-half when Chair's free-kick just two minutes in forced David Cornell to sprawl away to his right and beating away the danger.

Cobblers were mostly content to sit deep and defend, but they had their moments in attack with John-Joe O'Toole toe-poking straight at Farman, Powell just unable to turn in Jack Bridge's teasing cross and Turnbull also firing too close to the home stopper from 25 yards.

The defensive move to replace Sordell with Foley only increased Stevenage's stranglehold of possession, but in truth Town defended resolutely and were relatively untroubled at the back.

That was until 13 minutes remaining though, when the visitors got back on level terms with a simple equaliser that came out of nothing. Chair was predictably the architect, his deep free-kick found floated all the way to the back post where Revell was on hand to head back across goal and into the bottom corner.

That appeared to have robbed Town of two points, but Williams had other ideas. Having forced Farman to tip around the post moments after Revell's leveller, he handed his side victory when taking the ball off Timlin, battling into the box and scooping over Farman, sending supporters behind the goal wild.

There were a few nervy moments as four of six added minutes still remained, but Williams' eight goal of the season was enough for all three points.

Stevenage: Farman, James-Wildin, Hunt, Wilkinson, Cuthbert, Timlin, Byrom (Ball 89), Gibson (Guthrie 59), Makasi (Sonupe 70), Chair, Revell (c)

Subs not used: Byrne, Henry, Iontton, Martin

Cobblers: Cornell, Goode, Taylor, Pierre (c), Buchanan, J Powell (A Williams 70), O'Toole, Turnbull (McWilliams 75), Bridge, Hoskins, Sordell (Foley 61)

Subs not used: Coddington, Elsnik, D Powell, Morias

Referee: Lee Swabey

Attendance: 3,540

Cobblers fans: 685

Saints co-captain Dylan Hartley will miss the rest of the Six Nations after it was confirmed that he will have knee surgery on Tuesday.

Hartley has not played since Saints' win at Worcester Warriors on December 21.

He has been able to do some light training with England but not featured in the Six Nations.

And he is now likely to be sidelined for at least four weeks, according to Saints boss Chris Boyd.

"Dylan went to see the surgeon and they felt in conjunction with our medical people the progress was a bit slow," Boyd said.

"He's going to have a surgical proceedure on Tuesday to open it up and see what's causing the knee to be grumbly.

"Depending on what they find, it will depend on how long his rehab will be.

"If it went outstandingly well, he could be playing in four weeks but if it's something a bit more problematic it might be a bit longer.

"We won't really know what timeframe it is until they have a look and then it will depend on his rehab.

"We certainly won't be putting any pressure on him. He'll play as soon as he can."

Chris Boyd hailed Saints for showing 'good tenacity and commitment' as they secured a last-gasp win against Bath at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday afternoon.

David Ribbans powered over from the final play of the game and James Grayson held his nerve to convert, earning a 27-26 success.

It was a second Gallagher Premiership home win in as many weeks for Saints, who are now up to fifth in the standings.

And Boyd was happy with the spirit his side showed, having been behind for long periods of the game.

"It was one of those games but we're delighted to get a victory here, especially at home in front of our supporters," the Saints boss said.

"We're far from happy with how we're played but the fact we kept our composure and managed to sneak across the line was a pretty fair effort.

"We're trying to encourage the players to play what they see and at times when Bath slowed our ruck down, which they did very well, we were a little bit optimistic in continuing to trying to play rather than hunting territory.

"We had a 100 per cent goalkicking effort from James Grayson and despite some failings, we showed good tenacity and commitment to get the victory."

Rory Hutchinson and man of the match Alex Mitchell also scored for Saints.

And Boyd added: "It's the first time we played a game where we were under a lot of pressure and won.

"We kept our composure and to get across the line is a pretty good effort.

"If we hadn't got over the line, Bath would have probably attributed the win to some really gutsy defence when I thought for all money we would score, particularly at the start.

"Their scramble defence was particularly good."

Cobblers boss Keith Curle hailed the way his side 'stood up the challenge' during their last-gasp 2-1 victory at Stevenage on Saturday.

Looking to build on three successive games unbeaten, Cobblers led for long periods at the Lamex Stadium after Joe Powell's 19th minute opener but a 16th draw of the season was on the cards when Alex Revell headed in with only 13 minutes to.

However, in a season that has seen plenty of late drama, there was to be a late twist in stoppage-time when Andy Williams, on as a sub, galloped away from the home defence and scooped the ball past Paul Farman.

That sparked jubilant scenes in the away end, reminiscent to three years ago when Ricky Holmes did likewise on the same ground.

"We came here with a gameplan and a mentality that we needed to compete because we knew how they wanted to play and how they try to intimidate," said Curle afterwards.

"They give you a barrage of balls going forward with good support and good energy and get on the front foot very quickly, but we stood up to that challenge and we did very well.

"There were a few opportunities in the first-half when we needed to hit the target and work the goalkeeper in those areas, but it was an excellent first league goal from Powelly to put us ahead.

"He showed good composure in the box and it was a good finish and we knew then it would be a competitive second-half."

But despite winning it through Williams and surely ensuring Town's safety in League Two for another season, Curle also saw elements of his side's performance he was not quite so happy with.

"I was disappointed at the start of the second-half because what we worked on in the week was playing a game in the opposition's half," he added.

"Sometimes, if you can pass through, then excellent, but if not, you try and get territorial advantage by having willing runners and putting the ball into good areas.

"I didn't think we did that with the quality that I know we've got at the start of the second-half and that makes it difficult to get a good foothold in the game and to get territorial advantage that you need.

"The understanding was there, the information was there but sometimes we just needed that bit of quality which would have made it an easier afternoon."

Maamria made the claim after Saturday's last-gasp 2-1 defeat to the Cobblers when Andy Williams scored a 92nd minute winner after Alex Revell had cancelled out Joe Powell's first-half opener.

The Stevenage boss talked up Town's squad before the game but took it one step further when speaking in his post-match interview on Saturday as he lamented a costly defeat in their pursuit of a play-off place.

“It's frustration and disappointment more than anything," he said. "The goals we conceded were basic, basic, basic errors.

“What we did with the first goal is not what we’ve been working on the last two weeks. Not at all.

“We kept doing well going forward, and then the second goal you couldn’t believe it really. It's about two individual errors and it’s very disappointing.

“Northampton, look at their players, look at their squad. No disrespect to my players, but if I have their squad I get promotion there.

"This was a game we could not afford to lose. We had to win. We didn’t for many reasons, the main one being we didn’t defend well enough.

"Going forward I thought we looked fantastic. I can’t believe we only scored one goal. I thought we were a threat throughout the game, but defensively we were very poor.

“If you’re serious about the ambition and the chance of promotion, you can’t make those mistakes. Those big games, and there will be bigger games, if you don’t deal with that situation, then you’ll end up mid-table where we are.”

Milton Keynes Dons claimed their third straight win in Sky Bet League Two to maintain their challenge for automatic promotion.

Paul Tisdale’s men beat Newport County 2-0 at Stadium MK, their second win over the South Wales side in little over a fortnight, and they stay in fourth place in the table, two points off the top three.

Dons could even afford to miss a penalty, with Kieran Agard’s first-half effort being saved by Joe Day, before second half goals from Ousseynou Cisse and Chuks Aneke sealed the win.

MK went close inside 16 minutes when Dean Lewington - making his 700th career appearance - found Agard on the edge of the Newport box but his first-time shot fizzed inches wide.

Referee Sebastian Stockbridge then pointed to the penalty spot after the hosts’ Conor McGrandles was felled inside the box under Dan Butler’s clumsy challenge - only for Newport goalkeeper Day to save Agard’s tame spot-kick.

It was goalless at half-time, and Dons had to wait until the 57th minute before taking the lead, and it came through an unlikely source.

Cisse arrived at the right time, and when McGrandles’ cross found the Mali international unmarked inside the County box he emphatically headed home only his second goal od the season.

MK then dominated possession, but they were never able to relax as they had to wait until the 89th minute before sealing the win and the points.

Aneke was the man to settle everybody’s nerves, collecting a flick on from Agard and driving into the areabefore firing home his 16th goal of the campaign.

If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same... you'll be a man, my son.

Those wise words from Rudyard Kipling's If could be applied to Saints as their coming of age continued at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday afternoon.

Seven days earlier, they met with triumph, running riot in a 67-17 evisceration of Sale Sharks.

And though their most recent outing would not quite have been labelled a disaster had they lost it late on, they still faced a sizeable challenge when the clock struck 80.

They had been placed in a hugely difficult situation by a stubborn Bath team who used all the tricks in the book in a streetwise away-day showing.

And it looked like the previous week's stroll in the Gardens was going to be a distant memory as Saints mounted one final attack.

But they kept their composure, kept fighting and eventually battled their way over the line from the final play of the game.

At 23, David Ribbans continues to show a maturity, and ability, way beyond his years and his quick tap penalty and drive over the line set up the win.

James Grayson, another young gun, applied the finishing touches to make sure of the win.

And it was soon announced that yet another prodigious talent had claimed the man of the match prize as Alex Mitchell deservedly claimed the award after a sparky showing.

Yes, once again, these Saints youngsters stepped up, alongside some wise senior colleagues such as Tom Wood, Luther Burrell and Jamie Gibson.

They kept their heads when everyone was blaming referee Ian Tempest, they trusted themselves when everyone was doubting whether this would be their day.

And once again the world was at their feet with a seventh successive Gardens success secured.

They have faced myriad different challenges during that spell, and they have passed the test every time.

And perhaps the win against Bath should be classed as the most satisfying of the lot.

Because it was the kind of win that top-four contenders claim.

When you're not at your best, you need the ability to dig in.

And you need the ability to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Saints have been on the wrong end of that so many times during the past few years.

But the tables are now turning.

Saints now have their belief back, and the roar that greeted Saturday's win showed, once again, that the fans are now totally back on side.

They too believe in this team.

And it is so refreshing after a few years when it felt like a cloud needed lifting as the team continually failed to live up to the expectation created by years of building towards, and eventually achieving, glory.

Entertainment is well and truly back at the Gardens, in many forms.

Supporters are starting to fall back in love with their team after times when it must have felt they trudged to the Gardens out of loyalty rather than an expectation of entertainment.

No, Saturday was not anywhere near as slick as wins against the likes of Wasps and Sale.

But it showed that Saints can do both sides of the game, allying substance with style.

Now they will be asked to do that and more when they travel to a Saracens team who have inflicted such misery on them in recent years.

But it is fair to say Saints have not been in as good a shape as this going to Allianz Park for some time.

How they rated...

GEORGE FURBANK

Always has a say these days and he did some good work in the build-up to Hutchinson's score, producing a lovely long pass on another eventful afternoon for the full-back... 7

AHSEE TUALA

Wasn't really able to get too involved in the game but did what he could when he got a chance to get some possession... 6

RORY HUTCHINSON

The centre has been consistently influential in recent weeks and this was another big display as he scored, defended well and was creative once again... 8

PIERS FRANCIS

Looked lively during the first half, showcasing some quick footwork, but was eventually forced off after taking a heavy knock to the head... 6

TAQELE NAIYARAVORO

Bath found space around him to score a couple of times as Saints left gaps in the defence, but he was always difficult to stop at the other end of the pitch... 6

JAMES GRAYSON

Enjoyed a 100 per cent afternoon with the boot and can be pleased with another assured fly-half showing... 7

ALEX MITCHELL - CHRON STAR MAN

Was a bright spark all game, constantly trying to find gaps in the Bath defence and eventually scoring a deserved try. Also made a vital tap tackle on Jonathan Joseph... 8

ALEX WALLER

Took a knock during the first half but battled on to re-emerge for the second half and though things didn't always go his way, he kept fighting for his team... 6

REECE MARSHALL

Wasn't totally on target with lineouts but that wasn't all his fault and his appetite could never be questioned... 6

PAUL HILL

Looked hungry for action from the start, pushing Bath back with some decent carries and staking his claim for more starts... 7

DAVID RIBBANS

The lock has been so consistent this season, proving too heavy for many teams to handle with the ball in his hands, and he made the key contribution here, scoring the vital try... 8

API RATUNIYARAWA

Wasn't as influential as he had been against Sale a week earlier but he carried well on a few occasions... 6

JAMES HASKELL

Was a tough ask to come straight back in after a spell out and though Bath did test him defensively, he had plenty of involvement going forward, carrying hard... 6

LEWIS LUDLAM

Was fired up from the off, relishing the physical battle and though that got him on the wrong side of the referee on a few occasions, he was a real nuisance for Bath... 7

TOM WOOD

Celebrated his new contract with another big performance, getting involved heavily in attack and defence, again showcasing a tidy passing game... 8

Replacements (who played more than 20 minutes)

LUTHER BURRELL (for Francis 39)

Was given a warm welcome by the home fans after the announcement that he will be leaving at the end of the season and he tried to make his presence felt... 6

JAMIE GIBSON (for Haskell 50)

A great man to be able to bring from the bench as he tried to steady the Saints ship and frustrate Bath... 6

FRANCOIS VAN WYK (for Waller 55)

Has been in good form in recent weeks and this was another successful outing for the South African prop... 6

JAMES FISH (for Marshall 55)

Has enjoyed a strong season and this was a useful 25-minute cameo as he helped his team get over the line... 6

Bath boss Todd Blackadder was left to rue his side's failure to deal with the big pressure moment after Saints snatched victory at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday afternoon.

David Ribbans powered over after taking a quick tap penalty and James Grayson converted to put the seal on a dramatic 27-26 Gallagher Premiership victory.

Bath thought they had it won after Rhys Priestland landed two late penalties to take his tally to 16 points for the day.

But Ribbans added to earlier efforts from Rory Hutchinson and Alex Mitchell to make sure of four precious Premiership points, moving Saints up to fifth in the process.

"It's just pressure and it comes down to these moments," Blackadder said.

"We didn't exit, we could have, and probably should have to take that pressure off.

"There was a chargedown, penalties and on that last try one of the boys turned their back after all the work that was put in and that was the difference. Bang, it was gone.

"The game plan had been solid, defensively we had gone up a gear and our attack was some of the best we've had all season.

"It was a great game of rugby, we came here with a lot of self-belief and put everything into it but it was just that last minute that was the difference.

"The plan was to get up and put their skillsets under pressure, which we did for the most part, but we were a little bit eager in their 22.

"We went in ones but we should have gone in threes like they did in the end.

"We had a lot of opportunities out there, a good game plan, a good strategy and we played really well for 79 minutes."

Daniel Quinn, 28, from Wolverhampton, was jailed for a minimum of 27 years this week for the murder of 34-year-old Daniel Fitzjohn.

Quinn, a drug dealer, 'hunted down' Mr Fitzjohn through the streets of Kingsley and stabbed him twice in the abdomen in a 'senseless killing' last June.

He was driven from the scene by Parminder Sanghera, 25, also from Wolverhampton, who was convicted on manslaughter and jailed for 10 and a half years.

But the trial may never have come to court if not for the bravery of a Bounds taxi driver who pursued Quinn through Kingsley to capture the brutal crime on his dashcam.

At Quinn's sentencing on Thursday (February 21) at Northampton Crown Court, His Honour Judge Rupert Mayo recommended the driver for a Northamptonshire High Sheriff Award and with it a £1,000 reward.

Judge Mayo said: "In all my years I've never conducted a case where a member of the public has been so brave to do what he did.

"[This driver] played an important in the finding of these two men and proving what they have done."

That evening, the driver told the jury how when Quinn and Sanghera arrived on Brookfield Road that evening - armed with a machete and a knife - Mr Fitzjohn and his friends scattered and ran away. The pair charged after them and a foot chase began.

But the taxi driver sped after the pair and captured nearly ever step of the attack. He even called 999 while he drove to alert the police.

The 999 call was played in court. The operator told him as he drove: "You're brave following them."

He replied: "I do this all the time. I'm shaking a little bit though."

Thanks to his efforts, he captured the moment Quinn lunged forward and fatally stabbed Mr Fitzjohn in Randall Road. The clip proved crucial to prosecuting the drug dealer.

Prosecutor Mary Loram QC agreed that, if not for the taxi driver, 'this case may not be here today'.

The Chronicle & Echo was unable to reach the driver for comment.

John Marrs - who lives near Abington - has been a popular author since 2013 but was surprised as anyone when his third novel, The One, was selected by the production arm of streaming giant Netflix.

A scout had apparently been browsing Amazon for ideas when the cover of John's latest self-published book made him take a closer look. A quick look at the synopsis later and the scout was sure he had a hit on his hands.

John said: "He got in touch and said would I be interested in giving them the option of turning this into something.

"My reaction was, 'oh my God, that's amazing.'

"It's very exciting and not what I had in mind at all when I was writing it."

The book has now found a publishing house - Penguin - and has been read around the world, with translations in 27 languages. In the UK alone, it has sold more than 150,000 copies.

The action is set in the near future, a decade after genetic scientists discover that all of us share a single gene with just one other person.

But taking a DNA test and finding out 'the one' can have unintended consequences, as five pairs of people find out.

For all the fact that it was John's idea, he is very relaxed about Netflix taking the plot in any direction they choose.

All of his novels mention or feature Northampton somewhere and John's is curious to see whether the scriptwriters give a nod to his home town.

The former business and showbiz journalist said: "The book is separate. Once they have bought the rights to The One, it's their baby as far as I'm concerned.

"I did a lot of interviews with people from the film world but I'm no expert on screenplays.

"But not knowing how they're going to handle it makes it more exciting for me."

The series is scheduled to be available for streaming early next year.

John's second novel with Penguin is a psychological thriller about driver-less cars. It will be available to dowload in April and on the shelves of book shops in May.

Who stole the show and who had a game to forget at the Lamex? Find out with James Heneghan's player ratings - scroll down and flick through our picture gallery to see how each player performed.

It was not quite the scenes of three years ago – the overriding emotion was one of relief rather than unconfined joy – but for a flickering, glorious moment at Stevenage on Saturday, Cobblers and their fans may as well have been back in 2016.

It did not matter that Town are enduring another difficult season. It didn’t matter that they’ve had a tough couple of years. There was no title on the line and no unbeaten run to protect on this occasion, but few people cared when Andy Williams stood in for Ricky Holmes and played the part of last-gasp hero at the Lamex Stadium.

You can’t beat a stoppage-time winner. Few things come close. Even in a season that is petering out and heading for a disappointing finish, scoring in the last minute, away from home, brings joy like nothing else.

Saturday’s contest at the Lamex followed a similar pattern to many games involving Northampton this season as two evenly-matched sides cancelled each other out for the most part, with clear-cut chances at a premium.

A draw, by that measure, would probably have been fair, but these are the type of games Cobblers will need to win if they are to challenge for promotion next season so now is as good a place as any to start.

In terms of searching for positives, the defence offered a big one. Goalkeeper David Cornell’s light workload has become a refreshing theme in recent weeks and Saturday at Stevenage was his quietest afternoon for some time, at least in terms of saves made, as his defence produced perhaps their most assured display of the season.

It could be claimed that Cornell has been forced into strenuous action only three times in Town’s past four games; twice against Crawley, once at Tranmere and not at all at either Stevenage or Lincoln.

Of course, he’s conceded three goals during that time, but the improvement in his side’s defending is unmistakable. If Curle can maintain that solid base while adding to their firepower in attack, he may be onto something.

The fact Cornell’s services were rarely required did, in part, owe to Stevenage’s lack of guile and creativity in the final third, but Northampton still defended resolutely, and with John-Joe O’Toole and Jordan Turnbull battling away in midfield, the home side struggled to work shooting opportunities, particularly in the second-half.

Earlier, Town’s bright start was rewarded by Joe Powell’s first senior goal 19 minutes in. Showing more attacking intent than they did at home to Crawley last week, Cobblers pressed high, forced a mistake and Hoskins’ composure picked out Powell, who also remained calm to slot past Paul Farman.

Hoskins, a livewire throughout, was close with two efforts either side of Powell’s goal, but the visitors were on the back foot for the final 20 minutes of the first-half as the impressive, if at times erratic, Ilias Chair spearheaded Stevenage’s best spell of the game.

He had three attempts in all before half-time, including one superb free-kick that landed just wide, and also sent in a couple of teasing cross that forced Town into some desperate last-ditch defending as David Buchanan, Charlie Goode and Ash Taylor all made important blocks.

Northampton did a better job of nullifying Chair’s threat in the second period when Stevenage dominated possession but failed to create anything of note. Alex Revell’s header, an all-too simple finish 13 minutes from time, came out of nothing.

A 16th league draw of the season seemed certain when the game entered stoppage-time, but Williams had a point to prove to his manager and he was not about to give up this opportunity.

He’s had a strange first campaign at the Cobblers, has Williams. The 32-year-old is the club’s top scorer and yet he’s become a fringe player in the past few weeks, with Hoskins preferred to him. It’s now over a month since his last start.

He’s not a footballer who takes kindly to being left out of the team. He becomes grouchy and frustrated more so than most, and Curle’s challenge is to harness that frustration and turn it into a positive on the pitch. It worked at Stevenage when Williams threatened more in his 20-minute cameo than any of his team-mates had in the previous 70, bar maybe Hoskins.

Seeing a good header well saved by Farman soon after Revell’s leveller, his winning goal showed determination and desire to battle past two defenders and then composure to apply a cool finish. The wonderful scenes that followed were reminiscent of three years ago and now Williams will be hoping he’s done enough to earn a start at Crewe next weekend.

The Cobblers have now won at Tranmere, Stevenage and Colchester this term, three sides who have all held realistic promotion ambitions, albeit to varying degrees. They’ve also drawn at leaders Lincoln and in-form Exeter, and convincingly beaten eighth-placed Carlisle United on home turf. It’s an impressive set of results and only adds to the feeling that they’ve missed an opportunity this season.

Curle has a long way to go until he wins over all the sceptics but it’s easy to forget where the Cobblers were when he took over and just how much of a struggle it had been to even win matches, let alone sustain a play-off challenge.

In the 24 league games before he was appointed, Cobblers had won three, drawn nine and lost 12, conceding a mighty 40 goals in the process. In the 24 league games he has overseen, they have eight wins, 11 draws and just five defeats, conceding 29 goals.

Whilst it’s been a slow process and scepticism clearly still remains in some quarters, going from regularly losing to regularly winning takes time and there’s no doubt Town have made progress, even if it’s been punctuated by occasional setbacks.

They are now harder to beat for one thing, as emphasised by their remarkable amount of draws this season, and they stay in matches for far longer, meaning it only takes one moment to turn one point into three, as Williams proved on Saturday.

If you create a League Two table between Curle’s appointment and the present day, Town would have 35 points from 24 games - the equivalent of 68 points over a season - and sit only three points adrift of sixth place. A decent, if unspectacular, points haul.

There are reasons for both optimism and caution and you can make a case for sitting on either side of the fence, but Curle and his players certainly deserve credit for turning things around after their alarming defeat to Colchester United, which raised relegation fears to an all-time high.

Two draws and two wins in their four games since, three of which have been away at teams chasing promotion, represents an excellent return. Not many saw it coming. The question is: can they keep it up?

One man tweeted the Chronicle & Echo to say that he could not get his car out of the car park at 1.07pm and there was a large police presence at the scene.

Other motorists have been stuck since 9am.

Northamptonshire Police have been approached for comment but have not been able to confirm what the nature of the investigation is.

A thrilled and relieved Andy Williams hopes his injury-time winner against Stevenage on Saturday has proved to manager Keith Curle that he’s deserving of a regular starting place in the Cobblers team.

Town were leading 1-0 through Joe Powell’s first-half goal when Williams came off the bench with 20 minutes to go at the Lamex, but Alex Revell’s header seven minutes later appeared to have robbed the visitors of two points.

However, just as the game ticked into six minutes of stoppage-time, Williams showed great tenacity and determination to chase down a long ball and out-battle two defenders before having the composure to lift a deft shot over goalkeeper Paul Farman and into the far corner, sending Cobblers fans behind the goal wild.

“It was a good clearance from David (Buchanan),” said the 32-year-old afterwards. “We actually spoke about it before the game – if you’re going to clear the ball, miss it big because it’ll give the strikers something to chase and that’s exactly what happened.

“Thankfully I got on the end of it and stuck it away. Initially I thought I had mistimed it and I was going to lose the header but the lad I was challenging dropped off and I managed to put pressure on him and force him into a mistake.

“I then galloped through –I think that’s the best way of describing it – and lifted the ball over the oncoming goalkeeper into the corner of the net.

“I showed a bit of pace and showed I’ve still got it – I like to think at 32 my pace is still there! That’s my eighth goal of the season and I’m pretty happy with that considering the amount of starts I’ve had.”

Despite topping the club’s scoring charts with eight for the campaign, Williams’ last start for the Cobblers came at Cambridge United over a month ago - and it’s clear the lack of game-time has been nagging away at him.

He added: “I heard someone say the other day I haven’t scored in 2019 but how many starts have I had? You can read stats however you want. Compared with minutes on the pitch I’ve had I’m quite happy with my goal return.

“It’s obviously frustrating not to start as much as I would like but when chances come along you have to take them and I’d like to think I did that.

“Possibly I’ll knock on the manager’s door and remind him again but I’ve done that a few times recently so we’ll see what happens next weekend!”

Lawes suffered a calf strain during England's Six Nations defeat to Wales in Cardiff.

The lock had to be helped from the field and was sent for an MRI scan on Sunday.

That has revealed that the Saints star will now miss the remainder of the Six Nations.

And he would appear hugely unlikely to travel to France with Saints to take on Clermont Auvergne in exactly five weeks' time (March 31).

He is also set to miss the east midlands derby at Welford Road on March 22, though he would have probably been given that game off anyway as it comes just six days after England conclude their Six Nations campaign, at home to Scotland.

Lawes will now be back at Franklin's Gardens as he continues his rehabilitation.

It is the second injury blow in as many days with the news that Dylan Hartley will go for surgery on a knee problem on Tuesday.

Hartley, who has not played since starting in Saints' win at Worcester Warriors on December 21, is also set to be out for a minimum of four weeks.

Saints boss Chris Boyd said: "Dylan went to see the surgeon and they felt in conjunction with our medical people the progress was a bit slow.

"He's going to have a surgical procedure on Tuesday to open it up and see what's causing the knee to be grumbly.

"Depending on what they find, it will depend on how long his rehab will be.

"If it went outstandingly well, he could be playing in four weeks but if it's something a bit more problematic it might be a bit longer.

"We won't really know what time-frame it is until they have a look and then it will depend on his rehab.

"We certainly won't be putting any pressure on him. He'll play as soon as he can."

Psychedelic and familiar but a false Dawn.

It hasn’t even been a year since the release of the excellent Far Cry 5 and here we sit with what is know as a ‘narrative sequel’ in our laps, Far Cry New Dawn.

Bursting with colour, in almost pop art style, there is a psychedelic look and feel to this iteration of the hugely popular series.

Spoiler alert: The story is set 17 years after the events of Far Cry 5. After the nuclear exchange known as “the Collapse” devastated the world, survivors attempt to rebuild the community in Hope County.

Their efforts are threatened by the Highwaymen, a roving band of organised bandits. With few other choices, the survivors form an alliance with New Eden - the remnants of the Project at Eden’s Gate - despite knowing that they may represent a greater threat than the Highwaymen themselves. The Deputy returns from FC5 as does main protagonist Joseph Seed. You take on the role of Captain and form part of a group that travels the country assisting other survivor groups in need.

I should say from the get go I am a huge Far Cry fan who still finds the exploration and progression system of the franchise utterly engrossing in FCND.

They say familiarity breeds contempt. And that certainly seems to be the case looking at other reviews since FCND launched on PS4, XB1 and Windows earlier this month.

It is true, to a degree this does feel like a DLC expansion. Not enough has been done to change the environment and make it interesting enough for a standalone title.

Personally I welcomed the diluted RPG element as I am not an RPG fan - but that will undoubtedly grate on a large section of gamers.

Unfortunately it seems indicative of the wider game too. Everything just feels a bit diluted and the usual time and care put into Far Cry titles is missing.

The storyline and narrative leaves a lot to be desired too. The reworked openworld is cool and fun/rewarding to explore in equal measure.

And there are some superb new elements to make things interesting. Human superpowers eventually make combat thrilling and the expeditions are the game’s crowning achievement as they really offer Ubisoft the chance to show off their best-in-class world design.

There are so many ambitious ideas in New Dawn but it seems they were not fully realised as they would have been with a bigger timeframe for the latest release.

With the next generation of ever more powerful consoles looming on the horizon perhaps we are seeing the first seeds being planted of greater things to come in the next couple of years.

Far Cry New Dawn is still a thoroughly enjoyable playthrough. I imagine Far Cry games always will be.

I guess what takes the edge off here is the nagging feeling that it could and probably should have been so much more.

David Ribbans says Saints have plenty to work on ahead of Saturday's clash with Saracens at Allianz Park.

But the lock believes the courage his side showed to overcome Bath last weekend was commendable.

Ribbans was the last-gasp hero as he took a quick tap penalty and powered over in added time.

James Grayson converted to secure a 27-26 victory at Franklin's Gardens, pushing Saints up to fifth in the Gallagher Premiership standings.

But they now face their toughest test, travelling to a Saracens side they have lost to in the past eight meetings between the clubs in all competitions.

"We made seriously hard work of it at the weekend," Ribbans said.

"We know we weren't at our best by a long shot but what we've spoken about is how important it was to get the win and we managed to get over the line.

"It was vital to get that victory.

"There's lots to work on for this weekend but we can be happy with the win on Saturday.

"We made a lot of mistakes, especially in our lineouts, we weren't good enough, and it's always hard when you get that wrong.

"But we showed a lot of courage so we can take that forward.

"We'll review the game and come back with a plan for Saracens.

"It's a big week ahead for us."

On the try he scored, Ribbans said: "We got the penalty and I just had little Mitch (Alex Mitchell) in my ear saying 'tap and go, tap and go' and I wasn't going to turn that opportunity down.

"I just went for it!

"We went through a lot of phases, had a lineout we didn't quite convert but we kept going and kept going, sticking to our structure.

"We got a lucky break with the try."

And Ribbans feels the fact Saints did get over the line to secure their fourth win in five league matches show how they are progressing as a team.

"I don't know if we'd have been able to win that game a couple of years ago," said the 23-year-old, who joined Saints in the winter of 2017.

"We showed a lot of courage and determination at the end to get that win.

"It's a different kind of victory but it's still as valuable and we learned a lot."

Cobblers’ fringe players have been urged to grasp any opportunity that comes their way by manager Keith Curle ahead of a behind-closed-doors friendly against Milton Keynes Dons this week.

With a sizeable pool of players at his disposal, Curle has naturally disappointed certain members of his squad who are having to make do with a place on the bench most weeks or, in some cases, not even being selected in the matchday 18.

Andy Williams and Junior Morias are two of the more high profile examples in recent weeks, but Curle believes that, regardless of age or experience, every player has to battle it out and earn their opportunity with the first-team.

“There’s a few players sitting behind me who keep giving me a nudge saying ‘I’m still here boss, give me a chance’ but they have to earn that chance,” said the Town chief after Saturday’s win at Stevenage.

“We’ve got a game behind closed doors against MK Dons on Tuesday and that’ll be an opportunity for players. We also had an in-house game last week against the youth team who are vying for an opportunity to win a pro contract.

“So there’s a lot of competition within the squad which is what we want and what we need. It’s a healthy environment when people aren’t comfortable and when people know they have got to perform in training.”

Whilst Williams and Joe Powell took many of the plaudits for scoring in Saturday’s last-gasp victory at the Lamex, Curle was quick to play up the importance of his whole squad, even those who were left on the bench.

“The result today is a squad result and it’s important to say the travelling players played a massive part,” he added. “Even those who didn’t make the matchday 18 still have a big part to play in what we’re trying to do.

“The right environment is key to success and the environment at the minute is good and buoyant and it’s understanding that all players are needed.”