Cobblers suffered their first defeat in nine matches when going down to a 3-1 loss at Cheltenham Town on Saturday.

Who struggled most of all and did anyone impress at Whaddon Road? Find out with James Heneghan's player ratings - scroll down and flick through our picture gallery to see how each player performed.

A growing number of councils across the UK are developing planning policies to restrict the number of hot food takeaways near places where young people congregate, with the aim of preventing obesity and unhealthy diets.

And while it has not committed to such a policy just yet, South Northamptonshire Council has agreed to look at whether there is enough evidence to potentially implement any restrictions in the future.

There has been an overall increase in the percentage of children in the area classified as ‘overweight’ from 2006-07 through to 2012-13 for both four to five-year-olds and ten to 11-year olds, while 68.2 per cent of adults in South Northamptonshire carry excess weight, which is higher than the national average of 65 per cent.

In 2010, Barking and Dagenham became the first UK council to try to limit the number of fast food outlets.

Now, about 20 local authorities in England have adopted similar policies, with nearby Milton Keynes now also exploring the possibility of a ban near schools.

The subject was discussed at the latest planning policy committee meeting at The Forum in Towcester on Wednesday evening (March 20). But some councillors had concerns over the idea.

Councillor Elaine Wiltshire felt that to include parks within the policy could potentially cause some problems.

She said: “You look at Brackley High Street and you have a Domino’s and a cafe that most of the sixth form students use. Some schools don’t have kitchens where they can get their lunch.

“But we have to be careful with parks. If you have a cafe next to a park then you need these cafes to encourage people to use the parks.”

And Councillor Sandi Smallman said: “I’m not sure we need to be that much of a nanny state. Where do you draw the line? I think this is something we could do without.”

But portfolio holder for planning, Councillor Roger Clarke, said introducing such a policy into the area’s Local Plan was ‘the right thing to do’.

In September 2017 on average 2.6 takeaways were located 400 metres from a school in England, compared with 2.3 in June 2014. This has resulted in about a quarter of the UK’s takeaways being located within a five-minute walk of a school.

As well as the Cobblers have done to turn things around and move up the table in recent weeks, there was always a lingering sense that their mad late dash for a play-off spot would prove a step too far.

And those fears were realised in the Cotswolds on Saturday afternoon when Northampton came unstuck with a performance that was an untimely throwback to the dark old days, one riddled with defensive errors and short on attacking enterprise in defeat to Cheltenham Town.

The problem with playing catch-up is that so many pieces need to fall into place and it only takes one thing – such as the loss of two influential players for a tough away game – to derail your challenge and leave you needing a minor miracle.

That’s what happened to the Cobblers at Whaddon Road. Without Aaron Pierre and Jordan Turnbull, both of whom should at least be in the conversation for player of the season, they were disrupted, disjointed and deservedly beaten by in-form Cheltenham, surely ending any lingering hope of a top-seven finish this season.

When your goalkeeper is the overwhelming choice for man of the match in a game you’ve conceded three goals and lost comfortably, you know your afternoon probably hasn’t gone to plan.

There were, though, mitigating circumstances for Town’s poor showing at Whaddon Road. Up against a team in excellent home form, they were hit hard by the absences of Turnbull and Pierre while Timi Elsnik’s call-up to Slovenia meant two academy graduates started, bringing Keith Curle’s team selection back under the microscope for the first time in a while.

Instead of opting for the experience of Shay Facey or Charlie Goode at centre-back alongside Ash Taylor, Curle showed huge faith in 17-year-old Ryan Hughes by giving him his debut.

First and foremost, the Town boss should be commended in for having the willingness and bravery to hand chances to the club’s academy prospects even when the stakes are high. Too many other managers would take the easy, safe option.

It’s a fine balance, however, and on this occasion it was perhaps an unnecessary gamble to take when the margin for error is so small. Hughes produced enough glimpses to show he’s certainly one to keep an eye on but Luke Varney and Tyrone Barnett are a troublesome strike partnership for the most experienced of defenders, let along a teenager on debut.

Cheltenham’s menacing forward duo ensured it was a tough welcome to senior football for Hughes, whose life was not made any easier by his unusually out-of-sorts team-mates.

Sam Foely’s inexpiable pass in a poor area and Ash Taylor’s failure to cut out a low cross from Kevin Dawson allowed Varney to tap in the opener before Goode’s weak clearing header put Hughes in trouble and ultimately saw him concede a penalty when barging into Barnett. Varney made no mistake and from there it was always an uphill struggle.

One player to emerge with credit was goalkeeper David Cornell, which says plenty for how the Cobblers performed. He did superbly to deny Barnett inside 10 minutes and then Dawson on the hour while he was also alert to keep out Varney and Chris Clements.

That last save was in vain as Barnett headed home from the following corner to secure the win. Dean Bowditch’s 89th minute free-kick, though well-struck and well-placed, was nothing more than a consolation.

Theoretically, Town can still make the play-offs this season. Six wins and one draw from their final seven fixtures – an admittedly unlikely feat – would give them a decent chance but, even then, they’d be reliant on other results going their way.

The Cobblers’ hopes of bouncing straight back to League One are realistically over and whilst the final nail in their play-off coffin was inserted by Cheltenham at Whaddon Road on Saturday, the real damage had been done well in advance.

Early-season defeats to Morecambe and Cheltenham put them on the back foot and, after Curle steadied the ship with an immediate upturn in form following his appointment, failure to turn disappointing draws into wins against the likes of Stevenage, Swindon, Yeovil, Grimsby and Morecambe allowed too many teams to pull away and open up an unassailable advantage.

Now the Cobblers must ensure their season doesn’t fizzle out. There’s little real difference between finishing 10th and finishing 20th but how Town fare in their final seven fixtures will have a significant bearing on the mood and atmosphere over the summer and heading into next season.

They can’t afford to let their recent good work go to waste.

For player ratings, follow this link: Cheltenham 3 Cobblers 1 player ratings

Keith Curle believes it was the right decision to hand young centre-back Ryan Hughes a first-team debut against Cheltenham Town on Saturday despite Cobblers seeing their unbeaten run end with a 3-1 defeat at Whaddon Road.

With captain and regular centre-back Aaron Pierre called up to international duty by Grenada, Curle opted against playing Shay Facey at right-back and shifting Charlie Goode across to centre-back, instead giving 17-year-old Hughes his first senior appearance of any kind.

The academy prospect had a difficult afternoon up against Cheltenham’s experienced strike partnership of Luke Varney and Tyrone Barnett, as did the rest of Northampton’s defence on a poor day in the Cotswolds.

After Sam Foley’s mistake led to an opener for Varney, a poor clearing header from Goode put Hughes in trouble and ultimately led to the young centre-back clattering into Barnett for a penalty late in the first-half, which Varney converted.

Barnett added a third in the second-half shortly before Hughes was replaced by Daniel Powell with 16 minutes to, but Curle felt it was the right time to hand the teenager his Cobblers debut.

“It was a great opportunity for the lad to come in and show what he’s about and he will learn a lot about himself from playing in the game,” said the Northampton manager.

“He coped with the build-up very well and I think he’s enjoyed his afternoon and he’ll learn plenty after playing against Barnett and Vary up front.

“They are two players with quality that he hasn’t come up against before but he’s got it in his armoury and he would have picked up the game understanding.

“We’ll do the video analysis with him individually and he could have won more headers and been more physical at times, but apart from that he filled the slot very well and he showed good understanding.”

Hughes’ only prior experience of men’s football came on a work experience loan with Southern League outfit St Neots Town, but he was thrown into the deep end at Whaddon Road on Saturday.

Asked why he opted for Hughes over Facey, Curle explained: “The lad’s been doing well and he’s been impressing. He was out on loan playing men’s football and he’s been performing very well.

“I’ve had good conversations with Kieran (Scarff) and Jon Brady about his development and he’s been training with us for about a week to 10 days and he’s done OK.

“His next progression is first-team game-time and first-team match experience and he’ll learn a lot from it.

“It’s the intricacies of not just being about winning headers, it’s about what goes on before that and the body contact, the aggressive nature that you need as a centre-back and he would have enjoyed playing alongside David Buchanan and Ash Taylor.

“It’s a massive learning curve for the lad and I know he enjoyed the experience.”

The following people have been sentenced at magistrates courts in the county:

Finlay James Sharples

Pleasant Row, Woodford. Age: 34

On 21/12/2017 stole friendship bracelets, to the value of £19.18, from The Works book shop, Kettering.

Plea: Guilty. Fined £100, surcharge to fund victim services of £30, costs of £70.

Christopher Stuart Courtman

Greenbank Terrace, Ringstead. Age: 29

On 06/02/2019 in Ringstead, without reasonable excuse, you were found in company with a named person which you were prohibited from doing by a restraining order imposed by Northampton Magistrates Court on 29/08/ 2018.

Plea: Guilty. Jailed for 28 days, to pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £115, costs of £85.

Gareth Philip Hammett

West Glebe Road, Corby. Age: 40

On 15/11/2018 drove a motor vehicle in Beanfield Road, Corby, after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion of it in your breath, namely 115mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, exceeded the prescribed limit; without insurance.

Plea: Guilty. To have treatment for alcohol dependency for three months, carry out unpaid work for 150 hours, pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £85, costs of £85, banned from driving for 42 months.

Michael Newby

Primrose Close, Corby. Age: 62

On 23/12/2017 drove a motor vehicle in Brunswick Gardens, Corby, after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion of it in your breath, namely 106mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, exceeded the prescribed limit.

Verdict: Guilty.

On 23/12/2017 being the driver of a vehicle, owing to the presence of which in Brunswick Gardens, failed to stop after an accident occurred whereby damage was caused to a wall.

Plea: Guilty. Fined £4,100, surcharge to fund victim services of £120, costs of £640, banned from driving for 30 months.

Kevin O’Kane

Hogarth Walk, Corby. Age: 33

On 28/06/2018 drove a motor vehicle in Hogarth Walk, Corby, when the proportion of a controlled drug, namely cannabis, in your blood, namely 2.2mcg of drug per litre of blood, exceeded the specified limit.

Verdict: Guilty. Fined £250, surcharge to fund victim services of £30, costs of £625, banned from driving for 12 months.

Gavin William Appleyard

Elm Road, Kettering. Age: 39

On 28/09/2018 in Kettering interfered with a motor vehicle, or anything carried in or on the vehicle, with the intention that an offence of theft of the vehicle or part of it or of anything carried in or on the vehicle should be committed.

Verdict: Guilty. Have treatment for drug dependency as a non-resident patient for six months, to carry out unpaid work for 120 hours, to pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £85, costs of £625.

Michelle Tobin

Eliot Way, Rushden. Age: 36

On 02/08/2018 in Northamptonshire sent by means of a public electronic communications network a message that was grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character.

Plea: Guilty. Discharged conditionally for 12 months. The court finds the offence was aggravated due to hostility based on the sexual orientation (or presumed sexual orientation) of the victim. To pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £20, costs of £85.

Ian Lawrence Lane

Minerva Way, Wellingborough. Age: 56

Between 01/09/2018 and 30/09/2018 and on 25/11/2018 in Wellingborough you intentionally touched a woman aged 16 or over and that touching was sexual when she did not consent and you did not reasonably believe that she was consenting; between 06/08/2018 and 17/01/2019 in Wellingborough you pursued a course of conduct which amounted to the harassment of a female and which you knew or ought to have known amounted to the harassment of her in that on 04/11/2018, 24/11/2018, 28/11/2018 and 12/01/2019 you approached her alone in the workplace to initiate physical contact.

Plea: Guilty. To have treatment for alcohol dependency for three months, to pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £85, costs of £85, defendant required to register with the police for five years.

Radoslaw Patryk Nosek

Midland Road, Wellingborough. Age: 24

On 30/01/2019 at Rushden had in your possession an unknown quantity of amphetamine.

Plea: Guilty. Discharged conditionally for 12 months, to pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £20, costs of £85, amphetamine to be forfeited and destroyed.

Luke David Cole

Wellington Street, Kettering. Age: 28

On 16/09/2018 in Kettering had in your possession a quantity of cannabis.

Plea: Guilty. Fined £80, to pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £30, costs of £85, cannabis to be forfeited and destroyed.

Stephen Sturgess

Nunnery Avenue, Rothwell. Age: 41

On 12/02/2019 in Kettering, without lawful excuse, damaged a set of patio doors intending to destroy or damage such property or being reckless as to whether such property would be destroyed or damaged; without reasonable excuse, contacted a female and attended a named street in Kettering which you were prohibited from doing by a restraining order imposed by Northampton Magistrates Court on 21/03/2018.

Plea: Guilty. Jailed for 18 weeks, to pay compensation of £250, surcharge to fund victim services of £115, costs of £85.

Cheltenham Town manager Michael Duff felt his side were the ‘physically dominant’ team and found ‘different ways’ to hurt the Cobblers during their 3-1 win at Whaddon Road on Saturday.

The Robins continued their strong home form as Luke Varney’s first-half brace set them on their way to a fifth win in six games at Whaddon Road before Tyrone Barnett killed off the contest when heading in a 73rd minute third goal.

Town scored a consolation through Dean Bowditch’s free-kick a minute from full-time – something which irritated Duff – but Cheltenahm were undoubtedly worthy winners as they ended their visitors’ eight-match unbeaten run, securing a second 3-1 win over Northampton this season.

“It was a good performance,” said Duff, whose side remain 17th in League Two, four points below the Cobblers. “We moved the ball well and were physically dominant I thought.

“I was disappointed with their goal because I thought we deserved a clean sheet. I don’t think they hurt us enough to score a goal, but I’m really happy with the overall performance.

“Northampton are a tough team. They were unbeaten in eight and have conceded four goals in their last eight games.

“We scored three against them and their goalkeeper has made three or four great saves and a couple of one-on-ones, so the thing I was most pleased with is that I thought we hurt them in different ways.

“We moved the ball well, but we went long as well. I don’t want to play one style - we went through a stage where we went to Crawley away and it was 600 or 700 passes but we never really hurt them.

“When I first came in we probably went a bit too long. We’re starting to get a balance of both which is ideally what we want.”

A lorry driver who was three times over the drink drive limit when he ploughed through cones and into a road worker in Corby has been jailed for six months.

Adam Mokrzycki, 46, was driving through the roadworks when he became confused and drove into the coned-off area, straight into victim Liam Stanners.

Mr Stanners was knocked off his feet to the ground.

Northampton Crown Court heard how Mokrzycki, who lives in the Polish town of Wegorzewo, had pleaded guilty to drink driving and to dangerous driving at an earlier hearing at Northampton Magistrates Court.

Immediately after the accident, Mokrzycki’s roadside breath test was 111 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit is 35 microgrammes of alcohol.

Mr Stanners had been working in a coned-off area at 1pm on Saturday, February 2, when the defendant drove his HGV into the back of him.

The court heard that the victim ‘didn’t see it coming’ and was ‘struck from behind by the full 40-tonne lorry.’

The force of the lorry propelled him forward and he fell to the ground.

When he got out of the lorry, the court heard that Mokryzcki was ‘very apologetic’ although he was heard to use the words ‘how much?’

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Stanners, who is from Birmingham and was in court to hear Friday’s verdict, said: “In the first couple of weeks I struggled to sleep and kept thinking about the accident, waking up after a few hours, feeling down and anxious.”

The court was told that the victim, who was in court along with his family to hear the verdict, did not receive any serious physical injuries but had suffered from headaches since the accident and had five days off work, costing him hundreds in lost wages.

The statement went on: “He doesn’t feel comfortable doing his job and is minded to give it up.”

In mitigation, barrister Natalie Carter said that Mokrzycki had been driving for 23 years and had no previous convictions in this country or in Poland. She said that his wife and 18 and 22-year-old children, who are both in full time education, were dependent on his wage.

Miss Carter said: “He’s ashamed of himself because of the serious injury that could have been caused and because of the shame it’s brought on him and his family.”

The court heard how Mokrzycki had made a guilty plea at his first court hearing and had made full admissions during the police interview.

“Mr Mokrzycki had been working in the UK since January,” said Miss Carter.

“He’d been working at least five days here every week and hadn’t yet got round to finding accommodation,.

“He was parking up in the truck and sleeping. There were days when he didn’t work.”

The court was told that Saturday, February 2, was one of those days where the defendant was not due to work. But, the morning after drinking some homemade wine, he received a phonecall from his boss asking him to collect some paperwork from a nearby factory.

“He didn’t want to let his employer down,” said Miss Carter.

Asking the judge to consider a suspended prison sentence, she added that Mokrzycki had never been to prison, did not speak English and the prospect of him being able to complete community service in the UK was low because he would not now have a driving licence.

Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane said: “When interviewed, you said you’d made a mistake.

“After having dinner with wine you claimed that the road worker jumped in front of you.

“It’s a very high reading - over three times the legal limit.

“It was lucky that there was not more serious injury to Mr Stanners.

“The offence is serious and crosses the custody threshold.”

Mokrzycki was sentenced to six months in prison for the dangerous driving offence and two months for drink driving to run concurrently.

He will be released after three months on licence.

He was also banned from driving for two years and three months and ordered to pay compensation to the victim of £600.

Following Friday’s court case, Liam Stanners’s mum said that she had spoken to her son on the phone immediately after the accident and had been terrified that he was seriously injured. Mr Stanners said: “I think it’s a fair sentence.

“It sends a message to people to not get in their vehicle when they’ve been drinking.

“It could have been a lot worse.

“It wasn’t just a little push - it flung me for some distance. It was very scary. I hope he’s learned a lesson.”

Rebecca qualified as a nurse in 2011 and has worked most of her career so far on a Gastroenterology ward where she treats people with digestive system disorders.

She left nursing to have her children but has always found herself back on the ward looking after patients recovering from illnesses like alcoholism.

“I have to deal with somewhat challenging behaviour at times on the ward,” said Rebecca. “Patients are often confused and delirious when they’re de-toxing from substance abuse.”

Rebecca was nominated by her colleagues for a Cavell Star Award for going the extra mile for those she cares for. One of whom was actually Rebecca’s team mate and nurse, Jan Sillett.

Jan said: “Rebecca is not afraid of challenging situations. Recently, I was very unwell and collapsed on the ward. Rebecca promptly took charge and cared for me under very difficult circumstances, cannulating me and getting fluids in quickly and getting the team down to care for me. She always copes outstandingly well, no matter how dire the circumstances.”

Nursing charity Cavell Nurses’ Trust launched the Cavell Star Awards in 2018 in partnership with LloydsPharmacy Clinical Homecare.

Nominations are being sought from nursing teams throughout the UK for that special team mate who has shown exceptional care for either their colleagues or their patients and patients’ families.

Each Cavell Star Award winner receives a medal, presentation case and pin badge as well as invites to attend special 'Care & Cake' parties, celebrating of the nation’s nursing professionals.

Rebecca said: “It was amazing. I’m not one for wanting recognition, I just get on with my job giving the best care I can. I have been nominated for awards before but never actually won. It feels amazing to be recognised for a job I’m so passionate about.

“My nursing team are my family. I’ve known some of my colleagues all my nursing career and I’ve grown up with them. They have tucked me under their wing and grown me into the nurse I am today.

“When I received the award, I had just come off a horrible night shift and it was a welcome boost. I went from thinking: 'do I really want to do this job?' to thinking: ‘actually I am good at my job, I am recognised for what I do and tomorrow is another day.’ It most certainly gave me the boost I needed.”

Cavell Nurses Trust UK is a charity which supports nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants, both working and retired, when they’re suffering personal or financial hardship often due to illness, disability, older age and domestic abuse.

John Orchard, chief executive at Cavell Nurses’ Trust said: "We know there are nursing professionals up and down the country who show exceptional care every day, often in very difficult circumstances and sometimes when their own life is falling apart.

"You can say a big ‘thank you’ to your colleagues by giving them a Cavell Star Award.

“Cavell Nurses’ Trust is here for nurses when they’re in a crisis, so we are really excited that the Cavell Star Awards are proving so successful at boosting morale for nursing teams working extremely hard in very challenging situations.”

Healthcare professionals wishing to nominate a nurse, midwife or HCA for a Cavell Star Award can do so here.

The soft play would open in one of the vacant units on the top floor of the shopping centre in town.

A Grosvenor Centre notice has gone up in the window of the shop saying: "We are pleased to announce that an exciting new Soft Play Facility will be coming soon".

The unit was formally a Christmas shop.

The Grosvenor Centre has been contacted for comment.

Northamptonshire’s MPs are being urged to lobby for the regulation of private management agencies which are springing hefty fees on residents in new developments.

The county council has followed in the footsteps of Northampton Borough Council in calling for more action to be taken on how the management agencies operate, and agreed a motion from Conservative councillor Pinder Chauhan at Thursday’s full council meeting (March 21) at County Hall.

Councillor Chauhan said: “Quite often residents are penalised and paying a second tax in newly built areas through developers establishing and allocating managed agencies on new developments. It is important to recognise the issue of managed agencies allocated by developers at a national level and the need for them to be regulated.”

Some homeowners in Duston were left in uproar this weekend after it was announced that annual maintenance fees for shared spaces were being increased from £200 to £358 by a company called Chamonix Estates.

Earlier this month, on March 11, Northampton Borough Council had agreed a motion to target transferring community and open spaces in new developments to the council, and to look at adopting a set of standards to be met for those that remained with the agencies.

The borough council did this as they were worried at the ‘lack of transparency’ of the private companies running them.

But debating a similar motion this week, county councillors were keen to stress that this was not just a problem in Northampton, but across all the districts and boroughs in Northamptonshire.

And after agreeing the motion across all parties the county council will now be lobbying MPs in the area to raise the matter with James Brokenshire, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, to work towards regulating management agencies.

Labour councillor Jane Birch said: “Families are being caught in the trap of paying for things twice, and these are forever increasing service charges that are subject to no accountability. It’s time the government stepped in to stop this shameful practice.”

Councillor Chauhan added: "We all need to work together to ensure that our residents are getting the best value. And we do need to lobby MPs to make the relevant changes."

Neither David Buchanan nor fellow defender Charlie Goode made any attempt to dress up Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Cheltenham Town, both admitting the Cobblers were simply ‘not good enough’.

Protecting an eight-game unbeaten run at Whaddon Road, Northampton produced their worst performance for some time in slipping to a deserved defeat, crushing any play-off aspirations in the process.

Luke Varney’s 19th minute opener was just reward for the home side’s superior start to the game before the same man took his tally to 13 for the campaign when netting from the spot late in the first-half.

Tyrone Barnett’s header completed a miserable afternoon for the Cobblers, who at least had the consolation of Dean Bowditch’s free-kick in the final minute.

“We didn’t get get going,” Buchanan conceded. “We knew that Cheltenham have been on a good run and we had a gameplan against them but we never started from the first minute to the last.

“It’s disappointing because we were second to every ball all afternoon. We went with a plan to turn them and get in behind them and get after them because that’s where we thought they would be weak.

“When we did that, at times in the first-half, Willo (Andy Williams) got in three or four times but you have to start games in a better manner.

“You’re going to make mistakes for goals but it’s how you react and collectively, from one to 11, I thought we got beat up.”

Goode, whose misdirected header led to the award of Cheltenham’s penalty, was equally critical of Town’s display in the Cotswolds as they suffered their first defeat since February 2.

“We’ve been on a good run and were eight unbeaten but if you look at the games, we haven’t been playing great football, we’ve just been finding ways to win and we’ve been hard to beat.” he said.

“We were the opposite on Saturday. We were easy to play against, we didn’t start the game well and they had acres of space for the first-half and we were hanging on.

“To be honest, throughout the whole game, we didn’t really create a clear-cut chance and we deserved to lose. I wasn’t good enough and I think other players would put their hands up and say the same.”

Cobblers’ performance and defeat left their 638 vocal fans disappointed at Whaddon Road, with Buchanan adding: “The support was fantastic. From start to finish we never turned up and we weren’t good enough but the fans were still singing at the end and they clapped us off.”

On Sunday, March 17, between 2pm and 2.30pm, the woman parked her car, a black Peugeot 106, in the Little Park Street area.

The man then approached the car before assaulting the woman and her mother and then he caused extensive damage to the vehicle by kicking and jumping on it.

A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said: "The man is described as a white man, aged about 26, about 5ft 8in, of average build with short dark brown hair and a beard.

"He was wearing blue jeans, blue trainers, a grey Armani jacket and black beanie hat and was carrying a black rucksack. He also had a Batman tattoo on his right hand."

Witnesses, or anyone with information, are asked to call Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

The Division multiplied by 2.

Tom Clancy’s The Division was one of my biggest disappointments of the current gen consoles but could the sequel repair the damage?

To give some perspective the original released by Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft back in 2016 was hyped beyond measure.

In fact the game broke records, including highest number of first-day sales for Ubisoft and quickly became the company’s best-selling title. The Division also broke the industry record for biggest first-week launch for a new game franchise, generating an estimated amount of $330 million across the globe.

But for everything good about The Division there was something else holding it back.

Thankfully I can report that the sequel, released on PS4, XB1 and Windows mid-March, bears none of those scars.

For anyone new to The Division, it is a third-person online action role-playing game and the sequel is set in a near-future Washington DC in the aftermath of a smallpox pandemic.

It follows an agent of the Strategic Homeland Division as they try to rebuild the city. Three years have passed since the original but The Division 2 is set seven months after its predecessor as civil war breaks out between survivors and criminal marauders.

Like World of Warcraft before it players can cooperate with each other to complete objectives and features raids allowing up to eight players to be involved at any time.

The game world is stunning as is the design, particularly when accounting for combat. You will encounter a host of different enemies with varying attributes, weaknesses and skills which makes said combat unpredicatable, challenging and thrilling throughout. No sign of any grind here!

The progression is key in TCTD2, though. Rewards finally feel like they mean something and there is a huge sense of satisfaction which just was not there in the original.

The crowning achievement is when playing with others and I am yet to experience any of the problems which affected that experience in the first game. The multi-player element is smooth, functional and even more rewarding.

I really struggled to come up with anything negative about TCTD2. The plot has taken a bit of a bashing in some early reviews I have seen but that was not something which struck me as particularly bad...but then I have just recently written a review for Left Alive (nuff said!).

There is lots of interesting content to explore as you make your way through around three days worth of game time to completion.

The Division 2 is the refined, satisfying and beautiful shared-world shooter we were promised the first time around. Better late than never I guess. Superb.

Cobblers defender Aaron Pierre wore the captain’s armband for Grenada as they won 2-0 over Puerto Rico in the last round of CONCACAF Nations League qualification on Sunday night.

Pierre, winning only his sixth cap for his country, played the full 90 minutes as former Northampton loanee Antonio German pounced on a disastrous goalkeeping error to net a first-half opener before Arthur Paterson’s fine finish doubled the lead 16 minutes from full-time.

However, the win was not enough for Grenada to qualify for this summer’s tournament.

Elsewhere, Cobblers midfielder Timi Elsnik, on loan from Derby County, made his Slovenia U21s debut at the weekend when they were beaten 3-0 by Georgia.

The future of the Tree Top Way in Salcey Forest has been thrown back into uncertainty as the Forestry Commission struggles to find the money to carry out vital works to save it.

More than 32,000 people signed a petition to save the walkway after safety inspectors spotted rotten timbers along the structure and closed it off in May 2018 due to 'major safety concerns'.

Now, nearly a year after the walkway first shut, a survey has found the full costs of rebuilding the damaged sections is too expensive.

A Forestry Commission spokesman said: "As the walkway had reached the end of its life, the full surveyor’s report has found that the work required to make the structure safe is beyond the Forestry Commission’s standard budget.

"We are currently looking for other ways of securing the funding required to repair and re-open the Tree Top Way so it can be enjoyed for years to come."

It comes after the Government announced in November it hoped to rebuild the lower sections of the walk and was looking at how to fund the work.

The Tree Top Way is a quarter-mile route that rises to 20 metres above the forest floor, and at its height offers a view above the trees. It opened in 2005 and cost £750,000 to build.

Fans of the walk have feared the attraction would be condemned and celebrated the decision to save it in November.

However, it now remains uncertain if the walk will remain closed for another year.

The spokesman said: “We have been overwhelmed with the passion felt for Salcey Forest’s Tree Top Way.

"We are working hard behind the scenes to find a way forward, and we hope to give you more details in the next few months.”

A Northampton pub has beat dozens of other watering holes across the county to become CAMRA's Pub of the year Northamptonshire 2019 winner.

St Giles Ale House first opened back in 2016 with the stated aim of helping patrons remember the art of conversation and was a life-long ambition of Terry Steers.

And judges seem to love the ideas, crowning them CAMRA's Pub of the Year Northamptonshire 2019.

"It feels amazing to win the award," Terry said. "I've been in the industry for 17 years learning about real ale and how to keep it at its best for the real ale drinkers of Northampton.

"To say I keep it the best in the whole county, I'm very humbled."

The award was given to St Giles Ale House after CAMRA bosses made their judgement on it being a community pub, with top real ale and cider.

Customers can choose from a selection of six real ales from around the county and a continental lager menu that changes every few weeks.

Terry now has plans to build a craft bar downstairs - using the brewing equipment from his late friend, John Margetts at Hunsbury Craft Brewery - and install a small brewery to start producing his own beer exclusively for sale in the ale house.

The craft bar, upon completion, will host eight rotating craft ales on a tap wall.

Plans are also in the pipeline to open a beer garden before the summer and invest in toilet facilities downstairs.

Terry added: "St Giles Ale House is only as good as it's customers and I am very very lucky to have an amazing group of customers and friends.

"We quite often refer to them as 'our ale house family' because that's exactly what they are, it's not just a pub it's a real family and I think that's what makes the ale house so inviting. When you come in the door you are walking into our home and we love to welcome you.

"This award will help raise the profile of the ale house even more and hopefully we will continue to grow and that means I can get the basement craft bar and brewery done sooner.

"The garden works have been booked in and should be complete by mid May, giving us a lovely space out the back, which is a real sun trap during summer."

There's only four days to go until the UK was supposed to leave the EU, and everyone has questions about what the next step is and how it will affect them.

We're investigating a variety of topics that our readers may be concerned about – everything from passports and visas to customs and food stocks.

JPIMedia is the trusted media brand in your community and we will be trying to cut through the political posturing, the jargon and the Brexit fatigue to bring you the facts about the issues that matter to you.

Brexit Reporter Gemma Jimmison is asking for your help; let her know what is worrying you and she’ll try to get the answers.

Email all your questions and stories to gemma.jimmison@jpimedia.co.uk marked Brexit.

A family in the county had no choice but to sign over many of their much-loved pets into care after a fire left them unable to give them the home they needed.

But now, many of the family's pets have found their way into the care of RSPCA Northamptonshire..

Animal care supervisor Julie Clifft said: "It's very sad that these animals have been signed over to us but it's through no fault of their old owners.

"We're trying to find the best possible home that we can for all these animals."

They include finding a new home for 'The Beatles'; four male guinea pigs named George, Ringo, John and Paul. They are available in pairs and are all approximately two years old.

Julie said: "It can be especially hard to find a home for a pair of male guinea pigs because you can't put more than one male with a group of females. If anyone can help re-home these handsome boys then please get in touch."

Other pets who have come into RSPCA care after the fire include Coulson the white rabbit, and several other rabbits and chinchillas who are not yet ready for adoption.

RSCPA Northamptonshire is open for visits between 11am and 2pm every day. For more information, visit their website.

With uncertainty and debate never far away, the former Manchester United star has called time on the political carnage being waged across the Channel.

A new video appears to show him presiding over a ‘Brexit bunker’ somewhere between the UK and France, which offers an escape for those feeling the fatigue.

In the film Cantona recreates Theresa May’s infamous dance moves, mocks Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg, and references David Cameron’s love of pigs.

He also shows how the facility comes stocked with supplies and rations – including tinned sardines.

Paddy Power Brexit Ambassador Eric Cantona said: “Brexit is like Boris Johnson’s hair, he’s the only one who doesn’t think it’s a complete disaster.

“I have created the Brexit Bunker: A British Noah’s Ark! Here, one specially selected Brit can take shelter from the constant bombardment of Brexit chatter, thanks to Cantona and Paddy Power.”

Paddy Power is inviting one contestant and a guest to spend two nights on the bunker, where they'll be wined, dined and Article 50-nined without a single mention of the dreaded B-word.

Spokesman Paddy Power said: “Who better to help solve Brexit than Europe’s finest export, Eric Cantona?

“The Frenchman has opened our Brexit Bunker, where he practiced his Prime Ministerial duties – dancing, that is – and now wants to offer a lucky Brit the chance to escape the ensuing political noise.

"And where else to do that than a fortified structure in the middle of the sea, with no access to news or social media.”

Visit brexitbunker.eu for more information on applying.

Back in 2017, Charlotte, 41, from Blackthorn, weighed 18.5 stone and struggled to move.

Every morning she would wake up in agony with her back and having been to the doctors, who told her to lose weight, she decided to join a Weight Watchers group in Earls Barton.

She said: "I couldn't believe what I weighed but suddenly I realised I was living on processed rubbish.

"Not only was I eating a big breakfast but mid-morning I would have a large sausage roll and a bag of crisps, followed by a huge lunch and then a big bar of chocolate and then usually chips with something for supper.

"With a family of six to cook for on a budget I didn't know how I would cope but I was determined to ensure my family were going to be healthy as well."

Suddenly the frying pan disappeared and she started to cook meals from scratch, including chicken stir fries and vegetable Shepherds Pie.

Charlotte's partner has also lost two-and-a-half stone.

She added: "My 10-year-old, Eric, has so much energy and I wanted to spend more time with him as my two eldest have gone to university so we decided this time last year to join Northampton Park run and every Sat morning we go together, which is amazing.

"To begin with I only walked around trying to keep up with him but now we both jog and we have a mother and son challenge every week between us.

"As a mother coming up to this Mother's Day I am so pleased I decided I took my own destiny into my hands and decided to do something about my weight. I am never going back to the old me."