Handler Ian Horton and search dog Ted have been training for 21 months and passed the national assessment exam in Epping Forest last week.

Ted will be on call 24 hours a day and will help Northamptonshire Police with missing person searches.

An NSAR spokesman said: "It’s well known that dogs are fantastic assets to searches offering speed and efficiency when each second counts.

"Ted may be the first search dog in the county but he is by no means the last."

He added: "Ted has conducted exactly 100 training sessions and over 300 hours in preparation.

"It’s a long process but totally worth it to help those lost and missing."

The team are currently training two new air scenting dogs - Blaze and Obie - and a trailing dog, Indi.

Indi will help track a specific human scent from a place where they were last seen.

Obie and Blaze, like Ted, can track stationary human smell.

The NSAR team, who are all volunteers, said they are delighted to have Ted among their ranks.

"The addition of Ted as an asset to the search team is huge.

"We know the work that’s gone into this and we know he’s going to prove invaluable when the time comes,"

NSAR currently has 44 qualified members and are training another six.

The team is staffed entirely by volunteers and funded by donations and fundraising.

It's working to fund a replacement for its ICU and 4x4 response vehicle.

Keith Curle will not be ‘scared’ to keep giving young players opportunities in the first-team after he selected two teenagers in the starting line-up for Saturday’s game at Cheltenham Town.

In total, eight different academy players have featured for the first-team this season, the last of which came at Whaddon Road on Saturday when 17-year-old Ryan Hughes made his debut at centre-back.

Fellow teenager Jay Williams also started, making his 13th appearance of the campaign in central midfield, and despite Town seeing their play-off hopes dramatically diminish with a 3-1 defeat in the Cotswolds, Curle insists he will not be afraid to continue throwing young players in at the deep end.

“I’m not scared to give young players an opportunity and that’s important,” he said. “We’re trying to create a learning, developing environment at the club and the best place for young players to learn is out on the pitch.

“If you’re good enough and if the timing is right, I will give them the opportunity and that won’t stop.”

Hughes and Williams were called upon against Cheltenham due to the absence of Aaron Pierre and Jordan Turnbull, both of whom have been key to the Cobblers’ recent good form.

But that wasn’t used as an excuse for Town’s subpar showing by Curle, who said: “It would be easy to hide behind that and easy to say Aaron Pierre must be one hell of a player and Jordan Turnbull as well.

“Those two are fundamental to what we’re doing and they were pieces of the jigsaw that got taken out, but it’s important that players come in, whether it’s a young lad or a bit-part player who’s not had much game-time, and have an understanding of what needs to be done.

“There needs to be that understanding throughout the squad and what was the disappointing thing for me on Saturday was that we didn’t have enough people putting demands on others to do the right things out on the pitch.

“The only pleasing aspect is that it’s a learning curve and if players make mistakes at the wrong time, you will get punished and the players understand that.

“They’re very much aware of it now because we gave a team a two-goal head start by making wrong decisions. What we needed to do, we didn’t do it enough of.

“Every time we did do it and got on the front foot and put balls into good areas and got after them, we looked a better team and there were glimpses of a team getting back to how we’ve been recently.”

Hands Off Gretel release their second album I Want The World this month and are headlining The Black Prince.

The alt-rock / post-grunge quartet from South Yorkshire released their new single It’s My Fault earlier this month.

They comprise singer and guitarist Lauren Tate, guitarist Sean McAvinue, drummer Sam Hobbins and bassist Becky Baldwin.

Their forthcoming LP follows 2016’s Burn The Beauty Queen.

Support is by Kettering’s Wishing Wolf, Northampton’s Deaf Trap and MK trio Ego.

All play the Northampton venue on Friday, April 5.

Doors open at 7.30pm, tickets cost £7 in advance via SeeTickets, Dice.fm and WeGotTickets.

For more details, visit fb.com/handsoffgretel

Four-time Brit Classical Award winner Russell Watson will be joined by his pianist and guest choir at the Lighthouse Theatre in Kettering this week.

Having sold more than seven million albums worldwide, Watson is firmly established as the UK’s best-selling classical crossover artist of all time.

To date, his illustrious career has included performances for the Queen, the Pope and for former US presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush.

In November, Watson joined Aled Jones joined forces to release the album In Harmony.

He headlines the Kettering venue on Thursday, March 28.

Doors open at 7.30pm, tickets cost £45 in advance before fees.

For more details, visit https://lighthousetheatre.co.uk

Northampton Borough Council is set to increase its work significantly to help rough sleepers in the town thanks to new Government funding announced this week.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has awarded the council £215,400 for the financial year 2019-20.

This money will pay for a rough sleepers co-ordinator, two Street Outreach Workers, a mental health worker and an officer who will work with local prison resettlement teams.

Councillor Stephen Hibbert, cabinet member for housing and wellbeing, said: “These five new staff will support multi-agency working and provide a useful boost to everyone’s efforts to tackle, prevent and reduce rough sleeping in Northampton.

“The extra Street Outreach Workers, working alongside the two we already have, will enable us to continue providing an Outreach Service for rough sleepers, seven days a week.

“We are delighted we have received funding for a specialist Mental Health Worker who will work proactively with the Street Outreach Workers to assess the mental health needs of rough sleepers and help them access the treatment, housing and support they need.”

The funding is part of £11 million set aside by the Government to support those areas that have not already been allocated funding in 2019/20.

It comes on top of a grant of up to £60,000 that was awarded earlier this year by MHCLG for the Council to expand its Street Outreach Service and Winter Shelter provision during February and March 2019.

Bloxx kick off their latest jaunt across the UK with a headline gig at the Craufurd Arms on Wednesday nextweek.

The Uxbridge quartet released their debut EP Headspace last month.

The record features past singles Headspace and Sea Blue which was released at the end of last year following a 20-date tour which included a sold-out show at London Borderline.

Bloxx’s latest UK tour takes them across the country in April and includes festival appearances at Reading and Leeds, Liverpool’s Sound City, Live At Leeds and at Sheffield’s Tramlines later this summer.

Earlier this year, they also open for The Wombats across Europe alongside Circa Waves.

Bloxx headline the Wolverton venue on Wednesday, April 3.

Doors open at 7.30pm, tickets cost £8 in advance before fees.

For more details, visit fb.com/BloxxUK

The Northampton Symphony Orchestra will be performing Malcolm Arnold’s A Sussex Overture this weekend.

Following the performance, the orchestra will be joined by Northampton’s Jenny Dyson on flute and Elinor Nicholson on harp to accompany Mozart’s popular Concerto for Flute and Harp.

The orchestra will round off the concert by performing Sir Edward Elgar’s Symphony No.3.

Founded in 1893, the Northampton Symphony Orchestra is widely regarded as one of the UK’s leading amateur symphony orchestras.

The concert is at Christ Church, Northampton, on Saturday, March 30.

Doors open at 7.30pm, tickets cost £14 for adults, £12 for concessions and £2 for under 18s.

To book and for more information, visit www.nso.org.uk

A private bar, premium toilets and the best view of the Realtree Main Arena are just some of the added benefits on offer for members at the event in the grounds of Kelmarsh Hall.

Also new for 2019 at the show, which aims to showcase the best in country life, are a host of interactive animal displays, a cookery demonstration zone and a craft tent.

“The all-new Members Enclosure promises a real treat for all those who sign up with an abundance of features that will go a long way to ensure your weekend is as enjoyable and comfortable as possible,” says Nathan White, marketing manager at Countryman Fairs, which runs a number of award-winning events across the UK.

“Along with access into the Kelmarsh Country Show, members can enjoy forward parking and access to the enclosure, which offers both indoor and outdoor seating as well as superb views of the arena.

“For those wanting to dine with us, breakfast and lunch can be offered as an added extra too; the perfect stop-off for those wanting to sit back and catch up over some good food.”

The Kelmarsh Country Show, which takes place on Sunday, 21 April, and Monday, 22 April, boasts a family-inspired line-up of fun activities, live demonstrations, have-a-go features and sporting championship qualifiers, as well as the chance to browse more than 200 stalls selling country-inspired goods.

A live performance from the Red Devil Parachute Display Team tops the bill in the Realtree Main Arena, along with jaw-dropping stunts from the Squibb Motocross Stunt team, a strongman competition and a spectacular fire show.

Kelmarsh welcomes its new Interactive Arena too, with displays by Ridgeside Falconry and Gamegoer Gundogs, the Little Nippers terrier show, the K9 Quackers sheepdog and duck herding display and a superb hound parade to entertain the little ones. Elsewhere, a dedicated kids’ zone offers younger children everything from face-painting, balloon-modelling and circus whizz fun, to a giant games arena, ferret racing, a mini farm and much more.

And foodies will love the new chefs’ demo area, which will be home to professional chefs Rachel Green, Pete Gott, Jose Souto and Alan Coxon.

If you’re on the lookout for something different to entertain the whole family this Easter, the show also includes a new club tent offering crafts and rural pastimes to discover, a pet dog arena, lots of gundogs and a vintage section, as well as the return of the Folk Roots Festival.

If you’re interested in becoming a member, prices start at £30 for an adult one-day membership, while two-day membership costs £50.

For more information and to book tickets, see Kelmarsh Country Show.

No one wants to listen to hold music when they are anxious about their health. So patients at GP surgeries were asked in March 2018 to rate their local practice on how easy it was to reach them on the phone.

Below are the Northampton GPs that scored the lowest for being convenient to reach on the phone, ranked from 15 to one.

Cobblers teenager Ryan Hughes ‘will come back stronger’ after he was given a testing debut by Cheltenham Town at the weekend, according to fellow defender Charlie Goode.

Called up to the first-team by manager Keith Curle, Hughes partnered Ash Taylor at the centre of Town’s defence at Whaddon Road after captain Aaron Pierre’s untimely call-up to intentional duty by Grenada.

The 17-year-old was not the only one to find the going tough against Cheltenham duo Luke Varney and Tyrone Barnett, both of whom were on the score sheet in a 3-1 victory.

“I didn’t think he did himself any harm,” said Goode. “He came up against good players at this level. I’ve been there at that age and there’s a lot of physical players in this league.

“But I think he can go away with his head held high but we came here as a team and didn’t play our best and therefore we lost the game.

“When you make a mistake you’re not going to get any good out of jumping on someone’s back telling them they’ve done something wrong.

“The best thing to do is encourage them and make sure, the next time it happens, they do it right. I’ve been there as a player - you make mistakes but it’s part of the game.

“I’ve done it many times and I’ve done it this season but you have to come back from it stronger and I’m sure he will. It wasn’t just him, it was the whole team.”

The defeat to Cheltenham has left Town requiring a minor miracle to make the play-offs. Goode added: “You can never say never but we had our full focus on the game on Saturday.

“We’re not looking ahead at other games. It didn’t happen for us and the gap’s got a bit bigger but we want to finish as high as possible and if that’s in the top half or the top seven, then brilliant.”

Goode is still wearing a face mask after breaking his nose at Crewe earlier in the month, adding: “To be honest, as long as we stayed on the run, I was planning on keeping it on! I’m quite superstitious like that.

“It’s quite hard to play in to be honest but I’ll follow the doctor’s advice and see how it goes over the next few weeks. If I’m allowed to take it off, I’m sure I will!”

King Purple are gearing up to release their debut EP Time Alone next month.

The Corby psych-grunge trio have been regulars at venues across the region in the past year following the release of their 2017 debut single Beginning To Find and its successor Stuck In The Rough.

They recently released the single Khamuns Terror which will feature on the EP.

Speaking about the new single, guitarist Callum Connachie said: “Khamuns Terror was written about this time last year, all stemming from a bass line that soon turned into a faster paced, harder hitting psychedelic number.

“We thought it better represented our live sound compared to some of our previous releases, so we figured releasing it as the first single from the EP was the smart move.

“The EP has been floating around for a while now, with two tracks being ready a lot sooner than the third.

“It took us right up until we were in the studio to completely finish the title track.

“We recorded it in Wolverhampton at RML studios with our good friend Ryan Pinson who always does an excellent job, we're really happy with the finished product.”

Connachie is joined in King Purple by bassist Luke Carscadden and drummer Frazer Beattie

He added: “We're releasing the EP on all major streaming platforms digitally with plans for physical copies in the near future.

“Our song writing is beginning to mature, it’s happened very naturally and we felt this new style of writing definitely holds a future for us.

“We're fortunate enough to have upcoming dates at venues we've never had the opportunity to play before.”

In April, King Purple head to Northampton, Manchester, London and Sheffield before returning to Corby for an EP launch show.

The band is planning on securing more live shows this summer and also return to the studio later this year.

King Purple play at the Roadmender in Northampton on Friday, April 5 and at The White Hart in Corby on Friday, May 3. Support in Corby is by The Barratts and Skyflood.

Doors open at 8pm, tickets cost £5 in advance.

For more details, visit fb.com/kingpurp

A tradesman was ordered to pay more than £10,000 in fines and costs after refusing to clear plumbing waste from his home in a quiet street in Towcester.

The Herbert Gardens resident had piled the rubbish on his drive and front garden.

On March 11, the man was fined £500 at Northampton Magistrates' Court having claimed he was not guilty of breaching an enforcement notice issued by South Northamptonshire Council.

He was also ordered to pay a £60 victim surcharge along with the council's costs of around £9,600.

Cllr Roger Clarke, SNC’s portfolio holder for planning, said: "You don’t need to be a lawyer or a planning expert to see how and why this was a nuisance to neighbours.

"He was given plenty of warning, failed to respond to repeated attempts to start a dialogue and ignored the enforcement notice for four months.

"We were left with no other option but to prosecute.

"People can and do run businesses from home, but they should be in no doubt that if their activities start to diminish their neighbours’ quality of life, we will take action where ever possible."

SNC issued the enforcement notice on the basis that the visual amenity was damaged by the change of use of the land and the storage of the waste, and that it was an unpleasant sight for neighbourson The Shires Estate and passers-by.

The notice also cited the original planning permission for the property, which required the driveway and garage to be clear and available for the storage of a motor vehicle.

Riverside Hub, which has the biggest playframe in the UK, is working on a number of new additions to its popular play centre.

In an email to subscribers, owner Ellis Potter said: "You may have heard about our new under fives area, it's proving to be a real winner.

"But we've only just started with the new and shiny stuff for 2019.

"I was going to keep it all under wraps and surprise you with it, but these things are far too exciting and there's no way I could keep it all secret.

"Over the next few months we've got 3 really special things to unveil."

The current toddler village will see a complete revamp over the coming months with plans for a new role play village which is currently in the planning stage.

Other plans include additional climbing routes for little ones, older children and adults, as well as a space-themed adventure golf course.

The golf course will be in the lower section of the laser tag arena with its own entrance.

Hub bosses hope to have the new features open by the summer.

The Hub, located at the Riverside Retail Park in Northampton, recently unveiled its new under 5s 'dry water' area.

A shoe-style treasure hunt, designed to promote the town’s shoe heritage and entice families into the town centre, is set to run for the first time this April.

The new Northampton Easter Shoe Trail means families and friends will be able to explore Northampton town centre and hunt out shops that have a Shoe Trail poster in their window. Each poster will have an image of one shoe on it – everything from stilettos and flip flops to a brogues, slippers and football boots.

This shoe hunt, designed by Northampton town centre Business Improvement District (BID) and supported by Northampton Borough Council, will run from 1 to 29 April – with more than 40 businesses and shops taking part and displaying a shoe-themed poster in their windows.

The public will be able to download an entry form or pick one up in Northampton town centre. Once trail hunters have found all 10 shoe types they will be able to post their entry forms in one of five specially designed Easter Shoe Trail post boxes.

Rob Purdie, BID executive director said: “Promoting our town’s shoe heritage remains one of our key focuses this year and we are excited about our shoe hunt which will create a buzz on social media and a talking point in the town. Get hunting, get involved and have fun.”

The five Northampton Easter Shoe Trail Post Boxes will be located in:

Abington FX in Abington Street, NPS Shoes (within The Wine Connection) in Derngate, Yorkshire Bank in Gold Street, Café Track in Market Square, Market Square News in Mercers Row

and Mooch in St Giles Street.

Entry forms must be posted by Monday, April 29 and the prize draw will take place the following day. There will be 10 winners, each receiving a giant Northampton Easter Shoe Trail Easter Egg.

Kimberley Herbert, BID host, added: “Keep an eye on our @NorthamptonBID Facebook page where we will have masses of hints, clues and tips - designed to help you hunt down all the footwear. Enjoy.”

For Easter weekend, 19 and 20 April, there will be an extra special treat courtesy of Northampton Borough Council and an added post box. Keep an eye on the BID website and Facebook page for more details.

Councillor Anna King, Northampton Borough Council Cabinet member for community engagement and safety, said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with Northampton Town Centre BID to highlight Northampton’s shoe heritage with a fun family activity for the Easter holidays.

"Look out for more details about our extra exciting two-day giveaway on 19 and 20 April, with prize donations from Steffans Jewellers.”

Pick up an entry at The Guildhall (one stop shop), Market Square News, Metro Bank, Chelton Brown, the library and any businesses displaying an Easter Shoe trail poster.

Entry forms can also be downloaded from our website http://www.northamptonbid.co.uk/shoetrail

Anil Rodrigo, aged 60, formerly a resident of Northampton, was sentenced during a hearing at Northampton Crown Court on Monday (March 18).

Mr Rodrigo will face eight months in prison after Judge Adrienne Lucking QC handed him separate prison sentences for each of the counts, to run concurrently.

The charges related to fire safety offences, under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, at eight properties in Northampton, including addresses in Earl Street, Aberdeen Terrace, Cowper Street, Althorp Road, Overstone Road, Colwyn Road, St James Park and Hazelwood Road.

The court heard how, during visits made in 2009 and 2010, fire protection officers raised concerns with Mr Rodrigo about fire safety issues at his properties.

Some of the concerns raised included smoke detectors found without power or covered with Sellotape and doors which were not adequately fire resistant. Unfortunately, Mr Rodrigo did not engage with officers at the earliest opportunity to address the issues.

The charges included failure to comply with a prohibition notice, which prohibited people sleeping at an address in Earl Street, The Mounts, and failure to comply with an enforcement notice, which required steps be taken to remedy noted fire safety defects.

Speaking to Mr Rodrigo in sentencing, Judge Lucking said: “It can’t have escaped your attention that you had responsibilities and obligations to fulfil in terms of fire safety and these were considerably serious for officers to attend your premises.”

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service welcomed the result of the case as a strong message to other landlords that action will be taken if fire safety is disregarded.

Community Protection Manager Scott Richards said: “It is fortunate that none of the properties mentioned in this case actually suffered a fire. We would encourage all owners or managing agents of rented properties, including houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), to review their fire safety arrangements, to make sure their properties are compliant.

“We recognise that justice has been done in a case which could have so easily led to more serious consequences. The matters within this case were considered thoroughly by the court and the sentence imposed provides a clear message that failure to comply with fire safety law will be treated seriously.

“Landlords have an absolute duty to their tenants to ensure safety precautions are in place to protect them in case of fire. This includes providing working smoke alarms on each storey of a property.

“In this situation, Mr Rodrigo failed to meet his duties as a landlord in taking all the necessary precautions to meet the fire safety standards required by law. His case serves as a reminder to all property owners about how extremely important fire safety responsibility is in the role of landlord.”

To find out more about fire safety in shared and rented accommodation, please visit: https://bit.ly/2FjgAp7

The Cobblers have offered professional contracts to four more of their Under-18s Academy prospects.

It means seven out of the intake of 10 for that age-group have been awarded senior deals, which is a remarkable percentage.

Morgan Roberts, Jay Williams and Camron McWilliams are already signed on, with Roberts putting pen to paper on a three-year deal last summer, and Williams and McWilliams signing in January.

Joining them now are goalkeeper Bradley Lashley, central defender Ryan Hughes - who made his first team debut in the defeat at Cheltenham Town on Saturday - and midfielders Jack Newell and Scott Pollock.

Pollock has also played for the first team this season, while Newell was an unused substitute at Whaddon Road at the weekend.

It means only three players in the age-group have not been offered professional terms and will be leaving the club.

A club statement read: “Northampton Town have confirmed that seven of 10 second year players from the club’s successful Academy have been offered or have signed professional contracts.

“Jay Williams, Morgan Roberts and Camron McWilliams from the group had previously signed professional contracts with the club, and terms have now been offered to Bradley Lashley, Ryan Hughes, Jack Newell and Scott Pollock.”

The seven players were all part of Jon Brady’s title-winning team before Christmas, and since the turn of the year have enjoyed loan spells in men’s football.

Lashley has been on work experience with United Counties League outfit Wellingborough Town, Hughes and Pollock have both played for Evo-Stik League side St Neots, while Newell enjoyed a spell with county neighbours Corby Town.

Of the seven, four are Northampton born in Roberts, Williams, McWilliams and Pollock, while the other three are all local to the county area.

Cobblers Head of Academy, Kieran Scarff, who only took the reins in January followong Trevor Gould’s retirement in September, said: “I knew when I arrived that this was a very strong Academy, but to see seven boys come through from one year group is very, very exciting.

“The club are continuing to invest in the Academy to give young players the best chance of becoming professional players, as the recent appointment of a full time sports scientist and a full time analyst illustrates.

“We offer our warmest congratulations to the players concerned. The Academy and the first team squad work very closely and the pathway is very much open.

“The lads know they have a big fight on their hands to break in to what will be a strong first team on a regular basis, but that is a challenge I know they will relish.

“They are very proud to be Northampton Town players and the club are very proud of the young men they have become.”

The three players who weren’t offered deals are Jack Daldy, Joe Jarvis and Matthew Slinn, and they will now need to try and find other clubs to continue their careers.

“There are three players leaving us and we wish them well,” said Cobblers under-18s boss Jon Brady.

“We will take them through our exit programme and do all we can to get them fixed up.”

There will also be free tasters in mindfulness, hypnotherapy, reflexology and massage while NHS checks will be available for those aged between 40-74 to check blood pressure, cholesterol, weight BMI, alcohol consumption and health advice.

Mindfulness tasters need to be pre-booked and can be done so by contacting Chris Patching on 01604 838088 or by emailing him on: cpatching@nltrust.org.uk

Councillor John Caswell, chair of Duston Parish Council, said: “I am delighted that we have our first Community and Wellness Fair and I am sure it will go down very with local people.

"Many stalls will be available on the day and so there will be something for everybody. I urge people to come and pop in.

"As well as our regular scheduled events for all to enjoy, we will be launching a series of pop up well being initiatives throughout the year for all ages to come together and share skills, get free advice, or simply just get out and enjoy some company for a couple of hours."

The event will take place on Saturday, March 30, from 10am to 1pm at Duston Community Centre.

Councillor Caswell added: "Duston is a community that has much to offer its residents and getting involved in your neighbourhood has many physical and mental health benefits.

"Being involved in community life is a great way to stay active.

"The parish council is working alongside our local organisations that do so much for our residents.”

For further information please contact Alison Grantham, bcdm@duston-pc.gov.uk, 01604 583626.

Cobblers boss Keith Curle has paid tribute to the club’s academy in the wake of four more under-18s players being offered professional contracts at the PTS Academy Stadium.

Scott Pollock, Ryan Hughes, Jack Newell and Bradley Lashley have all been offered their first senior deals, taking the tally from their age-group to be handed pro contracts up to seven.

Morgan Roberts, Jay Williams and Camron McWilliams have already put pen to paper to commit their immediate futures to the Cobblers, and Curle admits the club is blessed to have such a lot of homegrown talent coming through.

“It is unusual to offer seven players out of 10 professional contracts, but that is a sign of how highly we rate these players,” said Curle.

“Most of them have already played for the first team and we see potential for them to be able to develop further.

“It is a huge tribute to the infrastructure of the club, and to the academy, that so many local players are coming through in to the squad.

“It helps the club’s identity and it helps the supporters identify with these boys, many of whom are Cobblers supporters too.”

The awarding of the contracts to the quartet means the Cobblers are going to have a lot of teenage players in their squad next season, and Curle has revealed a new member of coaching staff will be employed to look after their needs.

As well as the seven from the under-18s, there is also Sean Whaler from the year above on the books, and the Town boss is keen to find the best way to develop the group of youngsters.

“The Academy has been a huge success story for the club in recent times and our plan now is to ensure these young players have the best possible opportunity to continue to develop and to become first team players in time,” said Curle.

“With that in mind we will be recruiting an additional member of coaching staff in the summer who will come in with particular responsibility for the young players.

“Of course, the players know only too well this is where the hard work starts.

“They all know they need to continue to improve and develop and competition for places will continue to be very tough next season, but for now we congratulate the boys, their families and the staff in the academy for their work.”

The coach who has worked the most closely with the Town youngsters over the past couple of seasons is under-18s coach Jon Brady, and he is delighted they now have the chance to take their careers to the next level.

“Having worked with these boys over the last few years, I know how much ability they have and the first class attitude they have,” said Brady.

“Seven out of 10 is a very high number of professional players, and not only is that a tribute to how hard the boys work, it shows how much faith Keith Curle and the first team staff have in the academy here and the young players at the club.”

Between March 11 and 17, Northamptonshire Police took part in the nationwide Operation Sceptre to tackle knife crime across the country.

The week also saw 18 arrests over knife crime and 'surrender bins' posted across the county where knives could be thrown away for good.

A video by the force has shown how everything from samurai swords to meat cleavers were handed into to police and taken off the street.

Inspector Sara-Louise Parrott, who led the Operation Sceptre work, said: “Carrying a knife increases your risk of being the victim of a knife attack, and it is extremely pleasing to have removed so many potentially deadly weapons from our streets during Operation Sceptre.

"I want to thank our communities for helping us in this task.”

The force’s Operation Sceptre work resulted in 10 knife-related arrests, a further seven arrests linked to other items being carried as weapons and one arrest for drug dealing offences. Four people were charged for knife crime offences with one being remanded into custody. There were also seven vehicles seized, two linked to organised crime gangs.

Inspector Parrott said: "We are dedicated to protecting our communities from knife crime and the harm it causes. We will identify those who intend to cause harm, and disrupt serious and organised crime, making Northamptonshire a hostile place for criminals to operate.

“The arrests we have made prove our commitment to this issue and illustrate the legal consequences of choosing to carry a knife. Don’t risk your future, or your life, by doing so."

Meanwhile, knife arches were used outside secondary schools, colleges, train stations and venues to scan people for weapons.

Stephen Mold, the county's police and crime commissioner, said: “I was pleased to be able to support Operation Sceptre and importantly the Force’s long term aim of reducing knife crime in the County.

“Although we don’t have the high levels of knife crime as London and other large cities, we are nonetheless seeing an increase in Northamptonshire and I know our police officers are working really hard to tackle it."

The hugely popular Kitty Cafe - complete with a bespoke cat playground - is due to open in Birmingham on May 20, it has been revealed. The owners said: "Kitty Café Birmingham is starting to come together really well, with our team working hard to make Kitty Café Birmingham simply amazing!" Grand Central in Birmingham New Street Station was announced as the third location for the latest venue after phenomenal success in Nottingham and Leeds. Kitty Cafe Birmingham will follow the other locations with large 'quirky' spaces, lots of colour and a bespoke cat playground. Most of the 30 cats that will live at the cafe will be rescued, rehabilitated and rehomed. Enjoy afternoon tea, pizza and a cat themed mocktail all in the company of fluffy kitties. Availability will be limited in the first few weeks of the opening in Birmingham to allow staff and kitties to get used to everything. Email birmingham@kittycafe.co.uk or call 01159242214 to be one of the first people to experience the cafe before the official booking system opens.