Pace bowler Luke Wood has joined Northants on loan from Nottinghamshire for the start of the Specsavers County Championship season.

The 23-year-old left-armer will be available for the first two fixtures of the season, at home to Middlesex starting on Friday and away to Glamorgan from April 11.

Wood has 76 first-class wickets at an average of 33 and boasts a first-class hundred with the bat.

“We saw Luke play for Nottinghamshire against us last week at Trent Bridge and we’ve always admired him as a left arm swing bowler.” said Northants boss David Ripley.

“He’s got decent pace, he swings the ball, he can bat, he looks as fit as a fiddle, he’s got a lot going for him.

"Hopefully he can have two good games for us and then whether that leads to more for us or he gets back into the Notts first team it’s going to be a good ending either way.”

Rob Horne says he is 'humbled and appreciative' after the Rugby Players Association announced it would be honouring the former Saints centre at an awards dinner at Twickenham on May 8.

Horne has been confirmed as the recipient of this year's RPA Blyth Spirit Award, which recognises tremendous courage in the face of adversity.

The former Australia international was forced to retire last April at the age of just 28 after suffering full paralysis of his right arm during Saints' win against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road.

Horne has since shown remarkable bravery and resilience, inspiring those around him through his positive attitude.

After returning to Australia with his family, he has been raising awareness of brachial plexus nerve injuries, while working as a mentor with the Australian Men's 7s squad and coaching Australia in a wheelchair exhibition match at the Invictus Games last October.

Horne has also been putting together an initiative to take on the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea to raise vital funds for spinal injuries.

The climb will be a gruelling 100km walk through the New Guinea highlands, retracing the route taken by Australian World War 2 soldiers as they battled against the forward marching Japanese force.

And after hearing of his RPA award, Horne said: "I am humbled and appreciative to receive the Blyth Spirit Award.

"I want to thank the rugby community as a whole for their unwavering support during a life-changing event.

"The thing about life-changing injuries is that they change lives, for everyone involved.

"My brachial plexus injury has challenged me but also enlightened me through exposure to new experiences, inspiring people and different perspectives.

"I don't believe that things happen for a reason, I believe that things happen, then it's up to you as to what happens next."

Horne, who won 34 Test caps for Australia, scored eight tries in 21 appearances for Saints, having moved to the club from Super Rugby side the Waratahs in 2017.

He was named players' and supporters' player of the season at the end of his only campaign at Franklin's Gardens.

And Damian Hopley, Group CEO of the RPA, said: "Rob has inspired us all with his determination and can-do attitude to move forward in a positive way in the face of a life-changing injury.

"Rob made a lasting impression over a successful 10-year career and is renowned as a popular, respected, hard-working team-mate who not only made a huge impact in Australia but also during his short time here in England.

"His battling spirit and determination to get on with life, support his family, and inspire those around him, underlines why he is such a thoroughly deserving winner of the RPA Blyth Spirit Award."

Moulton College’s Food and Drink Innovation Centre was officially opened by food critic and TV personality, William Sitwell.

The centre is now used by students on the college’s further education food production courses, including food science and technology, food operations, health and nutrition, and supporting the many food and drink producers in Northamptonshire.

The centre includes a food technology suite, sensory room and micro-brewery, and is funded by SEMLEP’s Local Growth Fund, which is a public-private partnership set up in 2011 to drive economic growth across the South East Midlands.

Speaking at the event, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, David Laing said: “Northamptonshire is unknown in so many different areas and continually surprises.

"The food and drink sector is a prime example of this. Who knew that the county is the centre of education and production for so many wonderful food products? Our cheeses, ‘charcuterie’, wine, beer, cider, gin, rapeseed oil…the list goes on and on and many of these products are household names, prominent on shops’ shelves.

“For this reason, my Northamptonshire Surprise campaign in this upcoming year is focused on the food and drinks sector. The opening this fabulous new Food and Drink Innovation Centre has come at a very appropriate time to help support this important sector within Northamptonshire.

Ann Turner, MBE principal of Moulton College added: “Moulton College is delighted to host this important new centre for the sector, designed by the industry to meet their needs and already training the food producers and innovators of the future."

Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) are play a role in driving forward economic growth across the country and by 2021 the Government will have invested over £12 billion through the Local Growth Fund, allowing the LEPs to use their local knowledge to get all areas of the country firing on all cylinders.

Ann added: "It has been a true collaboration of employers, the LEP, the wider sector and the college to ensure the centre is flexible, supports innovation and development and importantly helps meet future skills needs.

“The courses are already attracting students from across the region.

"We look forward to the continuation of the collaboration and working with local industries to support the current Northamptonshire Surprise campaign.”

Conservative minister for Local Growth, Jake Berry, said: “We’re committed to boosting economic growth across the whole of the UK and building a Britain fit for the future.

“This £3.5 million Local Growth Fund investment will enable students enrolled at Moulton College to develop the high quality skills needed to boost our economy now and in the future, as well as driving innovation and productivity in the food and drink sector.”

Police in Kettering are appealing for witnesses following a robbery in the skate park in Grantown Close, on the Ise Lodge estate, earlier this week.

The incident happened on Monday, April 1, between 4pm and 4.15pm, when a man, who was with a young child, was approached by two young men.

One of the men pointed what is believed to be a hand gun at the victim. He tried to push it away but the offender then hit him on the head with the butt of the gun, causing a small cut, and also stole cash.

Both offenders then made off, possibly in a grey Volkswagen Golf.

There were a number of people in the park at the time and officers are urging anyone they have not yet spoken to get in touch

Anyone with information is asked to call Northamptonshire Police on 101 or if they prefer to remain anonymous, the can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111, quoting reference number 19000165412.

An 18-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident and released on police bail pending further inquiries.

The survey is being conducted in Dallington Spencer ward by Cllr Gareth Eales (Lab, Dallington Spencer) and Northampton Highways.

All residents and businesses in the terraced streets off Spencer Bridge Road and near Victoria Park, that fall within Dallington Spencer, asking for any parking concerns or suggested solutions.

People will be asked their views on permit parking, time-limited parking, or whether they want double yellow lines added or removed.

More generally, they will be asked it there was a particular cause of any parking problem and what other solutions they think would help.

Councillor Eales said the action comes as a result of longstanding issues raised by a number of concerned residents about drivers from elsewhere parking in the area.

He said: "It is apparent that in the Dallington/Spencer Division area there are competing demands coming from outside the area, Saints match days and rail commuters are just two examples.

"This review will help us to better understand the problems being experienced by residents, the causes and potential solutions."

While the survey is primarily for the Dallington Spencer area, responses from other areas are welcome and can be collated and passed on to Highways.”

The survey can be completed online by visiting: www.garetheales.co.uk/parking Hard copies of the survey can be requested by affected residents in Spencer & St James and will be sent out.

The closing date for the survey is April 22.

Do you know or recognise this man?

Police have released further CCTV images of him as they would like to speak to him about a burglary in East Northamptonshire earlier this year.

Officers believe the man pictured may have information that will assist the investigation into the burglary, which took place on Saturday, January 5, in Thrapston.

They are urging him, or anyone who recognises him, to call Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

If you are unsure which airline is the best of the bunch, TripAdviser has revealed its winners for a range of categories as part of its annual Travellers' Choice Awards. The winners have been decided on traveller's favourite carrier with the best value, class of service and overall experience. Here are all the winning airlines for each category.

Filmmakers received their awards from writer Alan Moore and actor Tom Burke at the Northampton Film Festival closing ceremony at the Royal Theatre.

Winners of the first Northampton Film Festival were presented with their awards at the Royal Theatre on by festival judges, writer Alan Moore, director Mitch Jenkins, editor Colin Goudie, film festival doctor Rebekah Louisa Smith and special guest actor Tom Burke. Screen Northants’ first film festival had over 700 admissions and ran for two weeks and included free events for 16-25 year olds, screenings of locally-made short films, a BBC Arts’ New Creatives information evening and a 48 hour film challenge. Over 100 films were made or submitted to the festival. Winners received a bespoke clapper-board trophy and a filmmakers goodie bag. Writer and director Thomas Line was runner up in Coming of Age, and the 16-25 years filmmaker in the Northampton category for Headphones. Director and editor Ashley Williams won joint best Northamptonshire Film for Keeping K'iche alongside director Ross McGowan for Hangover Food, and the runner up in the Northamptonshire catergory was Gemma Norton for Troubled Waters.

Cobblers players were ‘quiet, disappointed and frustrated’ in the aftermath of Saturday’s defeat to Port Vale according to manager Keith Curle, who says his decision to call them in at 9am every day this week is ‘work, not a punishment’.

Curle, so furious with Town’s ‘shocking’ performance against 10-man Vale at the weekend, let rip at his players during a surprisingly forthright post-match interview and demanded they come in at 9am for training every day of this week.

“You get the feeling that some of them think the season is over,” he said on Saturday. “Well, every day next week we’re in at 9am, every day – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday – because this season isn’t over. It’s not over for me and it’s certainly not going to be over for the players.”

Curle stuck to his guns and carried through with his promise this week as the Cobblers look to make amends for their below-par showing against Vale when they head to Notts County on Saturday.

“We want to create a culture at the club of development and improvement and that hasn’t changed,” said Curle on Tuesday. “We’re doing it slightly more now and it probably irked some of the players to be in at 9am but we’re working on technical, physical, tactical and mental development.

“All of those four areas are key to performances and we need to make sure the players have the mindset that they are ready to work when they come into the building.

“The players are spending more time together but I think that is important. When things are going well and players are performing, you can allow them the time off. When things are not going well, it’s important to stop the negativity and to have positive influences from myself and the coaches.

“We’re in and around the players more because we need to spread the message. It’s not a punishment, it’s work.”

Asked how the players reacted to both their performance on Saturday and Curle’s interview, the Town boss replied: “They’re quiet, disappointed and frustrated because they knew themselves that they didn’t perform.

“They’ve got to perform on a daily basis and they understand that. Everything is being monitored in training and hopefully the players still want the opportunity to play and then produce performances either to continue their journey here or potentially elsewhere.”

Officer are looking for a 28-year-old man with no fixed address.

Officers are appealing for help in tracing the man, pictured, of no fixed address, who they would like to speak to in connection to a burglary investigation.

The man, or anyone who has seen him or knows of his whereabouts, is asked to call Northamptonshire Police on 101 quoting reference 19000160044.

Alternatively, they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Here are the 17 businesses in Northampton that fall under the ‘takeaway/sandwhich shop’ section on the Food Standards Agency website which have been ranked as zero or one star. The Food Standards Agency official listings show 16 takeaways were given a one-star rating or one got a zero. Each business is given a hygiene rating from 0-5 when it is inspected by a food safety officer from the council, and a database is kept by the Food Standards Agency. One-star rating indicates “major improvement necessary”, while zero rating signifies “urgent improvement necessary”. All ratings were correct at the time of publication, according to the FSA.

Following a diagnosis of bowel cancer in May 2015, Catherine spent time in hospital receiving treatment to help remove the cancer and relieve her symptoms.

Following her experience she wanted to do something to raise money for Bowel Cancer UK to help fund research and provide support and information for people across the UK.

“I was diagnosed with bowel cancer in May 2015," Catherine said. "In June I underwent an operation with Mr Hunter to remove a cancerous polyp and have a temporary stoma put in.

“Following this the team decided to give me a six month course of chemotherapy to make sure the cancer hadn’t spread into any nooks and crannies in my body. You spend a lot of time getting to know people quite well as you’re going every two weeks. You get carried along with all of the appointments.

“Once the chemo had finished the stoma was reversed and my recovery began. The support and advice I had from everyone in the hospital and NHS was brilliant."

Catherine saw the skydive opportunity on Facebook and managed to fundraise an amazing £4,104 for Bowel Cancer UK, after spending so much time undergoing intensive treatment.

"I’m not afraid of heights and I thought if I can do chemo for six months I can do something that won’t last for more than 20 minutes, so I signed up," she added.

“I set my fundraising target at £750 but people started wanting to sponsor me and slowly the total grew. My husband asked his colleagues at Morrison’s for sponsorship and they helped us to add to the total. The company also gave us £1,000 helping us get to the final total of £4,104.

“The skydive was an amazing experience, it was a beautifully clear day, I was nervous but I was determined to enjoy it. It feels magical. You’re in the middle of the sky and the earth and you’re just floating. I felt so peaceful.

“Had I not been through the bowel cancer experience I wouldn’t have experienced the sky dive. The support from friends, family, acquaintances was overwhelming and that’s shown by the amount of money we’ve raised.”

Following her experience Catherine has been involved in setting up a support group for anyone affected by a diagnosis of bowel cancer and their family and friends.

The group meets bi-monthly at the Kingsthorpe Baptist church. Full details and dates are available on the groups Facebook page Northampton Bowel Cancer Support.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and almost 42,000 people diagnosed every year in the UK.

The symptoms of bowel cancer can include:

-Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo
- A persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit
- Unexplained weight loss
- Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason
- A pain or lump in your tummy
- Many people with the above symptoms don’t have bowel cancer however if things don’t feel right please go and see your GP.

Words by NGH Insight Magazine.

1 THEATRE
Edmond de Bergerac, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, April 9 to 13
Alexis Michalik’s hilarious comedy and French theatre phenomenon comes to Northampton next week. The five-time Molière Award-winning comedy features a star cast led by Freddie Fox as Edmond Rostand, alongside Henry Goodman as Constant Coquelin, Josie Lawrence as Sarah Bernhardt and Chizzy Akudolu as Maria. Edmond de Bergerac is the story behind Cyrano de Bergerac; the original production of Edmond continues to play to packed houses in Paris at the Theatre du Palais-Royale.
Details: royalandderngate.co.uk

2 POETRY
Scriptstuff Poetry, The Lab, Charles Street, Northampton, April 11
This new monthly poetry night is starting in Northampton. Scriptstuff Poetry opens its doors next week, then continues to host a lively evening of local poetry there on the second Thursday of every month. Each event features a headline set from a professional poet drawn from the wider Midlands region and an open-mic section open to everyone from established poets to nervous newcomers and the multitude of Northampton’s poetry-curious. The opening event in April welcomes the Birmingham-based poet Nafeesa Hamid as its very special guest headline act.
Details: scriptstuffpoetry.org

3 THEATRE
Saba Douglas-Hamilton: A Life With Elephants, Castle Theatre, Wellingborough, April 7
The highly acclaimed conservationist and wildlife TV presenter promises exciting stories and intimate tales of her life in Kenya with her young family.
Details: castletheatre.co.uk

4 CINEMA
Sing-a-long-a The Greatest Showman, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, April 6
Audiences can cheer on Hugh Jackman, lust after Zach Efron and hiss Rebecca Ferguson (or maybe not) as they experience The Greatest Showman in the greatest way possible – with lyrics on the screen so they can join in as loud as they want.
Details: royalandderngate.co.uk

5 COMEDY
Jess Robinson: No Filter, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, April 6
The new show by the star of Sky One’s The Week That Wasn’t and ITV’s The Imitation Game is filled with musical comedy and vocal gymnastics, featuring eye-wateringly accurate celebrity impressions from Shakira to Streisand via Adele, Kate Bush and even Theresa May.
Details: royalandderngate.co.uk

6 MUSIC
A Beautiful Noise, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, April 5
The show celebrates one of the world’s greatest ever singer songwriters, Neil Diamond. Fisher Stevens and the Beautiful Noise Band will take audiences on a journey through his life and music.
Details: royalandderngate.co.uk

7 MUSIC
Kate Rusby, Lighthouse Theatre, Kettering, April 7
Of all the stars in folk music’s firmament, few shine as brightly as Yorkshire’s Kate Rusby. A career which spans over 25 years in music showcases her as one of the finest interpreters of traditional folk songs and one of our most emotive, original songwriters.
Details: lighthousetheatre.co.uk

8 COMEDY
Sean McLoughlin - Hail Mary, Deco Theatre, Northampton, April 5
Fresh from opening for Ricky Gervais and Bill Burr on tour, Sean McLoughlin’s new show finds him as the unlikely everyman, trying to plot a course for both himself and mankind.
Details: thecomedycrate.com

9 THEATRE
Fishing for Clues, Barnwell Village Hall, April 4 to 6
KGB assassins, diplomats, Russian Ballet directors and a whole cast of bizarre characters will be visiting Barnwell this week – and murder is in the air. Barnwell Entertainers promise an entertaining night of mystery and suspicion.
Details: barnwellentertainers.com

10 THEATRE
Flash Theatre Festival, various venues, Northampton, until April 6
Some 40 actors will perform 36 shows in the space of six days as the festival showcases the talents of final year undergraduates on the acting course at the University of Northampton.
Details: flashfestival2019.wixsite.com

Daventry MP and junior Brexit minister Chris Heaton-Harris has quit Theresa May's Government over the UK's delay in leaving the European Union.

The MP was adamant the UK should have left the EU on March 29.

Mr Heaton-Harris becomes the second minister to quit Government today after Nigel Adams left over the PM's plan to engage with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in an attempt to break the Brexit deadlock.

In his resignation letter, the Daventry MP said: "Every time we seek an extension to this process we diminish faith in our political system and the good people, from all political parties, who serve with it.

"I simply cannot support any further extension to Article 50 and this obviously means I cannot stay in Government.

"I certainly appreciated the opportunity to serve as a minister in your government, but being a backbencher is truly the best job in politics and I now intend to continue to represent and serve my constituents in Daventry to the best of my ability from a seat further back in the house."

Saints boss Chris Boyd has provided a mixed injury update ahead of Sunday's key Gallagher Premiership game against Gloucester at Franklin's Gardens.

James Fish will miss the match after being forced off with concussion four minutes before the break in the European Challenge Cup quarter-final defeat to Clermont Auvergne last weekend.

But Courtney Lawes and Dan Biggar look set to shrug off knocks they sustained during the bruising game at Stade Marcel Michelin.

"Fishy is still having a few (concussion) symptoms so he's probably going to miss a couple of weeks to get over that and get himself settled down," said Boyd, who could call on former Gloucester hooker Darren Dawidiuk or youngster Samson Ma'asi to compete with Reece Marshall for a starting spot.

"We've got Gloucester and Harlequins and then it's the European semi-finals, which we're no longer in so we'll have a break over that weekend.

"So Fishy is probably two or three weeks away.

"Courtney just pushed off and felt his calf, which was his problem when he came back from playing for England.

"It's been a bit of an issue for him but he trained today (Wednesday) and he looked pretty good.

"Dan just got a bit of a stinger and we were chasing the game when he came off so for us to bring George (Furbank) into that 10 spot was not a bad option for us.

"There's no issue with Dan."

Talented young prop Ehren Painter has recently been sidelined with a calf problem.

And Boyd said: "The guys that have been injured latterly, Ehren Painter, Dave Ribbans, Fraser Dingwall - I'm not sure we'll see any of those guys back (this season).

"If we do, it will be at the very end against Worcester and Exeter maybe but I think what we've got now is pretty much what we've got (for the rest of the season)."

But James Haskell, who has been battling a toe injury, could make his return to action in the Wanderers' Premiership Rugby Shield game against Newcastle Falcons at Franklin's Gardens on Monday night.

"His ankle and his foot have been a real problem for him this year but he might be just about ready to return," Boyd said.

"If he does, he might rock out for the Wandies on Monday night against Newcastle.

"We need to get some miles on the clock with him and he may or may not be ready."

The Saracen's Head sits in the heart of Little Brington in Main Street surrounded by chocolate box cottages and just a few miles down the road from Princess Diana's family home in Althorp.

The peaceful village is sleepy and stunning yet just four miles out of Duston so not far to travel if you fancy a break from town.

Parking is tucked away down the side drive of the pub and there is plenty of it.

The outside eating and drinking area is lovely and stylish with rattan furniture, stunning views and family friendly too.

Inside, the pub is so warm, cosy and brimming with atmosphere even at 6pm on a Wednesday. Nearly every table in the casual bar area was taken with guests relaxing with a drink.

Many had dogs with them so clearly, it's doggy friendly.

After pre-dinner drinks we were seated in one of the two intimate dining areas which had just a handful of tables in it featuring stone walls, bookshelves, low lighting and cosy candles.

Service was prompt and friendly both at the bar and the restaurant.

The menu is seasonal and includes locally sourced favorites alongside traditional pub classics.

Starters included grilled smoked mackerel, local wood pigeon and head to trotter terrine, as well as a selection of nibbles.

The three of us opted for the charcuterie board (£15) which included salami milano, spanish chorizo, prosciutto crudo, salsiccia piccante, house marinated olives, ciabatta, olive oil and aged modena balsamic with bocconcini mozzarella.

It was delicious. There was so much flavour in the meat and the warm bread felt very indulgent after a week of diets.

Our only minor criticism was there wasn't much of it for the price and we'd have liked to have seen a bit more mozzarella scattered around the board.

The main courses are split into sections on the menu - mains, from the grill and handcrafted stone baked pizzas.

Time for some tough decisions as they all sounded and looked very appetising as we saw various dishes delivered to neighbouring diners.

We ended up with the seafood linguini (£16) with king prawns, seared scallops, Devon crab and chorizo tossed through linguini with chilli, vine tomatoes, garlic and fresh parsley.

It was divine and no complaints whatsoever on this dish which was plentiful, fresh and bursting with flavour.

The fish and chips come in two portion sizes (£8/£13) so our diner went for the smaller option which was a good size and a bargain price.

This pub classic was a Timothy Taylor Landlord battered cod tail fillet with thick cut chips, tartare sauce, minted peas.

Our diner did enjoy the meal but the fish and chips were both really over-fried and, whilst you do expect some grease, there was too much of it.

Next up was the spiced halloumi and five bean burger (£12) with tomato relish, tzatziki, baby gem and fries.

The burger was delicious with loads of flavour, however, you would never know there was any halloumi in it.

It was more of a bean burger with no sign at all of any of the popular squeaky cheese which is featured on so many menus at the moment.

We asked the waitress how it was made to be told the halloumi was blended in with the beans and spices to make one whole burger, whereas we'd assumed the halloumi would sit on top of it.

Definitely, in our opinion, it was a wasted ingredient.

Full but not wanting to give up on sweet treats, we chose two puddings between three of us.

One warm dark chocolate brownie, maple and walnut ice cream, chocolate soil and toffee popcorn (£6) and the other a freshly baked double chocolate cookie, vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce (£6).

The chocolate cookie was all that you'd want it to be - warm, gooey and indulgent. Well worth the calories for a weekday treat.

Unfortunately, we were hugely disappointed with the brownie which was very dry, crumbly and lacking any satisfaction. After a couple of spoonfuls we gave up and it felt like a waste of £6.

We did feed this back to the waitress but it remained on the bill and returned to the kitchen uneaten.

Service was really quick, friendly, efficient and knowledgable but lacked any real results from the issues we'd raised. Maybe because it was down to our personal tastes perhaps.

The Saracen's Head, which is multi-award winning, remains at the heart of this tight-knit community and it's great to see a thriving pub full of warmth and laughter.

There were a few niggles here and there with the food but overall it remains a lovely place to eat and drink whether it be outside overlooking the fields or inside in the cosy warm.

Chron rating: 7/10

Red Lion, East Haddon

Les Olives

Hashtag

Narrowboat, Weedon

Olde Red Lion, Kislingbury

Stephen Mold has made the announcement is the fire service plan for the next three years, in which he criticised the cutbacks to the service made by Northamptonshire County Council which handed over the reins at the end of last year.

Mr Mold said that building up the service would take a while but he was determined to see it through.

He said: "The county council have performed the role of the Fire and Rescue Authority admirably in very trying financial circumstances. Nonetheless, the legacy I inherit is one of underinvestment in the service, both in terms of firefighting and in the necessary infrastructure such as buildings and vehicles that enable an effective service to be delivered.

"This legacy is not one that I can change overnight but is something that I will address over the life of this plan.

"I will, over time, begin to reinvest in the service to ensure that the performance of the organisation continues to go from strength to strength."

A background document to the new fire plan shows £22.6 million was transferred to his office along with the

Mr Mold said paid tribute to firefighters and fire service staff, saying they had done an "amazing job" in keeping the public safe through years of cuts.

His first priority now, Mr Mold says, is to stabilise the budget of fire and rescue, stopping "the further cuts that would have been inevitable within the county council environment."

He added: "I will also begin to invest in the necessary capital programme to ensure that the equipment and buildings that firefighters use to keep [the public] safe is fit for purpose."

Mr Mold will also be working with the Chief Fire Officer Darren Dovey and the Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police Nick Adderley on closer working between the services.

Mr Mold says: "Notably I intend to have a single estates strategy for the two organisations, wish to see a joint enabling services covering aspects such as finance and human resources.

"I also wish the two chiefs to bring forward operational opportunities to better share information and deliver services to the communities we all serve."

In a statement, Mr Mold added: "The Fire & Rescue plan represents a vision for the service over the next few years. We recently asked the public for their views on the plan and more than 1,000 people responded to the consultation.

“The first priority is a three-year programme to put the Fire Service on a stable financial footing, preventing further cuts and using this year's council tax precept to support the creation of a reserve and to establish a capital programme that will allow the service to invest in the future.

“As we go through this programme, it will be for the Chief Fire Officer to identify the operational priorities for investment to ensure that the Service is well equipped and able to continue to keep the people of Northamptonshire safe.”

Below are the new or continuing works affecting journeys in the town between April 3 and April 10.

Exercise Ahmose 1 is a bilateral exercise which took place between the UK and Egypt from February 28 to March 31.

This is the first time it has been done.

The 'Poachers' took part in the assignment that involved more than 150 British military personnel.

The exercise is taking place south-west of Alexandria

It put soldiers through their paces in a variety of scenarios including urban operations, close quarter battle and live firing.

A letter went out to parents of Upton Meadows Primary School yesterday (April 3) that the academy would make sweeping changes for teaching assistants, librarians and the entire behavioural support team.

Headteacher Clare Searing, who took her post in September 2018, says the school could not operate for another five years with the current staff costs and had 'worked very hard to design a plan' that could steer the school away from overspending.

However, she could not guarantee there would be no redundancies for some staff by the next school year.

Mrs Searing said: "I absolutely believe that the restructure we are proposing will put us in a position to achieve the best outcomes possible for our children.

"We've worked hard to design a plan that doesn't just take away but puts people where our children need them the most.

"I suspect that other school across the country will be in a similar position in the months to come."

The school - which has capacity for 420 pupils - says if the current staff structure continues, it is looking at a £1.1m deficit by 2024.

The restructure will see teaching assistants only work in classrooms in the morning, before only one assistant between two classrooms in the afternoon.

However, all of the school's 14 classrooms will have a teaching assistant in the mornings.

Many staff who have left the school in the past year will not be replaced. Senior leaders in the school could help pick up teaching in classrooms.

The entire behaviour support team at the school - made up of seven members of staff - will be replaced by a team of two 'nurture and pastoral support' workers, who could help in classrooms alongside teaching assistants.

The school's librarian posts will become part-time, but hours lost here could be picked up by other schools in the NPAT.

It means many staff will now have to reapply for their jobs ahead of a final decision in June.

It comes nearly a year to the day since the school became part of Northampton Primary Academy Trust (NPAT).

A spokesperson for NPAT told the Chronicle and Echo: "The hope is we can reach a conclusion where redundancies do not have to happen. however, if we reach the end of the consultation and there is no other choice there it will have to happen.

"It is very likely in five years the deficit the school is facing will not exist.

"We want what is best for the children."

The trust also hopes to offer staff who could be made redundant jobs in other academies under NPAT.

NPAT is an academy chain that operates 11 schools across the town. They are; Abington Vale Primary School; Blackthorn Primary School; East Hunsbury Primary School; Ecton Brook Primary School; Headlands Primary School; Lings Primary School; Rectory Farm Primary School; Simon de Senlis Primary School; Thorplands Primary School and Nursery; Upton Meadows Primary School; and Weston Favell CofE Primary School.