Cobblers have announced a new partnership with Imperial Car Supermarkets that will see Imperial Cars become the new South Stand sponsor for the next three years at the PTS Academy Stadium.

From the start of next season, the South Stand will be known as the Imperial Cars Stand as the long-standing partner and supporter of the club extend and widen their partnership.

The news comes almost a year on from when Northampton revealed they had agreed to a stadium naming rights partnership, and that Sixfields was to be renamed the PTS Academy Stadium.

Club commercial director Caroline Lucy said: “We have worked closely with Neil and the team at Imperial Cars and are delighted to welcome them on board as our naming rights partner for the South Stand.

“This is a huge compliment to the work we do, how we work with our partners and of confidence in the club from a brand that is expanding and has a reputation that is growing and growing.”

Neil Smith, operations director for Imperial Cars, added: “We are really excited about the South Stand at the PTS Academy Stadium becoming known as the Imperial Cars Stand.

“We have enjoyed working with the club for a number of years now and we are very pleased to be extending and widening our partnership.

“We hope the next few years will be exciting and successful for the club and we are very much looking forward to being part of that.”

Imperial Cars takes over from previous sponsor Moulton College, starting next season.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed 78 Derngate has been named as winner of the Hidden Gem category at the UK Heritage Awards 2019.

The trophies were handed out at a ceremony celebrating the best heritage experiences and places to stay in the UK at Grocer’s Hall in London.

And the Northampton attraction was in good company - with other category winners including landmarks such as Hever Castle in Kent and Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.

Grade Two listed 78 Derngate is the only house in England to have been designed by the world-renowned Scottish architect, designer, watercolourist and artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

House manager Liz Jansson said she was thrilled at receiving the award.

She said: "It's great news, it was totally unexpected.

"We got an email on the 25th of March saying we had been shortlisted, then we couldn't believe it when we won the trophy.

"It is really good because we can use it on all our promotional literature."

The Georgian house – adjoining a visitor centre at 80 Derngate – has been open to tourists in its current guise since 2003, following a £1.4 million restoration project.

It was originally transformed into the Art Deco style by Mackintosh between 1916 and 1917 after being commissioned by its owner - the model maker Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke.

The house’s later history saw it pass out of the hands of the Bassett-Lowke family and in 1964, it became the base for Northampton High School.

Currently, the 78 Derngate Northampton Trust, which runs the attraction, is looking to expand the atrium area of the home by using a £200,000 grant from the borough council and by raising a further £200,000 from donations.

The UK Heritage Awards are run by Visit Heritage, which publishes the Hudson’s guide.

One of the first modernist homes in Britain has gone on the market in Northampton

The pumps have been closed to drivers at the Tesco Extra Mereway store in Clannell Road for 'routine maintenance'.

A Tesco spokesperson said: "The petrol pumps at our Northampton Extra are currently undergoing routine maintenance works and will reopen for customers in May.

"We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused during these works and if customers need to fill up they can do so at our Weston Favell Extra."

The petrol station is set to reopen on Wednesday May 15.

There is little point in possessing a Ferrari if it doesn't have any brakes.

And that is a lesson Saints have learned during the past couple of weeks, which have seen them blown off course in two competitions despite racking up a total of 10 tries.

They notched five at Stade Marcel Michelin in a 61-38 European Challenge Cup quarter-final defeat to Clermont Auvergne before scoring just as many against Gloucester on Sunday.

But just as against the French giants, they simply could not halt the opposition as the Cherry and Whites delivered an eye-watering six scores at Franklin's Gardens.

In a wide open game, Saints will be ruing key moments when they switched off and allowed Gloucester to glide in.

Especially just before the break, when a Cobus Reinach score had brought the black, green and gold back to just two points down.

It should have breathed new life into their second-half victory bid, but instead, Gloucester cut through Saints again to score a bonus-point effort that moved them seven points ahead.

And after Johan Ackermann's men grabbed the first try after the break, Saints had given themselves another mountain to climb.

There were still plenty of flashes of class from the hosts, including a sublime try-of-the-week contender from Rory Hutchinson.

But again Saints had given themselves too much work to do.

They know they can slice through some of Europe's best sides when they are playing with the swagger that has been instilled in recent times.

But they also know that can make them vulnerable as they occasionally lose concentration and speed against the counter-attack and in defence in general.

Without fixing that, their flashy play will continue to go unrewarded.

But the good news is that they won't be playing teams with the quality of attacking play Clermont and Gloucester possess every week.

Eventually, Saints, who have been much better in the scrum as the season has gone on, will have to find a way to deal with those streetwise sides and surpass them.

For now, they are behind them in terms of the amount of time they have had to rebuild and to develop their own unique style.

But the talented group of youngsters will only get better for experiences like this, which boss Chris Boyd labelled 'a bitter lesson'.

Saints should still fancy their chances of bouncing back at Harlequins on Saturday, even though their hosts sit seven points ahead of them in the standings.

Quins have lost their past three matches and did not look too impressive in those games.

Saints will know they can conquer the Stoop with their slick attacking game, but they must now ensure their determination going forward is mirrored going the other way.

If it is, the play-off bid will be back on come Saturday evening.

If it isn't, the top four will most likely have moved too far away towards the end of a campaign that has been a real roller-coaster ride.

How they rated...

GEORGE FURBANK

A steady showing from the full-back, who was denied a try by a high tackle and who was tested defensively... 6

AHSEE TUALA

One lovely piece of play opened the door for Reinach's score and he was always looking for openings but had to do a bit of defensive work, too... 6

RORY HUTCHINSON

Scored a superb try late on in another illustration of his attacking class, but Gloucester gave Saints a tough day going the other way... 7

PIERS FRANCIS

Showed good awareness and execution to pick up and score during the first period, but Gloucester provided a tough midfield battle... 6

TAQELE NAIYARAVORO

Is currently an attack coach's dream but a defence coach's nightmare as he showed his brilliance with ball in hand but prompted groans from fans in defence and was yellow carded... 5

DAN BIGGAR

Couldn't quite get the control he was looking for, despite not playing badly, as Gloucester's backs stole the show... 6

COBUS REINACH

Is now the Premiership's top scorer with 11 tries after bagging another impressive score but it wasn't enough on this occasion... 7

FRANCOIS VAN WYK

Was strong in the scrum once again and didn't miss a tackle on another decent afternoon for the rapidly improving prop... 7

REECE MARSHALL

Etched his name on the scoresheet with a trademark Saints hooker's try and provided plenty of energy as usual... 7

PAUL HILL

Was more than a match for Josh Hohneck in the scrum and did his bit when it came to carrying, too... 7

ALEX MOON

Was unfortunate to suffer an injury that brought his game, and potentially his season, to a premature end after another physical display... 6

COURTNEY LAWES

Did everything he could to get Saints back in the game during the second half as he constantly got his hands on the ball but Gloucester wouldn't budge... 7

LEWIS LUDLAM

Was his typically menacing self at the breakdown on a couple of occasions but took a knock the forced him off before he came back on during the second half... 6

HEINRICH BRUSSOW

Suffered a big injury blow as he was down for some time with concussion, which looks like it may have ended his season... 6

TEIMANA HARRISON

Timed the offload for Reinach's try perfectly and put his body on the line in the bid to help Saints combat Gloucester... 7

Replacements (who played more than 20 minutes)

API RATUNIYARAWA (for Moon 40)

Conceded a couple of penalties but his display was largely positive as he got involved in trying to put Gloucester under pressure with some big carries... 6

JAMIE GIBSON (for Ludlam 44)

Did plenty of good things again in a decent cameo and will now hope for starts in the next few weeks... 6

CHRON STAR MAN - Mark Atkinson (Gloucester)

Manager Keith Curle has revealed both his admiration and appreciation of the support his team receive from Cobblers fans, describing their recent efforts at Notts County on Saturday as ‘phenomenal’.

Despite looking set for a mid-table finish and having precious little to play for with six games of the season remaining, an impressive 934 Northampton fans made the 130-mile round trip to Nottingham for Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Meadow Lane.

They were a vocal presence throughout an entertaining and action-packed encounter as the Cobblers recovered from 1-0 down to lead 2-1 through Daniel Powell and Sam Hoskins, but Kane Hemmings salvaged a point for 10-man County.

“It’s phenomenal support, phenomenal,” said Curle afterwards. “When I came out for the game and saw the attendance I thought ‘that is real support’.

“That’s part of a fundamental and a foundation of a very good football club and the vocal of the away support is always excellent.”

Powell was also impressed, adding: “We always get good away following at the club. We had a good following at Crewe as well and it helps the lads on the pitch because we can hear them.”

Meanwhile, on the game itself, midfielder Sam Foley said: “We’re very disappointed. It feels like a defeat for the lads and it seems a recurring theme for opposition teams to have a man sent off and us not make the most of it.

“It can be difficult to play against 10 men and we’re finding it really hard at the minute. It’s hard-luck story but it’s in our own hands and we only have ourselves to blame because we had enough chances to win several games out there.

“But Notts County are fighting for their lives and credit to them because they battled hard and got a point out of it.”

But did you know these nine common driving habits are actually illegal?

Gary Numan will return to the Roadmender in October as part of his (R)evolution 40th anniversary tour.

Tickets for the gig, one of 23 dates across the UK, go on sale this Friday at 10am.

It will be Numan’s second performance at the venue in recent years after he played a sold-out show last year as part of the tour for his 2017 album Savage (Songs from a Broken World).

Gary Numan headlines the Northampton venue on Tuesday, October 1.

Tickets cost £32.50 before fees and will be available via theroadmender.com.

The County were unable to get the wickets they desperately wanted on the final day of the Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash in Northampton.

Middlesex, who were bowled out for 271 in their first innings, batted it out in their second, eventually declaring on 317 for four.

It meant frustration for Northants, who had taken control with a total of 445 all out in their first innings.

And County head coach Ripley said: "We had an opportunity to win the game after working very hard over the first couple of days.

“We are playing against good opposition and they played very well - but we did go past the bat a lot and a couple of nicks would have changed things.

“But against one of the better teams in the league we’ve got four batting points, made them follow-on and over four days we’ve got to be really happy with what we’ve put in."

Luke Procter (81 not out), Alex Wakely (76) and Adam Rossington (67) were the key men with the bat for the County.

Nathan Buck excelled with the ball, finishing with a total of eight wickets in the match.

But Middlesex were able to escape with nine points, while Northants claimed 12 from the Championship curtain raiser.

And Middlesex head coach Stuart Law said: "“The way we finished was very pleasing today, we fought well with the bat on the last two days.

“We didn’t bowl or bat as well as we could in the first innings but to come away with a draw was pleasing.

“It was great that we showed some fight but we’ve obviously got plenty to work on."

A 58-mile stretch of the Grand Union Canal, which links London to Birmingham, runs through Northamptonshire. To celebrate, the Canal & River Trust has put together a list of the Top 10 canal destinations in Northamptonshire. To celebrate, the Canal and River Trust has put together a list of the Top 10 canal destinations in the county ahead of the Easter break this month.

Andrew Kellaway scored a first-half hat-trick as the Wanderers took a huge step towards the semi-finals of the Premiership Rugby Shield on Monday night.

Matt Worley added two further tries, one of which claimed the bonus point, with Tom Collins also on the scoresheet in an eventful 40-36 success against Northern Conference leaders Newcastle Falcons at Franklin's Gardens.

The Falcons mounted a fine comeback during the second period and had edged ahead at 29-26, but Worley and Collins scored to ensure it would be the Wanderers who earned a maximum haul.

It means the Saints second string have strengthened their grip on second spot in the table, putting them on a likely collision course with Exeter Braves in the final four.

Exeter are currently well clear in the Southern Conference and the Wanderers now need to win their final match, at home to Leicester on April 20, to ensure what is set to be a trip to Sandy Park.

The Wanderers did well to recover early on against the Falcons, who took the lead at the Gardens when wing Morgan Passman made a brilliant break from halfway, beating several attempted tackles before offloading to Pedro Bettencourt for the score.

Tim Swiel converted, but the Wanderers bounced back immediately thanks to some tidy combination play down the right between Kellaway and Worley, with the Australian centre applying finishing touches.

James Grayson added the extras to level things up and there was plenty of huff and puff in the next period of the game, with former Saints Academy No.8 Simon Uzokwe impressing.

But Uzokwe was forced off after taking a big hit and the Wanderers soon scored again as Kellaway wriggled his way through.

Grayson hit the right post with the conversion, leaving the Wanderers' lead at 12-7.

But there was more to come from the hosts on the brink of half-time as a flowing move involving the likes of Fraser Strachan and Grayson ended with Kellaway bagging his hat-trick.

Grayson slipped but still managed to convert well as his side ensured they would hold a 12-point lead at the interval.

The Wanderers were forced to do some defending early in the second period as Newcastle came out of the blocks quickly, with battering ram lock Tevita Cavubati influential.

The Falcons eventually had their try as scrum-half Cameron Nordli-Kelemeti picked up from a ruck and darted over the line.

Swiel added the extras and the Wanderers' lead was down to just five points.

But the home side produced a strong response as Grayson offloaded and Worley cut in from the right before turning on the turbos to dive over the line.

It was the bonus-point try for the Wanderers, and skipper Grayson kicked the conversion with ease to take the score to 26-14.

But Newcastle again issued a riposte as a mix-up allowed Joel Matavesi to score his side's third try of the night.

Swiel again converted before the Wanderers withdrew key men, Kellaway, Grayson and Mitch Eadie.

The Wanderers' lead was now looking increasingly precarious as Swiel added a penalty to the tally.

And the Falcons fly-half soon had a try to his name as he showed good strength to score in the corner.

He missed the conversion, but Newcastle now led 29-26, having produced an impressive comeback.

The Wanderers were not done though and after guest lock Freddie Betteridge did brilliant to break the Newcastle line, Collins ran a lovely support line and gathered the offload to score.

Replacement fly-half Robbie Povey converted to make it 33-29 and the Wanderers had real breathing space when Worley scored his second try of the night soon after.

The wing was able to race in after guest flanker Keifer Laxton did some fine offloading work close to halfway and Tom Emery delivered the assist.

Povey converted again, but Newcastle again bounced back as Swiel scored his second.

He also converted to cut the gap to just four points with five minutes to go, but there were no late heroics from the away side.

Wanderers: Emery; Worley (Dayes 72), Kellaway (Freeman 57), Strachan, Collins; Grayson (c) (Povey 57), Davies (Tupai 64); Davis (Trinder 60), Newman (Taylor 60), Ford-Robinson (Garside 72); Betteridge, Jubb; Laxton, Onojaife, Eadie (McNulty 57).

Newcastle Falcons: Arscott; Passman, Bettencourt, Matavesi, Wacokecoke; Swiel, Nordli-Kelemeti; Brocklebank, Socino, Mavinga; Young, Cavubati; Farrar, Collett, Uzokwe.

Replacements: Blamire, Woodward (Newcastle University), Caudle (Junior Academy), Ransom (Newcastle University), Marshall, Elliott, Wilson, Pascoe (Junior Academy).

Referee: Fergus Kirby

Attendance: 860

The latest ‘Town Hall Rich List’ from the TaxPayers’ Alliance showed that the 19 employees were paid a whopping £2.8million between them in 2017/18.

This was the same financial year which included the departure of the then chief executive Dr Paul Blantern and culminated in the council effectively declaring itself bankrupt with a section 114 notice that banned new expenditure. It was the first notice of its kind in the UK for two decades.

The report from the TaxPayers' Alliance shows that Dr Blantern earned £277,000 for the financial year, making him the 19th highest paid council employee in the entire country. He was also the top earner in the East Midlands region.

Dr Blantern left the authority in October 2017, with his ‘Next Generation’ model of outsourcing services heavily criticised for playing its part in orchestrating the council’s financial crisis. Later that year the council’s then chief finance officer Mark McLaughlin said the authority ‘knowingly adopted unachievable savings’ in 2017-18. It was recently determined by the county council's auditors that the final deficit for 2017/18 stood at £41.5million, which was brought into the following financial year.

At the time of his resignation, it was reported at that Dr Blantern had left with a £95,000 pay off, but the latest figures from the ‘Rich List’ indicate that he was given £142,000 as ‘compensation’ in the financial year. The county council confirmed that the £142,000 figure included the £95,000 settlement, and the remainder of the sum was made up of his notice period entitlement. This was then added to his £117,000 basic salary and £18,000 pension contribution, to make a total of £277,000.

In 2017/18, the county council had the highest number of employees who were paid over £100,000 in the East Midlands region, with 19 recipients getting the generous salary.

Among them was an undisclosed individual earning £262,500. Ten other individuals did not have their identity, or job title, disclosed during the research, although current salaries for 2018/19 are openly listed for officers on the council's website.

Job titles that were revealed in the high earner table for 17/18 included the executive director for children, families and education, who took home a £138,000 salary, £3,000 in expenses and £23,000 in pension contributions for an overall total of £164,000.

And the executive director for adults, community and wellbeing took home an overall sum of £161,000, while the chief fire officer received £141,000 in total.

There was, however, a decrease in the number of employees receiving north of £100,000, falling from 23 to 19.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire County Council said: “Staff salaries reflect responsibilities associated with the posts, many of which require highly-qualified, professional staff, while being mindful of the necessity of providing value for money.

“Salaries included in the research also include a number of posts with LGSS, our shared services operation, with salaries shared with Cambridgeshire and Milton Keynes councils.

“We are open about what our senior officers are paid and this information is easily available on our website.”

The council also pointed out that when comparing to other areas in the East Midlands, Northamptonshire was the only county which also didn’t contain a separate unitary authority for the town or city, such as Leicester and Nottingham.

Although the figures are for a financial period of two years ago, it will still leave a bitter taste in the mouths of some council employees, who were told this year that the council would have to wait until it could ‘afford’ to give them a pay rise.

And this week it was revealed that the new director of children’s services, Sally Hodges, was being paid £1,100 a day with an annual salary of £258,000, which is £63,457 more per year than the council’s new chief executive Theresa Grant.

John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “The average council tax bill has gone up by more than £900 over the last twenty years and spending has gone through the roof.

“Disappointingly, many local authorities are now responding to financial reality through further tax rises and reducing services rather than scaling back top pay. Despite many in the public sector facing a much-needed pay freeze to help bring the public finances under control, many town hall bosses are continuing to pocket huge remuneration packages, with staggering pay-outs for those leaving their jobs.

"There are talented people in the public sector who are trying to deliver more for less, but the sheer scale of these packages raise serious questions about efficiency and priorities."

When so much can change in a person's life with the news of a serious illness, it can feel like an old way of life has been lost.

But now a Northampton hospice is offering a new service to help people with life-limiting illnesses find their independence again.

Yesterday (April 8) marked the launch of the Wellbeing Service at the Cynthia Spencer's Hospice Charity, off Kettering Road.

Through classes, guidance and meet-ups with others in the same situation, the hospice's team want to show patients how they can manage their diagnosis and hold on to their quality of life for as long as possible.

"When someone is diagnosed they need to be aware of what things could happen to them. A GP can't give advice on how you will live your life day-to-day.

"We've launched this service to help people maintain their independence as much as possible and live as normal a life as possible."

The service offers classes on how to manage the impact of an illness to exercise groups to social meet-ups. Fatigue and breathing management can show a patient how to use their energy more effectively, while seated Tai Chi and Gym Buddies can rebuild mobility.

"If the service wasn't here I feel I would be stuck at home," says Bev Hughes, from Wootton, who has been visiting Cynthia Spencer for seven months. "I don't know what I would do without it.

"I like to keep as fit as possible but since my diagnosis means I just can't use a regular gym.

"The therapy room means I can keep up that active life I enjoy. It's so important to me."

But maybe patients just want a light lunch and an afternoon quiz with some friends - there's that too.

Mick Barker, 73, has been visiting Cynthia Spencer for three years. He said: "Sometimes it's just nice to speak to someone who's in the same boat as you. You'll understand what you're both going through.

"I've been trying seated Tai Chi. I used to think it was what ninjas do, and I probably wouldn't take it seriously if it wasn't for the service. But with the service, it encourages me to actually do it instead of just thinking about it and having another cup of tea."

The Wellbeing Service is not behind a barrier - anyone over 18 in the whole county who has been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness can ask their GP to refer them to Cynthia Spencer.

And as of the launch, it is the only service of it's kind in the Northamptonshire.

The Wellbeing Service is free to patients and has been funded by the Cynthia Spencer Hospice Charity. Visit their website for more details.

The launch of the Wellbeing Service coincided with the re-opening of the hospice's Woodland Walk, which has been extended and completed with furniture after a 12-week renovation project.

Cobblers boss Keith Curle admits his side ‘still have a lot to work on’ despite praising their ‘concentration and focus’ in training ahead of Saturday’s improved performance at Notts County.

Curle felt his players reacted positively to the harsh words he had to say following the defeat to Port Vale, and that reflected on the pitch despite their failure to beat the struggling Magpies.

Town dominated the game, even before home goalkeeper Ryan Schofield saw red a minute after half-time, and would have taken all three points had either Dean Bowditch or Sam Hoskins found the target with excellent opportunities.

The draw at Meadow Lane was still a disappointing outcome, however, and whilst he acknowledged the progress his players have made since losing to Vale, Curle admits there’s still a long way to go.

“We carry on working and the atmosphere within the group is good and it’s focused but there’s an understanding that there are still a lot of things for us to work on,” he said.

“But the fundamentals are in place and the concentration from the players over the past week has been very, very good. They’ve listened and they’ve adhered to some of the changes that we’ve implemented but the focus has been very good.

“There are five games to go and we still need to put in performances and we need to be building a platform to take the club forward and that’s what we’re here to do.

“It takes time to get a team playing how you want and if the fundamentals are right, you have an opportunity to progress. If they’re not right, you find yourself at the wrong end of the division.”

Up next are another one of Curle’s former clubs in promotion-chasing Mansfield Town. He managed the Stags between 2002 and 2004.

“I think it’s going to be a scrap,” said Curle ahead of Saturday’s clash at the PTS. “I know what they’re going for and I know what’s at stake for them and I know how they play.

“They will be up for a scrap and my changing room will be as well. We’ll stand our ground and we’re going to make sure everything we get on the day we’ll earn and we’ll enjoy earning it.”

The Barratts are back with a new single, Lights Out In London, and are headlining the Roadmender this weekend.

Fresh from playing in Germany at the Mano Musikfestival, they will be joined in the main room at the Northampton venue by Krankhead, Fox Chapel and Covasettes.

Speaking about the new record, singer James Faulkner said: “We often finish the set with the song. It seems to have been one of the main tracks people ask about and we love to play it so it’s exciting to finally have it out.

“It’s a song about the uncertainties of being a young person in Britain today, no matter where you’re from.

“Gentrification in the metropolis, isolation in seaside towns, we’re faced with constantly darkening prospects, and not just politically.

“With the amount of music venues closing down, we’re losing all these spaces where people can not only stick two fingers up to it all, but be connected and feel as if they belong.”

Faulkner is joined in The Barratts by Brandon Essom, Kyle Homer, Will Smith and Evan Bridgstock.

Talking about the sound of the record, Faulkner said: “We think of this track as a key part of the sound people associate with The Barratts.

“It’s also an introduction to our sound for people who haven’t heard our stuff before.

“Last year we came back after 2016’s Open Wounds & Windows EP with Satellites and The Garrison, and Lights Out in London is chapter three.”

The band recently joined The Keepers and Duncan Bisatt in Marburg at the Mano Musikfestival, the German leg of Northampton’s Twinfest.

Faulkner said: “Germany was amazing, we’re still reeling from it.

“Great music, a beautiful town and the people are so welcoming.

“We played to some amazing crowds as well. We’re so lucky to have been chosen.

“Missing the flight home wasn’t the most upsetting day of our lives, put it that way.”

Following the release of this single, the band plans to release more singles before putting together another EP.

Admission into the Roadmender on Saturday, April 13 is £5 before fees.

Chris Boyd has told Saints to 'swallow the pill and get on with it' after their 40-31 defeat to Gloucester at Franklin's Gardens on Sunday afternoon.

The black, green and gold shipped six tries as they lost out against the Gallagher Premiership's third-placed side.

Saints scored five tries of their own, but it was only enough for a single bonus point.

That means they are now seventh, seven points behind fourth-placed Harlequins, who they travel to on Saturday afternoon.

And Boyd said: "Sunday's game was a bitter lesson for us but we've got to swallow the pill and get on with it.

"We knew exactly what was coming against Gloucester - they've got a very clinical game in the 22, which is based around the brutality of their forward pack, and they did us a couple of times there.

"Danny Cipriani might be the best in the world at playing that game - he's certainly the best in the UK.

"When the master gets on the ball and weaves his magic, we know what's coming and what the options are.

"We spent the whole week defending against that and then we came up short on game day.

"It will be a really interesting challenge for our defensive group to go and say 'we knew what was coming, why did we leak those things?'.

"We acknowledge we're not complete as a team in a lot of areas and we're working hard on them."

But Boyd was not too downbeat about his team's defending, despite seeing them concede a total of 101 points in the past two matches.

"We worked out in Clermont that they scored eight tries but only had three rucks to score them," Boyd said.

"We got exposed in our seam at the back of our lineout tail, probably three times, which was massively disappointing.

"There are some defensive processes we need to get right and someone came out with a blatant missed tackle so you can get emotional about the defence but we need to separate that out from tackles.

"The nice thing is that it hasn't been a consistent thing.

"One week it's one problem and then it's another the next so I'm certainly not slitting my wrists around any particular area of our game."

The following people were sentenced at Northampton Magistrates’ Court:

FEBRUARY 4

Kieran Freeth, aged 21, of Arnull Crescent, Daventry, no insurance; fined £220, costs £85, banned from driving for 24 months.

Vasile Gheorghe, aged 30, of Station Road, Great Billing, no insurance; fined £660, surcharge £66, costs £85, licence endorsed with eight points.

Mohamed Hussein, aged 24, of Chestnut Terrace, Northampton, no insurance; fined £230, surcharge £30, costs £85, banned from driving for six months.

Craig Lloyd, aged 26, of Marburg Street, Northampton, driving at 72mph in a 40mph zone; fined £660, surcharge £66, banned from driving for six months.

Nicolae Postica, aged 27, of Gold Street, Northampton, driving using a mobile phone; fined £660, surcharge £66, costs £85, banned from driving for six months.

Gediminas Radavicius, aged 26, of Austin Street, Northampton, not displaying L plates; fined £220, surcharge £30, costs £85, banned from driving for six months.

Krzyszdof Baczynski, aged 35, of no fixed abode, stole a quantity of food from Asda; jailed for four weeks. Had a knife in a public place; jailed for 20 weeks.

Arthur McDonagh, aged 51, of Flaxwell Court, Northampton, obstructed a police officer; conditional discharge for 12 months, surcharge £15, costs £85.

Mary McDonagh, aged 46, of Flaxwell Court, Northampton, obstructed a police officer; conditional discharge for 12 months, surcharge £15, costs £85.

Adam Hare, aged 29, of Barnet Close, Northampton, assault; fined £810, surcharge £81, costs £300.

Natalia Sofie, of Victoria Road, Northampton, dropped a cigarette in the town centre; fined £220, surcharge £30, costs £125.

FEBRUARY 5

David Cooke, aged 40, of Hardy Drive, Northampton, failed to comply with a supervision order; fined £40, costs £60.

Derrick Gordon, aged 53, of Kingsley Road, Northampton, failed to comply with a community order; fined £117, costs £60.

Robert Hall, aged 52, of Rothersthorpe Road, Northampton, failed to comply with a community order; jailed for 10 days.

Ghenadie Bivol, aged 25, of Collyweston Road, Northampton, drink-driving; fined £400, surcharge £40, costs £85, banned from driving for 15 months.

James Shelton, aged 28, of Hervey Street, Northampton, used threatening words or behaviour; fined £250, surcharge £30, costs £85.

Jelena Stojkovic, aged 41, of no fixed abode, used threatening words or behaviour; community order made to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work. Assaulted a police officer; community order made, compensation £100, surcharge £85, costs £85.

Cameron Biddescombe, aged 25, of Grey Street, Northampton, used threatening or abusive words or behaviour; community order made to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work, surcharge £85, costs £300.

Jonathan Stein, aged 30, of Towcester Road, Greens Norton, made threats to another person; fined £85, surcharge £30, cost £85.

Geoff Bateman, aged 63, drink-driving; fined £124, surcharge £30, costs £85, banned from driving for 12 months.

Colum Ward, aged 21, of Mounts Court, Northampton, assault; community order made to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, surcharge £85, costs £85.

Anthony Hunter, aged 39, of Gifford Court, Duston, failed to comply with a community order; costs £60.

Edmond Moldovan, aged 36, of Symington Street, Northampton, drink-driving; fined £480, surcharge £48, costs £85, banned from driving for 18 months.

Michael Bushnell, aged 23, of Fraser Close, Daventry, possession of cannabis; fined £200, surcharge £30, costs £85.

Serge Tchatchoua, aged 34, of Humber Close, Northampton, damaged a car; fined £300, compensation £200, surcharge £30, costs £420.

William Grant-Salmon, aged 33, of Oaklands Drive, Northampton, driving at 35mph in a 30mph zone; fined £230, surcharge £30, costs £85, licence endorsed with three points.

Christina Dovkants, aged 30, of Hanemill Court, Bellinge, no insurance; fined £650, surcharge £65, costs £85, banned from driving for 14 days.

Joseph Glew, aged 20, of Swann Dale, Daventry, driving without due care and attention; fined £440, surcharge £44, costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Jack McCabe, aged 31, of Palmerston Road, Northampton, driving while using a mobile phone; fined £220, surcharge £30, costs £85, banned from driving for six months.

Domatas Mazvila, aged 25, of Cowper Street, Northampton, assault; compensation £200, surcharge £115, costs £85.

FEBRUARY 7

Stefan Tanase, aged 35, of Church Green, Northampton, stole six laptops; jailed for 26 weeks suspended for 12 months, ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, compensation £11,868.

Jamie Owens, aged 30, of Sandhurst Close, Northampton, damaged pint glasses at a bar; jailed for 12 weeks suspended for 18 months, surcharge £115, costs £85.

Alan Smith-White, aged 43, of Beckets View, Northampton, stole a ladies watch worth £349 belonging to Michael Jones Jewellers; jailed for four weeks, compensation £349.

Benjamin Hallam, aged 27, of Duke Street, Northampton, possession of a class B drug; fined £80, surcharge £30, costs £85.

Christopher Mundin, aged 35, of Guildhall Road, Northampton, used threatening or insulting words or behaviour; fined £150, surcharge £30, costs £85.

Christopher Panter, aged 27, of Berkeley House, Northampton, used threatening or abusive words or behaviour; conditional discharge for 12 months, surcharge £20, costs £85.

Niketa Reeve, aged 28, of Grafton Road, Roade, assault; conditional discharge for 12 months, surcharge £20, costs £260.

FEBRUARY 8

Joel Davis, aged 25, c/o The Roundway, Daventry, possession of cannabis; conditional discharge for 12 months, surcharge £20, costs £85.

Andrew Bluck, aged 35, of Baring Road, Northampton, making off without paying for fuel; fined £313, compensation £50, surcharge £31, costs £85.

Aaron McDougal, aged 18, of Kingsley Road, Northampton, damaged a car; community order made, fined £71, compensation £150, surcharge £85, costs £85.

Lukasz Kasberuk, aged 35, of Campbell Street, Northampton, assault; community order made to carry out 50 hours of unpaid work, compensation £30.

Electronic music producer Sigala will warm up the crowd for the disco legends at the Northampton Saints ground on June 30.

The pop supremo, whose debut single Easy Love hit the UK chart number one in 2018, boasts seven platinum singles, eight million worldwide sales, ten million monthly listeners on Spotify and over a billion streams.

And a DJ set of Sigala’s summer-influenced hits will be the 'perfect opening' ahead of the headline live performance, according to the Saints' chief executive.

“Sigala is a fantastic producer and DJ, and is the perfect choice for a summer’s evening ahead of Nile Rodgers and Chic’s headline set,” said Mark Darbon.

“The combination of both acts will ensure everyone will enjoy a night to remember at the home of Northampton Saints.”

Sigala’s debut number one was followed by further hits including ‘Sweet Lovin’ with Bryn Christopher and ‘Lullaby’ featuring Paloma Faith.

The show will see Sigala and Nile reunite after working together on the 2016 song ‘Give Me Your Love’, featuring vocals from John Newman.

Rodgers also co-wrote Sigala’s 2018 track ‘Just Got Paid’ featuring Ella Eyre, Meghan Trainor and French Montana.

Headlining the event, the multiple Grammy-winning Nile Rodgers & Chic will perform disco anthems such as ‘Le Freak’, ‘Good Times’, and ‘Everybody Dance’ – alongside tracks from their 2018 album ‘It’s About Time’.

Ticket prices start from £40 for adults and include pitch standing, seating and accessible tickets. Paid car parking is also available at the venue.

Tickets for both shows are now available via northamptonsaints.co.uk and musicplussport.com.

Hospitality packages are also available in the Franklin’s Gardens boxes, Director’s Lounge, Champions Suite, and Captain’s Club – for more information email sales@northamptonsaints.co.uk.

The event will wrap up a weekend of music at Franklin’s Gardens, with Madness and Lightning Seeds headlining another concert on Friday June, 28.

UPDATE: Car crash involving up to three cars and a lorry seriously injures one person on A45 near Northampton

A 'police incident' has forced the closure of the road in both directions stretching along the bypass from Weedon to the M1 junction 16.

Highways England, who are supporting police at the scene, tweeted: "#A45 between #WeedonBec and #M1 now closed both directions due to a @NorthantsPolice incident. Please plan your journey around this."

The road was originally closed westbound following the incident at 6.30am. A full closure is now in place.

There is congestion on surrounding routes including the A5 and through the villages of Flore and Upper Heyford.

Earlier today (April 9) the department store has rejected a £200million offer from Sports Direct and is now on the brink of falling under the control of its lenders.

It means the future of 25,000 jobs and 165 stores in the UK - including the one in The Drapery in Northampton town centre - is uncertain.

Debenhams has been contacted for a comment.

It comes after speculation in October that the Northampton store would be on a list of stores set for closure, but any decision was put off while the company worked to manage its debts.

Sports Direct's CEO Mike Ashley reportedly offered a £150m lifeline deal to the company on Monday in exchange for becoming CEO, but this was rejected.

Today, the department store turned down a new £200m deal by the billionaire, who also already owns 29 per cent of Debenhams shares.

It would be the latest in a line of high street casualties for Northampton after losing House of Fraser, BHS, Marks and Spencers and ahead of the closure Dorothy Perkins.

Updates to follow.

A cheque for an amazing £42,909.81 was handed over to Cynthia Spencer Hospice raised from the Strictly Northampton 2018 dance show.

Andrzej and Jo Mialkowski, from Step by Step Dance School, who organise ‘Strictly Northampton’, presented the cheque to John Helm, fundraising manager at Cynthia Spencer Hospice, at a special dance awards event in Wootton Community and Sports Centre on Friday night.

This vast sum was raised by contestants of Strictly Northampton 2018 and from donations from the audience who text voted on the night of the show.

John Helm, Cynthia Spencer Hospice fundraising manager, revealed at the dance event, that the money would help fund new Wellbeing services launched on Monday.

He said:” On Monday we will be launching our new Wellbeing service, which helps people with life limiting illnesses to live their life as fully as possible.

"We are increasing our day services from two to five days and the money raised from Strictly Northampton will be helping fund this initiative. Our goal is to improve the quality of people’s lives with our rehabilitative palliative care.

"New workshops have been planned around breathlessness, sleeplessness, pain relief and mobility, which will include seated Thai Chi workshops, gym buddies and a new walking group. We want to attract new patients to our services.

"We wouldn’t be able to extend our services without events like Strictly Northampton and the phenomenal amount of money everyone has raised.”

He was also delighted that Cynthia Spencer Hospice was nominated as the chosen charity for next year’s Strictly Northampton.

Event organiser Andrzej Mialkowski said he was absolutely thrilled with the success of last year’s show.

He said: “This was an amazing show which received fantastic feedback and beat our previous fundraising total. Every year we work hard to put on a good show that the audience will enjoy and we pulled it off again. We beat our fundraising target of £40,000 and this was a result of massive effort from everybody who worked tirelessly on the event.”

“More than £40,000 raised – we can’t wait to see what our 2019 show has in store!” he added.

Strictly Northampton 2019 will be launched on May 19, 2019.