Northampton had more than double the number of fly-tipping reports compared to every other area in the East Midlands last year, according to new figures.

The figures were released as part of a report into fly-tipping incidents on agricultural land in the region by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

For obvious reasons, Northampton did not have any reports of this nature.

However, the report also included the overall number of fly-tipping reports in 2018 for the East Midlands and Northampton had a figure of 18,393.

This compared to 7,374 in Nottingham and 5,640 in Derby. Elsewhere in Northamptonshire, Corby had 1,614 reports, East Northamptonshire 537, Kettering 1,035, Wellingborough 679 and South Northamptonshire 351.

Across East Midlands as a whole, fly-tipping reports totalled 68,470.

The agricultural reports were significantly lower at 249 across the region. Kettering had the highest at seven, Corby had three and South Northamptonshire, one.

But Will Kendrick, of Farmers and Mercantile Insurance Brokers (FMIB), said that true scale of flytipping on East Midlands farmland is not reflected in the figures, as the DEFRA statistics excludes the majority of private-land incidents.

Farmers who fall prey to this crime are having to shoulder the burden, responsible for meeting the cost of clearing rubbish from their land themselves – at an average cost of £1,000 per incident. They are also liable if the dumped rubbish damages the countryside.

Kendrick, who is based in the Northamptonshire office, said: “Flytipping is a blight on our countryside, but dumped waste is not only visually impactful and a nuisance – it can be a source of pollution and cause harm to humans, animals and the environment.

“This year’s DEFRA figures show that it is not only everyday household waste that gets dumped by flytippers – thousands of incidents involve asbestos, clinical waste and chemical and fuel waste.

“So, farmers do not only have to fork out for clean-up costs but also have to worry about the danger it poses to themselves, their workers, their animals and their land.

“These flytippers, both thoughtless individuals and unscrupulous ‘waste businesses’, don’t care that their irresponsible actions could lead to farmers being prosecuted under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

“Innocent farmers have the choice of footing the clean-up bill or facing significant fines for not dealing with someone else’s mess.”

The A45 Flore Bypass between Weedon and the M1 for Northampton was closed in both directions this morning (Tuesday) following a 'police incident' at around 6.30am.

It is understood there was a crash involving up to three cars and lorry and at least one person has been seriously injured.

Highways confirmed that police reopned the road just after midday.

More than £726million in tax from Premier League players would have disappeared from the UK’s coffers if Brexit had hit after the vote on June 23, 2016 and the league had to manage without EU players.

The study, The Brexit Effect by Free Super Tips, reveals the impact clubs would face if freedom of movement was restricted, forcing the clubs to stop buying players from EU member states.

The research looks at wages, transfers and results without EU players and what this would mean to the UK economy in this scenario.

Chelsea are the Premier League’s biggest contributors to the economy with largest wages for EU players - the club’s EU-based squad have been taxed £99.2million since the start of the 2016/17 season. The Blues are followed by Manchester United in second with £74.9million, Manchester City with £70.7million, Arsenal (£53.1million) and Southampton (£48.5million).

Although the majority of the most-taxed EU players come from the top six clubs, this 2018-19 season throws up a few interesting findings with Everton’s tax bill the highest for EU squad members.

The Toffee’s EU players are set to be taxed £37.3million followed by Chelsea with £32.1million going to the taxman, Brighton £30million, Manchester City £29.4million and Newcastle United in £12.2million.

Read more: Data reveals 32,800 new voters in West Yorkshire since Brexit vote

Brexit’s impact would also be heavily felt in the transfer market with Premier League clubs spending more than £2.1billion on players from EU countries over the last three seasons.

Once again, it’s Chelsea who will feel the greatest impact from a hard Brexit with the Blues banking £290.5million, with City the second-highest spending club having an extra £280.5million, followed by Man United (£235million), Everton (£158.4million) and Arsenal (£155.9million).

Mirroring the financial findings, the data shows that Chelsea are the most reliant on EU players with 78 per cent of Premier League minutes played by EU members of the squad.

Wolves’ reliance on Portuguese players reveals the type of task they would have at rebuilding their squad if freedom of movement was restricted with EU players involved in 68 per cent of the games, followed by Huddersfield whose EU players featured in 55 per cent of matches, Arsenal (49 per cent) and Manchester United (49 per cent).

And the most Brexit-proof teams, or teams with the least minutes played by EU players, sees Burnley with only 14 per cent of EU players used, while Neil Warnock’s pro-Brexit stance saw Cardiff EU squad play 17 per cent of games, followed by Liverpool (20 per cent), Crystal Palace (27 per cent) and West Ham (30 per cent).

Under Brexit conditions, this season would see Liverpool increase their advantage, gaining a clear lead in the league, with the Merseysiders three points ahead of Manchester City and a huge swing in goal difference with the Reds 10 goals ahead of their title rivals.

With only a few games remaining, predictions based on the current clubs’ records, Liverpool and City would finish level on 94 points with only the Reds’ superior goal difference helping them secure this season’s title.

Elsewhere in the league, the top four remains the same as the current league standings, however Leicester would be major beneficiaries of Brexit with the club moving from their current 10th place to 5th with a final points tally of 64. The rest of the top 10 would see Everton in 6th on 64 points followed by West Ham (7th on 61 points), Crystal Palace (8th on 57 points), Watford (9th on 57 points) and Manchester United (10th on 52 points).

At the bottom of the table Wolves’ reliance on Portuguese players means that Wolves would be relegated with the club dropping from 7th to 18th with 34 points and an -11-goal difference swing, with Huddersfield in 19th and Fulham 20th place, both finishing on 17 points.

The incident happened some time between 2.40pm and 3pm on Sunday, April 7, in Church Gardens, Sheep Street

The victim was approached by a "group of seven or eight males", believed to be teenagers.

A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said: "The offenders, who wore face coverings, pushed, punched and kicked the teen. One of the offenders also took out a small knife.

"They then made off with the victim's bike.

"The first offender is described as black and about 6ft. He was wearing a full grey Nike tracksuit with white and blue trainers.

"He had braided hair that was tied back, and the bottom half of his face was covered.

"The second offender is described as black, about 15-years-old, 5ft 4in tall, slim and muscular .

"He was wearing a black puffer jacket, black tracksuit bottoms and black trainers."

Anyone with information can contact Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Northamptonshire Community Foundation and Always a Chance join forces to deliver £1,500 to help prevent violent crime.

Always a Chance was set up in memory of James Cooper and James Kouzaris, who were tragically shot and killed in Florida on April 16, 2011.

The group has a longstanding relationship with Northamptonshire Community Foundation, and recognises the invaluable work it does in supporting the local community, working closely with them to raise funds to both prevent violent crime and support its victims.

The fund is keen to support groups who work with young people to reduce their risk of becoming a victim or perpetrator of crime. This includes projects working with young people who are not in education or employment and specialist agencies providing emotional and practical help and support in the community.

In keeping with the ethos of the charity, Always a Chance have chosen to award £1,500 to Northampton based, non-profit organisation, Community Courtyard to support their ‘Yard Talks’ project – a podcast providing disadvantaged young people with a voice and a platform to explore their daily issues and a place for them to connect with their community.

Bianca Todd, CEO of Community Courtyard, said: “We are working to change the composition of the communities our young people are a part of. This grant will allow us to reach out and connect to young people, providing young people with a voice to explore the issues that are an important part of their everyday identity.”

Community Courtyard delivers social education projects which are based around grassroots community engagement, specifically targeting young people, ex-offenders and their families.

They offer a number of street-based projects which tackle anti-social behaviour and address issues around community cohesion. In addition, they offer alternative education sessions, a range of workshops, pop-up cafés and a variety of music-based activities to engage with disaffected young people and communities.

Peter and Hazel Kouzaris, of Always a Chance, said: “All of us at Always a Chance are delighted to support Community Courtyard. They provide an invaluable service to vulnerable young people in Northampton and its surrounding communities. We applaud the selfless sacrifice made by a small but growing group of individuals who understand many of the issues that face some of our young people today in these times of austerity.”

To find out more about Always a Chance, visit www.alwaysachance.org.uk. Community Courtyard’s website can be found at https://communitycourtyard.org.

In association with Northamptonshire Community Foundation. To find out more about the fantastic work of NCF visit www.ncf.uk.com or call 01604 230033.

Daniel Powell says he would ‘love’ to extend his stay at the Cobblers beyond the end of the current season, but he admits the decision ‘is out of my hands’.

Powell is one of a number of Northampton’s first-team squad to be out-of-contract at the end of the campaign, a list that also includes Sam Foley, Shay Facey and John-Joe O’Toole.

The 28-year-old looked to have fallen out of favour under current boss Keith Curle when he failed to start a single game between December 15 and March 2, but he’s since been selected in five of Town’s last seven games.

“All I can do when I’m on the pitch is give it my all,” said Powell. “I think I’ve earned my game-time recently and I’ve played a lot better. I’ve got a few goals and hopefully I can get a few more and keep playing.

“The manager has played a part and I feel I’m playing more free. The team is also playing better and we’re dominating more games which helps.

“Obviously we struggled last season and we struggled as a team but we’re more dominant now and we’ve picked up a lot of points along the way recently and it’s positive on a whole.

“Who knows what will happen in the future. It’s not in my hands but I’d love to be here next season.”

Powell’s recent good form continued at Meadow Lane on Saturday when he scored his fourth goal of the campaign, converting Sam Hoskins’ cross, and also played a big role in the second, taken out by goalkeeper Ryan Schofield.

He added: “Sam said he saw me but I think it was a shot! It bobbled up a bit and I’ve seen people miss those chances but fortunately for me the ball went in.

“The second worked out perfectly for us in the end because we managed to score the free-kick against 10 men and if we had held out for a few more minutes it would have been a comfortable game and we could have scored more.”

David Buchanan has revealed the timeline of events that led to a man racially abusing Cobblers players at the Village Hotel in Nottingham on Saturday.

A number of the Town squad reported on Twitter following Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Notts County that players had been abused prior to the game as the team set off on a walk ahead of their pre-match meal.

Buchanan was in the group that set off for their traditional pre-game stroll, and admitted he was stunned to hear what was said, and he also praised the Cobblers players for showing restraint as the abuser threatened to get physically violent.

Buchanan revealed that the man in question raised a chair after being confronted by some of the squad following his abuse, and that the players acted in a professional manner to ensure things didn’t ‘escalate’.

“We were in the hotel and sitting about, waiting to go for our pre-match walk,” said Buchanan.

“Some guy came through the hotel, and I heard him call somebody a muppet, but we didn’t really know who he was speaking to.

“We presumed it was Aaron Pierre, and out of all the people to call a muppet he is the last you want to do it to!

“But we just brushed it off really, and as we went outside the hotel, the same lad was there, sat down with his girlfriend.

“As we walked down the steps he was mumbling stuff, but we didn’t really know what he was saying.

“I was walking with Junior Morias at the time, and said ‘I am sure he is staying stuff there’. So we stopped and turned round, and he was shouting from the top of the steps to the bottom of the steps.

“He was shouting stuff and, quoting him, he said ‘all you white lads will play much better today, because you black lads have got no heart’.

“We were just like ‘has he really said that?’ A few of the lads asked him to repeat himself, and he said the same thing again.

“As you can imagine none of us were happy. We continued with our walk and when we got back he was still there, and Junior and a couple of the other lads confronted him, and asked him what his problem was.

“The lad then picked up a chair, so we just calmed things down.

“It could have escalated further, but credit to the lads for being professional, and they handled the situation really, really well.

“What would have happened if one of them had lost their heads? If they had gone and thrown punches or beat the buy up, it was called for.

“But that would been a massive talking point on their part and for the wrong reasons, when some idiot decides to racially abuse our players.”

And he added: “That is as far as it went, as once it all kicked off there were members of the public in the hotel who started to film what was happening.

“I went into reception and told them somebody had racially abused our players outside, and that they needed to sort it out.

“By the time they had reacted to it, our players had gone inside, and from then on it has been a situation of letting the club deal with it and they have put a statement out there.

“I think it is important we deal with it as a football club.

“It amazes me how things like that can happen in today’s society, and it is the first time I have seen it in a hotel, from just a general member of the public.

“I have played in games throughout my career when things have happened, and that is unacceptable, with chants and racist things being said inside grounds, but never outside a hotel.”

In the wake of the incident, the Cobblers issued a statement on Sunday and it is understood that they have been in contact with the police over what happened at the hotel, which is about seven miles away from the Meadow Lane stadium where the game was later played.

The statement read: “Northampton Town Football Club confirm that a number of the first team squad were racially abused ahead of Saturday’s game at Notts County.

“The incident occurred in Nottingham as the squad went on their normal pre-match walk from the team hotel before the game.

“We would like to highly commend our players for the professional manner in which they handled the situation and as a club we stand together in condemning such actions.

“We are working with the relevant authorities and have asked anyone with any information about the incident, or possible witnesses, to contact the club.”

Opposition councillors say that Northamptonshire County Council needs to think about the message it is sending to its workers when they are denied a pay rise while senior officers are earning high salaries.

It was revealed this morning that 19 employees were earning more than £100,000 at the county council in 2017/18, the highest in the East Midlands region and the joint 10th highest in the country.

The figures, compiled by the TaxPayers’ Alliance, come from the same financial year in which the council ended with a £41.5million deficit, paid off its chief executive £142,000 and became the first authority in two decades to issue a section 114 notice banning all non-essential spending.

But Labour’s finance spokesman, Councillor Mick Scrimshaw, doesn’t feel like lessons have been learned in the resulting months.

It was revealed this week that the new children’s director Sally Hodges was earning £1,100 a day, working out at an annual salary of £258,000.

Councillor Scrimshaw said: “We had 19 employees earning more than £2million between them in 2017/18. I’m sorry, but there are some big figures in that and I would question whether the public sector should be paying those kinds of figures.

“I understand we have to get good quality people but I don’t think people in the public sector should be earning that kind of money. If they want that kind of salary then go and work in banks or finance. Their motivation surely should be providing public services.

“I’m very worried that NCC, which is financially having to tighten its belt, is paying these kinds of sums. Since then we have the new chief executive and new director of children’s services, who is earning an absolute fortune.

“Then we’re seeing £18,000 pension contributions to some individuals when some people don’t even earn that as a salary.

“The lessons are not being learned. We are supposed to be tightening our belt, and even following the lifting of the section 114 notice recently, every little bit of expenditure has to be signed off. But we are still paying these massive salaries, and that can’t be right.

“It’s something that’s happening across all councils, so that when NCC has to look for a new officer or executive, they have to fight against those kinds of salaries elsewhere and their argument is that it’s the going rate for the best.

“There’s a systematic culture issue across local government. This is public money and it’s at a time when children’s social workers can’t be recruited because of the pay and conditions.

“What sort of message does it send from the people at the top of the organisation to the workers that they rely on below them. It’s the wrong message. The whole system seems to be crazy.”

Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Chris Stanbra agreed that the county had to think about the message it was sending to staff, who were recently told that the authority would give them a rise but only if they could ‘afford it’.

He said: “It’s certainly unsustainable for councils to pay out these sums, and you question why they need so many people to earn these kinds of salaries. The council has to compete in the marketplace for these kind of people, but I think that the number of people earning it is more than is needed in lots of cases. Northamptonshire should be looking at its senior management structure.

“There’s a big challenge for the head of children’s services to show that she is worth the money she is being paid, and I wish her luck in that.

“But it sends completely the wrong message. It says that it’s one rule for the staff, and another for the senior officers. It’s completely wrong, it’s been badly handled by the management and political leadership, and they need to think about that message they are sending.”

The figures from 2017/18 showed that the then chief executive Dr Paul Blantern, who left half way through the financial year in October 2017, pocketed more than £277,000 from the authority - making him the 19th highest paid council employee in the country at the time.

It was also revealed that he received £142,000 as a farewell payment, which included a £95,000 settlement that was revealed just two months after his departure through a Freedom of Information request.

But Dr Blantern’s legacy has been criticised, with his ‘Next Generation’ model of outsourcing services being attributed as a contributory factor for the county council sliding towards financial oblivion.

Councillor Scrimshaw added: “The £95,000 settlement was the secret handshake that we weren’t supposed to know about, but was uncovered through an FoI.

“If we go back to when Dr Blantern was in that post, I can clearly remember the then leader Jim Harker saying how innovative Northamptonshire was being and that they were leading the way with the Next Generation model.

“They couldn’t understand why other councils weren’t doing it, and I think we’ve found out why. Clearly he should not have been one of the top paid people in the country, because his answer to the financial predicament was a wrong answer.”

The county council has said that staff salaries ‘reflect responsibilities associated with the posts’, many of which require ‘highly-qualified, professional staff’.

We are looking to honour talented teachers and perfect pupils in our annual Northamptonshire Education Awards.

Visit the nomination page here

Launched today by the Northampton Chronicle & Echo, the Northants Telegraph and the Daventry Express, the awards are the original and the best.

Back by popular demand for the 11th time they are open to every primary, secondary, nursery and special school in the county.

But be quick as the closing date for entries is May 24.

There is a wide variety of categories that recognise the dedication and commitment of pupils, teaching staff and education supporters.

Winners will be crowned at a gala event at the stunning Deco Theatre on June 27 in what promises once more to be the highlight of the education calendar.

Editorial director David Summers says: “Our county has some incredibly talented pupils, teachers and education professionals and it is a pleasure to again be recognising their efforts in our highly regarded and long established awards.

“We look forward to sharing that proud moment when the winners are crowned on stage at the Deco in June.”

Among the supporters already on board are title sponsors Veolia and category sponsors Kip McGrath Education Centres, Rock Up, The Qube, The Staffroom and Baldwins.

The benefits of sponsoring an awards category include free tickets to the ceremony, the chance to present your prize on stage, and access to event photography for marketing purposes.

Your company and logo will be mentioned in substantial pre-event publicity across all three titles and their websites.

For details of the full sponsor package please get in touch at linda.pritchard@jpimedia.co.uk

Awards categories

- Primary School Pupil of the Year (sponsor - Kip McGrath)

- Secondary School Pupil of the Year

- Inspirational Teacher Award

- Young Scientist/Engineer Award

- Sports Achievement Award (sponsor - Qube Modular Buildings)

- Creative Arts Award

- Changemaker Award

- School Trips Award

- Health & Wellbeing Award

- Career Aspiration Award

- Unsung Hero Award (sponsor - Veolia UK)

- Primary School of the Year (sponsor - Rock Up climbing centre)

- Secondary School of the Year

Click here for the official nomination page

Boss Keith Curle has admitted the Cobblers squad was left in a state of ‘shock and disbelief’ after players were racially abused ahead of last Saturday’s clash with Notts County.

The incident happened ahead of the squad’s pre-match meal at the Village Hotel in Nottingham, and although shocked himself, Curle also believes it is ‘a good thing’ that players are ‘now able to talk about’ such abuse when it occurs.

David Buchanan has revealed that, among other things, an unidentified man had called out to the Town players ‘all you white lads will play much better today, because you black lads have got no heart’.

The Town defender also reported how the man then picked up a chair after he was confronted by some of the Cobblers players, before the incident was defused with the players walking away.

Curle didn’t witness the incident, but he is very proud of the way his players reacted to the provocation.

“First and foremost, I think the players conducted themselves in the right manner,” said Curle.

“They were shocked to be confronted as a team, as for somebody to come up and say what he said, and there was then a knock-on effect of disbelief.

“But the players reacted in the right way, because it could have escalated, but credit to the the players that it didn’t.

“Ultimately, I think the players represented themselves and club very well on this occasion.”

Curle then added: “We arrived at the hotel, and then the players went for a walk before the pre-match meal, and the incident happened as they were going on their walk.

“At that time the staff and myself were in having our final review on the presentation we are going to give to the players.

“So we didn’t hear about what had happened as a staff until after the players had come back in for their pre-match meal.

“I then went outside to see if the lad was still there, and he wasn’t, and then it was a case of focusing the players’ minds again (ahead of the game, which the Cobblers drew 2-2).

“I spoke to a few of the players to see how they felt, and we were able to then get the focus back on the match.

“Obviously the players were still talking about what had happened, and it was shock and disbelief more than anything.”

What happened to the Cobblers players was one of three reported incidents of racial abuse involving Football League clubs on Saturday.

At Brentford, Derby player Duane Holmes was racially abused by a fan sitting near the dugout, while following Wigan Athletic’s draw at Bristol City, Nathan Byrne received racist abuse on Twitter.

And although Curle is saddened and appalled such things happpen, he is at least encouraged that such indidents are now coming to light, and being deal with.

“I think the good thing is, and it’s not just the changing room, the football club and the local community, we are able to talk about it, and it is good to talk about it,” said the Cobblers boss.

“Because when incidents have happened previously, it has just been ignored because there hasn’t been a vehicle, there haven’t been people to go and talk to and affect it.”

Earlier today, the high street chain fell under the control of its lenders after rejecting a £200million lifeline offer from Sports Direct.

It means all of its 165 stores will continue trading as normal for now - but this has not allayed fears that outlets will be shut and jobs will be lost in the near future.

And London Evening Standard has reported around 50 outlets could be shut under a company restructuring.

Meanwhile, gift cards, outstanding orders and returns will still be honoured, but this is never guaranteed to last when a company enters administration.

Terry Duddy, Debenhams’ Chairman, said: “...this transaction will allow Debenhams to continue trading as normal, access the funding we need, and proceed with executing our turnaround plans.

"We remain focused on protecting as many stores and jobs as possible, consistent with establishing a sustainable store portfolio in line with our previous guidance.

“In the meantime, our customers, colleagues, pension holders, suppliers and landlords can be reassured that Debenhams will now be able to move forward on a stable footing. I would like to thank them all for their recent and continuing support.”

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

This morning, the company turned down a £200million offer by Sports Direct's Mike Ashley, on the condition he became CEO.

After administrators were called in, ownership of the chain was immediately bought under a newly-incorporated company controlled by Debenham's lenders earlier today.

Before coming to study at the University of Northampton in 2017, Demi Bradford had only played the occasional game in pubs and was, by her own admission, ‘pretty rubbish’ at pool.

But that all changed when she joined the Students’ Union Pool Society and her prowess for the sport began to shine through.

“I knew I could play pool, but was never anywhere near a decent standard,” said Demi, who comes from Royston, Hertfordshire.

“When I came to the University I heard about the pool society and signed up and have really enjoyed it.

“I now train up to three or four days a week, with sessions lasting as long as five to eight hours, and all the practice has seen my improve dramatically.”

Two years of solid practice has now paid off for Demi, who is set to represent England’s university women’s pool team at an international tournament in Dublin later this month.

Her big break for England came in February, when she made it to the quarterfinals of a national university pool tournament, losing just two out of 30 team games.

Her performance caught the eye of the Universities Pool Council – the governing body for university pool – and she was invited to an England trials event in Derby. Demi was one of two players selected at the trials to represent the country.

She said: “I’m really looking forward to playing for England and it’s a real honour for me – I can’t wait.”

Demi is now hoping her success will inspire other female students at the University to take up pool.

She said: “There’s two or three of us in the society and it would be great to have more. Pool might be seen, traditionally as a make pastime, but it’s something everyone can enjoy.

“It’s not just about hitting balls around a table, pool is mind game, where you have to put so much thought into your shots. If you’re bored or you’re stressed it’s the perfect game, as you can totally immerse yourself in it and it takes your mind off any worries you might have.”

Demi has received financial backing from the University’s Chancellor’s Fund to cover the costs of her trials and trip to Ireland.

Emirates is looking for candidates to join its multinational workforce during a recruitment open day on Sunday, April 14 at the Collingtree Hilton Hotel, Watering Lane.

The airline is seeking women and men to fill the new positions, which it says have been created because of the recent addition of new routes on the Emirates network.

Anyone interested must arrive at the Hilton for 9am.

Divisional Vice President UK for Emirates, Richard Jewsbury, said: “Our cabin crew are open-minded, helpful, friendly and service-oriented and that’s what we need from candidates in order to deliver Emirates’ award-winning onboard experience to customers.

"This open day is a great opportunity for people to get their career off to a flying start. Applicants just need to drop in to the open day with an up-to-date CV in English and a recent photograph.

“Candidates will need to come prepared to spend the full day at the venue if required. Shortlisted candidates will be informed of timings for further assessments and interviews.

“It is an exciting time for us as Emirates continues to grow and we encourage interested applicants to attend and meet some of our cabin crew recruitment team who will be happy to answer any questions about the role and life in Dubai.”

Cabin crew are offered an employment package, which includes a tax-free income, free shared accommodation in Dubai, free transport to and from work, medical and dental cover as well as exclusive discounts on shopping and leisure activities in Dubai.

It also offers concessional travel benefits for cabin crew as well as their families and friends.

Applicants must be at least 21 and have an arm reach of 212cm when standing on tiptoes.

Although not mandatory, candidates are encouraged to complete an online application on the Emirates Group careers website prior to attending the Open Day.

Further information about the requirements for the selection process can be found here

The elderly motorist turned right and crossed three lanes of the busy motorway before driving towards oncoming traffic.

When the male driver realised his mistake he tried to reverse back along the fast lane before pulling forward again.

The driver eventually manages to reverse back up the road before driving the wrong way down the sliproad.

The video shows the hapless motorist join the southbound carriageway of the M1 at Milton Keynes, at 1pm earlier this month.

Lorry driver Mark Thomas, 54, captured the terrifying moment on his dashcam as he drove from Tilbury Docks in Essex.

The divorced dad-of-one, of Shrewsbury, Shrops, said: “I was really shaken up by it, he could have killed someone, I couldn’t believe it.

“I was driving in the middle lane and noticed in the distance was not quite right.

“I was doing around 60mph when I saw the car coming up on the fast lane, and slowed down to 40mph in an instant.

“I just slowed right down and put on the hazard warning lights.

“I could see a young bloke in the white van next to me brake hard and he was really straining on the seatbelt.

“The man in the silver car looked like he was 65 to 70 and was very confused.

“He might not have understood the signs. I wondered if he might be a foreigner.

“When he was reversing on the fast lane I was shouting out the window at him to turn around, in fact I went hoarse from shouting.

"He tried reversing back down the carriageway a couple of times until he weaved his way back down the fast lane and goes the wrong way down the slip road.

"It was lucky it was a clear day because if it had been foggy that would have been it. The road was busy with cars and lorries like mine and he could have caused carnange.

“I have been a trucker for 32 years and this is the first time I’ve seen anything like this.

“I sent the dashcam to the police and they say someone has already reported it, I don’t know what’s happened to the driver."

The A45 Flore Bypass between Weedon and the M1 for Northampton was closed in both directions this morning (Tuesday) following a 'police incident' at around 6.30am.

Fire crews from three different stations were called to deal with the crash, which saw two people released from their vehicles by hydraulic cutting equipment.

A tweet by Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue reported that trauma kits were also used, and five people in total were taken to hospital.

Meanwhile, the road was reopened just after midday after it was closed in both directions for nearly six hours.

Anyone with any information as to the whereabouts of Richard Tonner, formerly of St Mary’s Road, Kettering, is asked to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101, quoting reference number 19000166033.

Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

The ribbon cutting of The Range in St James Retail Park will take place at 9am this Friday, April 12. The new outlet will fill the unit vacated by BHS when the department store chain collapsed in 2016.

And bosses of The Range have pledged to give away prizes to the first 50 people in the queue - including a 'star prize' to the very first in line.

Company founder and owner Chris Dawson said: “Each store plays an important part in the success of our company and Northampton is no exception.

"The former BHS closed in April 2016 and has been empty ever since so we are really pleased to be able to open on the site are certain that it will help to bring increased footfall to the retail park."

The day will start with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 9am with borough council leader Councillor Jonathan Nunn set to do the honours.

The company mascot, Captain Range, will be at the opening to welcome in customers and entertain children.

Celebrations are set to continue over the weekend, with free activities for children and adults including face-painting by Snazaroo on Saturday, April 13, between 11am and 4pm.

There will also be DO Crafts demos between 10am and 4pm on the same day.

Northampton's branch will be spread over two floors and will include a Dee Dee’s Family Cafe, a patio department and outdoor garden centre and the complete Iceland Foods offering.

Opening offers are due to run throughout the store until April 28.

In total, the new branch has created 50 full and part-time jobs from store to department managers, warehouse assistants to retail administrators on the retail park.

The opening of the Northampton branch comes during another busy year of growth and expansion for the UK retailer, which now has 165 outlets across the UK.

Plymouth-based owner and founder Mr Dawson began life as a market stall trader across the South West of England before opening his first store in 1989 in Plymouth, under the name CDS (Chris Dawson Superstores).

Getting on the property ladder can feel like an impossible feat, with some buyers across England and Wales faced with a decade of saving before they can afford it.

Potential buyers in the South East and South West of England need to save for at least 13 years before they will be able to afford a 15 per cent deposit on a property, new research reveals.

Decades of saving

Estate agent Hamptons International looked at the average wages in each region across England and Wales to determine how long it would take potential homeowners to save for a 15 per cent deposit, if they were saving 22 per cent of their salary each month.

London topped the table with single prospective buyers having to save the longest, at an average of 15 years and nine months.

The South East and South West of England also proved to be particularly difficult areas for first-time buyers to get on the property ladder, with people having to save for at least 13 years before being able to buy a home.

North-South divide

Those living in the North fared much better than the South in terms of affordability, with the time to save for a deposit typically around four or five years less.

Prospective buyers in the North East can save for a deposit in half the time of those in the South East and South West, with the average time to save being six years and six months.

Buyers in Yorkshire and the Humber also fared better than those in the South, at an average of eight years to save.

Time to save for a 15 per cent deposit by region, for single buyers:

- East - 11 years

- East Midlands - 9 years

- London - 15 years, 9 months

- North East - 6 years, 6 months

- North West - 8 years, 6 months

- South East - 13 years, 6 months

- South West - 13 years

- Wales - 8 years, 6 months

- West Midlands - 9 years, 3 months

- Yorkshire and the Humber - 8 years, 0 months

- England and Wales - 10 years, 3 months

Time to save for a 15 per cent deposit by region, for couples:

- East - 5 years, 0 months

- East Midlands - 4 years, 0 months

- London - 7 years, 6 months

- North East - 2 years, 9 months

- North West - 3 years, 6 months

- South East - 5 years, 9 months

- South West - 3 years, 6 months

- Wales - 4 years, 0 months

- West Midlands - 3 years, 6 months

- Yorkshire and the Humber - 3 years, 6 months

- England and Wales - 4 years, 9 months

Things are improving

The latest figures are based on the final quarter of 2018 and show that things have improved for first-time buyers over the past two years, with most regions seeing homes become slightly more affordable.

Although it still takes a single person an average of 10 years to save up for a deposit.

Aneisha Beveridge, head of research at Hamptons International, said: "Saving a deposit is still the biggest barrier to buying a home, but things did improve in 2018.

"Slowing house price growth – which is expected to continue – combined with rising wages, meant that last year it was six months quicker to save for a home than it was two years earlier.

"However, despite the slight improvement in affordability it still takes a single person more than a decade to save up to buy a home."

James Haskell's injury woes continue with the flanker set to miss Saints' trip to Harlequins on Saturday.

The 34-year-old was set to return in the Wanderers' game against Newcastle Falcons last night but he remains unavailable due to a toe injury.

And that problem will mean he will play no part in the crucial Gallagher Premiership game at the Stoop this weekend.

Haskell has been hugely unfortunate with injuries since joining Saints last summer and has only been able to feature in five competitive matches for the club so far.

"He's still battling with that toe," said Saints boss Chris Boyd.

"He's had his ankle all tidied up and it's not too bad, but he's going through a rough time really.

"He's trying very hard to get himself back on the paddock but it (the injury) just doesn't want to come.

"He certainly won't be involved this week."

Alex Moon suffered an ankle injury against Gloucester last Sunday, with the lock forced off at half-time.

But he is not totally ruled out of this weekend's game as yet.

"It's yet to be 100 per cent determined so he'll be in a battle for the weekend and we'll leave a space open," Boyd said.

But Heinrich Brüssow, Luther Burrell and James Fish will definitely not be available as they continue to battle concussion problems.

"They are currently under return-to-play protocols and as we know they're a bit how-long-is-a-piece-of-string and they're open-ended," Boyd said.

"When they've come through their protocols and are ready to play we'll consider them for selection."

Players such as Darren Dawidiuk and Tom Wood are set to be handed a place in the squad this weekend.

And Boyd said: "There's always an opportunity for someone else so it's cometh the hour, cometh the man and there will be a lot of guys who will get a chance this week who wouldn't have expected to.

"It's a really good test for our squad depth."

Dylan Hartley will not return until the April 26 game at Newcastle Falcons at the earliest, while Andy Symons (knee), Harry Mallinder (knee), Mikey Haywood (knee), Ehren Painter (calf), Paddy Ryan (knee), Fraser Dingwall (ankle) and David Ribbans (ankle) are also currently out of action.

A family of 19 cats have been signed over to RSPCA Northamptonshire after they were rescued from a home in the town. Now, they all need a new home and are ready to meet potential owners who can give them the patience and care they need to come out of their shells.