Chris Wilder has defended his decision to sign John-Joe O’Toole on a three-year deal last summer.

The Cobblers boss brought in O’Toole from Bristol Rovers following the Gas’s relegation out of the Football League.

O’Toole had been the shining light in the Rovers team throughout that campaign, scoring an impressive 15 goals from midfield, and he was on the radar of many clubs when he became available on a free transfer.

Wilder swooped to make O’Toole one of his marquee summer signings, hoping the player would add creativity to the Northampton team, as well as much-needed goals.

But things didn’t quite work out that way, with O’Toole struggling for form all season, managing just two goals in 42 appearances.

Wilder finally lost patience with the 26-year-old at the end of the campaign, and placed O’Toole on the transfer list, making it clear the player has no future at Sixfields.

There has been criticism from some quarters about the wisdom of signing O’Toole and handing him such a lengthy contract in the first place, but Wilder insists it was the right move at the time.

And he also believes it is the right thing to move the player on just 12 months into that three-year contract.

“We aren’t always going to get things right, and I have seen a few articles flying about questioning why we gave John-Joe a three-year deal,” said the Cobblers manager.

“But I think a lot of other clubs would have taken him and given him the three-year deal, because that is what he was after.

“He was on decent money, he was available on a free transfer, and he had just come off the back of a really good season.

“But it’s not worked for us, it’s not worked for him, and you have to move on and make decisions.

“You can’t bury your head in the sand and hope it will all come good.

“There are better managers than me that have made signings that have not really kicked in and now I just want to work with the players we have got.

“I think we have a really good group, and it’s developing nicely with age and experience. Things are ticking along well.”

A team of ten pals from a Slimming World group which meets in Wootton joined together to enter a team into the 2015 London Moonwalk.

The group are all members of the St James Doddridge Centre and Caroline Chisholm School group, run by Avril Spraggon.

They decided to do the walk last year and got into the swing by beginning training last October and slowly built up their distance until three weeks before the main event.

A spokesman for Slimming World said: “Following the healthy eating plan and by attending the group each week the ladies have not only lost weight but gained energy and the self confidence to enter into this Marathon walk.

“Along with the training the team have been busy fundraising with activities such as a race night sponsored and held at the Yeoman of England in Wootton, collecting tins and pin badges”.

The ten ladies marked up a combined weight loss of more than 22 stone during their training and also managed to raise more than £3,500 for breast cancer charities.

Emily Bibb, one of the team members, was celebrating not only her weight loss of nearly six stone, but also the fact that just a year ago walking down the street was a huge effort while 12 months later on she was completing her first marathon.

Gill Morgan was also celebrating on the night of her 50th birthday whilst remembering people she has lost recently.

The Moonwalk is managed by Walk the Walk who use funds raised to buy equipment and support for people with breast cancer continued research for a cure for the disease. Northampton General Hospital recently received two scalp coolers from WTW.

Generous customers of TSB in Weston Favell have helped raise £370 for the Cynthia Spencer Hospice.

The sum included £170 raised by handing out potted sunflower seeds over the last two weeks.

Dawn Wilson, branch manager, said: “Cynthia Spencer Hospice is a vital part of our local community and we’re really proud to have them as our charity partner.”

Sue Bownass, charity events organiser, Cynthia Spencer Hospice, said: “We are hugely grateful to TSB and its partners in Northampton. The money they are raising and the general support we’re getting is helping us deliver important services. Having businesses like TSB support us is great.”

A dad whose life was blighted by depression has been shortlisted for a national award after getting his life back on track and inspiring other people to do the same.

Glenn Moore was out of work and on benefits for two decades before he was referred to the Government’s Work Programme, delivered in Northampton by public services provider A4e.

However, he is now working as a maintenance technician for a local pub and volunteering for the organisations that helped him and he has even appeared on BBC Newsnight and in The Sun to talk about his experiences.

A4e was so impressed with his dramatic transformation they nominated him for Significant Achievement of the Year in Employment Related Services Association awards.

Glenn, 58, said: “I feel proud and honoured to have been nominated and shortlisted for this award, this is an incredible and exciting journey I am on.”

He will find out if he has won at the awards ceremony on June 16.

A family whose beloved cat was brazenly stolen right in front of their eyes have issued a fresh call for witnesses - after CCTV emerged of a man thought to be involved.

The D’Eath family of Hollyrood Road in St James, found black and white cat Socks in a neighbour’s garden when she was only a few weeks old and have looked after her ever since.

But the friendly family pet, who belonged to six-year-old Deliuf D’eath, was taken at around 3.30pm on Monday, April 20, right in front of them.

Grandmother Catherine D’eath described how it happened.

She said: “My daughter, Laura, had gone to collect my grandchildren from St James’ Primary School and on the way back they saw a brown-haired man carrying a cat by the scruff of its neck.

“My grandson, Deliuf, pointed at the cat and said ‘mummy is that Socks’?

“My daughter realised it actually was, so she challenged the man, but without saying anything he just ran.”

Catherine D’eath said daughter Laura could not give chase to the man as she had her two children with her.

But she saw the culprit run past Vicarage Road, near St James’ Primary School, which at the time would have had hundreds of parents picking up children from the premises.

The family have contacted police about the theft and have been handing out flyers in the area appealing for information.

Staff at Harlestone Road Dental Practice had also seen a man running past the premises at 3.33pm on the day.

The dental practice has now provided the family with CCTV of the man they suspect, which, although very fuzzy, shows a man quickening his pace.

The man that took the cat, Catherine said, was tall, white, with dark brown hair. He was wearing a dark jacket, black trainers and tracksuit bottoms.

“She was such a lovely cat,” Catherine added: “She would often follow Laura down the road when she went to pick up the children and she would sit on the wall and wait for them.

“Maybe someone had seen her doing that? Maybe someone knew Socks would be sat there at that time.”

“It’s just horrible for Deliuf. He keeps asking us will we ever see Socks again?”

Socks is a young female, black with white on paws and chest and of a very slim build. She has also been microchipped.

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call police on 101, or call Catherine D’Eath on 07946374595.

A plumber who headbutted the landlord of a pub in Northampton has been ordered to complete 180 hours unpaid work.

Sam Hawes, aged 26, of The Inlands, Daventry, was drinking in The Squirrels pub in Duston on April 25 when he was asked to move by the landlord as he was blocking the entrance to the bar.

Northampton Magistrates’ Court heard the landlord then asked Hawes and his friend to leave the pub and Hawes, a plumber, then headbutted him on the side of the face.

Julie Costello, prosecuting, said the landlord suffered a cut to his mouth.

Hawes, whose girlfriend was working behind the bar in the Squirrels at the time, threw punches at the landlord but these did not cause any further significant injury.

Hawes pleaded guilty to assault at an earlier hearing and was ordered to pay £150 compensation to the landlord.

At that hearing, prosecutor Vicki Walker described the incident. She said: “Customers are gathering round the bar area and without any warning, the defendant headbutts the landlord to the face.

“It causes his lip to split. The defendant is then seen throwing punches at the landlord.”

Hawes must also pay costs of £85 and victim surcharge of £60.

A Northampton couple are taking to the water to sail one of the 1,700 boats competing in one of Britain’s largest participation sporting events of 2015, the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race.

Steve and Clare Miller and their crew of ‘Laura Louise’ will be joining 16,000 sailors set to master one of the world’s largest yacht races on Saturday June 27.

Clare and Steve who are keen sailors have sailed over 8,000 miles together on their own boat, all over the channel and chartered as far away as Australia. Joining Steve in the iconic Race will be two friends from Steve’s university days.

The Yacht, which was bought at the start of last season, has yet to be raced and the team view the race as the perfect opportunity to put her to the test.

Ahead of the Race Steve explained; “We are really looking forward to the Race, as the new boat (Laura Louise) is quite a bit faster than the last one on all points of sail and so it will be really exciting to see how far up the fleet we can finish.

“We don’t think for a minute we are going to be drinking other than our own champagne out of our own silverware at the end, but the thrill of the race is that there is always another boat nearby to race.”

The famous 50 nautical mile course around the Isle of Wight is now in its 84th year and is organised by the Island Sailing Club.

A flag designed by children from Abington Vale Primary School which represents the Northamptonshire community is flying at Westminster this week.

The unique event is the culmination of the 2015 Flag Project, managed by the House of Commons, which aims to connect young people with the democratic process and the UK’s parliamentary heritage.

Abington Vale Primary School’s flag is one of 80, made from designs prepared by primary school children from across the UK. The flags have been flying in Parliament Square since Monday, May 18, where they will remain until Friday, May 22.

Vehicle maintenance students at Northampton College will be able to hone their skills on state-of-the-art equipment thanks to a donation of £20,000 worth of engines from BMW.

Two petrol engines and one diesel engine were handed over to the college by BMW to help train their apprentices, giving students the chance to work on up-to-date machinery and get to know the parts and mechanics used in modern vehicles.

Chris Allen, from the college’s Vehicle Maintenance and Repair department, said: “We are delighted with the new engines and extremely grateful to BMW Group UK and their logistics partner Great Bear Distribution.”

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack at an electricity substation in Northampton.

The substation, off Clinton Road, Far Cotton, is believed to have been deliberately set alight in the early hours of the morning. The blaze also caused damage to materials stored in a nearby builder’s yard.

Northamptonshire Police today released details of the incident that happened sometime between 2.30am and 3.10am, on Monday, May 25.

Officers would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed this incident or who may have any information regarding it.

Witnesses or anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact police on 101 or independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A man died at the scene of a car crash on the A5 in Northamptonshire today, it has been confirmed.

The road was shut in both directions between the Weedon crossroads and Crick from around 9.30am onwards after the man’s white BMW, for reasons yet unknown, failed to negotiate a left hand bend on the northbound carriageway near the Whilton crossroads and collided with a number of trees.

The A5 re-opened at about 1.30pm this afternoon.

The Collision Investigation Team are appealing for anyone with information or who witnessed this incident to call the Drivewatch Hotline on 0800 174615.

An elderly woman has suffered life changing injuries after her car collided with a house in a Northamptonshire village.

The 78-year-old woman was driving in Puxley Road, Deanshanger, at about 1.55pm on Friday, when her grey Hyundai i30 was in collision with a house.

The woman had to be cut from the vehicle, before straightening and splinting her injuries while sedated.

She was then flown by helicopter to Coventry Major Trauma Centre where she was treated for two broken legs.

Police would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed this incident or who may have any information regarding it.

Anyone with information or who witnessed this incident is asked to call the Drivewatch Hotline on 0800 174615.

A teenager who reunited a woman with her poodle after it went missing in Northampton two weeks ago has been named a “hero” and “a real gentleman” by the relieved owner.

Belinda Collis Hill was left distraught when her six-year-old brown toy poodle Faith ran away while they were walking in Grange Park on May 23. But last Thursday (June 4) after a 12-day search, which included local groups and volunteer tracking dogs brought down from Kent, Faith was returned safe and sound by a teenage boy.

Mrs Collis Hill, from High Street Roade, said: “I’m still in a happy haze. I got the phone call in the afternoon and was shaking too much to drive and find them, so he said he would bring her over.

“Next thing I knew he came trotting up the street with her, still on her lead, and she jumped up into my arms. I completely collapsed with her onto the pavement.”

The teenager, called Callum Calver, managed to catch Faith near the park in Rickyard Walk after she ran away from a cyclist who had also recognised and tried to catch her.

She went missing when Mrs Collis Hill was walking her and her twin Buffy in the park and a bigger dog jumped out from a bush and startled them.

Mrs Collis Hill said: “Faith is a very timid dog, having suffered some problems when I took them both home from the rescue centre, and she just bolted, yanking the chain out of my hand. I tried to chase her but once she ran around the corner she was gone.

“I don’t have any children and my four rescue dogs are my life - Buffy was pining for her while she was gone.”

She launched a Facebook page to try to help find Faith and people from all over the region got in touch, before a stream of abusive comments led Mrs Collis Hill to remove it.

She said: “So many people got involved to try to help find her and I cannot thank them enough. A lady came from Kent with tracker dogs to help follow Faith and even stayed overnight in a camper van, and Northampton Lost & Found got involved too, among others.

“But Callum was the real hero and, being a dog-owner himself he said he knew how I must have felt. Whatever people say about teenagers, he was a lovely young man and a real gentleman.

“It was just incredible as I had been in the park myself a little while earlier.

“Grange Park is just a wonderful place with a community of wonderful people.”

Hundreds of pounds have been stolen from a primary school safe during a break-in.

The money, which was taken from the safe in Ringstead Primary School, had been intended to pay for a defibrillator for the school.

The headteacher, Laura Buckley, was called out to the school on Sunday morning after the alarm was set off.

She said: “It must have been somebody who knows the school.

“It seems like they knew what they were looking for.

“They ignored all the ICT equipment, went straight to the safe and took the money for the defibrillator and some other money too.”

She said she hoped that if anybody knew anything about the theft they would come forward.

The school’s secretary and pupils had raised the money over the past few months through a number of events including cake sales, mufti days, an Easter raffle, coffee mornings and film nights.

A 15-year-old girl was assaulted with a stick and searched by a stranger who stopped her in a Kettering park.

The girl was walking through the Manor House Gardens near Sheep Street sometime between 5pm and 5.30pm on Saturday, June 6, when a man stopped her and asked if she had a mobile phone.

When she said she didn’t have a phone, the man searched her pockets.

After finding nothing, he picked up a stick and hit the girl around the face several times before walking off towards the Market Place.

The girl suffered minor cuts and bruises but did not need medical treatment.

The man who searched her was white, between 18 and 22, slim and about 5ft 8in.

He had pale features and wore a red baseball cap, dark trousers, Nike trainers and a white T-shirt with a large Adidas logo on the chest.

He was with two other white men who were about the same age and height.

They wore dark clothes and one was wearing a dark coloured baseball cap.

Witnesses, or anyone who knows anything about the incident, can call Northamptonshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

A campaign to cut slug pesticide in our waters has been launched with a trial project taking place at three Northamptonshire reservoirs.

Anglian Water has launched its Slug It Out campaign to help farmers reduce the amount of pesticides which end up in the region’s reservoirs.

The campaign aims to reduce the levels of metaldehyde in rivers and reservoirs. The chemical is used to control slugs, which are damaging to crops. Although harmless to humans, the chemical is very difficult to remove at water treatment works and meeting tough EU targets on it is a real challenge for the region. Even tiny ammounts, the equivalent of one drop in an Olympic sized swimming pool, would go against European rules.

As part of the campaign the company is carrying out a trial project around six key reservoirs – three of which are in Northamptonshire at Hollowell Reservoir, Ravensthorpe Reservoir and Pitsford Water in Northamptonshire

The aim is to help farmers to move away from metaldehyde and use an alternative chemical instead. The farmers will receive payments to cover their costs and for taking part.

As well as this, Anglian Water’s new team of five Catchment Advisors will be talking to farmers about all the ways they can help reduce the amount of metaldehyde which finds its way into rivers and reservoirs.

Lucinda Gilfoyle, who is heading the campaign, said: “This is a whole new way of working for Anglian Water, so it’s very exciting for us. Our aim is to work in partnership with the farming community to improve the region’s water quality.

“Anglian Water spends large amounts of money removing pesticides from drinking water – this raises customers’ bills and wastes energy. However the one pesticide we cannot remove is metaldehyde. This is why we are embarking on a proactive, responsible catchment management approach which will benefit customers, farmers and our environment.

“Even tiny amounts of metaldehyde in our waters will break European rules and in the long term this will be bad news for farmers and consumers. It could mean new regulation being forced onto farmers, and the UK receiving large fines from Europe.

“We have gathered a great team of experienced advisors and they will be talking to all the farmers in the target areas over the coming days and weeks. We will be watching the results of this trial closely to plan the way forward.”

Farmers eligible to take part in the trial project have land within the natural catchments of six reservoirs, the three in Northamptonshire and Alton Water in Suffolk; Ardleigh Reservoir near Colchester and Grafham Water in Cambridgeshire.

The regulatory minimum level of metaldehyde stipulated by the European Union’s Water Framework Directive is 0.1 micrograms per litre (or parts per billion) in treated water.

Slugs are one of the most devastating pests faced by UK farmers - without effective control large amounts of wheat and oilseed rape would be severely damaged. Metaldehyde is currently the most popular way of dealing with slugs, however there are other effective methods including the alternative chemical ferric phosphate.

For more information visit www.anglianwater.co.uk/slugitout

Burglars stole bottles of alcohol after breaking into a property in Tiffield.

Sometime between 7pm and 9.30pm on Friday, June 5, burglars broke into the back of the property in High Street North then searched the building before fleeing with the alcohol.

Because of the remote rural location of the property, police say they believe the burglars would have used a vehicle to get there.

Witnesses, or anyone who knows anything about this incident, can call Northamptonshire Police on 101.

Alternatively, they can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or use the anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org

Rugby World Cup winner Ben Cohen is among a host of rugby stars helping a bid by the children of Brackley Rugby Club to sing on the official RFU Rugby World Cup single.

Winning this opportunity and becoming the choral voice of the official rugby anthem depends on the children raising as many votes as possible. Now the children are launching a campaign to gains votes as voting approaches its final weeks.

Success rests on a combination of votes for the children’s video on Facebook, along with as many shares, likes for their singing.

The children are the only ‘junior rugby playing’ entry on the leader board, and so far the team has stormed ahead to the number one spot out of an amazing 285 entries with nearly 1,300 votes so far.

Lucy Mellor-Brook, mother of two of the boys taking part, said: “The support from the community in Brackley has been staggering but we need to keep the votes coming. The closing date is July 1 so there is still time to keep the momentum going and with everyone’s help we could increase the kids lead by more!”

So far the group have sung their rendition of Swing Low Sweet Chariot live on the breakfast show at BBC Radio Northampton and have celebrity support, with re-tweets from Ben Cohen, Tom Stephenson, Ashley Johnson and many more from the world of rugby.

Mrs Mellor-Brook added: “We desperately need votes on Facebook - the number two spot is a large choir from Gloucester who are gaining on us rapidly! Please help us to boost the kids entry and put our little town of Brackley on the map in the lead up to the World Cup.”

Ten-year-old Harry Bartlett said: “We are very excited as we love rugby, it’s our favourite sport.” And Archie Mellor-Brook, nine, added: “It would just be brilliant for Brackley to be part of the World Cup.”

To support their bid, visit their Facebook page.

Thieves tried to steal a woman’s handbag twice during an attempted robbery in Kettering.

The woman was walking along London Road at about 7.45am on Saturday, June 6, when she was approached from behind by two men close to the junction with Boddington Road.

One of the men grabbed her handbag and tried to pull it off her shoulder, but the woman managed to hold on to it.

The two men then had an argument with each other before one of them tried again to take the woman’s bag.

Again, their attempt was unsuccessful and they ran away into Netherfield Road when the woman shouted at them.

Both men were white, in their early 20s, about 5ft 8in and of average build.

One wore grey tracksuit tops and bottoms and had short brown shaven hair, while the other wore a pale blue tracksuit top which was hooded, pale blue tracksuit bottoms and large, black rimmed, sunglasses.

Witnesses, or anyone who knows anything about this incident, can call Northamptonshire Police on 101.

Alternatively, they can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A Northampton dog owner who failed to clean up dog mess left by her pet even after she was challenged to do so by park rangers has been fined £200.

Shaneena Khan, of Watkin Terrace, was spotted in October last year by Northampton Borough Council park rangers. Northampton Magistrates’ Court heard that during the walk Ms Khan made no attempt to clean up the mess left when her dog fouled in the park and then refused to remove and dispose of the mess when asked to do so by the council’s park rangers.

A spokesman for the council said Ms Khan did not attend the hearing on Tuesday June 2 and in her absence the magistrates issued a £200 fine, with costs of £250 and a £20 victim surcharge.

Councillor Alan Bottwood, Northampton Borough Council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “We have some fantastic parks and green spaces in Northampton and we want everyone to enjoy them. All we ask is that anyone using our parks respects the space and other park users.

“We appreciate that most dog owners are responsible and do pick up after their pets. However, there is a small minority who do not and we will not hesitate to fine them. There is no excuse. So always carry some bags and bin the mess your pet makes before someone else finds it.”

Anyone can report dog fouling by using the Report It section of Northampton Borough Council’s website www.northampton.gov.uk or call 0300 300 7000.