The Spencer Arms pub in Northamptonshire has been awarded the Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor after consistently receiving highly recommended reviews.

The Chef & Brewer pub, on Northampton Road, Chapel Brampton, has received an average of four stars from over 185 guest reviews and has been recognised with a Certificate of Excellence.

The accolade, which honours hospitality excellence, is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveller reviews on TripAdvisor. Approximately 10 percent of accommodations listed on TripAdvisor receive this prestigious award.

When selecting Certificate of Excellence winners, TripAdvisor uses a proprietary algorithm to determine the honourees that takes into account the quality, quantity and recency of reviews and opinions submitted by travellers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period as well as business’s tenure and ranking on the Popularity Index on the site. To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.

Nicole Aremini, general manager of the Spencer Arms, said: “We are thrilled to receive the Certificate of Excellence. The whole team live and breathe the value of putting the guest at the heart of everything we do and this recognition clearly demonstrates that it is working and providing guests with experiences they want to share with others.”

“TripAdvisor is pleased to honour exceptional hospitality businesses that have received consistent praise and recognition by travellers on the site,” said Marc Charron President, TripAdvisor for Business. “By putting a spotlight on businesses that are focused on delivering great service to customers, TripAdvisor not only helps drive increasing hospitality standards around the world, it also gives businesses both large and small the ability to shine and stand out from the competition.”

A memorial event to commemorate a community champion in Northampton will take place on Saturday.

Betty Onley, who lived in the Spencer and Dallington area, passed away in January of this year after a battle with an illness.

Mrs Onley worked for Northampton Borough Council and specifically at The Spencer Dallington Community Centre between 1980 until her retirement in 2010, for which she received a long service award from the council. In her time at the communitycentre she was not only extremely well known in the area but she made a hugely positive contribution to the local community.

She received a certificate of appreciation as an Unsung Hero from Northamptonshire Police in 2004 for her contribution to community safety.

It was her constant and powerful sense of responsible community that made Betty such a positive force locally, which was was underlined further in 2011 when she was a key player in the re-launch of the Spencer Dallington Residents’ Association alongside Councillor Gareth Eales (Labour, Spencer).

Councillor Eales said: “The positive influence Betty had on the Spencer & Dallington area is immeasurable and she genuinely wanted to just make things better and help people.

“On a personal level I am eternally grateful for all the help she gave me, Betty was not only someone I knew growing up in the area, but someone I classed as a friend - she was a true pillar of the Spencer & Dallington community, who is sorely missed.

“I hope for Betty’s widower Derek and the family, that the event on Saturday is fitting and well attended.”

The memorial event will start at 1pm on Saturday June 13 and will see the main hall named The Betty Onley Hall and a photograph fitted to the wall. After a short ceremony there will be lunch and a social gathering at The Wheatsheaf Pub, Dallington Road. All are welcome.

A road was closed after a car crashed into the Dr Martens head offices in Northamptonshire.

A section of Cobb’s Lane was closed overnight and into the afternoon today after a car lost control and struck a corner of the building near the High Street junction in Wollaston yesterday evening.

Police were called to the scene at 7.20pm and the driver was taken to hospital, but was not seriously injured or arrested.

The building sustained some structural damage, leading to the road closure while engineers carried out repair work and made sure the building was safe.

The road was reopened to traffic earlier this afternoon.

Former Cobblers centre-back Lee Collins has joined Mansfield Town.

Collins was one of a number of players released by Northampton at the conclusion of last season.

Cobblers boss Chris Wilder admitted at the time that the decision not to offer Collins a new deal at Sixfields was one of his toughest.

And the 26-year-old has now agreed to move to Mansfield, who will be competing with Wilder’s men in Sky Bet League Two next season.

“I had a sit-down meeting with the manager and assistant manager last week and their plans going forward really interested me, so it was an easy decision,” said Collins.

“It will be pretty much a fresh squad and they are going to change the way they play, they want to play attacking football and they want to give the fans something to be happy about, so I was happy with what they were saying.”

A 53-year-old woman has died following a collision on the A43 near Mawsley on Sunday.

Mawsley resident, Caren Ashcroft, was driving a blue Nissan Micra which was involved in a collision with a silver Vauxhall Astra and a silver Vauxhall Corsa just after 4.30pm between the Mawsley roundabout and the Walgrave junction.

A police spokesman said: “Sadly, she died as a result of the collision.

“Roads in the area were closed following the collision and remained closed until about 10.30pm while the scene was investigated.”

Officers investigating the collision have asked anyone who witnessed it to call Northamptonshire Police’s Drivewatch hotline on 0800 174615.

An incentive scheme payment of £61 for each member of staff has been criticised by a union representing workers at the Royal Mail sorting office in Northampton.

The Communication Workers’ Union says its members at the South Midlands Mail Centre in Swan Valley are “outraged” about the interim bonus compared to the £628 million profit it says Royal Mail made last year.

Gareth Eales, area processing representative for the Communication Workers Union (CWU), said: “Our members are grossly unhappy with this tiny bonus payment, when compared to the company’s profits, it is outrageous.

“What adds insult to injury is the likely bonus for the managerial grades across the company, which will be vast amounts of money for many. This was an interim bonus scheme introduced by the company following the privatisation and further national talks are scheduled to secure a permanent scheme.

“The CWU have a great track record on basic pay increases, nine percent in the last three years is tremendous, but this bonus is sub-standard and has actually demotivated staff. The message to Royal Mail’s hierarchy from South Midlands Mail Centre is clear - the workforce deserves more, we therefore hope a permanent incentive scheme will be appropriate and proportionate.”

Royal Mail has been approached for a comment.

Richard Levi hit an unbeaten 157, his first County Championship century, as Northamptonshire dominated day two of their Division Two match with Essex at Wantage Road.

Levi’s highest score of his career took Northants to 397-6 at the close, a first innings lead of 121, the South African hitting 20 fours in his first century in First Class cricket since February 2013.

Having started the season opening the batting, Levi was moved down to number five, and shared consecutive half century stands with Rob Keogh, Josh Cobb, Ben Duckett and Steven Crook as Northants added 276 in the final two session to build a commanding lead.

The hosts’ could only add 12 to their overnight 43-0 before Masters removed Rob Newton for 36 in the eighth over of the day as Essex’s seamer bowled a tight line and length in the morning, restricting scoring.

It was Ravi Bopara’s introduction that removed both Stephen Peters and Alex Wakely, the later bowled for 11 from Bopara’s fifth delivery and with his eight Peters, who made 44, drove loosely and was well caught by a leaping Jesse Ryder at cover

The rest of the day would belong to Levi however, the South African initially playing the support role for Keogh, who looked fluent for his 36, but after a stand of 63 was bowled by Reece Topley.

With Cobb for company, Levi started to move through the gears, reaching his first half century of the campaign in 80 balls, while Cobb played positively from the outset, the pair adding 91 in just over 20 overs.

Cobb hit 40 to take Northants to within 28 of parity but fell to the final ball of the afternoon session, edging leg-spinner Adeel Malik to slip.

The new ball couldn’t stop Levi’s progress as he moved to 99 with the single that took Northants into the lead, and after surviving a loud LBW appeal off Graham Napier he drove the same bowler for his 13th boundary to reach three figures from 148 balls.

Duckett made a determined 20 in a third successive half century stand before being trapped LBW by Topley, but Levi continued and found another willing partner in Crook, who scored at more than a run a ball in his unbeaten 38.

By the close the pair had added another 82 to extend Northants lead into three figures, Levi reaching 150 in the penultimate over of the day, to pass his previous best of 150*, made for Western Province in 2007.

After being left out for the last three Championship games Levi said he had repaid some faith in him with his first four day century for Northants and thinks the hosts are in a strong positon.

“Any time you score a 100 is great but today being the first one for the club it’s repaid a bit of faith they’ve had in me, considering coming back into the side having missed three games, it was good to get a big score.

“It was a bit of a work in progress, four day stuff has not been my forte over the years, but I’ve done a bit of work behind the scenes and it seems to be coming off.

“It’s going to start becoming a very interesting wicket by teatime tomorrow so the more runs we get ahead I think you’ll see their heads drop so we’ll try and bat once and put a lot of pressure on.”

David Masters admitted it had been a long day for Essex bowlers and said the visitors will be looking to restrict Northants lead before making the most of their second opportunity with the bat.

“It was hard work, we kept running in trying to bowl in good areas and the wicket was pretty flat so it’s been a long day, there was half a dozen that have kept low but generally it’s a pretty docile wicket.

“I think the game plan will be to bowl them out in the morning session, try and be as less as we can behind and then get out there and get out heads down and get a decent score on the board.”

A remarkable all-action septuagenarian grandfather from Northamptonshire is to take on the challenge of Europe’s biggest open water swimming event in aid of cystic fibrosis.

Two of Leo Leslie’s granddaughters suffer from the incurable genetic disorder and the 71-year-old – a former swimming school teacher and qualified scuba diver from Cogenhoe – will take the plunge in the Great North Swim, which takes place in Lake Windermere from Friday June 12 to Sunday June 14, to raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

Leo intends to swim a two-mile section of England’s biggest lake – no mean feat for a gentleman of his age and even more so for someone who was buried in a landslide as a child, told to prepare for a life in a wheelchair by the time he entered his 40s, left partially deaf after being depth-charged by the Israeli Navy and who has overcome type two diabetes.

“Several times in my life I’ve been disabled and by quite rigorous exercise and various dietary regimens, I’ve returned to probably exceptional fitness,” said Leo, reflecting on his intriguing life-story.

“When I was nine years old I was buried in a landslide for some time. I was on holiday on the Isle of Wight, playing at the base of the cliffs with a young friend of mine and the cliff collapsed. That would have been 62 years ago, about 1953.

“I went through my primary and early secondary school years with crutches and a stick. I was actually referred to as ‘the cripple’ by the sports master. Now, of course, you probably wouldn’t be allowed to say that.

“When I was in my early 30s and starting to teach swimming, various X-rays showed a spinal degeneration and I was told to prepare for being in a wheelchair by the time I was in my 40s. Not good news!”

It was not the end of Leo’s major trials. “Not long after that, I was depth-charged by the Israeli Navy, although I’m in no way military,” he continued.

“I was living in Israel at the time and actually diving in Egypt, quite legally and in Egyptian waters. But the gun-boat saw me and, just out of spite, threw a depth charge which has left me permanently partially deaf in both ears.

“Then 15 years ago, I was diagnosed with type two diabetes and was advised that I had to inject on a regular basis. I took a rigorous diet – the 5:2 diet – and combining that with probably about 4 to 6 hours exercise a week I’m no longer classed as a diabetic.

“And, as it’s a progressive and incurable disease, I reckon that’s pretty good.”

It is that. At 71, having overcome all of the afflictions that life has thrown at him, Leo is a living inspiration who has been preparing for his Great North Swim challenge by training five times a week at one of the Trilogy Health and Fitness gyms run by Northampton Borough Council.

“They run an excellent service for everybody,” he said. “I do one class called Insanity, which is probably the highest impact aerobic class that’s ever been designed.

“I’m the oldest in the class by 30, if not 50, years, and I come out totally shattered, wondering if I’m going to live for another minute.

“I’ve also been training in a lake just outside Bedford. There am I training in my 70s with guys in their 20s who are doing Iron Man triathlons and all the rest of it.

“I just swim along in their wake. About an hour later, I finish. But they’ve changed, had their tea and gone home by then.”

The incentive for Leo is to raise money for a cause that is close to his heart.

“I have three granddaughters and it’s absolutely tragic that two of them have cystic fibrosis,” he said. “They’re Sasha, who is five, and Erin, nine. They live in Wales.

“A few years ago their life-expectancy would have been about 12 but there’s been a lot of research and now it’s is probably middle age. In the future, with more research and development, hopefully things will get better.

“They’re the liveliest, healthy-looking kids you could imagine but the parents spend hours a day in therapy with them and occasionally, when they get a cold, they’re in hospital.

“Research funded by the Cystic Fibrosis Trust is vital both for treatment and hopefully for a breakthrough to give my granddaughters a normal life expectancy.

“Although I guess I’ll be one of the oldest competitors, I’m determined to swim the two mile ‘wave’ in the Great North Swim to raise money to help them and other sufferers of this terrible disease.”

Leo owned and ran an old people’s home before setting up a swimming school in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, which became the oldest private swimming school in Europe. He retired at the age of 45, but then trained as a yoga teacher in India and as a scuba diver instructor.

“I currently work on remedial yoga therapy with anybody that wants it, on a voluntary basis,” said Leo. “And I’m also in the process of writing a book, ‘How to retire at 45’.

“I retired at that age and virtually at no stage of my life have I earned more than the national average wage. You don’t need to be rich to do it, but there are a few tricks, so I thought I’d write a book about it.”

Clearly, the Leo Leslie story has a few more chapters to run in every respect.

The Great North Swim is the flagship event in the Great Swim series with over 10000 participants taking part over three days. The event is suitable for swimmers of all abilities and offers a range of distances - or more information or to enter visit greatswim.org/north

Schools, residents, community groups and businesses have been urged to enter Northampton in Bloom ahead of the June 26 deadline.

Tiered planters and barrier baskets packed full of summer blooms are now in place in the town centre as part of the competition organised by Northampton Borough Council.

A spokeswoman for the council said: “Flower-filled hanging baskets will be arriving this week and altogether they will create a floral feast for shoppers and visitors to enjoy.

“The theme for this year’s Northampton in Bloom is ‘colourful Northampton’ which is reflected in the planting – a richly coloured mix of flowers including gaillardia, geraniums, marigolds, begonias and cosmos.

“As well as the town centre displays, flowerbeds in the town’s parks and green spaces are also being planted with colourful summer bedding,” she added.

The centenary of WWI continues to be a theme in 2015 and there will be another special poppy display on the sloped grassy bank by St Peter’s Church.

Schools, businesses, community groups and individuals wanting to take part still have time to enter the Northampton in Bloom competition. Categories for the competition are school gardens, residential gardens, community projects and commercial/retail premises and allotments.

Councillor Alan Bottwood, chairman of Northampton Bloom Planning Committee and Northampton Borough Council Cabinet member for the environment, said: “We have gone to town on the colour of this year’s civic displays and they are really going to brighten things up.

“The Northampton in Bloom competition is proving a hit too, with new entries coming in every day which is fantastic.”

The deadline to enter the Northampton in Bloom competition is June 26. For more information go to www.northampton.gov.uk/northamptoninbloom. For an entry form call (01604) 837912 or email bloom@northampton.gov.uk.

Children will experience life as a wartime evacuee as part of this year’s Wicksteed At War family military history show.

Youngsters can learn about those taken away from their families to protect them for German bombing raids during World War Two.

An evacuee train is running on the park’s railway to recreate what it was like to be taken to stay with a new family, with actors in period costume helping to re-create history by playing the role of those who looked after the children who arrived in Kettering from London.

Youngsters will also be given an evacuee train ticket and a small string-tied box to show how few possessions children were allowed to take with them.

It is part of a Wicksteed At War education day tomorrow (Friday) designed for children aged seven-13.

Evacuated children from London were sent to Wicksteed Park before they were re-homed and the park has launched an appeal to trace evacuees with memories of the park.

They include children from the former St Dominic’s School in Camden. The junior and senior students were evacuated to Cornwall, the infants were evacuated to Kettering.

Education day activities will also include learning survival skills with an SAS soldier, a World War One field hospital, grenade throwing, a parade ground, a solider assault course, a weapons table.

There will also military vehicles, including tanks, on display, re-enactors recreating wartime life, the chance to meet an air raid warden and model boat sailing.

The main Wicksteed At War event www.wicksteedatwar.co.uk will be held on Saturday June 13 and Sunday June 14. The free family event combines military vehicle displays and re-enactor groups, with a record number of tanks on show this year.

Anybody looking to learn to play a new instrument can have help from a professional musician,

The Ukulele workshop will be held at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery on Saturday June 13 between 10am and 3pm.

The session will be hosted by Sara Spade, known as the ukulele lady.

She performs authentic vintage songs from the 1920s to the 1950s as well as her own beautiful original love songs.

Sara’s music style has been described as light-hearted and romantic and is designed to bring some classic nostalgia. The workshops are ahead of performances taking place across Northamptonshire throughout July. Concerts will be held at Northampton, Wellingborough and Kettering.

Sara, who was bought up in Daventry, is also working alongside CBeebies favourite Katy Ashworth for two different shows which she will be performing throughout the summer.

The workshop costs £34. For further information or to book a place on the workshop call 01604 837397.

To find out more about the artist, visit www.ukulelelady.com.

The Post Office says it is committed to maintaining a branch in Earls Barton following rumours it is to close.

A Post Office spokesman said: “Post Office Ltd is in the midst of its biggest ever Post Office branch modernisation programme.

“The postmaster at East Barton Post Office has expressed an interest to leave the network under our modernisation programme if we can find a suitable new postmaster with suitable premises to take on the Post Office.

“We have advertised the vacancy and there is an interested applicant who we are in talks with.

“Any re-location would be subject to a six-week public consultation.

“We are not at that stage yet with East Barton to begin consultation.

“We are committed to maintaining a Post Office in East Barton.”

Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon, will be performing at the traditional post-race finale at Silverstone Circuit, it has been announced.

The singer will performing at the event, which will also include driver interviews, after the race on July 5.

The Grand Prix Party is free to attend for all Grand Prix ticket holders.

The British Grand Prix weekend will start on Thursday July 2 with a separately ticketed concert for Madness.

The entertainment continues on Friday night with appearances from Deacon Blue, Nik Kershaw, Shola Ama and Jocelyn Brown, and Starsailor on Saturday night, all of which is included in the Grand Prix weekend ticket price.

Other entertainment over the weekend includes air displays from the Red Arrows, the RAF Typhoon and RAF Falcons, driver autograph sessions and activities including zorbing, segways, high ropes and rookie ride scooter sessions.

There will also be an indoor Family Zone, including a cinema, photo booth, a caricaturist, face painting, simulators, a children’s colouring area, interactive games, pit stop challenge, giant Scalextric and electric go-karts.

Tickets are still available for the British Grand Prix. For further information, or to book tickets, visit www.silverstone.co.uk or call 0844 3728 300.

Tickets for the Madness concert on Thursday 2 July are priced at £35 for individuals or £99 for families and are available from www.silverstone.co.uk or call 0844 3728 300.

Tony Hewitt has confirmed Saints will play all of their pre-season games away from home due to the Franklin’s Gardens redevelopment.

And the club also appear likely to have to travel for their first home game of the season with the new Barwell Stand unlikely to be completed before the start of November.

The Sturtridge Pavilion is being torn down to make way for the fresh stand, which will take the capacity of the Gardens up to around 15,500.

But despite the fact the Premiership season will start late due to the Rugby World Cup, Saints will still need extra time to complete the Gardens.

Hewitt explained: “This season you can’t play a Premiership game until the quarter-finals of the World Cup, which is on the weekend of October 16, 17 and 18.

“What we’ll try to do here, because it’s a very tight building schedule to get this massive structure up in time, we’ll probably play our first (Premiership) game away from home.

“We’ve then got to make a decision where we play our second game, but the second home game will definitely be at Franklin’s Gardens.

“We’ll be able to use the seating but the corporate hospitality won’t be completed until the end of December or beginning of January.”

And he added: “Supporters have asked why we can’t just put a fence up at that end and play the game here, but the demolition also involves the control tower so we need to have an operating control tower for the safety certificate.

“This is the one end where the control tower is as well and that’s critical to us.”

Communities all over Northamptonshire can apply for a share of £3 million funding to help people in need develop their skills and overcome the barriers that stop them getting into work, education and training.

The EU and the Big Lottery fund want to improve social inclusion and are working with Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership (NEP) to provide investment in local projects to tackle deprivation.

Projects will provide opportunities for people to improve numeracy, literacy and digital skills, build confidence and self-esteem, and better understand and manage their finances. Extra support will be given to people who may need it to find work including those with disabilities, mental health or addiction issues, those who are homeless, ex-offenders and people living in isolated rural areas.

Organisations can now apply for funding to deliver these projects.

Both the Big Lottery and NEP are keen to encourage collaborative partnership bids to ensure that activity is delivered in a co-ordinated and effective manner.

Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire is hosting two events this week for those organisations wishing to lead a consortium in a funding bid and others who prefer to join a consortium as a prospective partner.

The dates for the events are, for prospective leads, Wednesday, June 10, from 2pm to 4pm, and for prospective partners on Friday, June 12, from 2pm to 4pm.

The venue for both events is NEP, 30 Billing Road, Northampton, NN1 5DG

Sajeeda Rose, NEP chief operating officer, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Big Lottery Fund as their investment will really help those that need extra support to find work in Northamptonshire. The funding will help local schemes to deliver support, helping our people access employment.”

Across England, 71 projects have been announced today with a total of £174,521,600 available. This represents the first round of this funding and involves 25 LEP areas. Further investment is expected to be delivered over the next few years, taking the total number of LEP areas with projects to 37.

For more information and to register to attend the events, which is essential, go to: www.northamptonshireep.co.uk/events

Full details of all the project outlines in this round are available at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/esf

Further funding opportunities will be available in autumn 2015. To be kept informed on the latest Building Better Opportunities news register at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/esf.

A Shetland pony has been stolen from a footpath in Northampton.

Police are appealing for witnesses who may have seen the white and brown pony, pictured, being taken from where it was tethered in Ecton Brook.

The theft took place some time between 10am on Friday, June 5, and 9.45am on Saturday, June 6, on the footpath which joins Ecton Brook Road and Lower Ecton Lane.

Witnesses, or anyone who knows anything about this incident, are being asked to 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.

Reality TV star Joey Essex is set for a guest appearance at Northampton College’s first outdoor cinema event next month after polling top in a public vote.

The celebrity, known for his appearances on The Only Way Is Essex and I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, is due to meet and greet the public as part of a day of open-air movie screenings at the college’s Booth Lane campus on Saturday, June 27.

The free event is to feature showings of adventure movie Guardians of the Galaxy and musical Grease.

Assistant principal of Northampton College, James Whybrow, said: “We are delighted to be able to welcome Joey Essex to Northampton.

“He was the overwhelming choice following a vote among our students of which celebrity they would most like to see appear at the Outdoor Cinema and we’re thrilled to be having him come along.

“The outdoor cinema is the perfect chance to come along and watch a film with friends and have a look around the outstanding facilities we have at Booth Lane.

“The courtyard is a spectacular amphitheatre and will make a great setting for the big screen.”

Grease and Guardians of the Galaxy were chosen as the films to be shown following a vote among current and prospective college students.

Popcorn, burgers, hotdogs, soft drinks and ice cream will be available on the day and guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets.

Admission for the event will be strictly by ticket only. Tickets for the event are free and are available now by booking online at www.northamptoncollege.ac.uk/outdoorcinema.

Northampton College is still accepting applications for courses set to start in September.

Visit www.northamptoncollege.ac.uk for more information.

Young people from schools all over the county and Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust are putting on a special show called The Festival for two nights at Royal & Derngate in Northampton.

The event showcases the county’s young musical, dancing and acting talent on June 17 and 18.

Performances from dance, drama, music and combined arts from over 30 settings including primary, secondary, special schools, and NMPAT will be on display. The event will also feature a finale song including all of the performers from the evening. Youngsters have been rehearsing their parts in a number of settings including within the curriculum, after-school clubs and extra-curricular activities.

The Festival is run by Karen Bailey and Anna Carter of 4 Learning Associates working in partnership with the Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust. Anna said: “It is a glorious example of local agencies working in partnership to support the Arts in the county.”

Tickets are on sale now at £9 each and are available in person at the box office or online at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton.

A man who was seen ‘acting suspiciously’ before attempting to grab a 10-year-old boy on a towpath in Northampton is being sought by police.

Officers have launched an appeal to trace the man and have increased patrols in the area, after the incident took place on the path off Banbury Lane, Northampton, at 3.30pm yesterday.

The boy was not hurt in the incident and walked away from the man, who was white, aged between 25 and 30, 6ft 1ins, of medium build, with a red mark on the right hand side of his chin.

He had brown hair, blue/green eyes and wore a grey hooded top with the hood up and a big pocket on the front.

He was also wearing grey jogging bottoms and black trainers with red stripes across the side.

After the boy walked away the man made off along the towpath in the direction of the M1.

Officers investigating the incident are appealing for anyone who may have been in the area and saw the man to contact them.

They would also like anyone who may recognise the description of the offender to contact the force non-emergency on 101.

A police spokesperson said Safer Community Team for the area will be conducting ‘regular patrols’ in support of the operation.

Detectives are also urging parents and guardians to remind their children of the appropriate safety advice with regard to strangers, encouraging them to tell a parent, teacher or police officer if they are approached.

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 16-year-old boy was attacked in the street by a man who then stole his bag.

The boy was in Herriots Lane, close to the junction with Church Street, in Wellingborough at about 2.30pm on Monday, June 8, when a man pushed him over and stole his red, drawstring bag.

The offender was white, about 5ft 6in, stocky and wore a grey hoodie.

After the attack, the man ran away towards Great Park Street, where he got into a grey car and drove off.

Witnesses, or anyone who knows anything about the incident, can call Northamptonshire Police on 101 or they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or use the anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.