Police are appealing for witnesses following a collision in Rockingham Road, Kettering.
The collision happened shortly before 3am on Saturday, June 20, close to the junction with Melton Street.
A grey Citroen Saxo, driven by a 31-year-old local man, hit a parked car.
He was taken to University Hospital Coventry with leg injuries.
Witnesses to the collision or anyone with information is asked to call the Northamptonshire Police Drivewatch hotline on 0800 174615.
Seven people from Northampton have been jailed after stealing £37,000 from 70 phone boxes in a sophisticated series of thefts across the country.
Lee McQuade, aged 29, Connor Malone, 22, Davy Mains, 22, Gary Blyde, 54, Jamie Blyde, 30, Steven Malone, 43, and Kelsey McEwan, 18, all pleaded guilty to counts of theft, conspiracy to steal and converting criminal property between them and were sentenced on Friday, June 19, at Northampton Crown Court.
Police have said that the gang, including six men and one woman, planned their raids on the BT phone boxes carefully by using special tools and targeting pay phones that were likely to have large amounts of cash - even some in busy shopping areas.
They were arrested last year after a joint investigation by Northamptonshire Police and BT Threat Intelligence and Investigation Team that found the thefts had been committed between January 2013 and March 2014.
Some of the techniques they used included obstructing the view into the kiosk by either using posters or spray painting the inside of the glass and removing the interior light bulb.
Some of the members would be used to make test calls to the pay phones – a method to establish whether they were likely to be full of money or empty. They would then target the full kiosks and use a cordless hand drill to remove the money boxes.
CCTV images released show some of the gang walking across Kettering town centre with a set of posters under their arms, taken from another kiosk.
They then place these posters on other telephone boxes and then disappear into them for a few minutes, before leaving.
The thefts were carried out up and down the country including Gillingham, Hastings, Rugby, Coventry, Kent, Birmingham, Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs, Rochester, Daventry, Watford, Milton Keynes, Skegness, Rushden, Norwich, Dereham, Kingslynn, Luton, Dunstable, Uxbridge, Rickmansworth, Dover, Folkestone, Gravesend, Carlisle, Sittingbourne, Canterbury, Ramsgate, Carnforth, Kettering, Northampton, Wellingborough and Manchester.
Their charges and sentences include:
Lee McQuade, 29, of Entwood Drive, conspiracy to steal - sentenced to 16 months in prison
Connor Malone, 22, of Bailiff Street, conspiracy to steal and two counts of converting criminal property - sentenced to 14 months in prison
Davy Mains, 22, of Becketts View, conspiracy to steal - sentenced to six months in prison
Gary Blyde, 54, of Semilong Road, theft - sentenced to six months in prison
Jamie Blyde, 30, of Lark Rise, conspiracy to steal - sentenced to six months in prison
Steven Malone, 43, of Whitworth Road, theft - sentenced to six months in prison
Kelsey McEwan, 18, of Eastern Avenue North, conspiracy to steal - sentenced to a 12 month Youth Supervision Order
DC Emma Howe, from the Organised Crime and Drugs Team, said: “The investigation into this Organised Crime Group was challenging due to the amount of offending spanning the entire UK.
“Identifying the offenders and bringing them to the courts was a real team effort working closely with the CPS and BT. Through effective work by police analysts we were able to ensure that the group were identified and brought to justice.
“The costs to BT and the inconvenience they have caused to the public by breaking into countless telephone kiosk is huge and I am relieved that they have all been prosecuted.”
Kevin Brown from the BT Threat Intelligence and Investigation team said: “Today we’ve shown the importance of collaborative working in bringing this case to a successful conclusion. I’d like to praise the work of my team and that of Northamptonshire Police.”
Determining the seriousness of the ofences, Mrs Recorder Lucking QC, said: “Technology and circumstances have changed but they (telephone kiosks) still remain a vital point of contact to the emergency services.”
Organisers of this year’s Northampton County Beer Festival are set to give £2,000 of the event’s profits to charity after visitors surpassed expectations.
More than 9,000 people passed supped pints at the Delapre Abbey event, which featured 25 brewers, five cider producers, a gin distiller and two vineyards.
But after profits were ‘even more than expected’ from the event, brewery company Phipps NBC has decided to donate £1,000 to the Hope Centre and £1,000 to the Gurkha Welfare Trust, which is helping victims of the recent earthquake in Nepal.
Managing director of Phipps NBC, Alaric Neville, said: “We hadn’t expected to make a profit in the first year and so it seems only right for us to make these donations to charity.
“Most people will know about the good work of the Northampton Hope Centre, but we have also chosen to help further afield.”
Mr Neville said the Gurkha Welfare trust was chosen as the second charity after food company The Gurkha Field Kitchen, which had been invited to take a stall at this year’s event, could not attend.
Some of its staff had to return to Nepal to help with the post-earthquake rescue and the rebuilding of their country.
This year’s beer festival also saw Northampton Borough Council waive the £1,500 fee for litter picking, which it says has helped add to the event’s profits.
Phipps NBC ran the festival for the first time this year, taking over the reins from Northampton Borough Council, which had stepped in to run the event two years earlier.
Northants Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), which started the event over a quarter of a century ago, was also involved in this year’s planning, staffing and judging in the main beer tent.
Burglars stole cigarettes after they broke into a Co-op in Northampton.
The robbery happened at the store in Barry Road yesterday (Sunday) between 1.15am and 2.15am after the burglars broke in through the back of the shop and stole cigarettes from the kiosk. The security alarm was activated and the burglars left the store the same way.
A man was seen leaving the store car park in Barry Road around the time of the burglary and is described as about 6ft, with a thin build, and wearing a dark hooded jumper.
Witnesses, or anyone with information, are 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.
Olly Stone took a career best 5-44 as Northamptonshire recorded a crushing eight-wicket victory inside six sessions of play against Kent at Wantage Road.
It was their first LV= County Championship win on home soil since August 2013.
Despite a first-day washout, Northants were celebrating victory by 4.50pm on day three as they needed only nine overs to chase down a target of 46 after Stone’s second career five-wicket haul saw Kent bowled out for 151 in their second innings, Joe Denly top scoring with 39.
After four successive Championship draws at Wantage Road this season, the fifth game was over inside two days of action, on a pitch that was green and offering some assistance to the bowlers, but not to the extent that saw 15 wickets fall on the third day after 17 on the second.
Resuming on 193-7, Richard Levi hit 50 as th
e hosts were bowled out for 246 in the first hour of the morning. Steven Crook helped Levi add 38 for the eighth wicket but fell LBW to Stevens for 22, and although Rory Kleinveldt edged the next ball to slip, Levi brought up his 50 with a six before being bowled by Mitchell Claydon two balls later.
With a deficit of 106, Kent were soon in trouble at 25-2 as Kleinveldt trapped Daniel Bell-Drummond LBW for 10, and Rob Key (1) departed in the same manor off Mohammad Azharullah four balls later.
Sam Northeast (4) shouldered arms to be bowled by Kleinveldt after lunch, but Denly and Darren Stevens offered brief resistance with a partnership of 42, before the later became Stone’s first victim, edging to slip for 28, sparking a second Kent collapse.
Having lost their last eight wickets for 47 in the first innings, second time round the final seven would add just 51 as Stone ran through the middle order with five wickets in six overs.
The 21-year-old trapped Adam Ball (7) in front in his next over and two overs later, Denly top edged a hook to be caught at fine-leg, the first of wickets in three consecutive overs, as Tredwell was leg before for 7 and Matt Coles (2) edged to slip.
Azharullah and Kleinveldt, who had both taken five in Kent’s first innings returned to wrap up the innings with the wickets of Ryan Davies and Ivan Thomas respectively.
Needing just 46 for victory, Rob Newton raced to 27 as he looked to finish things quickly but top edged a catch to wicketkeeper Davies, Ben Duckett (1) following two balls later, guiding Stevens into the slips.
Those wickets only delayed the inevitable however as captain Alex Wakely’s unbeaten 15 guided his side to their second victory of the season alongside Rob Keogh.
Moulton College has launched a new rebranding project that aims to make the college ‘more closely aligned’ with the needs of industry.
The college unveiled a new logo as part of the project and revealed it was working in partnership with Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership and South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership.
A spokesman for the college said: “Established in 1921, Moulton College has a strong heritage and has been helping to support and drive economic growth in Northamptonshire and beyond for nearly 100 years, attracting students from a wide geographic area and equipping the future workforce with the skills they need to succeed.
“An ever-evolving college, Moulton plans to build on the investment of £70 million in recent years by expanding on existing areas of specialism. This includes the development of a state-of-the-art £1.5 million eight lane UK Athletics Association standard athletics track opening in September 2015, as well as a £5 million Food and Drink Innovation Academy, which will open in September 2017,” the spokesman added.
The college, he said, was worth £1.5 billion to the local economy.
“The Moulton College logo is an evolution of the existing logo with a modernised touch,” he added.
“It has been designed to encompass the College’s vision as a destination of choice in which everyone can achieve their potential. The rebrand sees not only a new logo; there will also be changes around the campuses over the coming months, as well as a new-look website.”
The rebranding was announced by college principal, Stephen Davies, who said: “The decision to rebrand has been influenced by our ambitious vision for the future of the college, whilst not losing sight of where we are today.
“Following extensive research with our students, staff, employers and the local enterprise partnerships, we concluded it was time to evolve our identity to coincide with our exciting plans for the future.”
Jo Lappin, chief executive of NEP, said: “Moulton College is an outstanding College that provides excellent training for its students. It is proud of its heritage but also strongly focused on the future with a bold ambition for further growth, including the Food and Drink Innovation Academy, which will provide essential skills to our businesses. The new branding is a perfect example of how the College is successfully reconciling its impressive heritage and its future ambition”.
Daniel Mouawad, chief executive of SEMLEP, added: “We work closely with Moulton College and are delighted to be supporting its ambitious plans for the future. This commitment to expand and rebrand will enable the college to position itself not just as a Northamptonshire centre but as a resource central to the economy of the South East Midlands as a whole.”
More than 500 people in Northamptonshire signed up to be a blood donor in a recent recruitment drive.
The campaign, earlier this month, tied in with National Blood Week and was held to give a boost blood supplies.
Nationwide, more than 30,000 people signed up - 20,000 more than during a previous appeal.
In Northamptonshire, 507 people were recruited in The Missing Type campaign, compared to 149 at the same time last year.
Jon Latham, NHS Blood and Transplant’s assistant director for donor services and marketing, said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to everybody in Northamptonshire who responded to our ‘Missing Type’ campaign by either helping to spread the word or by signing up to donate.
“We are thrilled that more than 30,000 people across England and North Wales committed to save lives by registering as a blood donor.
“We hope that the thousands of people who registered will now go on to book an appointment and become regular donors and that the organisations who backed the campaign will continue to help us promote blood donation.
“Current stock levels are good so we don’t need new donors to walk in to donate now. If there aren’t any immediate appointments in the area in the next few weeks – don’t worry, book an appointment for the future. We plan our sessions in line with the blood patients need. If you recently signed up we look forward to welcoming you for your first donation.
“We obviously hope you will go on to become regular donors and help us meet patient needs for years to come.
“While we have captured the nation’s imagination with ‘Missing Type’ the job is far from done. In order to ensure we have enough new donors coming forward this year to replace those who can no longer donate and to ensure we have the right mix of blood groups to meet patient needs now and in the future, we need new people to register every day and 204,000 to come forward as new donors this year.
“Giving blood is easy, it doesn’t take long to do and you can help save or improve up to three lives each time you donate.”
If you are 17 or over, visit www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23 today to find out if you are eligible to donate, register as a blood donor and to book your appointment.
A pressure washer, lawnmowers and golfing equipment were among the items taken in a series of shed raids in a Northamptonshire village.
Northamptonshire Police is appealing for witnesses after sheds were broken into at three properties in Holcot earlier this month.
The burglaries happened overnight between Tuesday, June 9 and Wednesday, June 10, between the hours of 8pm and 9.30am.
Two of the burglaries happened in Moulton Road. A Manfield lawnmower and a pressure washer were stolen from one property and golf equipment and clothing were taken from another. The third burglary happened in Brixworth Road, where thieves stole a MacAllister lawnmower.
Witnesses to either burglary, or anyone with any information about the stolen property, are asked to call Northamptonshire Police on 101.
Alternatively, they can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or use the anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
The Cobblers players returned to pre-season training at Sixfields on Monday, with defender Ryan Cresswell stating he’s ‘excited to be back’.
The Town squad has reported back a week earlier than they usually would, and a week before most other clubs in England, but the players were at least given a gentle welcome back.
Reporting to the club in pairs, the players were put through a series of tests in the gymnasium at Sixfields, before undergoing more strenuous work on Tuesday.
One of the first in for his tests was Cresswell, and although he admitted pre-season is not something players ever look forward to, he did admit to being glad to return to work.
“I have been waiting for this day for the past couple of weeks or so,” said Cresswell.
“The summer break always flies by, and the first day of pre-season always comes round quite sharpish, but I am excited to be back.
“I don’t think anybody really looks forward to pre-season, but you know what it is.
“It is hard work, it’s graft, and you have to try and get every day in your locker and you know you’ll be ready for the first game of the season.”
The players were all given summer fitness programmes to keep them ticking over during their seven-week break, and Cresswell has clearly stuck to his.
“I came in under weight, so I am happy,” declared the former Fleetwood man.
“It’s been a good summer, as good as it can be, and I am just excited now and looking forward to getting out on the pitch.”
There were a few new faces around Sixfields on Monday, with new signings Dave Buchanan, Alfie Potter, Nicky Adams and Josh Lelan meeting their new club-mates for the first time.
They weren’t all strangers to Cresswell, who feels the new signings are just what the squad needed to strengthen on last season.
“I used to play with Dave Buchanan up at Bury, and he is a good player, and a very honest and hard-working lad,” said Cresswell.
“The others I know just from playing against them.
“Alfie Potter had a good game here at Sixfields, and Nicky Adams is a good player I know, and they all bring the quality we need.
“Lookng ahead, promotion would be fantastic, and that’s what the lads that are all coming in want.
“It’s what everybody at this football club wants.”
Northamptonshire captain Alex Wakely admitted his side had asked for a slightly more bowler-friendly pitch at Wantage Road.
And they got it as a first home win for nearly two years was completed inside two day’s play in the LV= County Championship match against Kent.
But Wakely, who also paid tribute to fast bowler Olly Stone after his career-best figures, felt it was a good track which encouraged good play.
“We’ve played some very good cricket but we haven’t managed to force a result,” he said.
“We asked for a sporting pitch and we got a good cricket wicket in my opinion and we managed to play good cricket and got the result we needed.
“It was a phenomenal spell (by Stone).We were saying in the slips we were as far back as we’ve been for anyone, that was quick, for someone at 21 he’s a pretty exciting talent and I’m very pleased for him as he was just struggling for a bit of confidence lately but that was superb, it was a hostile spell.
“It’s a good place at the moment.
“There’s a good buzz around the ground I think everything’s just about right at the club from top to bottom so it makes it more enjoyable and easier to play.”
A family run garden centre in Northampton will be without its trademark floral hanging displays this year after raiders decided to take all but one over the weekend.
A total of nine geranium laden hanging baskets and six troughs were stolen from the front of Cramden Nursery on Harborough Road North, Kingsthorpe, sometime between 8pm on Saturday and 9.30am the following morning.
Business partner Nic Palmer, said: “When we came in to open the centre on Sunday morning we saw some people had taken it upon themselves to liberate us of our fantastic displays, which hang out the front of the nursery every year.
“All that was left was a trail of petals leading to the front gate.”
Mr Palmer said each basket and trough would have retailed for around £35, but as it is too late in the season to replant them, the centre will have to go without them this year.
The business, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, is located down a long entry road, which Mr Palmer believes the burglars might have driven down before loading a car or van with the stolen displays.
“They were such a nice splash of colour and brightness for our customers,” Mr Palmer said. “It is hard to understand why they have done this.
“Maybe it was for a really elaborate Father’s Day present, or maybe they off-loaded them for a quick tenner down the pub, who knows.
“We would just urge anyone who might have seen one of these baskets, or saw what happened overnight, to get in touch with the police.”
In a further twist, Mr Palmer, 50, who runs the business with his partner Emily Mitchell, 49, said the raiders even used a step ladder kept at the garden centre to reach some of the higher hanging baskets.
If you have any information about the incident, call Northamptonshire Police on 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A charity that helps people deal with the problem of long term pain has supported the chronic pain service at Kettering General Hospital.
David Kelly from a way with pain has presented the trust with a cheque for £75 to buy a mirror therapy box and with a digital radio.
The gifts were received on behalf of the chronic pain service by the hospital’s charity officer Christina Kelly.
Chronic pain service matron Sarah Florey said: “We want to thank a way with pain very much indeed for their kind support.
“The radio is to provide some relaxing music in our waiting area and the donation is to buy a mirror therapy box.
“This can help people who have had an amputation but still feel pain in the area of their missing limb.
“By performing therapy in front of a mirror it appears as though the limb is still there and this can help with pain relief and management.”
The a way with pain charity was set up by Mr Kelly’s daughter Julia in December 2012.
It aims to help people cope with pain by sharing their experiences – especially helping them to feel less isolated.
Sadly Julia, who had suffered many years of chronic pain following a car accident in 2005, died on November 2, 2014, but her father has continued the charity’s efforts in her memory.
Mr Kelly, of Great Doddington, said: “We help people in lots of different ways.
“We raise awareness about chronic pain, one of the hardest things to get across with chronic pain is that it cannot be seen, and consequently is not readily understood by many.
“We also offer a support network and forum to sufferers and demonstrate to people this is not a path they need to walk alone.”
The charity holds events each year to raise money including a charity golf day at Overstone and a recent curry night in Finedon.
The charity also supports individuals through a hardship grants system.
Chronic pain affects about one in seven of the UK population.
For more informtion about the charity go to www.awaywithpain.co.uk.
A robber who walked out of an open prison 18 months into a seven-year custodial sentence said he had to get out of jail because he “feared for his life”.
Ross Underwood, aged 30, absconded from HMP Springhill at Grendon Underwood on Sunday May 24, and was found in a flat in Burton Latimer in Northamptonshire on June 2.
Northampton Crown Court heard Underwood was given a seven year and four-month prison sentence in November 2013 and was initially placed in HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes.
Jonathan Dee, prosecuting, said Underwood was moved to the open prison in May 15 this year.
However, at the 12.30pm role call on May 24, Underwood was not present and, after more than a week on the run, he was tracked to a flat in Burton Latimer.
Mr Dee said Underwood gave officers a false name before bolting the front door and attempting to run away via the rear exit. He was eventually caught and subdued after an officers brought out a taser.
Mr Dee said: “He was screaming and was very insistent that he did not want to go back to prison.”
In police interview, Underwood said he was being “picked on” by a group of Muslim prisoners and said he had been attacked with a blade in the shower room of the prison.
Nick De Freitas, mitigating, said his client had been targeted by a group of Muslim inmates in Woodhill who blamed him for a robbery.
Mr De Freitas said that, when he was moved to Springhill, a couple of Muslim inmates recognised Underwood and then tried to attack him in the shower with a makeshift blade.
He said: “He felt he had no choice as he felt his life was in danger. He knows he should not have left but he had a genuine fear for his safety.”
Underwood was sentenced to seven years and four months in jail in November 2013 after he was convicted of conspiracy to rob.
The court heard that Underwood had a previous conviction for absconding from the same prison in 2009. In July 2009, the Chronicle & Echo reported that he walked out of the prison to settle an argument with his girlfriend in Northampton.
Judge Michael Fowler sentenced Underwood, of Leeds, to an extra six months in prison, consecutive to his existing sentence.
A pub has replaced a teenager’s laptop after a fire at the family home destroyed this along with many of his games and consoles.
The team at the Warren Hungry Horse pub in Kettering wanted to support Michelle and James Barrow, whose house was severely damaged by a fire, by replacing a much needed laptop for their 14-year-old autistic son Jordan.
It comes after the conservatory at their family home was destroyed by a blaze on June 1 which saw Jordan’s laptop, which is essential for his school work, and the rest of its contents go up in flames.
Kerry Dukes, manager of the Warren in Stamford Road, knows Michelle and James through the charity work they do with their Kettering McQueen cars, and when she heard about the family’s plight she got in contact to say she would replace Jordan’s laptop on behalf of the pub.
Kerry said: “We are a family-friendly pub and being part of the community is very important to us, so when we heard that a local family’s home was damaged in such a way we immediately wanted to help.
“The fact that we know Michelle and James from when they have supported fundraising events at the pub in the past just made that desire to do something for them even greater and I am pleased we could sort out a new laptop for Jordan.”
The family has been inundated with help since the fire, including an event at the Wayfarers Inn in Kettering and a charity football match organised by Brett Noble.
An online page has also been set up to help the family which is well-known for taking its Kettering McQueen cars to events around the area to raise money to buy items for youngsters at Kettering General Hospital’s Skylark Ward.
More than £1,500 has been raised through the online appeal so far.
Anyone who would like to donate and help reach the £3,000 target can go to http://www.copperfieldsfoundation.org/mcqueen.html.
On the whole, you can’t go wrong with a simple, no-frills local Italian when you fancy an easy dinner out at the weekend.
While that’s mainly because a Mediterranean menu is relatively predictable and will undoubtedly have something to please even the fussiest eaters, I think it also has a lot to do with the unique charm that can only come from a nation that truly loves its food.
La Pergola, in Wellingborough Road in Northampton, is no exception to that particular rule.
A small, family-run place squeezed between the high street shops, the inside is surprisingly roomy.
The high chapel-like ceiling, hefty wooden beams and brick fireplace give it that rustic, old Italian village feel, while the crisp whitewashed walls and leather seats bring it up to date.
It was very quiet on a Sunday evening, making for a relaxed and peaceful evening out to round off the weekend.
We started with a beer for him and a large glass of the house red wine, Italian of course, which was very nice and reasonably priced at less than £6.
We skipped the starter and selected from the main menu of typical Italian classics; a meat feast pizza and a seafood risotto.
Though it may generally be hard to get a pizza too far wrong, this one was towards the top end of the scale, freshly made to order and baked in the traditional stove oven, and the chef was even kind enough to swap a topping.
My generous plateful of risotto was perfectly cooked and well seasoned – if a little salty and with the odd rogue piece of mussel shell that had to be picked out.
It was made mainly with tomato and herb, rather than cream, meaning it wasn’t overly heavy and there could be no cheating on proper flavours.
Throughout our meal the staff were friendly and attentive, on hand should we need anything, and clearly happy to have a casual chat with their customers.
The dessert menu was quite small, but with a well-chosen selection of trusted Italian crowd-pleasers, including the ever-popular tiramisu and several flavours of gelato, each at less than £5.
I went for the Italian trifle and can happily say that I have been converted.
This exotic twist on the standard British favourite swapped soggy sponge fingers, weak jelly, instant custard and sickly whipped topping for layers of Italian sponge soaked in a subtle fruit liqueur, rich chocolate mousse, a light vanilla sauce and a sprinkling of tiny dark chocolate drops.
Simply presented in a glass, it was neat, tasty, and definitely hit the spot.
My friend’s lemon cheesecake also came nicely presented with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce and, whether it was homemade or shop bought, he said it was one of the best he had ever ordered in a restaurant.
Even though we decided not to stay for coffee or more drinks, the staff were in no hurry to rush us out, allowing us to take our time to settle the bill and wander home.
All in all, it was a lovely evening in a relaxed atmosphere that took us a million miles from the busy high-street outside. While the food was not especially adventurous, the pizzas especially (£8 to £10) and the main courses (£7 to £15) were decent quality and came in generous portions for the price.
Friendly family staff, tasty food and a generous glass of good wine – what more could you want to set you up for the week ahead?
While the restaurant itself does not appear to have its own website, you can find reviews and photos on its Facebook page.
To book, or for information, call them on Northampton 624466, or email info@thepergolanorthampton. co.uk.
Value: Generous portions at reasonable prices
Food: Basic but tasty
Disabled access: All street level
Parking: Wellingborough Road, free after 6
Total cost £42.60
Ranking: 7/10
A broken down lorry in Northampton is creating severe delays and queuing traffic for drivers leaving town.
The A428 Bedford Road is partly blocked by the vehicle, which is causing queues between Barnes Meadow Interchange and the Cheyne Walk junction.
The broken down lorry is also causing tailbacks the surrounding network.
Northamptonshire Police said officers are on the scene managing traffic until the vehicle can be removed.
Food producers from Northampton, Towcester, Brackley, Spratton and Sulgrave are among the finalists in the Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards.
The products that have reached the finals include, chocolates, fruit cake, apple juice and marmalade.
The awards, devised by Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership (NEP) and now in their seventh year, are aimed at celebrating all that is great about local produce and drink and recognising excellence within the county’s dining venues. They are sponsored by Carlsberg UK.
Two panels of experts judged the categories at the recent product and drink judging sessions staged at Holdenby House and at the reigning Community Pub of the Year – Town, The Malt Shovel Tavern in Northampton respectively, the shortlisted finalists in the five categories have been chosen from a record number of entries. They are (in alphabetical order within the category):
Artisan Sweet Product of the Year (sponsored by Moulton College):
Amaretti Tiffin - The Corner Deli & Sandwich Shop, Kettering
Cornish Sea Salted Caramels - Belflair Chocolates, Brackley
Fruitilicious Granola with Nuts and Seeds - Most Marvellous Baking, Northampton
Rich Fruit Cake - Elliotts Kitchen Fine Foods, Towcester
Swiss Roll Raspberry Puree Ice Cream Cake - A Rossi and Partners, Kettering
Artisan Savoury Product of the Year (sponsored by Heygates Flour and Animal Feed):
Hobnail Goat Cheese – NeneView Dairy, Stanwick
Nice Try Lamb Pie – Sauls of Spratton, Spratton
Pastrami – Ashley Farm Shop, Ashley
Pork, Apple and Black Pudding Scotch Egg – Elliotts Kitchen Fine Foods, Towcester
Potato, Leek and Stilton Pie – The Moulton Pie Company, Moulton
New Local Product of the Year (sponsored by Whitworth Bros. Ltd Flour Millers):
Fruitilicious Granola with Nuts and Seeds – Most Marvellous Baking, Northampton
Middle Eastern Marmalade – Friars Farm, Northampton
Rapstick Goat Cheese – NeneView Dairy, Stanwick
Rhubarb and GINger Cake – Most Marvellous Baking, Northampton
Skyver Goat Cheese – NeneView Dairy, Stanwick
Artisan Local Drink of the Year:
Apple Juice – Windmill Orchards, Sulgrave
Becket’s Ale – Phipps NBC, Northampton
Bible Black Porter – Nene Valley Brewery, Oundle
Booze Hound – Gun Dog Ales, Woodford Halse
Northamptonshire Bitter – Hoggley’s Brewery, Northampton
New Local Drink of the Year:
Bell Ringer – Towcester Mill Brewery, Towcester
Founder’s Reserve East India Pale Ale – Phipps NBC, Northampton
Plum Cider – Saxby’s Cider, Irchester
Ratliffe’s Celebrated Stout – Phipps NBC, Northampton
Additionally, while not shortlisted, One Track Mind from Brigstock Brewery at Brigstock was also ‘commended’ by the judges in the ‘New Local Drink’ category.
Among those new finalists to be celebrating their success is John Evans from Towcester Mill Brewery, who said: “We’re absolutely thrilled that we have been shortlisted, especially as we’ve just marked the first anniversary of the opening of the newly refurbished brewery after we moved into the town from Whittlebury.
“It’s been a lot of hard work in bringing the old mill back to life but this helps to make all that effort worthwhile and we shall certainly be pulling a few pints in our community tap room to celebrate.”
Vicky Robertson of Most Marvellous Baking in Northampton who is a triple finalist across two categories this year with her granola and rhubarb and ginger cake; “The publicity I had from being shortlisted last year brought a real boost to my business so I’m delighted to have been successful again.
“My cake uses rhubarb gin from one of last year’s winners, Warner Edwards, so here’s hoping that that might be the magic ingredient to take at least one of the titles this year.”
The winners and runners-up in all five categories will be decided by a second panel of judges later in the year and the results, along with those of the other 13 categories in the competition, will be announced at the Awards Dinner taking place at Royal & Derngate in Northampton on Thursday, October 15.
Meanwhile visitors to both the Northamptonshire Food Show at Holdenby on Saturday and Sunday September 5 and 6 and the Althorp Food Festival on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th September 25 and 26 will have chance to sample some of the 24 shortlisted products and drinks.
For more details on all 18 categories in the Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2015/16, please visit the Awards’ website at www.northamptonshirefoodanddrink.co.uk
A woman was seriously injured in a car crash in Northamptonshire yesterday.
Her silver Nissan Almera was involved in a collision with a silver Nissan Navara in Addington Road, Woodford, just before 8am on Monday morning (June 22).
She was taken to hospital with what police have describes as ‘serious’ injuries.
The driver of the other car suffered only minor injuries.
Witnesses, or anyone with any information about this incident, can call Northamptonshire Police’s Drivewatch Hotline on 0800 174615.
A man has been airlifted to hospital after being in collision with a car.
Emergency services were called to Charles Street in Kettering following the incident involving a pedestrian and a car at about 2pm today (Tuesday).
Police closed the junction of Charles Street and Rockingham Road while the air ambulance landed in Rockingham Road Pleasure Park.
A police spokesman said: “A young man has been taken to University Hospital Coventry.”
Cobblers skipper Marc Richards has returned for pre-season training in a positive mood, and is already setting his sights on a promotion challenge.
Town kick-off their Sky Bet League Two campaign at Bristol Rovers on August 8, and the squad have returned to work a week earlier than most of their rivals in a bid to get a competitive edge.
There was just seven weeks between the final game of last season, the 3-2 home defeat to Wycombe, and the players going back to work at Sixfields on Monday, but Richards isn’t complaining.
That’s because he wants his second season back at the Cobblers to be a successful one, and that means challenging at the top of the table.
“It has been a shorter summer, but that is part and parcel of football,” said the 32-year-old. “The lads understand who, what, where and why, and it has to be done.
“Pre-season has come around quite quickly, but we have to be prepared for this season, to push on and be better than we were last season.
“We were good in certain spells, we were bad in certain spells, so there are improvements to be made because we need to make a good push for the play-offs at least.”
It was a changed squad that turned up at Sixfields on Monday and then at Moulton College on Tuesday, with some new faces replacing the old regulars that left the club over the summer, players such as Lee Collins, Matt Duke and Ben Tozer.
In their place are a quartet of new boys in Alfie Potter, Nicky Adams, Dave Buchanan and Josh Lelan, and Richards is looking forward to seeing who else signs up - but he also made it clear that he expects any new players to share his dream of promotion.
“I met a couple of the new lads on Monday, and a couple more today, and we are still building a squad,” said Richards.
“We have a few players signed, and we have whatever the gaffer is going to do, but I think the base of the squad is very good.
“Anybody that comes into the club now should be looking at promotion, and if they’re not then they shouldn’t be coming to this club.
“It is always tough, and football is not an easy sport. You don’t get anything for free, you have to work hard at it, and I am sure we will do that this pre-season.
“I think it is going to be a steady start to build up to a heavy end.
“But it it is just all about getting through pre-season, making sure you stay fit, and if you do that you have a good base for the whole season.”
Richards was left frustrated at how last term panned out, with the Cobblers getting themselves into a good position to challenge for the play-offs, only to fall away over the last 10 games of the campaign.
But the captain was encouraged by how the team performed when at their best, and he is hoping to ensure the club’s supporters see more of that in the new season.
“The gaffer has made some shrewd signings so far, and there will be more to come,” said Richards.
“When we did click last season, it was like playing in a promotion-winning team.
“But what let us down was our inconsistency, not keeping the ball out of the back of our own net, and not being ruthless enough up top.
“And everybody has a part to play in that, it’s not just the defenders defending, we have to defend from the front.
“And it’s also the same the other way round, we need goals from the defenders as well from set-pieces and corners.”
Meanwhile, the Cobblers have announced they will play Bold Dragoon Cricket Club in a charity Twenty20 cricket match on Thursday, July 2.
The game will be played at Old Scouts Rugby Club, Rushmere Rd, Northampton, with a 6.30pm start time. Gates will open from 5.30pm.
A BBQ will be available along with soft drinks (spectators are welcome to bring their own alcohol).
Admission is free with donations for parking being split between a new pavilion for Bold Dragoon CC, and the club asking for our half of the proceeds to be given to the Leon Barwell Foundation.
