A hard-hitting social media campaign has been launched today by Northamptonshire County Council to raise awareness of the growing demand for foster carers in the county.

There are currently 900 looked-after children in Northamptonshire and the county council is hoping to encourage more people to consider fostering a child with a new recruitment campaign.

The campaign involves a video which has already been viewed more than 6,000 times on social media and which features real messages from children in care talking about what they are looking for in a family.

The quotes include ‘I want a dad who will take me on adventures’, ‘I want to be able to live with my sister so we can look after each other’ and ‘I want a family who accept me for who I am’.

The children are played by young actors from the Open Stage theatre group based in Northampton and by volunteers.

The social media campaign will be supported by bus advertising, banners displayed in prominent locations around the county and a series of open evenings and events.

Councillor Matthew Golby, county council cabinet member for families and education, said: “For children in care, it’s the little things that make a big difference, whether that’s having dinner together as a family, going to the park or simply having someone to talk to.

“We hope this social media video will have a real impact as it comes from the voice of the child. The children in our care need a stable, loving home and they deserve the same opportunity to have a family life as every other child.

“I would encourage anyone who thinks they have what it takes to become a foster carer for Northamptonshire County Council to contact our fostering team to find out more.”

To become a short or long-term foster carer, people must:

* Have space and time in their life to care for a child

* Have a spare bedroom

* Be able to work as part of a team

* Be physically and mentally fit

* Have patience, flexibility, time and energy

Information about becoming a foster carer with Northamptonshire County Council is available by calling 0300 126 1009 or by visiting www.fosterme.co.uk.

Cobblers midfielder Paul Corry is awaiting the results of a scan after he damaged a knee in training on Tuesday morning.

A grim-faced Chris Wilder revealed the injury news, and the Town boss is now keeping his fingers crossed that the damage isn’t too serious.

“We have lost Paul in training, so he is going for a scan,” said the Cobblers manager.

“He twisted his knee, so that is not very good for Paul as he was just getting himself back, and I have to say he was pretty close to being selected.

“So it is a disappointing one for him and us, but these things happen in training.

“It is a contact sport, and we have to train as we play at times, and unfortunately Paul has twisted his knee. We will now await the results of the scan.”

Corry has started just one game so far for the Cobblers, the 3-2 Johnstone’s Paints Trophy win over Colchester, and made three substitute appearances, the most recent of which was in the 1-0 win over Oxford United on September 12.

Joel Byrom sat out training on Tuesday with a slight groin strain, but he will be okay for Saturday’s visit of Leyton Orient, while skipper Marc Richards did train today and is fully fit after shaking off the side strain that saw him rested last weekend.

Rod McDonald is also back and available for selection after shaking off the illness that saw him miss out at Morecambe.

Of the four long-term injury victims, there is mixed news.

Central defender Zander Diamond has almost shaken off his dead leg and is due to resume full training next Monday, while Evan Horwood is currently back running and has been training with the youth team.

Brendan Moloney is to spend next week at St George’s Park to undergo rehabilitation on his knee injury, but there is less encouraging news on Ricky Holmes, who is still struggling with his troublesome back problem, Wilder admitting his recovery is ‘a slow one’.

Northampton General Hospital’s emergency department swept the boards at the annual staff awards ceremony at the weekend.

The emergency department picked up a hat-trick of awards at the ceremony on Friday night, including the team of the year accolade for their proactive approach to improving patient flow and safety.

The work of the department in supporting older patients was recognised with the Patient Safety Award for A&E’s geriatric elderly medicine team while emergency medicine consultant Dr Sarah Vince was awarded the Chief Executive’s Innovation in Practice Award.

Chief executive officer Dr Sonia Swart said: “This year we received more nominations for the Best Possible Care Awards than ever before. Our judges were faced with the unenviable task of selecting six shortlisted nominees from our nine award categories and then deciding upon the overall winner in each category.

“All the nominations demonstrated that, despite the challenges our staff face each and every day, they are prepared to go the extra mile to support one another and make sure all our patients receive the best possible care. “

The full list of winners is:

* Clinical Team Award: A&E team

The A&E team have pro-actively implemented sustainable changes which have led to improvements in patient flow, safety and patients’ experience.

* Unsung Hero Clinical Award: Rebecca Smith, Dryden ward

Rebecca promotes staff morale and, importantly, promotes, improves and protects patient safety.

* Non-Clinical Team Award: Pathology management team

The pathology management team was recognised for its resilience during a period of work-to-rule: providing support and encouragement to the wider pathology team, introducing service changes and ensuring the quality of service did not falter.

* Unsung Hero Non-Clinical Award: Linda Burniston, emergency assessment unit

Linda”can be relied on to keep spirits high. She fosters a good team working ethic, takes time to listen – and makes great cakes!”

* Volunteer of the Year Award: Wendy Drage, Northamptonshire Cancer Partnership user group

Wendy is passionate about good end of life care and acts as an advocate for patients and their families

* Chief Executive’s Innovation in Practice Award: Dr Sarah Vince, A&E

Sarah has shown passion and dedication to the care of elderly and dementia patients in A&E.

* Patient Experience Award: Debbie Wigley, learning disabilities nurse

Debbie has significantly improved the experience of our patients with learning disabilities

* Patient Safety Award: Geriatric Elderly Medicine Team, A&E

The GEM team’s commitment to the service they provide in a pressurised environment “is an inspiration to others.”

* Outstanding Contribution Award: Naomi Walters, Specialist Discharge Nurse

Naomi has developed the weekend discharge team, training staff to facilitate 7-day discharge. Naomi is highly motivated to improve our patients’ journey and encourages teams to pursue new initiatives

* The Ken Hughes Award is given in memory of the late Ken Hughes, former NGH non-executive director who was a keen advocate for staff engagement and patient involvement in service improvements. This accolade was awarded to Mr Fred Evans, former NGH shadow governor, a staunch advocate for patients - offering challenge, wise counsel and constructive criticism - Fred is a true friend of NGH

The awards were supported by funding from the Northamptonshire Health Charitable Fund and sponsorship from Arup, Capsticks, Deloitte, HSB, and Siimply Business.

Police have issued a warning after two Northamptonshire care homes were broken into in the past two days.

Burglars broke into the office areas of the homes in Wellingborough and stole items from within, although at no point did the offenders gain access to the residential areas.

Police officers are urging other care homes to remain vigilant and ensure they take appropriate crime prevention advice to secure their properties.

Anyone who witnesses any suspicious activity near care homes, or any other building, should contact police on 101 or 999 if a crime is taking place.

{http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk|OTHER STORIES FROM THE CHRON|}

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{http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/crime/flasher-exposed-himself-to-woman-in-northampton-park-1-6968579|FLASHER EXPOSED HIMSELF TO WOMAN IN NORTHAMPTON PARK|}

There was no play at the Kia Oval where Surrey, eight points ahead of Lancashire at the top of the LV=County Championship second division with both sides already promoted, are looking to clinch the title with a win over Northamptonshire.

Heavy overnight and morning rain left the ground waterlogged and after several inspections umpires Steve Garratt and Nigel Llong abandoned play for the day at 3.30pm.

Organisers of this year’s FreshFest at the University of Northampton have revealed actions taken to avoid issues over noise that marred last year’s event.

The University of Northampton Students’ Union was besieged by complaints from the public last year after loud music and offensive language from the DJ disrupted thousands of households across the town. Hundreds of people registered complaints across social media and the borough council’s environmental health department carried out a full investigation.

FreshFest will be on Saturday September 26. Last year’s event was on a Sunday night, one of the reason why householders were so angry at the disturbed night’s sleep.

A spokesperson for the university added: “The University of Northampton Students’ Union, as last year, are working closely with Environmental Health to ensure that the event, which this year runs 4pm – 11pm, operates in a manner than ensures a quality experience for our students whilst minimising the impact on the local community.

“A number of changes have been made to the site plan of FreshFest including the direction of travel for sound and opportunities for sound absorption from the immediate environment to ensure the nearest residential area should not experience anything greater than 65Db, a level similar to that found on a busy road.

“Local residents who wish to raise any concerns regarding Freshers event or provide input should contact the Students’ Union’s Marketing & Communications Manager by emailing enquiries@northamptonunion.com
Student union president, Victor Agboola, who issued an apology after last year, said this year’s event will be a great night for new students in the town.

“FreshFest event, which has previously played host to Gorgon City and Sigma, will this year welcome chart-topper and British rapper, Example, alongside BBC Radio 1 DJ, Huw Stephens. A fantastic line up that our students are really excited about,” he said.

The FreshFest is part of a number of activities put on by the union to welcome thousands of new students to the town.

“The Students’ Union will provide students access to a foam party, UV paint party, outdoor cinema, karaoke and pub quizzes among other events designed to welcome Northampton’s newest residents,” the spokesperson said.

“Students will also have the opportunity to meet the Students’ Union’s 35 Sports Clubs and 70 different Student Societies alongside a number of local and national businesses and charities across a two day event expected to attract over 6,000 visitors looking to take advantage of the organisation’s unique offer of free sports and society memberships.

“Our Freshers and Welcome Programme presents a number of fun and affordable opportunities for students to learn more about Northampton, what the Students’ Union and University have to offer and a chance to make new friends with other students in their Halls of Residence and on their course,” the spokesperson added.

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A new study to track the movement of harvest mice using a sniffer dog has been launched by a researcher at Moulton College.

Emily Howard-Williams is leading a team of experts to find out more about one of the most elusive, and smallest, mammals in the country. Finding their tell-tale signs can be difficult and time-consuming and it has proved very difficult to determine an accurate picture of their current numbers.

Ms Howard-Williams has been awarded a grant by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species to train Tui, a flat-coated retriever to learn to detect the scent of harvest mice, making tracking their presence in the countryside easier and more efficient.

Typically found in cereal fields, reed beds and hedgerows, PTES believes that harvest mice have declined in the past 40 years as a result of changes to farming practices and habitat management. To date there have been no reliable studies to quantify this change, and it is unclear as to exactly how many are currently left in the UK. With the help of Tui, who was bred from working gun dogs, Ms Howard-Williams’s team hopes to shed some light on one of the most iconic species of the British countryside.

She said: “The harvest mouse appears to have undergone significant declines in parts of the countryside, partly in response to the intensification of modern agriculture, but also due to habitat loss. Yet it still remains difficult to ascertain just how many there really are.

“The funding from PTES will help to train our resident harvest mouse detector dog, enabling us to determine whether using sniffer dogs is the best approach in tracking these creatures!”

Nida Al-Fulaij, grants manager from PTES, added: “We all know that dogs have an amazing sense of smell.

“The UK enlists the help of sniffer dogs at airports, music festivals and in the army, so why not also use them for conservation purposes to find harvest mice.

“The trained eye may miss a harvest mouse nest, but a trained nose is much more likely to pick up on a familiar scent and alert the handler to the presence of recent harvest mice activity in that area.

“We are very excited to be funding this project and look forward to seeing what results reveal about harvest mice populations in the UK.”

Sixteen litterbugs were slapped with an £80 fine by neighbourhood wardens in a new campaign by Northampton Borough Council.

Earlier this month, the council launched its Love Northampton - Let’s Keep It Clean’ campaign warning people they would be coming down hard on people caught littering.

Starting on Saturday, anyone caught littering in the town centre were told to pick it up or face a fine. Sixteen people refused to do so and were handed the fine.

The wardens have also been removing alcohol from street drinkers as part of the new drive.

Councillor Alan Bottwood, Northampton Borough Council’s cabinet member for environment said: “It is disappointing that we have to fine people to get the message across. But if people refuse to listen then we have no other choice. People should feel pride in Northampton, we live in a beautiful county town, but a small minority seem to feel it is ok to drop their litter and rubbish wherever they like as someone else will pick it up.

“In the last few weeks we have been working hard to show the problems litter can cause. Now we are getting tough. If people refuse to take responsibility for their rubbish then we will fine them.”

‘Love Northampton – let’s keep it clean’ runs initially until the end of September. Anyone wanting to find out more or arrange a community clean up in their neighbourhood can call 0300 330 7000. To report a problem with litter, graffiti or fly tipping visit www.northampton.gov.uk or use the Northampton Report It App, which is available to download free for Apple and Android devices.

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{http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/crime/images-released-of-two-people-after-violent-assault-on-woman-in-northampton-takeaway-1-6968450|IMAGES RELEASED OF TWO PEOPLE AFTER VIOLENT ASSAULT ON WOMAN IN NORTHAMPTON TAKEAWAY|}

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{http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/crime/breaking-news-grandmother-of-baby-who-died-after-dog-attack-appears-in-court-charged-under-dangerous-dogs-act-1-6968061|GRANDMOTHER OF BABY WHO DIED AFTER DOG ATTACK APPEARS IN COURT CHARGED UNDER DANGEROUS DOGS ACT|}

{http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/crime/flasher-exposed-himself-to-woman-in-northampton-park-1-6968579|FLASHER EXPOSED HIMSELF TO WOMAN IN NORTHAMPTON PARK|}

A social media campaign by a Northamptonshire Police officer to raise awareness of child sexual exploitation has gone global.

PC Rob Stevens came up with the idea to ask people to change their profile picture to their favourite superhero for one week...and the response has been phenomenal.

Within hours of changing his profile picture with a plea for help to increase understanding of the signs of CSE, hundreds had followed suit, and now, four days on, more than 1,000 people on Twitter have changed their avatar. This includes people from Canada, Australia, Holland and America.

PC Stevens said: “There is no greater priority than protecting our children and this is a subject I’m passionate about.

“We need to raise awareness of this horrendous crime so that people know what signs to look out for which may indicate a child is at risk.

“I thought this would be a different way of spreading the word and I’m delighted it has taken off so well.”

Senior officers who have changed their profile pictures in support of PC Stevens mission include Chief Constable Simon Edens, whose avatar is now Spider-Man.

Help raise #CSE awareness with @PCStevens1368 #superheroes15.

A violent man from Northampton who assaulted two men in the town centre and then assaulted four police officers after he was arrested has received a 20-month jail sentence.

Liam Norris, aged 22, of West Oval. Kings Heath, appeared at Northampton Crown Court for sentencing after he admitted 12 offences, including a number of assaults on police officers.

The court heard Norris attacked a friend he had been drinking with on July 2 last year.

The friend was punched in the face twice and had to climb out of window to escape so he was able to contact police.

Dominic Woolard, prosecuting, said the victim suffered a bruised nose and scratches to the face.

Norris also admitted a criminal damage charge relating to an incident at Faces bar in Bridge Street on September 1, 2014.

The court heard Norris caused £500 worth of damage to a glass panel at the front of the bar after he was ejected from a private party.

After police officers he then resisted arrest by stopping officers from getting both his arms in handcuffs.

On November 16, Norris committed a further assault after he attacked a woman who he was sharing a house with in Abington Avenue, Northampton.

Mr Woolard said Norris punched the woman in the face causing her to suffer a swollen lip and cheekbone and a chipped tooth.

On January 24 this year, Norris then committed another offence of criminal damage after he smashed open the door of the shared house in Abington Avenue.

Norris also committed an actual bodily harm offence and assault on two men in Northampton town centre on April 26 this year.

Mr Woolard said, at about 3am, a man was being sick in The Drapery when he was punched in the face by Norris.

He said: “The victim’s friend then came over to his assistance and he was punched in the face by Norris, knocking him on the floor unconscious.

“Norris then kicked him in the head while he was on the floor.”

Mr Woolard said the victim was taken to Northampton General Hospital and was treated for bruises to his head, eye and a chipped tooth.

The court heard that three officers went to arrest Norris at the scene and he pushed and spat at two of them.

When he was in the custody suite, Norris again spat at a police officer and kicked two other officers to the floor.

The court heard that the affray alarm was activated in the cells and Norris then put his mattress up against his cell door and refused to be interviewed.

Norris, who has 12 convictions for 23 offences, was also in breach of an 18-month community order he received for affray in May 2014.

Maxine Krone, mitigating, said Norris had problems with binge drinking and anger management.

His Honour Judge Timothy Smith said Norris had a pattern of weekend drinks binges ending in offences and he had been unable to address his problems.

He said: “A number of innocent people have been the subject of your violent and seriously anti-social behaviour.”

Norris was sentenced to a total of 90 weeks in prison, including one year for the actual bodily harm offence, 26 weeks for the assaults and 12 weeks for breaching his community order.

He must pay £150 costs.

Ben Foden can’t wait to get back in action for Saints after recovering from a long-term knee injury.

The England full-back ruptured his left ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in January’s Champions Cup win at Ospreys.

It ruled him out of action for the rest of the campaign, but he has since returned to full fitness and taken a full part in pre-season training.

And now he is just depserate to get his match sharpness back, with friendly matches at Saracens and Wasps during the next couple of weeks in his sights.

“It’s taken a bit of time, about seven months, but I felt good after about six and a half,” said Foden, who spent two weeks in Philadelphia during his rehab, working with knee specialist Bill Knowles.

“I’ve been ready to go and I’ve done everything since we started pre-season back here.

“But match fitness is the most important thing and hopefully I can get that over the next couple of weeks.”

The 30-year-old has endured lengthy spells on the sidelines at key times in his career, but the ACL problem was particularly unfortunate with huge domestic, European and international games in the offing when he was ruled out.

And he said: “Any injury at any time, especially the severity of an ACL, is never good to pick up but it was really, really bad timing.

“I was starting to string a few games together, putting a bit of pressure on the other 15s and competing for that England shirt.

“C’est la vie, it wasn’t to be and I’ll look forward to other challenges around the corner with Saints and hopefully, in the future, England as well.”

Mike Brown has made the England 15 shirt his own in recent seasons, with Saracens player Alex Goode his current back-up at the World Cup.

But Foden has trained with the national squad since returning to fitness and he is ready and waiting if they do need him during the tournament.

“It’s competitive and Danny Cipriani is in that area of covering 10 and 15 so they have some choices to make, but I worked well when I went down there for the week,” said Foden.

“I trained at full-back, I trained on the wing and they know I can do both of them at the top level.

“Hopefully I’ll be in their thoughts.

“I don’t wish any injuries on anybody, but it does happen and if it does I’ll be ready and waiting and hopefully I’ll take the opportunity when it arises.”

A musician born in Long Buckby will see his work performed at Northampton on Saturday.

David Owen Norris, who attended Daventry Grammar School, will see his piece Turning Points played at St Matthew’s Church starting at 7.30pm.

Turning Points is a forty-minute piece for chorus, children’s choir, vocal soloists, orchestra, brass band, electric guitars, and piano.

Celebrating the values of democracy, it draws its texts from sources as disparate as Sir Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Malala Yousafzai, and an angry crowd in Ferguson, Missouri, protesting just last year against the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager. These urgent contemporary words are setagainst the backdrop of history: 2015 sees the anniversaries of Magna Carta (1215), Agincourt (1415) and Waterloo (1815), important turning points in the march of history.

Tickets for the concert cost between £5 and £15. They can be bought on the door.

Parents considering sending their children to a major new school being built in Northampton are set to attend another open day in the town today.

Yesterday dozens of parents attended the first open day for the Northampton International Academy, currently under construction at Barrack Road.

Many more are expected to attend another event at Hardingstone Academy, Martins Lane, today between 9.30am and 11.30am.

Parents will be able to register their child at the open day today and talk to academy staff about the school.

The new academy on Barrack Road will open its doors in September 2016 with up to 60 pupils entering the primary phase in reception class and 300 pupils entering the secondary school.

The academy building will not be open to pupils until September 2017, but parents have been able to apply for one of 60 reception primary school places and 300 secondary school places for the start of the next school year since Monday, September 14.

The pupils will be housed in a series of temporary classrooms on the site for the year before the building conversion is completed.

The academy will eventually grow by 2022 to take in 2,220 pupils, including 420 primary, 1,500 secondary and 300 pupils over the age of 16.

Andy Hardy, who will be the executive principal of the academy, said: “Northampton International Academy will be unique.

“We would like to encourage local people to come along to one of our open day events, register their interest, apply for a place and be part of our future success primary and secondary phases.”

Those who miss today’s event will also be able to attend open days at

Castle Academy, St Georges Street, Northampton, on Tuesday, September 29, between 9.30am and 11.30am; on Thursday, October 14, at Stimpson Academy, Stimpson Avenue, Northampton, between 6pm and 8pm and on Wednesday, October 21, at Northampton Town Centre Library, between 9.30am and 11.30am.

Teenager Dominic Calvert-Lewin admits it is a ‘striker’s dream’ to line up alongside Cobblers playmaker Nicky Adams.

The Town number 10 has been the main provider of goals for the team this season.

The former Bury and Crawley man has a floating attacking role, and pops up to provide crosses from both flanks as well as making things tick from central areas.

He has shown glimpses of what he is all about through the early weeks of the season, but played his best game for the club in Saturday’s 4-2 win at Morecambe.

Adams had a hand in all four of the Cobblers goals at the Globe Arena, and created many more opportunities as well, with Calvert-Lewin benefitting as he scored his first league goal for the club to make it 4-1.

The Sheffield United loan man, in the team due to an injury to Marc Richards, backheeled a low Alfie Potter cross into the net after the former Oxford winger had been set free with a slide-rule pass from Adams.

“Nicky’s delivery is ridiculous, it is very good,” said Calvert-Lewin.

“It’s a striker’s dream when you have him pulling back on his right foot and whipping one in.

“He has perfect delivery, and it is perfect to play with a player like Nicky, with his delivery and assists.

“We (the attackers) all seemed to be on the same wavelength on Saturday.

“We all have pace, Nicky is very good on the ball, Lawson is good on the ball, and to get us free-flowing to play to the gameplan is what you want.

“It has come off on Saturday, and we got the result.”

As impressive as the Cobblers’ performance at Morecambe was, Calvert-Lewin admits the team, and himself, should have scored more.

“We could have had loads more goals on Saturday, but at least we got the three points,” said the 18-year-old.

“On another day I would back myself to score the chances I had, but I missed the first one, and then probably got a little frustrated with myself and was hesitant.

“But I was just glad to finally get one, and get the win as well.”

His first league goal was a moment to remember for Calvert-Lewin, and he admitted: “You get taken away with your emotions when you score, there is no better feeling in football and I ran across to the fans to celebrate with them.

“It is only my second league start, and my goal was to get a goal, so I have achieved that and I am always happy to get on the scoresheet as a striker.”

The Cobblers are up to eighth in the Sky Bet League Two, and this Saturday host leaders Leyton Orient at Sixfields.

Calvert-Lewin admits that the team’s current form is ‘exciting’, but he says he and the rest of the squad won’t be getting too big for their boots.

“The performance at Morecambe was very promising,” said the teenager. “To score four goals away from home, you can’t ask for more than that really, as fans and players.

“It is exciting to see what we might produce in the coming weeks, but we’re not going to get carried away.

“We’ll enjoy this win, but it’s all eyes on Saturday now and we will be working hard through the week on what we can improve on, and looking to see where we can exploit Leyton Orient.”

Calvert-Lewin now has three goals to his name this season, having also netted in the cup wins over Blackpool and Colchester United, and he is hoping there is plenty more to come.

“I just want to score as many goals as I can, and every game I look to go and score a goal,” he said.

“That is my main objective, to work hard for the team and score.

“I am not going to get down if I don’t score, I just have to keep making sure that my performances are good and I do the basics right, and hopefully the goals will come.

“Hopefully, when we look back on things in a few months’ time I will have scored a few more.”

There are an abundance of Italian restaurants from some of the biggest chains in the UK that fill our high streets.

There’s no denying that you can get a good meal and deal at many of these, but if you search a little harder then you’ll find a cracking little ‘Italiano Ristorante’ which is just waiting to be discovered.

Andrea’s is tucked away fairly discreetly in Mare Fair opposite the entrance to the Ibis within Sol Central.

We first discovered Andrea’s when someone bought us an Italian afternoon treat there earlier this year.

We loved it then but our second visit was even better.

Andrea’s is small but perfectly formed with just a few tables dotted around the intimate restaurant.

My husband was greeted with a warm and welcoming handshake by the owner of the restaurant who seemed genuinely pleased to see us. Definitely something you wouldn’t see in a chain restaurant.

We chose our table – complete with fresh flowers, a lantern and flickering candle inside.

Service was instant – this time from a waitress as the owner was busy in the kitchen cooking for other diners.

We started with one large prosecco and a beer before splashing out on a lovely chilled bottle of wine white for around £20 (drinks included in the total cost of the bill).

Our waitress was keen to take our food order but there were so many lovely things to choose from on the menu, which made it difficult including homemade burgers, meat from the grill, fish, pizza, pasta and risotto.

We had spotted the specials board outside when we walked in so for one of our starters we went for the calamari special. We also ordered the cheese, garlic and herb ciabatta bites and thought we’d both pick at the dishes.

While we were waiting for starters, a basket of fresh bread and homemade garlic butter arrived which was delicious and was a complimentary extra which is always a lovely touch.

Although, if we’d had it while we were looking at the menu then we wouldn’t have ordered the garlic bites for starters as well.

The starters arrived promptly and they were huge and exceptional value for money.

The calamari was beautifully cooked with plenty of crunch but not overcooked and rubbery.

The “bites” were in fact a basket of ciabbatta with plenty of garlic and sprinkling of cheese. Far too much for one person but you can’t complain for £3.50.

The restaurant was starting to gradually fill up with other tables and the atmosphere was relaxed and happy.

Main courses next and we opted for the polla parma, which was a free range chicken breast wrapped in parma ham and white wine butter sauce, served with rosemary new potatoes.

The rich buttery sauce was a taste sensation with the tender chicken and the potatoes perfectly seasoned.

Sticking with the Italian theme I went for the lasagne al forno.

Lasagne is always a bit of a risk as it can be dry at some places but I knew we were onto a winner with all the homemade food at Andrea’s and it didn’t disappoint.

There was no way we could fit in a pudding but the owner treated us to a shot of limoncello each, which was the perfect end to our meal.

Andrea’s has been fully refurbished and you can easily forget that you’re sat in the middle of Northampton.

I suspect that not many know about Andrea’s but with a 4.5 overall rating on TripAdvisor and currently ranked number 40 out of 1,084 restaurants in Northampton then it’s on its way up there with the best of them. Andrea’s is most definitely worth a visit for a little taste of Italy.

Andrea’s Italian Restaurant

11 Mare Fair

Northampton

NN1 1SR

Food: Excellent

Value: Very good

Service: Excellent

Disabled access: Accessible with split levels within the restaurant

Parking: Nearby pay and display

TOTAL COST: £61.50 (including drinks)

STAR RATING: 9

An area of Northampton was searched after a man was threatened in his home.

A number of people contacted the Chronicle & Echo after they saw the police helicopter and a number of police cars in Hood Street, The Mounts, shortly before 9pm on Monday night.

A police spokesman said today officers were searching the area for a man after a report stating a man had been threatened in his home.

The spokesman said: “Officers attended and conducted a search of the area. Investigations into what happened are continuing and police would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed any suspicious activity in the area on Monday evening.”

Witnesses or anyone with information can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 111 555.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a house was burgled in Northamptonshire.

Jewellery is believed to have been taken from the property in Wyman Close, Bozeat, between about 7.30pm and 10pm on Saturday, September 19.

The offenders forced their way into the property and searched it before leaving via the back door.

Police would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed any suspicious activity in the area at the time.

Witnesses or anyone with information are asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

{http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk|OTHER STORIES FROM THE CHRON|}

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{http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/crime/shopper-sought-after-retail-park-incident-in-northampton-1-6969203|SHOPPER SOUGHT AFTER RETAIL PARK ‘INCIDENT’ IN NORTHAMPTON|}

The Enemy have announced a low-key show in Corby ahead of the release of their new album.

The trio from Coventry, fronted by Tom Clarke, will play the Zombie Hut in the town on Thursday, October 1, prior to the release of It’s Automatic the following week. The band will be road testing new material ahead of their forthcoming tour in November.

Tickets cost £16.50 before fees and are on sale now. For more information and to book, visit http://bit.ly/
EnemyCorby

Thieves cut the lock of a bike chained up outside a supermarket in town.

The pedal cycle was left locked outside Morrisons in Victoria Promenade, Northampton.

Thieves cut the lock and stole the Specialised Stumpjumper 2013 model pedal cycle which is lime green and black in colour.

It was stolen sometime between 10.30am and 11.30am on Wednesday, September 9.

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

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{http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/crime/shopper-sought-after-retail-park-incident-in-northampton-1-6969203|SHOPPER SOUGHT AFTER RETAIL PARK ‘INCIDENT’ IN NORTHAMPTON|}

Two men robbed a shop in Northamptonshire after threatening an employee with a meat cleaver.

The incident happened between 11.35am and 11.45am on Sunday, September 20 at the One Stop Shop on Swinburne Road, Wellingborough.

One of the men threatened staff with a meat cleaver, forcing them to empty money from the till into a black bag, while the second man remained standing outside the store.

Police have received CCTV images from the incident.

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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{http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/local/revealed-the-top-20-schools-in-northampton-1-6969291|REVEALED: THE TOP 20 SCHOOLS IN NORTHAMPTON|}

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