Two teenagers were arrested after an off-duty police officer, the force’s helicopter and a sniffer dog helped foil a burglary.

The two teenagers were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday morning after the off-duty officer noticed three people acting suspiciously in the Weston Favell area of Northampton.

One was arrested at the scene of the burglary, while another was tracked with the help of the helicopter and the force dog unit.

Police say the burglary is being linked to at least two further offences.

A police spokesman said: “A 15-year-old boy was arrested at the scene for dwelling burglary. The force helicopter and dog unit were utilised which resulted in a further arrest of a 19-year-old man for theft of motor vehicle.

“Both have been delay charge bailed with conditions, however, the driver was in breach of court bail for other matters so was further detained for court.

“The vehicle had been stolen in a car key burglary that occurred in the Weston Favell area of Northampton some time between December 31 and January 1. “Offenders then committed a second offence some time on Monday, January 1, where number plates were removed from a vehicle in the Kingsthorpe area of Northampton and placed on the stolen vehicle.

“The force is working to reduce vehicle crime as part of Operation Guardian. Enforcement activity will continue across the county to send a clear message to offenders that this type of crime will not be tolerated.”

Police are investigating reports of fighting between Cobblers fans and Fleetwood Town supporters near Sixfields on Saturday.

Officers were called to reports of a “confrontation” outside The Sixfields Tavern at around 5.15pm, after Saturday’s match, which ended with a 3-1 victory for Northampton Town.

Police have said they remain unclear exactly what happened during the altercation, having received different accounts of the alleged fight.

They have today appealed for witnesses to come forward.

A police spokesman said: “We are appealing for information about an incident following Northampton Town’s home football match with Fleetwood Town on Saturday afternoon.

“At around 5.15pm, in the vicinity of the Bella Italia restaurant and the Sixfields Tavern public house, supporters from Northampton and Fleetwood were involved in a confrontation.”

Witnesses to this incident, or anyone with information, can call Northamptonshire Police on 101, alternatively, information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Long awaited plans to build a bypass around the villages of Flore, Upper Heyford and Weedon will be discussed by Northamptonshire County Council’s cabinet next week.

Ways to improve the link between Daventry and Northampton have been on the cards for years.

As well as reducing traffic in the villages, the council believes a new road is ‘crucial’ for development in the Daventry area.

The council’s cabinet member for infrastructure, Councillor Andre Gonzalez De Savage (Con, East Hunsbury) said: “The A45 improvement link is a key priority for the county council and has been for a number of years.

“This is an exciting initiative which will greatly help economic development in the county by improving infrastructure and bring improvements at a local level by alleviating traffic pressures in a number of villages.”

Public consultation was held by the council to determine which of four routes would be preferred.

The bulk of support was for a route which would cost an estimated £40m to £45m and form a single carriageway west of M1, junction 16.

With a speed limit of 70mph, the route would be suitable for converting into a dual-carriageway in the future.

Ways of funding the project could include seeking investment from private developers as well as from the Government’s Growing Places Fund.

Jake Robinson is delighted he has finally started to score the goals for the Cobblers that he was always confident he could.

The forward scored one and is claiming a second in the 3-1 win over Fleetwood Town on Saturday; If they both count his tally for the campaign so far stands at five.

Robinson did not score for the entirety of last season and found himself out of the manager’s plans during the current term - he did not even travel to Rochdale for the opening game of the season and was farmed out to Luton Town on loan.

But his redemption from those times has been clear for all to see and he has become a staple fixture in a Northampton side who are now just a point outside the npower League Two play-offs.

“It’s going well at the moment and I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself but I am enjoying it right now,” he said.

“I’m working hard to keep it going and to keep my fitness up - obviously playing games is going to help that and I’m delighted with how things are going.

“I’ve always been adamant that I can score goals for this club and I’m finally starting to do it now.

“Obviously I’ve never shown anyone here much to believe that that would be the case, but I was always sure it would and it’s starting to happen.”

Although he finds himself on the left wing at the moment, Robinson showed a striker’s mentality when asked about the second goal against Fleetwood, immediately claiming responsibility for it.

Manager Aidy Boothroyd was happy to credit Robinson (as were the Press Association, who are usually seen as the authority on dubious goals) with the double deflected shot, which came as a result of yet another profitable long throw from Ben Tozer.

“The second one was clearly mine,” he said with a laugh.

“It was a shot on target and it obviously had too much pace on it for the defender and he couldn’t keep it out.

“The long throw is a strong weapon for us and teams will probably start kicking the ball out for a corner rather than a throw because we are that good from it.

“We have a lot of players who are capable of attacking that and it is almost impossible to defend at times.”

A burglar kicked his way into a Northampton flat and stole a large amount of jewellery some of which belonged to the victim’s late grandmother.

The burglary happened between 7pm and 7.50pm on Sunday, December 30, within a block of flats in Dunster Street, The Mounts.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said: “An offender entered the block of flats through the open communal door and kicked the door of one of the flats off its hinges.

“The offender searched the property and stole a wooden jewellery box containing a large quantity of jewellery, much of it of great sentimental value, notably her own baby jewellery and that of her late grandmother.”

The burglar was chased from the block of flats in the direction of St Michael’s Road.

He is white, 6ft and wore a black puffa jacket and a white or grey beanie hat, with a darker-coloured pattern recurring through it.

He wore grey trousers and had a pair of white running shoes.

Among the items of jewellery stolen were a:

22ct gold large band wedding ring with moon and stars pattern.

18ct gold sapphire engagement ring

Silver cross with diamond necklace

9ct gold child’s ring with mother of pearl and ruby stones

White gold cross necklace

Anyone with information can call Northamptonshire Police on 101.

Alternatively, information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

OFFICIALS have warned the threat of a high speed railway line being built through Northamptonshire has destroyed the housing market in parts of the county.

The Government’s proposed HS2 railway line would run from Birmingham to London and pass through Northamptonshire between Upper Boddington and Brackley.

Members of both South Northamptonshire Council and Northamptonshire County Council will discuss the proposals next week, but ahead of their debates, officials from both authorities have warned the threat of the line has already had a serious impact on house prices on the proposed route of the line.

A report by officials from South Northamptonshire Council said: “In some cases, the housing market has completely stagnated and properties which are now valued at as little as around half the pre-blight value still remain unsold.”

The Government is currently investigating how people who live on the route of the line should be compensated.

But the South Northamptonshire Council report warned many people were already suffering, including pensioners who cannot afford to move away from the route.

Discussing the impact on businesses, the report added: “Many of the businesses affected by the proposals are farms or rural enterprises operating at a marginal profit, especially since the recession of 2008.

“There is growing evidence that these businesses are finding it more and more difficult to raise investment or re-finance because of their proximity to the proposed train line.”

The Government estimates that work could start on the line by 2017, with trains running by 2026.

South Northamptonshire Council has claimed the construction of the line will cost every household in the country about £1,500.

Officials from Northamptonshire County Council have also voiced concerns about the plans.

A report which will be discussed at County Hall next week said: “Since the initial publication of a proposed route between London and the West Midlands the value of properties near the route has fallen considerably owing to concerns about the impact the route will have on property values once it is completed.”

Northamptonshire have made an offer to Australian seamer Jackson Bird to fill their overseas player vacancy.

The Tasmanian made his Test debut in the Boxing Day clash with Sri Lanka in Melbourne and the County want him for the early part of the season before the Ashes series which gets under way in July.

An offer has also been made to South African Rory Kleinveldt and head coach David Ripley is hopeful that he will have some positive news in the next few days.

He said: “I’ve watched Jackson bowl a bit and he bowls a good, English length.

“Both Nick Cook and Rob Bailey umpired him on separate occasions last year when he was here with Austrlia A and they both said that he would be worth keeping an eye on.

“So the seed was sown back then but he hadn’t qualified until he played for Australia.

“We’ve had a discussion with him, as we have with Kleinveldt, so we have a couple of balls up in the air.

“Hopefully something will emerge from all of that in the next week or so.”

We have five pairs of tickets to give away for Northampton Saints’ big Heineken Cup clash with Castres at Franklin’s Gardens on Friday night.

We have teamed up with Dove Men+Care to offer you the chance to see whether Jim Mallinder’s men can keep their European Cup hopes alive.

All you have to do is read the question below and email your answer and contact details to tom.vickers@jpress.co.uk to be in with a chance.

Question:

From which club did Saints sign Phil Dowson?

a) Leeds

b) Newcastle

c) Sale

The deadline for entries is 12pm on Wednesday, January 9.

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The headteacher of Northampton School for Boys has hit back at one of the UK’s best known sports pundits after millions heard him launch a tirade on national radio about an alleged incident during a recent rugby match involving NSB.

Steve Bunce has come under fire for what NSB has described as his “grossly unfair” criticisms of the school during last Saturday’s edition of Fighting Talk on BBC Five Live.

During the broadcast of the high octane, award-winning sports show, 50-year-old Mr Bunce - one of the country’s leading boxing journalists - claimed he had witnessed the worst player behaviour he had ever seen during a match between NSB and Denstone College in Staffordshire last month.

Mr Bunce, who attended the match in Northampton with his wife as his son plays for Denstone, claimed he had been called a four-letter swear word by one of the NSB players and alleged the same player had spat at his wife.

Speaking on the radio show, the pundit, known to millions as “Buncey”, said: “I have discussed it with a number of people in the rugby world and they cannot believe it.

“I have been to six Olympic Games and thousands of sporting events during the 25 years I have been covering sport and I’ve never seen behaviour like it from a player.”

The sports presenter then went on to describe the incident as “absolutely disgraceful behaviour” and called for Northampton to be put in the dictionary as something “naughty, outrageous or disgusting in sport”.

Mr Bunce wrongly claimed NSB was a fee-paying school, while omitting to mention that Denstone College is.

But Rod Goldswain, acting headteacher of NSB, has said that Mr Bunce failed to fully explain on the radio the circumstances and the full context of the incident which he said was dealt with at the time by staff.

Mr Goldswain said: “Unfortunately he (Mr Bunce) has used his privileged position as a BBC radio presenter to create what he sees as entertainment by criticising and naming a school and attempting to disparage both this school and our town.

“This is grossly unfair based, as it was, on one isolated incident.

“Those who know the school will not recognise the presenter’s comments applying to Northampton School for Boys.

“We are well known nationally for high levels of performance in a range of different sports and for our high expectations and values.

“We have a dedicated team of staff who work tirelessly to create a valued sports ethos and inspire students to play and respect others.

“I would hope that Steve Bunce regrets the comments he made in the name of so called entertainment.”

A gang of organised criminals who targeted supermarkets and cash machines “with complete disregard for people’s property” have been jailed for more than 20 years.

The six men were arrested in October 2012 following a burglary spree and were sentenced last week at Northampton Crown Court.

The investigation, named Operation Embargo started in May 2012 following a series of commercial burglaries in Northamptonshire and neighbouring counties.

Commercial properties, including supermarkets, were targeted at night, with cigarettes frequently targeted, while cash machines, including those at M1 service stations, were raided.

The gang used cars stolen from other locations, along with cloned or stolen number plates in order to thwart attempts by the police to identify them.

During a court hearing in November the defendants pleaded guilty to 18 commercial burglaries and one theft of motor vehicle.

The offences dated between April 16, last year, where Waitrose, in Manor Road, Brackley, was broken into and a wheelie bin used to steal cigarettes.

On June 6, the Londis store in High Street, Hardingstone, was then broken into and cigarettes stolen.

A number of other offences included an attack on Roadchef Services, M1 Northbound, on May 14, when four of the defendants entered the services at Junction 15a wearing balaclavas and attached a long lifting strap around the cash machine at the rear of the foyer.

They attempted to pull the machine from its fittings and out of the building using a stolen Nissan Terrano vehicle.

One of the group stood in the door way of the foyer to keep the automatic door from closing while the theft was in progress.

The straps were not strong enough to pull the machine from its fixings and broke, however, the attempt still caused “significant damage” to the building.

On May 21, three of the men carried out a burglary at Harpole Village Store.

Again wearing masks, they smashed the glass to the front door of the shop and used a wheelie bin taken out of the car boot to help them to take cigarettes.

Months of investigations culminated in the sentencing of the six defendants, all from Northampton, in court on Friday. They had pleaded guilty to a number of offences in November.

Darren Burnett, aged 37, from Billing Road, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary and theft of motor vehicle and was sentenced to four years and two months.

Anthony Cowdell, aged 24, from Coverack Close, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary and theft of motor vehicle and was sentenced to four years and six months to be served concurrently.

Craig Bosworth, aged 28, from Byfield Road, pleaded guilty to burglary and was sentenced to two years and six months.

Paul Grimbley, aged 25, from Briar Hill, pleaded guilty to two offences of theft of motor vehicle and was sentenced to 12 months and four months to be served concurrently.

Gavin Burnett, aged 31, from Melbourne Walk, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary and was sentenced to four years and six months.

Carl Townsend, aged 30 from Coverack Close Northampton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary and was sentenced to four years and six months.

Detective Inspector Lorraine Gordon, who led the investigation, said: “We are satisfied with the sentences that were handed out. This was an organised criminal gang who committed numerous offences with complete disregard for people’s property.

“They caused thousands of pounds worth of damage affecting businesses and the local community. These sentences should send a warning to other criminal gangs that we will come down hard on those who think they can get away with crime.”

Ken Pisi will definitely miss Saints’ game against Castres on Friday night with an ankle injury.

The Samoan wing picked up the problem in Saturday’s 30-19 win at Exeter, being replaced by Luther Burrell in the 60th minute.

But Pisi could be fit in time to return in time for Saints’ trip to Glasgow a week on Saturday.

“Ken Pisi is going to be out for a week or so, he’s got an ankle injury and hopefully it’s not too bad,” said Northampton boss Jim Mallinder.

Saints will also be without Brian Mujati for the Castres clash as the prop continues to struggle with a calf injury.

Mujati missed the win at Exeter and is set to stay on the sidelines for a few weeks more.

“Brian Mujati is still coming back from his calf strain but how many weeks, we don’t quite know.”

But there is better news on James Wilson, Christian Day and James Craig as Mallinder added: “James Wilson is close, Christian Day is close, James Craig is close.

“That’s really positive news so it will be great when we can get them back.”

Cobblers goalkeeper Dean Snedker has been called in to an England goalkeeping training squad that will spend some time at St George’s Park in Burton this week.

Football Association coaches Martin Thomas and Simon Smith will put a number of keepers through their paces in the two day camp, with Snedker joining the likes of Manchester City’s Angus Gunn, Alex Palmer of West Bromwich Albion, Luke Coddington of Middlesbrough and John Sutherland of Manchester United.

Northampton manager Aidy Boothroyd said, “This is a terrific opportunity for Dean. He is only 18 years old but there are not too many 18-year-old keepers who have played first team football and this call up shows the progress he is making is being recognised at the highest level of the game.

“Northampton Town have a fine tradition of producing good goalkeepers with the best recent example being Mark Bunn who has been playing regularly in the Premier League.

“The call-up is also a massive pat on the back to our Academy, who are producing a number of exciting young players who could have very bright futures ahead of them.

“It also sends out a message to local youngsters that Northampton Town and our excellent Academy is the best place to develop your skills and experience.

“We hope Dean enjoys the training camp and it will be a wonderful experience for him.”

Snedker has made three appearances for the Cobblers, all this season and all in cup competitions, and signed a three-year professional contract at Sixfields last year.

The Northampton South Conservative MP, Brian Binley has launched a scathing attack on the Government’s higher education policy saying ministers should not be convinced that a university degree offers a “monopoly route” to success.

Writing in his latest blog, the 70-year-old MP, who did not go to university but did build up a successful business from scratch, said the Government had become “obsessed” with quotas in relation to the proportion of students attending university and claimed there was a “latent snobbishness” about people who had not gone on to study a degree.

He said: “University admissions have nearly trebled since 1979, and most ministers and Parliamentarians are proud of their degrees. But this personal embellishment should not convince them that a university education offers a monopoly route to success; nor that those of us who did not go are necessarily poorer in any sense in consequence.

Mr Binley added: “Fundamentally, to argue there are certain groups within our society who cannot hope to succeed without state intervention as a justification to skew the system in their favour is profoundly insulting, fundamentally wrong and an exercise in sophistry.”

And he claimed the expansion of the university system, particularly following the conversion of polytechnics to universities, had meant the whole system was “unsustainable” forcing the controversial introduction of tuition fees for students to pay for the demand.

He added: “Perhaps the reason why many working class youngsters don’t share his zeal for higher education is nothing to do with their socio-economic status, but a worrying poverty of ambition, which is far more entrenched than a superficial ‘call to arms’ can answer. Unlike the minister {David Willets}, they have, in all likelihood, been fed on a diet telling them that they have little or no chance of participating in these grand councils of learning, and, after more than 10 years of such indoctrination, it should come as no surprise that they don’t have much enthusiasm for this venture.”

Mr Binley insisted there was “nothing wrong” with not having a degree, or opting for vocational training and simply raising individual aspirations should be a much greater priority, albeit a “much harder” task to achieve.

A warehouse worker has admitted stabbing a colleague and making threats to kill another man.

Rafal Lipowski was involved in a confrontation with a co-worker at the Tesco distribution warehouse at DIRFT in Crick on October 5 last year, which led to the 18-year-old man being stabbed.

Lipowski, aged 20, pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted murder, but admitted charges of wounding with intent and making a threat to kill, at Northampton Crown Court on Friday.

He stared blankly at his counsel and his interpreter in the dock for several minutes before answering any of the charges.

The threats to kill were made to a different person and not the man who was stabbed.

But the court heard the prosecution will not be offering any evidence on the attempted murder charge.

Piers Reed, prosecuting, said the injury to the victim was only a half-inch wound, and the crown would be applying for the case to lay on file.

Judge Rupert Mayo adjourned sentencing for reports and a full INTERPOL check to be carried out.

He said: “In due course you will receive credit for you guilty plea. I can’t sentence you today as I need a report on you.”

This hearty winter soup has been created by Northamptonshire-born chef Adam Gray.

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

50g butter

500g parsnips (peel and quarter, then remove the woody centres)

1 onion (peeled and finely chopped)

1 litre semi-skimmed milk

2 Granny Smith apples (peel, core and quarter)

150ml single cream

Salt and ground white pepper

Method:

Heat the butter in a thick bottomed saucepan until it starts to foam.

Add the finely chopped onions and cook gently with no colour for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the parsnips and apples and continue to cook for a further five minutes.

Cover the ingredients with the milk and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 15-20 minutes until the parsnips are tender.

Pour in the single cream.

Liquidise the soup to a smooth consistency and pass through a fine sieve. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.

Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top, and warm crusty bread.

The second most senior officer at Northamptonshire Police is to leave the force to become chief constable at Gloucestershire Police, it has been announced.

Deputy Chief Constable Suzette Davenport was this morning confirmed as the new chief constable in Gloucestershire having served in Northamptonshire for two-and-a-half years.

She arrived at Wootton Hall in 2010, soon after chief constable Adrian Lee came to the county from the same force, Staffordshire.

DCC Davenport replaced Davina Logan, joining Northamptonshire from West Midlands Police and having previously worked for the Home

Office, Staffordshire Police, where she was assistant chief constable, and West Mercia Police, where she started her career.

For eight years, she was vice-president of the British Association for Women in Policing.

She has gone on to become the national ACPO lead on road policing.

The 49-year old was one of four candidates interviewed to head the 2,207-strong constabulary, which she will take control of on February 1.

She becomes the first female chief constable in Gloucestershire in the force’s 174-year history.

DCC Davenport said: “I am delighted and hugely proud to be joining a progressive constabulary that has a strong reputation for policing.

“This is an exciting opportunity for me to work with the new Police and Crime Commissioner at the start of a new era and to deliver first class policing services and help keep the people of Gloucestershire safe.”

Chief Constable Adrian Lee this morning offered his congratulations to his outgoing deputy. He said her departure would be a “huge loss” to Northamptonshire Police.

Mr Lee said: “I am delighted that Suzette has been appointed to the position of Chief Constable at Gloucestershire Constabulary.

“I would like to offer my congratulations to her on being appointed, although her move will be a huge loss to Northamptonshire.

“We are fortunate that we have a strong Chief Officer team and together we will continue to drive forward the performance of the Force to deliver our intention of making Northamptonshire the safest county in England.”

The outgoing chief constable of Gloucestershire also offered his congratulations.

Chief Constable Mick Matthews tweeted: “I am absolutely delighted that Suzette Davenport will be my successor as Chief. She is an excellent leader and strategist and a dear friend.”

Irene Curtis, President Elect of Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales, also offered her congratulations on the social networking site.

She said: “Congratulations Suzette on your appointment as Chief Constable of Gloucestershire. Delighted for you.”

The four candidates for the post were interviewed by a panel led by Gloucestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl.

He said: “When I became Commissioner I said we needed a Chief Constable whom, as well as having all the skills for such a challenging job, also needed to be committed to Gloucestershire. With Suzette we have that.

“Balancing public expectations with fewer resources will be our challenge.

“I am very much looking forward to working with Suzette to achieve that and to make the county an even better and safer place to live, work and enjoy.”

Calum Clark is one of six Saints players named in the England squad for this year’s Six Nations.

The versatile forward joins Dylan Hartley, Ben Foden, Courtney Lawes, Lee Dickson and Tom Wood in the Red Rose group for the tournament, which starts on Saturday, February 2.

It is a significant achievement for Clark, who missed 32 weeks of 2012 after being banned for hyper-extending the elbow of Leicester Tigers hooker Rob Hawkins in the LV= Cup final in March.

The 23-year-old made his return to action in Saints’ 16-12 defeat to Leicester at Welford Road in November and has impressed ever since.

Clark has been named as a lock in the England party, alongside Northampton team-mate Lawes, and will be hoping for a place in the squad for the Six Nations opener against Scotland at Twickenham.

Meanwhile, Saints flanker Phil Dowson has not made the squad and will be in the England Saxons alongside tighthead prop Paul Doran-Jones.

England Senior Elite Player Squad (33): Forwards (18): Calum Clark (Northampton Saints), Alex Corbisiero (London Irish), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), James Haskell (London Wasps), Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs), Joe Launchbury (London Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby), Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins),

Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Thomas Waldrom (Leicester Tigers), David Wilson (Bath Rugby), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints), Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers),

Backs (15): Chris Ashton (Saracens), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Freddie Burns (Gloucester Rugby), Danny Care (Harlequins), Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints), Owen Farrell (Saracens), Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers), Ben Foden (Northampton Saints), Alex Goode (Saracens), Jonathan Joseph (London Irish), David Strettle (Saracens), Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers),

England Saxons Elite Player Squad (32): Forwards (17): Mouritz Botha (Saracens), Nathan Catt (Bath Rugby), Louis Deacon (Leicester Tigers), Paul Doran Jones (Northampton Saints), Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints), Will Fraser (Saracens), Joe Gray (Harlequins), Graham Kitchener (Leicester Tigers), Shaun Knight (Gloucester Rugby), Matt Kvesic (Worcester Warriors), Matt Mullan (Worcester Warriors), David Paice (London Irish), Tom Palmer (London Wasps),

George Robson (Harlequins), Ed Slater (Leicester Tigers), Henry Thomas (Sale Sharks), Billy Vunipola (London Wasps)

Backs (15): Nick Abendanon (Bath Rugby), Anthony Allen (Leicester Tigers), Tom Biggs (Bath Rugby), Elliot Daly (London Wasps), Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby), George Ford (Leicester Tigers), George Lowe (Harlequins), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby), Ugo Monye (Harlequins), Joe Simpson (London Wasps), Charlie Sharples (Gloucester Rugby), Joel Tomkins (Saracens), Jordan Turner-Hall (Harlequins), Christian Wade (London Wasps), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens)

Northamptonshire stalely home Boughton House is to take a starring role in the film adaptation of Les Misérables when it opens in cinemas next week.

The home near Kettering, which has been called the English Versailles due to its French architectural style, was used as the family home of Marius, played by Eddie Redmayne, and provides the setting for his wedding to Cosette, played by Amanda Seyfried.

The entire estate was taken over by the filming, following on from its appearance on X-Factor last year.

The film hits the big screen on Friday, January 11 and was shot at a range of locations across the country including Chatham Docks in Kent, Winchester College and Portsmouth Naval Base.

Charles Lister, Boughton House property manager, said: “Boughton House has a long history of supporting the arts and we were delighted to have played a small role in the making of this film. It’s been an exciting year at the estate, with The X Factor and Les Mis both filmed here, and we hope to welcome further opportunities in the future.”

Camilla Stephenson, supervising location manager on Les Misérables said: “People might be surprised to discover only a tiny portion of our film was actually filmed in France.

“There are some fantastic locations to be found in our stunning English regions that worked perfectly for our early 19th Century France.”

Creative England, a national agency which invests in film, TV, games and digital media, is now talking to Northamptonshire County Council about encouraging more film and television production companies to use the county.

The agency says production companies can spend up to £30,000 per day on all costs related to filming.

Police have today named the victim of Northamptonshire’s first fatal road crash of the year as 79-year-old Mary Rouse.

Mrs Rouse, of Greatworth, died after her car crashed into a tree on a country lane near Farthinghoe on Saturday.

A force spokesman said: “Police are now in a position to name the lady who died in a road traffic collision on Cockley Road, Farthinghoe, on Saturday, January 5.

“She was Mary Rouse, aged 79, of Helmdon Road, Greatworth.

“She was driving a red Suzuki Jimny from Farthinghoe towards Marston St Lawrence, when for reasons yet unknown, left the road and was in collision with a tree.

“Officers would still like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the collision or who may have any information regarding it.”

Her death comes after 36 people died on the county’s roads in 2012, an increase of around 90 per cent on 2011.

Anyone with information about the crash can call the Drivewatch Hotline on 0800 174615.

Police in Northamptonshire have launched a new iPhone app, in which gamers can drive around Wootton Hall in a police car.

The force has launched the free app, called ‘First Response’, after it was designed by a member of staff, in their spare time.

The app challenges members of the public to a time trial lap around Northamptonshire Police HQ in a mini version of a force Skoda Octavia.

Player have to gain time, speed and petrol as they race.

The app is free to download from the iPhone App store and provides access to the force website, Facebook page, Twitter account and YouTube page by clicking on the relevant icon when you open the app.

Assistant Chief Constable Martin Jelley said: “We are always trying to think of new and innovative ways in which we can engage with members of the public.

“The iPhone app is a bit of fun, but also allows people to get in touch with us through our other very popular online channels.

“The app has been developed internally by a member of the Corporate Communications team who has been working on this for some time, in his own time; it’s great to see such innovation within the force.”

The app is currently only designed for iPhone users although the force is hoping to extend this to other smart phones depending on take-up and feedback.

To find it search for ‘First Response’ or Northamptonshire Police in the iPhone app store.