A Northamptonshire man who left his gay lover to die was given an extended sentence of 13 years and nine months on Thursday afternoon.

Thomas White was in a rage because shortly before his boyfriend Ashley Gillard was taken ill, he had admitted he was HIV positive.

When haidresser Ashley became ill due to the cocktail of drugs he had taken, White ignored his distress and left him to die in his flat.

But a court heard this afternoon he returned to the flat several days later to set fire to it to cover his tracks.

White barricaded the front door with a heavy chest of drawers to frustrate any rescue attempts, disabled the smoke alarm and removed the door handle.

Then as the fire took hold he left the property by climbing 80 ft down a rope from the balcony of the third floor flat.

Today at Luton Crown Court White, 26, of Bibury Close, Wellngborough, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 31-year-old Ashley Gillard on the basis of gross negligence.

He also admitted arson being reckless as to whether the life of others was endangered as well as charges of theft and fraud, a further arson offence and two charges of taking vehicles without authority.

Passing sentence on him Judge Richard Foster told White: “You and Ashley Gillard engaged in sexual activity during the course of which Ashley was tied up. He had taken two types of drugs - Mephedrone and GHB. When the police came to arrest you a few days later what you had to say was captured on body worn audio and visual recorders.

“From this it became clear as to what had actually happened. Ashley Gillard had told you he was HIV positive. Whilst he was tied up he had a fit probably induced by the drugs. You told officers “I just sat there and watched him.”

The judge then said White had told the officers: “I didn’t untie him because he was fitting and because he told me he’d got HIV. I just though ‘**** You kind of thing and I didn’t really think about it. I should have tried to help him.”

The judge said when Ashley suffered his fit, White had only thought of himself and he was angry because of the possibility he had been infected with the virus.

“You intentionally did nothing to help a fellow human being in what was a life threatening situation,” he told White.

Ashley is thought to have died on the night of Friday June 5 last year at his flat in Trevithick Court, Wolverton, near Milton Keynes.

Over that weekend White had Mr Gillard’s phone and replied to messages he was getting to make make it appear he was still alive.

He also stole cars, a fork lift truck, and other property, and was seen on cctv visiting other friends, going to service stations, and even buying the the petrol he needed to start the blaze back at Ashley’s flat.

White was originally charged with murder, but the prosecution accepted his guilty plea to manslaughter by gross negligence.

Today the prosecution said they would be offering no evidence on the murder charge which was dropped.

Mr Gillard was found dead in his flat in the early hours of June 9 last year.

Graham Smith, prosecuting said: “The pathologist was unable to identify a definitive cause of death. He could rule out shooting, stabbing or blunt force trauma, and could confirm the man was dead before the fire was started.”

He said the two men had been in a gay relationship, and that night had taken illegal recreational drugs to a very high level.

That night White learned for the first time he had HIV.

Mr. Smith said: “The defendant was furious and got into a rage and turned the flat upside down trying to find medications that would confirm what he had been told.

“He was later to tell his brother that he knew his friend needed medical attention but he did not help him, and put a duvet over him to shut him up. He said at that moment he hated him and wished him gone,” said the prosecution.

After starting the fire, by pouring petrol on curtains and cushions, he went to his mother’s home and confessed to his brother and later repeated his account to his mother and then his father, who lived nearby.

He said he wanted to pack a case and leave the country but his brother had alerted police who arrested him at the house.

Mr. Smith said: “This is a very very serious gross negligence case. He could have acted to get help and he did not. He knew the man had ingested a lot of drugs and was vulnerable and at the time he wished him gone.”

In addition to manslaughter and arson he has also pleaded guilty to stealing clothing and credit cards from Mr. Gillard and another man, fraud by using one of the cards at Tesco, arson of a Peugeot car belonging to Mt. Gillard, theft of a generator, and taking a pick up truck and a BMW without consent, and two charges of possession of Class B and Class C drugs.

Before White was sentenced today his barrister Amjad Malik QC told the court it was a cocktail of drugs taken by Mr Gillard that created a toxic situation in his body which had led to a seizure.

He went on “Ashley Gillard died not by the commission of an offence, but by the omission to act when Ashley was in very vulnerable circumstances caused by the toxicity not only not only the drugs but a further drug he had been taking for erectile dysfunctional problems”.

The barrister said the news that Mr Gillard was HIV was a “massively provocative piece of information” for White.

“He failed to act because of anger. He didn’t want him to die,” said Mr Malik.

White was given an extended sentence because of the risk he posed to the public by committing further serious offences.

He was given an extended sentence of 13 years and nine months by Judge Foster.

White was told that the custody element of the sentence was nine years and nine months and the period he would be on licence following his release would be four years.

After the case, the family of Mr Gillard released a statement: “We will never truly know what happened to Ashley on that day. It’s something that will haunt us forever. We now begin our life sentence without Ashley. A huge thank you to the police, family, friends, Ashley’s friends, our employers and work colleagues for your support throughout this horrific nightmare and for your continued support.”

A Wellingborough man who left his gay lover to die was given an extended sentence of 13 years and nine months on Thursday afternoon.

Thomas White was in a rage because shortly before his boyfriend Ashley Gillard was taken ill, he had admitted he was HIV positive.

When haidresser Ashley became ill due to the cocktail of drugs he had taken, White ignored his distress and left him to die in his flat.

But a court heard this afternoon he returned to the flat several days later to set fire to it to cover his tracks.

White barricaded the front door with a heavy chest of drawers to frustrate any rescue attempts, disabled the smoke alarm and removed the door handle.

Then as the fire took hold he left the property by climbing 80 ft down a rope from the balcony of the third floor flat.

Today at Luton Crown Court White, 26, of Bibury Close, Wellngborough, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 31-year-old Ashley Gillard on the basis of gross negligence.

He also admitted arson being reckless as to whether the life of others was endangered as well as charges of theft and fraud, a further arson offence and two charges of taking vehicles without authority.

Passing sentence on him Judge Richard Foster told White: “You and Ashley Gillard engaged in sexual activity during the course of which Ashley was tied up. He had taken two types of drugs - Mephedrone and GHB. When the police came to arrest you a few days later what you had to say was captured on body worn audio and visual recorders.

“From this it became clear as to what had actually happened. Ashley Gillard had told you he was HIV positive. Whilst he was tied up he had a fit probably induced by the drugs. You told officers “I just sat there and watched him.”

The judge then said White had told the officers: “I didn’t untie him because he was fitting and because he told me he’d got HIV. I just though ‘**** You kind of thing and I didn’t really think about it. I should have tried to help him.”

The judge said when Ashley suffered his fit, White had only thought of himself and he was angry because of the possibility he had been infected with the virus.

“You intentionally did nothing to help a fellow human being in what was a life threatening situation,” he told White.

Ashley is thought to have died on the night of Friday June 5 last year at his flat in Trevithick Court, Wolverton, near Milton Keynes.

Over that weekend White had Mr Gillard’s phone and replied to messages he was getting to make make it appear he was still alive.

He also stole cars, a fork lift truck, and other property, and was seen on cctv visiting other friends, going to service stations, and even buying the the petrol he needed to start the blaze back at Ashley’s flat.

White was originally charged with murder, but the prosecution accepted his guilty plea to manslaughter by gross negligence.

Today the prosecution said they would be offering no evidence on the murder charge which was dropped.

Mr Gillard was found dead in his flat in the early hours of June 9 last year.

Graham Smith, prosecuting said: “The pathologist was unable to identify a definitive cause of death. He could rule out shooting, stabbing or blunt force trauma, and could confirm the man was dead before the fire was started.”

He said the two men had been in a gay relationship, and that night had taken illegal recreational drugs to a very high level.

That night White learned for the first time he had HIV.

Mr. Smith said: “The defendant was furious and got into a rage and turned the flat upside down trying to find medications that would confirm what he had been told.

“He was later to tell his brother that he knew his friend needed medical attention but he did not help him, and put a duvet over him to shut him up. He said at that moment he hated him and wished him gone,” said the prosecution.

After starting the fire, by pouring petrol on curtains and cushions, he went to his mother’s home and confessed to his brother and later repeated his account to his mother and then his father, who lived nearby.

He said he wanted to pack a case and leave the country but his brother had alerted police who arrested him at the house.

Mr. Smith said: “This is a very very serious gross negligence case. He could have acted to get help and he did not. He knew the man had ingested a lot of drugs and was vulnerable and at the time he wished him gone.”

In addition to manslaughter and arson he has also pleaded guilty to stealing clothing and credit cards from Mr. Gillard and another man, fraud by using one of the cards at Tesco, arson of a Peugeot car belonging to Mt. Gillard, theft of a generator, and taking a pick up truck and a BMW without consent, and two charges of possession of Class B and Class C drugs.

Before White was sentenced today his barrister Amjad Malik QC told the court it was a cocktail of drugs taken by Mr Gillard that created a toxic situation in his body which had led to a seizure.

He went on “Ashley Gillard died not by the commission of an offence, but by the omission to act when Ashley was in very vulnerable circumstances caused by the toxicity not only not only the drugs but a further drug he had been taking for erectile dysfunctional problems”.

The barrister said the news that Mr Gillard was HIV was a “massively provocative piece of information” for White.

“He failed to act because of anger. He didn’t want him to die,” said Mr Malik.

White was given an extended sentence because of the risk he posed to the public by committing further serious offences.

He was given an extended sentence of 13 years and nine months by Judge Foster.

White was told that the custody element of the sentence was nine years and nine months and the period he would be on licence following his release would be four years.

After the case, the family of Mr Gillard released a statement: “We will never truly know what happened to Ashley on that day. It’s something that will haunt us forever. We now begin our life sentence without Ashley. A huge thank you to the police, family, friends, Ashley’s friends, our employers and work colleagues for your support throughout this horrific nightmare and for your continued support.”

One of the most sought-after acts on the comedy circuit headlines a Kettering comedy club.

Mitch Benn, known for his comic songs, can be seen at the Rolling in the Aisles Comedy Club on Saturday June 18.

He began his comedy career in Edinburgh in 1994. He moved to London in 1996 and quickly established himself as a comedy club “headliner” as well as a favourite on the university circuit.

Mitch is a regular writer and performer on The Now Show for BBC Radio 4 and It’s Been a Bad Week for BBC Radio 2.

Three series of his successful Radio 4 show, Mitch Benn’s Crimes Against Music have been broadcast so far. He also presents The Mitch Benn Music Show on BBC Radio 7.

Also appearing as part of the comedy night at Kettering Arts Centre is Dave Thompson and Sarah Callaghan.

The doors open at 7.30pm with the entertainment starting at 8pm.

Tickets for the club are £9 for adults and £7 for concessions. For more details or to book tickets visit www.ketteringartscentre.com

Upon researching the magician Jamie Raven ahead of his new touring show, the posters state he is the best performing magician ever to have appeared on Britain’s Got Talent.

Those posters might need changing following Richard Jones winning the latest series of the ITV talent show.

But Jamie, speaking ahead of his tour coming to the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury, he isn’t bitter about losing that title.

He said: “I’m delighted for Richard winning the show. The magic community is a really small one and I am really happy for him.

“I wasn’t ever going to remain the best performing magician forever and if either of us can encourage more children to take up magic then that would be great.

“I think I might have to change the posters to top human now.”

Jamie said it is the biggest tour that he has ever been on and is one that he is looking forward to.

He added: “There will be lots of different magic tricks. There will be some card tricks, some close up some mind reading and illusionism and there will even be a child levitating on the stage as well.

“The reason for doing the different variety of tricks is that while I love card tricks and there is a lot of the people who like card tricks, for two hours would not really work in the theatre setting.

“We are led to believe that there are seven different type of tricks, the thing to do is then try and put my own style and spin on it.

“I have been working professionally as a magician for the past 12 years and so my whole career has been building up to this tour. I can’t wait to get started.”

While he might have been working as a magician for the past 12 years, his passion goes back even further.

Jamie said: “One day I was on holiday with the family when I was 11 and there was a magician and he came and showed some magic and loved it.

“I had watched magicians and enjoyed them but never thought of doing anything with it. After we had seen those tricks, the magician invited us away and showed us how he did some of the tricks and I learnt how to do three different tricks.

“I had as a hobby and when I was university, I got to know an event planner and I had a phone call from him to say, the original magician couldn’t make it, could I do the show. The only problem was that it was a black tie event and I didn’t have one.

“That was my first gig after university, and I got paid £50 and a suit.”

He is best known as a runner up on the last series of Britain’s Got Talent and it was a show which he very nearly didn’t end up doing.

Jamie said: “I was working steadily as a magician and got asked lots of time to do Britain’s Got Talent and had always said no.

“The one thing about the show is that it is the quickest way to get exposure. I went from being an unknown to headlining my own West End show within the space of a few months. “However, if it had gone wrong, nobody would want to book the magician who made a fool of himself on television.

“I was getting five or six gigs a week doing golf clubs and places like that for 100/200 people and wanted to do it for theatres in front of 1,200 people.

“I thought I would get the opportunity and be grateful. I didn’t expect to be getting through but it was when Simon Cowell said ‘I believe in magic’ that it became a game changer.”

But even with those positive comments, it is safe to say he didn’t expect to go much further.

“I never set off to win the show, I thought if I could get through to the semi finals then that would be great. To then get through the semi finals and to the final was amazing.

“The rest has been history, I was performing stuff for Richard Branson, I’ve got to meet David Cameron and the West End show happened. None of it would have happened if it wasn’t for Britain’s Got Talent.”

He can be seen on Sunday June 19 starting at 7.30pm. To book call the box office on 0844 871 7607 or visit www.atgtickets.co.uk/aylesbury.

A touring artwork from a critically-acclaimed installation was stopped from arriving in the Market Square over purdah rules.

‘Aftermath Dislocation Principle​ Riot’ - which had been part of the Weston-super-Mare installation ‘Dismaland’ by street artist Banksy - was due to come to the Market Square yesterday.

But the tour manager was forced to exhibit the work - by former KLF musician Jimmy Cauty - in the car park of the Super Sausage cafe in St Andrew’s Road after council officials intervened at the weekend. The art - which is inside a 40ft shipping conatiner - shows a dystopian model village where only the police and media have survived a riot or civil catastrophe.

Although the official literature accompanying the work makes a point of saying the riot depicted happened for an unspecified reason, council officials claimed it showed an ‘election riot’.

A Northampton Borough Council spokeswoman said: “We were approached at the end of last week and asked if we would play to host the display of artwork by Jimmy Cauty on the Market Square.

“This was very short notice but ultimately we decided not to allow the display but because of the way the artwork depicts an election riot which could be misinterpreted in the pre-referendum purdah period,

“The National Purdah rules state that councils must ensure during the pre-election period that communications are appropriate, objective and are not controversial in nature; therefore on this occasion we were unable to authorise the display onto council property as it could be misinterpreted as politically controversial.”

A mechanic from Moulton has powered his motorbike to the fastest speed ever recorded across sand.

Terry Smith, aged 59, of Moulton Autocare, executed the incredibly dangerous ride on Pendine Sands, a beach in south Wales, hitting 194mph on his Suzuki Hayabusa.

By reaching that mark, he smashed his own world record - set last year at the same venue - of 176mph.

“It’s down to bottle,” he said. “It’s about control and having the guts to do it. A lot of people get to 130 and think ‘this isn’t for me, I want to live’. Only idiots like me keep going.”

The feat was measured by the UK Timing Association, who confirmed the worldwide first at the location.

Mr Smith said the reason most people did not succeed on such runs was the extreme difficulty of staying upright on a surface with virtually no traction. Others that day suffered broken wrists and collar bones in the course of their attempts.

He said “The bike was squirreling all the time but, with both the back end and the front keep going, you get into a kind of rhythm.”

Asked what racers think of when speeding on the very edge of disaster, he said: “You’re not actually thinking about falling off. It’s a pure buzz and adrenaline.

“It’s hard to describe but it’s feels a bit like: ‘I’m invincible’.

“The thrill of speed exceeds the fear of death.”

England boss Eddie Jones has backed Saints star Luther Burrell to do ‘a great job’ against Australia in the first Test on Saturday (kick-off 11am).

Burrell will start at inside centre, with Owen Farrell at fly-half ahead of George Ford, who had a tough time in the recent Old Mutual Wealth Cup win against Wales.

Ford missed six of his seven kicks at goal in that 27-13 success at Twickenham, while Burrell impressed, scoring England’s first try of the game.

That performance saw the Saints player book his place on the tour as he was initially due to travel with the England Saxons to South Africa.

But Manu Tuilagi’s hamstring injury opened the door, and Burrell walked through it, doing enough to earn a start at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane this weekend.

“Owen and Luther will handle those midfield duties,” Jones said.

“Luther has done very well. He’s lost a lot of weight, got fitter and worked on his skills.

“He’s got a great attitude and he’ll do a great job for us on Saturday night.”

Captaining your country in the first match of a big tournament on home soil would normally inspire a feeling of nervousness.

But Harry Mallinder was never likely to be fazed, especially after playing in numerous big games for Saints last season.

The human wrecking ball centre simply strolled through England’s U20 World Championship opening night encounter with Italy in Manchester on Tuesday night, skippering his team to a comfortable 48-10 victory.

Mallinder provided a lovely assist for England’s second try, with his clever chip judged to perfection as he landed it in the grateful hands of Sam Aspland-Robinson.

He then proceeded to curl a conversion between the posts to rack up the first of his 12 points on the night.

It all looked so effortless for Mallinder, who admits having made 15 appearances for the Northampton first team since January has helped him adjust to this tournament.

“Those experiences definitely help me,” said the Sale-born player, who turns 20 on Monday.

“I was very nervous initially when I played at the start of this year in big games, but that experience can only help me in the long run.

“It was just nice to add my little bit to the England group and contribute.

“It’s very easy when you’re playing with such talented players to get on with your own bit and not worry about anyone else, but thankfully it came together.”

Mallinder was crowned young player of the year at Saints last season, having made a huge impact in his breakthrough campaign.

He scored four tries for the first-team, including a crucial one on his Champions Cup debut against Glasgow Warriors in January.

“That accolade was nice, but the most pleasing thing for me was to finally get the opportunity to play for the club after I’d been supporting and watching on from the stands for quite a while,” Mallinder said of his young player of the year prize.

“To be able to contribute was a great honour for me.

“It’s been great for me and I’m constantly learning from the likes of Luther (Burrell) and George Pisi, and when I played at full-back, Fodes (Ben Foden) gave me a lot of help, too.

“Being around those players can only help me.”

But Mallinder’s mind is now firmly focused on international matters, with England’s next game, against Scotland, coming on Saturday in Manchester.

“We’re very positive,” Mallinder said.

“We’ve got off to a good start, but we’re not getting too ahead of ourselves.

“We’ve got Scotland on Saturday and that’s going to be a huge test, especially after they won against Australia on Tuesday.

“It’s another challenge, we’ll take one game at a time and hopefully we’ll be in a good place come the end.”

And Mallinder will be up against a familiar face when England take on Scotland.

Saints centre Rory Hutchinson started for the Scots in their win against Australia.

And Mallinder said: “I’m good mates with Hutch and I’ve had a bit of a chat with him since we’ve both been up here.

“Hopefully we’ll both be on the pitch at the same time and it will be a good contest I’m sure.”

David Ripley has urged his Northants Steelbacks side to ‘keep marching on’ in this season’s NatWest T20 Blast.

But the head coach knows that Worcestershire Rapids will be out for revenge at New Road on Friday night.

The Rapids were thrashed by seven wickets at the County Ground last Friday, seeing their 100 per cent start to the T20 competition crushed.

The Steelbacks are now the only unbeaten team in the tournament, having won all three of their games so far.

Northants are top of the North Group, but they know that they will be knocked off their perch if they lose to the Rapids this week.

And Ripley is hoping his men can keep their good run going by repeating last season’s memorable win at New Road, when Rory Kleinveldt hammered 42 from just 12 balls.

“Rory swung last year’s game there in our favour and we had a brilliant last over from Azhar (Muhammad Azharullah),” Ripley said.

“It was a tough game of cricket and we won’t expect anything different this week.

“I’m sure they will want a little bit of revenge after what happened last week, but it will be a good opportunity for us to keep marching on.”

Organisers of this year’s Northampton Music Festival have revealed full details of the acts, venues and stages ahead of its return next weekend.

Now entering its ninth year, the festival takes place from Friday, June 17 to Sunday, June 19.

As well as stages across the town centre, venues across Northampton will be hosting bands and artists of all genres.

While the main festival takes place on Sunday, there are performances across the town on both the Friday and Saturday.

One of the festival organisers Yoshe Watson said: “I think the biggest challenge we’ve found putting together line ups has just been the vastness of it all - we have a fantastic, strong music scene and that means a lot to choose between and organise.

“I’m really excited by the artists we’re presenting - there are a brilliant range of genres and styles involved and this reflects that great variety that we have available in Northamptonshire.”

The full line-up is as follows:

FRIDAY

THE GOLDEN HORSE

Stephen Mone

Vincent J Rigney

DEPARTMENT OF MEAT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS

C-Kwence DJ Crew

THE THOMAS BECKETT

James Pitman

Rougue State Circus

NUOVO

TBC

THE LAB

Atlas Belly

Smokey Green Offspring

The Wax Lyrical Sound

THE AUCTIONEERS

Jagged Little Thrills

James Payton

Frankie C

Samuel Jared O’Malley

Dan York

Ashley Kingston

Padding Needed

ROADMENDER

The Baratts – Open Wounds and Windows EP launch

Sisteray

Sarpa Salpa

DJ Steve Facer

---------------

SATURDAY

ST PETERS WALK

13:00 – 13:30 Tim John Brophy

13:40 – 14:10 Amy Claire

14:20 – 14:50 Freddie Taylor

15:00 – 15:30 Duncan Bisatt

15:40 – 16:10 Daniel Knight

ABINGTON STREET

13:00 – 13:30 Stephen Mone

13:40 – 14:10 Paul Strummer

14:20 – 14:50 Robyn Wilson

15:00 – 15:30 Ali Bain

15:40 – 16:10 Vincent J Rigney

16:20 – 16:50 Hazeyjane

17:00 – 17:30 Will Rogers

17:40 – 18:10 Mama Laine

THE LAB

The Bophins

Blood Visions

Huffy

Long Breech

Spring Park

THE CHARLES BRADLAUGH

Howling Owls

Hubcap

THOMAS A BECKETT

Bliss Engine

BIG NOISE

19:00 – 19:30 Michael Kinder

19:45 – 20:15 Jacob Bartoli

20:30 – 21:00 Avebury

21:15 – 22:00 Victoria Rose

THE KING BILLY

Black Rose Society

Tokyo Sex Whale

Vulcan Reign

Padding Needed

The Furious Arcs

Feed Back Aftermath

THE SKATEPARK, BEDFORD ROAD

12:00 – 12:45 – Dubalelle

12:45 – 13:30 – Kagun

13:30 – 14:15 – JJ

14:15 - 15:00 – Savij

15:00 – 15:45 – Sewer’s Idle

15:45 – 16:30 – Normality

16:30 – 18:15 – Aon vs Spektral

18:15 – 19:00 – Padantik B2B The Green Keeper

SATURDAY NIGHT AT DEPARTMENT OF MEAT & SOCIAL AFFAIRS

09:00 – 09:45 – The Skank Wagon

09:45 – 10:30 – The Green Keeper

10:30 – 11:15 – Shakey Jake

11:15 – 12:00 – Haribo

12:00 – 01:00 – Aon (Birthday Set)

01:00 – 01:45 – Jack Panic

01:45 – 02:30 – Gorgeous George

02:30 – 03:15 – LSkinz B2B Chesnik

03:15 – 04:00 – R3flux

04:00 – 05:00 – SlumberJack

NUOVO

TBC

SIR PICKERING PHIPPS

Scott Walters

Daniel Knight

Amii Dawes

----------------

SUNDAY

MARKET SQUARE

12:00 – 12.45 Jamie Benkert

13.00 – 13.45 Charlotte Carpenter

14.00 – 14.50 Mystic Crew

15:05 – 15:20 Leo Robinson (15 min teaser set)

15:35 – 16:25 VHS Pirates

16:40 – 17:30 King’s Gambit

17:45 – 18:35 Skatoons

18:50 – 19:45 ReproJam Squad

20:00 – 21:00 Greg Coulson

EASTGATE

13:30 – 14:10 - Lucky Shivers

14:25 – 15:05 - Ivory Yardsale

15:20 – 16:00 - Future Love

16:15 – 16:55 - O’Mahon

17:10 – 17:50 - Big Evil Grin

18:15 – 18:55 - Fox Chapel

19:10 – 20:00 - An Army of Lights

ALL SAINTS

13.15 – 13.45 Yellow Dog Blues Band

14.00 – 14.30 Jono & The Uke Dealers

14.45 – 15.15 Emily Faye

15.30 – 16.00 Tom Rose And The Heathen Orchestra

16.15 – 16.45 The Deportees

17.00 – 17.30 Stevie Jones and The Wildfires

JAZZ STAGE

13:00 - 13.45pm: Tad Newton’s Jazz Friends

14:00 - 14.45pm: Daniel Wyllie

15:00 - 15.45pm: Ginger Pig Band

16:00 - 16.45pm: Lost Latinos

17:00 - 17.45pm: Richard Baker Quintet

18:00 – 18:45pm: Jazz Colossus

CLASSICAL STAGE

13.45pm – 14.15pmMadrigalis (30 minutes

14.30pm – 15.15pmNorthampton Concert Orchestra (45 minutes)

15.30pm – 16.00pmRoyal and Derngate Community Choir (30 minutes)

16.15pm – 16.45pmGraham Roberts (30 minutes)

17.00pm – 17.45pmNorthampton Male Voice Choir (45 minutes)

18.00pm -Northampton Gilbert and Sullivan Society

ABINGTON STREET

13:00 – 13:30

13:40 – 14:10 Amii Dawes

14:20 – 14:50 Lew Bear

15:00 – 15:30 KRAB

15:40 – 16:10 Velvet Engine

16:20 – 16:50 Jordan Mackampa

17:00 – 17:30 Carly Loasby

17:40 – 18:10 Dr X

HIP HOP STAGE - DEPARTMENT OF MEAT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS

HarQ

Leo Robinson

Audio Narx

Serena Leonne

Jkaz

The Drunken Mandem

Karl Phillips

METAL STAGE - THE BLACK PRINCE

Stormbringer

Full Contact

Torch The Witness

Stonepit Drive

Thrones

From Eden to Exile

Project: Mothra

UNIVERSITY STAGE

13:00 Jenny Beckwith and Luke Civil

13:30 No Idea

14:00 Faye Clements

14:30 Freemantle

15:00Spectrum

15:30 Kalashnikult

16:00 Jen Dobson

16:30 The Black Pot Blues Band

17:10 The Other Band

17:50 Woodside

18:30 Cigarettes and Saints

FOLK STAGE - BAR HYGGE

The Vincent Vega Band

Rosetta Fire

Irene Rae

Kenneth J Nash

Green Leaves Down

ROCK DOUBLE ALL DAYER - THE KING BILLY

Black Iron Priest

The Lastof Us

Stereo Skull

The Bophins

These Strange Explosions

Northants Ladies travelled to Peterborough to take on Huntingdonshire in the Johns Trophy and claimed an excellent 118-104 win, despite winning just two rinks and losing four.

It was a pretty close match for most of its duration, with the home county initially leading well by 11 shots after the first five ends.

But the County players gradually ate into that lead so that at the 15 ends played mark Hunts’ lead was just two shots.

Another three ends played saw the County take control of the match, going into an 11 shots lead, although the 19th end was was not so good for Northants as Hunts closed the gap to five shots.

But the two ends went well for Northants as 12 shots were posted to three shots conceded.

The key rinks for Northants were those of Brenda Bishop’s, who won 28-12, and that of Rebecca Wigfield who claimed a 25-13 win.

Rink scores as follows:

Rink 1: Pat Starsmore, Sandra Mawson, Michelle Harris & Sharon Tansley 18 – V Corn 22

Rink 2: Celia Morris, Margaret Cave, Di Brumwell & Hilary Sharpe 17 – D Barlow 18

Rink 3: Chris Cooper, Linda Warren, Emma Gray & Viv Gaudyn 14 – S Craig 26

Rink 4: Alison Dring, Janet Ashby, Yvonne McKee & Brenda Bishop 28 – J Masters 12

Rink 5: Joyce George, Pat Bodily, Jill Welch & Barbara Haseldine 15 – J Ford 18

Rink 6: Ann-Marie Waters, Jeannie Flippance, Katie Smith & Rebecca Wigfield 25 – J Padley 13

NORTHANTS Ladies travelled to Pershore BC for a friendly against Worcestershire and were narrowly beaten 117-116.

The County had two winning rinks, drew one and lost three.

The highest scoring rink for the County was the one skipped by Margaret McGillivray which posted an 11 shots victory.

Rink details, Worcs skips only as follows:

Rink 1: Trish Basfpord, Pam Sallaway, Elaine Urquhart & Val Betts 19 – J Parfitt 19

Rink 2: Joyce George, Pat O’Hanlon, Pat Starsmore & Sharon Tansley 15 – V Hall 19

Rink 3: Velda Cooper, Phyll Parry, Yvonne McKee & DiBrumwell 21 – J Hemms 20

Rink 4: Chris Cooper, Elaine Munton, Sandra Mawson & Brenda Bishop 18 – E Allen 23

Rink 5: Maggie Edwards, Val Scott, Jill Welch & Margaret McGillivray 22 – H Cartwright 11

Rink 6: Celia Morris, Elsie Hatton, Heather Lack & Pat Bodily 21 – S Davies 25

THE annual match between Northants Ladies and Northants Men will take place at Irchester BC on Sunday, June 19 (2pm).

The teams have been selected, and are as follows.

Ladies: Rink 1: Joyce George, Wellingborough BC/Sue Ellerby, Rushden Town BC/Wilma Walker, Corby Forest BC/Brenda Bishop, Kingsthorpe BC

Rink 2: Brenda Lawrence, Irchester BC/Sian Hughes-Jones, Kettering Lodge BC/Sandra Mawson & Pat Bodily, both Northampton Whyte Melville BC

Rink 3: Marlene Armitage, Wellingborough BC/Pat Gayton, Swanspool BC/Linda Warren, Abbey Park BC/Alison Dring, Burton Latimer Town BC

Rink 4: Elaine Munton, Northampton Whyte Melville BC/Betty Tilley, Shirley Ongley, both Irchester BC/Joan Sidebottom, Roade BC

Rink 5: Velda Cooper, Irchester BC/Barbara Oliver, Kislingbury BC/Liz Keeney, Corby Seagrave House BC/Ann Stewart, Irchester BC

Men: Rink 1: Peter Hoad, Northampton Express/Stewart Laxton, Oundle/Neville Bodily, Northampton Whyte Melville/ George Willmott, Irchester

Rink 2: Harvey Fruish, Abington/ Ken Lovejoy, Kingsthorpe/Jonathan George, Wellingborough/Richard Somerton, Brackley

Rink 3: Peter Kitchener, Irchester/Dave Garland, Kingsthorpe/Brian Hunt, Burton Latimer Town/Terry James, Thrapston

Rink 4: Don Scott, Brackley/Geoff Simmons, Wellingborough/Dave Lovell, Irchester/John Cooper, Burton Latimer Town

Rink 5: Paul Cooke, Carlsberg/George Doneghan, Corby Seagrave House/Will Keeney, Corby Seagrave House/Ken Court, Brackley

NORTHANTS VPs lost their friendly to The Imps BA 98-95 at Kislingbury.

The VPs were a little unlucky to lose, as they had three winning rinks, tied one and lost two.

The highest scoring of the home rinks was that skipped by Paul Cooke, which posted an eight shots win.

Rink details as follows, Imps skips only:

Rink 1: Tony Hancock, Chareles Longstaff, Barry Basford & Dave Williamson 16 - Geoff Hunt 16

Rink 2: Tony Coles, Bryan Audis, Pdeter Oliver & Jack Brown 17 – Keith Warren 26

Rink 3: Brian Robbins, Clyde Hulbert,
 Barry Hogston & Colin Incles 12 – Terry James 20

Rink 4: Jim Walvin, Derek Essam, Dick Lovesay & Dick Howell 12 – George Willmott 11

Rink 5: Brian Jones, Richard Dyball, Peter Byworth & Paul Cooke 19 – Gareth Wilcock 11

Rink 6: Ollie Pearson, Richard Pitts, Dave Betts & Michael Moulton 19 – John Scholey 14

Northants suffered a disappointing 112-108 defeat against Leicestershire in the first game of their Middleton Cup campaign.

The match was played at Thringstone BC, and although the rinks were shared three apiece, an unexpected loss by 13 shots by Paul Broderick’s rink proved decisive.

The first few ends were pretty even and after five ends Leicestershire were in front by three shots.

Another five ends played across the green saw that deficit grow somewhat and at the 10 ends mark the County were adrift by 12 shots, and over the next few ends Leicestershire kept themselves comfortably in front.

With just three ends for each rink to score on, the home side was getting close to the winning post for its lead had increased alarmingly to 17 shots, but the County was given great hope on the 19th end for its team picked up 10 shots for no reply

Unfortunately a late surge did not materialise and the match was won by Leicestershire.

Rink details, Leics skips only, as follows:

Rink 1: Tony O’Leary, Daniel Height, Phil Exley & Paul Broderick 12 – Joe Dawson 25

Rink 2: Curtis Johnson, Ben Sharpe, Martin Gearey & Andrew Manton 14 – Neil Hope 21

Rink 3: Connor Cinato, John Freeman, Richard Lemon & Callum Height 18 – Chris Moore 15

Rink 4: David Love, David Walker, Alan Ashby & Jamie Walker 22 – Peter Hobbs 15

Rink 5: Adam Brown, Jonathan Brown, Matt Pownall & Roger Tansley 16 – Patrick Hulbert 23

Rink 6: Keith Height, Ashley Linnell, Darren Lyman & Darren Childs 26 – Les Gillett 13

THE following men have been selected for Northants’ 
Middleton Cup clash against Nortfolk at Kingsthorpe Bowls Club on Saturday (June 11), with the match starting at 2pm.

Rink 1: Keith Height, Thrapston BC/Ashley Linnell, Northampton West End BC/Peter Ward, Desborough Town BC/Darren Childs, Thrapston BC

Rink 2: Curtis Johnson, Wellingborough BC/Ben Sharpe, Andrew Manton & Vernon Gearey, all Kingsthorpe BC

Rink 3: Adam Pitfield, Rushden Town/Martin Gearey, Kingsthorpe BC/Phil Exley, Burton Latimer Town BC/Paul Broderick, Burton Latimer Town BC

Rink 4: Adam Brown, Jonathan Brown, both Abington/Matt Pownall, Thrapston BC/Roger Tansley, Kingsthorpe BC

Rink 5: Connor Cinato, Kettering Midland Band BC/John Freeman, Abington BC/Richard Lemon, Northampton Express BC/Callum Height, Thrapston BC

Rink 6: David Love, Wellingborough BC/David Walker, Alan Ashby & Jamie Walker, all Northampton Wes End BC

Reserves: Jason Hall, Desborough Town BC/Daniel Height, Thrapston/Jim McKee, Kingsthorpe BC/Tony O’Leary, Abington BC/Connor Rollings, Kettering Lodge BC

THE following players have been selected to play for Northants Under-25s in a Midland Counties League match against Leicestershire on Sunday (June 12).

The match will be played 
at Birstall BC, starting at 2.30pm.

Squad: Danny Walker, Tay O’Neill, Harvey Johnson, Megan Rolfe, David Walker, Jack Botterill, Lois Woodward, Abby Woodward, Adam Pitfield (Captain), Tom Wellburn, Emma Muir, Tom Mandelson, Sam Gamble, Alice Moore, Paul Gudgeon, Charlie Franklin & Zac Wilson (Reserve)

NORTHAMPTON West End bowler Jamie Walker has been named as captain of the England Junior team for the 
upcoming international series.

Walker attended the Bowls England trials at Leamington Spa, and was not only successful at being selected for the team, but also claimed a place at skip, and was then handed the captaincy.

Walker has been a Junior International since 2010, as well as being a regular senior international since 2013.

An additional honour for Jamie, and a reflected honour for the County, is that he has also been appointed the captain, a position he also held in the Indoor Junior Series earlier this year.

The Men’s British Isles Junior International Series will be held at Elgin BC in Scotland on the weekend of September 10 and 11.

As well as Walker, two other county players were also selected for England.

Connor Cinato of the Kettering Midland Band BC joins Walker in the junior men’s team, and Desborough Town BC’s Katie Smith will skip a rink for the junior women’s team.

The Women’s British Isles Junior International Series will be held at Bridgend BC in Wales on July 23 and 24.

Latest county competition results

Ladies County Champion of Champions: First Round: Joy Gordon, Irchester BC beat Chris Cooper, Burton Latimer Town BC 21-5; Gill Ward, Rushden Town BC beat Joyce George, Wellingborough BC 21-13

Second Round: Pat Symonds, Daventry Town BC given walkover by Anne Dunn, Brackley BC

Ladies Under-25 singles: First Round: Abby Woodward, Desborough Town BC beat Jasmin Spear, Kingsthorpe BC 21-11; Billy Swift, Abbey Park BC beat Chloe Weston, Abbey Park BC 21-13; Louise Haladij, Kislingbury BC beat Maisie Lee, Abbey Park BC 21-12; Emma Muir, Thrapston BC beat Alice Moore, Kislingbury BC 21-10 shots; Abbi Johnson-Young, Northampton West End BC beat Grace Wilson, Finedon Town BC 21-12

Ladies two-wood singles: First Round: Victoria Stevenson, Northampton Whyte Melville BC beat Elaine Cox, St Crispin BC 13-8; Alice Moore, Kislingbury BC beat Elaine Munton, Northampton Whyte Melville BC 18-10; Pat Bodily, Northampton Whyte Melville BC beat Chloe Weston, Abbey Park BC 18-9; Jackie Harrington, Brackley BC beat Sue Graham-Hole, St Crispin BC 17-7

Ladies over-55 pairs: Second Round: Janet Swift & partner, Abbey Park BC beat Janet Riome & partner, Harpole 34-7; Elaine Urquhart & partner, Brackley BC given walker by Jan Bradley & Jill Welch, Heyford BC; Chris Cross & partner, Byfield BC beat Maggie Edwards & partner, Kingsthorpe BC 19-16; Serena Santer & partner, St Crispin BC beat Jayne Wiggins & partner, Earls Barton BC 17-15; Sharon Tansley & partner, Kingsthorpe BC beat Sue Collett & partner, Woodford-cum-Membris BC 21-13; Joan Sidebotton & partner, Roade BC given walkover by Sue North & partner, Woodford-cum-Membris BC; Valerie Rowson & partner, Harpole BC given walkover by Pauline Letts & partner, St Crispin BC; Brenda Bishop & partner, Kingsthorpe BC given walkover by Val Jefferies & partner, Byfield BC

Men’s two-wood singles: Played through all rounds up to and including the Area Finals, at Northampton West End BC on Sunday, June 5, 2016, with the following results:

First round: Jonathan Brown, Abington BC beat Chris Bland, Northampton Express BC 16-15; J Higginbottom, Abington BC given walkover by Trevor Aston, Roade BC’ Jamie Walker, Northampton West End BC beat Neville Bodily, Northampton Whyte Melville BC 17-5; Ron Peacock, Roade BC beat Kevin Mawson, Northampton Whyte Melville BC 15-11

Second round: Colin Barnes, Roade BC beat Jonathan Brown 17-2; R Ager, Northampton Whyte Melville BC given walkover; Iain Walker, Northampton West End BC beat Jim Haddock, Wootton Grange BC 20-4; Ben Sharpe, Kingsthorpe BC beat Will Walker, Northampton West End BC 17-13; Richard Somerton, Brackley BC beat J Higginbottom 16-12; Mark Dickens, St Crispin BC beat Rob Archer, Abington BC 17-4; Dave Fage, Abington BC beat Phil Reeve, Kingsthorpe BC 14-11; Danny Walker, Northampton West End BC given walkover by Alan Dunkley, Roade BC; Jamie Walker, Northampton West End BC beat David Walker, Northampton West End BC 16-13; Adam Brown, Abington BC beat Pete Milburn, Abington BC 16-4; Dominic Graham, Northampton Express BC given walkover by Tom Wellburn, Kingsthorpe BC; Morris Freeman, Heyford BC beat Ron Peacock 19-7; Paul Green, Northampton Express BC beat John Freeman, Abington BC 13-12; Peter Hoad, Northampton Express BC beat Chris Terry, West Haddon BC 16-9 shots

Third round: Colin Barnes beat R Ager 17-4; Ben Sharpe beat Iain Walker 16-11 shots; Mark Dickens beat Richard Somerton 14-13; Dave Fage beat Danny Walker 16-4; Dominic Graham given walkover; Paul Green beat Morris Freeman 17-10 shots; Peter Hoad given walkover

Area Finals: Ben Sharpe beat Colin Barnes 15-13; Danny Walker beat Mark Dickens 16-6 shots; Paul Green beat Peter Hoad 14-11 shots

Note: Due to Jamie Walker being on England duty, his third round match against Adam Brown has to be arranged in due course, when the winner will meet Dominic Graham in the Area Final.

Area Winners will meet those from the North Area in the County quarter-finals on the evening of Friday, July 7 at Kettering Lodge BC. The Q/Finals will be followed by the Semi-Finals on the same evening.

Men’s four-wood singles: First Round: Ben Sharpe, Kingsthorpe BC beat David Walker, Northampton West End BC 21-18’ Chris Bland, Northampton Express BC beat Ron Peacock, Roade BNC 21-16; Tim Dawkins, Wootton Grange BC beat Kevin Mawson, Northampton Whyte Melville BC 21-4

Rugby & Northampton produced strong performances at the Vitality London 10,000m road race and event four of the East Midlands Grand Prix Series

Gabrielle Moriarty shone on her debut to lead the Rugby & Northampton Women’s team in the Vitality London 10,000m road race on Monday 30th May 2016.

Moriarty completed her first race over the distance in 38 minutes and 36 seconds to become the first R&N athlete over the line and finish in 59th place.

Achieving a personal best was Lorna Latimer who covered the course in 42:50 for 184th spot, and two places and one second behind was Angela Copson, producing a season’s best to clinch victory in the W65 category at the third time of trying over the distance this year.

Helen Jones (47:33) set a personal best to finish in the top 40 in the W45 age group, and 410th overall, while Kate Williams claimed 13th position amongst the over-55s in 48:29 (476th).

Completing the squad was Minerva Chesser with a lifetime best of 49:10 (538th).

It was also a successful race for the two R&N male athletes taking part as 20-year-old Elisha De Mello, making his 10,000m debut, finished in 47th with a time of 32:20, and Alistair McDonnell (35:26) beat his personal best by 45 seconds to cross the line 194th overall.

A day later, Stephen Marks led home R&N in the Corby Five when he finished in fifth place with a time of 27:44.

The five-mile race, which is held in East Carlton and finishes in the Country Park, was the fourth event in the East Midlands Grand Prix Series and Marks went one place better than he did in the Rugby Six.

In 12th spot was Daniel Mould (28:38), followed by Daniel Williams (30:30) in 27th position.

Completing the senior team, which finished second on the night, was M45 veteran Nigel Roberts (31:03) who took sixth in his age category and 33rd overall.

Alan Mould (34:31) secured third in the M55 and William McMurtrie (34:35) crossed the line in the same position in the M20 age group.

Meanwhile, Laurence Scott (34:43) claimed eighth in the M50 and Alex McMurtrie (35:24) finished 11th in the M45 as 
the veteran team sealed sixth place.

Two ladies took part for R&N with Helen Jones recording 38:32 for 23rd overall and fifth in the F45 while Kate Williams (39:01) was two places adrift; fourth in the over-55s.

Phelps shines for Silson at Corby

Thomas Phelps impressed for Silson Joggers last week as he took 13th place in the MS category and was 21st overall in round three of the EMGP series.

There were lots of terrific performances in this somewhat hilly race at Corby, hence there were a number of age group 
wins.

Amy Jelley and Eleanor Rees were second and third in the F20 category, Simon Woodward took fifth place in the M40 category and, for the third consecutive race in a row, James Darcy took second place in the M50 category.

Stephanie Spencer and her son, James Spencer (JM15-17), both gained new PBs at the Buckingham parkrun on Saturday morning.

Stephanie cut 47 seconds off her PB and finished in a time of 27:13, while James knocked 50 seconds off his PB to finish in 20:00.

He was also the 19th finisher at Buckingham out of 293.

Also at this parkrun, men’s team captain, Simon Woodward, and James Darcy were the sixth and seventh runners home respectively.

Jake Storer (JM11-14) had a marvellous run at the Banbury parkrun, finishing second in his age category and gaining a new PB of 22:45.

Paul Rose completed his 77th Marathon this weekend with his daughter, Chelsey Rose, and Silson team-mate, David Morley.

The trio had a fantastic time taking on the Farthingstone Foot Festival and completed the Marathon distance in 6:24, however they actually covered 28.2 miles and gained a finish time of 6:55.

This very tough off-road course which included hills, fields, bridges, gates and stiles, witnessed Chelsey’s first ever Marathon.

Sunday morning’s junior Buckingham parkrun saw Liam Cowley (JM10) finish as the second runner home, while his sister, Mia Cowley (JW11-14), made her debut junior parkrun count when she finished as the second lady home (13th overall).

Meanwhile, at the Milton Keynes junior parkrun, three Silson ladies (all JW10) had a magnificient run in the sunshine.

They all finished with new PB’s and were among the first 12 runners home.

Emily Hinton led the run home, finishing first overall in a time of 7:37, Lauren Thomas was the third lady home (10th overall) with a time of 8:55 and Amber Salkeld was the fourth lady home (12th overall), cutting nearly 10 seconds off her PB with a time of 8:57.

Silson head coach David Coates swapped running for cycling this weekend when he took on his latest cycling challenge, a 292km ride from Milan to San Remo.

He conquered the hills with ease and finished in just under 10 hours (total time including food stops and his chain coming off).

Lions and Saints display durability

The start of the Vets athletics league in Kettering heralded the worst weather seen for a league match in more than 30 years - but two teams from Rugby and Northampton were up to the challenge.

The A team (Lions) won both the men and women’s sections, while the B team (Saints) were fourth in the men and fifth in the women standings.

Gordon Houghton, back on the track after a year off with a heart operation, started the proceedings with a win in the M70s 100m (16.4secs) amid the hail.

Further wins in the 100m came with Richard Bowers M40 (13.1secs) and John Bell M35 (12.4secs).

Bowers (57.1secs) continued the sequence in the 400m despite the wind and Mike Aldridge held off the opposition for a win in the 1500m in 4:26.

Bell (59secs) added second in the 400m followed by third spots for Dave Cowley M60 100m, (14.9secs), Ces Moven M50 100m (13.3secs) and Gary Wallace M40 1500m (4:35).

The remaining points were picked up with Mike Devine, who came sixth in the 400m, Mark Barrowclough, fourth in the 2K walk, Dave Birch, fifth in the 2k walk, and newcomer Richard Franklin, fourth in the M60 1500m, leading to Lions winning the track scoring.

Saints were also on form with Lee Woodward second in the M40 100m (13.3secs) and third in the 400m (60.8secs).

Dave O’Leary was just shaded into second in the walk, in 11:40, and was fifth in the 100m and fourth in the 400m. Adrian White was only fractionally slower.

M60 Dave Bunker had a busy evening. He finished fifth in 100m (17secs), fourth in the walk and seventh in the 1500m.

Completing the track were Paddy Lynch (M70 100m,21.3secs) and Brenden Moen (fifth 1500m, 5:03).

In appalling rain, Lion Ian Gidley dominated the jumps, winning the M40 triple jump with 10.28 metres and the high jump with 1.55 metres.

Kevin Murch continued the theme, winning the M35 javelin with 42.07 metres, and second in the M50 hammer (32.46 metres).

First-timer Ashlee Kirk arrived just in time to be taught the hammer and proceeded to win the M35 with 23.64 metres.

He also guested in the high jump with 1.50 metres.

Dave Cowley collected the remaining points: second in the M60 shot (8.46 metres) and third in the M50 high jump.

Saints collected more points via Woodward, who came third in the triple jump (9.29 metres) and high jump (1.35 metres).

John Gercs gained a third in the hammer and fourth in javelin.

The scoring was completed with 76-year-old John Love fourth in the M60 shot (6.17 metres) and fifth in the M50 hammer.

The Lionesses dominated the track, with their lowest position fourth.

In the 100m, wins came from W60 Sally Hines (16.5 secs), W70 Carol Birch (25.3 secs), debutant W40 Janelle Quinn (15.7 secs).

Second-placed finishes came from Lesley Willis in the W50 (15.9 secs) and Sam Berry in the W35 (16.1 secs).

The 400m saw a win for Angela Copson (W60, 82.4 secs), while Willis and Berry were both fourth.

Tricia Garner and Birch were second in the two walks.

At 1500m, newcomer Zoe Shepperd claimed second (W35, 6:04), Kate Williams fourth W40 (6;16) and Angela Copson third (W50, 5:52).

Saints were not far behind, with W60 Maz Allen second in the 100m (17.6 secs) and seventh in the walk.

M60 Val Cross came second in the 400m and third in the walk.

Three more first timers completed the track. W40 Minerva Chesser was fifth in 100m (18.2 secs) and 1500m (6:31). W40 Helen Jones was fifth in the 400m (79.6 secs) and third in the 1500m (6:16) after an excellent scrap with her team-mate in the Lions.

W50 Alison Cobb completed the ladies with sixth in the 100m (18.6 secs) and 1500m (6:32).

On the field, Allen was back in action, finishing second in the W60 long jump behind Hines, who won with 3.03 metres, sixth in the W50 shot behind Lions winner Debbie Murch (8.15 metres).

Murch also won the javelin (20.08 metres) with Allen seventh.

Quinn was third in the W40 shot.

In the rain effected high jump, Berry was second in the W35 and Jones sixth. Hines was third in the W50.

Team scores were as follows...

Men: R&N Lions 139, Leamington119.5, Charnwood 105.5, R&N Saints 89, Kettering78, Harborough 78, Nuneaton 68, Coventry Godiva 20

Women: R&N Lions 136, Harborough 90, Leamington, 76, Nuneaton 72, R&N Saints 65, Charnwood 64, Kettering 62, Coventry Godiva 36.

Personal best for Northampton teenager Williams

Northampton’s Emily Williams continued her outstanding form in the 800m as she was one of eight Kettering Town Harriers to take part in the British Milers Club’s meeting in Milton Keynes.

Running in the Women’s A race, U15 Williams sliced a further 1.5 seconds off her personal best to again better her own club record in a time of 2:12:23, which moved her up to third in the UK rankings.

A high-profile target to recruit 900 special constables in Northamptonshire has been abandoned by the county’s new police crime commissioner.

The scheme to create an army of specials was the brainchild of former PCC Adam Simmonds, who believed that recruitment of volunteer cops could improve community policing.

But it was a divisive plan - with many people believing it was policing on the cheap.

Now new PCC Stephen Mold has decided to stop the aggressive recruitment and to stick with a figure of around half of the regular force - a move described as ‘sensible’ by his deputy chief constable.

As there are currently 1267 full time officers, that would mean there would be about 600 specials working alongside them. There are currently thought to be around 718 specials in the force.

Specials have the same powers as regular police officers but are volunteers and many have other professions.

Despite the huge publicity to try to attract specials to the force during the past two years, and thousands spent on campaigns and paying recruitment specialists to help bolster numbers, the news of the campaign’s demise was buried at the bottom of a press release put out by the force on Thursday.

It comes just a day after it was announced that Mr Mold had {http://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/top-stories/controversial-faith-based-police-office-to-be-wound-down-1-7423881|shelved|} the Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives, another of his predecessor’s unique schemes.

A statement from Mr Mold, made after he had spent a weekend out on patrol with his specials, said: “Northamptonshire Police has done an incredible job in recruiting more than 700 members of the community to the special constabulary and as a result Northamptonshire is viewed as the leading force when it comes to recruiting volunteers in policing.

“Special constables contributed nearly 140,000 hours to helping keep the people of Northamptonshire safe in 2015, and their help is vital to our efforts of making communities safer places for us to live and work. As a result, the effective use of the special constabulary will be one of the key priorities of my office.

“Having reviewed the recruitment and use of special constables and spoken with Chief Constable Simon Edens and his team, I believe the time is right to focus on maintaining a ratio of full-time officers to special constables of approximately two to one, and to focus on ensuring that Special constables are fully integrated with the full-time force so that their time, skills and training continues to make Northamptonshire safer.”

Deputy Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police, Andy Frost, added: “I think the commissioner’s review of the special constabulary is sensible and I agree that we should focus our efforts on looking at how best to use this large resource available to us.”

With just three weeks to go until the Cobblers players return for pre-season training on July 1, there is still plenty of work to be done on recruitment at Sixfields.

New boss Rob Page this week called for patience as he goes about his business, trying to find the right men to add to the 17-strong group of players he already has, and he is right to do so.

The end-of-season shock of losing manager Chris Wilder to Sheffield United threw a huge spanner in the works in terms of the club’s plans for life in Sky Bet League One.

Chairman Kelvin Thomas moved quickly to replace Wilder, taking just a week to persuade Page his future lay away from Port Vale and with Northampton, and the Welshman has now had three weeks to get his feet under the table.

After taking advice, he released five players on his second day in the job and then allowed Nicky Adams to leave and sign for Carlisle United.

Danny Rose, who had been offered a new deal at Sixfields, has decided his future lies on the south coast at Portsmouth, and with loan players John Marquis, Luke Prosser and James Collins all going back to their parent clubs too, it means the Town squad is perhaps a little lighter in numbers than some fans would have anticipated as we head towards the middle of June.

Particularly as the Cobblers have known they are going to be playing in league one since April 9, the day they clinched promotion with a 2-2 draw with Bristol Rovers.

There is still plenty of time before the season starts on August 6, and Page is right not to rush in and just make signings for the sake of it.

He and head of recruitment Andy Melville are working hard behind the scenes in terms of attracting players to the club, players that they believe will add extra quality to what is already in place at Sixfields.

New signings will be announced in the coming weeks, but as it stands just one new player has been brought to the club in the shape of right-back Aaron Phillips.

The 22-year-old was snapped up after he was released by Coventry City, and he joins the 15 senior players left at the club from last season’s Sky Bet League Two title-winning campaign, and also 17-year-old academy graduate Shaun McWilliams in making up the 17-man squad contracted for the new campaign.

Phillips’ arrival means there are no problems for Page as regards the right-back position, as he has the new signing as well as Brendan Moloney, and it’s a similar story between the sticks where Adam Smith and Ryan Clarke are both tied down for another 12 months.

But as far as other departments being complete, that’s as far as it goes.

All other areas are in need of strengthening - and that’s presuming no other players go the other way and are tempted out of the exit door in the next few weeks.

If the 17 currently contracted do stay with Northampton, and let’s hope that is going to be the case, then I still think Page is going to have to probably bring in eight players to ensure the club is ready for the rigours of the new campaign.

A change in the loan system for the season ahead means there are no more emergency loans, so a player can no longer be signed for a month if a key defender or midfielder suffers a suspension or injury.

Players can still be signed on six-month or season-long loans, but there can be no more quick fixes.

Managers are going to have to work with the squads they have from August to January, and then January to May, and ensure they have the quality and numbers to cover all eventualities in those periods. Strength in depth is going to be crucial.

So how are the Cobblers fixed? And where do they need to strengthen?

Here we run the rule over the Town squad and suggest what additions may still be needed, whether it be through permanent signings or long-term loans.

Goalkeepers - Adam Smith and Ryan Clarke. No action needed.

Right-backs - Brendan Moloney and Aaron Phillips. No action needed.

Left-backs - Dave Buchanan. Action needed (one signing) - A second left-back is needed as cover for Buchanan. The former Preston man was an absolute machine last season and played every game, but it will be unwise and unrealistic to rely on him being able to do that again.

Centre-backs - Ryan Cresswell, Zander Diamond, Rod McDonald. Action needed (two signings) - I would say the squad needs two extra central defenders as the team makes the step up to league one, with the players preferably having experience of having played at that level.

Holding central midfielders - John-Joe O’Toole, Joel Byrom, Jason Taylor, Shaun McWilliams. Action needed (one signing) - One more player needs to be brought in to this area, as a replacement for Danny Rose, who was a key man in the back end of last season.

Attacking midfielders - Ricky Holmes, Alfie Potter, Lawson D’Ath. Action needed (two signings) - Nicky Adams has to be replaced, and I would bring in another as well if the team is going to continue to operate in a 4-2-3-1 formation. That of course may not be the case as Page may want to play a different system, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Strikers - Marc Richards, Sam Hoskins. Action needed (two signings) - with loan players James Collins and John Marquis both having left the club, I would say Page needs to bring in two out and out strikers to bring some much-needed strength in depth.

A woman having treatment for breast cancer has thanked her friends for joining her at Race For Life in Northampton.

Leonie Heard has just finished chemotherapy and she told the Chronicle & Echo that 70 friends joined her for the event on Sunday.

“From eight-week-old babies and their mum who had just had a caesarean to three-year-olds walking all the way!

“My friend Olivia won the race...I set her the challenge when she joined the group.

“She knew how hard I battled through chemo and wanted to show me in her way she would push herself too. The announcer made a comment as she ran through about ‘it’s all about winning’ - I felt for her as she was winning for me and cancer not her.

“I cried when I knew she had won as before my cancer I would run too. Now I walk, but I will run again!”

Leonie said her friends had raised more than £4,500 so far.

The irrepressible form of the Northamptonshire 10 & Under boys’ team will look to step up another level when they face the top seven other counties in the country at Sunderland on Friday.

Flying the flag has never been a more appropriate analogy for the proud quartet of Jakob Bonnett, Matthew Moloney, Angel Angelov and Harris Chacksfield as they bid to repeat the rampaging tournament success they have enjoyed twice over the course of the last month, only this time at a very elite level.

For the county flag, emblazoning the Tudor rose and set out in predominantly red but also black and white colours, will be flying on Wearside. Designed to commemorate the county men reaching Group One of the LTA Summer Cup in 2001, it has only made fleeting appearances since.

The boys will be seeking to repeat the excellent form they showed in Grantham a fortnight ago where they won all four regional matches against Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Warwickshire and Leicestershire over two days to qualify for these national finals.

That followed an eye-catching blitz of Lionel Cox Trophy at Queenswood School over the May bank holiday where they proved the pick of 10 counties, defeating hosts Hertfordshire in the final.

The only rubber dropped at Grantham saw Northants No.1 Bonnett beaten by Nottinghamshire’s Phoenix Weir only for Moloney and Bonnett to clinch the deciding doubles 4-0, 4-1.

Harris Chacksfield was able to glean valuable doubles experience although the final match with Leicestershire wasn’t necessary with the title stashed away.

The county girls team of Alexandra Manojlovic, Megan Ransford, Charlotte Johns and Amie Reynolds were in action at King’s Park and secured a win against Oxfordshire while only losing to Berkshire on a tie-break shoot out, Manojlovic winning three out of four at the head of the order.

Meanwhile, the eye catching form of the county lads has received extra recognition with Moloney being chosen to take part in an on court demonstration at Wimbledon in three weeks time.

NORTHANTS Over 45 men found the going tough in their opening National League fixture, going down 5-0 to Kent at Romney.

THE loss of Jonathan Searle from the County A armoury seems likely to have little detrimental effect in the challenge Barry Wilson’s side will deliver in trying to recapture their Division One crown from Corby TC A this summer.

Searle, who was married at the weekend before embarking on his honeymoon this week, had been sidelined by a troublesome shoulder injury and had not played in any of County’s four matches to date. It seems unlikely his recuperation will allow him to play a part of the senior men’s LTA Summer County Cup campaign in Oxford at the end of July.

Yet while the loss of Searle would normally have resulted in a significant bar to County’s chances, youngsters such as Henry Masters and Cameron Yuill have stepped up to the plate while Corby’s own challenge has been somewhat diluted, with Dallington A emerging as likeliest rivals.

County A visit Northampton C on Thursday evening, 24 hours before Corby TC A host Northampton B while Dallington’s next action is scheduled for the Abington a grass on Monday night.

Last Friday, Corby TC A were 5-3 winners at Northampton A with Joe Tyler and Alan Jordan winning three sets, beating Tom Cunningham/Paul Essom 6-1, 6-1 and halving 4-6, 6-2 against Tim Graham/Andy Trott who defeated Oliver/Richmond/Jovan Kangrga 6-0, 6-3. That said, 13-year-old Kangrga was still able to celebrate his first sets in the top divisions of men’s tennis as he and Richmond were 6-3, 7-5 winners against Cunningham/Essom.

Meanwhile Dallington B appear on fast track for a quick return to Division One, the latest evidence arriving on Monday night when they trounced Ferrers 8-0, the pairings of Oli Reis/Sam Smith and Alex Ballinger/Nick Lloyd proving too hot for Mark and Lee Gay and James Roberts/Gareth Street.

Monday also saw a defining outcome in the top section of the ladies division with the County A quartet of Laura Mineards/Catherine Thompson and Kate Clayson/Suzanne Clarke displacing Dallington A at the top with an 8-0 win at the hands of that opposition. Experience held sway, despite the visitors fielding a strong line-up of Imogen Allen/Zoe Yuill and Alex Lewis/Abigail Pearce. So, very much business as usual at Church Way!

Northampton A’s mixed Division One credentials will be put on the line on Friday night when the current leaders host Dallington A in a re-arranged fixture.

Newly-emerging Roade look like launching a weighty challenge in Mixed Division Three after a recent 6-2 win at Dallington D in which the pairs of Ollie Mason/Jo Jackson and Alex Dunn/Amy Pattison both won three sets, at least two of those players returning to their forming stamping ground.

The Caroline Bailey-trained Gold Ingot ensured the stable’s steady run of early summer form continued, when winning the 2m 3f handicap chase at Market Rasen last Friday.

The former Alan King-trained nine-year-old was scoring just his second win for current connections, although he has been placed second or third on half of his 14 outings since moving to the Holdenby North Lodge stables.

Jockey Andrew Thornton was in the saddle, another notable landmark for him as he closes down on his ambition to ride 1,000 National Hunt winners, leaving him six short of his target.

Meanwhile, the connection between Bailey’s base and that of Wiltshire trainer King is set to continue next season as one of the latest recruits to Northamptonshire is the five-year-old Elkstone who ran nine times for his previous yard without getting on the scoresheet.

However, the son of Midnight Legend has never been campaigned over further than 2m 1f and it is believed a step up in trip with greater maturity will pay dividends in the autumn.

Other ex-King horses to have run for the county base in recent times have been Denali Highway and The Laodicean, both of which won three times for the yard, the latter also twice being placed at Towcester.

Retirement was looming for Denali Highway before his third place in a 2m 4f handicap chase at Southwell on Tuesday evening. Although he was backed into favoritism, perhaps he will now get another chance.

Another recent purchase for the Bailey yard is a four-year-old from last week’s Ascot Sales. Appropriately named, Reckless Behaviour has had one run in a point to point and includes county man Richard Lloyd among his owners.

STARTING them young is a proven strategy in attracting race goers for life and the policy is already paying dividends for five-year-old Evelyn Labrum-Eggleton who last week proved an able assistant in the task of handing out a trophy at Towcester’s final meeting until October 5.

The Spratton Hall pupil made the most of the half term break in company with a family party of six which included her mum Danielle, who happened to be celebrating her 32nd birthday on that day.

This landmark proved the catalyst to an invitation to enter the winner’s enclosure along with race-day guide Shona Supple after the Henry Daly-trained grey Upbeat Cobbler warmed the cockles of the hearts of locals by making all the running to land the 3m handicap chase.

Despite the fact Evelyn was only attending her second race meeting (her debut coming at Huntingdon on Easter Monday) her ever expanding thirst for knowledge is already showing an alarming swing away from the achievements of the great 19th Century civil engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel and onto the intriguing lists of trainers, jockeys and horses.

Shropshire trainer Daly currently has his string in good order and he was only denied another winner on Tuesday evening when Queen Spud fell at the last fence at Southwell when two lengths clear.

However he seems sure his mare Upbeat Cobbler will return to Northamptonshire in the autumn, saying: “She is owned by a Cobbler (John Timpson) and the track suits her very well. She looks to be turning into a typical course specialist and Towcester is the last refuge of the truly slow horse!”

Sadly, school responsibilities mean young Evelyn’s racing headwear will be missing from next week’s Royal Ascot jamboree, but there seems little doubt Towcester has attracted a new supporter and our local racecourse must continue to do all it can to encourage the next generation.

It is not unusual to see school parties dressed in jockey silks being given guided tours of the racecourse before action starts, while the quest remains to beef up the number of dates in the diary...

ROYAL Ascot will hopefully beckon its beguiling finger next week for retired Northampton bookmaker Brian Goodyear whose recent course scorer Taurean Star will be bidding for a third victory at the track in the Britannia Stakes over 1m on Thursday.

HARPOLE racing enthusiast Mick White may no longer have the chance to cheer home his recently retired favourite Rylee Mooch but he was at Brighton on Monday to cheer on a fresh interest in the Dean Ivory-trained Roman Legion which showed a degree of promise before finishing fifth in a 6f contest.

Oliver James joined elder brother Eithan in a unique family double as he became a national champion .

Oliver beat Benjamin Brown (Trumpington ABC) on a split decision at Grantham Leisure Centre in Lincolnshire to claim Kings Heath ABC’s fourth national title this season.

James was the rightful winner in a close bout over three keenly-contested rounds.

The Kings Heath hot-shot handled the highly pressurised final well, with a fast start claiming the first round.

The second round was a little bit messy as both boxers tried to take the initiative but got tangled up at close quarters too often to identify a clear cut winner.

James pushed on in the final round with more eye-catching combinations as he countered and negated everything his opponent did to put the bout beyond any doubt.

Kings Heath head coach Arthur Daly was understandably delighted with the display, and overall achievement, of his young charge.

And Daly said: “Oliver boxed in every round in this competition, no byes or lucky draws, and on at least two occasions we were not expected to succeed.

“This was a hard final in front of a huge crowd and it was all about emerging victorious.

“He was both mentally and physically stronger on the day, against an opponent who we knew wouldn’t take a step backwards, but on this occasion he was forced to

“Oliver’s strength of character throughout the last two months is very similar to his older brother’s.

“It is a pleasure to work with both of them.

“They are getting out of the sport the rewards attributed to the dedication that they both consistently apply every time they walk through the gym doors.”

James will now be on the England radar following his impressive achievements during recent months.

And if he needs any advice he only has to ask his sibling, who will soon be taking to the canvas in the colours of his country.

Eithan is currently preparing for the European Championships and there is every chance he will bring even more success to his club before the season is out.

Daly is certainly full of confidence when it comes to Eithan’s chances of impressing for England in the 48kg category.

And the coach said: “There is every possibility that Oliver could box for England as well, but the focus is now on Eithan, who flies out to Hungary next week for the European Championships.

“He is ready and has prepared extremely diligently for this.

“He is very focused on what will be an equally strong tournament over the course of seven days.”

Kings Heath finish the local season off with a show at Irthlingborough Band Club on Sunday.

Boxing starts at 12.30pm and the host club expect to have 15 bouts on the agenda, giving some of the new boxers an opportunity to showcase their talents.

Ben bidding to emulate his brother’s success

Far Cotton middleweight Ben Fail reckons anything his twin brother can do, he can do as well.

Carl Fail has been one of the success stories of the amateur boxing season.

The 19-year-old from East Hunsbury captured the Elite championship last month and added Tri-Nations gold a few weeks later.

Ben is proud of his twin - and keen to follow in his footsteps.

He’s entered in the Haringey Box Cup that gets underway at Alexandra Palace a week tomorrow (June 17) ranked No 10 in England at 75kgs by trade paper Boxing News.

“If I win the gold, I should go up the rankings,” said the 19-year-old southpaw.

“I was surprised to be in the top 10, but it shows they know what level I’m at.

“I believe I’m capable of beating the boys above me as well.

“I really want to be where my brother is. The aim is for us both to win the Elites next season and I’m learning from Carl all the time.

“I know I have to get behind my jab, box more and win rounds clearly like he does.

“I’ve been having scrappy, toe-to-toe fights that the judges are finding hard to score.

“Sometimes you have to stand there and have a fight, but if I can hit and not get hit like my brother does, that impresses the judges.

“I’m sure I will be up there with him next season.”

Fail has been out of the ring since his split points loss to Noel Smith (Kings Heath) in the East Midlands final of the Elite championships, but he’s stayed in the gym with Far Cotton coach John Daly and has picked up valuable experience sparring in top London gyms.

Daly describes the twins as ‘two very pleasant lads to train’ and is convinced both will go on to challenge for British honours in the professional ring.

Ben said: “The aim is to turn professional one day. We will see how the next couple of years go.”

Fail is joined in the Haringey Box Cup by club-mates Morgan Bosley, Connor Downs and Laura Stevens.

Bosley and Downs are both looking for back-to-back golds at Alexandra Palace, while Stevens was a winner there two years ago.

Stevens, who boxed for England against Wales last year, reached the Elite final in Liverpool last month.

A man who appeared to be helping a woman who was disorientated in Northampton is being asked to contact police in a bid to help identify the whereabouts of the woman.

The woman was in Birchfield Road, Northampton at 5am on Saturday, April 23 and later left with a friend. A black man was seen to be assisting the woman, who had two bumps to her head.

Officers are asking the man in the attached CCTV image (circled in red) to come forward as he may have witnessed how the woman came to have the injuries.

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

A Wellingborough football hooligan dubbed the ‘Pig of Marseilles’ has been given a banning order preventing him from travelling to France ahead of Euro 2016.

James Shayler, 50, from Wellingborough, appeared before Northampton Magistrates Court after being served with a Section 21b Football Spectators Act 1989 banning notice.

The hearing was told Shayler had planned to travel to Marseilles, where England play Russia tomorrow night, and to Lens where England play Wales on Thursday, June 16, but did not have match tickets.

The police acted upon two complaints made against Shayler following alleged comments printed in a Sunday newspaper on May 22 which suggested his intentions were to travel to France to cause potential violent disorder.

Shayler was given his nickname for his role in rioting in the 1998 World Cup in France.

The court was told the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had a “compelling case” for a football banning order based on the evidence.

Officers from Northamptonshire Police worked with the UK Football Policing Unit to make a case to ensure Shayler was unable to travel to France for the Championships which start tonight (Friday, June 10).

A decision on imposing a banning order was adjourned until July 11 at Wellingborough Magistrates Court.

However, the CPS successfully applied to have two bail conditions imposed as part of the banning order legislation.

The conditions are that Shayler does not leave England or Wales before the next hearing and continues to surrender his UK passport to Northamptonshire Police.

DCI Helen Knight, of Northamptonshire Police, said: “We are extremely pleased with this outcome.

“We have worked very hard to build a case that prevents this individual from travelling to the Euros where the evidence indicates he would be likely to be involved in football-related violence.

“This bail application prevents him from leaving the UK and doing that.

“At next month’s hearing we hope to secure a banning order that would prevent him travelling to the World Cup in Russia in 2018.”

National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Football Policing, assistant chief constable Mark Roberts, said: “Even so close to the start of the tournament we are pleased to see that forces continue to ensure people who decide to act in a criminal manner will be investigated and if the evidence is sufficient prevented from travelling and engaging in disorder.

“Operations will continue to ensure that the small minority of high-risk supporters don’t ruin the tournament for genuine fans.”