Saints saw their seven-match winning streak against Harlequins shattered in a 20-9 defeat at The Stoop on Saturday afternoon.

An Alofa Alofa try, allied with three points from Nick Evans and 12 from replacement fly-half Tim Swiel saw Quins end their barren run against Jim Mallinder’s men.

Saints only had three Stephen Myler penalties to show for their efforts as they suffered their fourth defeat in six Aviva Premiership outings this season.

It was a largely disappointing display from the away side, who, a period towards the end of the first half aside, struggled to get any dominance in the game.

And Quins took advantage, pulling away during the second period to get the win they desperately wanted.

Saints had won at The Stoop in dramatic fashion back in February, with Ben Foden scoring a stunning last-gasp try.

But there was to be no stirring fightback on this occasion as uninspiring Saints finished the day without a try to their name.

Quins set the tone from the off, winning a string of early penalties, the first of which was fluffed by Kiwi kicker Evans.

But the returning No.10 soon made amends, landing a kick that came after Nic Groom had ran into danger and become isolated.

Evans was soon lining up a third shot at goal in the space of nine minutes, adding another three points to the dominant hosts’ tally.

Saints were really struggling to get out of their own half and after some poor defensive decisions saw the line broken, Alofa cruised in from the left to score.

The only saving grace for Mallinder’s men was that Evans missed yet another effort from the tee, sending the conversion wide to a backdrop of groans from the home supporters.

Myler made the Quins kicker pay at the other end with a well-struck penalty that narrowed the gap to five points.

It was soon down to just two as Quins conceded a penalty at the scrum and Myler again stuck the boot in.

Saints were really growing into the game and after some fine work by Tom Wood earned a penalty at the breakdown, they pushed on to earn another shot at goal.

Myler was to miss for the first time, rattling the post with the penalty attempt, and he failed with another effort soon after to leave his team two points down at the break.

Quins started the second half as they had the first, charging at the Saints defence and trying to force an opening.

When they did get through, Ahsee Tuala did well to stop Tim Visser and win a penalty, but Quins soon had one of their own, with Swiel, on for Evans at half-time, landing it.

Saints were finding it difficult to respond and Quins thought they had scored when Luke Wallace dotted down, but the effort was disallowed for a clear block from Visser on Ken Pisi in the build-up.

The home fans were furious with referee Ian Tempest, but the decision only served to add more fuel to their players’ fire, with Quins turning up the heat.

Swiel landed his second penalty of the half and Saints were eight points down, needing a big response in the final 20 minutes of the match.

The men in white did finally put some pressure on, with Myler landing a penalty with 15 minutes to go.

Saints needed to make that the start of a resurgence, as they had in the first period, but Quins came straight back at them, winning yet another penalty that Swiel kicked to restore their eight-point lead.

There was to be no response from Saints and Quins continued to push until the end, finishing the game with yet another effort from the tee as Swiel twisted the knife.

Harlequins: Brown; Yarde, Alofa, Roberts, Visser; Evans (Swiel 40), Dickson; Lambert (Jones 18), Buchanan (Gray 77), Sinckler (Collier 70); Merrick (Twomey 73), Horwill (c); Robshaw, Wallace, Chisholm (Luamanu 73).

Saints: Tuala (Foden 60); K Pisi, G Pisi, Burrell, North; Myler (Olver 76), Groom (Dickson 50); A Waller (E Waller 68), Haywood (Clare 76), Brookes (Hill 56); Lawes, Paterson (Dickinson 73); Wood (c), Clark (Picamoles 53), Harrison.

Referee: Ian Tempest

Jim Mallinder admits his Saints side didn’t seem to know where they were going in their defeat at Harlequins.

Mallinder’s men were beaten 20-9 at The Stoop on Saturday as they failed to score a single try against a fired-up home team.

Instead, they only had three Stephen Myler penalties to show for their efforts as Quins ended a seven-match losing streak against Saints.

They had not beaten Northampton since May, 2013 but never really looked in danger of tasting an eighth successive defeat.

And Mallinder said: “The last two or three weeks we’ve been playing well with some really good shape, but today we didn’t seem to know where we were going.

“We lost the physical battle so we didn’t manage to get on the front foot and I guess a lot of that was down to the pressure Quins were putting us under.

“It was a poor performance from us today.

“We talked about coming here and controlling the game away from home, playing in the right parts of the pitch and keeping our discipline. We didn’t achieve any of those today.

“We always knew we’d be up against a fired-up Harlequins side and they like to play a fairly loose game, getting the ball wide, and they do it well.

“We knew what was coming and I think we defended pretty well for long periods.

“Some of our defence was outstanding, some of our contact work was really good, we got some really good turnovers at times, but it was in attack that frustrated me most.

“We couldn’t keep hold of the ball, we got turned over after one or two phases and could never get into any pattern of shape.”

Saints had looked to be building some momentum after good performances against Wasps and Exeter.

And Mallinder said: “We did feel that we were building and even though results hadn’t been going all our way, the performances had been pretty good.

“It is a setback this week, it was a poor performance and we certainly need to improve for the two weeks (of Champions Cup action) coming up.”

Down both a man and a goal away at the league leaders with still half-an-hour remaining, not many would have given the Cobblers a sniff of coming away with anything other than a valiant defeat from this keenly-contested affair at Glanford Park.

Lesser teams would have crumbled when faced by such a forlorn, seemingly hopeless situation, and may have accepted defeat against a side flying high at the top.

But this is a Cobblers team who have proven, time and time again over the past 12 months, that they never know when to throw in the towel.

Sliding to a meek defeat without a fight was not an option and instead of letting a red card disrupt the head of steam they had been building, Northampton only used it as extra motivation to earn themselves a valuable and significant point that proves to everyone, least of all themselves, that they are a team to be taken seriously this season.

It was no more than they deserved too for this their best and most complete away performance of the season during which they refused to let the leaders have things all their own way, aside from a shaky opening 15 minutes when Scunthorpe made an ominous, dominant start.

But once Northampton settled and got a foothold, they took the game to their hosts and always carried a threat down both sides, not once wavering even after Matty Taylor’s red card.

Scunthorpe may have gone into this game as the EFL’s form team but for large periods, particularly in the second-half, they were second best.

Brendan Moloney caused havoc with his runs from deep, Jak McCourt was a nuisance in midfield and JJ Hooper was a handful on the left, while there was a pleasing balance to Northampton’s approach; they were solid at the back but always a threat at the other end.

And the most impressive aspect of this performance was not necessarily the fact the Cobblers dug deep to haul themselves back on an even keel when seemingly down and out, it was how they reacted after levelling.

The natural tendency would have been to sit back, soak up the inevitable Scunthorpe pressure and see out an what was unquestionably an excellent point.

But if either side looked like taking all three points in the 15 minutes that remained, it was the 10 men of Northampton.

Scunthorpe had lost their way and were unable to blunt Town’s resilient rearguard, leading to a scrappy finale and one which was shaded by the visitors, so much so it wasn’t always easy to tell which team were the league leaders and had the extra man.

Scunthorpe’s inability to put the game to bed when leading 1-0 only worked in Town’s favour who used the home side’s hesitancy as encouragement.

It’s sometimes thought that playing against 10 man can be more difficult than 11 and that was somewhat true here, Scunthorpe unable to figure out how best to stifle and get at Northampton once they lost Taylor.

Credit must go to Rob Page for his tactical tweak after the red card which kept his side on the front foot, only aided by the introduction of the vibrant Sam Hoskins on the right and the tenacity of goalscorer Jak McCourt in midfield.

Hoskins went as close to winning it as anyone when his long-range attempt was beaten away by Luke Daniels and after some late huffing and puffing by Scunthorpe, the final whistle signalled a fair result and a point gained by the Cobblers.

There’s no better way to measure yourself than against the best and if this is a sign of things to come, it bodes well for Page’s men.

A point away at the league leaders will always warrant deserved praise, of course, but what will really make a few sit up and take notice of this Cobblers team is the manner in which it was gained. A goal down, a man down, away from home at the league leaders – but never out.

How they rated...

Adam Smith - Fine reaction save early on denied Morris who got his own back from another free-kick later in the half, otherwise had little to do... 7

Brendan Moloney - Outstanding performance. Not only did he cause havoc with his driving, marauding runs forward on the right, he had an end product to show for it and could have had three or four assists on another day. Dependable at the back as always too... 9 CHRON STAR MAN

Zander Diamond - Could have seen red for a risky challenge on Hopper when the United man was bearing down on goal, but in general this was another excellent display at the heart of defence... 8

Lewin Nyatanga - Relatively unruffled despite being tangled up on occasion by United’s tricky front three, provides good competition for Zakuani... 8

David Buchanan - Brilliant block denied the lively Holmes a certain goal as he used all of his nous to keep the fleet-footed winger as quiet as possible... 8

Jak McCourt - Real nuisance in midfield, regularly winning the ball back to prevent United from countering, doing the often unheralded work to great effect. Also softened the blow of Taylor’s red by getting forward more, none more so than when scoring his first goal for the club... 8

Paul Anderson - Didn’t really get himself into the game, though did link well with Moloney prior to his withdrawal... 6

John-Joe O’Toole - Conceded a cheap free-kick which led to United’s opener. Couldn’t get a foothold until the second-half when he saw more of the ball and was able to grapple control... 7

Matty Taylor - Caused problems with his set-pieces in the first-half and had more of an impact from open play in the second until his red card, which was perhaps slightly harsh but his reaction suggested he knew it was a poor challenge... 5

JJ Hooper - Was a handful on the left, highlighted by his excellent work for the equaliser. End product is indifferent though, exemplified by his bad miss just before Morris’ opener... 7

Alex Revell - Should have done better with an early header but his brilliant flick created the leveller... 7

Substitutes

Sam Hoskins - 7

Marc Richards - 6

Scunthorpe United manager Graham Alexander was disappointed by his side’s 1-1 draw with 10-man Northampton on Saturday.

Josh Morris’ spectacular free-kick handed United a first-half lead but despite Matty Taylor’s red card on the hour-mark, the home side let the three points slip from their grasp as Jak McCourt struck late on for the Cobblers.

“We’re disappointed with a point,” he said. “I thought it was a deserved lead in the first-half, especially in the first 20-25 minutes when we pinned them in and created lots of problems for them.

“We didn’t start the second-half in the way we spoke about and we let Northampton grab a hold of the game.

“Slowly we lost control when we should have had it and when they went down to 10 men, we should have really asserted our authority.

“It cost us and they managed to get a goal back. Credit to them for doing what they did but we know that with the quality we have, we should have seen it out.”

Alexander was particularly frustrated with his side’s second-half performance, adding: “We didn’t make the right decisions at the right times and we got sucked into a false game.

“We didn’t put pressure on Northampton to defend their goal and it culminated in us conceding a poor goal and dropping two points, so it’s a lesson for us to learn today.

“We’re disappointed and the players are disappointed but you’re going to get this over the course of the season and it’s about how you react to it.

“Teams are coming here and playing in certain ways. We’ve seen that in the last few weeks and we have to find a way to overcome it.”

This time there was no last-gasp Harlequins horror show to save Saints.

There was no stirring fightback with the final play of the game.

There were no slick moves that cut the opposition to ribbons.

In fact, especially during the second half, there wasn’t much of anything from Saints.

Harlequins were hardly incredible themselves, however they managed to win the physical battle and, ultimately, the war.

Jim Mallinder felt Saints lacked direction and admitted his immense frustration with their failure to execute any sort of attacking game.

The fact they didn’t score a single try, and didn’t really look likely to, told the tale.

This was reminiscent of the opening-day defeat at Bath.

Just as on that occasion, there was a bright spell during the first half.

A time when Saints looked to be getting to grips with the opposition and appeared to be grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck.

But just as against Bath, they faded badly, like a racehorse that had run out of legs halfway around the track.

And just as against Bath, they gave away far too many penalties, costing them any chance of victory.

At least against Bath there was a late rally, a couple of tries from Nic Groom.

On this occasion, there wasn’t even that.

Instead, Harlequins continued pressing until the end in a game that resembled the traffic jam on the way to the game in its irritating and seemingly never-ending nature.

What is most disappointing for Saints is that this performance came on the back of their best of the season.

The victory against Exeter displayed their fighting spirit and, especially during Rory Hutchinson’s stunning team try, an ability to deliver something special.

But there wasn’t much of that on show at The Stoop.

After taking a step forward against Exeter, Saints took two back here.

They looked to be building something, with performances against Saracens and Wasps unlucky not to bring more than the single point earned.

And then the Exeter win appeared the be the realisation of the talk about how it was a matter of time before the team delivered both a good display and a victory.

Saints looked to be gathering speed, and a win in Twickenham would send them into next week’s Champions Cup opener against Montpellier with real momentum.

But Mallinder’s men were to fall flat and must now rebuild all over again.

Whether that is with exactly the same personnel, it remains to be seen.

Players such as James Wilson and Howard Packman will be knocking on the director of rugby’s door after their recent impressive display for the Wanderers.

And those players certainly have aspects to their game that would add something new.

However, Mallinder will be wary of throwing the baby out with the bathwater, especially in the Champions Cup.

He is not accustomed to knee-jerk reactions, trying to remain calm, win or lose.

And it will be interesting to see what he does in terms of selection for the French double-header - Saints go to Castres after the match against Montpellier - that awaits.

One thing is for sure, Saints will need to step up several levels if they even want to compete with those teams.

They will need to go back to the drawing board and come up with ways to trouble the teams from across the Channel.

Because at The Stoop on Saturday, they didn’t really trouble Quins at all.

How they rated...

AHSEE TUALA

The Samoan full-back was one of Saints’ better performers as he made one good break early on and did some good defensive work in the second half... 6

KEN PISI

Enjoyed a good day at The Stoop back in February but wasn’t really able to get in the game on this occasion... 5

GEORGE PISI

Shot out of the line for the Quins try and although he did put in a couple of good hits, he couldn’t influence the game... 5

LUTHER BURRELL

Came back into the team after injury and one good grubber and powerful carry aside, didn’t look himself, especially defensively... 5

GEORGE NORTH

Has enjoyed a superb start to the season, but he barely saw the ball in this match as Saints struggled to get any front-foot ball... 5

STEPHEN MYLER

Landed three kicks, but missed a couple of others and wasn’t able to get any sort of stranglehold on proceedings... 5

NIC GROOM

Couldn’t get the pace of the game he wanted at the breakdown and there wasn’t enough movement around him... 5

ALEX WALLER

Found himself on the wrong side of the referee as Harlequins took advantage of Saints’ lack of discipline... 5

MIKE HAYWOOD

Battled hard, putting himself about in the bid to push Harlequins back, but the tide didn’t turn... 6

KIERAN BROOKES

Took a knock in the first half, but battled on before eventually being replaced early in the second half... 5

COURTNEY LAWES

Was unfortunate to be penalised on one occasion and the lock did try to impose himself on Quins... 6

MICHAEL PATERSON

Has started the season well and he didn’t let the team down here, putting in a decent shift before being replaced... 6

TOM WOOD

The skipper never shirks a challenge and he did do well at the breakdown as well as charging around trying to help turn things around... 6

CALUM CLARK

Was forced off with a head knock after putting his body in the firing line at the breakdown as he so often does, but didn’t find favour with the referee... 5

TEIMANA HARRISON

Took the fight to Quins during the first half with some trademark big carries and could hold his head high... 6

Replacements (who played more than 20 minutes)

LEE DICKSON (for Groom 50)

Saints hoped he would be able to up the tempo, but the team were on the back foot and his passing wasn’t as sharp as he’d have liked... 5

PAUL HILL (for Brookes 56)

Came on at a time when Saints were starting to really find it difficult and this was not an easy cameo... 5

CHRON STAR MAN - Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins)

A cinema operator has announced it is working on opening a site in Daventry town centre that could include up to three screens.

The Errol Flynn Filmhouse, based in Northampton and run by the Royal & Derngate theatre, announced on Sunday afternoon as part of its five-year vision to shape the county’s cultural development with a series of major projects, that it is working with Daventry District Council and its development partner Henry Boot Developments Ltd to devise plans for a cinema in the proposed redevelopment of Daventry town centre.

The Errol Flynn Filmshouse opened nearly three years ago by the Royal & Derngate on a site adjacent to Derngate auditorium in Northampton.

Royal & Derngate will lead a consultation process to establish what the people of Daventry would like to see in their cinema. Plans for the cinema will be developed in response to this consultation and the needs of the local community, but there is the expectation that the new filmhouse could include up to three screens, showing a mix of mainstream and independent films as well as live screenings of opera, ballet and theatre productions.

If the project goes ahead it is anticipated that the cinema would be developed and operated by Royal & Derngate as tenants of Daventry District Council.

The cinema would be part of the Mulberry Place development on the car park immediately north of Daventry’s High Street – known as Site 1.

DDC approached Royal & Derngate while looking at ways with Henry Boot to rework the development proposals for Site 1. The site received planning permission in 2014 for a cinema as part of the Mulberry Place retail development, however that scheme is no longer commercially viable and options for a smaller, leisure-focused development are now being explored.

Martin Sutherland, chief executive of Royal & Derngate, said: “It is very exciting to be part of these plans, helping to shape the cultural development of Daventry town centre over the next few years.

“Our knowledge and expertise, gained in the successful establishment of the Errol Flynn Filmhouse, will help deliver a filmhouse that Daventry can be proud of.”

Cllr Colin Poole, Daventry District Council’s economic, regeneration employment portfolio holder said: “These discussions between Royal & Derngate and Henry Boot, albeit at a very early stage, are encouraging.

“The potential of such a scheme would provide a good fit for Daventry and the additional leisure and cultural offer that we are keen see in our town.

“An independent, high quality and accessible leisure experience would also complement the centre’s character of small and independent businesses.

“In this ever-changing economic climate, commercial viability is key for all parties and we look forward to these initial discussions being brought to a successful fruition.”

A Northampton theatre has outlined a vision for a new secondary school in the town, which lean towards creative industries.

Royal & Derngate says the idea is a response to concerns that arts education is increasingly being marginalised within secondary schools across England, despite the sector being amongst the fastest-growing in the UK economy.

Chief executive Martin Sutherland said: “In order to start shaping a truly radical education and creative learning programme we need to seek the support of educators, thinkers, artists, young people and parents who can help us develop our vision regarding creative learning in Northampton.

“Together we can realise the potential that will be unlocked by opening a new cultural and creative industries school in Northampton.”

The vision also includes building on the success of the theatre’s cinema, the Errol Flynn Filmhouse.

Royal & Derngate is working with Daventry District Council and its development partner Henry Boot Developments Ltd to devise plans which will see the inclusion of a cinema in the proposed redevelopment of Daventry Town Centre.

Artistic Director James Dacre has described how Royal & Derngate has gathered a consortium of partners, including Scottish Opera, Musical Theatre Network, Perfect Pitch, Improbable, China Plate and Underbelly, to commission, develop and support new music-theatre, ranging from opera to musicals, which it expects to present over the coming years in a festival format, in Northampton and at major UK and international festivals.

Mr Dacre explained: “For a long time we have felt that the scale and demands of new musicals and operas exclude theatres and organisations like ours, which lack the finances and resources to realise them. So we are interested in a new model for creating music-theatre that can liberate writers, composers and creators from the barriers they’ve previously faced in originating new work and still be audience-friendly, locally relevant, collaborative and deeply imaginative.

“We want to demonstrate that new musical work in all its variations can be enjoyable, accessible, contemporary and exciting in celebrating the power of the sung word. In short, we are interested in developing what it means to sing stories.”

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Saints legend Dickie Jeeps has passed away at the age of 84.

Jeeps was widely regarded as one of the greatest scrum-halves of all time, making 273 appearances during his 13 seasons with Saints.

He was also a star for England and the British & Irish Lions, and he remains Northampton’s most-capped Lion.

Jeeps, who hadn’t been capped by England at the time, travelled with the Lions to South Africa in 1955 and lined up alongside Welsh stand-off Cliff Morgan.

When Jeeps retired from international rugby seven years later, no one had played more Tests for the touring side.

He was a naturally gifted sportsman who averaged 100 as a schoolboy batsman and who nearly turned down a pre-season trial at the Saints as it would have meant missing a cricket match.

That was at the start of 1952/53 and Jeeps went on to have a 13-year career at Franklin’s Gardens, scoring 48 tries and captaining the club in 1958.

As well as being the first choice Lions No.9 for three tours, he also held down the England starting spot for 24 Tests and captained his nation 13 times.

Jeeps, who went on to become and England selector and RFU president, was among the six inaugural inductees of the Saints Hall of Fame in 2005.

After watching his side salvage a point at Sky Bet League One leaders Scunthorpe United having been a man and a goal down, it was no surprise that Rob Page was a man bristling with pride and satisfaction, describing the performance as one which ‘typifies what we’re all about’.

Not many would have given the Cobblers a hope when Matty Taylor saw red with his side already 1-0 down against a team in such blistering form, but Jak McCourt’s 75th minute goal earned them an impressive point.

There was no hint of this being a smash and grab job either, if anything it was Scunthorpe who were thankful for the full-time whistle.

It was the type of battling, gritty performance which Cobblers fans have become accustomed to over the past 12 months, and Page knew the significance of it too.

“I’m really proud of them and really proud to be their manager,” he said.

“Against all the odds they’ve gone to top of the table and proven what I’ve said all along - we’ve been promoted this season but we’re here to have a go and that proves our intent on Saturday after being down to 10 men.

“I don’t care who we’re playing against at the minute, the belief in the changing room now after Saturday and after some other performances this season is outstanding.

“We’re growing in confidence and we’ll take confidence from going down to 10 men and being disappointed not to win.

“We have a never-say-die attitude and that’s something we’ve brought in and something we pride ourselves on.

“It’s highlighted in the changing room in big bold letters - ‘one more round’ - we keep going right until the end and Saturday typified what we’re all about.

“The characters we’ve brought into the football club have not only improved us from an ability point of view but also mentality with players that have played at the top and want to win every game, like Revs (Alex Revell), like Taylor and like (Gaby) Zakuani.

“Every single one of those players on Saturday was desperate to win that game.”

Saturday’s result alone will give great encouragement for the rest of the season, but it was also the manner of the performance and how they earned the draw which suggests this team could be a real force in league one.

“We’re realistic,” added Page.

“Nothing changes and we want to establish ourselves as a league one football club, and it’s encouraging when you see the signs we saw on Saturday.

“But it can change overnight and we’re not going to get carried away because there are bigger teams in this division that are having little wobbles at the moment.

“It’s important that we recognise when we do, rectify it as best we can and try to put it right.

“But at the minute we’re full of confidence and we’ll be positive going into next week.

“It’s about what we do and if all of us reach the standards that we set individually and as a team, then we won’t fear anybody.”

A charity set up more than 20 years ago to support some of Wellingborough’s most vulnerable children is facing closure next year.

With several streams of funding coming to an end next year, Home-Start Wellingborough and District has said families in the area will no longer be able to access free support from trained volunteers unless a rescue plan is successful.

The charity currently supports more than 70 vulnerable families at any one time through a network of local trained volunteers who offer emotional and practical help.

But with funding from the Big Lottery coming to an end in January 2017 and other major funding ending in March, a shortfall of more than £70,000 means the charity faces closure.

Scheme manager Janet Sanders said: “With the NHS and social services already at breaking point in the area, our services are needed more than ever.

“Our volunteers help families to get back on their feet during difficult times such as bereavement, depression or mental illness.

“Without our help, the well-being of the children in these families is at serious risk.”

With the threat of closure if regular sponsorship can’t be found, the charity is this week launching the Changing Futures campaign to find 2,000 people willing to donate £3 a month.

Fundraising officer Susan Thompson said: “We need 2,000 Wellingborough folk to commit to giving £3 a month.

“That will bring in enough money to keep going next year but without that help, we will be letting down some of the most vulnerable people in our community.”

Over the past year, Home-Start Wellingborough and District has supported more than 200 children in the borough by training volunteers to support families in difficulty.

Referrals come from many sources, including social services and domestic violence centres.

Volunteers are matched with suitable families and visit weekly.

The charity’s Facebook page gives former users of Home-Start the chance to thank the volunteers, and many have done this, including Theresa Wright who wrote: “I don’t know where to start explaining how Home-Start have helped us.”

In the past year, the charity has supported:

- 26 families with one or more disabled children

- 88 children with a Common Assessment Framework

- 26 children with a Child Protection Plan

- 27 children with a Child in Need Plan

- Matched 34 new families with a regular home-visiting volunteer

- Successfully completed supporting 38 families

- Attended family court hearings

The charity currently has 28 referrals seeking support that it is unable to meet.

Anyone who would like to help can donate via www.homestartwellingborough.org.uk/donate.

Child arrests in Northamptonshire have fallen by 57 per cent in the past five years.

The figures follow a concerted effort by police and a successful campaign by the Howard League for Penal Reform to keep as many boys and girls as possible out of the criminal justice system.

Figures published by the charity today (Monday, October 10) reveal that, during 2015, Northamptonshire Police made 1,115 arrests of boys and girls aged 17 and under.

The statistics show that the force has made significant progress since 2010, when it made 2,594 child arrests.

Across England and Wales, police made 102,666 arrests of boys and girls aged 17 and under during 2015 – a 58 per cent reduction in five years.

Many forces have reviewed their arrest procedures and policies after the Howard League’s positive engagement with them.

Every police force in England and Wales made fewer child arrests in 2015 than in 2010.

Thirty-four forces brought down their number of child arrests by more than half, including 10 who achieved reductions of more than 70 per cent.

The most successful force in the country was Humberside Police, which recorded a 77 per cent drop in the number of arrests.

There were 874 arrests of primary-age children (10 and 11-year-olds) in 2015, a reduction of 19 per cent from the previous year.

Detective Superintendent Steve Lingley, head of safeguarding at Northamptonshire Police, said: “We have a close working relationship with partners to ensure we take a child focused approach when children are believed to have been involved in crime and we will always seek the most appropriate form of action, dependant on the type of incident.

“The Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Board has oversight of police data which includes the detention of children and young people in order to scrutinise the police response.

“The multi-agency response allows for any wider issues such as the impact of home life to be considered and taking this approach can see the offending stop.

“Working with schools, the Youth Offending Service and social services, we have introduced restorative practices, in a bid to divert young people away from offending behaviour, and this drop is a reflection of that work.

“However, we also recognise that there will always be those occasions, particularly when more serious offences are involved, that children will be arrested and the criminal justice system is the correct pathway.

“In those cases we work to manage the welfare of the child while balancing the needs of the investigation.”

Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “I applaud Northamptonshire Police for their success in reducing child arrests.

“The Howard League is proud to have played its part in a significant change to the policing and life chances of children.

“It is particularly gratifying that, across England and Wales, the reduction in child arrests matches exactly the reduction in custody for children, and it is no coincidence. We have stemmed the flow of children into the justice system and the consequential downward spiral into crime and custody.”

The statistics have been published in a Howard League briefing, Child arrests in England and Wales 2015, which shows how reducing the number of children entering the system has stemmed the flow of children into custody.

Between 2010 and 2015, the number of children in prison in England and Wales fell by 58 per cent – decreasing at the same rate as child arrests.

Arrests of girls are falling at a faster rate than arrests of boys. Police recorded a 63 per cent drop in girls’ arrests between 2010 and 2015, and the number of girls in prison decreased by the same proportion.

The briefing states that the welcome fall in arrests can be attributed to better use of resources to solve problems, the removal of national targets, improved staff training, and support from communities.

Child arrest figures for Northamptonshire Police

2010: 2,594

2011: 2,177

2012: 1,660

2013: 1,289

2014: 1,270

2015: 1,115

Jim Mallinder expects key forward Christian Day to return to action in the next couple of weeks.

And England captain Dylan Hartley is also closing in on a return following a back injury.

However, JJ Hanrahan is set to be out for a while yet as he continues to recover from a broken ankle.

Hanrahan has yet to feature this season after sustaining the problem in a pre-season friendly at Ulster, while Day has also been unable to play a competitive game due to a ruptured bicep.

And Mallinder said: “JJ Hanrahan’s a little bit further off because he broke his ankle, but Christian Day is making progress and should be back in the next couple of weeks.”

On Hartley, he added: “Dylan is making good progress, he’s training, he’s doing weights, he’s running so he’ll be close for this week (against Montpellier).”

Calum Clark was forced off after taking a knock to the head during the defeat at Harlequins on Saturday.

But Mallinder said: “He did get a bit of a blow to his head so we took him off, but I think he’s okay.”

If you are a fan of Eighties music and love dancing, you are in for a treat as Footloose, the classic tale of teenage rebellion and repression takes to the stage for a major new UK tour.

Based on the 1984 screen sensation starring Kevin Bacon, Footloose: The Musical tells the story of city boy Ren who has to move to a rural backwater in America where he finds dancing is banned.

Pop Idol runner up Gareth Gates and singer Maureen Nolan of the Irish girl band The Nolans, star in the stage production as Ren’s friend Willard and preacher’s wife Vi Moore.

They perform alongside Luke Baker who plays Ren, the role immortalised by Bacon in the movie.

When Ren and his family move from Chicago to a small Midwestern town he faces a real culture shock. He tries hard to fit in, but street wise Ren can’t believe he has ended up in a place where dancing is banned.

One highlight in the town is beautiful blonde Ariel, but she already has a boyfriend, and her father is the minister who insists the town remains dance free.

With the school prom around the corner Ren decides he has to find a way to get everyone back on their feet and dancing.

Gates (pictured), who has sold millions of records worldwide and has appeared in many stage shows including Les Miserables, Legally Blonde and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, takes on the role of Ren’s best friend Willard, trying to help him settle in the new environment.

Nolan has been singing with her sisters since she was nine-years-old, enjoying phenomenal record sales worldwide.

She has also appeared in many stage shows including playing the leading role of Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers in the West End and on tour to great acclaim.

In her role as the preacher’s wife she is also mother to Ren’s love interest Ariel, played on stage by Hannah Price.

When the film was released in 1984 it became the highest grossing February release in US film history and the sound track album ended the year-long reign of Michael Jackson’s Thriller at number one.

The stage show is bursting with youthful spirit, dazzling dancing and electrifying music and will feature all the classic Eighties hits including Holding Out For A Hero, Almost Paradise, Let’s Hear it For The Boys and the unforgettable title track, Footloose.

The musical comes to Milton Keynes Theatre at 7.30pm from Monday (October 17) for a week through to Saturday 22, with additional 2.30pm matinees on Wednesday and Saturday.

Tickets cost from £17.50 and can be booked online at www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes or call the box office on 0844 871 7652.

Motorists are facing eight miles of tailbacks on the M1 in Northamptonshire after a “serious collision” this morning.

Northamptonshire Police closed the motorway in the northbound direction at 9.30am to allow for the air ambulance to land.

Two lanes of the motorway have remained closed since the crash but Highways England said it was working hard to reopen the lanes later today.

At 4pm there were approximately eight miles of tailbacks from junction 16 northbound. Traffic was also delayed in the opposite direction due to motorists slowing down to look at the crash site.

A diversion has been set up through Upper Heyford and Flore.

Motorists are being advised to expect delays.

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Drivers faced delays following an incident at a busy roundabout during rush-hour today (Monday).

Police were called to help direct traffic at the Round Spinney roundabout in Northampton just before 8am today.

A lorry and a car were involved, but a spokesman for Northants Police said no-one was injured and the incident was damage only.

However, it did lead to delays for drivers approaching the roundabout from both the A43 Lumbertubs Way and Booth Rise.

Police officers were at the scene to try and alleviate the problems.

Workplace stress has reached record levels, according to a TUC report for World Mental Health Day.

The survey, which questioned more than 1,000 health and safety reps showed that seven in ten of those questioned regarded stress at work as the top health hazard - a figure up on the 67 per cent figure from 2014.

Those in public sector jobs appear to be worst hit according to the report. 93 per cent of those representing central government employees regarded it as one of the top five hazards, while nearly nine in 10 of respondents in the education sector and more that four out of five in the health services also listing it as a major concern.

However, medium-sized private sector companies have also seen a rise in concerns over stress since the 2014 survey. Three-quarters of reps in firms with 50-99 workers rated it as a top five concern, compared with 62 per cent two years ago.

Stress is also the most widespread concern across the 11 UK areas which the survey covered.

The biggest increase in the last two years has been in Northern Ireland - up by 13 per cent to 78 per cent.

The North’s figure is up by 11 per cent to 78 per cent, while in Scotland there is an eight per cent to 74 per cent. The rise in the South West is six per cent to 81 per cent while there are five per cent rises East Anglia (64 per cent) and the South East (67 per cent).

Of the figures, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “The message from the shop floor is clear, stress is becoming a bigger and bigger problem.

“Pressures of long working hours and low job security are being felt in workplaces across the UK.

“Stress is preventable if staff have reasonable workloads, supportive managers and a workplace free from violence, bullying and harassment.

“Anyone worried about their workload or being unfairly treated at work should join a union, to get the support they need and their interests represented at work.”

Singing and nature comes together with a workshop led by internationally acclaimed singer and song writer Barb Jungr.

The event takes place from noon to 5pm on Sunday October 16 and anyone interested can meet at the entrance to the Core at Corby Cube prior to the start.

Barb will lead you through Thoroughsale Wood and together you will listen to and collect sounds from the woodland. She will then take you to the Coronation Park

Pavilion where together you will work on vocals and rhythms to recreate the sounds from the woods to produce a unique soundscape reflecting your experiences.

This is a rare opportunity to work with one of the UK’s best loved jazz singers.

No experience is necessary but you may wish to bring a notebook and your phone with you to record sounds on the walk for reference when working at the Pavilion.

Sing in the Woods is part of the Our Woods project and is designed for over 18s only. It costs between £8 and £10. To book visit www.thecorecorby.com or call 01536 470470.

An Earls Barton man was crowned the world’s best at conkers yesterday (Sunday).

Tom Dryden took the title at the event in Southwick, near Oundle, which attracted almost 200 competitors.

Entrants came from across the globe, with teams from Japan, Russia and America competing to take it in turns to try to smash each other’s conkers from a piece of string.

The event has raised more than £400,000 for charities for the blind and visually impaired since it was first held in 1965.

Oxford’s Lorna Clarke took the women’s title.

Police have issued a fresh warning about the ‘killer clown’ craze as video emerged of one trying to scare a late-night reveller - armed with a hammer.

Officers warned they were not seeing the funny side after responding to six alerts in the space of one evening in a single county.

In Plymouth, Devon student George Birkbeck, 22, bravely faced down one of the sinister pranksters who was wielding a hammer.

He found himself confronted by the clown - in full costume - around 10pm on Friday and shared the encounter on Facebook.

George said the clown refused to move out of his way so he chased him off with a beer bottle out of a crate he had just bought from Tesco.

He said: “I was walking home from Tesco after getting myself a crate of beer when I was confronted by a clown.

“He stood in my way and wouldn’t let me pass and had what looked like a hammer in hand.

“I decided to film this in case it was my last moments on earth and even in death it would be a joke as I got killed by a clown.

“Seriously - stay safe out there guys these things are scary and I don’t recommend that anyone else charges towards them if you see one.

“I had a rush of blood and got lucky that this one was more of a pussy than I am.”

Police said there were multiple reports of people dressed as clowns across Plymouth on Thursday - with one confirmed report on a school bus.

Children reported being chased through Plymouth woods by clowns carrying knives, or approached in the street.

Others said clowns had been at their school, prompting an emergency response.

Police said those responsible would be prosecuted if caught.

In Gloucestershire police said they dealt with six reports of creepy clowns armed with knives acting suspiciously in the county on Friday evening.

They were said to be following people, and one one occasion a child was targeted.

Officers say the incidents not only caused real alarm but also tied up resources which could be better deployed elsewhere.

A Gloucestershire police spokesman said: “The reports have been made in the Gloucester area and have mostly involved clowns carrying knives.

“In one case a child was followed.

“Clearly this has scared people and caused real distress.

“We have attended these incidents as grade 1 emergencies and that limits our ability to attend to other incidents.

“We haven’t traced anyone involved as yet as they have disappeared by the time we arrive but anyone we do find will be dealt with appropriately.”

They added: “Whether those involved are doing it for a joke or not this is no laughing matter.

“These are stupid acts that are really frightening people and wasting our time. Please don’t be tempted to do it. Think of the consequences.”

The Killer Clown craze which started in America sees people in evil clown costumes stalking the streets trying to frighten young people.

The chilling clown craze has now exploded across Britain, including several reports in Milton Keynes.

The Northampton Clown could be set to make a comeback to “show the public who the real clown is.”

In the past few weeks, there have been dozens of reportings of people dressed as clowns and frightening children across the UK.

Thames Valley Police reported on Sunday that the force had been called to 14 incidents across the region where people have reported being intimidated or frightened by others dressed as clowns.

Three years ago, Northampton was the focus of worldwide media attention after Alex Powell, a student at the University of Northampton, began posting pictures of himself online dressed as a clown.

The Sunday Mirror unveiled Mr Powell as the clown after the Northampton Clown story was featured in news media across the world.

Mr Powell said at the time that he never intended to scare people but saw it as a “harmless bit of fun”. He has condemned the people dressed as clowns who are alleged to have been carrying weapons such as knives.

Mr Powell said: “I just wanted to amuse people.

“Most people enjoy being a bit freaked out and then they can laugh about it afterwards.

“It’s like watching a horror movie, when people get scared they usually start laughing.

“Naturally, some people would have been extremely frightened by what they saw, but I hope many are starting to see it as a bit of harmless fun.”

On his Instagram account today (Monday) Mr Powell has posted a picture of the clown suit with a caption hinting at a comeback.

The post states: “Time to dust of this old thing and show these foreign clowns who the real clown is... #northamptonclown #original #halloween #comeback #northampton #clown”

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