Two of Daventry’s newest schools joined to remember those who have served our country.

On Friday November 11, students of Daventry UTC and pupils from the Daventry Hill School, joined at 11am to remember those who have lost their lives to protect ours.

The Last Post was played by the headteacher of Daventry Hill School, Charlotte Whysall, and students from both schools led all the young people and staff in a moving service and observed two minutes of silence.

Daventry UTC is located off Ashby Road in the town. On a neighbouring site the building for Daventry Hill School is being constructed. This term the Hill School pupils have been using classrooms within the UTC’s building.

Calls have been made for safety measures along Western Avenue in Daventry.

The move comes after a car collided with an elderly pedestrian on the road on Sunday afternoon.

Northamptonshire Police said that at about 5.30pm close to the Orchard Street junction, a grey Vauxhall Corsa, being driven by a 62-year-old man, collided with a 92-year-old man who was on foot.

The pedestrian was seriously injured and taken to hospital in Coventry.

Police are asking anyone with information to call the Drivewatch Hotline on 0800 174615.

Anthony Gibbons was walking his dog along the road at the same time.

He said: “I got there a few minutes after it happened. I think the pedestrian must have been going to the shop because he had been carrying a carton of milk.

“The milk was all over the car and its windscreen was smashed.

“I didn’t see the collision happen, so I don’t know what caused it.”

But Mr Gibbons, who has lived by the road for two years, said something needs to be done to improve safety for motorists and pedestrians.

Western Avenue was originally built as the town’s first bypass, carrying the A45.

As such it is relatively long and straight. Few houses front on to it for most of its length, but there are some at its northern end.

However, the road separates a large part of Daventry from the town centre, and a lot of foot and vehicle traffic crosses it.

Mr Gibbons said: “It’s the worst road I’ve ever seen in a town. I would say one out of 10 vehicles sticks to the 30mph speed limit, some go a lot faster.

“It’s busy, there’s people crossing it, there’s junctions. It would only take a child to try and cross the road and we could have a fatal collision.

“There are traffic lights further down but that’s it really. If they put a speed camera up here they would be handing out so many fines. But I think what really needs to be done is something to slow the traffic down along the whole length.

“Zebra crossings won’t do much, I don’t think, but maybe mini-roundabouts or speed bumps.”

Northamptonshire County Council’s highways department is responsible for improvements to roads. Some work is planned along the southern part of the road to improve traffic flow as more homes are built.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire County Council said: “Investigations are still ongoing into the cause of the accident. Western Avenue, like all of our roads, is monitored by officers to look for any patterns in accidents. This information is then used to inform any decisions on what appropriate action needs to be taken.”

Police are releasing CCTV footage of two people they would like to speak to in connection with an alleged burglary at a farm.

Burglars broke into Winwick Farm, Winwick, near Crick, and stole a safe and its contents, including jewellery.

The property was targeted by thieves on Monday, November 2 between 11.45am and 2.45pm.

Officers would like to speak to anyone who recognises the two men in the footage or who witnessed any suspicious activity in the area between the times mentioned above.

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

A police constable who developed a relationship with the widow of a crash victim has been issued with a final written warning.

Constable 0098 Matt Godfrey was found guilty of the allegations at a gross misconduct panel.

PC Godfrey was found guilty of the following allegations:

- That he had an inappropriate relationship with an individual he came into contact with in his role as a family liaison officer;

- That he failed to maintain an accurate log of his contact with the individual in question;

- That he failed to inform senior officers of the existence of the relationship;

- That he misled another officer concerning the relationship.

Independent chair of the panel Henry Gordon said: “In our view this is a very serious case.

“His behaviour defied common sense and clear guidance.

“His misconduct has the capacity to seriously damage the reputation of Northamptonshire Police.

“We find the misconduct aggravated by the numerous opportunities he had to report or remove himself from the relationship and by the fact that he, on our findings, appreciated the relationship was inappropriate.

“We have identified mitigating factors. We take into account that the relationship is ongoing.

“That he did not use his position as a police officer to advance the relationship. We also take into account that, in reality, no further investigative work was required.

“We take into account that this is not a case on our findings on operational dishonesty, and that his misleading of (another officer) whilst unfitting towards a colleague, was largely of omission.

“Having considered very carefully the appropriate sanction, in our view PC Godfrey can properly be issued with a final written warning.”

A police spokeman said: “We expect the highest standards of behaviour from all officers and staff and matters such as these are taken extremely seriously. “Officers are expected to uphold the law in a professional capacity and when this comes into question, the impact can be significant.

“Any concerns raised to us relating to the conduct of an officer or staff will be looked at seriously.”

This building once stood on the edge of Daventry’s town centre.

It is photographed here, in 1994, when it was certainly past its best after standing for many decades. But not many Daventry people are likely to be familiar with it.

The building was one of those which formed part of the town’s old gas works off Brook Street.

For years the works provided the town with its gas supply, and once the switch was made to natural gas it remained in use by the gas board for some years.

By 1994 the whole site was derelict.

But there was a plan – supermarket chain Aldi wanted to build a new store on the site. The plans for the shop had already been turned down once by planners. Now there was a fear a revised application could also be refused.

Councillors said no other developer was likely to go near the site because of extensive contamination of the land with noxious waste from years of it being used to produce and store gas, coal and other materials. Eventually the store plan fell through. Proposals were drawn up to include it into a new park.

Eventually the site was turned into the old gas works car park. Now the car park is set to be swept away and replaced by a new retail and leisure development.

Daventry District Council is considering whether to try and host a stage of the The Women’s Tour 2017.

The council’s strategy group is to discuss the issue next week, with a view to potentially hosting the start of a stage of the race.

The potential cost for DDC is £50,000. Hosting a stage costs £120,000, of which a third is picked up by the county council, a third by the authority hosting the start, and a third by the one hosting end finish line.

Extra money has been added to DDC’s predicted costs to cover costs related to staging and promoting community events connected to the race.

This year the race held a stage in Northamptonshire. It started in Northampton, passing through Daventry and its villages, and then ending in Kettering.

The race was televised by ITV and DDC used it as an opportunity to promote the town via banners and flags alongside the course.

There were also some community events before and after the race.

The report going before councillors states: “Hosting of the start and finish of stages is deemed to be particularly prestigious and an opportunity for showcasing, notwithstanding that the actual start is a quick affair.

“Last year’s start in Northampton attracted 10,000 people on the day and, even with lesser numbers, a start would be an economic boost for Daventry town and nearby villages with extra accommodation and restaurant bookings and extra footfall on and around race day for example.

“Town traders could exploit the known hosting of the event in the build-up up to the race. The town could be dressed-up with bunting and themed window displays to similarly attract visitors.

“A town start would then be the cue for again showcasing the wider district along the stage and generally putting Daventry ‘on the map’.

“Both the start and the stage proper could again be a community boost, in terms of promoting associated events and activities with children and local groups, and a health and wellbeing boost in terms of promoting sport and a general feel-good factor – for example, an opportunity to run various sports activities from Daventry Leisure Centre on the day on a ‘taster’ basis.

“Overall, local pride should result.”

DDC’s strategy group will decide whether or not to back the proposal on Thursday evening. If backed next week, a final decision will be taken by the full council in December.

The report states DDC was approached by the race organisers who asked if the district would be interested in hosting the start of a stage.

The council says although it has been talking to the race organisers, it does not know if other local authorities are also in discussions.

UK bargain hunters have been warned that many of the Black Friday deals on offer may not be all they seem.

Consumer watchdog Which? found that 49 per cent of the deals in 2015 were not at their cheapest on Black Friday.

As few as eight per cent of the special offers were deals made especially for the day itself. However, more than 10 per cent of had been cheaper at some point in the three months leading up till Black Friday.

And as many as four in 10 dropped in price following the ‘big day’.

Which? tracked a total of 178 deals on on 20 popular types of tech gadgets and home appliances from AO, Amazon, Argos, Currys and John Lewis over a five-month period around Black Friday, and found that only 90 were at their cheapest on the day.

Alex Neill, managing director of Which?, said: “That doesn’t mean there aren’t good deals to be had. Just that we have to be canny.

“So make sure you know what it is you want, check current prices, get yourself signed up to retailers’ online sites to beat the rush on the high street, and if you’re not convinced you’re getting a good deal then wait for the post-Christmas sales.”

The watchdog also offered the following advice

Sign up for retailers’ newsletters, ‘like’ their Facebook pages and register for Twitter alerts, as they’ll be keen to publicise their best deals.

Research products online. We’ve got lab test results for thousands of products on our website, so find out which products are best for you and your budget.

Visit price checker websites and make a note of how much your desired items currently cost. Check whether retailers will let you buy online and pick up later so you can miss the crowds.

The family of the man who died after the gas leak at the Carlsberg factory in Northampton have paid tribute to him tonight.

David Chandler, 45, from Bridgnorth in Shropshire, was working as a contractor at the factory when he was overcome by the ammonia gas leak a week last Wednesday.

Tonight, through Northamptonshire Police, the family have paid tribute to Mr Chandler and described him as a "really lovely, happy family man, with a beautiful family".

"David was a happy person, he always had a smile on his face, was always happy to help others and you would never hear anyone say a bad thing about him," the statement said.

"Married for six years, David leaves behind his beautiful wife Laura and two beautiful daughters Ava, five, and Isabella, nearly two.

"Not only do Laura, Ava and Isabella have to learn to cope with this, but also David’s two sisters and father who are left devastated and heartbroken. He was an amazing uncle to two little nieces, so the knock on effect is huge.

"This is such a massive thing, this will take a long time to move on from. David was very well known. He was a really lovely, happy family man, with a beautiful family. He was always happy, funny and bright. We need to get on as best we can," the statement added.

The family has asked that the media do not contact them directly and the Chronicle & Echo will be respecting those wishes.

A family say their mother would feel overwhelmed by the donations being made in her name to Daventry’s palliative care ward.

Anne Smith passed away at Danetre Hospital on October 26 aged 75, just three months after being diagnosed with cancer.

She and her family were amazed by the friendly and personal care provided by the team working on Danetre’s palliative care ward.

To say thank you to them they decided to ask for donations rather than flowers at Mrs Smith’s funeral, believing they would raise something like £300. The total raised so far stands at £1,530.

All the money is going to the Friends of Danetre Hospital to spend on the palliative care ward.

Her daughter Kellie Smith said: “Mum spent a couple of days respite at Danetre, and when she needed to go into a hospital again they asked her where she wanted to go and it was Danetre. Fortunately there was a bed free for her and she spent her last 16 days there.

“The staff at Danetre were just amazing. The care Patsy and her team provided for mum was amazing. She continually praised the nurses on the ward, for their special care and attention and how nothing was too much – being in Danetre helped keep mum smiling in her final days.

“And they cared for Dad – Adge – and the rest of us as well. I don’t know if I would have got through it without the nurses. It would have been 10 times worse for mum and us without their care.

“I can’t praise them enough for what they did.

“The Friends of Danetre as well provide the touches that make everything seem nicer.

“All the patients’ beds have a colourful blanket on which brightens it up. The Friends also provided TVs for all the beds too, so people can watch something rather than just staring at the walls.”

Mrs Smith was well-known in Daventry. She and her husband ran the Conservative Club up until retirement in 2000. They were both also full-time members of the Daventry Town Bowling Club.

Kellie said: “We obviously had a lot of donations from family and friends, but also some not insignificant ones from people we don’t know as well.

“Mum would be so proud and overwhelmed by the love and support her family have been given by all friends across Daventry, and of course by extended family, but also for the generous donations that have been made by everyone, to such a worthy cause.”

The donations page at www.justgiving.com/annesmith75 will remain open until November 30.

An application to alter plans for 27 new homes in a Northamptonshire village has been refused.

South Northamptonshire Council’s (SNC) planning committee unanimously voted against the developer’s request to change various conditions attached to the 2013 application to build homes off Chapel Lane in Blisworth.

Planning permission for the 27 homes was first given to Orbit Homes Ltd by SNC in 2009 and the plans have been renewed several times since.

The new application requested a variation on conditions due to concerns from the developer that the site was no longer financially viable. These included a change of materials, reduction in the number of affordable homes, and a change so that construction access would be along Little Lane and Chapel Lane.

Cllr Roger Clarke, SNC’s portfolio holder for planning and environment, said: “While the applicant put forward a compelling viability assessment, there were a number of local concerns from residents that could not be overlooked.

“Most notably, that the proposed construction access road would result in an increased level of traffic along a very narrow lane, giving rise to congestion, pedestrian safety issues, as well as increased noise and harm to the character of the conservation area.

“In this case the council’s planning committee agreed with residents that the new development proposals were not appropriate for Blisworth.”

The application was also refused on the grounds that the materials were not in keeping with the rural characteristics of the conservation area, no submission of a legal agreement, and that the development would result in the reduction of affordable housing below the level normally accepted.

The 2013 approval for the homes is still valid, and the council recorded that work began on the site in 2014.

A wealthy businessman and son of the multi-millionaire owner of budget chain Poundstretcher was killed when his Mercedes smashed into a tree on the M45 last week.

Sabir Tayub, 48, was killed when his car careered off the eastbound carriageway of the M45 and hit a tree near Rugby on Tuesday November 15.

The businessman, managing director of Nottingham-based storage giant Sert UK, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

Uday Dholakia, a former chairman of Leicestershire Asian Business Association, said: “It’s deeply saddening for the family.

“I met Sabir in passing but I know his father Rashid, who encouraged his family to be successful but also very modest.”

Mr Tayub’s father Rashid, 66, founded Crown Crest food distribution, which owns Poundstretcher.

Rashid runs the business with his brother and Mr Tayub’s uncle, Aziz Tayub.

An inquest into the death was opened on Friday November 18, but was adjourned for Warwickshire Police to carry out further investigations.

Officers investigating the incident on the M45 would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the crash or saw the car before the collision occurred.

Anyone with information is asked to call Warwickshire Police on 101 quoting incident 187 of November 15.

Morrisons has announced that from Monday, supermarket customers will pay below £1-a-litre for petrol for the first time in six months.

The Bradford-based supermarket is reducing the price of unleaded to a maximum of 109.9 pence at its 333 forecourts from this morning.

Then from tomorrow, customers who shop in Morrisons supermarkets and spend £50, will be entitled to fill up for 99.9p, a further cut of 10p-a-litre.

Morrisons said it is making the cuts to help motorists with the cost of getting around during the pre-Christmas shopping spree.

Roger Fogg, services director at Morrisons, said: “With Christmas around the corner, our customers tell us they very much welcome our help in reducing the cost of their fuel. That’s why we are turning the clock back to the start of this year when petrol prices were typically below £1-a-litre.”

Average petrol and diesel prices have hovered above the £1.10 mark since June this year, according to petrolprices.com. The current average for unleaded is listed as just above £1.15-a-litre.

The supermarket is also cutting the price of diesel. Drivers of diesel cars, who buy their groceries in Morrisons, will also receive 10p-a-litre cuts taking prices to just above the £1-a-litre mark.

Morrisons says the offer will run from November 21 to December 3. Customers who spend £50 or more in participating stores will receive a voucher that will allow them to pay the lower price.

All of the big four supermarkets - Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons - have been cutting prices in a bid to better compete with German discounters Aldi and Lidl, wh​ich​ have eroded their market share.​

An elderly man injured in a collision on a main road in Daventry has sadly died police say.

Kenneth Southgate, 92, of West View, Daventry, died on Wednesday November 16.

He was taken to University Hospital Coventry with serious injuries following the collision on Western Avenue which took place Sunday November 13.

Mr Southgate was on foot when the collision with a grey Vauxhall Corsa happened at around 5.30pm.

People in Daventry District are being encouraged to find out more on how they can help blow the whistle on fraudsters.

Last year the council identified 25 cases of fraud relating to council tax discounts and detected £83,592 of payments that were either made fraudulently, or in error due to residents failing to declare a change in their circumstances.

Residents are urged to contact the council if they know or suspect someone carrying out fraud. They can do this in the following ways:

– Report housing benefit fraud by calling the national hotline on 0800 3280512

– Report council tax fraud and all other types of fraud to DDC by emailing fraud@daventrydc.gov.uk or by calling a confidential anti-fraud hotline 0800 7316202.

DDC’s chief executive Ian Vincent said: “Protecting the public purse is of paramount importance to the council and we take the issue of fraud extremely seriously.

“We are committed to finding and bringing cheats to justice and members of the public can play an important role in helping us do this, by reporting any suspicious activity that could be fraudulent.”

A Daventry school is making good progress in turning itself around, said an education watchdog.

DSLV, on the Southbrook in Daventry, was judged ‘inadequate’ in 2015, but now Ofsted says the school is making good progress towards a better grade.

At its previous Ofsted inspection, problems highlighted at the school included low achievement and weak leadership and teaching.

It was placed in the category of serious weakness, meaning it has been subject to regular short-notice Ofsted inspections to track its progress.

In the school’s latest report the inspector said leadership is continuing to improve, most teaching is judged to be good quality, pupil progress has improved, and that overall behaviour is good.

The interim report particularly highlighted that pupils have made better progress and achieved well in reading, writing and mathematics at key stage 1, and writing and mathematics at key stage 2.

A key finding was that pupils’ progress at key stage four – doing GCSE and similar level courses – were now “well above the government’s expectations”.

Secondary schools are now judged by the government on how pupils progress, rather than just their final grades, in an attempt to uncover which schools have better teaching.

The figures looks at the student’s grades at the end of key stage four, and then compare them to the grades achieved by others across the country who were at the same progress level at the end of primary school.

Principal Simon Cotton, who took up the post in September 2015, told the Daventry Express: “We are pleased for the children that the decisions we have made have been judged to have been the right ones.

“It’s credit to the students’ determination to do well and to the teachers for their hard work.

“Fundamentally it demonstrates that with a clear vision and clear expectations, the school can improve.

“We should therefore be out of the serious weakness category sooner rather than later.”

This progress report is one of a series the school has received since being rated as ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted.

Just six months after that rating, an interim Ofsted report judged the school to be “taking effective action towards the removal of serious weakness”.

The school is now encouraging parents and children to visit so they can see the changes at the school.

Katie Towers, senior vice-principal and head of primary, said: “Our best advertisement is our young people. We would encourage parents in our catchment, or currently in the process of searching for a school, to judge for themselves following a visit.”

Drivers who kill have been sentenced to an average of just four years in prison with dozens escaping jail altogether, an investigation has revealed.

Not a single person has been handed the maximum 14-year sentence for causing death by dangerous driving since Parliament lengthened the sentence from 10 years in 2004.

Figures show that between 2006 and 2015, 111 people convicted of causing death by dangerous driving walked free from court. Seventy-nine were given suspended sentences, with 14 given community service, 10 people dealt with through a fine and two given a conditional discharge.

Three got an absolute discharge and three others were dealt with by other means.

The average sentence given in that time to those who were jailed is four years and one month.

Many other motorists who kill on the roads are prosecuted under the lesser charge of causing death by careless driving which bereaved families view as an insult.

Today, this newspaper launches our Drive For Justice campaign to call for changes in the law to make sentencing fit the crime for those who kill or seriously injure people on our roads.

Around five people are killed on the roads each day and families who lose a loved one in such a sudden and violent way describe their loss as feeling “like they have been murdered.”

However, the vast majority feel they do not get justice from the legal system in the UK.

The Drive For Justice campaign aims to give these families a voice and we are lobbying the Government to re-work guidelines so judges can use the powers that exist as well as tackling loopholes and imposing tougher sentences for the worst offenders.

You can sign our Change.org petition here and share it using #DriveForJusticeCampaign

What we are lobbying for?

Drive For Justice is seeking to give families affected by the anguish of road deaths as a result of reckless and criminal driving a voice to bring about change and better justice.

Our campaign aims to:

* Call on the Government to re-work sentencing guidelines and give judges specialist training so they can use the full powers that are available to them when deciding sentences for offenders

* To have tougher sentences for the worst offenders

* Have all culpable deaths treated as manslaughter

* See more driving bans and longer driving bans handed out to those who kill or seriously injure on the roads or risk injury and death

* Close the loopholes that exist such as with hit and runs where failure to stop carries a maximum of six months in prison while drink driving penalties are tougher meaning those who have been drink driving can get a lesser sentence if they flee the scene

* Look at the charges of Dangerous Driving and Careless Driving. Bereaved families feel “careless” undermines the severity of the offence when someone is killed or seriously injured by illegal and risky behaviour.

Firefighters cut a man from his car after a single vehicle collision on the M1 near Milton Keynes.

Three crews from Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service attended the incident around 7.35pm on Monday night.

The car was found between junction 14 and 13 - no other vehicles were involved.

An officer accompanied the fire crews.

Bucks and MK Fire @Bucksfire tweeted this morning: “Picture from this evening’s collision on M1 near #MiltonKeynes taken after casualty had been released.”

Four men who pretended to be police officers as they conned more than £100,000 out of elderly and vulnerable victims have been jailed.

The four men, all from London, were Malik Amer, Shah Ahmed, Rahim Ali and Ruhel Miah.

A total of 60 offences were recorded in Northamptonshire, Humberside, Staffordshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Bedfordshire Norfolk, Kent, Essex, Sussex, Hertfordshire and the Thames Valley and London areas.

In Northamptonshire, three offences were identified although the victims did not part with any money.

All three calls were made on March 2, 2015, in Northampton, Bugbrooke and Towcester, but no money was handed over.

The investigation started after a number of fraud cases involving people pretending to be police officers were reported to police in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

The men would phone unsuspecting victims, pretending to be a police officer claiming to be investigating fraudulent transactions or activities within the victim’s bank account.

The bogus police officer would then try to convince his victim that he needed their money to be able to investigate the fraud.

From this point the victim was informed they needed to go to the bank and withdraw a large amount of money (usually between £5,000 and £20,000).

The bogus officer would then send someone around who would also pretend to be a police officer or someone working for the police to the victim’s house to collect the money.

An alternative method the group used to collect their ill-gotten gains was to get the victim to directly transfer the cash (again somewhere between £5,000 to £20,000) to another ‘safe’ bank account.

As officers began to investigate the cases it was quickly established that the offenders were committing similar offences across the country.

Many of the recorded crimes did not succeed - but they still managed to con 10 victims out of a total of £118,000.

The largest single amount defrauded was £37,000.

The four men admitted conspiracy to commit fraud after a 15-month investigation by the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit.

Amer, 24 of Monthorpe Road, and Ahmed, 22, of Toynbee Street, were each sentenced to four years and seven months in prison.

Ali, 22, of Vernon Road was given three-and-a-half years and Miah, 19, of Chilton Street, was given four years and 11 months.

A further man from London admitted one offence of fraud and will be sentenced at a later date.

Kettering IT consultant Karthik Nagesan won the hearts of many during his seven-week stint on The Apprentice.

His charm offensive, tendency to talk a bit too much and that monobrow made him stand out head and shoulders above the other candidates.

The 34-year-old was fired by Lord Sugar after one of the worst results the show has ever seen, selling just £188 compared to his rival’s £40,000 plus.

But Karthik says he didn’t play the game, and if he did he might have survived.

He said: “Each task is about two to three days long and there’s a lot of filming, there are some really hard days.

“They cram that into a one-hour show and 20 minutes of that is in the boardroom, so there are decisions people take that don’t get shown.

“If I had gone all out TV and played the game and distanced myself from some people I think I could have stayed.

“I didn’t get any help in the boardroom when Lord Sugar asked if I was a good project manager.

“One day you’re a hero, one day you’re a villain.

“It wasn’t the worst team performance, just the worst result.

“There were only two high-ticket sales in it but it wasn’t a car crash, it was a s***storm!”

Karthik was given the boot along with Samuel – who he is good friends with – leaving nine candidates remaining.

He doesn’t know who thinks will win, but thinks it could be a surprise package.

He said: “I think 25 years ago someone like me could have won and Lord Sugar could have worked with me.

“But now he’s a bit older he will go for a producer because he can do the selling.

“He wants someone who will listen to him so it could be someone who’s a bit shy who might not be the best in business.”

Is Lord Sugar as fierce as he comes across on TV? Not according to Karthik.

He said: “I think Lord Sugar is very sweet old man and I can imagine him in his pyjamas at Christmas.

“When the cameras are on he too is under pressure.

“I do not think he is that bad but he does not show us that side of him on TV.”

Despite his bid to become Lord Sugar’s business partner coming to an abrupt end, Karthik says the experience has seen a number of people offer him roles in their business.

He said: “The whole experience was absolutely amazing, the house is lovely and the food is brilliant.

“Everyone is pretty normal and gets on, people are completely different in the tasks.

“Quite a few people have come up to me and told me I should have won, and not because they found me funny but because what I was saying made sense.

“People are asking me to be their business parter.”

When the show reaches its final stages, candidates must present their business idea to Lord Sugar.

Karthik, who is originally from India, says his idea was ‘Skype for doctors’, and it’s something he’s still pressing ahead with even without the tycoon’s investment.

He said: “My business idea was basically a version of Skype for doctors.

“Everyone will require medical advice at some point in their life and the world is changing so much now that there are many people here who speak different languages.

“My idea was that there will be a website or app so that if you’re say, Hungarian, and want to speak to a Hungarian in your mother tongue, you can do so very easily.

“I still plan on starting this with one language and one country and then go from there.

“It’s not live yet but the website will be elifeguru.com.”

Karthik settled in Kettering at the age of 23 with his then-fiancee, after travelling around the world.

He soon got into business and has offered advice to any budding young entrepreneurs out there looking to make their mark.

He said: “If you want to go on The Apprentice do so, but treat it as a fun adventure.

“Do not treat what you see on TV as how businesses are run, because on TV if you fail you are fired.

“But in real life nine out of 10 ideas fail and my motto is to fail fast.

“When you get to the 11th idea it could be the money maker.”

Brewing operations could restart at Carlsberg in Northampton tomorrow, the firm says, as investigations into the fatal accident continue.

The plant shut down beer production following the incident at the St Peter’s Way site on November 9, when a leak of ammonia lead to around 28 people needing treatment, and led to the death of David Chandler, aged 45 and from Shropshire.

Julian Momen, chief executive of Carlsberg UK, said: “Many people, outside and inside our business, have been profoundly affected by the recent incident at our brewery and we will continue to support them as best we can over the coming weeks and months. Our thoughts in particular remain with the family and friends of those directly impacted.

“We continue to help our colleagues and our top priority remains the importance of safety for all our staff, across all our sites.

“The investigation into what happened is being led by the authorities and has our full cooperation.

“The initial on-site enquiry work has now been concluded, meaning we have been able to make good progress against our site recovery plan, and our production teams have been able to return back on site.

“Subsequently, we have been packaging beer on site since the weekend and we anticipate that some brewing will re-commence tomorrow.

“During this period, when we will not be at our optimum production levels, we will continue to source some beer from other Carlsberg breweries for the UK market.

“This has been a very difficult time for everyone concerned, and I speak on behalf of everyone working at Carlsberg UK, when I say that we truly appreciate all of the support we have received from the industry, our customers and the local community.”

Carlsberg has released the following summary and update to the incident and investigation.

Incident overview

– On 9 November at 12.31pm, there was a serious safety incident within our brewery on Bridge Street, Northampton, concerning an ammonia gas release.

– We are deeply saddened to confirm that there was one fatality as a result of the incident. Police have confirmed the deceased as David Chandler, who was aged 45, from Bridgnorth in Shropshire. David was engaged on site as a contractor at the time of the tragic incident. A post mortem examination was carried out at Leicester Royal Infirmary and the cause of death was given as inhalation of ammonia. The thoughts of everyone at Carlsberg UK are with David’s family, friends, employer and colleagues at this very difficult time.

– The police have also confirmed that one individual who was in critical condition is improving and remains in hospital.

– A further 10 individuals working on site, and a further 11 members of the emergency services, were also taken to hospital and subsequently released.

Production status

– The wider investigation of the incident by the authorities remains ongoing, and they have our full support and cooperation.

– The initial on-site enquiry work has been concluded and our production teams have been able to return back on site. As such, we have made good progress with the implementation of our phased and controlled site recovery plan. The packaging of beer on site resumed over the weekend and we anticipate that some brewing will re-commence tomorrow. Although we are not yet at our optimum level, we are progressing in line with our recovery plan.

– During this period, when we will not be at our optimum production levels, we will continue to source some beer from other Carlsberg breweries for UK market.