Little treasures at a Daventry kindergarten got dressed up for a day of pirate fun last week.

Children at Caring Kindergartens Ltd enjoyed a pirate day to tie in with an under the sea project.

Deputy manager Tina Bush, said: “We have been following the children’s interest in under the sea in our Ladybirds Room as they have pretended to be jellyfish while dancing and using pom poms. We have had bubbles and water play activities in our under two’s room Butterflies, World Ocean Day sparked this interest.

“Children have talked about the what happens at sea and begun to pretend to be pirates and searching for treasure.”

They took part in pirate activities and were joined by parents for a tea party complete with pirate pizzas and Polly’s crackers.

Tina added: “If you want to join our fun please come in and visit us for enrolment week this week.”

Parents who register their children before September will receive the third month of childcare for free.”

A second free public charging point for electric vehicles has been installed in a Daventry car park due to increased demand.

The addition of the new facility in the Lodge Road car park means up to four electric vehicles can now be charged for free at the same time.

It has been installed by the District Council following the success of the first charge point, which opened in May 2013.

Environment portfolio holder Councillor Jo Gilford said: “We have seen growing demand for the public charge point as the take-up of electric vehicles has grown.

“We are committed to being at the forefront of environmental innovations in transport, and key to that is having the infrastructure in place to meet future demand.

"This new charge point will help us meet that demand and we expect it to be well-used by the public.”

The £7,000 project follows the publication of the council's Electric ‘Plug-In’ Vehicle Infrastructure Plan 2016-18, which highlighted the need to improve facilities across the district in response to a 250% increase in the numbers of electric vehicles on our roads in the last two years.

The first charge point at Lodge Road has been used more than 1,400 times since it was installed, saving 7.6 tonnes of CO2 compared to the emissions produced by the average petrol or diesel vehicle.

That’s roughly the amount of CO2 that would be created by driving an average petrol car for more than 12 days non-stop.

Both of the public charge points at Lodge Road are Chargemaster single phase 32 Amp/7KW with type 2 sockets (7-pin sockets) and are free to use for up to 4 hours.

They are compatible with Plugged in Midlands (formerly Plugged in Places), POLAR/Chargemaster, Plugged in Midlands and BMW RFID cards. Compatible cards are also available to borrow from the council’s reception during office opening hours.

More than 500 people in Northamptonshire owe their life to organ donors - a new study has found.

NHS Blood and Transplant, whose annual Transplant Activity Report has been published today, shows the UK-wide number of people alive thanks to transplants has reached 50,000.

Here in Northamptonshire, 548 people are currently alive thanks to the lifesaving transplants, including 46 in the last year alone.

NHS Blood and Transplant is now urging people in Northamptonshire to help even more people to survive by joining the NHS organ donor register.

Director of organ donation Sally Johnson, said: “More people than ever in Northamptonshire are committing to organ donation and that is saving more lives than ever. It’s amazing to picture all the people now alive today thanks to organ donation and think of all the families and children who have grown up thanks to donors.

“We’re seeing more and more people committing to donation and the good results of our close work with hospitals. Our specialist nurses in organ donation are now almost always involved in discussions with families over organ donation.

“However there is still a long way to go. Around three people still die a day in need of a transplant. Every one of those people who died could be a mother or a father, a daughter or a son, who might be alive today.

“Families tell us donation is a source of pride that helps them in their grieving process. We don’t want anyone in Northamptonshire to miss the opportunity to save lives through organ donation. Please join the NHS organ donor register. It only takes two minutes.”

In Northamptonshire, the number of people on the donor register has increased by 29 per cent over the past five years. There are now 285,748 people on the register in Northamptonshire, compared to 220,901 five years ago.

Anyone can sign up, regardless of existing medical conditions.

The public support for donation also means more people in Northamptonshire are receiving lifesaving transplants. Last year 46 people in Northamptonshire had transplants, compared to 38 five years ago.

But the NHS says there is still a shortage of organ donors. Nationally, three people still die a day in need of a transplant and there are still around 6,400 people currently waiting for a transplant.

The health service says there is a particular need for people to register from black and Asian backgrounds. People from the same ethnic background are more likely to be a match but there are not enough black and Asian donors.

To join the NHS Organ Donor Register, head to www.organdonation.nhs.uk

The dramatic scenes were captured on camera by onlooker Samantha Phillips in Upper Heyford at about 9.30am today.

A Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue crew from the Mounts station attended the scene, close to junction 16 of the M1, to put out the blaze.

The A45 had to be closed in both directions as smoke drifted over the carriageway.

A spokesman for the fire service said the cause of the blaze was accidental and confirmed that one was hurt.

A Northamptonshire Police officer will appear before court on Monday (July 10) charged with a number of offences.

PC Jason Farquhar has been charged with nine counts of misconduct in a public office, three counts of sexual assault on a female over 16 years and one count of perverting the course of justice.

Farquhar has also been charged with one offence under the Computer Misuse Act.

The officer has remained suspended from duty for the duration of the investigation and will remain so until the conclusion of court proceedings.

The inquiry was led by detectives from the force’s professional standards department.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is also aware of the investigation.

Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Swann said: “The force’s integrity and legitimacy is central to our purpose in protecting people from harm and we take all allegations made against our officers and staff extremely seriously.

“These matters are also subject to an internal misconduct investigation which is ongoing and it would be inappropriate for us to make any further comment at this stage.”

Farquhar will face magistrates at Northampton Magistrates’ Court.

Daventry Arts Festival was back for 2017 and this year was bigger and better than ever.

More than 50 events, competitions and exhibitions took place in the town as part of the two week festival.

The festival kicked off with the Daventry Weekender, a two-day music extravaganza which took place in five venues across Daventry; Early Doors, Community Stage, The Sheaf Street Health Store, Saracens Head and The Dun Cow. Local artist Michael Piper added some colour to Foundry Walk with his incredible 3D street art, and Daventry’s most famous dog Biff the Boxer from the John Lewis advert, met his adoring fans throughout the day.

The second weekend was crowned by the Daventry Showcase with performances from the Khameleon Kompany and DSLV Drama, alongside art from the Middlemore Art Project and First for Wellbeing’s Daventry Family Tree.

Daventry Players also took to the community stage in Sheaf Street, to perform a preview of their new show Once Upon a Dream, while throughout the town art demonstrations by Michael Piper and workshops in poetry by Maggie Evans, and singing from the JuditSingers were hosted.

The U3A hosted an open photography meeting to display their recent works and talk to people about their regular meetings. A guided walk, led by local resident and councillor Mike Arnold, provided an insightful view into Daventry Towns rich history and delved into some of the fascinating facts about Daventry.

Snap chat has launched a new feature called Snap Map, which has raised a few eyebrows with Northamptonshire Police, who have since written to every school in the area encouraging them to discuss online safety with their pupils.

The feature enables users to share their location with everyone on their Snapchat contacts list to such a precise degree that is possible to tell what part of a building a user is in.

The feature also displays if the user is travelling in a car or listening to music.

NSPCC child safety online expert Rose Bray said: “Even limiting Snap Maps to the ‘friends only’ setting is risky if those contacts include people you don’t know.

“This highlights why it’s vital Government forces social networks to offer Safe Accounts to under 18s, with the highest privacy settings and location settings locked off.

“Young people can hide their location using ghost mode, which can be switched on from the Snap Maps screen.

“It’s important parents have regular conversations with young people about staying safe online, and making sure that they know how to protect their privacy.

“The NSPCC’s Share Aware materials online can help parents to start these conversations”

The NSPCC is now urging Northampton youngsters to hide their location using the ‘ghost mode’ setting and has issued advice to parents.

It is also calling on Government to force social networks to offer safe accounts to under 18s – with location settings switched off as default.

The charity said Snap Maps could leave users vulnerable to grooming, stalking, bullying, controlling behaviours or feeling excluded and encourages users to think about who is on their Snapchat contact list, and who they are sharing their location with.

Research from Netaware, the NSPCC’s online safety website, found that 36 per cent of young people had added someone online that they don’t know in the last six months.

A hotel owner with links to Northamptonshire is competing for the chance to represent England in the Miss World competition.

Leena Dewis, aged 24. currently Miss London 2017, was a former student at Quinton House School and her father lives in Long Buckby, near Daventry.

Leena first has to win the national title and will be battling it out for the Miss England crown on July 14 at Resort World Birmingham.

"I want to be Miss World," she said. "I believe I have a better purpose. I know for a fact that a lot of people see beauty differently.

"The perception of beauty nowadays is perfection. But that is not what beauty is. I want to be a role model to young girls out there and for them to know that beauty is not about being perfect, having freckles doesn't mean you are ugly, beauty is from within, a good heart can take you to places, not a perfect face.

"I believe I can represent the true meaning of beauty with a purpose."

Leena has educated herself in the business world and currently runs a hotel in Phuket.

"I was born in Phuket and started my first years of school at Quinton House School in Northamptonshire," she said.

"Later on I moved back to Thailand to study at Phuket Thaihua School.

"For my high school years I moved to a boarding school in China (Beijing New Talent Academy) and graduated with my bachelor's degree in Business and Management at the University of Buckingham, England."

Her father is from Long Buckby and her mother is from Roi Et, Thailand.

Leena was second runner up in Miss Grand Phuket 2016 was in the top 10 for Miss Thailand World 2016.

She also won two awards from Miss Thailand World - The People's Choice Award and the Fast Track Talent Award for her piano playing.

She said getting involved in beauty pageants was an "off-hand thought".

"Growing up being mixed, I always had compliments on my looks, so I thought, why not?

"But actually being in a pageant is a lot more work than you think.

"In fact, it is extremely stressful, you realise a lot of people don't appreciate your looks, so you have to be prepared for haters.

"You also have to be prepared for late nights and early mornings.

"But at the end of the day it is all worth it, because it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that can be cherished for the rest of my life.

"The bonus of it all for me is the smile on my mother's face, to see how proud my family and friends are makes me so happy."

She also has about 200 trophies for her running efforts from events all over Thailand.

"I started running at seven years old and began to win trophies a few years later.

"By 15 I was at the top of my game, but I moved to China and I've never trained properly since.

"I would say I am very proud of each and every trophy I have because it takes a lot of training and a lot of hard work before I can take even one trophy home with me."

Tickets to watch the show on July 14 are available at Miss England’s website www.missengland.info

The Parker E-Act Academy in Daventry has taken over the building previously used by Daventry UTC, it has been announced.

Daventry UTC first opened in 2013 but was forced to close last year after falling student numbers.

Now, the Parker E-Act Academy has revealed it is taking over the building in Ashby Road and it will be available for students to use from September this year.

Writing in a letter to parents, regional education director, Andrew Mackereth, said that the current Aspire Building at the academy would be demolished during the summer holidays.

He said the former UTC building would now be renamed The Randolph Building, after the English poet and dramatist Thomas Randolph, who was born in the village of Newnham near Daventry.

"The multi-million pound facility was first opened in September 2013 and boasts cutting-edge facilities including workshops, laboratories, a spacious four court sports hall and a host of classrooms and breakout rooms.

"The new building will primarily be used for students studying at key stage 4 and will also be home to the E-ACT Daventry Sixth Form.

"Discussions with the regional schools commissioner first started in February when it was suggested that the UTC facility might be an option for the replacement of The Aspire Building which is badly in need of significant renovation.

"We are delighted that the Secretary of State has given us the former UTC facility and we see this as a major boost for education in Daventry at a time when outcomes for young people, and community confidence in the E-ACT academies have never been higher.

"The Randolph Building will give our students and community groups a state of the art platform from which to explore and expand their educational horizons," he said.

Pictured having fun on New Year’s Day are, from left to right, Jackie Williams, Kathryn Williams, David Lockhart and Mark Lockhart, who are taking advantage of the snow and ice which fell in Daventry district during the coldest wintry spell the area had seen in 16 years.
Temperatures fell well below freezing point, food shelves were emptied by panicking parents, and long queues formed at petrol stations.
One picture taken by this newspaper’s photographer showed sharp icicles drooping off a gate on Whilton Locks.
In spite of the big weekend freeze, emergency services in Daventry reported one of their quietest New Year’s on record.
No accidents were reported to police, and no cases of drunken drivers either.
It was a similar story for the ambulance and fire services as it seemed the people of Daventry heeded the warnings of the dangers on the roads.
“We’ve had nothing at all this weekend,” said an emergenc services spokesma, “not even a mince pie.”

Removing lead from petrol and paints has sparked a dramatic drop in crime levels, suggests new research.

The heavy metal is a neurotoxin that can alter the formation of the brain and reduce grey matter in areas responsible for thinking and planning.

Now a study has found children under six exposed to the metal were much more likely to be suspended from school - or even locked up - as they grew up.

A one unit increase in blood lead levels - measured in millionths of a gramme per each tenth of a litre of blood - raised the probability a child would be suspended from school by up to 9.3 per cent.

And among boys, a one unit increase in blood lead levels raised the probability of incarceration by up to 74 per cent.

But a drop in exposure led to less antisocial behaviour - backing previous claims the banning of a lead is a significant factor behind decreasing crime over the past few decades.

Professor Janet Currie, of Princeton University, New Jersey, said: “Children who have been suspended are ten times more likely to be involved in criminal activity as adults.”

Moreover, young people who are incarcerated for even a short period are less likely to graduate from high school and more likely to commit crimes as adults.

She added: “Our results support the hypothesis that reductions in blood lead levels may have been responsible for a significant part of the observed decrease in antisocial behaviour among youths and young adults in recent decades.”

For most of the 20th Century crime rose across the UK and other Western countries.

Then, about 20 years ago, the trend reversed - and all the broad measures of key crimes have been falling ever since.

The fall in the use of lead-based paint and leaded petrol has been suspected of being behind the phenomenon but evidence has been scant - until now.

So Prof Currie and colleagues sought to find lead exposure’s effect on school disciplinary problems and juvenile incarceration.

The study published on the National Bureau of Economic Research website analysed about 120,000 children born in Rhode Island because of the state’s aggressive lead screening programme.

Nearly three-quarters of children have been screened at least once by the time they reach 18 months, far above the national average.

By age six, children in the study had been screened an average of three times.

Lead doesn’t stay in children’s bloodstreams for long before it’s deposited in organs like the brain, and multiple blood screenings increase the chances of detecting exposure.

The researchers examined children born from 1990, which was shortly after leaded petrol was phased out, until 2014.

They accessed Rhode Island Department of Health blood lead level tests for preschool children conducted from 1994 to 2014.

They linked those records to school suspension records beginning in the 2007 to 2008 school year, as well as to juvenile detention records beginning in 2004.

Lead was banned from house paint in 1976, and leaded petrol was phased out between 1979 and 1986.

People who were exposed to lead up to the age of six are more likely to exhibit poor thinking skills and impulse control, to have trouble paying attention, and to behave aggressively.

These traits can lead to antisocial or criminal behaviour in adults.

Studies seeking links between adult crime and early childhood lead exposure have suggested that the drop in lead exposure could explain up to 90 percent of the sharp downward trend in US crime that started in the mid-1990s.

Lead can be absorbed into bones, teeth and blood. It causes kidney damage, inhibits body growth, causes abdominal pain, anaemia and can damage the nervous system.

More than a century ago, a royal commission recommended to British ministers that women shouldn’t work in lead-related industry because of damage to their reproductive organs.

By the 1970s, studies showed that children could even be poisoned by chewing fingernails harbouring tiny flecks of old leaded paint from their homes and schools.

Studies have shown that exposure to lead during pregnancy reduces the head circumference of infants. In children and adults, it causes headaches, inhibits IQ and can lead to aggressive or dysfunctional behaviour.

Just as we’ve stopped trying to rip apart the new indestructible £5 notes, the new £10 note is set to launch later on this year.

Like its predecessor, the £10 note will be waterproof and ‘unrippable’, here’s what else you need to know about the new £10 note.

When will it be released?

The Bank of England has reportedly already printed 275 million £10 notes. It’s not ready to be released just yet though as the new note is expected to be officially circulated from September 2017 by the Bank of England.

What will it look like?

After years of campaigning Jane Austen will become the only woman to be featured on the back of an English banknote and to mark the 200th anniversary of the author’s death the new plastic £10 note will be formally unveiled on 18th July at Winchester Cathedral, where Austen was buried in 1817.

From what’s been revealed so far, the mock up design has already found itself criticized as campaigners have accused the Bank of England of ‘airbrushing’ the portrait of Austen to remove her eye bags, thin lips and pointed chin. We’ll discover this July what the Bank of England thinks Austen really looks like.

Is this one ‘vegan’?

Like the infamous £5 note release earlier this year, the new £10 note will also include small traces of tallow (animal fat) much to the dismay of vegetarians and vegans across the country.

Although a petition to replace the tallow found in the £5 note attracted over 135,000 signatures, the new £10 note will contain animal fat regardless.

The Bank of England says that Polymer banknotes are “cleaner, more secure, and more durable than paper banknotes. They will provide enhanced counterfeit resilience, and increase the quality of banknotes in circulation.”

The Bank of England is currently investigating how to make the new £20 note due to launch in 2020 tallow free.

People living with a child who is not their own nor related to them are being urged to register as foster parents.

Northamptonshire County Council says, by law, the arrangements need to be logged so that the needs of the child, the parents and the guardians are being met.

Private fostering is when a child or young person up to the age of 16 (18 if they have a disability) is living with someone other than a close relative, guardian or person with parental responsibility for more than 28 days.

Private foster carers can be a friend of the child’s family, or someone willing to care for the child of a family they do not know. This could include:

* Children and young people living with friends due to family difficulties

* Children sent from abroad to study in the UK

* Children with parents who are in hospital, prison or overseas

* Asylum-seeking and refugee children

* Children on holiday exchanges.

The council says that those providing private fostering could be entitled to benefits and support they may not currently be receiving.

The county council has a duty to ensure the child’s needs are being met and can also arrange professional support and advice for the guardians and the child’s parents.

County council deputy leader and cabinet member for children’s services, Councillor Matthew Golby, said: “There are occasions when someone other than a parent or close relative may look after a child, for example a family friend who offers to help when a parent is going through a difficult time, or a student from overseas who comes to stay with a family friend or a distant relative.

“Most people won’t even recognise this as a private fostering arrangement, but by law we need to know about it so that we can make sure the needs of the child, the parents and the guardians are being fully met," he added.

“That’s why we’re encouraging anyone who is involved in a private fostering arrangement, or knows someone who is, to get in touch.”

To register a private fostering arrangement, people can call 0300 126 1000 or email mash@northamptonshire.gcsx.gov.uk.

For more information about private fostering, visit www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/privatefostering.

Just two beers or glasses of wine a day raises the risk of bowel and gullet cancer by more than a fifth, according to new research.

People in the UK are above this threshold, guzzling an average of 2.1 drinks daily, placing them among the most vulnerable to two of the deadliest forms of the disease.

And anyone having four or more drinks a day is at increased risk of liver, gastric and pancreatic cancer - three more particularly lethal types.

The five cancers are the most common digestive cancers across the world, causing almost three million deaths a year, says the report by medical group United European Gastroenterology (UEG).

The study found the average alcohol consumption across 28 EU member states was ‘moderate’ - between one and four drinks a day.

But this was enough to place citizens at a heightened risk of both bowel and oesophageal, or gullet, cancer.

‘Heavy’ drinkers at risk

‘Heavy’ drinkers who get through more than four daily were more likely to develop pancreatic, liver and gastric cancer.

The UK was 8th in the league table of drinking, ahead of France and Germany where the average is two drinks.

In Ireland the figure is 1.9 drinks, which is also the average across the 28 EU nations. Lithuania topped the list, with average consumption of 3.2 drinks a day,

No countries within the EU were found to have ‘light’ alcohol consumption of less than one drink a day, on average.

Drinking across the region is higher than in any other area in the world, with over one fifth of the European population over the age of 15 drinking heavily at least once a week.

As a result, the continent suffers from the highest proportion of ill health and premature death directly linked to alcohol.

But despite this, as many as nine in ten people are unaware on the link between alcohol and cancer.

‘Mixed messages’

The researchers said consumers are provided with mixed messages on recommended units, glasses and volumes of alcohol, so they are calling for a unified approach to the provision of clear and consistent information.

Digestive health expert Professor Markus Peck, a member of UEG’s public affairs committee,, said; “One of the main challenges in addressing high drinking levels is how deeply embedded alcohol consumption is within the European society, both socially and culturally.

“Political action like minimum pricing and reducing access to alcohol needs to be taken now to prevent many future casualties.

“Research then has to follow to help generate data and allow us to fine-tune future political activity”.

The report said France is leading the way with stricter marketing coupled with regulations for drinking at work. This has led to a decline in alcohol consumption and cases of digestive cancer as a result.

Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA), said: “These findings show clearly that because of current consumption levels in Britain we are some of the most at-risk people for developing these types of cancers.

“This is not surprising when enough alcohol is sold in England and Wales for every drinker to consume 50% more than the weekly limit recommended by the UK’s chief medical officers.

“Alcohol is a group one carcinogen and while the evidence shows any level of drinking increases cancer risk, this risk increases in line with the level of consumption.”

The AHA says alcohol-related health harm is so great, and awareness of the link between drink and cancer so low at just 10%, that alcohol manufacturers should be forced to put health warnings on the labels of cans and bottles.

Minimum pricing

It is also urging ministers to organise sustained campaigns to alert the public to the dangers of drinking and to introduce minimum unit pricing, as Scotland is seeking to do, in order to reduce overall consumption and damage to health.

Dr Lisa Wilde, director of research at Bowel Cancer UK, said about 11 out of every 100 cases of bowel cancer are believed to be linked to alcohol.

She said: “We know that 41,200 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year, it’s the fourth most common cancer in the UK.

“There are several known factors that increase your risk of getting the disease.

“Some of these are things you can’t do anything about, for example, age and genetics.

“But you can make changes to your lifestyle to help stack the odds against bowel cancer.

“As well as cutting down on alcohol, also being a healthy weight, taking more exercise and stopping smoking will make a real difference.”

Chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies introduced strict new boozing guidelines last year with a man’s recommended weekly limit now 14 units, or six pints - the same as for women.

Jason Farquhar, 43, from Stamford, Lincolnshire, appeared in Northampton Magistrates' Court today (July 10) faced with 14 allegations.

He was also charged with perverting the course of justice and misusing a computer to access data at the Rushden police station.

Farquhar was released on bail and will appear at Northampton Crown Court on August 9.

Kodi has told customers complaining that their box “no longer works” that a number of websites have now shut down their services.

In May, The Digital Economy Act was passed into law, meaning that users now face up to a decade behind bars for illegally streaming copyrighted content.

Despite being perfectly legal itself, some customers use the software to illegally access copyright content through third-party add-ons.

The new law targets developers who built these add-ons, but technically anyone streaming the illegal content is now punishable by the law. In a new blog post, Kodi have said that many websites and repositories promoting add-ons using pirated media content have now shut down their services.

TVaddons library has recently gone offline as well as popular Kodi add-on Phoenix, which provided access to TV shows, films and sport channels.

This comes in the wake of recent legal action against some websites but has led many users to complain that their “Kodi Box” is no longer working.

Kodi has slammed individuals selling media players which come pre-loaded with these add-ons, known as “fully loaded Kodi boxes”.

Despite saying they will not police its own software, Kodi said it has no sympathy for users who are now seeing these illegal add-ons disappear.

A spokesperson said: “Team Kodi (the unpaid volunteers who create Kodi and manage the Kodi name/brand for love not money) have never manufactured a “Kodi Box” and we do not supply media content.

“People who have been selling “Fully Loaded” devices on Amazon, eBay, Facebook, etc. or provide “IPTV Streaming” services with impossibly $cheap subscriptions to improbably $large selections of Movies, TV shows, Live Sports, etc. are not affiliated with the Kodi project. They are criminals who profit from piracy.

“If you post in our forums or social channels about a pirate add-on or streaming service not working please expect ZERO sympathy or support. We don’t care. We care less than not caring. We don’t care biggly.

“And to counter a popular comment; if the Kodi userbase drops a huge percentage because pirate services flee or die, we’re fine with that. Kodi has been around since 2002 and we are not going to implode or disappear (unlike the pirates).

“Life will be a little quieter, but less time spent on self-entitled whiny people means more time writing great code and having fun. We’re okay with that too.”

A popular children’s drink has been recalled by supermarket giant Sainsbury’s.

Alpro has recalled its Alpro Growing Up Drink (1-3+yrs 1 litre UHT pack) because of insufficient sterilisation.

The plant-based soya drink from the Belgian company is intended for toddlers aged from 1 year onwards.

However, the sterility of batches coded AB2310 XX:XX has been compromised. As a result the microbiological safety of these batches has also been compromised and this poses a risk to health, if the affected product is consumed.

Customers may also recognise affected batches by an unpleasant texture, taste and smell.

The product concerned has been sold only in Sainsbury’s stores. The 1 litre packs have a Best before date of 05 March 2018.

No other Alpro products are known to be affected.

Anyone having purchased any of the listed products should not drink it. Instead, it should be returned it to the store from where it was purchased for a full refund.

The following people were sentenced at Northampton Magistrates’ Court:

MAY 10

Mark Beasley, aged 32, of Grange Road, Northampton, breach of a court order; jailed for 28 days.

Jodie Bradbury, aged 30, of Telford Street, Upton, Northampton, failed to comply with a community; no adjudication, dealt with original offences, which were as follows. Caused harassment, alarm or distress; jailed for 84 days suspended for 12 months. Damaged a rear light; jailed for 84 days concurrent suspended for 12 months. Making threats to another; jailed for 84 days concurrent suspended for 12 months. Intent to cause a police officer harassment or distress; jailed for 84 days concurrent, suspended for 12 months. Damaged a pane of glass; jailed for 84 days concurrent suspended for 12 months.

MAY 11

Sam French, aged 25, of Ashley Way, Westone, Northampton, failed to comply with a community order; no adjudication, dealt with original offence, ordered to pay £60 costs. Original offence was drink-driving with a breath test reading of 109mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; community order made to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

Dawid Zalewski, aged 24, of no fixed abode, stole two bottles of White Star cider worth £4.99; jailed for 14 days. Assault; jailed for 56 days consecutive, ordered to pay compensation of £150. Failed to surrender to custody; jailed for 14 days consecutive. Assaulted a police officer; jailed for 56 days consecutive, ordered to pay compensation of £150. Commission of a further offence while on a suspended sentence; no adjudication, dealt with original offences as follows. Assaulted a police officer; suspended sentence of 56 days in jail now imposed.

MAY 12

Roland Garth, aged 45, of Nene Walk, Daventry, drove at 35mph in a 30mph zone; fined £153, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with three points.

Ronald Elliott, aged 71, of Harrier Park, Northampton, failed to stop at an accident; fined £293, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with five points. Failed to report an accident to police; no separate penalty. Driving without due care and attention; no separate penalty.

Martin Scanlan, aged 63, of The Fairoaks, Northampton, failed to report an accident; fined £293, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with five points. No test certificate; fined £146.

Sophie Stockwin, aged 32, of Gayton Road, Blisworth, drove at 82mph in a 70mph zone; no separate penalty. Drove at 35mph in a 30mph zone; no separate penalty. Failed to give information relating to the identity of a driver; fined £115, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, banned from driving for six months. Driving at 47mph in a 30mph zone; no separate penalty.

Macauley Thomas, aged 21, of Meadowsweet Road, Northampton, driving without due care and attention; fined £260, ordered to pay

a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85,

licence endorsed with seven points.

MAY 15

Christopher Duke, aged 30, of Knaphill Crescent, Kings Heath, Northampton, stole five sandwiches, two Mars bars, a cheese cake slice and a number of soft drinks from Westbridge Motors; community order made, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £85 and costs of £85. Used threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour; community order made.

Carol Dummer, aged 53, of Meldon Close, Northampton, driving without due care and attention on the A45; fined £250, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, driving licence endorsed with nine points.

Paul Lound, aged 36, of Oakley Street, Northampton, no insurance; no separate penalty. No test certificate; no separate penalty. Driving while disqualified; jailed for 140

days consecutive; ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £115 and costs of £85, banned from driving for five years.

Daniel Childs, aged 28, of Stanley Road, Northampton, assault; community order made to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £85, compensation of £250 and costs of £85.

Alexandru Rata, aged 65, of Greatmeadow, Northampton, no insurance; fined £660, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £66 and costs of £620, licence endorsed with eight points. Faulty tyre; fined £300.

Neil Rogers, aged 41, of Norris Mews, Long Buckby, stole a drill worth £100 belonging to B&Q; community order made, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £85 and costs of £85. Stole two Olympus dictaphones worth £189.98 belonging to Maplins; community order made, ordered to pay compensation of £8, £189.98 and £145.

Hope Innis, aged 18, of Regent Street, Northampton, damaged a front door; conditional discharge for 12 months, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £20 and costs of £85.

Sean Maguire, aged 47, of Richmond Road, Towcester, failed to provide a breath test; fined £300, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with 10 points.

Simon Rock, aged 24, of Broadway, Northampton, used threatening or abusive words or behaviour; fined £160, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85.

Lee Russell, aged 36, of Mansion Gardens, Potterspury, assaulted a police officer; fined £80, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85. Prevented police officers and paramedics from treating a patient; fined £40.

Daniel Stewart, aged 28, of Birchfield Road East, Northampton, drink-driving with

a breath test reading of

83mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; fined £425, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £42 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 21 months.

Misty Bonady, aged 31, of Billing Road, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 51mcgs of

alcohol in 100mls of breath; fined £250, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services

of £30 and costs of £85,

banned from driving for 14 months.

Thomas Dilley, aged 30 of Margaret Street, Northampton, assault; jailed for 28 days concurrent, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £116. Resisted a police officer; no separate penalty. Assaulted a police officer; jailed for 56 days consecutive. Assault; jailed for 28 days.

Michael Dooley, aged 46, of Axe Head Road, Northampton, possession of cannabis; fined £300, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85.

Gladys Mugwagwa, aged 43, of Guildhall Road, Northampton, fraud; community order made to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay compensation of £1,927.77.

MAY 16

Tyrone Sanders, aged 25, of St Pauls Road, Northampton, stole meat and alcohol worth £91.89; jailed for 120 days suspended for two years, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £115 and costs of £105. Stole meat, four bottles of wine, 17 packs of ham, various foodstuffs worth £30 and assault; jailed for 120 days concurrent, suspended for two years.

Leslie Whittle, aged 48, of no fixed abode, stole a mobile phone; community order made, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £85 and costs of £85. Damaged a computer monitor; community order made.

MAY 17:

David Eales, aged 50, of Excelsior Gardens, Northampton, assault; conditional discharge for 12 months, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £20 and costs of £115.

Paul Strachan, aged 41, c/o Berkley House, Northampton, had a knife in a public place without good reason; jailed for 182 days suspended for 12 months, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £115 and costs of £250. Failed to surrender to custody; jailed for 28 days concurrent suspended for 12 months.

Sean Shortland, aged 20, of Queen Street, Earls Barton, damaged a television; jailed for 14 days consecutive, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £115. Commission of a further offence while on a suspended sentence for using threatening or abusive words or behaviour; suspended sentence of 42 days in prison imposed.

Jack Pointon, aged 28, of Wordsworth Road, Daventry, assault; jailed for 84 days concurrent suspended for 18 months, ordered to pay compensation of £100. Stole a car; jailed for 84 days concurrent suspended for 18 months. Dangerous driving; jailed for 84 days suspended for 18 months, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £115 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 18 months. Driving not in accordance with a licence; no separate penalty. No insurance; no separate penalty.

Annette Underwood, aged 48, of Wade Meadow Court, Northampton, gave false information on housing benefit allowance; community order made to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £85 and costs of £100.

Latest figures from the NHS has revealed that there has been 11, 471 newly recorded cases of FGM in England in the last two years.

In the last year alone (2016 - 2017) the figures reveal that were 5,391 newly recorded cases of FGM - although this is a drop from the 6,080 cases recorded in the financial year 2015-2016.

FGM, which is the deliberate mutilation of female genitalia, is most commonly undertaken between the ages of five and nine, accounting for 44 per cent of the total number of cases where the age at the time of being cut was known according to the statistics.

Women and girls born in Somalia also accounted for more than one third of newly recorded cases of FGM with a known country of birth (2,504). Of the newly recorded cases, 112 involved women and girls who were born in the United Kingdom.

More funding needed to stop FGM

FGM has been illegal in the UK since 1985, however the figures also revealed that in 57 cases FGM had taken place in the UK.

The National FGM Centre, run by Barnardo’s and the Local Government Association, raises awareness in schools and communities and trains professionals to spot girls at risk of FGM.

Director of the National FGM Centre, Michelle Lee-Izu said, “Whilst we are making progress in tackling FGM, today’s figures show it is still being practiced in communities across England.”

The National FGM Centre says the latest statistics show more money must be found so its vital work can continue beyond July 21 when the current funding ends

“The Centre’s remit is to help eradicate FGM for girls and women living in England by 2030 but this will not happen if it closes down just two years after being set up by the Government. The Government has said it is committed to ending FGM and more funding needs to be found so the Centre’s work can continue.”

It was foodie heaven as the best of British food and drink came to the area over the weekend.

Kelmarsh Hall hosted the Great British Food Festival over Saturday and Sunday.

There were stalls selling artisan products, demonstrations from top chefs including Great British Bake Off competitors Howard Middleton and Luis Troyano.

There were also food challenges, foraging walks, children's cooking competitions and live music.