A Daventry vicar has been appointed as the new canon missioner at Peterborough Cathedral.

The Rev Canon Sarah Brown will take up the full-time residentiary post in January 2018.

Sarah was ordained in 2008 following a career in marketing and communications training.

She said: “I’m looking forward to helping to strengthen the work of the cathedral, especially as we celebrate its 900th anniversary in 2018.

"I’m conscious that things have not been easy for the cathedral over the last few years and I’m inspired by the prospect of working together in God’s power with every single person involved in the life of this place, to heal what has been damaged and to glorify Christ’s name through our work and worship.

"My prayer is that the Cathedral becomes more and more of a blessing for the city and people of Peterborough, and for the wider diocese.”

Canon missioner is one of three full-time clergy posts at the cathedral, the others being the dean and the canon precentor.

The canon missioner has a particular responsibility for communicating the Christian faith to those who come into contact with the cathedral, whether as worshippers or as visitors.

Bishop Donald, who appointed Rev Brown, said: “I am delighted that Sarah Brown has agreed to join the cathedral as canon missioner and that the interview panel was unanimous and enthusiastic about appointing her.

“She is an outstanding priest and communicator, a team builder, an encourager, and has a strong sense of humour. She will question and challenge the status quo, but creatively rather than destructively.

"She is a natural leader, not afraid of difficult conversations, but always wanting to bring the best out of other people. Her Christian commitment is strong and clear, and she has a track record of enabling spiritual, numerical, and organisational growth.

“I look forward very much to welcoming Sarah to Peterborough, and I am sure that the cathedral community will welcome her and Richard warmly.”

A Daventry-based charity founder was presented with a batch of knitted trauma teddies to give to the children which her organisation cares for in South Asia.

The handmade teddybears were presented to Valerie Taylor OBE, who established the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) in Bangladesh, at the charity's weekly bric-a-brac sale by knitter Daphne Bowhill and Cllr Lynne Taylor, the Mayor of Daventry.

CRP has grown since its creation in 1979 from four beds in a disused warehouse, to ten dedicated centres across Bangladesh and is funded by donations from all over the world.

Valerie, who is returning to the South Asian country with the toys later this month, said: “Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to the trauma teddies project.

"Children in Bangladesh do not have toys and will cherish each and every one of them. They will be a valuable tool for our volunteers who work with many people who have been through trauma.”

District residents have raised in excess of £100,000 for the charity, predominantly via sales of bric-a-brac at the Daventry Country Market every Tuesday at the town's United Reformed Church, from 8.30am to 11.30am.

Mrs Bowhill, who has been knitting since she was a child, and runs a regular craft stall at the country market, said: "I was aware of all the hard work the volunteers put in to run the bric-a-brac sale each week and can’t think of a better home for the trauma teddies to go to."

Cllr Lynne Taylor, who handed out knitted toys to firefighters in Daventry last month, added: "Trauma teddies were part of the Daventry Arts Festival for the first time this year and the idea has really taken off.

"We are delighted to continue this project through until next summer’s arts festival and I look forward to making many more deliveries of the teddies to local organisations”

Knitters are welcome to contribute to the project and can drop off any teddies at Daventry Town Council offices on New Street.

The applicant for a permanent truck stop on a Daventry ‘A’ road has sought to make amendments to its previously approved proposal.

The site, at the junction of the A14 and A5199 in between Welford and Thornby, already benefits from planning approval for a roadside service facility and this permission was kept alive by plans to construct a roundabout for access to the truck stop.

The approved development allowed for a single storey drive thru, fuel pumps, a Formula 1 Motel, 43 space lorry park, a 70 bed Travel Lodge and an amenity building with 142 parking spaces.

However, the applicant - Euro Garages Ltd - wants to amend the proposal to include two drive-thru buildings (one for fast food, the other for coffee) with 53 spaces, an HGV fuelling area, an 82 space HGV parking lot, and a smaller, two-storey 40-bed hotel.

The buildings approved previously were primarily shallow pitched roof buildings of brick and render construction. Under the current submission, the buildings are more modern in design and appearance but incorporate traditional and modern materials in the construction.

Among the Thornby and Cold Ashby parish council complaints submitted to the planning committee are concerns over light and noise pollution, an increase in litter and rubbish as a result of the drive-thrus on site, as well as worries over the designs of the building which, they point out, will occupy a predominantly rural area of the county.

Thornby Parish residents were also concerned about the impact an increase in HGVs on small roads.

Their comments read: "There is very little mention in the application of the likely or possible impact of this development on the small, existing local villages in this part of Northamptonshire.

"Thornby is a prime example with a population of around 128 people that is sited across the already very heavily used A5199 but there are others such as Welford, Naseby and Cold Ashby.

"The volume of traffic, with all its attendant issues linked to it, such as speeding, litter, road wear, oversize lorries on narrow roads and noise, are increasing annually especially at peak times or when there are issues on the motorways and dual carriageways."

The planning committee's report concluded: “Having had regard to the provisions of the development plan and other material considerations which are relevant to the proposed development and conditions now proposed it is considered that the proposal represents a sustainable form of development that can be supported on planning grounds.”

A Daventry family is seeing pink with the latest addition to their female heavy family.

Baby Amelia-Rose Thorogood makes five generations of girls.

Suzie Jordan, 37, said: “We have nannie, Mary Williams, who is 85, then Judy Ryan who’s 59, then myself, Jasmine, 18, and baby Amelia, who is two weeks.

“We knew Amelia was going to be a girl before she was born - we do outweigh the boys in our family!”

She said the family were excited when Jasmine’s scan revealed she was expecteing a little girl.

Her mum added: “We felt excited she was going to be a girl, but as long as they were healthy, a boy or girl would be loved just the same.

“We couldn’t wait to take the photo of all five generations, it was lovely to get everyone together”

She sad Mary, who has dementia, has been unwell, but the joy of a new baby in the family has given her a new lease of life.

“Nannie has been very poorly, so weren’t sure it was going to happen,” added Suzie.

“But she’s pulled through! which is amazing. My sister had a little girl six weeks ago too and the babies coming along have helped Nannie so much.”

Daventry residents are overpaying by as much as £175,000 per year for their heating oil, according to a study.

The report - by fuel supplier BoilerJuice and independent researchers PCP - looked at 1.6 million UK households who rely on a heating oil tank to warm their homes.

It was conducted among 1,000 heating oil households between July 6 and July 17, 2017 and the sample included a 30 per cent sample in Northern Ireland, 60 per cent in England & Wales and 10 per cent sample in Scotland.

It found that of the 5,077 heating oil households in Daventry were collectively overpaying by £175,122, an extra £46 per year to heat a three bedroom home.

Almost one in five (17 per cent) said they could not be bothered to shop around and when they do they do not have the buying power to negotiate the best deals. In Daventry, an estimated 3,807 (75 per cent) heating-oil households are over-paying.

On average and according to independent research, households can save up to £138 per year on their heating oil if they use the BoilerJuice website.by tracking the latest deals, minute-by-minute, from their national database of over 150 suppliers.

Residents who have not completed their electoral registration form yet may soon receive a visit from one of Daventry District Council’s canvassers.

Over the past couple of months, Daventry District Council (DDC) sent forms to every household in the district as part of its annual individual voter registration canvass. People need to reply to stay on the electoral register so that they can vote in future elections.

Those who have not already responded will receive a visit from one of the council’s canvassers, who will all carry identification.

If people are at home when one of the canvassers visits they will complete a registration form with them on their doorstep.

Residents who are not in will receive a card to let them know the canvassers have been and to remind them to complete their registration form.

If residents do not need to make any changes to the information on the form sent to them, they can confirm their existing registration by using one of the following options:

- Visit www.householdresponse.com/Daventry

- Call 0800 197 9871 – you may be charged by your mobile provider for this service

- Text 80212 quoting ‘NOCHANGE’ – you may be charged by your mobile provider for this service.

People are required by law to complete a canvass form and anyone who does not could be fined up to £1,000, and could also be refused credit if their name doesn’t appear on the electoral register.

The register is also used by credit reference agencies to check the rating of anyone who wishes to take out credit, including a new mobile phone contract.

Residents who do not receive their form can register online, or contact the elections team at Daventry District Council on 01327 871100.

People can find out more at www.daventrydc.gov.uk/canvass.

This dramatic photo depicting the scene of an accident first came into contact with the Gusher in 1984 when a gentleman named Frank Higham, of Orchard Street, popped into our offices with a postcard in hand.

The overturned vehicle was caught on camera some years earlier by photographer A H Vogt, who took the image in Brook Street, Daventry, just outside the Dun Cow pub.

The accident had in fact happened more or less on the doorstep of the pub, where a lorry had overturned and a liquid ran down the street.

On the right side of the road is the Saracens Head pub and what is thought to be a dress shop.

The exact date the photo was taken is not known, and nor was it when Mr Higham handed it to Express journalists 23 years ago.

His father had given it to his son years before that and the postcard was stored away for years.

What is certain is that even though things change, many also stay the same, just like the Dun Cow and Saracens Head which both remain in Brook Street to this day, while other businesses around it fluctuate.

If you know anything about the photograph do get in touch.

Playing computer games like Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto on a regular basis gives a learning edge over non-gamers, a study found.

People who play action games for more than 15 hours per week learn faster than those who don’t play often, the research showed.

And scientists say it proves gaming can train parts of the brain linked to learning and memory.

Neuropsychologists from Ruhr-Universität Bochum in Germany asked 34 volunteers to take part in a simple weather-prediction test.

Half were regularly gamers and the others didn’t play regularly.

Those who played action games for at least 15 hours per week were significantly better at the test, suggesting gaming can fine-tune parts of the brain used for learning.

Study author Sabrina Schenk MSc. said: “Our study shows that gamers are better in analysing a situation quickly, to generate new knowledge and to categorise facts - especially in situations with high uncertainties.”

For the weather test, volunteers were shown a combination of three cue cards with different symbols.

Brain activity

Participants’ brain activity was monitored by magnetic resonance imaging throughout the study.

They were asked to estimate whether the card combination predicted sun or rain and got a feedback if their choice was right or wrong right away.

The volunteers gradually learned, on the basis of the feedback, which card combination stood for which weather prediction.

The combinations were thereby linked to higher or lower probabilities for sun and rain.

After completing the task, the study participants filled out a questionnaire to sample their acquired knowledge about the cue card combinations.

The study, published in the journal Behavioural Brain Research, showed gamers were notably better in combining the cue cards with the weather predictions than the control group.

Uncertain combinations

They fared even better with cue card combinations that had a high uncertainty, such as a combination that predicted 60 percent rain and 40 percent sunshine.

The analysis of the questionnaire revealed gamers had acquired more knowledge about the meaning of the card combinations than the control group.

Researchers said this kind of learning is linked to an increased activity in the hippocampus, a brain region that plays a key role in learning and memory.

Schenk added: “We think that playing video games trains certain brain regions like the hippocampus.

“That is not only important for young people, but also for older people - this is because changes in the hippocampus can lead to a decrease in memory performance.

“Maybe we can treat that with video games in the future.”

Skipping breakfast could lead to hardening of the arteries, raising the risk of heart attacks, scientists claim.

And their research further suggests why breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.

Missing a morning meal is linked to an increased risk of atherosclerosis, which is the hardening and narrowing of arteries due to a buildup of plaque, new research shows.

A vast amount of research has been carried out into the health benefits of eating breakfast, but researchers say it is the first study to link the meal to atherosclerosis.

Study author Dr Valentin Fuster said: “People who regularly skip breakfast likely have an overall unhealthy lifestyle.

“This study provides evidence that this is one bad habit people can proactively change to reduce their risk for heart disease.”

Researchers in Madrid examined male and female volunteers who were free from cardiovascular or chronic kidney disease.

Energy intake

A computerised questionnaire was used to estimate the usual diet of the participants and patterns were based on the percentage of total daily energy intake consumed at breakfast.

Three groups were identified during the study - those consuming less than five percent of their total energy intake in the morning, those consuming between five and 20 per cent and those consuming more than 20 per cent.

The first group skipped breakfast and only had coffee, juice or another non-alcoholic drink, the second were ‘low-energy breakfast consumers’ and the third were deemed ‘breakfast consumers’.

Of the 4,052 participants, 2.9 percent skipped breakfast, 69.4 percent were low-energy breakfast consumers and 27.7 percent were breakfast consumers.

Research revealed atherosclerosis was more frequent in those who skipped breakfast and also higher in those who had low-energy breakfasts compared to breakfast consumers.

It also showed cardiometabolic risk markers were more prevalent in those who skipped breakfast and low-energy breakfast consumers compared to breakfast consumers.

Participants who skipped breakfast had the greatest waist circumference, body mass index, blood pressure, blood lipids and fasting glucose levels.

Unhealthy lifestyle

Dr Jose Peñalvo, the study’s senior author, said: “Aside from the direct association with cardiovascular risk factors, skipping breakfast might serve as a marker for a general unhealthy diet or lifestyle which in turn is associated with the development and progression of atherosclerosis.

“Our findings are important for health professionals and might be used as a simple message for lifestyle-based interventions and public health strategies, as well as informing dietary recommendations and guidelines.”

Further findings showed participants who skipped breakfast were more likely to have an overall unhealthy lifestyle, including poor diet, frequent alcohol consumption and smoking.

They were also more likely to be hypertensive and overweight or obese, according to the study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

In the case of obesity, the study authors added reverse causation cannot be ruled out and observed results may be because obese patients skipped breakfast to lose weight.

Dr Prakash Deedwania, professor of medicine at the University of California, said: “That breakfast is the most important meal of the day has been proven right in light of this evidence.”

He added: “Between 20 and 30 percent of adults skip breakfast and these trends mirror the increasing prevalence of obesity and associated cardiometabolic abnormalities

“Poor dietary choices are generally made relatively early in life and, if remained unchanged, can lead to clinical cardiovascular disease later on.

“Adverse effects of skipping breakfast can be seen early in childhood in the form of childhood obesity and although breakfast skippers are generally attempting to lose weight, they often end up eating more and unhealthy foods later in the day.”

A rare vinyl recording of cellist Jacqueline Du Pre originally being sold for £1.99 by an Oxfam shop in Thornbury, S Glos is now being offered online by the charity for £2,000.

The album - ‘Music for Viola & Cello Played By Herbert Downes & Jacqueline Du Pre’, on the Electric Recording Co. label - was recorded with violinist, Herbert Downes. Du Pre was just 17 when she made the album, her debut cello recital, for HMV.

You may not have an album by the cellist in your loft, but with rare vinyl turning up in the most unlikely places, it’s certainly worth a look. Do you have any of these in your collection?

Oxford-born Du Pre was a child prodigy cellist - she began learning the instrument at the age of five. She made her concerto début in March 1962 at the Royal Festival Hall, performing the Elgar Cello Concerto which brought her global recognition.

Sadly, her career was cut short by multiple sclerosis, and she was forced to stop performing at the age of 27.

She was immortalised in a 1998 biopic,‘Hilary and Jackie’ starring Emily Watson.

October 4, 2007

The mayor of Daventry controversially quit his role as the town’s civic head after declaring how unhappy he was with the manner in which the town council had conducted its recent business. Alan Gauton’s shock departure as chairman of Daventry Town Council and mayor was announced at a full council meeting and brought another blow to the controversy-hit authority. Mr Gauton was particularly upset at what he perceived to be deliberate discrediting of the town clerk via the media. Dozens of councillors had quit over the course of the year, and five seats were empty at the time of the resignation.

October 1, 1992

A Church Stowe woman who claimed she was abducted by aliens in 1978 appeared on Jonathan Ross’ Fantastic Facts TV show. Elsie Oakensen, a former head at Daventry Teacher Centre, had been interviewed eight times over the years but said her latest was the best. Elsie, who is officially registered by the British UFO Research Association as an abductee, was travelling home one day, but it took her 15 minutes longer than usual, a time she cannot account for. She wrote a book detailing the incident as well as her grand-daughter Terry-Jayne’s encounter in 1988 where she saw two UFOs in Weedon.

October 7, 1977

Nearly 200 children from St James infants’ school took the fruits of their own harvest festival to their elders as part of a thanksgiving service. After a service from headmistress Phyllis Summers the children began distributing their gifts. First was a visit to Henry Smith House where they handed out 23 baskets of fruit and vegetables, one for each room. Danetre Hospital was also on the receiving end of the youngsters’ generosity as cartons each containing one type of vegetables were delivered – potatoes, carrots, cauliflowers, and the like – and ended their round at the homes of seven people who live alone.

The following people were sentenced at Northampton Magistrates’ Court:

AUGUST 9:

Shane Keeler, aged 47, of Lower Meadow Court, Northampton, intentionally exposed genitals; jailed for 20 weeks. Similar offence; jailed for 20 weeks consecutive. Damaged a custody cell by smearing excrement over the walls; jailed for four weeks concurrent.

AUGUST 11:

Conor Banyard, age 22, of Norfolk Street, Northampton, driving at 105mph in a 70mph zone; fined £300, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 21 days.

Ryan Wall, aged 21, of Hesketh Road, Yardley Gobion, driving without due care and attention; fined £94, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with four points.

David Ottaway, aged 41, of Nansen Close, Daventry, no insurance; fined £120, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, banned from driving for six months.

Ashley Degg, aged 25, of Stefan Hill, Daventry, driving without due care and attention; fined £360, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £36 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with five points.

David Garratt, aged 72, of Beech Grove, Northampton, driving without due care and attention; fined £125, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with five points.

Millicent Mlilo, aged 45, of Hedge End, Northampton, driving at 50mph in a 30mph zone; fined £440, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £44 and costs of £85, banned from driving for six months.

Gabriel O’Prea, aged 26, of Kingsthorpe Grove, Northampton, driving without due care and attention; fined £660, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £66 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with seven points.

Lee Venner, aged 37, of The Stour, Daventry, broke into a cmopany building and stole power tools and a television worth £5,100; jailed for 26 weeks, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £115, compensation of £5,100, cost of £85. Possession of cannabis; jailed for one week concurrent.

Daniel Jeyes, aged 32, of Talan Rise, Northampton, assault; jailed for eight weeks, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £115, compensation of £50, costs of £625. Driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £120. No insurance; fined £300, licence endorsed with eight points. Failed to surrender to custody; jailed for four weeks consecutive.

AUGUST 12:

Frankie Byrne, aged 64, of Lower Meadow Court, Northampton, breach a court order; pleaded guilty, sent to Northampton Crown Court for sentence.

AUGUST 14:

Dominic Kearsley, aged 26, of Woodside Avenue, Northampton, handling stolen goods; fined £266, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and compensation of £500 and costs of £85.

Ashley Shipley, aged 28, of Hartwell Road, Ashton, drunk and disorderly; conditional discharge for 12 months. Assault; fined £120, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30, compensation of £75 and costs of £85.

Lee Fowkes, aged 39, of Gloucester Crescent, Delapre, Northampton, resisted arrest; community order made, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £85 and costs of £85.

Armando Gjana, aged 19, of Northwood Road, Northampton, possession of criminal property, namely sunglasses, worth £1,750; ordered to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £85 and costs of £85.

Anthony Hamilton, aged 26, of Morning Star Road, Timken, Daventry, failed to provide a breath test; order made to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £85, banned from driving for 12 months.

Teresa Mossakpwska, aged 38, of Adnitt Road, Northampton, failed to notify authorities of changes to housing benefit; conditional discharge for 12 months, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £20 and costs of £100.

Marc Sawer, aged 44, of Bridge Meadow Way, Grange Park, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 61mcgs of aclohol in 100mls of breath; fined £700, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £70 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 17 months.

Craig Alexander-Smith, aged 26, of Merrydale Square, Northampton, failed to provide a breath test; community order made to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £85 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 36 months.

Patricia Pittam, aged 63, of Highfield Road, Headlands, Daventry, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 43mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; fined £150, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, banned from driving for 36 months.

AUGUST 15:

Terry Dale, aged 58, of Port Road, Northampton, driving at 51mph in a 30mph zone; fined £293, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Damean Dragos, aged 25, of St James Park Road, Northampton, no insurance; fined £660, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £66 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Deborah Dunkley, aged 37, of Brafield Road, Cogenhoe, driving while using a mobile phone; fined £162. No insurance; fined £487, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £48 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Laimonas Endrekus, aged 18, of Monmouth Road, Northampton, no insurance; fined £660, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £66 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points. Driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £220. No test certificate; fined £220.

Dan Fieraru, aged 25, of Tavistock Close, Northampton, driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £100, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with three points.

Ian Fogarty, aged 47, of Wordsworth Road, Headlands, Daventry, no test certificate; fiend £220, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85.

Cristian Golishows, of Poole Street, Northampton, driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £220. Failed to produce a licence; fined £220. No insurance; fined £660, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £66 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Grant Harding, aged 25, of High Street, Kingsthorpe, Northampton, driving at 41mph in a 30mph zone; fined £440, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £44 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with four points.

Catherine Jarvis, aged 46, of Glassthorpe Lane, Harpole, driving at 51mph in a 40mph zone; fined £83, ordered to

pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with three points.

Gintas Karalevicius, aged 30, of Knights Lane, Northampton, rear light not working; fined £220, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85.

Kevin Keeber, aged 31, of Collingwood Road, Northampton, failed to give information relating to the identity of a driver; fined £660, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £66 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Daniel King, aged 41, of Rothersthorpe Road, Northampton, driving at 59mph in a 50mph zone; fined £220, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with three points.

Lorraine Knight, aged 49, of Pritchard Close, Northampton, not wearing a seatbelt; fined £220, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85.

Julia Kuzmina, aged 23, of Kingsthorpe Grove, Northampton, no insurance; fined £660, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £66 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Constantin Lazar, aged 25, of St Leonard’s Road, Northampton, no insurance; fined £660, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £66 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Dean Mandefield, aged 53, of Oriel Road, Stefen Hill, Daventry, no insurance; fined £660, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £66 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points. No test certificate; fined £220.

Shaun Meakins, aged 26, of Acre Lane, Northampton, driving at 45mph in a 30mph zone; fined £440, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £44 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with five points.

Andrian Moisei, aged 30, of Broadmead Avenue, Northampton, failed to produce a licence; fined £200. Driving not in accordance with a licence; fined £220. No insurance; fined £660, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £66 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Stanimir Nakov, aged 25, of Ivy Road, Northampton, no insurance; fined £660, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £66 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Florin Pandeli, aged 26, of Beech Avenue, Northampton, no insurance; fined £660, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £66 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points. No test certificate; fined £220.

Ashleigh Rodgers, aged 24, of Penfold Lane, Great Billing, Northampton, driving at 36mph in a 30mph zone; fined £79, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with three points. Driving at 54mph in a 30mph zone; fined £158, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £30 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Ionut Rusu, aged 35, of Miles Well Court, Northampton, driving at 51mph in a 30mph zone; fined £400, ordered to pay a surcharge to victim services of £40 and costs of £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Asda have recalled a range of baby food from supermarket shelves following the discovery of a piece of plastic in a kids’ ready meal.

The removal from shelves of the beef and sweet potato stew, from its Little Angels range, comes just a few days after Waitrose urgently recalled four of its luxury chocolate bars over fears they may have also contained plastic.

The supermarket giant has asked customers to return any meals which have a best-before date of September 10, 2018.

Shoppers can obtain a full refund for the £1.35 item cost. A receipt is not required.

A spokesperson for Asda said: “We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused. If you would like any further information please contact 0800 952 0101.

Young people have always explored their sexuality and shared these experiences with others.

By Raymond Arthur, Northumbria University

This article originally appeared in The Conversation

Last year a report from the NSPCC showed that one in seven (approximately 14%) young people in the UK have taken a naked or semi-naked picture of themselves. A lot of these young people will then go on to share these images with someone they know.

These figures, suggest that sharing self-generated sexual images has become just another way for young people to express their sexual selves. It’s all part of growing up – sexting is just a different approach to more traditional forms of sexual self expression.

But, for some young people, sexting can lead to criminal prosecution along with classification as a sex offender. This is because sending a naked image of yourself in a text, or on social media, when you’re below the age of 18 is technically illegal. The law doesn’t make any exception for young people creating, possessing or sharing such material themselves. It counts as an offence of distributing an indecent image of a child and meets the legal definition of child pornography.

Recent figures from Scotland on the issue show that the number of children reported to prosecutors for sexual offences has risen by 21% in four years – with sexting being one of the main reasons for the increase. And this year alone, across the UK the police have investigated thousands of children for sexting including a five-year-old boy in County Durham, and a 10-year-old boy who was cautioned by Northumbria Police.

Sexual offences

A stark illustration of how cruel the criminal law has become in this regard is illustrated by the example of 12 year old girl in the south of England who was being groomed online by a paedophile. The girl was pressured to send him topless photos. The paedophile cannot be found as he was using an anonymous Instagram account. But the police have told the girl that she may face criminal charges and a criminal record for creating and sharing explicit images of a child despite the fact she has been the victim of grooming.

In this way, the very laws which were intended to protect children from abuse and exploitation are now being used to punish children. So, although it is of course critical to have social and legal regulations to protect children from harm and exploitation, criminalising consensual sexting among young people loses sight of children’s best interests.

Even if no formal action is taken by the police, any investigation will be recorded on the young person’s criminal record – which may well be disclosed at a later date. This could then affect future access to education, employment, travel and housing – among a whole host of other things.

Self expression

All of these reports of increases in sexual offences among children have been accompanied by a cry for better sex education on both the laws on sexual behaviour, but also on topics like sexting and pornography. On top of this, what is actually needed is a greater understanding of young people’s lives and experiences.

For now at least, sexting is here to stay. So rather than demonising and criminalising children’s behaviour – which forms a natural part of self expression – the law needs to be updated. Because technically even though the age of consent is 16, the age for distributing indecent images is 18. So although 17 year-olds can legally have sex, they cannot legally send a naked image

It is clear then that consensual youth sexting should be treated as a separate and distinct behaviour from child pornography. Young people should not be categorised as “producers” and “distributors” of their own pornography. Instead, young people should be free to express their sexual selves as they desire.

A window manufacturer has issued a warning over a range of its products which may be prone to spontaneously shattering

The Velux windows, containing a specific type of small pane and sold between 1997 and 2003, have been found to have the potential to unexpectedly break, with the possibility of glass fragments falling.

Cold temperature is a known factor in increasing the risk of breakage and affected customers are advised to avoid opening their window if the weather is unusually cold.

Customers who have experienced a pane breakage or are concerned that they have a window that may be affected by the product warning are asked to contact Velux immediately with the approximate size and age of the window.

The windows which could potentially affected are 39 cm (15.5 in) or less wide. Anyone having a window of this size should follow the instructions at http://velux-pw.velux.co.uk/ and once they have obtained the window’s pane code, call 0800 980 7030 or fill in the contact form (http://www.velux.co.uk/help-and-advice/product-pane-warning), where service provider Glassolutions will deal with the query.

Glazing that is subject to this product warning will be replaced free of charge regardless of the product being out with the 10 year guarantee period.

A motorcyclist was killed in a collision with a car at the weekend.

The 26-year-old rider was on a Yamaha motorbike travelling from the direction of Sibbertoft when he was in collision with a Mini, travelling from Market Harborough, at the crossroads of Naseby Road and Longhold Road in Clipston.

The motorcyclist died at the scene and the Mini driver suffered minor injuries and was taken to Kettering General Hospital for treatment.

The collision occurred shortly after 1.30pm on Saturday (October 7).

Anyone with information or who witnessed this incident is asked to call the Drivewatch Hotline on 0800 174615.

Speaking at the event, regional education director Andrew Mackereth described the day as very emotional after seven months of hard work to complete the takeover of the building.

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He said: "This has been a massive team effort and yes there are a few star names that I’ve named today but actually it's been a huge team effort.

"There are students that have joined us in the sixth form that have carried chairs, carried boxes, done their bit to make this work.

"It has been an example of what true community can look like and I think we need to be inspired by that."

Among those to contribute towards getting the building ready in time for the start of term was Parker pupil Cory Flynn who spent hours of his summer holidays painting the building.

One member of staff - who is a keen climber - even offered to abseil down the outside of the building to remove the UTC lettering himself after the school were quoted £3,000 to get the job done by a contractor.

The former UTC building has been repurposed and now accommodates kitchen facilities for cookery classes, a library, workshops for engineering students, a textile work classroom, an art space free for sixth form use next to a shared art studio for use as a classroom for both adults and pupils.

Sixth formers also have their own segregated area within the building, and there’s even a yoga room to help with wellbeing, an idea put forward by headteacher Jenny Gatley.

Charities and community groups in Daventry are urged to sign up to a scheme that lets them collect surplus food from their local Tesco store.

The food is free, and will include fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables, bakery products and chilled food like meat, cheese and ready meals.

Since launching in February 2016, the initiative, Community Food Connection, has helped provide 11 million meals to over 5,800 charities and community groups, whose service users might otherwise go hungry. In Daventry 6,410 meals have been donated and have already benefited local charities. Tesco has stated its commitment to ensure no food fit for human consumption will go to waste from their UK retail operations by the end of 2017.

Rob Lane, store director for Daventry, said: “We’re so proud to already support local charities and community groups through Community Food Connection from our larger stores in Daventry and to be able to extend that support to our convenience stores is fantastic.

“We are looking forward to forging more strong links with local charities and community groups in Daventry, and supporting their efforts to help more vulnerable people in our community.”

If you are a charity or community group that could benefit from the scheme, visit www.fareshare.org.uk/fareshare-foodcloud

Mr Barton, who was recognised for his 50 years of service to the beautiful game by Northamptonshire Football Association in May, sadly passed away last month.

In July a charity tribute match was organised by his friends Terry O'Neill and Marcus Thorneycroft, and the money raised has been donated to two charities who played a part in caring for Mr Barton: the British Lung Foundation and Danetre Hospital.

A cheque of £2,700 was presented to Friends of Danetre on Saturday afternoon, while another for the same amount will be given to the British Lung Foundation this week.

A spokesperson for the Friends of Danetre Hospital group said on Facebook: "We can sincerely say that, without the tremendous effort that people like this, and other donors provide to our cause, we would not be able to provide all the extra equipment and facilities that benefit the patients and staff at Danetre."

Mr Barton, born in London, first moved to Northamptonshire in 1966. Six years later he moved to Daventry where he founded Tamar Youth – which would later become Drayton Grange FC – and his involvement with the youth club is perhaps what he’s best known for.

Also on the list of Mr Barton’s achievements is the creation of the Daventry & District Sunday Football League in 1975, along with Ken Wilson, which at one point boasted four divisions.

Mr Barton, a lifelong Chelsea fan, was able to attend the July charity match at Daventry Town Football Club in his honour in spite of his poor health. There he met former Blues striker Kerry Dixon, who was invited down by Terry.

Speaking ahead of the game, Terry said: "A lot of people that have come into contact with Ken and who have played for Drayton Grange, and also been part of Daventry Sunday League have a lot of respect for him.

“We thought it was a fitting tribute to the man himself because he brought football to Daventry, in many ways."

The writer of Max’s Magical Dream book delivered an assembly to Falconer's Hill Academy students, discussing how she had worked hard to get to where she is today.

She also introduced the children to the inspiration behind her stories, including a toy dragon that features in each of her books.

Pupils in Years 5 and 6 then took part in workshops with Gillian, where they were given the opportunity to plan and write their own stories using mysterious objects as inspiration.

Paige Smith, a Year 6 pupil at Falconer’s Hill Academy, said: “I thought it was a really valuable experience because I received some great feedback about my writing, which has helped me to improve my skills.”

During her visit, Gillian discussed how she had found reading and writing very challenging when she was younger. However, with strong perseverance and determination, she succeeded in later years to reach her dream of becoming an author.

Gillian also carried out a book signing for children at the end of her visit.

Rose Petruso, deputy headteacher and English lead at Falconer’s Hill Academy, said: “The day was a fantastic opportunity for our pupils.

“It was lovely for children to have the opportunity to meet a published author and ask questions about what it entails. It was clear that many were inspired by her visit.”

Matthew Reetz, executive headteacher at Falconer’s Hill Academy, said: “Gillian was able to provide a whole host of tips and advice about creative writing that will undoubtedly help the pupils in their English lessons.”