The incident happened at about 1.10pm on Tuesday, February 13 when a black Vauxhall Corsa was travelling south on the A428 from Crick towards Long Buckby.

For reasons unknown, the vehicle left the road at the nearside and collided with a tree.

Sadly, a 77-year-old woman died at the scene.

Businesses in Daventry have been invited to join a new forum which will focus on health, safety and well-being in the workplace.

The first Daventry Health and Safety Forum will include advice on transport and load safety, behavioural safety and the logistics of managing safety procedures.

Hosted by health and safety inspectors from Daventry District Council, the event takes place at the Henry Ford Academy in Royal Oak Way on Wednesday, March 7, from 9am to 12.30pm.

There will be information about workplace well-being from public health specialists from Northamptonshire County Council, plus opportunities to network and share best practice with other local businesses.

The event is open to all directors, managers and staff from businesses in Daventry who have an interest in or a responsibility for health and safety.

The new forum follows on from the success of a similar scheme run by the council at the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT) for more than 10 years.

Cllr Richard Auger, health and housing portfolio holder at Daventry District Council, said: “We want businesses to be a safe place for employees and visitors, and the council works in partnership with local firms to try to ensure that accidents are prevented wherever possible.

“Our health, safety and wellbeing events at DIRFT have proven very useful for the companies involved, providing a forum for learning and discussion as well as an opportunity to get together and share examples of best practice.

“We are keen to replicate that success in Daventry, so I would urge local businesses to please join us on March 7 so we can work together to ensure premises in the town are as safe as possible for everyone.”

Anyone wishing to join the forum must contact dhillier@daventrydc.gov.uk or sjohnson@daventrydc.gov.uk or call 01327 871100.

A Freedom of Information request asked Northamptonshire Police to provide information on crimes committed in the county by under-11s between 2012 and 2017.

In 2017 there were seven instances of children committing sex crimes, compared to two in 2016, four in 2015, none in 2013 and one in 2012. A total of 18 sex crimes were recorded.

Among the most shocking crimes committed were the rape of a boy aged over 16 by an 11-year-old, two separate instances of the rape of a boy under 13 by eight-year-old children in 2014 and 2017, and the rape of a girl under 13 by an 11-year-old in 2015. The data did not reveal the gender of the offending child.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Peer on peer sexual abuse is a significant child protection issue that needs to continue to be addressed - not least through fit for purpose sex and relationship education starting at all primary schools.

“Children must be taught about sexuality, consent, risks and protection in an age-appropriate way to help them make healthy relationship decisions, learn how to treat others and how to know when something is not right.

"The criminal justice system must also support children who have committed offences to change their behaviour while holding young people increasingly accountable for their actions as they mature.

“If you’re concerned that a child is displaying harmful sexual behaviour our specially trained helpline practitioners can help on 0808 800 5000.”

The data also included an eight-year-old committing an act of "exposure or voyeurism".

The remaining 13 crimes recorded were:
- a sex assault on a girl under 13 (three instances)
- a sex assault on a male over 13 (three instances)
- a sex assault on a male under 13 (one instance)
- sexual activity involving a child under 13 (6 instances)

The youngest recorded offenders were four and five, with both guilty if committing sexual assault on under 13 boys.

The average age of the children fell from 10 in 2012, 9.25 in 2014 and 2015, and 7.5 in 2016, to seven in 2017.

A spokesperson for Northamptonshire Police said: “The safety and protection of children is a high priority for the force and the circumstances of all reported incidents are fully investigated.

“We work closely with partner agencies, including schools, social services and the Youth Offending Service, in a bid to divert young people away from offending behaviour and to ensure appropriate safeguarding measures are put in place where necessary.”

When Margaret Betts and Jane Nichols put on a brass concert in 2006, little did they know they’d be where they are today.

They hoped their 25-strong all-female band, named Boobs and Brass, would raise £500 for charity – but they raised 10 times that.

Now, 12 years and £229,000 in fundraising later, they are calling it a day.

Cornet player Margaret, 63, said: “We’ve got 700 girls involved but there’s only four of us who run the band and that’s been a decision that we made at the beginning.

“It is a lot of hard work and we’re all getting older and we wanted to go out on a high.

“We didn’t want it to run until it became something like a little tinpot band.

“We’re very sad that it’s ending but we’re trying to focus on the positives, on what we’ve achieved and what we’ve done and how much money we’ve raised.”

Since starting out the charity has grown into three bands – one in the Midlands, one in the south east and one in Chesterfield.

Between them, they’ve performed at nearly 100 concerts.

Margaret looked back fondly at one of her happiest memories, the first time they took Boobs and Brass to the Whit Friday Marches in Saddleworth.

It was a historic occasion as they were the first women’s band to perform there in 140 years, and they were made to feel like film stars.

But as much fun as they have had, there has always been a serious element to the work they do.

Most of the money the band has raised has gone to charity Breast Cancer Now, funding 10 specific research projects in the process.

Margaret said: “We know exactly where the money is going and we know that every penny we’ve raised has gone to that project.

“We’ve funded projects at Leicester University, Dundee, Nottingham, throughout the country.

“Even if at the end of that project it isn’t beneficial to breast cancer it’s fed into an information bank and scientists and doctors can access that.

“By 2050 breast cancer will be a manageable disease like diabetes and it’s so important that people continue to support them in raising money to research this horrible disease.”

Margaret said she had been touched by the support the charity had received in the past 12 years.

She added: “Fortunately, I haven’t experienced breast cancer but we’ve come across so many people who have.

“We’ve had about 25 girls who play in the band who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

“Even when they’re suffering they’ve come to Boobs and Brass wearing headscarves in the middle of their treatment and they say it’s helped them to have something to focus on.

“People come and talk to us about their experiences and it makes you realise how many people do actually get breast cancer.

“We feel that, while we’re doing something we really enjoy, we’ve been able to play a small part in giving the researchers some money to find a cure.”

The charity may be disbanding, but they’re not going out without a bang.

Their big aim is to hit the £250,000 mark before the end of the year and they’re holding several events and concerts to reach the target.

On March 24 they’ll be performing at Huddersfield Town Hall with the world-famous Brighouse and Rastrick Band.

They’ll then be performing at Lincoln Cathedral on October 13.

And next year they’ll round off their work with a final performance at Butlins in Skegness as a goodbye from the brass band world.

They may not be the best band in the world but as long as they’ve put a smile on people’s faces, Margaret is happy.

She said: “It’s not about being the best, it’s about being part of the concept.

“Some of the girls aren’t good players, but they’ve been able to be part of something fantastic.

“It gives them the opportunity to be part of it and play what they can.

“We’ve always aimed to entertain.”

To find out more about the charity or to donate, click here.

An opposition councillor on Northamptonshire County Council has written to seven county MPs about the local authority’s PFI contracts.

Cllr Mick Scrimshaw (Lab) has urged the Tory MPs to back an amendment in Parliament later this month about charging a windfall tax.

Cllr Scrimshaw said: “The recent financial problems at the county council have highlighted several issuers regarding their finances.

“One of which is the long term commitments to expensive payments for PFI contracts.

“I have no intention of starting a debate about whether these contracts were a good thing or which political party holds the most responsibility because the truth is whatever the rights or wrongs, these expensive contracts are crippling local councils and other public sector bodies.

“Only last month the National Audit Office issued a report saying these contracts were upwards of 40 per cent more expensive than other funding mechanisms.

“One of the difficulties for councils has been trying to get the PFI companies to renegotiate these deals so either they can get out of them completely or at least renegotiate better terms and conditions.

“The companies understandably do not want to discuss themselves getting a worse financial deal.

“To that end there is an amendment to be discussed in Parliament on February 21 to a government finance bill being promoted by Stella Creasey MP about charging a windfall tax on the excessive profits of these companies.”

Cllr Scrimshaw said backing the amendment could have a ‘massive’ beneficial impact on Northamptonshire.

His letter added: “The motivation for this is for it to act as an incentive to get the PFI companies to the negotiating table so perhaps a more effective way forward can be found.

“I would urge you all to support this amendment.

“If you are a serious about the need for more money for our local public services, this one act alone could have a massive beneficial impact in Northamptonshire and has the potential to free up millions of pounds that could then be used to provide local services and help get the county council out of the hole it has dug itself into.”

Police are appealing for the public’s help to locate a missing Shanice Clayton of Northamptonshire.

Shanice Clayton, 22, has been missing from the Daventry area since Tuesday, February 6 and officers are growing concerned for her welfare, the county force today revealed.

They are urging her to make contact to let them know she is safe and well.

Shanice, or anyone with information as to her whereabouts, is asked to call Northamptonshire Police on 101.

The warning comes in chief finance officer Mark McLaughlin's no-holds-barred comment on councillors' final budget plans.

He said if a buyer for the new £52 million building were not to be found and the deal not pushed this financial year "rapid and difficult reductions in non-statutory services would be unavoidable."

Mr McLaughlin added that even if the sale took place and the price could not bridge the gap in funds "the only recourse at that point will be the elimination of non-statutory spending and this would almost certainly involve, again, a further set of difficult decisions."

The chief financial officer - who made the national news two weeks ago with his decision to halt all new council spending - said further sales of county council assets will be needed but stressed this was not a sustainable approach and needs to be married to "iron discipline in decision making and delivery". Mr McLaughlin said the softening of some of the original plans, as reported by the Chron last week, are not in line with that policy.

Stressing the need to be "realistic", he said financial discipline must be led by councillors and "this should begin with the acceptance of the maximum number of realistic savings options, including those which have proved controversial or unpopular during the consultation process during the draft budget."

Mr McLaughlin continued: "Reversing the consulted-upon savings options on libraries, bus subsidies and trading standards to the value of £1.56m as proposed in this budget may not be sustainable even in the short term."

He said that senior councillors had for years set budgets that were unrealistic and led to them falling further and further behind in their quest to balance the books.

Elsewhere in the report - which goes before full council on Thursday, February 22 - the financial officer says the council cannot rest all hopes on a ministers coming up with some "new system of council funding", pointing out that "similar promises have been made and broken in the past".

Financial salvation is most likely to be found in creating one or more unitary councils in an effort to save money, Mr McLaughlin said, which district and borough councils have been reluctant to consider as it would lead to their abolition.

He said: "Achieving this will require leadership,partnership and a focus on the needs of the residents of the county and the suppression of the vested producer interests, including those of local Government members and officers."

Shanice Clayton, 22, of Daventry last night (February 15) made contact with officers after being declared missing since February 6.

Supporters of Northamptonshire libraries are still fighting against plans to 'savagely' axe library services and facilities countywide.

The controversial proposals, which were open to public consultation last year, included options to close all of Northamptonshire's small libraries and make almost half of its trading standards staff redundant.

The council intends to introduce a "community-managed library model" where they hand over the responsibility of smaller libraries to unpaid local volunteers.

They will provide financial support to the libraries during 2018/19 as a "transition year" and pay a year of rent (but not gas, water or electric bills) from April 2019/20. After that, they will belong to the community.

Library supporters say they believe the library review process was and continues to be 'flawed'.

Option 4 supporters claim they suspected that the decision to opt for Option 1 was predetermined, and describe the decision to go ahead with it as 'concerning'.

Graham Croucher, spokesperson for Option 4 and 'Friends' groups said: “A massive public response was overwhelmingly against library closures and community-run libraries. Our campaign has forced NCC into a delay, though nothing has changed in that NCC still wish to offload libraries, but now we recognise that their process was flawed and had no chance of success in the short term.

"The sad reality is that no amount of delay will enable tiny community groups to become viable and sustainable businesses. Libraries have never been good business models and never will be, they are a statutory public service.

"Those parish councils which are opting to step in to rescue their libraries are now proposing a rise in precepts. In this crazy proposal, taxpayers will find themselves paying twice for a service that was the model of efficiency but will become a shadow of its former self. This is a sad indictment of a county council that shows no remorse nor accountability but chooses instead to play casino politics with people’s lives. We will continue our campaign to protect our libraries and give them a real sustainable future for all that wish or need to use them.”

The group remains opposed to the idea of community-run libraries as they will provide 'no sustainability'.

The spokesman adds: "Not one expert, councillor nor MP can identify to us where we can procure sustainable funding or a sustainable supply of community volunteers to do the job of paid professional library staff and provide the networked safe haven of provision we enjoy now."

In the meantime, library supporters are continuing to make their concerns heard to their local councillors by urging them that the public want no major reduction in the library service.

But a spokesman for Northamptonshire County Council said: “Following extensive consultation Northamptonshire County Council’s cabinet discussed revised proposals for the library service at its meeting on Tuesday this week. These revised proposals will now be discussed by full council at its meeting to set the county’s budget.

“The financial position facing the county means difficult decisions have to be considered as the council continues to look at ways to balance its plummeting income from Government with the ever-increasing demands and costs of children’s and adults social care.”

The incident is ongoing between the A413 near Whittlebury and the A5 due to a multi-vehicle collision.

All emergency vehicles, including Northamptonshire Police, are on scene.

A spokeswoman for Northamptonshire Police said the county forcewas called at 12.17pm to reports of a two-vehicle road traffic collision involving an Audi and a Ford Fiesta.

She said: "It happened on the A43 northbound between the McDonalds roundabout and the VW roundabout.

"We don’t believe there were any life-changing or life-threatening injuries."

One lane on the Southbound carriageway is also closed.

A crackdown on dog fouling which has seen volunteers spray-painting dog mess with orange paint has been hailed a success.

As part of Daventry District Council’s Paint Means Poo initiative, volunteers visit their local dog fouling hotspots every week over a six-week period, spraying any mess they find and recording the results.

Thirty-four communities across the district took part in September and October last year. The 28 who returned their results recorded a 51 per cent reduction in the amount of dog fouling found, from a total of 288 in the first week to 140 in week six.

It is the second year running the scheme has seen positive results – incidents of dog fouling fell from 343 to 157 across the 24 areas that took part in the same period in 2016.

The latest campaign was supported by the Canal and River Trust, which helped to promote the campaign on towpaths, and Daventry’s Pets at Home store, which ran a free poo bag giveaway.

Stickers reminding dog owners that they can put poo bags in normal litter bins – not just the dedicated dog waste bins - were produced during the campaign and will now be made available to parishes district-wide after proving successful.

The campaign also allowed the council to identify a number of hotspot areas which can now be targeted for patrols by its dog wardens.

Councillor Richard Auger, the council’s health and housing portfolio holder, said: “We would like to thank everyone who put time and effort into supporting this initiative, which has delivered another positive set of results.

“As well as reducing the problem, volunteer initiatives such as this help reinforce the message to irresponsible dog owners that failing to clear up after your dog is antisocial and unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our communities.”

People are being offered the chance to camp out in an unusual place in the lost village of Wolfhamcote.

Champing is the unique concept of camping overnight in historical churches, introduced by the Churches Conservation Trust.

One of the new sites for 2018 is at the stunning mediaeval St Peter’s Church.

This hauntingly beautiful church is the sole survivor of the lost village, which is said to have disappeared after it was decimated by plague.

It has since become known as ‘The church that refused to die’.

The remains of the village are now only evident as humps and bumps in surrounding fields. The interior of St Peter’s is serene, with whitewashed walls, a lofty beamed roof and medieval pews which are rare survivals.

Peter Aiers, chief executive for The Churches Conservation Trust said: “This is our biggest Champing year ever.

“We are really excited to be presenting 27 venues including 16 new unique and beautiful churches to stay in.

“We have a nationwide spread of Champing venues from Dartmoor to the Yorkshire Dales, a small getaway near to Stonehenge to the marvels of the roman city of Wroxeter.”

Bookings can be made at www.champing.co.uk

The UK’s top ABBA tribute band will take to the stage at Crick Boat Show.

ABBA Revival are part of a host of entertainment planned at Britain’s biggest inland waterways event from May 26-28.

The will take to the stage at Crick Boat Show on the Sunday night.

The 2018 Crick Boat Show, which takes place at Crick Marina, is organised by Waterways World in partnership with the Canal & River Trust and Crick Marina, and is expected to attract over 26,000 visitors across the three show days.

As well as being the canal world’s biggest marketplace, showcasing the inland waterways industry with 300 exhibitors, the Show offers a fantastic day out for all the family with dozens of boats to look round, free boat trips, live music, children’s activities, a real ale marquee, and a large variety of food and drink stalls.

ABBA Revival are set to deliver a high-energy stage show that includes faithful choreography, authentic costumes and accurate renditions of the Swedish group’s numerous hit records, including ‘Waterloo’, ‘Dancing Queen’ and ‘Mamma Mia’.

Peter Johns, publisher of Waterways World and show director, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming visitors to our 2018 Crick Boat Show, the UK’s largest inland waterways festival.

“Whether people are boating enthusiasts wanting to buy boating products and services, or just looking for a great family day out by the water, there’s lots to see and do at Crick Boat Show.

“Live music is an important part of the show’s atmosphere, and as well as ABBA Revival, ‘Dizzy Lizzy’, the Thin Lizzy tribute act will headline on the Saturday night.”

Visit www.facebook.com/CrickBoatShow/ for more information

This 10-year-old former racehorse wreaked havoc in Daventry after straying from its field in Staverton and embarking on a four-mile dash which ended in the town’s Market Square.

Pimple the horse, a regular winner of the Daventry Express’ ladies-only run from Rugby to Daventry, is thought to have escaped because somebody forgot to close his gate after walking across his field in January 1970.

After getting out of its field, Pimple became upset by the traffic on the road and made his way towards Daventry.

Car after car added to his terror but Jim Denise, pictured, intervened and made a grab for Pimple, but the horse flung him into the nearest ditch.

Not to be outdone, Mr Denise flagged down a motorist and gave chase.

Pimple careered on his way, putting fear into drivers who were forced to swerve out of the way. He crossed the A45 along Warwick Street and through the busy traffic on Daventry’s High Street.

Mr Denise caught up with Pimple on the Market Square and hung on to him, before leading him to the Abbey School playing field.

There, PC Tony Blackwell (inset) took over and stayed with the horse until transport arrived.

A housing group’s communications team is up for a national PR award thanks to its creative campaign about data protection laws.

The team at Futures Housing Group in Daventry has been shortlisted for Best Use of Creativity and Best Use of Content in the PR Moment Awards.

The team was shortlisted for its campaign to raise awareness of new data protection laws to its 280 staff members.

They used a film noir-inspired, multi-media campaign, ‘The Hunt for the Infomaniac – cracking the case on GDPR’, to add life into a potentially dry subject.

Mike Underwood, head of communications at Futures, said: “I’m really proud to work as part of such a creative team. We developed the concept, wrote the screenplays, acted, sourced props and engaged our entire company to make sure we sent a clear message and told a clear story about the importance of keeping data safe for our customers, staff and stakeholders.”

The campaign was designed to inform staff about changes to data protection laws in advance of General Data Protection Regulations coming into force in May.

It followed the tale of a fictional detective as he worked to thwart a data thief from accessing personal and sensitive information from inside Futures.

The campaign resulted in 82 per cent of staff feeling confident in what to do if they suspect a data breach.

Pizza and pasta restaurant Prezzo has launched two exciting black pizza options made with a charcoal dough base.

The new black pizzas, which were launched earlier this week, promise a taste sensation as they celebrate the UK’s love of pizza whilst tapping into the growing international trend of charcoal-infused foods.

The exclusive black pizzas, priced at £10.95, come in two new and exclusive variants: Etna pizza – with a garlic chilli and tomato base, topped with calabrese sausage, pepperoni, roquito chilli pearls, rocket and mozzarella; and Monte Bianco – with a béchamel sauce base, topped with fresh mozzarella, truffle infused oil and rocket.

The dough is made with activated charcoal and is totally safe to eat.

Marie Neocleous, Prezzo brand manager says: “The launch of the black pizza is a really bold move for Prezzo. The trend of black and charcoal food is huge internationally and we want to bring this dramatic option to the UK and our customers, first.

“Our chefs have created two delicious recipes to bring out the very best flavours from the charcoal dough with our delicious toppings.

“Many of our regulars embrace our new menu options and enjoy trying new offerings but we also see the black pizza resonating with younger foodies, who are looking for innovative and inspirational food trends.

“Eating out and eating good food has become a multi-sensory experience as the trend for taking pictures and sharing them on social media has become the norm.

“Consumers now want an experience that encapsulates taste, sight and texture - which is exactly what we are offering with the new black pizza.

“We can’t wait to start serving these in our restaurants”.

Prezzo’s new range of black pizzas will be available at all of its restaurants nationwide.

The news that hundreds of Poundland stores throughout the UK are selling refurbished second-hand video games for just £5 will be welcomed nostalgically by any gamer of a certain age.

Because while it is often easy to forget, there was a time when even the biggest new video games could be picked up for just a few coins.

In the late ’80s and early ’90s, when I was barely tall enough to reach some shop counters and had just £1 a week pocket money, I used to go with my parents to an independent electronics shop in Keighley in Yorkshire on a Saturday morning.

What lurked inside was wondrous. I would scour the overflowing shelves in a certain corner of the store, where an array of colourfully illustrated cassette tapes (yes, tapes!) lay waiting to be discovered.

For just a few pounds (usually as little as £1.99 or £2.99, rarely more than £4.99), I could pick up games with which to feed my creaky ZX Spectrum.

Back home, I knew, I would stare transfixed at the hypnotic, buzzing, screeching loading screens for what seemed like an age; braving the minutes of static in the certain knowledge that what would be waiting on the other side might, just might, be exciting, colourful and fiendishly challenging to master.

There were classics like Treasure Island Dizzy, and R-Type. There were also games whose names and memories are lost to the depths of time, that probably had a limited run of just a few hundred copies, and occasionally failed to even load properly.

In many ways, this was a hallowed time for gaming.

When bedroom programmers and small teams of developers would lovingly craft experiences that were as much for themselves as the waiting audience.

When the cost of production and distribution was cheap. And so were the games.

The dawn of the PlayStation

From the early-to-mid-90s, however, there was a colossal pricing shift with the rise of the bona fide gaming consoles.

The SNES.

The Mega Drive. And of course, at the end of 1994, the dawn of the Sony PlayStation. During this time, it soon became common for new games in the UK to hit the market priced at £40 or even £50.

The shift was such that the ‘Platinum’ range on the original PlayStation, where brand new discs of popular, best-selling titles could be picked-up for £20 apiece, felt like a genuine bargain.

Within the space of several years, I went from picking out new games for just a few coins most weekends, to attaining a new one only on birthdays, Christmas or after I’d saved up for months on end.

Of course, there’s a reason why games became so much more expensive during this time. They surged in production values, graphics and scale. 3D became a reality.

And developers needed far more hands on deck for longer stretches of time – as well as access to more expensive technology.

Soon designing games began taking teams of dozens. Then hundreds. They began to cost many millions to make – and the cost was invariably passed on to the consumer.

A price drop to come?

Today, there is an ongoing row over the price of new video games on the market, when £50 or more is routine, and yet companies also charge for additional downloadable content and extras. This has led games critic Jim Sterling to publicly challenge the accepted pricing model of new video games only this week.

They may be spectacular. But modern games like Zelda: Breath Of The Wild cost around £50 at launch.

Of course, there are still video games that can be picked up cheaply these days. Indie games – which have produced some of recent years’ most spectacular experiences – are often priced much more modestly than their more mainstream counterparts, even at release.

And online there is a thriving community of entirely free ‘flash’ games, among other wonders.

But it’s a long time since brand new, major video games releases were so widely affordable.

Especially to kids. While the graphics, scope and possibilities of games have moved on to an almost unfathomable degree since then, and the ambition of many modern creations is simply staggering, the child in me still likes the idea of going into a shop with nothing more than pocket change, and walking home with a plastic carrier bag full of new virtual worlds to discover.

Having spent decades away from British sitcoms, veteran comedy performer John Cleese is returning to television for a starring role in new retirement comedy, Hold the Sunset.

Cleese’s last major work on a British sitcom was back in 1979, when he wrote and starred in the second series of Fawlty Towers.

He’s mellowed out in the 40 years since then, and it’s the softer, ‘sunset years’ of life that Hold the Sunset is based around.

The set-up is simple. Seventy-somethings Edith (Alison Steadman) and her neighbour Phil (Cleese) live a simple life. She’s been a widow for some years, but her children drop round regularly, and daily visits from old boyfriend Phil make each day a pleasant one. P

hil has ambitions of marrying Edith, whisking her away and emigrating to sunnier climes together; but she’s been turning down his offers for months.

She eventually agrees to a rekindling of their romance, but shortly after saying “yes” to Phil, there’s a knock at the door.

It’s her 50-year old son Roger (Jason Watkins), with an announcement that he’s left his wife and kids, as well as his stable job at the bank. He’s here for a soft reboot on his life, and to find his lost happiness – for Phil and Edith, plans are put on hold.

The show – which will air on Sunday evenings – features a central cast with an average age of 67. And it’s a far cry from the kind of highly-strung, madcap physical comedy you’ll remember from Cleese’s iconic Basil Fawlty character.

But if there’s one actor capable of delivering mocking lines towards people he despises through gritted teeth, it’s John Cleese.

The series – which will run for six half-hour episodes – has worryingly been described by Radio Times as starting “terribly”.

But stick with it perhaps: “once it gets going, there’s a good premise”.

With Oscar-nominated writer Charles McKeown penning the scripts – he co-wrote the screenplays for fellow Python Terry Gilliam’s films Brazil and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus – this sleepy-sounding twilight comedy could be a surprise hit.

Though whether it will be as abstract and surreal as those films, remains to be seen.

Hold the Sunset begins on BBC1 tonight (Sunday, February 18), at 7.30pm

Facebook might have 2.2 billion users but we can’t all be friends.

Being blocked from a virtual friendship isn’t the nicest feeling in the world, so if you’re suspicious that a colleague, cousin or ex has decided to banish you from their Facebook feed then here are a few ways to work out if you have been blocked.

First of all go to your search bar on Facebook and search for the suspected blocker. If you can’t find them then it’s likely you’ve been blocked, or they’ve decided to delete their account altogether.

Dig up an old conversation with the suspected blocker on Facebook’s Messenger service and try to contact them.

Next click on the conversation to view it and if their name is black and in bold and you can’t click on their name then it’s likely they’re still an active user and have blocked you.

When in doubt speak to a mutual friend. Ask them to search for the suspected blocker on Facebook and if they still access to their profile then it will confirm your suspicions – you’ve been blocked.

Action Fraud, the UK’s fraud and cyber-crime reporting centre, have issued a warning over fraudsters claiming to be from the Home Office.

This new scam’s aim is to obtain an up-front fee from the victim to resolve a supposed problem with their immigration status.

The phone calls come from what appears to a genuine Home Office telephone number: 0207 354 848.

This has in fact been ‘spoofed, the fraudsters using sophisticated software which allows them to display any number on a victim’s phone.

The victim is asked to confirm personal details, such as their passport number and date of arrival in the United Kingdom before asking for a fee in order to resolve the problem with their documentation.

If a victim starts to question the call, the fraudsters point out the ‘spoofed’ number to make the request seem legitimate.

Indians targeted

Many victims who have been targeted by this fraud have had an association to India.

The fraudsters often state that the victim has outstanding criminal charges against them in India, or that their official documentation was not completed satisfactorily upon their arrival into the United Kingdom. Victims are told they have three options – either face deportation; face arrest and imprisonment; or pay the up-front fee.

They are then asked to pay the fees through a variety of methods, including; Bitcoin, money transfers via a Money Service Bureau or by purchasing iTunes vouchers before relaying the voucher code to the suspect.

Fraudsters usually attempt to keep the victim on the phone until the payment is received, which can be hours at a time.

Action Fraud have offered the following advice to allow potential fraud victims to protect themselves:

The Home Office, Police or any UK Law Enforcement Agency will never ask for money over the telephone.

Government agencies do not use non-secure payment methods such as a transfer via a Money service Bureau, iTunes voucher(s) or cryptocurrency e.g. Bitcoin.

When receiving unsolicited calls, be wary of providing personal information, or confirming that personal information the caller already claims to hold is correct. Always ensure you know who you talking to. Ask for the details of the organisation the caller represents and call them back yourself on the officially published numbers rather than the numbers the caller may try to provide you with.

If you have any concerns regarding your immigration status, please visit the Gov.uk to speak with someone regarding your specific immigration issue.

If you think you have been a victim of fraud you should report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 20 40 or by using the online reporting tool.