The Cobblers have cut ties with ‘major stakeholder’ 5USport with immediate effect, with chairman Kelvin Thomas and the Town board reacquiring the shares purchased by the Chinese investors last summer.

The Guangzhou-based company was unveiled in June, 2017, as new major stakeholders, buying 60 per cent of the shares owned by Northampton Town Ventures Limited, which owns a majority shareholding in the club.

Town board members Thomas and David Bower make up NTVL, and with the shares returning to their ownership, the club will effectively be back to where it was before 5USport’s investment was announced.

The decision means that 5USport’s Tom Auyeung and Oliver Zheng are no longer directors of the Cobblers.

A statement entitled ‘Northampton Town Football Club announce changes to the ownership structure and Board of Directors of the club’, reads: “Following the share purchase by 5USport last year the club has been working closely with the Guangzhou based company to develop aspects of the club with the aim of improving long term sustainability.

“Progress has been made in certain areas in particular the educational offering in China.

“However, other discussions mainly focused on the UK investment required by the club have been more problematic and the necessary funding has proved challenging due to what has been explained as overseas investment restrictions.

“To ensure continued funding of the club David Bower and Kelvin Thomas have reacquired the shares previously held by 5USport.

“As part of the arrangement Tom Auyeung and Oliver Zheng have stepped down from the board of directors.”

The situation has left Thomas and his fellow Cobblers board members having to step in and make payments, in the belief that money from 5USport would be forthcoming.

The Chron understands this investment from the Town board included financing all of the club’s January transfer window business.

In all, nine players were signed by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink with fees being paid for Kevin van Veen, Shay Facey and Joe Bunney.

With continuing problems in receiving the money from 5USport, a deadline was set, and when that wasn’t met, the shares were returned to the ownership of Thomas and Bower’s NTVL.

5USport CEO Auyeung was at Sixfields for the announcement of his company’s investment last summer, and said at the time: “We will make an impact behind the scenes with the right strategic direction and investment.

“There is much so interest in football in China and we are extremely proud to form a partnership with an English club with such a long history since the formation in 1897.”

It has transpired that partnership has lasted just 10 months.

The Northampton Town Supporters’ Trust is ‘fully supportive’ of the news the club has reacquired the shares sold to Chinese investors 5USport last summer.

The Cobblers announced on Thursday night that they had ended their association with the Gangzhou-based company, and that their representatives Tom Auyeung and Oliver Zheng had left the board of directors.

Town chairman Kelvin Thomas and fellow director David Bower sold 60 per cent of Northampton Town Ventures - the club’s major shareholder - to 5USport in June, 2017.

But since late last year, ‘overseas investment restrictions’ in China have led to problems with the cashflow, and after a final deadline for providing funds was missed, Thomas and Bower reclaimed the shares.

It means the club is effectively back to where it was before 5USport’s investment was announced, and the Supporters’ Trust have backed the move by the Sixfields club.

Trust members met with Thomas, Bower and James Whiting at Sixfields on Thursday afternoon, where they were briefed on events, and an official statement from the Trust was released on Friday morning.

It read: “The Supporters’ Trust welcomes the news that David Bower and Kelvin Thomas have reacquired the shares which had been purchased by Chinese investors 5USport last summer.

“The Trust met with Kelvin and other club officials yesterday afternoon and were fully appraised of the situation in respect of the club’s ownership and why it was felt necessary to take this step.

“Following a full and frank discussion, we believe the return of the shares is in the best interests of safeguarding the immediate future of the football club.

“The Trust has, for some time, had concerns about the viability of 5USport’s investment – we are fully supportive of this course of action and we will be happy to address any concerns raised with us.

“We also discussed the need for longer-term investment in the football club and the position with regard to the east stand development.

“But we agreed that these were topics that should be explored more fully at a later stage – and that presently the clear focus needs to be on keeping the club in League One and getting fully behind the team, starting with this afternoon’s home game against Charlton Athletic.”

Chairman Kelvin Thomas has reassured Cobblers supporters the club is ‘financially secure’ following the shock news that the association with Chinese investors 5USport has come to an end.

The club announced on Thursday night that the board of directors had reacquired the ‘major’ share purchase that was made by 5USport last summer, following difficulties with payments being made to the club from China due to ‘overseas investment restictions’.

5USport’s Tom Auyeung and Oliver Zheng have stepped down from the Cobblers board, and the club is effectively back to where it was before the Guangzhou-based company’s investment was announced a little over 10 months ago.

Thomas has made it clear the latest development is ‘in the best interests of the club’, that there are no financial issues to be worried about.

He also stated that the club will still be looking to find investment to take the club forward, but for now he wants everybody to ‘come together’ and concentrate on doing their bit to help the team avoid relegation from Sky Bet League One.

“Since David (Bower), Mike (Wailing) and I became involved we have always done what we thought was in the best interests of the club,” said Thomas.

“That rationale underpinned the original involvement of 5USport and also underpins this decision.

“We can confirm that the club is financially secure, and this will continue under our ownership as we have always said.

“We have provided funding this season at various points to ensure obligations are met and also to continue to invest in the future with player acquisitions this past January.

“We are still of the mindset that for the club to fully prosper on the pitch especially at higher levels of play, it will need a long term and more sustainable model and inevitably further outside investment, but those discussions are for another day.

“We feel strongly that any conversations about investment are not for now and all our focus needs to be on the pitch and the next seven games.

“I think we will all accept this season hasn’t gone the way we would have hoped and expected, but we still have it in our hands to retain our League One status.”

The Cobblers are at home to Charlton Athletic on Good Friday afternoon (ko 3pm), and Thomas is calling on the supporters to turn out in numbers and get behind the team as they strive for a much-needed victory.

“We have had a couple of periods during this season already where we have won a few games in a row and we now need one of those runs” said the Town chairman.

“As a club we are right behind the manager, his staff and this group of players and feel we all need to all come together.

“There will be enough people on the outside wanting to see us fail, so it is up to us to stand up for each other, all starting tomorrow against Charlton.”

An 18-year-old man has been arrested after schools across our area and beyond were put on alert after staff reported that they had been sent “threatening” emails.

An 18-year-old Hertfordshire man was arrested yesterday evening (Wednesday) on suspicion of making malicious communications relating to the threatening emails received by a large number of schools and colleges throughout the UK.

A National Crime Agency (NCA) spokesman said: “We understand these threats have caused considerable concern but we do not assess there to be an increased risk to the public.

“We believe this incident is linked to the hoax bomb threat that closed hundreds of UK schools last week. As this is a live investigation we are unable to comment further.”

Police confirmed that forces across the country reported similar incidents. The emails informed schools that they will be targeted in an attack. A Cambridgeshire Police spokesman said yesterday:

“We are aware of a series of malicious communications to schools across the country this morning (Wednesday 28 March).

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for heavy snow in Northamptonshire over next week's bank holiday.

An area of snow is likely to move south across many central and northern parts of the UK on April 2 (Easter Monday).

The snow is more likely to affect higher routes with lower levels only affected more locally. In addition, there is a small chance rural communities could be cut off.

Power cuts could occur and mobile phone coverage could be affected.

Some roads and railways are likely to be affected, with longer journey times by road, bus and train services.

There would also be a chance of injury from slips and falls on icy surfaces.

Children at Barby CE Primary School have put on their running shoes to help a boy with Muscular Dystrophy.

They supported sports teacher Steve Fenton who is taking on the London Marathon on April 22 for Archie’s Army.

His run is in aid of a young boy locally who suffers from the muscle wasting condition Muscular Dystrophy.

As part of Steve’s continued training, led a lunchtime club so that we could train for the run and then on Monday 26th March the whole school took part in a sponsored run around the school field.

He completed a half marathon, the rest of the school were challenged to run as far as possible.

Steve said: “I’ve always wanted to do the marathon, it’s on my Bucket List, what better way to do it on behalf of a charity for someone local to me.

All together the children and staff at Barby CE School ran 272 miles.

Jody Toone eadteacher, said: “Chelsey in Year 6 managed to run the same distance as Steve Fenton – 13.1 miles in two hours 20 minutes without stopping – this is a fantastic achievement. We have raised over £900 in sponsorship for this fantastic charity.”

She added: “We would like to say good luck with the full marathon on April 22 Mr Fenton.”

Visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-display/showROFundraiserPage?userUrl=SteveFenton&pageUrl=1

An Easter advert featuring a bunny being branded by a chick went viral after it ignited a heated row on Twitter.

The picture, uploaded by high street retailer Poundland, was intended to advertise the store’s Easter offerings.

In the image, a bunny can be seen bending over having just been branded with a large “X”, along with the caption: “I’ve got a way to make you hot and cross, Bunny.” Twitter users soon voiced outrage over the image – with some labelling it “disturbing”.

‘Dumb humour’

Anne Bryceland said: “No that’s just nasty.” While another user tweeted: “I’m sure a child would find it funny. It’s rather dumb humour I think. A bit disturbing really.”

“Obviously it’s done to provoke a reaction but…” Darren Monks said.

“Is this really appropriate?” another commented. Poundland has previously landed itself in hot water over a racy ‘Elf Behaving Badly’ Christmas advert.

The controversial campaign was banned but helped drive record-breaking sales of £59 million according to the retailer.

‘Keep it up Poundland’

Some on Twitter were keen to applaud the store over their bold advertising strategy – with customers saying “don’t ever change”.

Brian Whelton said: “It’s good to see a company that still has a sense of humour and is prepared to use it! Keep it up Poundland!”

While Lisa tweeted: “Your tweets are a highlight of the holidays now.” “And they’re back. @Poundland don’t ever change.” Jack Wade added.

Clare Fenemer said: “I shouldn’t but I did laugh at this. One naughty duck.”

A Poundland spokesperson told i: “Looks to us like people are loving it. We can, however, confirm no chicks or bunnies were harmed in the making of our posts.” This piece originally appeared on our sister title’s site, iNews

hh Forget chocolate eggs this Easter, now you can get your face made into a lolly in the ultimate confectionary personalisation.

Sweet-toothed narcissists have finally been given the opportunity to own a copy of their face - in the shape of a giant lollipop.

Selfie-obsessed lolly-lovers can submit a photo and immortalise themselves in sweet form.

A team of master sugar-smiths takes less than a week to handcraft the tutti-frutti flavour Face Licker, which costs £39.99 from online retailer Firebox.

A spokesman said: “Each lollipop is totally unique and thoughtfully brought to life from scratch.

“They’re extraordinarily lifelike too, they just taste sweeter and have fewer imperfections than your actual face.

“Why not give one of your face to a loved one so they have a sugary reminder of your toothsome grin?

“Or just be a complete narcissist and get one of yourself to suck on.

“The tasty tutti-frutti flavour makes this a lolly with some seriously flavoursome facial features.

“Slurp your own hair, nibble on your ear or bite off your nose, or you could just use it as a sweet face mask for when you’re just not looking your best.

“Not only are they delightfully delectable, but vegan-friendly too, so the only ethical dilemma you need to face is whether or not you feel comfortable repeatedly licking a life-size replica of someone else’s head.”

Puppy owners are being urged to get their new pets microchipped or face a £500 fine.

Despite compulsory microchipping coming into effect on 06 April 2017, a report by The Dogs Trust (2017) says two out of three rescued stray dogs have out of date microchips, or chips that contain false information.

As a result they may never be reunited with their owners.

Microchipping a dog is a legal requirement in the UK and dog owners could land a £500 fine if their dog is not microchipped. It’s a painless procedure for the dog, which stores the owner’s details on a national database.

The dog must be registered on either Animal Tracker, Identibase, MicroChip Central, MicroDogID, National Veterinary Data Service, Pet Identity UK, Petlog, ProtectedPet, Smartchip or UKPETtrac.

PDSA vet Rebecca Ashman said: “Here in the UK it’s a legal requirement for dogs to be microchipped. We also recommend cats are microchipped as it’s the most reliable way of identifying them and improves the chances of them being returned if they are lost.

“One of the most heartbreaking scenarios is an injured animal brought to us who isn’t microchipped, or the details aren’t up to date. You know this pet has a loving owner who is probably fraught with worry, but there’s no way to let them know what has happened.

Sadly, many pets in this situation can often end up in rescue centres because their owners are never found.”

To help pet owners, Rebecca has sorted through the fact and fiction around microchipping:

Microchipped pets don’t need any other ID?

Fiction: while cats don’t need any other ID, it’s actually the law for dogs to wear a collar and ID tag when outside the home.

Legally the tag should give the owner’s name and address but a phone number is also recommended.

One microchip will last the pet’s entire life?

Fact: In the vast majority of cases, a single microchip will last for your pet’s entire lifetime.

The chip can sometimes move around a little, which is why it’s best to scan over a pet’s whole body when checking for one. If the pet changes owner they don’t need a new chip – the new owner can just call the company to change the details.

Won’t it hurt my pet?

Fiction: microchips are really tiny – smaller than a grain of rice. It’s similar to getting any other injection like a vaccination and many pets don’t even notice it happening. It goes under the skin at the back of their neck. They’re made of non-reactive material so should not cause any reaction or pain once inserted.

A microchip will show my contact details to anyone who scans it?

Fiction: a microchip scanner will only show the microchip’s unique ID number. If your pet is found and brought to a vet or rescue centre, they will scan for the number then call the microchip company to access the owner’s details. This is why it’s really important to make sure your details are always kept up-to- date in the database.

It’s really cheap to get your pet microchipped?

Fact: the cost can vary, but many councils, charities and veterinary clinics offer discounted or even free microchipping schemes. It’s worth researching what’s on offer in your area to get the best option for you and your pet.

More on pet care at www.pdsa.org.uk

Vets in the Souteast are urging pet owners to keep chocolate treats safely out of reach of inquisitive pets this Easter.

It comes after findings released by the British Veterinary Association (BVA) revealed more than seven in 10 (74%) companion animal vets in the region saw at least one case of chocolate poisoning over Easter holidays last year - well above the UK average of 62%.

BVA’s Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey shows that the majority of vets still see urgent cases over the festive period because chocolate treats have not been secured out of reach of pets. While most vets across the UK saw an average of two cases of chocolate poisoning last Easter, around one in eight (13%) treated five or more cases, which is more than double the figure reported over the previous two years. Regionally, incidences of chocolate poisoning remained highest in the south of England.

Chocolate can be highly poisonous to pets, with dogs most commonly affected. It contains theobromine, a naturally occurring chemical found in cocoa beans, which, while safe for humans, is harmful to dogs and other animals. The level of toxicity depends on the amount and type of chocolate ingested - dark chocolate and cocoa powder are most toxic- as well as the size of the dog, with smaller dogs and puppies being most at risk.

British Veterinary Association President John Fishwick said: “Easter is a time of great fun for the whole family, but chocolate treats meant for humans can be poisonous for our pets. Dogs in particular have a keen sense of smell and can easily sniff out sweet treats, so make sure any chocolate goodies are stored securely out of reach of inquisitive noses to avoid an emergency trip to the vet.

“If you suspect that your dog has eaten chocolate, don’t delay in contacting your local vet. The quicker the animal gets veterinary advice and treatment, the better. Your vet will want to know how much chocolate your dog has eaten and what type. If possible, keep any labels and have the weight of the dog to hand.”

The effects of chocolate poisoning in dogs usually appear within 12 hours and can last up to three days. First signs can include excessive thirst, vomiting, diarrhoea and restlessness. These symptoms can then develop into hyperactivity, tremors, abnormal heart rate, hyperthermia and rapid breathing. In severe cases, dogs can experience fits and heartbeat irregularities and some cases can result in coma or death.

Those living in the parish of Grand Tiddleton in the south of the county say they are fed up of motorists tearing around the village’s twisty streets.

Last week, one member of a local speed action group clocked a woman in a black Audi travelling at 88 miles-an-hour along a 30-metre cul-de-sac.

This week Clive Mansell, chairman of the Grand Tiddleton Speeding Honesty and Benevolence Box Alliance (GTSHABBA), has taken drastic action.

He has placed two so-called honesty boxes on Main Street asking those who break the limit to donate the statutory £60 on leaving the village.

Mr Mansell, a former soft cheese taster, 71, has even installed card readers to allow motorists to pay using their contactless credit cards.

The two honesty boxes are believed to be the first of their kind in the UK.

“We are already seeing the results,” said Mr Mansell, who only deposited the cardboard containers on Monday. “The other day we collected £360 in honesty payments all from the same man.

“He was racked with guilt from all the previous times he had driven like a buffoon down Main Street.

“We just found that our usual speed gun activity wasn’t working. People were just slowing down as soon as they saw the high-vis jackets before speeding up again.

“Plus with the cold winter, we couldn’t get volunteers to stand out in the freezing weather to catch the speed crims.

“This just seemed like a sensible option.”

Mr Mansell, who did not wish to be named, said there have been some unforeseen consequences.

On at least two occasions this week conscience-heavy sports car drivers have slammed on their brakes on exiting Main Street, before reversing, performing a J-turn and placing £60 in the box.

But Mr Mansell expects to raise enough money for a giant sleeping policeman faster than it takes Lewis Hamilton to lose his temper at a press conference.

On one occasion a wedding ring was even left in the deposit box with a note attached saying “that should about cover it”.

Mr Mansell - who, it has to be noted, smells incredible - said: “We reckon that within two months we will have enough to be able to build the ultimate speed deterrent.

“We want to install a speed bump on Main Street so big only high-performance 4X4 cars will be able to get up it.

“About two metres should do the job. We just think the only way to slow these people down will be an imposing wall of concrete barely passable at low speeds.”

Great Tiddleton resident Clive McDonald has welcomed the sleeping policeman plans.

“I know towsfolk think we have a slower way of life - apothercaries instead of a chemists that kind of thing,” he said.

“People think a startled field of crows takes off every time an X7 bus trundles through, but we do get problems with speeding motorists just like anywhere else."

Hundreds of people were left dissapointed today after rain waters prevented the county's most popular country show from opening.

Kelmarsh Country Show was due to welcome hundreds of visitors to Kelmarsh Hall today.

But organisers Countryman Fairs were forced to call the event off yesterday due to heavy rain.

The show, which was due to be open on Easter Monday as well, is set to be rescheduled for June 16 and 17.

A statement from Countryman Fairs, read: "Due to exceptional volumes of rain we must regrettably inform our exhibitors, entertainers, visitors and friends the Kelmarsh Country Show will not be able to go ahead this Easter Weekend.

"During the night the drainage systems reached capacity and overflowed resulting in partial flooding throughout the show site and car parks.

"This tough decision has been made with a heavy heart.

"With all best intentions and all our expertise, the force of mother nature has on this occasion gone beyond the possibility of recovering the ground in time to proceed with the event.

"This will come as disappointing news to all our friends and we thank you for your support.

"From all the Team here at Countryman Fairs we extend our sincere best wishes to everyone involved with the event.

"For those who have pre-booked tickets we will contact you directly next week with information regarding your booking and the options available**

"For those participating in the World Hunter Field Target Championship, the competition will continue as planned."

Following the internet-shaking news that Cambridge Analytica “harvested” the data of 50 million Facebook users, many users of the social network are now considering deleting their accounts.

Upping sticks from Mark Zuckerburg’s digital kingdom isn’t as simple as it sounds though, unfortunately, due to the social media giant’s far-reaching influence on other websites.

Loss of access to other services

For many, our Facebook account acts as a passport of sorts for other popular services, such as Spotify, Netflix and Tinder.

Selecting “Log in with Facebook” when signing up to other services is an easy cop out from the arduous process of filling out a form. There’s no need to remember a new password – simply click log in with Facebook every time you want to use a certain app.

However, if one wants to delete their account, this creates headaches.

For example, if you deactivate your Facebook profile, and had previously logged in to Spotify premium via the social media giant, you will be unable to retrieve your account.

You will be required to make a new account, with a different email address. Once signed up it may be possible to reassign your old email address to your new account if you reach out to the customer service team. Your painstakingly curated Spotify playlists, however, may be lost for good.

The same issue applies to other services you may have signed up to via Facebook – your conversations and matches on Tinder will be lost, your Airbnb bookings will be cancelled and your Netflix subscription cancelled.

Tie up loose ends before deleting

That’s not to say you shouldn’t delete your Facebook account, if you’re concerned by the company’s role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. However, for peace of mind consider deactivating any paid-subscription accounts before you are locked out. It is also worth contacting customer service teams at the various sites you use connected to Facebook and finding out what you will lose as a result of deleting your social media account. Finally, organise a date with any long-term Tinder matches before it is too late.

Sainsbury’s has installed new security measures at self-service checkouts in a bid to crackdown on thefts in the store. The supermarket will be adding extra CCTV cameras and mirrors above its self service checkouts in 300 stores across the country to help staff monitor customers as they scan and pay for items.

The new security aims to act as a deterrent for people who fail to pay for items in their shop.

Failing to scan items at self-service checkouts or scanning the item as a cheaper alternative remains a widespread problem for supermarkets and one in four shoppers who use self-service tills has admitted to failing to pay for an item, according to VoucherCodesPro.co.uk.

The study also found how Brits are stealing £3.2 billion worth of goods from self-service tills every year – or around £5 per person per month.

Sainsbury’s said in a statement: “This is in hundreds of stores and has been in some for almost a year.

“The safety of our customers and colleagues is extremely important to us, which is why we invest in a range of measures to keep everyone safe.”

The report into Moulton College found that teaching was not good enough, with students who achieve GCSE English grades A* to C, or make good progress towards this, being low.

According to Ofsted, teachers’ expectations of students are too low and, consequently, many pupils engage in low-level misbehaviour both in and out of lessons.

Perhaps of greater concern, however, were the points raised on safeguarding, which was deemed to be "not effective".

The report states: "Senior managers do not manage health and safety practices across the college effectively.

"The curriculum includes a number of highly dangerous vocational areas, and learners are not safe. Inspectors identified a number of serious breaches to health and safety regulations and a number of instances where practice was unsafe or sloppy.

"Not all managers with responsibility for health and safety have undertaken appropriate training."

Moulton College - which provides apprenticeship, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate opportunities to around 5,000 students - was previously ranked as 'requires improvement' in a 2016 inspection.

“We are naturally extremely disappointed by the results of the inspection," said Principal Stephen M Davies.

“Ofsted raised a number of health and safety concerns that had a significant impact on the college’s grading.

“We would want to take this opportunity to stress that the college remains a safe place to work and study; we have a strong safety record when compared to other colleges specialising in agricultural and horticultural provision, and students themselves told Ofsted that they feel safe studying here.

“However, we accept Ofsted’s inspection findings and have taken rapid and decisive action to address their concerns.”

In order for the Moulton College to improve, Ofsted has suggested the college immediately takes action to ensure all pupils are safe during all activities on site.

It should provide every member of staff with a refresher safety briefing, ensure risk assessments are in place, and address the specific issues raised by Ofsted, which relate to equipment, signs, first aid supplies, hand washing and safety procedures.

The college says it will commission audits of both health and safety, and safeguarding practices, "which will be used to inform work going forward in these areas".

Health and safety managers are to receive new training and the college will change its central record of staff to ensure all the required information is present for all staff. Currently, the college does not hold records of the professional qualifications of staff recruited more than two years ago, despite this being a statutory requirement for over a decade.

The report goes on to suggest the college should improve the skills of its additional learning support staff and the quality of vocational tutors' planning with them in order to provide "more effective support" to pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities.

College governors should also be provided with training and support to help them to be more challenging towards senior leaders, and hold them to account more effectively.

The chair of governors Robin Thompson said: “We are pleased that Ofsted noted our strengths in a range of areas, in particular employability and work-related training, our commercial links with employers, what they described as our excellent range of specialist facilities and teacher expertise.

"We have a proud history of serving this community and region – and the agricultural and horticultural sectors across the UK - for almost a century and during that time we have prided ourselves as much on our pastoral care as our educational impact.”

Mr Davies added: “We know we have a lot of work to do. While the report does not reflect the progress that has been made in recent years in terms of teaching quality, we must accept that Ofsted did not see enough good teaching and that more work must be done to embed improvements in this area.

“Our fantastic staff are dedicated and diligent and our students work hard to progress in their studies or into their chosen careers and it is regrettable that the report does not reflect that.”

With regards to the college's strengths, Ofsted found that apprentices develop good practical skills in the workplace, and that the large majority of students benefit from good-quality work-related learning in the college's commercial environments, and useful work experience.

It also found that leaders, managers and governors had used their commercial links to develop a curriculum that provides good opportunities for students to increase their employability, and that teachers use their considerable experience and the college’s good resources to help students understand how they will use the skills they learn in their future jobs.

The Ofsted report can be read here.

While wages can often be sat at the same level for years on end, sadly the same can’t be said about prices and charges.

Here is a run down of all the prices, charges and tariffs increasing from April 1 2018:

List of price hikes:

* First-class stamps have risen from 65p to 67p and the price of a second-class stamp has also gone up by 2p to 58p. Posting a small parcel now costs 5p more up from £3.40 to £3.45.

* Average council tax bills are set to go up by as much as 5.1% in some parts of the UK, which is an increase of £81 a year.

* Water bills will increase by £9 (2 per cent) to £405 for the average household.

* Prescription costs in England will also go up by 20p from £8.60 to £8.80 (2.32 per cent).

* The NHS dental charge payable for a check-up will increase by £1 (4.85 per cent) from £20.60 to £21.60.

* The dental charge for a band 2 course of treatment will increase by £2.80 from £56.30 to £59.10 (almost 5 per cent). The charge for a band 3 course of treatment will increase by £12.20 from £244.30 to £256.50 (5 per cent).

* TV licence costs will also go up by £3.50 from £147 to £150.50 1 April

* Air Passenger Duty on long haul flights (over 2,000 miles) is set to increase by 4 per cent, hiking flight costs.

* NHS wig and fabric charges – the cost of NHS wigs and fabric supports are rising by about 1.5 per cent.

Phone & broadband

* EE bills will rise by 4.1 per cent across the board in line with January’s RPI.

* O2 bills will also increase by 4 per cent in line with February RPI.

* Vodafone customers that took out a monthly plan on or after the 5th May 2016 will see a bill hike of 3.6 per cent in line with March RPI.

* Sky Broadband customers will see line rental costs rise from £17.40 per month to £18.99 (9.1 per cent)

* Post Office Broadband customer will see increases – the Essential package will rise from £25.00 a month to £27.00 a month (8 per cent) Gas & electricity Prices are also heating up for energy customers

* EoN are removing their dual fuel and paperless discount resulting in an average price hike of 2.7 per cent for its dual fuel customers meaning an annual bill hike of £30 on average.

* ENGIE bills will go up by 5.9 per cent, leaving customers on a standard variable tariff £58 out of pocket on average.

Northamptonshire is the county most threatened by automation in the UK, according to research by think-tank Localis in collaboration with Sky News.

Corby, Wellingborough and Daventry all feature in the top 10 places most at risk of "cliff-edge automation".

In numerical terms 31.1 per cent of jobs, or 10,323 jobs, are at risk in Corby; 28.9 per cent or 10,430 jobs in Wellingborough; and 28.5 per cent or 11,360 jobs in Daventry.

Nineteen-year-old Reece Manly-Foster, from Corby, has worked short-term jobs in factories and warehouses in the last two years. He told Sky News: "It is bad in Corby. It really is. Because there are hardly any jobs going.

"I tried to apply for a warehouse but the only job that was going was through the robots. But I had no idea, because I'm not trained, which means I can't work there.

"I know for a fact that most factory work will be overtook by robots, which means there's going to be less people working, which means there's going to be people out of work."

A study by PricewaterhouseCoopers published in February predicted waves of automation.

The first, in the early 2020s, will be the "algorithm wave" and will affect sectors like financial services because it will impact one or two tasks that make up an employee's job.

The second, in the late 2020s, will be similar to the previous wave but will impact more tasks.

The third, the "autonomy wave", could hit in the mid-2030s and is predicted to impact 30 per cent of UK jobs, with automated vehicles and machinery replacing manual tasks.

Chris Mills, operations manager at Northampton's Bounds Taxis (now owned by a software automation company) told Sky News: "The more automation we have the less need for personnel.

"It's a lot quieter. It's very much quieter You haven't got people shouting across the room. It can all be put on screen."

All southbound traffic was held between J18 and J19, near Crick, after the collision at about 1.30pm today (April 4).

All four lanes were closed as emergency services attend the scene.

Two of the lanes are currently open but police are advising drivers of very long delays.

Mia Ball started her new role yesterday (April 4) and will work predominantly in the town centre under the direction of Daventry and South Northants Neighbourhood Policing Team and Daventry Town Council.

Mia will also be working collaboratively with the town council’s CCTV control room and Community Ranger, to provide a "frontline service focusing on the community, deliver a visible and reassuring presence and resolve issues".

"Daventry is a tight and defined community, which I cannot wait to be involved with," said PCSO Ball.

"I’m looking forward to getting to know my new beat in greater detail and working with the town council on their identified priorities as part of the Daventry Neighbourhood Team.

"Like the other members of the team, I want to be visible, known by name and sight, and engaged with all members of the Daventry community."

The 'Sponsor a PCSO programme' runs in 12-month cycles and will see up to 12 new sponsored PCSOs operating across Northamptonshire in areas where organisations, such as parish councils and business districts, have opted to cover the full cost of the role.

The Police Crime Commission advised that PCSOs have been created to empower communities and further joint working initiatives between local partners and the police.

Sponsored PCSOs will work within their local policing teams and remain directly accountable to the local policing sergeant. The sergeant will work with the sponsoring organisation to identify priorities and meet with them on a regular basis to ensure the community’s needs are being met.

Cllr Lynne Taylor, mayor of Daventry and chair of the town council, said: “We are very fortunate in Daventry to have a low level of crime; however, we are not without our pockets of anti-social behaviour.

"I have every confidence that PCSO Ball, as our new Police Community and Safety Officer will be an encouraging presence to the local community.”

The sponsored PCSO scheme has no effect on the service a community receives from the core policing team. Sponsored PCSOs are designed to supplement and enhance the work of Northamptonshire Police in their specific area.

Daventry Town Council has agreed to sponsor the PCSO scheme for a trial term of 12 months. Once this trial period is near completion, Daventry Town Council will review the long-term benefits of sponsoring a PCSO in the town centre and will consider the continuation of the sponsorship into 2019/2020.

Daventry residents will have the opportunity to raise their concerns about the town at the upcoming Daventry Town Council Annual Assembly.

The meeting, on Monday, April 23, will be held at the Community Association Hall, Ashby Road, Daventry from 7pm.

Daventry’s mayor, Cllr Lynne Taylor, will be in attendance to assist with chairing the meeting, along with Neighbourhood Sgt Sam Dobbs and his team.

The agenda is as follows: welcome from the mayor; minutes from the 2017 town assembly 2017; receiving the annual town assembly; open forum for members of the public to speak to on matters relating to Daventry town.

For more information regarding the annual Town Assembly, please contact townclerk@daventrytowncouncil.gov.uk or call Daventry Town Council direct on 01327 301246.