Mothercare have urgently recalled a toy due to the discovery of the risk of the battery compartment coming off.

The high street mum and baby store issued a voluntary product recall on their My First Keys product, urging parents to “stop using it immediately”, amid fears the button cell battery could be exposed.

The toy was sold in Mothercare stores and on the Mothercare website from June 2017 to April 2018.

The product can be identified by code: 914353 and style number: MG262, although the company say that only items with batch codes of 02-161024, 02-161205 and 02-170509 (location shown on the picture here) are affected by the recall.

Anyone who owns one of these toys is advised to stop using it immediately and return the product to a Mothercare store where a full refund will be given.

Queries can be directed to Mothercare via email on: product.safety@mothercare.com.

All queries will be answered within 24 hours on receipt of the email.

A company spokesperson added: “This action has been taken to ensure the safety and well-being of our customers and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”

It might only be the first day of the working week, but that hasn’t stopped many of us counting down the minutes until pub o’clock.

Everyone loves a good pub but with so many closing across the country every day, we take a look back at 66 lost and forgotten pubs in Northamptonshire.

Some of the pubs have now reopened under a new name, some have been turned into bars and shops, while some are now private homes.

Click here to see 66 old Northamptonshire pubs from days gone by.

Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) have been so concerned at the number of pub closures across the country it has launched an initiative to protect 3,000 of them.

Figures show 29 pubs are being lost every week across the UK and CAMRA has been mobilising its members in England to nominate their local pub as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) and offer advice and guidance to other community groups looking to do the same.

Currently pubs can be demolished or converted to other uses without planning permission, whereas pubs with ACV status are given planning protection under laws introduced in April.

With 800 pubs currently nominated, the initiative aims to raise the profile of ACVs to the pub-going public and increase the number with the status to 3,000 by the end of 2016 – an ambitious target, but one which CAMRA say is essential if England’s pubs are to be properly protected.

“Holes in the current planning system allow pubs to be sold off, demolished or converted to many other uses without planning permission or the involvement of the local community. However when a pub is nominated as an Asset of Community Value it automatically receives planning protection meaning it is no longer a soft target to would-be developers looking to quickly purchase and convert or demolish the pub – which in some instances has literally happened overnight,” said Tom Stainer, CAMRA’s Head of Communications.

For more information about your local branch, visit www.camra.org.uk/camra-near-you

For more information about the ACV campaign, please visit www.camra.org.uk/list-your-local

With thanks to The Lost Pubs Project

Almost 8,800 primary, infant and junior school places have been allocated to pupils across Northamptonshire today (Monday).

The proportion of families securing a place at their first preference school is 92.7 per cent - the highest number for three years – while 98.5 per cent have been allocated a place at one of their preferred schools.

Families who applied for their school place online before the closing date are able to check the school offer on the council’s website.

Cabinet support member for Education Cllr Sandra Naden-Horley said: “It is fantastic news that, despite the huge pressures facing Northamptonshire, we are continuing to meet the growing demand for school places in the county.

“The number of children entering Northamptonshire primary schools has risen by 11.5 per cent since 2010 and we have met that challenge by creating an additional 13,264 primary school places since then.

“Our school admissions team works hard to meet parental preference and so I’m delighted that we’ve been able to offer more families a place at their preferred school – the highest proportion for three years.”

An independent appeals process is available for families who wish to appeal against refusal of a place at any school for which they have applied.

The next round of primary, infant and junior school place allocations for late applicants will take place in May.

Sixfields Stadium welcomed 3,700 fans yesterday who all came to watch two teams packed with celebrities take to the field all in aid of child cancer charity Niamh’s Next Steps.

Chris and Samantha Curry set up the Wellingborough-based charity in 2013 after the death of their five-year-old daughter Niamh, who died battling neuroblastoma.

The match ended 5-3 Shayne Ward, Katie Price and Kerry Katona’s team, who triumphed over Graham and Alan Carr’s side.

Eastenders actors Dean Gaffney and Matt Lapinskas, The Only Way is Essex’s Dan Osborne, So Solid Crew member MC Harvey and Love Island’s Alex Beattie were all on the scoresheet.

“It was a really great day. All the celebrities were on amazing form and spent time with fans afterwards,” said Chris, who doesn’t yet know the total amount raised for the charity but with 3,700 plus fans attending the match, ticket sales alone will have generated more than £30,000.

“The money that we have raised is amazing but to have the celebrities talking and tweeting about the charity and raising awareness is more important to us.”

Winning captain Shayne Ward was on ITV this morning proudly showing off the trophy as he told Lorraine all about the Niamh’s Next Step.

Chris said he is now looking to build on the success of the match and hopes to organise bigger events with bigger crowd.

“Thank you to everybody who came,” he said.

“Without people buying tickets and supporting we couldn’t do what we do.”

Other celebrities to feature on the day included footballers Peter Beardsley, Paul Konchesky and Jamie O’Hara, sports broadcaster Jim Rosenthal, whose actor son Tom lined up at right-back for Shayne Ward’s team, X-Factor winner Sam Bailey, breakfast show host Gavin Ramjuan, Calum Best, Jake Wood, Terry Alderton, Tony Discipline, James Hill and Daniel Osborne.

For more information on Niamh’s Next Step visit nns.org.uk.

A county group has been selected as a finalist in the 2018 MS Society Awards.

The MS Society Northamptonshire group is one of three ‘Group of the Year’ finalists to be recognised at the national charity’s Awards ceremony in London at the end of the month.

The group was formed in 2016 following a merger between groups in Northampton, Kettering and Market Harborough.

It now comprises 20 passionate volunteers who support anybody with MS and their families in Northamptonshire and South Leicestershire.

They raise awareness of MS, provide information and raise funds to help people with the condition locally and for innovative MS research.

Jim McGown, retired acting co-ordinator of the group, says one of the group’s biggest strengths is its diverse range of skills and number of volunteers: “We want to reach as many people with MS and their families as possible and we’re always looking for ways to engage new members. We couldn’t do this without the dedication of our volunteers.

“We run coffee mornings, lunch groups and exercise classes, we work closely with the local MS nurses and Citizens Advice Bureau to deliver services and support, and we even have our own YouTube channel.

“I think people with MS really benefit from the social contact and support we offer.”

Jim, who’s 71 and lives in Kettering, joined the MS Society in 2001 after his daughter was diagnosed with the condition at the age of 28.

Speaking about the group being named a finalist in the MS Society’s Awards, Jim says: “Everyone was chuffed to bits. We’re all absolutely delighted and very proud to be recognised in this way.”

Chief executive of the MS Society Michelle Mitchell said: “The MS Society Awards is our way of celebrating the remarkable hard work and dedication of those who make a difference to the 100,000 people living with MS in the UK.

“We’re delighted our Northamptonshire group is one of this year’s finalists and we’re looking forward to welcoming them to our awards ceremony.”

MS is an unpredictable condition that affects more than 100,000 people in the UK. It can cause problems with how you walk, move, see think and feel, and is different for everyone.

The 2018 MS Society Awards will be held on Friday, April 27, at etc.venues, County Hall, London.

The ceremony will be attended by a host of famous names from the worlds of TV, radio, music and sport.

Find out more at www.mssociety.org.uk/awards or follow the ceremony live on social media using #MSSocietyAwards2018

The premises, which cost £53m to construct, were bought by Canada Life Investments and will be leased back to the council.

Last month the authority revealed it was relying on the sale of the premises to fund transformation services which will, in turn, help the council save money and prop up its own finances.

Cllr Matthew Golby, leader of Northamptonshire County Council, said he believes the deal represented value for money.

“I am confident that the transaction will provide the funding required to enable the transformation programme to set the council on a strong future trajectory," he said.

“The advice received is that this deal represents very good value for money for taxpayers of the county and generates more money than the construction costs of the building.

“While this kind of deal may be less usual in the public sector the leaseback arrangements being entered would be seen as standard finance practice in the private sector.

“Put bluntly without this sale far more service cuts would be required and the process of re-organising local governance in the county would be carried out against a backdrop of unsustainable cuts to the very services the new councils would be created to run.”

The council announced last month that it was pausing the process of the sale and leaseback of One Angel Square. In light of the Best Value report, it was considered that time was needed to reflect and take further soundings prior to making a decision on the sale.

Having done this and following strong recommendations from the chief executive and chief finance officer on the financial impact of not proceeding it has been decided it is right to go ahead with the sale. The sale and leaseback agreement would be for 35 years.

Ainsley Moore of PwC, the real estate firm advising the council during the sale, said: “The council has taken advantage of strong market appetite to release capital at a very attractive rate in a very competitive process between a range of long-term investors.”

Michael White, Canada Life Investments property investment director, said: “The fund is very pleased to enter this transaction with the council. The long-term rental stream is an ideal match for income annuity liabilities. It is another good example of private and public sectors working together in mutual benefit.”

Three men have been sentenced to more than 30 years in prison for their part in a string of attacks on ATMs across Daventry District, Northamptonshire and neighbouring counties.

They used gas canisters to blow open the ATMs, before using power tools to gain access to the stores to get to the cash – often making off with thousands of pounds.

Taken into consideration by the judge during sentencing were two burglary instances in the district; one at the Tesco in Weedon in November and the other at the Co-Op in Crick High Street in October.

At Leicester Crown Court last week Charlie Smith, 31, of Mere Lane in Bitteswell, Lutterworth was sentenced to 10 years and seven months, Alfie Adams, 36, of Bickershaw Lane in Wigan was sentenced to 12 years, and John Doran, 20, of Gelderd Road in Gildersome, Leeds was sentenced to eight years and seven months.

Doran was also given an additional five-month sentence for breaching a suspended sentence.

All three previously admitted eight counts of burglary, three counts of unlawfully and maliciously causing an explosion of a nature likely to endanger life or cause serious damage to property, and one count of theft.

On three occasions, the men used gas canisters to blow up the machines, allowing them to get to the cash inside.

Detective Chief Inspector Martin Smalley led the investigation. He said: “These three men caused hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage to stores across the region, taking a very blasé attitude to their own, and the public’s safety.

“The volatile gas mixtures they used to cause the explosions could have had devastating consequences.

“These crimes were very visible in the community, and the impact felt by residents and business owners was significant. The reliance on these ATMs by such small rural communities was great, but the fear and discord caused by these attacks in what was often the heart of their village was much greater.

“At the time of these incidents there was some criticism — an opinion that little action was being taken by the police — but this wasn’t the case. In the background a number of teams using a variety of tactics were working tirelessly to identify and arrest those responsible. From those responding to the live incidents, through to scene preservation and investigation, it’s been a massive undertaking both by the force with vital support from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit. It’s work we often don’t like to talk about, but rest assured this burglary series was a top priority.

“With the culprits now in prison for a very long time, we hope a sense safety and security has been returned to our communities.”

The charges relate to a number of attacks on ATM machines at businesses across Northamptonshire and neighbouring counties in October and November last year:

- Burglary at Kate’s Cabin, Great North Road, Chesterton, Cambridgeshire, on 28 October

- Burglary at Post Office, George Street, Lutterworth, on 28 October

- Burglary at Shell Petrol Station, Brook Street, Tring, Hertfordshire, on 8 November

- Burglary at Co-Operative store, in Rockfield Road, Monmouth, Wales, on 8 November

- Burglary at Co-Operative store in Bignal Court, Kettering, Northamptonshire on 21 November

-Theft of motor vehicle in Nuneaton, Warkwickshire, between 20 November and 23 November

- Burgle and unlawfully and maliciously cause an explosion of a nature likely to endanger life or cause serious damage to property at Co-operative store in Cosby, Leicestershire, on 21 November

- Burgle and unlawfully and maliciously cause an explosion of a nature likely to endanger life or cause serious damage to property at Tesco Express, London Road in Hinckley, Leicestershire, on 22 November

- Burgle and unlawfully and maliciously cause an explosion of a nature likely to endanger life or cause serious damage to property at Co-operative store in Burwell, Cambridgeshire, on 22 November

Other burglary offences taken into consideration took place in Coventry on 8 September, Lutterworth on 8 September, Kibworth on 27 September, Norfolk on 27 Sept 2017, Princes Risborough on 3 October, Countesthorpe on 4 October, Raunds, Northamptonshire on 4 October, Oundle Northants on 24 October; Oakham on 30 October, Hillmorton on 1 November, Gloucestershire on 10 November and Huntley in Gloucestershire on 10 November.

Doran and Adams also had a burglary at Tesco express, St Ives, on 13 November taken into consideration.

Comedian Alan Carr took selfies with parents and youngsters at the opening of a brand new £1m school extension in Northamptonshire, and says he is planning to do stand up at the Derngate on his new tour.

Hundreds of parents gathered together at Overstone Primary School to watch the Channel 4 chat show host cut the ribbon to officially unveil four new classrooms, a new library and two revamped classrooms, which will now play host to a larger intake of children.

The star chatted with parents after the unveiling and also kindly took the time to take selfies with everyone who wanted a photograph.

Upon asking whether Alan attended Overstone school as a youngster, he said: "No, but my mum and dad only live a minute [away] and my brother, who lives in the village, said they are opening four new classrooms and would I cut the ribbon, and I mean, I'm always up here, so I thought yes, why not."

He said he has plans in the pipeline to return to the town very soon.

"I'm writing a tour at the minute," he said.

"So I will be, of course, doing the Derngate. Always the best audience is Northampton because I can just go off and talk about things from my childhood, 50p Lil, Sticky Vicky, having a bottle of Strongbow in Abington Park and all the old pubs that I used to hand around.

"So it's always good fun coming to Northampton."

Headteacher Janice Mardell, who cut the ribbon yesterday (Monday, April 16) alongside Alan and the school's oldest pupil, Eve Dobson, 11, and youngest pupil Stanley Willis, four.

She said: "Thank you for coming today to celebrate the official opening of this lovely new learning space for our children.

"With the village community growing, we are delighted to have been given the opportunity to expand in order to continue to provide a high standard of education for local children."

She paid special thanks to the Friends of Overstone Primary School who raised the funds to pay for the library and new equipment outside the extended reception classroom as well as Stanley Black and Decker who have landscaped the front garden, among others.

Astronomer Roy Panther, 90, of Walgrave, died in October 2016 with no will or known next of kin, as he had never been married nor had any children.
 


Professional probate genealogists and stars of BBC Heir Hunters, Finders International, took on the case from the Bona Vacantia list to try and trace any rightful heirs to Roy’s substantial estate.


Further research revealed that Roy’s father, James, had been married three times, however, research confirmed that James did not have any children from his previous marriages. So efforts were then focused on the paternal side.

Roy’s paternal aunt, Mathilda Panther, would lead Finders International to an heir, and Roy’s cousin, Gladys Faulkner (nee Berrill) from Daventry was identified as heir to part of Roy’s estate.

For 40 years Gladys lived only eight miles away from Roy and never knew that he existed. She said: “We were taken by complete surprise when the phone call came, and you think this doesn’t happen very often, why should it happen to me. It was a total shock. To think that I had a relative like Roy, that I never knew or heard of.

“It’s odd to think Roy lived very close to me for almost four decades and I never even knew him. It’s a shame and I wish I had known him.” 
 


It was during this search they found out an interesting history to Roy’s passion for astronomy. 
As an avid astronomer, Roy was passionate about the starts.

His passion for discovery is what landed him in the history books and on Christmas day 1980, after 33 years of searching, Roy discovered a new comet. This was subsequently named Comet Panther after him.

Tom Kerss from Greenwich Royal Observatory said that it is rare to see a comet and that Roy was a true visual observer. 


Danny Curran of Finders international said: “In this industry, we are always coming across unique cases and the case of Roy Panther was no exception.

“It’s great we can pass on the history of his astronomy successes to his family, who never even knew he existed.”
 


Finders International traced 13 heirs to the estate.

The episode is part of the latest Heir Hunters series on BBC and will air today.

Police officers have released CCTV images of a man they want to speak after someone flashed passengers on a bus.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said: "The incident happened on Tuesday, April 10, between 4pm and 4.45pm, on the D3 bus towards Daventry when a man exposed himself to two people.

"The man in the images or anyone with information should call Northamptonshire Police on 101 or alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111," the spokesman added.

Police officers are trying to locate the owners of a pony found in Bedford Road, Northampton, near to the BMW garage, between 12am and 2.30am yesterday (Sunday, April 15).

If you believe this pony is yours or you know who it belongs to, call police on 101 quoting incident number 67 of 15/4/18.

The incident took place in the early hours of yesterday morning (Monday, April 16) in Hillside Crescent, Nether Heyford.

The offender/s forced their way in through the front door sometime between 2am and 3.30am, and took a bank card and a set of car keys to a black Audi A4 SE TDI - registration KJ08 UAB - which they also stole.

Witnesses, anyone with information about those involved or the stolen vehicle, are asked to call Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Northampton College has rocketed up 178 places in a national league table in three years, according to new figures published today.

Data released as part of the latest 2016/17 National Achievement Rates Tables (NART) shows Northampton College is ranked 31st out of more than 200 colleges for 16 to 18-year-old education and training.

Pat Brennan-Barrett, principal at Northampton College said: “These results are phenomenal and are testimony to the rock solid professional approach of our staff and students to improve our performance so markedly in just three years.

“At Northampton College we concentrate on developing each individual’s wider skills for employability, innovations, communication and work ethic. Many of our students are the employers of the future. We take great pride in our students’ success.”

The figures include an improvement in the GCSE maths and English resit pass rates for 16 to 18-year-old students, with the college now ranked 15th nationally for maths and 18th for English. The data has revealed that 95 per cent of Northampton College students pass their course.

The college performed well across all levels of course provision, coming out as the best college in the South East Midlands region for level 1, 2 and 3 courses.

A major investment programme has seen an overhaul of the college’s facilities, with new buildings in both Northampton and Daventry completed in recent years and plans in place for a state-of-the-art £4.75million Advanced Construction Engineering centre to be built at Booth Lane.

Chair of governors at Northampton College, Geraldine Schofield, said: “We have an exceptional team of teaching staff to help meet the educational challenges we face and a Board of Governors which has helped guide, challenge and support our long-term strategy.”

The latest tables follow on from positive finding in last year’s NICDEX college rankings, which saw the college named the second best in the country based on student and employer satisfaction as well as the proportion of younger and adult students who move on to good quality work or further study.

Patrick Leavey, deputy principal at Northampton College, added: “We have focused on supporting our students, equipping them with the skills they need to excel both in the classroom and in the workplace. Our retention rates have improved significantly, allowing us to work with students for longer and encourage them to keep on learning.”

Police officers on the beat in Northamptonshire will soon be able to stop and scan the fingerprints of suspected criminals.

The county’s force is spending £1m on the new mobile phones which will allow officers to use digital technology while out on patrol.

Using smartphones and a scanner, officers will be able to check whether the people they apprehend are wanted on criminal or immigration databases. They will also be able to use apps to share live information with the public.

The Home Office scheme has been trialled in West Yorkshire and is set to be rolled out to police forces across the country this year.

Northamptonshire will be one of the early adopters and police and crime commissioner Stephen Mold has hailed the technology as a device which will save huge amounts of police time and allow officers to spend more time patrolling the streets.

He said: “This is a modern phone that will enable officers straight out of the gate to do things that they would have had to go back to the police station for. It keeps them on patrol longer.

“We need to invest in people and technology so we can set the future for the next few years.”

The scan system works by connecting to two live databases under the new Biometric Services Gateway.

The smartphones will replace the blackberries currently being used by officers.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has said that £300,000 is coming from a multi-force transformation grant from the Home Office. The remaining £700,000 is being supplied by a capital programme for Northants which is budgeted for routinely as part of the general cycle of technology investments.

Northamptonshire Police is set to release more details later this week about the scheme and when it will become live.

Minister for Policing and the Fire Service Nick Hurd said: “The Biometric Services Gateway is just one of a series of national systems the Home Office is designing with policing to give officers information at their fingertips faster than ever before.

“By cutting out unnecessary trips to and from the police station, mobile technology is really helping to save valuable time and allowing officers to do what they do best – cutting crime and keeping us safe.

“It’s clear that by embracing technology the police can improve efficiency and, if all forces delivered the level of productivity from mobile working as the leading forces, the average officer could spend an hour a day extra on the frontline.”

Stop and scan has been criticised by liberty groups who say it should have been debated by MPs before being introduced.

Daventry District Council's leader does not want to see his rural local authority joined to Northampton Borough in a new unitary model, as per the Government's advice.

Last month's published Government inspection report into the county council resulted in a suggestion that a west Northamptonshire unitary comprising of Daventry District Council, South Northamptonshire Council and Northampton Borough be created.

Chris Millar, leader of Daventry District Council and long-term supporter of the unitary model of local government, says he would rather his district be joined up with similar rural areas in order to deliver what's best for his district's residents.

"I support the idea of unitary councils within the existing boundaries," he said.

"But I would want a unitary for the rural areas.

"My preference would be to join other rural councils rather than be joined with an urban area like Northampton borough."

No final decision on the make-up of Northamptonshire's local government has yet been made and talks are ongoing with all affected parties as to how best split the county.

Heads of the eight councils around the county are set to hold a crunch meeting today to discuss how to divide the boundary lines.

A recruitment company's Daventry offices re-opened for business this week four months after a drunk driver crashed into the shopfront on Boxing Day.

Pertemps moved into their offices in Unit C3 in Abbey Street on June 15 last year but had to temporarily relocate to a hotel until Monday this week.

Being a small team it was decided Pertemps would close the shop between Christmas and New Year, leaving a note in the window to tell customers that they could call if the matter was urgent.

And at 9.30am on Boxing Day the phone did indeed ring, but it was the police informing store manager Marion Dorney they were in the shop, and so was a car.

"Both of our neighbours are small, independent business. If it had happened to them it could have been the end of their business," said recruitment consultant Sophie Iverson.

"The main thing is luckily no one got hurt."

The driver of the black Vauxhall was found to be three-and-a-half times over the limit. He had overtaken a family driving to McDonald's for breakfast before losing control and smashing into the shop.

The offices suffered extensive damage; the entire shopfront had to be redone, the door was hanging off, the shutter was bent and all the ceiling tiles had fallen down.

In the meantime Marion, Sophie and administrator Jackie Oates worked out of a Mercure Hotel conference room from January to April.

"They had a room off the reception so it wasn't too much of a hassle for people to come in and see us," said Sophie, though business did suffer due to the disruptive episode, loss of footfall and people driving past the offices.

But now the business is back up-and-running after the team received the keys on Monday.

"It's been absolutely manic. There are still a few little bits to finish off," said Sophie.

Bosses at the foundation say that funding has been crucial in supporting the county’s much-needed community projects, which includes those tackling poverty, domestic violence, social isolation and unemployment.

Live at Home, a community project helping older people to maintain their independence has received £3,000 from the Briggs and Forrester Foundation Fund to continue to run their much-loved lunch clubs and other services that help to support the older community in Northamptonshire.

Q Space was awarded £5,000 from the #iwill fund with match funding from The Wilson Foundation. The funding has enabled the group to create a support group, which provides opportunities for LGBTQ youngsters to campaign on issues important to the group.

Grants of up to £1.3 million have been awarded to 503 projects this financial year, between

Victoria Miles DL chief executive of the NCF said: “We are so very blessed with generous donors who continue to give to the community foundation, enabling us to support our mainly volunteer-led groups, providing essential help to those most in need.

"This year some of our major fund holders have given more from their endowment funds as other funding streams were cut from statutory bodies during the year.

"I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for their invaluable support. Endowment building is a key strategy of a Community Foundation, it provides sustainability and funds for problems and challenges our communities face now and in the years to come.”

Also, in receipt of a grant was the Northampton Bangladeshi Association, who received £5,000 from the Northampton Queen’s Institute Relief Fund to run their Ladies be Healthy class for members of BME groups and the wider community in Northampton.

Sport4Fitness CIC received a £1,000 cash boost from the Northamptonshire Federation of Disability Sport Fund to continue to run their Multi-Sports club which offers a variety of sporting activities for all disabilities and Avon UK gave £2, 760 from their fund for women and girls to Breast Friends Northampton to support their wellbeing activities for people living with breast cancer.

The Keep Safe Card project, which has been running since 2011, is today (April 18th) being relaunched during a special event attended by deputy chief constable Rachel Swann, police and crime commissioner Stephen Mold and representatives from a host of disability charities and other organisations.

There are currently 1,400 card users signed up across the county but the hope is that this number will continue to grow as more organisations come on board to spread the word about the scheme.

The project encourages people with a disability, people who experience mental illness, or people who may be vulnerable, to sign up as Keep Safe Card holders.

The scheme is jointly run by Northamptonshire Police and the Northamptonshire Learning Disability Partnership Board. It is being expanded with funding from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC).

Stephen Mold, Police and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire Police, said: “Keep Safe is a wonderfully effective idea where partners have come together to protect vulnerable people living and working in this county.

"We have been consulting people with mental illness on how our services work for them and they asked for something that would help us understand their needs if they are in crisis or need help. This simple card fits the bill."

The card can then be shown whenever the holder feels lost, bullied, worried about their safety or in need of assistance in any way. Help may be found in shops, libraries, leisure centres, GP surgeries or anywhere a person feels they can ask for support.

The three emergency services, police, fire and ambulance, will also be able to access the information to be able to support the person in the best possible way.

The card holds some basic details about the person’s disability as well as contact details for people close to them, such as carers, who can be telephoned in an emergency, as well as an idea of how best to help and communicate with the cardholder.

Mr Mold added: “Safeguarding vulnerable people is one of the cornerstones of the Police and Crime Plan and I am confident that the Keep Safe Scheme will help people receive better care, help and support while helping public services work together.”

The event is being held at Moulton Community Centre to celebrate the expansion of the scheme, which will now see many new member organisations signing up as key partners to help the project grow even further.

These organisations include Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, the Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust, the mental health charity Mind, and Autism Concern.

To sign up for a Keep Safe Card or for more information ring 01604 888963, email ldpb@northamptonshire.gov.uk or visit www.keepsafenorthants.org and download an application form.

The Northants Telegraph, Northampton Chronicle and Echo, and Daventry Express have today launched the search for those who are top of the class in education.

Our annual Northamptonshire Education Awards aim to shine a light on the superb work being done in education across the county.

We want readers to nominate people for honours which will be presented at an awards evening to be held at Wicksteed Park on June 27.

The award categories are Changemaker; Secondary School of the Year; Inspirational Pupil of the Year; Sporting Achievement Award; Primary School of the Year; Inspirational Teacher; Unsung Hero; Special School or SEN Provision; Lifetime Achievement; and Community Award.

We are also delighted to announce that our headline sponsors for the awards are the county law firm, Wilson Browne.

A company spokesman said: “Wilson Browne Solicitors are delighted to support these established awards which continue to recognise those who have shown dedication, commitment and passion within the education sector, whether teacher, pupil, support staff or, indeed, anyone involved within the broader area of teaching or learning and development.

“The firm has a proud tradition of supporting various causes and worthy initiatives, including the Pride In Northamptonshire/Northamptonshire Community Awards; The Northamptonshire Chamber Of Commerce Business Awards; various charities and even funding schooling for under-privileged children in Gambia.

“Our sponsorship enables the school to fund uniforms, materials for education, teaching staff, as well as health and social care for the local community.

“Our support has had a positive impact on the village helping to provide toilet and shower blocks for the children and teachers, in addition to a health centre, with a doctor and nurse, mosquito nets for every family in the village, and a vehicle for transportation.

“Closer to home, we should never lose sight of the value of education and of the immensely positive impact that dedicated professionals can have on the development of pupils, which is why the firm invests a significant amount of time in supporting schools and colleges through initiatives such as “Enterprise Advisers” – a national initiative to try to provide school children, especially those 11 to 18, with exposure to local businesses.

“Whether 3,700 miles away or on our doorstep, every child deserves an education and Wilson Browne Solicitors has a proud and strong record of investing in people and helping them further their careers through training and support… which is why we are thrilled to be the headline sponsor for this event.”

Northamptonshire Newspapers has previously joined forces with the county council for these awards.

This year we are delighted that Wilson Browne have stepped in at the last minute to be the main overal sponsor of the awards.

Email your nominations to roberta.stinson@jpress.co.uk.

Please include details of the person you are nominating, the category they are nominated for and a couple of paragraphs on why you are nominating them. Please also include their contact details, if possible.

Include your full name, and relationship to the person being nominated (teacher, etc) plus your phone number and email address.

West Midlands Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward after tools were stolen from a van in Daventry.

A man was arrested in the early hours of this morning in Coventry on suspicion of theft and a large number of various types of tools were recovered.

Some of the tools were stolen from a van in Coventry while others are thought to have been taken for a parked van in Daventry last night (April 17) or from somewhere between Coventry and Daventry.

If anyone recognises the tools or has any information relating to the theft they are asked to contact PC Rees at Coventry Central police station by dialling 101 and extension 831 3284.

Alternatively, they can email j.rees@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk