Emeka Igmoanugo, 50, of Adnitt Road, Northampton, was arrested in Northampton on Friday (July 20) and charged with possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs and obstructing a police officer. He is due to appear before Northampton Magistrates’ Court today, Monday, July 23.

Luke Hunter, 22, of no fixed address, was arrested on Saturday in Northampton and charged with possession with intent to supply class A drugs. He appeared before magistrates this morning (Monday, July 23) and has been remanded in custody.

Another man, 21-year-old Joshua Issac, from Queen’s Street, Rushden, has been charged with possession with intent to supply class A drugs, possession of criminal property and dangerous driving, after being arrested in Rushden on Friday, July 20.

He appeared before magistrates’ on Saturday, July 21 and was remanded in custody. He is due to appear before Leicester Crown Court on Monday, August 20.

The charges were made as part of Northamptonshire Police's Operation Viper, aimed at clamping down on gang-related crime.

Thomas O’Donovan, 30, was originally sent warning letters by the district council after he was seen dumping a range of household items in a walkway alcove near his home on The Stour, Daventry.

When further items appeared that could be traced to Mr O’Donovan, a council enforcement officer issued him with a £400 fixed penalty notice, which would have been reduced to £300 had it been paid within ten days.

However, when this was also ignored, the council was left with no option but to pursue court action.

Appearing before Northampton Magistrates' Court on July 4, Mr O’Donovan pleaded guilty to two counts of fly-tipping and was fined £400 and ordered to pay costs of £638.88, plus a victim surcharge of £30.

Councillor Richard Auger, environmental health and housing portfolio holder on Daventry District Council, said: "Fly-tipping is a significant problem across our district, and the cost of investigating and clearing it is considerable.

"Cases such as this not only show that we will take action where there is sufficient evidence to do so, but should also serve as a warning not to ignore fixed penalty notices, as we will take matters further if needs be."

The winner of a nationwide contest to find the best doctors' surgery could hail from Daventry.

Danetre Medical Practice has been nominated as a finalist in this year’s General Practice Awards in the People’s Choice Award: Surgery of the Year category.

The prize is new for 2018 and offers the public the chance to show their appreciation for their favourite by voting online or by text.

Dr Gareth James, senior partner at Danetre Medical Practice, said: “We are very proud of our team here at the surgery at this time of great upheaval in the NHS, and with the news we have a new health secretary this can only mean more change.

"It is rewarding to see our hard working wonderful staff get recognition for all their dedication and commitment to patient care."

He added: "With fundamental changes happening within the NHS, these awards go some way to help to boost their morale.

"The surgery feels very honoured to have been nominated during the 70th Year of the NHS and have actively been advertising that we need votes to get us through to the shortlist stage by holding dress down Mondays/Fridays resulting in all staff wearing t-shirts with the information on how to vote on.

"It is hoped our staff have a positive impact on our patients’ lives by way of the care we provide them, and that we send legions of patients away with their minds eased, their problems heard and with an antidote to their ailments”.

There are 81 surgeries in the running to be crowned surgery of the year.

To cast a vote for Danetre Medical Practice you can either visit the link or by texting CHOICE24 to 60777 (standard rates apply).

Voting closes on August 10 with the shortlist being announced on September 3.

The General Practice Awards are designed to recognise, highlight, and reward the hard work and innovation that gets carried out every day in surgeries up and down the UK.

A second wave of emergency spending controls have been issued at Northamptonshire County Council due to the ongoing financial crisis.

The authority has today (Tuesday) issued a second section 114 notice at One Angel Square, limiting the council to only essential spending.

In a letter to councillors, the director Mark McLaughlin has outlined the challenges facing the council including a potential budget shortfall in this current financial year of between £60 million and £70 million.

The first spending controls issued in February related to the 2017/2018 finaicial year, but the latest section 114 notice extends the controls to the 2018/2019 budget.

The measures prohibit councils from entering into any "new spending agreements" except in any extraordinary circumstances.

An extraordinary full council meeting will now be held next month to discuss a set of spending priorities in light of the spending controls.

The decision to issue a section 114 notice was made in discussion with the Government-appointed commissioners.

County council leader Councillor Matthew Golby said: “The financial challenge facing Northamptonshire County Council remains critical and the spending controls we have in place are vital to ensure we are focusing our limited funding on only the most essential services.

“At the meeting next month, we as a council will discuss a set of priorities built around delivering statutory services and services for the most vulnerable in our communities, and this means there will be difficult decisions that have to be made.

“We remain committed to doing everything we can to identify the savings required to reach a more stable financial position whilst ensuring those in our communities at risk of harm are protected.”

The extraordinary full council meeting will take place on Wednesday 1st August at 5.30pm.

A further meeting of the full council will meet later in the month specifically to discuss the Section 114 notice.

Finance commissioner Brian Roberts said: “We are fully supportive of the issuing of this Section 114 which underlines the truly perilous state of Northamptonshire County Council’s finances.

“We have been very clear that we did not arrive in Northamptonshire with additional money and that to put itself on a secure financial footing very difficult decisions will need to be taken. It is clear the time for these decisions is now.

"It will require a determined response from the council to do everything in its power to address this significant financial shortfall, while protecting vulnerable people. We will ensure that such a response is made.

‘All that is required of the council is that it lives within its means, just like every other council. This is harder than it should be given the over-expenditure of recent years but not impossible.”

Andrew Gwynne MP, Labour’s Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary, said: “This Government has allowed a Tory council to declare itself bankrupt twice in six months.

“Northamptonshire is a perfect storm of local mismanagement and the crushing pressures of austerity.

“Commissioners will have no option but to slash and burn local services but it’s the people of Northamptonshire that will be forced to pay the price for this neglect.

“The Conservatives’ extreme ideology is pushing local government to the brink.

“The next Labour Government will fund councils fairly and deal with the our country’s chronic social care crisis.”

Investigators are asking for the public to help indentify a man who died in non-suspicious circumstances earlier this month.

He was found in Braunstone Lane East, Leicester, at around 10.30pm on July 11 and pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have released an artist impression of the man, as well as a photograph of a distinctive tattoo in the hope it will help identify him.

The man is described as white, 5ft 8ins tall, slim build and believed to be between 25 and 40 years old.

He had dark brown hair with short brown facial hair. He has a tattoo on his left upper arm and a large vertical scar from his chest to abdomen. His left ear has also been pierced but he wasn’t wearing an earring when he was found.

He was wearing a green printed t-shirt, grey Ellesse jogging bottoms, a light grey sweatshirt with the writing Brookhaven across the chest and a grey hooded jumper. He was also wearing a blue baseball cap and khaki coloured trainers with an orange trim. His clothing and his face, arms and legs also had paint on them.

Detective Constable Steve Winterton said: “We have carried out extensive enquiries to try and identify this man, but so far, have not been successful.

“We appreciate that this is not the best way to potentially find out about the death of a loved one or friend, and we are sorry for any undue distress it may cause.

“But we need the public’s help to help us identify this man. If you recognise the tattoo pictured or the artist impression of the man looks familiar and you have not seen or heard from the friend or relative you think it looks like, please call us on 101, quoting incident 18*325451.”

Opposition councillors at Northamptonshire County Council are calling for leader Matt Golby and some other senior Conservatives to stand down after another severe financial warning was issued at the authority.

The calls came after chief finance officer Mark McLaughlin issued another 114 notice today saying there is a budget shortfall of up to £70m.

His report issued to councillors this morning says that over the past four years  financial decision-making had been ‘factually wrong, ill-informed, out of step and inappropriate’.

Now leading councillors say council leader Matt Golby, who was part of the cabinet during those years, should stand down. Cllr Golby took over as leader after Heather Smith resigned in March.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Chris Stanbra said: “Matt Golby now needs to consider his position, as do cabinet members Cllr Michael Clarke and Cllr Ian Morris. Cllr Golby was deputy leader before and has been in the cabinet for many years. Cllr Clarke and Cllr Morris were also in the cabinet and so would have been involved in making these decisions.

“They need to seriously think about whether they should step down in light of the current situation the council is in. If they don’t, they need to be ready to explain why it is that they should stay, as they bear a responsibility in this.”

Cllr Golby joined the cabinet in 2015 and Cllr Clarke has been in the cabinet since 2014.

He was replaced in 2016 but returned to the cabinet this year. Cllr Morris has been a cabinet member since 2017.

The council was led by Jim Harker during much of this time, until he retired in 2016.

Chairman of the finance scrutiny committee Cllr Mick Scrimshaw said: “Clearly Matt Golby was a leading part of the cabinet and knew what was going on.

“Those responsible now need to be held accountable. In the opposition we knew there were huge financial problems but we did not know a lot of the detail as it was hidden from us.”

Cllr Scrimshaw said if a 114 notice had been issued a few years ago by the then chief finance officer Matt Bowmer then the council may not have been where it is today.

He said: “It was a mistake not to issue the notice. I would like to see some ex-councillors and former council officers return to answer questions.

“I am not sure even now that the administration has a handle on what is happening.”

Cllr Stanbra said the current financial situation at the council was so serious that he did not know how the authority was going to make the required savings.

The £70m shortfall figure published today is double what had been previously expected. Details of further cuts are expected at an extraordinary meeting on August 1.

Cllr Stanbra said he thinks compulsory redundancies may now be on the way.

Two government commissioners are overseeing the authority and today (July 24) finance commissioner Brian Roberts said no extra money was coming from central government and that the time for difficult decisions has come.

Sarah Ward, Local Democracy Reporter

The outgoing finance chief of Northamptonshire County Council has launched a blistering attack on the years of ‘ill-informed and inappropriate’ decision making that has led the authority to ban new expenditure for a second time in six months.

Mark McLaughlin delivered his stinging criticism in issuing an unprecedented second Section 114 notice this morning prohibiting any new expenditure, which was agreed with the two government-appointed commissioners overseeing the council’s finances.

Mr McLaughlin - who only joined the council in December and will leave at the end of this month after resigning - also suggests that ‘unachievable savings’ were ‘knowingly adopted’ as part of the 2017/18 budget.

Now the crisis-hit county council faces a potential budget shortfall in this current financial year of £60-70m. Finding such savings will ‘go beyond cuts to staff pay and numbers’ because ‘no immediate remedy is available’. This means that services for vulnerable children, young people and adults are likely to be hit.

The Section 114 notice for 18/19 follows the first being issued back in February for 17/18, which was believed to be the first instance of such a notice being ordered in two decades. With this latest update, it appears the stricken authority is again in uncharted territory for local government.

In a letter to councillors, Mr McLaughlin says the first Section 114 was ordered to avoid an ‘unprecedented negative General Fund balance’.

He writes that this position is still at risk, largely because of the need to account in the present day for ‘poor or ill-advised decisions taken in the past; in setting and managing the budgets in 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18.’

He adds: “In terms of the approach to financial decision-making that had been adopted by the county council, it was clear that this was factually wrong, ill-informed, out of step with other public sector organisations, and inappropriate for informing the decisions made by a large public sector organisation with such serious responsibilities.”

Mr McLaughlin criticises the use of reserves for day-to-day expenditure, maximising the use of capital receipts and for ‘assuming a future review of local government finance would result in fairer funding’. He says that difficult decisions ‘were put off in this expectation, with the gap between income and expenditure met through one-off interventions’.

And the cash crisis goes beyond this financial year, as the forecast for the 2019/20 budget is ‘equally stark’ says Mr McLaughlin.

He adds: “At the present time the forecast need for further savings, on top of those required in the current year, is in the order of £54m. Meeting this challenge will require a depth of insight, perspective and leadership that was not apparent in the setting of the 2018/19 budget.”

An extraordinary Full Council meeting will now take place on Wednesday August 1, with a further meeting later in the month specifically to discuss the Section 114 notice.

The leader of Northamptonshire County Council Matt Golby has said that he and other cabinet members will not resign.

Calls have been made by opposition councillors today (July 24) for the Conservative leader and some of his longer-serving colleagues to quit their posts after a Section 114 notice was issued today (July 24) by outgoing chief finance officer Mark McLaughlin.

This is the second time in 12 months a Section 114 notice has been issued at the council, which is now being overseen by two Government-appointed commissioners.

Speaking today Cllr Golby, who has been a member of the cabinet since 2014, said he was disappointed that opposition politicians had called for him to step down.

He said: “That is not going to happen. We are a new cabinet and are all about taking responsibility for what we find ourselves in. We are committed and focused on getting on with the job.

“I am OK with taking responsibility for my involvement in the past.”

Mr McLaughlin and lead commissioner Tony McArdle have today made public that £30m worth of savings are needed this year to stop the authority from going under. There will be no extra money from central government so the already severely reduced services will need to be cut further and more jobs could be lost.

In a report issued to councillors this morning Mark McLaughlin said that financial decision-making had been ‘factually wrong, ill-informed, out of step and inappropriate’ over the past four financial years.

Opposition councillors Cllr Mick Scrimshaw (Labour) and Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Chris Stanbra said Cllr Golby along with Cllr Michael Clarke and Cllr Ian Morris should consider their positions following the new financial revelations.

Cllr Golby added: “To me the upside to this is the route to local government organisation.  The key part of that is needing to reduce the deficit of Northamptonshire County Council. I have been meeting with the leaders of the boroughs and districts and their key concern is the legacy that NCC will leave. Children’s services and adult social care are the big ticket items and the other councils need to know we have done our very best in dealing with this high pressure area.”

All of Northamptonshire’s council’s are set to be scrapped from May 2020 after central government has dictated that a unitary system is introduced.

Asked whether he would stand in those election Cllr Golby said: “I’ll see where we are’.

Sarah Ward, Local Democracy Reporter

The following people were sentenced at Northampton Magistrates’ Court:

MAY 23

Kirsty Hyams, aged 30, of Joseph Priestley Court, Sheaf Street, Daventry, failed to stop at an accident; fined £55, licensed endorsed with six points. Failed to report an accident to the police; fined £55. Driving without due care and attention; fined £55. No insurance; fined £55, surcharge £30 and costs £85.

Matthew Eady, aged 32, of Chalcombe Road, Northampton, possession of four bags of cannabis; jailed for one week concurrent, surcharge £115. Had a knife in a public place without good reason; jailed for 26 weeks. Failed to surrender to custody; jailed for two weeks concurrent.

Aleksandr Janov, aged 59, of Wheatfield Road South, Northampton, assault; conditional discharge for 12 months, surcharge £20 and cost £625. Assault x 2; conditional discharge for 12 months.

Peter Cronin, aged 38, of Flintcomb Rise, Northampton, driving without due care and attention; fined £333. No insurance; fined £500, surcharge £50 and costs £85, licence endorsed with six points.

Rakesh Kumar, aged 29, of Reynard Way, Northampton, failed to report an accident; fined £120, surcharge £30 and costs £85, licence endorsed with five points. Driving without due care and attention; no separate penalty.

Jae Hood, aged 33, of Ribble Close, Northampton, driving at 92mph in a 70mph zone; fined £233, surcharge £30 and costs £85, licence endorsed with four points.

Benjamin Newby, aged 24, of Gillsway, Northampton, driving without due care and attention; fined £400, surcharge £40 and costs £85, licence endorsed with eight points.

Janos Daniel, aged 48, of The Manor, Billing Garden Village, Northampton, failed to comply with a red light; fined £100, surcharge £30 and costs £85, licence endorsed with three points.

Samuel Omomogbe, aged 24, of Rufford Avenue, Northampton, driving without due care and attention; fined £196, surcharge £30 and costs £85, licence endorsed with four points.

Jordon Ross-Smith, aged 26, of Conway Close, Northampton, failed to give information relating to the identity of a driver; fined £120, surcharge £30 and costs £85, banned from driving for six months.

Pawel Wierzbicki, aged 40, of Euston Road, Northampton, using a mobile phone while driving; fined £220, surcharge £30, costs £85, banned from driving for six months.

Keenan Berrill, aged 26, of Ellis Way, Northampton, assault; fined £80. Assault; fined £50, surcharge £30 and costs £85.

Daniel Crutchley, aged 31, of Eastern Avenue South, Northampton, breach of a court order; fined £195, surcharge £30 and costs £85.

Michael Daniels, aged, 34, of Challot Close, Daventry, assault; fined £60, surcharge £30 and costs £85.

Robert Newell, aged 39, of no fixed abode, damaged a window; fined £80, compensation £100, surcharge £30 and csots £85. Possession of a class A drug; fined £120. Posession of a class B drug; fined £80.

Jack Blackman, aged 21, of South Copse, Northampton, assault; community order made to carry out 40 hours of unpaid work; surcharge £85, costs £250. Resisted a police officer x 3; community order to carry out 40 hours of unpaid work.

Tammy Piper, aged 24, of Maritime Way, Southbrook, Daventry, assault; conditional discharge for 18 months, surcharge £20 and costs £85.

Ben Tate, aged 21, of Ashby Court, Northampton, assault; community order made to carry out 40 hours of unpaid work, surcharge £85 and costs £85. Damaged internal walls, light switch, TV and a bed frame; community order made to carry out 40 hours of unpaid work.

MAY 24

Samuel Johnson, aged 25, of Hamsterley Park, Northampton, stole groceries worth £143.07; fined £35, surcharge £30 and costs £85.

Aleksej Jegorov, aged 36, of Wheatfield Road South, Northampton, intentionally touched a woman without consent; community order to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work, compensation £50, surcharge £85 and costs £400.

Rhys Boylan-Cobley, aged 23, of Matlings Road, Deanshanger Road, Deanshanger, failed to comply with a commnity order; no adjudication, dealt with original offence, costs £600. Drug driving; commnity order made.

Isaac Sweeney, aged 38, of Hester Street, Northampton, stole various goods worth £197.70 belonging to Asda; jailed for four weeks, surcharge £115. Stole meat worth £183 belonging to

Waitrose; jailed for four

weeks concurrent. Stole various goods worth £216 belonging to Asda; jailed for four weeks concurrent. Stole goods worth £194 belonging to Asda; jailed for four weeks. Stole goods worth £110 belonging to Asda; jailed for four weeks consecutive. Stole various goods worth £234 belonging to Asda; jailed for four weeks concurrent. Stole various goods belonging to Asda; jailed for four weeks consecutive. Stole various goods worth £178 belonging to Asda; jailed for four weeks consecutive. Stole various goods worth £140 belonging to Asda;

jailed for four weeks consecutive. Stole various goods

worth £140 belonging to Asda; jailed for four weeks consecutive.

Karl Everson, aged 23, of Pilton Close, Northampton, drug-driving; fined £200, surcharge £30 and costs £85, banned from driving for 14 months.

Jamies Fallon, aged 38, of Strobel Mews, Northampton, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 73mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath; fined £120, surcharge £30 and costs £85, banned from driving for 36 months.

Richard Stockwin, aged 67, of Cotswold Avenue, Northampton, drink-driving with a blood test reading of 166mlgs of alcohol in 100mls of blood; fined £120, surcharge of £30 and costs £85, banned from driving for 20 months.

Shaquille Alves, aged 21, c/o Betony Close, Northampton, possession of a class B drug, possession of a knife in a public place; pleaded guilty, sent to Northampton Crown Court for sentence.

Keith Pears, aged 58, of Terrington Close, Brackle, drink-driving with a breath test reading of 127mcgs of alchol in 100mls of breath; community order to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work, surcharge £85 and costs £85, banned from driving for 30 months.

Natinal Soloman, aged19, of Euston Road, Northampton, assault; community order made to carry out 100 hours of unpaid wok, compensation £75, surcharge £85 and

costs £85. Used threatening or abusive words or behaviour; community order made to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

Daventry councillors are set to debate whether to hold local elections next year ahead of a likely move to becoming a new unitary authority in 2020.

All seven district and borough councils, as well as the county council, are likely to be replaced by two single-tier unitary authorities in 2020. Council leaders have been meeting to discuss the reorganisation and thrash out a deal to a joint bid can be launched by the end of August.

Due to the impending changes, councillors across the county have been raising the issue of whether there will be any need to hold local elections in 2019.

Now Daventry District Council will discuss a motion on Thursday evening from Labour councillors Aiden Ramsey and Ken Ritchie which calls on Daventry to proceed regardless.

The motion reads: “Daventry, unlike other councils in the county, holds elections in thirds and consequently elections in 2019 would not change the political control or leadership of Daventry.

“Elections in 2019 would ensure that Daventry District Council would enter the final phase of its existence with a full democratic mandate.”

Councillors will vote whether to back the amendment, and if they do, will pledge to hold elections for a third of its seats next year.

A Northamptonshire county councillor says more legal challenges may be on the way following next week’s meeting to decide where the axe will fall on services.

The meeting at County Hall in Northampton on Wednesday (August 1) is set to be one of the most important in the council’s history as councillors from all political parties will be tasked with voting on what the key priorities are for the authority before it begins another swathe of service cuts in a bid to shave up to £70 million from its spending this year.

It is thought that any services that the council is not required to carry out by law will be reduced or go altogether.

Compulsory redundancies for staff could also be adopted.

Labour councillor John McGhee, who represents the Kingswood ward in Corby and has been a councillor for more than 20 years, said: “Things have been bad for a few years and now they are going to become horrendous.

“There will be some strong debate and I think it is dreadful that the many will have to pay for the mistakes of the few.

“I have been asking for the past 20 years what the statutory duties are for the council to provide and not one of the chief executives we have had over those years has been able to tell me.

“I am not even sure that central government knows what that is.

“If there are legal challenges after next week, that would not surprise me.”

The authority is already facing a legal challenge about its plans to close 21 of its libraries, with the first day of a judicial review being heard at Birmingham High Court tomorrow (Thursday).

Leader of the council Cllr Matt Golby said councillors would have to make some hard choices about what the most important services are.  

The leader, who yesterday brushed off calls for his resignation, said: “At the meeting we will define what our priorities as a council are.

“We will decide our core priorities and then set them for the next phase.

“We have got to have a debate and establish a hierarchy of priorities to help us make decisions when we are looking at spending areas.”

The council is in a seriously perilous position and yesterday its chief finance officer issued another 114 notice, which is a warning that the authority may not balance its books.

The figure the council needs to save this year also doubled from £35 million to £70 million.

In a series of media interviews yesterday chief commissioner Tony McArdle gave his first indication of his findings and the way forward for the county.

He said that previously there had not been measures in place to make sure budgets were kept to, but that it was still possible for the council to balance its budget and it had to simply live within its means.

The commissioner, along with his finance commissioner Brian Roberts told all councillors in a recent meeting that they would be guided in the service reductions based on a list of priorities decided on by members.

Conservative councillor Robert Gough, who represents Earls Barton, said he was still formulating what his key priorities were and would be listening to the views of his constituents.

He said: “The most important thing is that we balance the budget.

“As councillors it is good to know that we are still in a position of influence and that the commissioners will listen to what ourselves and the cabinet say.”

'Dennis and the Chamber of Mischief'

Mischief Makers Summer Reading Challenge 2018

Interactive storyteller

Duston Library

27 July

10am to 11am

Suitable for 6-11 years (booking is required).

Family Fun Day

Tombola, splat the rat, crazy bikes, karate, face painting, street food, bouncy castle, police cars and cadets and reptiles.

Kings Heath Park

12noon to 3pm

Rhymetime

Duston Library Activities (for under 5's)

August 6th, 13th, 20th

10am to 11am

Northampton Active (formerly Northampton Playdays)

Free afternoon of children's play, including a zip-wire, bouncy castles, soft play, sports including football, bowls and tennis and 'Lenny the Land Train' The Northampton Active Stage will als play host to a magician, dance acts and rhymetime performances. (In partnership with Northampton Leisuire Trust and Abington Park Museum).

1 August

12noon to 4pm

0-12 years

Abington Park Museum and bandstand Side

Free

Alice in the Garden tea party

Decorate your own treat to celebrate National Playday with free face painting, Mad Hatter Hat craft activities and balloon modelling.

1 August

12 noon to 3pm

Manor House Museum, Alfred East Art Gallery and the museum and gallery garden.

Make your own theatre

Duston Library

1 August

(Booking required)

10.30am to 11.30am

Hip Hop Day

A jam-packed day of dance, looking at breakdance and choreographic routines in association with local dance company, Body Rox.

For ages 7-16

2 August

9.30am to 4pm

The Core at Corby Cube

£25

Spoken Word Day

Look at a range of different styles and work with The Orator to create spoken word and rap.

For ages 12-16

3 August

9.30am to 4pm

The Core at Corby Cube

Cost £25

Rock painting drop in

Duston Library

8 August

(while stocks last)

2.30pm to 4pm.

Zoo Story Corner

It's time to go WILD! DRESS UP in your favourite animal fancy dress costume and listen to the story teller as we bring to life one of our favourite tales, 'Dear Zoo'.

Get your face painted as your favourite animal and take a picture with our face in the hole boards. Plus you can create your very OWN animal pencil pot to take home with you.

8 August

11am to 3pm

At Weston Favell's Favell Fun Club.

Make your own dreamcatcher

Duston Library

15 August

10.30am to 11.30am

(Booking is required)

Grow your own cress

Get your aprons ready where we will celebrate the start of August! Woohoo, we will be planting our own cress heads!

You will learn about looking after the wildlife whilst decorating your own cress head with felt tip pens and stickers. Once ready, fill it with soil and plant your seeds and take them home to watch them grow!

1 August

11am to 3pm

Weston Favell Shopping Centre

Youth graffiti project workshop

3 August,

St David’s Church community rooms,

2pm to 4pm

Free of charge

Bradlaugh Fields Community Show

4 August,

10am to 5pm

Free of charge

Brilliant Birds

Join us for a walk around the aviary and learn about the birds that are kept there.

Then make some feathery friends in our brilliant bird craft workshop. Suitable for children of all ages.

7 August

1.15 to 2pm, 2.15 to 3pm, 3.15 to 4pm

Abington Park Museum

£2.50 per child

Booking essential.

Call 01604 838110 Tuesday to Sunday 1-5pm or www.northampton.gov.uk/museumkids

Youth graffiti project painting

MUNGA area St David’s

10 August

11am to 4pm

Free of charge

Children’s face painting

11 August,

Northampton Market Square,

11am to 3.30pm

Free of charge

Edwardian Extravaganza

Take a step back in time to Abington 1901-1910 at our Edwardian themed family fun day. Take part in craft activities, fancy dress and Edwardian mini Olympics on the lawn. Enjoy music Edwardian music, watch a Punch and Judy show, and try your performance skills in our Edwardian variety show!

11 August

1-5pm

Abington Park Museum

Free. Drop in – no booking required.

Please note there will be a small charge for some of the activities.

Kinky Boots screening

12 August

Becket’s Park

Two screenings: 11am and 2.30pm

Free of charge

Arts Workshop

Create a printed and collaged park landscape using painted papers, stencils and simple printmaking techniques. Suitable for children aged five and over.

14 August

1.15-2pm, 2.15-3pm, 3.15-4pm

Abington Park Museum

£2.50 per child

Booking essential. Call 01604 838110 Tuesday to Sunday 1-5pm or www.northampton.gov.uk/museumkids

Sun Time, Fun Time

15 August

Join us as we check in and board the flight on a Sunny Summer Holiday with Favell Fun Club. You're invited to create your own smiling sunshine. Learn one the best Summertime songs using sign language - 'You are my Sunshine'.

Weston Favell Shopping Centre

Free

Anchors Away!

16 August

Join Abington Park Model Yacht Club to learn how to sail your very own model yacht. Decorate and find out how to set up your yacht. Then, test your boat sailing skills and race against the other model boats at Abington Park boating lake.

Suitable for children aged five and over. Learning session will take place from 1-2pm, boating lake session 2-3pm. This activity will involve support from supervising adult to enable the child to participate.

1pm to 3pm

Abington Park Museum

£5 per child

Booking essential. Booking essential. Call 01604 838110 Tuesday to Sunday 1-5pm or www.northampton.gov.uk/museumkids

Find out more about Abington Park Model Yacht Club at www.apmyc.weebly.com

Radio Sailing with Abington Park Model Yacht Club

21 and 23 August

Join Abington Park Model Yacht Club to learn all about sailing a radio controlled boat.

Yachts will be provided by Abington Park Model Yacht Club for you to try.

Day one - a short session at the museum, learning about the radio controlled yacht, followed by a trip to Abington Park boating lake to learn how to operate the yachts on the water.

Day two - some basic theory, followed by a mini regatta with a small prize for the winner!

Suitable for children aged eight and over. Children must be supervised by an adult at all times. This activity will involve support from supervising adult to enable the child to participate.

1pm to 3pm

Abington Park Museum

£6 per child for the two afternoon sessions

Booking essential. Call 01604 838110 Tuesday to Sunday 1-5pm or www.northampton.gov.uk/museumkids

Find out more about Abington Park Model Yacht Club at www.apmyc.weebly.com

Pom pom pets

Duston Library

22 August

10.30am to 11am

(Booking is required)

Pooh Bear and Friends Crafts

22 August

Favell Fun club is tasting sweet as we make our own hunny pot perfect for any Pooh Bear! Take your hunny pot home and follow our map around the centre to find all your favourite Pooh Bear characters and return it to collect your popping popcorn treat.

11am to 3pm

Weston Favell Shopping Centre

Free

Puppet Workshop

30 August

1.15pm to 2pm, 2.15pm to 3pm, 3.15pm to 4pm

Abington Park Museum

Learn all about puppets, see the puppets in their collection, and have a go at making your very own puppet.

Suitable for children of all ages.

£3 per child.

Booking essential. Booking essential. Call 01604 838110 Tuesday to Sunday 1-5pm or www.northampton.gov.uk/museumkids

All Summer long activities:

Elsie’s Café Fighting Holiday Hunger for All Children

Pick up a bag containing a picnic lunch for your child every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday lunchtime from Elsie’s Café at Market Street Community Rooms, Brunswick Place, Northampton.

11:45am to 12:15pm

Due to the voluntary nature of Elsie’s operation and to maintain our commitment to prevent food waste, bags must be ordered a day in advance and are subject to availability.

Book a picnic bag by e-mailing summerlunchbags@gmail.com or call in person at Elsie’s Café.

Children must be accompanied by an adult to book a picnic bag, which they can eat it in the cafe, in our garden or take elsewhere.

It is anticipated the bags will contain protein (meat, cheese etc) bread, fruit, something sweet and a drink.

The Harts Summer Rock Club

We are holding a free event every Monday of the summer holidays - the event is called the Harts summer rock club and is in the spirit of the current rock craze in the community.

Children are welcome to come during these hours to design their own rocks ready to go and hide in the community.

The Hart pub in Duston (573 Harlestone Road)

12 noon to 4pm

Free (rocks are provided)

Packed lunches are not allowed but food can be bought in the restaurant.

Market Square Beach

A giant sand pit, buckets and spades, deck chairs, children’s fairground rides will be opening at the bottom of the market square seven days a week, weather permitting.

10am to 4pm

26 July to 2 September

Free of charge

Northampton Market Square

Stay and play and mini beast hunts

Every Wednesday,

Bradlaugh Fields

10am to 12pm

£1.50

Market Square Beach

The giant sandpit is hosted by the council and free to use. We will be giving away free buckets and spades for families on Saturday 28th July and until stocks last.

Wellingborough town centre

From 28 July to 16 August

10am to 4pm.

Kettering by the Sea

The giant sand pit will be open from 20 July until 18 August every day (except Sundays).

10am to 4pm

Market Place in Kettering

Interactive ghost trail

All day, any day,

Pick up a trail map from the Guildhall in Northampton.

Nasty Northampton

An exhibition for all the family that looks at the hysterical and hideous histories of Northampton, from the exploits of Francis Tresham in the Gunpowder Plot and his eventual fate as a severed head at Northampton castle to the secret of what leveller Captain Pouch had in his pocket. Find out why Northampton started to make shoes and about the crimes of the Culworth gang, a notorious gang of robbers in the 18th century. With lots of things to see and do the exhibition brings Northampton’s odd history to life.

Every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday (running until September 16)

12 to 5pm

Grosvenor Shopping Centre

Free Admission

Wet'n'Wild

Fun and games to be had with a large inflatable obstacle course for 8-16 years.

Every Thursday during the school holidays from 2pm to 3.30pm

Mounts Baths

No booking required.

Last August the charity’s Helpline made referrals involving 849 children to police and social services due to concerns about them being left unsupervised by their parent or carer. A third of these were aged five and under.

Throughout 2017/18 there were 7,277 children referred to authorities due to concerns about them being left to fend for themselves, with the problem being most acute in August during the long school holidays.

NSPCC community fundraising manager for Northamptonshire Barbara Elsey said: “It can be difficult for parents and carers to decide whether their child is ready to be left on their own and we know that the summer holidays can be a tricky time as people face increasing childcare pressures.

“However, it is still very concerning that we are consistently seeing a spike in August of referrals to social services and the police due to worries about children being left unsupervised.

"No child should be left on their own if there is any risk they will come to harm.”

The NSPCC has warned that although a child may seem responsible enough to be left alone without supervision, parents and carers should think carefully whether they would be able to cope with unexpected situations such as an emergency, a stranger calling at the house, being hungry or if the parent is away for longer than anticipated.

The charity is also encouraging parents to read its home alone guide which includes questions they should ask themselves and their children before deciding to leave a child unsupervised.

To help parents and carers who may be considering whether or not to leave their child on their own for the first time this summer, the NSPCC is issuing guidance on leaving children home alone on its website.

Top tips to take away:

Babies, toddlers and very young children should never be left alone.

Children under the age of 12 are rarely mature enough to cope in an emergency and should not be left at home alone for a long period of time.

Children under the age of 16 should not be left alone overnight.

Parents and carers can be prosecuted for neglect if it is judged that they placed a child at risk by leaving them at home alone.

A child should never be left at home alone if they do not feel comfortable with it, regardless of their age.

If a child has additional needs, these should be considered when leaving them at home alone or with an older sibling.

When leaving a younger child with an older sibling think about what may happen if they were to have a falling out - would they both be safe?

The charity analysed the latest annual plans published by NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) which set out how they will care for children’s mental health and found that, across England, 88 per cent were failing to properly plan for the needs of vulnerable children including those who had been abused.

All 195 CCGs in England were given a traffic light rating by the NSPCC and for 2017/18, 146 were rated amber and 21 were rated red.

This means that an estimated 1.3 million abused children in England are living in an area with inadequate plans for their mental health needs, or with no plans for their care whatsoever.

Northamptonshire’s two CCGs both received a red rating which means action is needed to improve the plan for the county’s estimated 21,866 children who have been abused or neglected. Of those 21,866 children, 2,193 reported to Corby CCG and 19,673 reported to Nene CCG.

But the county's two CCGs say the NSPCC's analysis was based on data from 2015, and that an updated 2018 dataset was available to the charity for their research.

A spokesperson on behalf of NHS Nene CCG and NHS Corby CCG said: “It’s important that local people understand that the NSPCC are commenting upon a report that was drawn up in 2015.

"Since that time, we have already recognised many of the criticisms made in relation to the plan and undertaken work to correct these.

"During the last year the CCGs have been working with Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and other partners to revise and develop a plan that addresses many of the highlighted concerns, as well as setting out how we intend to improve access to mental health support services and address issues around developing the local workforce responsible for supporting children and young people.

"This new plan was shared with the NSPCC during development and has since been published, so it is both disappointing and surprising that the published conclusions, which may raise real concerns for vulnerable service users and their families, relate to a plan the NSPCC is aware is out of date.

"It is worth noting that as a direct result of some of these changes, the CCGs have recently been invited to apply to become a Children and Young People Mental Health Green Paper national ‘Trailblazer’.

"This invitation is made to selected CCGs who are able to demonstrate they delivered the nationally mandated “Mental Health Investment Standard” in 2017-18 and where 20% or higher of children and young people in their area are able to access mental health care. The CCGs intend to accept the invitation to apply to be a ‘Trailblazer’.”

The NSPCC is calling on all NHS CCGs to urgently recognise and plan for the increased mental health needs of children who have been abused.

Research shows that adults who have suffered abuse in childhood are twice as likely to develop clinical depression. Early support is key to minimising the long-term impact of mental health issues.

In 2016/17, one in three Childline counselling sessions related to mental and emotional health and wellbeing issues. In 36 per cent of Childline counselling sessions where abuse was the main concern, the young person also discussed their mental and emotional health, suicidal feelings or self-harm.

Almudena Lara, NSPCC’s head of policy and public affairs, said: “We recognise the hard work of NHS staff providing much-needed mental health services to young people. These ratings are not a reflection on those services and the staff working to deliver them.

“But our analysis shows that there are CCGs across England that are still not properly planning for the mental health needs of abused children and young people. It is crucial these children are supported to get back on track and lead healthy lives.

“In future, we want to see more CCGs not only recognise the needs of these children, but go further and ensure services are there to support them.”

NHS England has stipulated that CCGs must update their plans annually and the NSPCC is calling on all CCGs to develop clearer strategies to meet the mental health needs of children who have been abused in their 2018/19 updated plans and all future plans.

The fight to save 21 Northamptonshire libraries from closure will head to the courtroom tomorrow (July 26).

A final hearing will take place at Birmingham administrative court as part of a judicial review into Northamptonshire County Council’s decision to no longer run 21 of its libraries.

Two teams of specialist lawyers will make their case against the county authority’s plan.

Irwin Mitchell will represent a young girl from Desborough and Watkins and Gunn will act for the 20 other threatened libraries. Both legal actions will be heard together before a judge.

The county authority proposed last October to close down the majority of its 36 libraries in a bid to save funds.

If the proposal goes ahead it would see children’s centres and other community groups based in the libraries having to relocate.

Caroline Barrett, a specialist lawyer for Irwin Mitchell representing the Desborough family, which cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “We have been instructed to challenge Northamptonshire County Council’s decision to shut 21 libraries across the county.

“Many people using the library services are children, or are elderly, disabled, or from low income households and they may struggle to access the library provision in larger towns.

“These cuts are extensive and our client and her family are concerned that this will have a very significant impact upon their ability to access a library service and the impact on local residents, many of whom live in rural areas. Our client’s family believe that, if implemented, these cuts will have a huge detrimental impact on the local community in Northamptonshire. Thirteen of the libraries identified for closure have children’s centres within them and even at this stage it remains unclear what will happen to those children’s centres if all these libraries close.

“We have advanced a number of legal submissions against the closure of these libraries, including an argument that to leave only 15 libraries in Northamptonshire would leave the council in breach of its duty to maintain a comprehensive and sufficient library service in the county. We are also arguing that the council failed to carry out a lawful public consultation into the proposals and that it did not conduct a full and lawful assessment of how vulnerable people will be affected by the closures.”

The girl’s mother said: “These cuts are not fair. They will have a devastating impact on families like ourselves, but also on the most vulnerable people within our community.

“The libraries offer us so much more than just books. They offer residents access to the relevant district council’s one-stop shop, blue badge and bus pass renewal, children’s services and plenty more services that residents rely on.

“I appreciate the council is in a difficult financial position but I do not think the impact of these cuts have been properly considered by the council, and the effect that this will have on local communities.”

The hearing will last for two days and a decision will be announced at a later date.

As part of its review into the library service NCC asked groups to put in bids to take over the running of the libraries. Seventeen of the libraries received an expression of interest and it is now understood that the other four libraries have also had a group come forward to run them and had an expression of interest accepted. An NCC spokesman has said they cannot confirm this for legal reasons.

The groups will find out next Wednesday (August 1) if their bid has been successful.  

The 21 under-threat libraries are: Abington, Danesholme, Deanshanger, Desborough, Earls Barton, Far Cotton, Finedon, Higham Ferrers, Irchester, Kingsthorpe, Long Buckby, Middleton Cheney, Moulton, Raunds, Roade, Rothwell, St James, Thrapston, Wollaston, Woodford Halse and Wootton Fields.

Sarah Ward, Local Democracy Reporter

The story of Magnus has inspired friends, neighbours and the community in Brixworth to help fund life-saving treatment not available in the UK.

The little boy was diagnosed last Christmas with stage four Neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of cancer affecting children under five.

It is a challenging illness to treat and due to the risk of relapse Magnus will require constant monitoring in the years following the initial treatment protocol.

But since his diagnosis, the Mighty Magnus Medicine Fund (MMM) has raised over £30,000 after his home village of Brixworth and the community of Northamptonshire came together to hold a host of fundraising events, with more planned for the future.

Parents Kate and Sandy said: "‘This has been such a tough eight months for us since Magnus’s diagnosis but we could not have got through it all without the amazing kindness and support from so many people, including complete strangers who have been so generous and taken Magnus to their hearts."

Kate and Sandy have now also shared a picture of Magnus' beads of courage - a string of beads where he adds one every time he receives treatment.

For his Viking-themed sixth birthday party in April, Magnus was so determined not to disappoint his guests that he received a blood transfusion in the morning to give him the energy to conquer the day.

The MMM was created in May to raise funds for essential treatment not offered by the NHS at the time.

Following a public campaign, the NHS will now fund the drug - but in order to give Magnus the best chance of survival and avoid the high risk or relapse, he will need access treatments only available in the US and elsewhere.

A JustGiving page has also been set up to help fund Magnus' potential treatments abroad.

The next upcoming fundraising event for MMM in Northamptonshire is a clothes swap and ladies evening on October 12 at 7pm at Brixworth Village Hall.

A bonfire of county council-held contracts could be on the way as the authority looks to halt a £70 million overspend this year.

That is according to Tony McArdle, one of the Government commissioners sent in to steady the financial ship at One Angel Square in 
May.

Giving his first interview since taking over the task alongside Brian Roberts two months ago, Mr McArdle said his main focus now - having undertaken a forensic look at the accounts - was to formulate a plan for getting the authority out of the financial mire.

Part, of that, he said would require shedding contracts with a number third-party service providers.

He said: “We are going to have to examine where reasonably we can cut costs.

“If you think that 70 per cent of the money that this council spends every year is on third-party contracts the questions you have to ask are - are those necessary and correct?

“Some will have been there for some time. Some will be very large, some will not fit in with the new objectives this council is going to set.

“There are hundreds from the large highways contract (with Kier WSP) to the contracts for childrens’ care and adult care.

“All of them will be reviewed.”

Over £1 billion of PFI contracts, large private loans taken out by the council to fund capital projects will also form part of that review.

Speaking on the same day the second Section 114 notice was issued at One Angel Square, the former Lincolnshire chief executive said the financial situation in Northamptonshire was ‘exceptional’.

“The authority has gone over the cliff,” he told this newspaper.

“It is at the bottom looking at how to climb back up.”

But he said that neighbouring authorities, particularly Leicesteshire, had manage to cope in equally strenuous conditions.

“All this council is being asked to do is what every other council has been asked to do,” he added.

Mr McArdle has revealed that he and Mr Roberts, who cost £1,500 for every day they day work, are advising the council in a part-time capacity to minimise their cost.

Part of their task will be to lend their expertise to the current “inexperienced” administration, led by Councillor Matt Golby.

It will also be to instill what he said was a “discipline” for managing budgets, even though the council itself is unlikely to exist beyond 2020 when it is replaced by two unitary authorities.

“This is all important for the unitaries that may come,” he said. “Because if the right cu lture isn’t in place, they will start off in a way of doing things that won’t serve them well.”

Northamptonshire Police’s efforts to improve its child protection provision have not yet translated into better outcomes for vulnerable children, according to a report published today by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

Inspectors found evidence of some good work by individual officers, but warned that poor management of registered sex offenders and inaccurate risk assessments were putting vulnerable children at risk.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Zoë Billingham said: “Northamptonshire Police shows a clear commitment to keeping children safe from harm, taking a proactive approach to safeguard children from further harm and bring offenders to justice.

“But our inspection also uncovered some areas of serious concern. The force’s management of registered sex offenders was particularly troubling. At the time of inspection, the force’s specialist team was significantly under-resourced and over-worked. Police officers were expected to manage caseloads well above nationally-approved guidelines.

“Although the force attends the highest priority cases in good time, we were disappointed to find that call handlers often downgraded crimes involving children – some as serious as domestic abuse – to ease demand their response teams. A risk-based approach should prioritise help for those who need it most, so the most vulnerable can be safeguarded in hours, not days.

“When incidents were identified as child protection cases, officers responded accordingly and handled them well. We found that they used their powers to remove children from harm’s way with due care and consideration for the child’s best interest.

“We have made a number of recommendations to the force to improve their practice in this area. Under the strong leadership of the Chief Constable and his senior team, I am reassured that the force has already taken immediate steps to address our concerns, which is positive and reflects the force’s overall commitment to improving outcomes for children.”

Inspectors were pleased to find that Northamptonshire Police:

- is unquestionably committed to the protection of children; and

- has invested in safeguarding training for frontline officers and staff.

However, inspectors were concerned to find that:

- joint visits between child protection officers and social services are either not recorded or do not take place;

- multi-agency risk assessment conferences are well-attended, but do not always result in strong decision making and action; and

- missing children investigations are generally of poor quality when allocated to non-specialist uniformed officers, leaving some children exposed to unacceptable levels of risk over a protracted period of time.

The Met Office has issued a weather warning covering the East Midlands as well as other parts of the country.

The yellow thunderstorm warning is in place from 2pm until 9pm today (July 26) as Northamptonshire could be subject to heavy rain for a short period of time.

"With hot air over the UK some scattered thunderstorms may form over parts of central and eastern England on Thursday afternoon," said the Met Office.

"Where these do form there is the potential for some very heavy rain for a short period of time as well as frequent lightning and perhaps hail and some gusty winds. 25-30 mm of rain is possible in less than an hour but the vast majority of sites will miss these thunderstorms and see very little, if any, rain.

"Some thunderstorms may persist into the evening and overnight but rainfall amounts from these should be less."

Earlier this week meteorologists issued another yellow warning for the area, which is in place from 2pm until 11.45pm on Friday.

"There is the potential for thunderstorms to develop during Friday afternoon, lasting well into the evening and perhaps developing into a larger area of rain," said the Met Office.

"Where the thunderstorms occur torrential downpours are possible with as much as 30 mm of rainfall in 1 hour and 60 mm in 3 hours.

"Large hail and strong, gusty winds will be additional hazards. However, many places will see much lower rainfall amounts."

The legal battle to quash Northamptonshire County Council’s decision to close 21 of its libraries got under way at Birmingham Administrative court this morning (July 26).

Two different claimants are fighting the decision made by the authority this spring to shut the doors on the majority of its libraries, leaving only 15 remaining for the entire county.

Barrister Stephen Broach, who is representing a young baby from Desborough, put forward the legal argument to Justice Yipp in front of a full courtroom of library campaigners.

The claimant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and her family want the judge to rule that the decision made by the authority’s full council on February 28 this year and the cabinet decision on March 13 about the libraries budget were unlawful. This would mean the decision to close would no longer stand.

It is not known what the authority, which is in the midst of a huge financial crisis, would choose to do if the judge rules it acted in breach of the law.

The skeleton argument for the Desborough child, put forward to the judge, stated: “The claimant seeks relief in relation to both decisions, such that the defendant is required to reconsider the whole question of its library services provision. CILIP, the specialist library professionals body, gives evidence in support of the claimant and confirms that the defendant’s cuts to services are the most signficant ever seen in an English local authority.

“The closure of most of the county’s libraries will have significant adverse consequences for the claimant and the very many other library users, many of whom are vulnerable.”

The grounds on which the decision is being challenged are that the council did not carry out a lawful consultation and that it breached sections of a number of laws including the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964, The Equality Act 2010, The Children Act 2004 and the Childcare Act 2006.

Mr Broach said the family of the Desborough child’s primary concern is that if the library closed then she would not be able to develop in the way her older siblings have and would be disadvantaged. The court heard that one of the siblings has a reading age five years ahead.

He said the family are frequent users of the library and could not access the alternative provision at Kettering because of the travel costs and difficulty of travelling with a young child.

Witness statements from other Desborough library users were also mentioned including from a local teaching assistant and childminder who use the library.

When asked by the judge what his claimant was seeking to achieve Mr Broach said: “That decisions are retaken. Which means the library will continue in its current form until the decision is retaken.”

In response the judge said she cannot rule that the libraries stay open.

The current plan by NCC is for the libraries to stay open until September 30. All 21 libraries have had community groups come forward to run them independently and a decision will be made by NCC  in the coming weeks as to whether that can happen.

John Connolly, a user of St James’ library in Northampton, is the second claimant and his barrister will put forward his case this afternoon. The 20 other threatened libraries come under under this claim.

The  barrister acting for NCC will put forward his legal arguments tomorrow. (July 27)

The case continues.

Sarah Ward, Local Democracy Reporter