Oundle School in Oundle has the most expensive year’s tuition for a pupil costing up to £23,505, with Winchester House School in Brackley having the second most expensive year’s tuition, costing up to £19,230 per pupil. Images are for illustrative purposes only.

Daventry Museum launches its 2019 exhibition schedule with a brand new display opening this Saturday.

Victorian Daventry – A Period of Change covers much of Queen Victoria’s reign, which saw the implementation of several Parliamentary Acts which reformed society and paved the way for modern Daventry.

Exhibits portray what it would have been like to live during the Victorian era, covering aspects of schooling, child labour and rural living.

Not forgetting the new and fascinating advancements in technology being discovered during this period.

The exhibition opens on January 12 and will run until April 26.

Daventry Museum is open Tuesday to Friday from 9.30am to 1.30pm and the following Saturdays from 10am to 4pm: January 12, February 2, March 9, and April 6.

This is not a list of all offenders jailed who went throught the court system in Northampton, but of those who have committed the most serious offences when Northamptonshire Police have deemed it worthy to release their custody photographs to the public.

Volunteer dog cuddling is being offered by a Northamptonshire dog sitting company as an antidote to loneliness in modern society.

For those who are retired or work from home and are spending large chunks of time alone, temporarily caring for a dog and meeting other like-minded dog lovers could really help to overcome feelings of isolation.

The perception of loneliness as mainly an issue for the older generation is now proving inaccurate, as a study from the Office for National Statistics suggests that young adults are more likely to feel lonely than older age groups.

Shirley Rands of Barking Mad's South Northants branch in Towcester said: "While remote working has obvious advantages, working alone under pressure and not having the physical presence of a team to support you can lead to loneliness that can’t be fixed by any kind of app.

"Caring for a friendly dog not only provides canine cuddles (far better than any virtual hug) but also the motivation to go and take a walk at lunchtime, increasing the likelihood of adhering to New Year fitness resolutions."

Due to huge advances in technology, the number of freelancers and remote workers is rising, with an article in Business Leader claiming that a ‘third of business owners think that workforce will work remotely by 2020’.

The community of Barking Mad host families mainly consists of active retired people and those who either work from home or have extended periods away from work.

It offers the opportunity to care for dogs in your own home, while their owners are away on holiday.

Hosts experience all the benefits of dog companionship without any of the emotional or financial responsibilities of full-time pet ownership.

Barking Mad has branches in Towcester, Kettering and Northampton covering the Brackley, Daventry, Wellingborough, Corby, Market Harborough, Thrapston and Moulton areas.

The month-long Christmas campaign to tackle drink and drug drivers in the county saw a drop in the number of people caught under the influence.

The force announced ahead of the start of the campaign that anyone caught drink or drug driving behind the wheel would be publically named.

Over the past month, officers have been out in force across Northamptonshire, undertaking various operations and carrying out increased patrols in order to catch those drink or drug driving.

This year, 1798 breath tests were conducted by officers compared to 537 in 2017.

Despite the number of breath tests more than tripling, less people were arrested for drink driving this year.

In 2017, 78 people were arrested with drink driving and six were arrested for drug driving.

In 2018, 72 people were arrested for drink driving and 16 were arrested for failing a roadside drug test, pending the results of blood tests.

All those charged with drink driving were named on Northamptonshire Police’s website, Facebook page and Twitter profile which included five drivers caught on Christmas Day and five on New Year’s Day.

PC Mo Allsopp-Clarke from the Safer Roads Team, said: “Those people caught driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs over the festive period are starting 2019 facing driving bans, unlimited fines and in some cases, prison sentences.

“Every year we warn people of the dangers of driving under the influence and every year, people ignore us, putting themselves and other road users in danger. This year we have publicly named those people selfish enough to take that risk.

“I’d like to thank the vast majority of people who did the right thing and only drove when sober and would urge everyone to continue to do so throughout 2019. There is never an excuse for driving under the influence when taxis and mobile phones are so readily available.

“As a police officer on the roads, having attended fatal collisions and spoken to the families of people who have died, I know how truly devastating the consequences of drink or drug driving can be. It’s just not worth doing for the sake of a bus or taxi fare – please don’t take the risk.”

To help keep everyone safer on the roads, anyone planning to drink alcohol should make arrangements to travel home safely without driving. Motorists are also reminded they may remain over the drink drive limit the following day and should make alternative travel arrangements.

To report suspected drink or drug driving in confidence, call the Drivewatch Hotline on 0800 174615 or dial 101. In an emergency, call 999.

A woman was verbally abused and assaulted by another dog walker while in a field near Badby.

The assault happened on Saturday, January 5, at about 11.15am on a footpath that runs through a field off the A361, next to the layby shortly before the village of Badby, coming from the direction of Daventry.

A man, who was also walking his dog, approached the woman and shouted verbal abuse before assaulting her.

Two people shouted from a distance and the man ran off with his dog.

The man is described as white, about 5ft 11in, stocky and about 50 years old.

He was wearing a blue jacket, black body warmer and blue jeans, and a beanie-style hat with a peak.

He had a light stubble beard and was walking a black long-haired Alsatian.

Officers are appealing for witnesses and would particularly like to speak to the couple who shouted and are believed to have seen the assault.

Anyone with information should call Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Burglars wearing balaclavas broke into a property in a Daventry village before demanding the homeowner hand over keys to the nearby pub.

The break-in happened in Pitsford Road in Chapel Brampton on Monday, January 7, between 7.40pm and 9pm, when three men, all wearing balaclavas, entered the property.

The occupants managed to raise the alarm and the men left the property empty handed.

They were seen climbing over a fence before running across a field and getting into a black 2008 Volkswagen Polo.

A spokeswoman for Northamptonshire Police said: "The man who spoke is described as having a foreign accent, possibly Romanian.

"He was about 5ft 11in (180cm), with a heavy build, and was wearing a black Puffa-style jacket, black jogging bottoms with a SikSilk logo, black heavy duty shoes and black gloves.

"The second man is described as about 5ft 9in (175cm), with a heavy build, and wearing a blue Puffa-style jacket, grey jogging bottoms, black heavy duty shoes and black gloves.

"The third man was also about 5ft 9in (175cm) with a heavy build, and wearing a dark-coloured Puffa-style jacket and black gloves."

Witnesses, or anyone with information or who may have seen the men or the car, are asked to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

The council has just started a series of internal working groups with councillors that will culminate in a 'budget scrutiny review' report being prepared.

The authority announced its draft 2019/20 budget in December, proposing a savings package worth £43 million.

Among the proposals, the authority plans to increase council tax by 2.99 per while investing in adult social care centres and reducing the cost of using external service providers.

The purpose of the extra meeting, the council says, is to act as a 'wrap-up' session to finalise the report however councillors are calling on the public to join in on the process.

The first hour of the wrap-up meeting will allow members of the public to have their say.

The meeting will take place at County Hall on Wednesday, January 23, at 10am and anyone who wants to speak has up to 24 hours before the date of that meeting to register or submit questions.

The usual public speaking protocol will apply in that it will need to be a question related to the draft budget and members of the public will be given up to three minutes to speak at the discretion of the committee chairman.

Anyone who wishes to speak should contact email: democraticservices@northamptonshire.gov.uk to register.

A 21-year-old woman suffered an assault and has been taken to Northampton General Hospital.

Police have arrested a male in connection with this incident.

Anyone with information can contact Northamptonshire Police on 101.

Alternatively, they can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Members of the public are being invited to meet the Government appointed commissioners overseeing finance and governance at Northamptonshire County Council at a series of surgery-style events taking place across the county.

The drop-in events will be held at district, borough and county council premises throughout the county over the next eight weeks and people can attend for individual 15-minute sessions with both lead commissioner Tony McArdle and commissioner for finance Brian Roberts.

The commissioners have said they felt it important people had a chance to come and speak with them directly about any concerns and opinions they had regarding the situation at the council.

In an open editorial they said: “Over the next couple of months, quite separately to the council’s legal responsibility for consulting on the draft budget proposed, we thought it right to make ourselves available to you to discuss your concerns.

“It is our intention to spend time hosting drop-in sessions for you as individual council taxpayers and residents to come and have a chat.”

The dates and times for each session are outlined below:

> January 23: 7pm to 9.30pm: Borough Council of Wellingborough, Swanspool House, Wellingborough

> January 30: 3pm to 6pm: South Northamptonshire District Council, Moat Lane, Towcester

> February 6: 4pm to 7pm: Corby Borough Council, The Corby Cube, George Street, Corby

> February 13: 2pm to 5pm: Pemberton Centre, HE Bates Way, Rushden

> February 20: 2.30pm to 5.30pm: Northampton Borough Council, Guildhall, Northampton

> February 27: 7pm to 9pm: Northamptonshire County Council, One Angel Square, Angel Street, Northampton

> February 28: 10am to 12.30pm: Daventry District Council, Lodge Road, Daventry

> March 7 10am to 12.30pm: Northamptonshire County Council, One Angel Square, Angel Street, Northampton

Police have issued a photograph of a man they wish to speak to in connection with an assault and other offences.

Officers say are they keen to locate the 23-year-old - who they did not name - who may be able to assist the investigation into the alleged offences.

They are urging him to make contact.

Anyone with information as to his whereabouts is asked to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A murder trial began yesterday (January 9) over the death of 17-year-old Louis-Ryan Menezes, who was stabbed to death in Drayton Walk, Kingsthorpe, in May last year.

But at Northampton Crown Court today (Thursday), the judge was forced to dismiss the 12 selected jurors due to complications that cannot be reported.

As a result, the trial will have to start from scratch on Monday (January 15) with a fresh jury.

His Honour Judge Rupert Mayo told the jury: “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sorry but I’m going to have to discharge you all in reaching a verdict in this case. A situation has arisen.”

A Northamptonshire cook has been crowned one of the best school chefs in the country.

Sara Franklin has used her skills at feeding the 1,200 hungry pupils at Campion School, in Bugbrooke, to win the LACA East Midlands School Chef of the Year 2019 award.

She is now in the running to take nine of Britain's best from across the country at the national finals in March - where she could be named the best school chef in the UK.

Sara said: "It went really well. I was so nervous but I managed to stay focused and keep my head down. It's just such a confidence booster to win and it's good to challenge myself.

"There's a lot of things you have to think about. The food has to be school compliant over how much fat and sugar is in it while keeping it healthy and nutritious."

Sara triumphed at the regional heats yesterday (January 10) where she raced the clock to prepare four portions of a main course and a dessert suitable for serving to 11-year-olds in school.

She had 90 minutes to cook and the cost of a single meal could not be more than £1.30.

Sara wowed the judges with a chicken and sweet potato tikka masala with lime and coriander rice and a cumin and ginger naan bread. She lined up made a lemon and sultana sponge with lemon frosted topping for dessert.

Sara said: "I just want to say thank you to my colleagues and my managers at the school, as well as to my family, who have had to eat chicken curry every night this week while I practised."

The LACA School Chef of the Year Competition has been the flagship event for school chefs to showcase their professional skills for more than twenty years. It is organised by the Lead Association for Catering in Education (LACA) and is sponsored by McDougalls.

A planning application for four homes in a Northamptonshire village that was recommended for refusal by officers has been withdrawn by the developers.

The scheme, submitted by K B Benfield Group Holdings Ltd, was bidding to build four detached properties on land to the side of Balding Close in Barby.

But planning officers at Daventry District Council felt that the application had an ‘artificially low density’ in order to avoid providing any affordable housing. The council believed the site could easily accommodate an extra two homes.

It was due to be debated by councillors on the planning committee last night (January 9), but members were told on arrival that the application had been withdrawn at the request of the developers.

The site is currently an existing development of three detached properties on a private drive accessed off the Daventry Road, which follows the granting of outline permission in January of 2015 for the principle of six dwellings.

Barby and Onley Parish Council had objected due to what it said would be an increased risk of flooding of properties in Brackendale Drive, loss of privacy and light, and concern over the width of the access road.

The withdrawal means that the application is likely to be re-submitted with alterations at a later date, and will require further consultation with the parish council.

Instead, Junior Brexit minister Chris Heaton-Harris argued the officers were being readied for marching season, a time when extra officers are needed to police tensions between Protestant and Catholic communities.

Mr Heaton-Harris was being questioned by fellow MPs at an exiting the European Union committee on Wednesday.

Chair of the committee Hilary Benn, Labour MP for Leeds Central, referred to a Guardian report that stated almost 1,000 police officers from England and Scotland were to start training this month for deployment in Northern Ireland in case of disorder from a no-deal Brexit.

The potential reinforcements are considered necessary in case of civil unrest over border arrangements that could be put in place after a hard Brexit.

The officers would be pulled from their regular duties and would need specific training because some equipment and tactics used in Northern Ireland vary from those in the rest of the UK.

When quizzed about the officer training, Mr Heaton-Harris said he did not believe they were expected to do additional work in the event of a no-deal, adding that police officer numbers often increase "as you head towards marching season".

"The marching season?" said a visibly stunned Mr Benn.

"I'm sorry did you say marching season? Well, the marching season has been last year, the year before, the year before that and it's in July and I'm not aware that that resource has been called upon previously.

"My understanding from the reports I've read was that this is specifically to provide assistance in the event of no-deal. Can you confirm whether that is or is not the case?"

"I don't believe that's the case," said the Daventry MP.

An additional 1,000 officers would be roughly double the amount requested to police marching season in recent years.

Joanna Cherry, an SNP member of the committee, called the Brexit minister's answer “disgraceful”.

"A disgraceful performance so far," she tweeted.

"For example he has just claimed that extra police for Northern Ireland are “for the marching season”.

"He’s making the fatal assumption of assuming we are as stupid and uncaring as he is."

Other points made by Mr Heaton-Harris during the meeting include his statement that there was no "parliamentary route" that would allow pro-EU MPs to stop the UK leaving the EU.

"The legislation is set out now, and the fact that we have activated Article 50, I actually still believe we will be leaving the EU on March 29 at 11pm," he said.

"Is there a parliamentary route with which Brexit can be stopped? I do not believe so."

He also said that the number of bits of secondary legislation to be passed before March 29 was now “below 600”.

This is not a list of all offenders jailed who went throught the court system in Northampton, but of those who have committed the most serious offences when Northamptonshire Police have deemed it worthy to release their custody photographs to the public.

Dove House is an elegant and beautifully presented Grade II listed stone house nestled in a sleepy rural village.

The property, in Stanwick, near Wellingborough in East Northamptonshire, sits amidst a plot of around 2.5 acres including gardens and a paddock, this fabulous family home has over 6,975 sq. ft. of accommodation including seven bedrooms, seven reception rooms and five bathrooms.

The impressive home is on the market for £1.65 million through Michael Graham Estate Agents.

Traditional features are everywhere in this immaculately presented property, including the original front door, stone mullion windows, stone fireplaces, wood flooring, wood panelling and a 19th century staircase to the first floor.

Fully updated for 21st century living, the traditional Shaker style kitchen overlooks the garden and fixtures and fittings in all five bathrooms are contemporary and stylish.

Completing the dream property checklist on the ground floor is a cinema room, gym and indoor swimming pool.

Inevitably you’ll never be short of staying guests and seven bedrooms, including the master suite, mean you’ll never be short of space to accommodate them either.

Dove House has a beautiful approach via electric gates which open to a carriage driveway and a front garden full of mature trees and herbaceous borders.

There is a detached garage block for four cars, a detached double carport and a workshop with a studio above.

Stanwick is the largest village in East Northamptonshire, boasting a shop and post office which also operates as a bistro, a pub, a primary school, and a beautiful 13th century church.

Stanwick Lakes, the 750-acre countryside attraction and nature reserve, is just a mile away and fashion and food for all tastes can be found slightly further afield at Rushden Lakes shopping centre.

If you enjoy both country and town life, Wellingborough is a ten minute drive away with commuter trains ready to whisk you to London St. Pancras in 50 minutes.

For more information, contact 01604 611011 or salesn@michaelgraham.co.uk.

Alternatively, visit michaelgraham.co.uk/property/rps_mig-NOR180434.

Electric car technology is advancing rapidly, and the latest figures suggest that Daventry is getting on board the green revolution.

From October 2017 to September 2018, the number of registered plug-in vehicles in the area increased by 45 per cent.

The latest Department for Transport statistics show the number of registered electric or plug-in hybrid cars, vans and micro cars called quadricycles in Daventry for each quarter of the year.

From July 2017 to September 2017 there were 152 electric vehicles.

However by the latest quarter, from July to September 2018, that figure had grown to 220, a jump of 68.

That’s lower than the increase of 1,770 in Peterborough, which has the highest percentage of plug-in vehicles of any local authority in the United Kingdom.

But back in 2013, in Daventry, there were just 22 electric cars, which shows the progress the industry has made in a short time.

Over the past few years manufacturers have increased the range of their vehicles, and prices have lowered, helping fuel the rise in environmentally friendly vehicles.

The latest Nissan Leaf, the UK’s most popular entirely electric car, can now travel 235 miles before it needs to be recharged, 80 miles more than the previous version.

Over the next year BP will install charging points at its petrol stations, following Shell’s roll out in 2017. Dyson has also said it plans to release an electric car by 2020.

One advantage electric car users have over other vehicles is that they do not have to pay road tax, as they do not release any emissions.

Electricity is also far cheaper than petrol and diesel, and green drivers have the satisfaction of helping save the planet.

However, in November, the Government reduced the maximum discount electric car buyers could get from £4,500 to £3,500.

Plug-in vehicles still make up a tiny percentage of the cars on the road in Daventry.

Compared with the 220 electric cars on our roads, there are 54,946 cars and vans in total, according to the latest complete vehicle registration data from 2017.

The first motorists charged during the Christmas drink-drive campaign by Northamptonshire Police are due to appear in court in the next few weeks.

During the first week of the campaign, officers breathalysed more than 300 people and 14 people have subsequently been charged with drink-driving offences.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Northamptonshire Police would name all those charged with being over the prescribed limit as part of their annual campaign.

Now the force has published the details of those people who have been charged on their website and publicised it on their social media platforms,

The list includes the following drivers have been charged with driving while over the prescribed limit and will appear in court to face those charges:

Anthony Stoppani, 46, from Yardley Gobion; Brian Walker, 27, of Rodney Drive, Corby; Andrian Cebotari, 30, of Llwellyn Walk, Corby; Joseph Cater, 23, of Boughton Lane, Northampton; Ricky Bizimana, 31, of Kinross Drive, Bletchley; Ronald Chinosengwa, 32, of Goulsbra Road, Rushden; Razvan Cilof, 34, of Cedar Road, Northampton; Chawa Chinkhumba, 28, of Castle Rock Drive, Corby, was charged with driving while over the prescribed limit; Brian Devlin, 41, of Barnsley Square, Corby; John Sanderson, 27, of Smestow Street, Wolverhampton; Adrian Proctor, 36, of Arnull Crescent, Daventry; Susan Moulton, 45, of Wards Court, Brough, East Riding of Yorkshire; John Partington, 33, of Osmund Drive, Northampton.

They are due to appear at Northampton Magistrates' Court on various dates in December and January.

Officers carry out breath tests throughout the year, but with more people out celebrating over Christmas and New Year, increased patrols and checks will be carried out. These will include early morning operations, when people may be driving after consuming alcohol the previous night.

To report suspected drink or drug driving in confidence, call the Drivewatch Hotline on 0800 174615 or dial 101. In an emergency, call 999.

A 53-year-old man accused of seriously assaulting a 21-year-old woman on her lunch break is set to appear at a Northampton court today charged with robbery.

Terry St John, of Acre Close, Mawsley, was arrested following an incident in Station Road, Brixworth, on Wednesday (January, 9) at around 1pm.

A 21-year-old woman was allegedly assaulted and robbed while she was on her lunch break. She was later taken to Northampton General Hospital and has since been released.

Anyone with information can contact Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.