People living in Daventry District could miss out on their chance to vote if they don’t register by April 17.

On Thursday, May 2, voting will take place countywide for the Northamptonshire County Council election.

By-elections may also be held for Daventry District Council, to fill a vacant seat in Brixworth ward and a vacant seat in Welford ward. A Notice of Election has been published and if the seats are contested, voting will take place on May 2. Potential candidates have until April 5 to submit their nomination papers.

To be able to vote for the local elections, people living in Daventry District need to ensure they have registered on the electoral register by midnight on April 17, 2013. Even if people do not wish to vote, they must still give their registration details to the Council when requested, and the maximum fine for withholding this information is £1,000.

Ian Vincent, returning officer for Daventry district said: “People need to make sure that when the local elections take place this May, they have properly registered to take part.

“Local politics affects everyone in our everyday lives, so it’s important to be able to have your say. If you don’t register to vote then you have no voice at election time.”

Electoral registration forms must be completed and returned to Daventry District Council by midnight on April 17.

Residents who want to vote post or by proxy need to make sure they beat the deadlines.

To vote by post people must be aged 18 or over, on the electoral register and need to complete a postal vote application form and return it to DDC’s rlectoral registration officer by 5pm on Wednesday, April 17.

Voting by proxy means that people appoint someone to vote on their behalf if they are unable to get to a polling station. The proxy must be eligible to vote in the relevant election and willing to vote on the individual’s behalf.

In order to vote by proxy people need to complete an application form and also return it to the council’s electoral registration officer by 5pm on Wednesday, April 24.

For more information contact Daventry District Council on 01327 871100 or go to {http://www.daventrydc.gov.uk/elections|DDC’s website|DDC}.

A man who dropped a circular saw on his throat in a Bank Holiday DIY accident was airlifted to hospital.

The Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance were called to a house in Grange Park, Northampton, at about 9.40am on Good Friday.

A spokeswoman for the WNAA said: “A 46-year-old male was suffering from severe neck and throat injuries, after he dropped a circular saw he had been using above his head.

“The patient was given oxygen, and the WNAA crew applied specialist gauze to his neck wound to stop any further bleeding.”

The man was airlifted to University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire for treatment at the major trauma centre.

POLICE are appealing for witnesses following a serious traffic collision on Friday, March 29.

At around 2.20pm a silver Peugeot 107 was travelling on the B5385 in Cotton End from Long Buckby towards the A428, when it mounted the footpath and collided with pedestrians.

One of the pedestrians, a 75-year-old woman from Long Buckby, was airlifted to Walgrave Hospital with serious leg injuries.

Anyone with information or who witnessed this incident is asked to call the Drivewatch hotline on 0800 174615.

A man was arrested by police for drink driving in Daventry on Monday, April 1.

Police received reports of a car being driven erratically at around 8.10pm.

Members of the public followed the silver Audi A4 convertible into the car park at Wimborne Place, Daventry, next to Tesco Express.

One person driving out of the car park stopped to challenge the driver.

Police would like a number of witnesses to get in touch, including the man who challenged the offender.

Witnesses to this incident, or anyone with information, should call Northamptonshire Police on 101 - alternatively, information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

A man was beaten unconscious and was forced to hand over cash and his mobile phone while walking across The Racecourse on Good Friday.

The man was attacked as he walked through the Northampton town centre park at around 1.30am.

The 23-year-old was walking through the park when he was approached by three men, who demanded he hand over cash and his phone.

They then punched him and knocked him unconscious, resulting in him being taken to hospital.

A police spokesman said they were white men, possibly with foreign accents.

Two lanes of the M1 motorway were closed for more than an hour earlier following a crash.

A motobike and a car crashed on the northbound carriageway between Junction 16 and 18, near the Watford Gap service station, at about 7.45am today.

The male rider of the motorbike was taken to Walsgrave Hospital but his injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

Rail workers on London Midland Trains, which serves Northampton, are to be balloted for strikes in a row over the sacking of a colleague.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union at London Midland will vote on whether to launch a campaign of industrial action.

The union claimed its member James Crabtree, who worked as a revenue protection officer, was sacked for resisting an assault by a known troublemaker.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: “London Midland display posters at their stations stipulating ‘We always prosecute those who intimidate and abuse or assault our staff’, yet the company has failed miserably in their duty of care and support towards James Crabtree.

“Instead of protecting him, the company has dismissed him in the most blatant travesty of workplace justice - siding instead with a known troublemaker who is the kind of menace who should be barred from our railways.”

A London Midland spokesman said: “We are still following the disciplinary procedure which is agreed with the RMT. This is a fair process and as this case is still subject to an appeal hearing we are unable to comment on any detail at this time.

“However, we are very disappointed that the RMT have chosen to ballot their members while the agreed process is still ongoing. “

Last week the Government announced London Midland’s franchise to run trains from London Euston to Birmingham, serving thousands of rail commuters out of Northampton every week, would be extended until at least June 2017.

Daventry District Council has been awarded £200,000 to completely refurbish the changing rooms at the Daventry swimming pool.

DDC will receive their share of nearly £1.5 million worth of National Lottery funding from Sport England which will be given out across the East Midlands to improve artificial grass pitches and pool changing rooms.

Three quarters of people cited the quality of the pitch surfaces and the changing rooms as being important to their sporting experience, Sport England’s new improvement fund is therefore investing £1,498,567 million to improve these facilities.

Sport England property director Charles Johnston said: “As the research shows people have a better experience of sport when the facilities are good both on and off the pitch. These investments in artificial grass pitches and swimming pool changing rooms will have a big impact on sport in local communities.”

Minister for Sport Hugh Robertson said: “Protecting and improving local sport facilities is an important part of the legacy from 2012. This National Lottery improvement fund will create thousands more sporting opportunities for communities across the country encouraging people to get active and take up sport.”

Between now and 2017, Sport England will invest £45 million of lottery funding through the improvement fund into medium-sized projects to improve grassroots sport facilities.

Changing rooms and artificial grass pitches were chosen for the first round after they were identified by Sport England as improvements that could have an immediate impact on the number of people playing sport within a community.

The woman who died following a crash on a Northamptonshire road last week has been named by police.

Daria Sandra Pikus, aged 22, from Spencer Road, Wellingborough, was walking across Turnells Mill Lane in Wellingborough at about 10.15pm on Thursday, March 28, having just come out of a parked silver Ford Focus.

As she walked across the road, she was in collision with a silver Vauxhall Corsa, travelling in the opposite direction.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Polcie said: “Daria, who was Polish, had been in the country for only a few weeks, and had been on her way back from work.”

She died at the scene.

Witnesses can call the Drivewatch hotline on 0800 174 615.

Two teenagers were arrested after a motorbike was reported stolen in Woodford Halse on Tuesday, April 2.

Police were called out to the village at around 11.45pm after the reported theft in the Anscomb Way area. They deployed officers on the ground as well as their helicopter.

The motorbike was found.

Police say one 16-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle.

The cost of wasted NHS medicines in Northamptonshire this year could have paid for 600 life-saving heart operations.

The £4.6 million figure is being publicised to coincide with the launch of the Northamptonshire Medicines Waste campaign.

Sue Smith, head of prescribing and medicines management at NHS Nene and NHS Corby, said: “Medicines wastage is a serious problem for the NHS.

“Some patients or carers with repeat prescriptions order more medication than they really need and stockpile them at home. People often continue to order medicines they are no longer taking and do not need.

“All of this wastes millions of pounds. But that cost can be counted in human terms too, given the healthcare that this money could have been spent on, but also the health benefits that people may not be getting because they are not taking their medicines as intended.”

The money could also have been spent on cataract operations for 4,780 people to give them a greater chance at regaining their sight or potentially life-saving breast cancer drug treatments for 304 women.

Mrs Smith said: “Think carefully before ticking all the boxes on your repeat prescription request form and only tick those you really need.

“If your pharmacist or a carer orders your medicines on your behalf, make sure that you tell them to only order what you need.

“If you need the medicine in the future you will still be able to request it. You should let your GP or pharmacist know if you’ve stopped taking any of your medicines or if you have any concerns. If you are going into hospital please take all your medicines with you.”

“Medicines are prescribed to prevent ill health, relieve symptoms or cure serious illnesses. If these are not taken as intended, this is considered a waste because they are not being used for the right reasons.

“If you have any queries or concerns about your medicines you can ask your pharmacist for a Medicines Use Review. The pharmacist will explain what all your medicines are for and answer any questions you may have. Alternatively you can ask your doctor for advice.”

Work has stopped on the development of a solar farm in Silverstone after council officials realised it was not being built in line with original plans.

A spokesman for South Northamptonshire Council said: “It was brought to our attention the solar farm was not in accordance with the approved plans.

“Officers immediately asked the developer to cease work.”

It was discovered the number of rows of panels was different from that shown on the approved plans.

The applicant has now applied to amend the planning permission.

If the revised scheme was refused, the council would take enforcement action if the developer did not revert back to the original scheme.

Easter got off to a cracking start for the scores of children who tracked down chocolate treats in Dodford at the weekend.

About 130 people attended an egg trial around the village, some dressed as the Easter bunny himself.

Holbourn House Day Nursery organised the event which raised £155 for Macmillan Cancer Support

With lighter nights upon us Northamptonshire Police are reminding people to make life harder for burglars.

In the last 12 months, over 20 per cent of house burglaries occurred as a result of someone getting in through an unlocked or open door or window.

Burglary lead for the force, Detective Inspector Nick Lyall, said: “These types of offences are preventable and we encourage people to take some simple steps to make life harder for thieves.

“We appreciate that we repeat this message year after year, but we tend to see an increase in burglaries at this time of year as a result of people leaving windows and doors open while their property is left unattended.

“Many burglars are opportunists – they will take advantage of an unlocked door or window.

“It may seem obvious advice but it’s important to get into the habit of locking all doors and making sure all windows are secure every time you go out and when you go to bed.

“Items that can be stolen easily, such as car keys, wallets and phones, should be kept in a safe place, out of sight and away from windows and doors.

“Make sure you take keys out of locks and keep them somewhere out of reach of letter boxes and cat flaps.

“Laptops are another regular target for burglars so don’t tempt a thief by leaving them on view through a window or door.”

Further crime prevention advice can be found by visiting {http://www.northants.police.uk/crimeprevention|Northamptonshire Police|Northants Police}.

Alternatively, residents can contact their local Crime Prevention Officer by calling 101.

Embattled Conservative county councillor Andre Gonzalez de Savage will fight in next month’s elections despite an eleventh hour emergency meeting which threatened to cost him his seat.

With nomination papers for the county council elections on May 2 due in by noon tomorrow, Conservatives in East Hunsbury last night called an emergency meeting to decide on the future of Councillor de Savage, who is the Tory administration’s cabinet member for public protection and the ward member since 2005.

At an 8pm meeting, understood to have been held at Wootton Community Centre, Councillor Gonzalez de Savage received what sources have told the Chron was a “severe ticking off” for a string of adverse stories in recent weeks which some members felt had damaged the party’s position in the ward.

Chief among these was a Chron exclusive last week which revealed how a park had been named after his own eight-year-old son.

Northampton Borough Council removed the sign at Adam’s Park in East Hunsbury because it was put up without any planning permission whatsoever and told the councillor that if he wanted it back he would have to come and collect it from the Guildhall.

The Chron now understands that the councillor did exactly that last Thursday when he went to retrieve it from the Westbridge depot in St James but was told he could not have it back after he allegedly threatened to stick it back up in East Hunsbury

The park story was picked up by the Conservative-leaning Fleet Street press, including the Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph, both of which carried quotes from Labour group leader at County Hall, John McGhee who accused the 45-year-old councillor of being “egotistical” and “arrogant” for naming the park without permission.

That report had come on the back of a number of other adverse stories since the turn of the year, including the councillor’s apparent backing - complete with a photocall with the new police and crime commissioner Adam Simmonds - for a so-called “merger” between the police force and fire brigade.

That appeared to be out of kilter with the position of the Conservative high command at County Hall, including leader Jim Harker, and sources high up within the party said he had become “increasingly isolated” as a result of that.

In addition, criticism has been levelled at him for many months now because the street lights in the road where he lives in Wootton have remained switched on while across the county, Councillor Gonzalez de Savage, who was the political face of a countywide switch-off of the lights as part of a long-term PFI-funded scheme to improve them.

While the technical explanation for the lights remaining on in Simpson Manor was that the roads were “unadopted” this did little to assuage the hostility felt in some quarters of Wootton and East Hunsbury, where he remains a parish councillor.

And only this week, it emerged that independent parish councillor, Liam Costello, had written to residents in Wootton asking why the county councillor’s road had planters in it when the parish policy was to install them only in “main distributor roads” within the area.

A senior insider in the party told the Chron: “The position is that Andre will fight the seat for the Tories on May 2. However, in the event both he and the Conservative administration is re-elected, there’s no likelihood whatsoever of him being in a new cabinet. He would effectively be moved to the back benches.”

Councillor Gonzalez de Savage, who is a businessman, has recently updated his register of interests on the county council website. They include “meeting, accommodation, transport and meals” to Brussels, from the Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership quango, of which he remains a board member. The council has committed £6m of taxpayers’ cash to that organisation over three years.

He also lists a parliamentary seminar on February 28, 2013, courtesy of the Business Sprinkler Alliance Ltd and also holds non-statutory positions with SEMLEP, the Waterside Enterprise Zone Board and Royal & Derngate as well as owning land at “Villa Ashby” in Wootton Hall Park.

A motorcyclist was left with serious injuries after a crash on the M1 near Daventry.

At around 7.35am on Wednesday, April 3, on the northbound carriageway a black Triumph Tiger motorbike collided with a black Audi A3 just before the Watford Gap services.

The crash led to the motorcyclist being thrown from his bike. The 29-year-old man sustained serious injuries and was taken to Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry for treatment.

Witnesses or anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Drivewatch Hotline on 0800 174615.

Stagecoach Midlands says rising costs and reduced public sector investment have forced it to increase fares for passengers by nearly four per cent.

Fares in Northamptonshire will rise by an average of 3.9 per cent from Sunday, April 14, with the cost of a Weekly Northampton Megarider ticket - which is used by most passengers in Northampton - to increase from £11.80 to £12.

Most fares have increased by between 5p and 10p.

Stagecoach says its buses are still a far cheaper form of transport than cars, and says an independent survey carried out last year found it offers the best value bus fares “of any major bus operator in the UK.”

Stagecoach have said today that continued rising labour, energy, fuel and insurance costs, and reduced public sector investment in bus services, has left them with no choice but to increase some fares.

Steve Burd, managing director of Stagecoach Midlands, said: “We understand that this will be frustrating for our passengers. Unfortunately we have had to take some difficult decisions but we have done our best to keep fare changes to a minimum.

“We are facing continued rising costs in a number of areas of our business and we are seeing reduced public sector support for bus services as local authority budgets continue to be squeezed.

“We have worked hard to keep fares down for those who rely on the bus the most. As the cost of motoring continues to rise, our bus services continue to offer a greener, smarter and better value way to travel and we are committed to re-investing income from fares in further improvements for passengers.”

A former apprentice at Northampton shoe manufacturers Crockett & Jones has admitted stealing £2,000 worth of goods from his employer to fund his cannabis habit.

Sully Illing, aged 18, of Gillsway, Kingsthorpe, Northampton, stole 10 pairs of high quality shoes on November 1 last year.

The teenager had been working at the shoe firm as an apprentice pattern cutter since August and was caught after a manager at the firm noticed the shoes were being sold on eBay.

Northampton Magistrates’ court heard today that Illing was using the money he received from selling the shoes to buy cannabis.

Claire McCarthy, defending, said Illing had started using cannabis after one of his best friends died suddenly two years ago.

The solicitor said Illing was using all his wages to buy cannabis and therefore decided to sell the shoes to get extra money.

She said: “He made the ridiculous decision to put a couple of pairs of shoes on eBay and it then became 10 pairs.”

Illing was sentenced to 80 hours unpaid work. He must pay £2,000 compensation to Crockett & Jones. Costs of £85 and victim surcharge of £60.

Many county firms have 
reported an increase in 
exports but a fall in UK sales, new figures released this week have revealed.

The latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) results, released by Northamptonshire Chamber, showed a continuing trend for exporting, with a rise for the fourth consecutive quarter.

The survey covered 122 businesses employing 7,734 people across the county.

Just under 80 per cent of manufacturing firms who responded reported export sales had remained the same or increased during the first quarter of 2013.

But in the UK, only 56 per cent of manufacturing firms said sales had increased, down from 65 per cent in the last quarter. In the service sector, 84 per cent of businesses reported sales had increased or stayed the same, but 18 per cent reported a decrease in advance orders.

Companies were more positive regarding their workforce. More than 80 per cent of manufacturing firms expected their workforce to increase or stay the same, while the 
figure was an encouraging 
96 per cent in the services sector.

Looking further ahead, 76 per cent of manufacturers expect turnover to improve or stay the same over the next 12 months and 67 per cent expect profitability to improve. In the services sector, 79 per cent expect turnover to improve and 74 per cent expect profitability to improve.

Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Northamptonshire Chamber, said: “It is positive to see the growing number of businesses in the county turning to exporting.

“There is no denying that times are still tough out there and businesses need support.

“Hopefully some of the business-friendly measures announced in the budget will go some way to helping them grow and invest,” Mr Griffiths added.

AN overhaul of the way potholes are repaired in Northamptonshire has brought ‘overwhelming improvements’ since it was launched claims the cash-strapped authority.

In April 2010, County Hall said rather than dealing with the worst potholes first, decisions were based on long-term costs and benefits with proper repairs preferred to quick fixes.

Three years on, a report before the county council’s cabinet shows the condition of some areas of the road network has improved dramatically. According to figures, 97 per cent of all permanent or semi-permanent repairs were carried out in the year to April 2012, compared with 90 per cent in the first year of the scheme and just 45 per cent in the period before the new programme, leading to less 
repeat repairs.

The report says that 880 insurance claims in the 12 months leading up to the switch and 465 in 2010/11 – a 47 per cent drop – followed by a further 53 per cent fall in 2011-12, to 217

In 2009/10, the county council treated 138,000 square metres of road, a figure that leapt by 46 per cent the following year and by a further 24 per cent in 2011/12.