An illegal New Year rave at the former Focus DIY store in Sopwith Way, Daventry, was attended by around 1,200 people.

The event, which is thought to have begun on the industrial estate around 2am on January 1, was closed down by police at noon later that day.

Jared Thompson, who lives on the Timken estate, was walking his dog along Sopwith Way at 6am on January 1.

He said he saw at least 50 cars on the road leading to the Focus store: “Both sides of the road around the unit were chock a block with cars and vans. I saw alot of people asleep in their cars and some kids were throwing up outside. By the time I got there my dog was getting really wound up.”

“I saw the concrete blocks blocking the gates of the Focus site had been moved out of the way.

“It wasn’t a good atmosphere; I wasn’t going to stick around.”

Mr Thompson, who works as a transport clerk at the DHL Wetherspoons warehouse on Nasmyth Road, said when he walked past the site again at 10.30am the area had been blocked off by police.

“There was still a mess there when I walked past. There were puddles of sick, bottles and empty boxes of Stella. It was a bit of a pigsty really.

“I think it is disgraceful, maybe I’m a bit old fashioned but I never did something like this when was young.”

The concrete blocks securing the site have now been replaced and contractors are working to clear the rubbish.

Inspector Michael Smith of Northamptonshire Police said: “To date, no arrests have been made, however details of the organisers have been taken and further enquiries are taking place at this time.”

Businesses in Daventry enjoyed a bumper Christmas with UK consumer spending estimated to be the highest in Europe.

Bowen Square and the High Street were packed with shoppers seeking last-minute bargains on Saturday, December 20, when consumer spending reached £1.2 billion nationwide before online shoppers spent as much as £1.3 billion on Christmas and Boxing Day.

Bryan Cooney, who runs Kuni’s Coffee and Comics on Bowen Square, said his store broke its previous daily Christmas’s sales record three times in one week as last minute ‘panic’ buyers chose to shop locally rather than travel to larger centres like Rugby or Northampton.

“We saw a big benefit in the last weekend of November when people got paid,” Mr Cooney said. “More people know about us, but also more people in Daventry have jobs and money to spend.”

Mr Cooney also credited Northamptonshire Police with reducing incidences of shoplifting on last year, as well as the provision of radios in local shops to help improve security. “I genuinely feel there was a better atmosphere in Daventry than last year,” Mr Cooney said.

While Daventry’s town centre was awash with shoppers during the last few days before Christmas, Mr Cooney said this was more because Daventry was the “quick and easy” alternative to Rugby or Northampton.

He said: “There are people who ask us why we don’t open a store in Northampton, because that is where they choose to shop, and on some days you can just tell that everyone is shopping elsewhere.”

But not all high street stores enjoyed the benefits of the festive frenzy, with some stores saying they were hit by the rising numbers of people who are now taking advantage of online deals on Boxing Day and the American import ‘Black Friday’.

Quinn’s Footwear has been trading on High Street for around 22 years.

Store manager Harriet Quinn said this year had been quiet, adding: “I have worked in the store for nine years 
and I have run the store for a year.

“A lot of people were doing their shopping online this year, and we saw a lot of people doing their shopping early on.

“Christmas used to be our busiest period.”

Weedon Bec Parish Council has called an extraordinary meeting to discuss the plans for the Flore/Weedon bypass.

The application for the bypass, officially known as the A45 Daventry Development Link Road, has been submitted by Northamptonshire County Council.

The meeting has been called to give residents the chance to have their say on the plans. The response will be put into a report which will then be determined.

People going along to the meeting will also be able to see a simulation of how the road will look when completed.

It will be held at the annexe of Weedon Village Hall on Tuesday, January 6 starting at 7pm.

The new road will run parallel to the south-western side of the M1 for 3km to the north of of Upper Heyford and Flore. It will then head south-west joining the A5 at the new roundabout to the north of Weedon before crossing the Grand Union Canal and the West Coast Main Line railway.

It will re-join with the A45 at a new roundabout to the west of Weedon.

Flore Parish Council has already outlined its support for the scheme but has raised concerns due to the size of the development.

This includes a transportation strategy and spoil relocation and the council has asked if material can be re-used on the site.

It has also asked for a mitigation strategy to be put in place to help with the High Street in Flore and also an improvement of cycle routes between Daventry and Northampton.

Daventry’s MP Chris Heaton-Harris said: “This is a bypass which is long overdue and I am quite keen to see the physical work start on the ground as soon as possible.

“From speaking to a lot of people living in both Flore and Weedon, this is all the kind of thing that they have heard a million times before.

“Therefore a lot of them have the attitude that they will believe it will happen when they see it happen, despite everyone saying that this bypass will be built.

The leader of Daventry District Council, Cllr Chris Millar, added: “This is very positive news for the Daventry district.

“It also opens up Daventry to have a lot more housing come into the town and we can further push for the redevelopment of the town.”

Work is likely to start in the summer if the bypass gets final approval.

The plans will now be determined by NCC’s own development control committee.

Anyone wishing to comment on the application can do so by emailing developmentcontrol@northamptonshire.gov.uk or by writing to Planning Services, Northamptonshire County Council, Floor 3, Guildhall Road Block, County Hall, Northampton, NN1 1DN.

Daventry’s Tesco supermarket on New Street indulged in a little festive spirit, donating 300 toys to charity.

The toys were shared between a number of key charities in the county, including Northamptonshire’s Women’s Aid, Nene Valley Christian Women’s Refuge, Brompton Housing Association and the Vineyard Community Church in Daventry.

The toys were collected over several weeks by customers and members of staff. Father Christmas himself went along to see the toys donated to representatives from the charities at a brief ceremony.

Pictured is non food manager Alison Weston, a Nene Valley representative, counters manager and community champion Michele Hawes, a Northamptonshire Women’s Aid representative and store manager Graham Larner.

A spokesperson for Tesco said: “We would like to thank our customers for their generosity in donating so many toys, helping us to give children a better Christmas.

“The toys and games will be going to needy children in the community.”

The leader of Daventry District Council (DDC) has called for the devolution of powers to prevent the loss of “vital”public services.

Cllr Millar made the comments in the wake of a decision by central government to slash Daventry District Council’s settlement funding by 15.6 per cent.

Since 2010 the National Audit Office estimates funding for local government to have dropped by 37 per cent in real terms, placing an unprecedented demand on resources and forcing councils to axe non-essential services.

Cllr Millar called for a devolution settlement giving local authorities ‘greater fiscal responsibility’, which he said would help the council to prevent the loss of vital council services.

He said: “I firmly believe that residents get far more for each pound spent locally by a council such as ours than if it is spent on the local area by central government.

“We want to lead the way in maintaining local economic and employment growth while delivering first-class services at the lowest possible cost to our residents.”

But the reduction in the grant, which makes up around three quarters of the council’s income, came as no surprise to DDC which had outlined plans to bridge the deficit in its Medium Term Financial Plan in a report to the council on December 4.

Currently, this entails £153,000 worth of cuts to team budgets as well as cultivating new income streams such as new homes for private rent on the Middlemore estate and invest-to save projects, such as the joint Rainsbrook Crematorium development with Rugby Borough Council.

Stephen Myler has admitted his pride at reaching the 2.000 points mark at Saints.

The fly-half, second only to Paul Grayson in the club’s all-time points scorers list, hit the milestone in Friday’s 39-31 win against Newcastle Falcons.

Myler grabbed a try early on and added 12 points in a typically assured kicking display.

He was given a standing ovation when he left the field with 20 minutes to go, and the 30-year-old enjoyed his moment in the spotlight.

“It (the milestone) is not something I was aware of at the start of the game, but it was something that made me proud when I was made aware of it at the time,” said Myler, who joined Saints from rugby league outfit Salford City Reds in 2006.

“It’s a proud moment for me to be held in that kind of company.

“It’s not something I ever envisaged when I came to the club, but I’m proud that I’ve got there and hopefully I can get a few more before my time’s up!

“My first points were against Leicester in the LV= Cup, and I had a bit of a shocker, only kicking one from five. But I look back with fond memories of that game because we won!

“It seems a very long time ago but it’s been an enjoyable journey and I’m glad it’s not over yet.”

New year, same outcome.

Saints started 2015 by securing a seventh bonus-point success in nine outings at Franklin’s Gardens this season.

And the only surprise was that they briefly let their guard down when it appeared they were home and dry with plenty left in the tank.

Newcastle Falcons were plucky and put together some slick moves, especially the one which culminated in full-back Alex Tait crossing the line with 15 minutes to go.

But Saints had the final say as Luther Burrell put the gloss on an offensive performance that once again exhibited the fruits of attack coach Alex King’s labours.

At times in the first half, the home team were dazzling, flinging the ball around so quickly that the Falcons were left looking like they had been on the waltzers.

Stephen Myler’s score was a thing of beauty with the effort one out of the Saints picture-book.

And George Pisi’s, which was started by a typically rambunctious run from George North and finished with Myler’s clever grubber kick finding the Samoan, was also eye-catching.

Saints needed such moments of magic against a Falcons side who threatened to frustrate with a resilient rearguard action at times during the first half.

And Dean Richards’ men also packed a punch at the other end, with their forwards refusing to be overawed by the home pack.

Table-topping Saints were not happy with conceding 31 points at home to the side who currently sit second bottom of the Premiership.

And there is a desire to iron out the issues that allowed Falcons to find their way over the line four times.

The pride of the Saints pack will have been dented by Richard Mayhew’s score from a maul and the rest of the team won’t be delighted with allowing so many consolation tries.

But, as they did at Twickenham on the previous Saturday, Saints emerged victorious.

Winning has been a healthy habit once again this season, with 15 successes earned from the 18 games so far.

Newcastle have been on the end of three of them.

So in many ways, the new year started in the manner of its success-laden predecessor.

That is exactly what Saints will have wanted.

And now they will be eager to ensure things get even better as they bid to add more trophies to the cabinet in 2015.

How they rated...

BEN FODEN

An impressive performance from the full-back who wreaked havoc with some brilliant breaks that had the Falcons floundering... 8

KEN PISI

A real livewire, the Samoan wing continues to get better and better and he played key roles in a couple of tries here... 8

GEORGE PISI

Beat his brother to the ball to get his name on the scoresheet and this was a fine all-round display from the centre... 8

LUTHER BURRELL

Is staking his claim for Six Nations starts with some fine form and this was another good showing, full of power and panache... 7

GEORGE NORTH

His brilliant break started the move from which George Pisi scored and he was a handful for Newcastle all night... 8

STEPHEN MYLER - CHRON STAR MAN

Hit the 2,000-point barrier with a second-half conversion, and prior to that he had pulled the strings for Saints, scoring an early try and setting up George Pisi’s effort... 8

LEE DICKSON

Got his team on the front foot in the first half and his speed of thought was important as they pushed on after the break... 7

ALEX WALLER

Newcastle gave as good as they got in the scrum but Saints were able to build a good lead before this man departed... 7

MIKE HAYWOOD

A couple of lineouts went adrift, which is unusual for the youngster, but aside from that, this was another good performance... 7

SALESI MA’AFU

Not the easiest night in the set piece for Saints, but this man tried to get involved as much as he could elsewhere and didn’t do badly... 6

SAM DICKINSON

Does not look out of place in the second row and although it restricts him a bit more than playing at No.8, he is doing a good job for the team... 6

CHRISTIAN DAY

Was forced off with an injury but had done well before that, playing his part in another strong attacking display... 7

CALUM CLARK

A typically determined display from the flanker, who put himself about and showed good strength to grab a second-half score... 8

PHIL DOWSON

Was handed the role of skipper and enjoyed this outing against his former club, making some good carries... 7

SAMU MANOA

A performance packed with character as he kept his mind on the job and showed his ability in attack and defence... 8

Replacements (who played more than 20 minutes)

TOM WOOD (for Day 45)

Was called on earlier than expected due to Day’s injury and looked glad to be involved as he tried to push his team on... 6

ALEX CORBISIERO (for Waller 51)

Came on at a time when Saints look likely to go off the leash and really put Newcastle to the sword, but the Falcons fought back well... 6

GARETH DENMAN (for Ma’afu 56)

Not a bad game to come into as Saints had a good cushion, but was forced to help hold off the Falcons as they mounted a late charge... 6

The past 12 months has been full of news for Daventry. Reporter Steve Mills looks back over the big and small headlines from the first six months of 2014.

Daventry woman Samantha Taylor was forced to stop off and give birth en route to hospital. Her partner Jamie Jollands was forced to pull into a hotel in Flore where she gave birth to Charlie James Jollands.

Plans were announced for a new special school in Daventry. It was included in documents by Northamptonshire County Council. It was approved and the team behind it are currently looking for a site for the school.

Badby amateur astronomer Zbigniew Chetnik discovered a new galaxy. He was watching Stargazing Live when he made the discovery and said it was like winning the lottery.

A Daventry nursery, which at the start of last year was judged as satisfactory by Ofsted, has been rated outstanding following its latest inspection. The Government inspection team gave Dolphin Day Nursery in Ashby Road the award across all areas.

Readers of the Daventry Express shared a long list of roads that were riddled by pot holes across the district. Many picked out sites in the town centre.

Police officers launched a speedwatch campaign for the town. The plans were backed by Daventry Town Council and followed the success of the scheme in villages.

Work got underway on extending a cycleway and footpath despite concerns raised by police. Daventry District Council extended the path running along the former Daventry to Braunston railway track. Police were worried more crime could hit the area.

Hundreds of new homes were revealed for villages across the Daventry area. Weedon, West Haddon, Flore and Nether Heyford were among the villages affected,

Daventry District Council also revealed it plans to build a new primary school in the town. Normally it would have been left to a developer or Northamptonshire County Council, but DDC is to build it on the Monksmoor estate.

There were also plans revealed to go alongside the redevelopment of the town, 10 years on from the masterplan drawn up by the district council.

Fire crews were praised for saving the lives of 16 cattle after an arson attack at Malabar Farm on Badby Road West. Farmhand Adrian Conopo was grateful for the firefighters actions.

Nikki Kirk, 46, from Daventry appeared on Channel 4’s Superstar Dogs: Countdown to Crufts hosted by Doctor Who star John Barrowman. Her border collie Smokie was selected for press photographs with the actor.

Daventry girl Kristin Hallenga’s Coppafeel! was given national backing when The Sun newspaper launched a campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer. Kristin had been previously diagnosed with breast cancer.

Daventry mum Anne Moule said a wheelchair donated to her disabled daughter will have a huge impact on the quality of her life. Charlie, nine, suffers with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism which means that she has the body of a three-and-a-half year old. The donation came from the Daventry Masons.

A Daventry train driver found an owl had hitched a 175-mile ride on the back of his engine.

Nathan Beahan, from Baler Close drove the 1,700ft (518m) freight train from Crewe to DIRFT near Crick where workers discovered the tawny owl perched between his Class 66 locomotive and the first wagon.

Father of two Ian Thomas from Weedon branded signs in a Daventry car park as sexist. The signs in Bowen Square had designated bays for Mother and Child parking only. The issue was resolved the following month after the article was published.

The Parker E-ACT Academy in Daventry was put into special measures following an Ofsted inspection. It is currently going through regular monitoring visits and, in November, was said to be making good progress towards coming out of special measures.

Daventry trader Paul Bowditch was in for a shock when he was working in a field near to Long Buckby train station. He discovered part of a human skull. The remains were believed to be historic.

A pensioner from Daventry whose life was blighted by anti-social behaviour thanked organisations for tackling the issue. Paul Kelly, 74, said the work at The Hollows has transformed the area.

The owner of the Evergreen Art Cafe in Daventry launched a project to bring street art into the town. Simon Williams worked alongside artist Binty Bint to brighten up the town.

The Middlemore Residents Association admitted defeat in its long running campaign to get a free school on the Daventry estate. The group could not find a suitable sponsor for the primary school.

Stars from the world of soaps and television visited Daventry to play in a charity football match. Emmerdale’s Danny Miller, Luke Roskell and Joe Gill played in the match which raised £2,500 for the Once Upon A Smile charity.

A Daventry teenager was part of a dance crew which appeared on Britain’s Got Talent. Jordan Goodenough was part of Cartel who eventually reached the semi finals.

The Daventry Express launched a clean up Daventry campaign. Litter, dog mess and antisocial behaviour was targeted and the input of the newspaper was welcomed by many community figureheads.

The MP for Daventry launched a petition after saying ‘enough is enough’ with regard to the town’s fuel prices. Chris Heaton-Harris launched his petition online and has already received more than 600 names.

Police and firefighters warned youngsters about the dangers after they were found trespassing at the former Danetre Garage site in Warwick Street.

Offices arrived at the site to smell smoke. The building was later pulled down as part of the redevelopment of the town.

A Daventry man played a part in creating a gold winning garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Mike Easom, from Ashby Fields, went to London to help garden designer Adam Frost and the team from the Homebase Garden Academy build and plant Time to Reflect.

The vicarage at Badby organised a Funeral Fair. It gave people the chance to look at the different options available to local people planning for their funeral.

Young children are enjoying getting to grips with £40,000 of new playground equipment at two sites in the town. A new play area has been created off Shackleton Drive, while additional equipment has been added to an existing playground in Hidcote Way on Daventry’s Middlemore 
Estate

The Parker E-ACT Academy received a further boost thanks to the early arrival of its new principal. Andrew Mackereth started work in June having been due to start in September. He replaced Krysia Butwilowska.

Hundreds of tributes were paid to teenager Stanley Harrison. The 17-year-old died from severe blood loss following a knife attack on the Lang Farm estate in Daventry.

There were several break ins at charity shops in the town centre. One of the stores targeted was the Landing Pad, the cafe in the High Street run by the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance.

A new bus shelter was installed on the Southbrook estate in Daventry thanks to the efforts of a Daventry man and generous funding of several organisations. Brian Nelson had been campaigning for the shelter for the previous year.

Hundreds of people turned out for the first Welton Soapbox Derby to be held in a decade. The event was held as part of the village’s fete.

A number of big names will be lining up on the stage as a series of hit musicals, drama, comedy and dance shows make up the new season at Milton Keynes Theatre.

Drama fans will be catered for and the new season kicks off with The Full Monty. Based on the hit British film of the same name, it stars Gary Lucy and Andrew Dunn from the sitcom dinnerladies. It will be performed from January 19 to 24.

Harper Lee’s classic book To Kill A Mockingbird runs from March 10 to 14. Telling the tale of religious hatred in America, it comes direct from the West End.

A long running show will continue to thrill and scare audiences. The Woman in Black visits Milton Keynes from March 23 to 28.

Jason Donovan stars in the stage show of Oscar winning film The King’s Speech. Based on the challenges faced by King George VI to overcome a speech impediment, it runs from May 5 to 9.

Fans of crime will be able to enjoy an adaptation of a Peter James novel from June 8 to 13. Dead Simple is about a man who has it all but finds himself the victim of a vicious prank which sees him buried alive. It is a race against time to find him and catch the killer.

For those looking for something a little more light hearted, there will be plenty of musicals to have you tapping your toes in the aisles.

The internationally acclaimed stage sensation Jersey Boys is touring the UK and Ireland for the very first time. This smash hit musical has won 55 major awards worldwide, including the Olivier Award for Best New Musical.

Jersey Boys tells the true life story of four boys from the wrong side of the tracks who wrote their own songs, invented their own unique sound, and sold 175 million records worldwide. It features hits such as Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Oh What a Night and Big Girls Don’t Cry. It runs from February 3 to 14.

The legendary musical Saturday Night Fever is coming to Milton Keynes from February 24 to 28.

The date is 1979 and in Brooklyn, New York, Tony Manero, a young man with a dead-end job and an extraordinary ability to dance, has only one ambition in life – to become the disco king. Saturday Night Fever tells his story.

The stage will be alive with the Sound of Music when the classic musical set during Nazi occupied Austria comes to Milton Keynes Theatre from May 26 to June 6.

There will be an all star cast lining up for a modern day musical classic.

Fresh from appearing in pantomime in Northampton, Joe Pasquale will be appearing as King Arthur having previously appeared in the show when the musical appeared in the West End.

Based on the Monty Python and The Holy Grail, the show will also star former Eastenders and Grange Hill actor Todd Carty.

See page 23 for more.

Jim Mallinder expects England star Courtney Lawes to return from injury in Saints’ game at Sale Sharks on Saturday.

Lawes has missed the past two matches with an ankle problem, with No.8 Sam Dickinson taking his place in the second row.

But Saints will be keen to get their lofty lock back in action, with his regular second row partner, Christian Day, having been forced off in the win against Newcastle last Friday.

Mallinder is hopeful Day’s injury is not too serious, and is even more confident about the fitness of key man Lawes and Tom Wood, who took a knock in the Falcons success.

“Christian had just got a bit of a bad back,” said the Saints boss. “He mentioned it at half-time and he got a knock to it in the scrum. Hopefully he’ll be fine.

“Tom got a bang to his ankle. He’ll be fine, and hopefully Courtney will be 100 per cent fit for next week as well.”

Kahn Fotuali’i was absent for Friday night’s 39-31 win at Franklin’s Gardens and will be missing again when Saints travel to Salford this weekend.

The Samoan sustained a shoulder injury in the victory over Harlequins at Twickenham and Mallinder is not putting an exact date on his return.

“He’s getting better,” Mallinder said. “It probably won’t be next week and it might still be a few weeks out, but we’ll see.

And when asked whether Fotuali’i may require surgery to rectify the problem, he said: “We’re hoping not.”

Ben Foden believes England ambitions will add extra fuel to the Saints fire for a testing run of January fixtures.

Foden and Co got the new year off to a flying start with a bonus-point 39-31 victory against Newcastle Falcons last Friday.

That result kept them top of the Aviva Premiership ahead of Saturday’s trip to Sale Sharks, which will be followed by crucial Champions Cup clashes with Ospreys and Racing Metro.

And with the Six Nations following those matches, Foden and his team-mates are keen to continue proving points to England boss Stuart Lancaster.

“We’re No.1 at the moment which means teams are going to come for us,” said the full-back, who was named man of the match in the win over Newcastle.

“We’ve got some tough fixtures, with Europe around the corner. We’ve got one eye on that.

“There’s a lot of things to prove, especially in England terms for players like Stephen Myler and Luther Burrell.

“There’s a lot to play for and hopefully we’ll do that and stay top of the league.”

Newcastle caused problems for Saints during a second half which saw the away team claim a try bonus point.

And Foden knows his side have plenty to work on ahead of this weekend’s tricky trip to Salford, where Jim Mallinder’s men were beaten last season.

“We knew Newcastle would come and cause us problems,” he said. “They’re very much a team on the rise so we knew we had to be on our mettle.

“Credit to them, they really tested us. We probably eased up a bit when we got our bonus-point try and Newcastle stuck it to us and got a point themselves.

“We’re by no means the finished article and it gives us a lot to think about going into this game against Sale.”

The Phoenix Centre in Daventry has been given planning permission for a major extension and renovation costing in the region of £1.5m.

The works, given permission by Daventry District Council, will see the dedicated gymnastics hall being extended to provide floor level trampolines and additional space and equipment, as well as improved facilities for those with disabilities.

A full refurbishment of the youth centre resource is also planned to enable the Phoenix to provide more comprehensive facilities for the young people of Daventry. Elaine Bedford, president of the centre, said: “We are delighted with the council’s decision as this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to make the Phoenix fit for purpose to meet the ever-growing demand from the young people in the community to use our club.

“An Improvement Fund project with Sports England is dependent on this planning consent being granted along with certain other criteria, and we are currently working through this process with them.

“Our priority now is to raise the rest of the money that we need to make this dream come true.”

As well as the popular gymnastics club, there are also judo and boxing clubs based at the centre.

The Phoenix also runs music sessions for young people, provides a place for young people to hang out and has its own recording facilities. The guiding philosophy is to enable young people to organise the type of events and sessions they want.

Mrs Bedford added she is confident the full funding amount can be raised from local partners.

She added: “We will be talking to developers that are involved in new residential projects in the district who have expressed an interest in helping us as part of their commitment to improving community facilities in the Daventry area. Some of them have indicated to us already they could be willing to fund around £900,000 to ensure that we can go ahead with modernising the building.” It is hoped building work will start by the end of 2015.

Daventry District Council has already made £125,000 available for the extension and enhancement of centre, which provided the catalyst to allow other funding discussions to take place.

Daventry Town Council has continued to back plans for 450 new homes in the north of the town.

The council held an extraordinary meeting on Monday, December 22 to discuss amended plans for the controversial Mickle Well Park development.

The new homes, if given planning permission, would see them built next to the Lang Farm estate and near the Middlemore estate just off the A361.

Developer Landform has submitted the application which will also see a new primary school built on the estate.

Amendments have included changing the location of a pelican crossing and changes made by Landform following responses from consultations.

The plans were originally discussed by Daventry Town Council at a meeting in November which saw around 50 residents from Daventry and neighbouring Welton protest against the proposals.

After the meeting people wrote to the Daventry Express with their objections.

Margaret Jones said: “The feeling I got is that once again the town councillors are not listening to the people who they are supposed to represent.”

Another Welton resident, Patricia Barber, added: “This is our home area for all, our sanctuary, and now it appears that nobody is particularly bothered from the council’s point of view regarding the planning application.

“It would appear that our voices are not being heard.”

The plans have led to the creation of the Mickle Well Park Opposition Group, formed in the summer, which has argued the infrastructure is not in place to support the number of houses, which it fears will also destroy the views of the countryside.

The group’s campaign has been backed by Chris Heaton-Harris MP.

The proposal will now be considered by Daventry District Council’s planning committee at a meeting in the new year.

A man was taken to Northampton General Hospital following a collision on the M1 near to Watford Gap.

The accident happened southbound on the motorway at 4.45pm on Friday January 2. It involved a blue Jaguar XF being driven by a 48-year-old man and a maroon DAF HGV being driven by a 53-year-old man.

Police say the man driving the Jaguar suffered a suspected medical episode at the wheel which resulted in the collision. He was taken to Northampton General Hospital for treatment.

Police would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed this collision or who may have any information regarding it.

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

Jim Mallinder has urged Saints to ‘sharpen up’ ahead of their tricky trip to Sale on Saturday.

Mallinder’s men have won their past seven games, but the director of rugby has not been happy with his side’s defending in the victories over Harlequins and Newcastle.

Saints have shipped seven tries in their past two matches, but seen their ruthless attacking game get them out of jail.

And Mallinder is eager to see defensive improvement from his team when they travel to the AJ Bell Stadium, where they were beaten in the Aviva Premiership last March.

“In attack there were moments of brilliance last week,” he said. “We scored some good tries and, arguably, we could have got two or three more.

“There were some really good aspects to our attacking play, but we’re very disappointed in some of our defence.

“We’ve conceded more tries in the past couple of weeks than we’ve done all season and it’s something we need to sharpen up a little bit.

“A lot of it is mental and we need to make sure we don’t concede from first phase and we certainly need to defend mauls better than what we did last Friday.”

The number of people arrested for drink-driving over the Christmas and New Year period in Northamptonshire was more than 20 per cent lower than the previous year.

Between December 1, 2014 and January 5, 2015, a total of 85 people were arrested for drink-driving in the county.

The figure represents a drop of 21 per cent on the previous year’s figures.

The drop came after 2,217 people took breath tests at the side of the road during the festive period and followed a hard-hitting campaign to get across the message ‘Everyone hates drink-drivers’.

Sergeant Tony Hopkins, who led the operation, said: “We’re determined to reduce cases of drink-driving in Northamptonshire, so I’m pleased to see the number of people we caught over the festive period is lower than last year. That suggests our message is getting across to drivers.

“The vast majority of people we stopped had not had any alcohol before they got into their car, which is the only way to make sure you will not be caught drinking and driving.

“For those who continue to ignore the message and get behind the wheel after having a drink, the New Year will bring some unpleasant news for them with the prospect of court appearances or large fines hanging over their heads.”

Those who are found guilty of drink-driving could face time in prison, large fines and a driving ban.

Anyone who has information about people who drink and drive can still contact the force’s Drivewatch hotline on 0800 174615.

Aldi supermarket in Daventry has recalled one of its products after salmonella was found in a batch of chocolate.

The budget store in Sheaf Street has recalled 200g (7oz) packs of Choceur Treasures with a best before date of September 1 2015.

Issuing an official Product Recall Information Notice, the Food Standards Agency said that salmonella has been detected in one batch of the product which has been on sale in Aldi stores in the Midlands area only.

No other Choceur/Aldi products are known to be affected.

The list of shops where the chocolates have been sold also include Harlestone Road in Northampton, Weston Favell, Carina Road in Kettering and Old Greens Norton Road in Towcester.

Product recall notices have been displayed in all the stores and customers who bought the product are being asked to return it to the store.

The Food Standards Agency is warning people not to eat the product.

Northamptonshire County Council is making satisfactory progress to improve child protection services, according to Ofsted inspectors.

The progress inspection took place in December and found that the council is taking appropriate steps to improve the service after it was rated inadequate by Ofsted following an inspection in February 2013.

The inspection team recognised the council’s efforts to improve the way referrals are managed, enhance the emergency duty team arrangements and better identify children who are at risk or are suffering significant harm.

Social worker caseloads have also been reduced, with 71 per cent of staff now managing no more than 20 cases compared with 65% a year ago, while the council was praised for its efforts to build a ‘stable and able’ workforce by recruiting high quality newly-qualified social workers through its social work academy.

The progress inspection report says: “Taking account of the starting point of the council’s improvement journey, notable improvements include setting up and implementing the effective multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH), completing timely assessments of children in need and better child protection work.

“The council’s self-assessment, which describes improvement from a low base, provides a clear and accurate indication of the progress to date and the distance yet to travel to achieve the required quality and consistency of service.”

The inspectors found there are some areas for improvement, including ensuring all children in need have plans which are regularly reviewed, raising awareness of child sexual exploitation among staff and partner agencies and analysing patterns and trends relating to children missing from home, care or school

Cllr Heather Smith, county council deputy leader and cabinet member for children’s services, said: “We have worked very hard to begin addressing the issues identified in our previous Ofsted inspection and I’m glad to see that the inspection team has recognised our commitment to improve child protection services.

“Now we need to move forward and focus on continuing to improve the help, support and intervention we provide to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children in Northamptonshire.”