Stephen Batterby, 64, formerly of Farthingstone, yesterday (September 5) also pleaded guilty to downloading more than 3,000 indecent images of children.

Northampton Crown Court heard allegations that more than 600 moving images found on Batterby's computers were "category A", the most severe grading possible.

Batterby denied two counts of attempting to arrange, facilitate or commission a meeting with a child for the purposes of abusing them.

One attempt was in 2015 and the second was between March and April this year.

Batterby was released on bail under and electronic curfew and will return to court in October.

They say that you should always leave the audience wanting more and that is certainly the case with this production.

These dates for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time are the last of a very long UK tour and from the sounds of it, it might not be back any time soon.

And I am sure the demand to see the show return to the touring circuit will be high as this brilliantly inventive production by the National Theatre is packed full of emotion, humour and drama in equal measures.

It is the kind of the show which anybody looking to go into the world of theatre should see, for it gives you an idea on what can be achieved with a few props, some physical theatre and a sound track. The set, while it might look minimal on first glance is intricate and clever and I commend all the actors for remembering which bits of it to go to at various stages.

But for all the cleverness of the production and really brilliantly bold story, the whole thing would fall apart if it wasn't for the actors adding conviction of performance and heart. Emma Beattie as Christopher's mum puts on a perfectly judged performance as a parent damaged by the past yet trying to make things better and David Michaels is brilliant as the father trying to prevent everything from falling apart.

The stand out performance though is Scott Reid as Christopher. I interviewed him prior to the show and he has quite a broad Scottish accent, but not even for a split second did this come through as troubled Christopher. Many of the actors who have played this part have gone on to bigger things and suspect Scott will join the list. He's determined, vulnerable and utterly convincing.

I hope this won't be the last we see of this production, but if it is, it's been a fine and brilliant ending to a fantastic run of performances. Just do yourself a favour and go and watch this show before it ends.

The show can be seen until Saturday September 16. For tickets call the box office on 0844 871 7652 or visit www.atgtickets.co.uk/miltonkeynes.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink says he is ‘honoured’ to be given the chance to take over as manager of the Cobblers.

The former Burton Albion and Queens Park Rangers boss was appointed to the Sixfields hot seat on Monday, following last week’s sacking of Justin Edinburgh.

After a weekend of negotiations, Hasselbaink agreed to take the job and has signed a three-year deal, and declared ‘together we can get this campaign up and running’.

He takes over a team rock bottom of Sky Bet League One and without a point after four matches of the season, but has already taken to Twitter to say how excited he is by the challenge, and how grateful he is to chairman Kelvin Thomas and the Town board to be given the chance.

Hasselbaink is due to be officially unveiled at a Sixfields press conference on Tuesday afternoon, but told his 45,000 followers on his Twitter account @jf9hasselbaink this morning: “Excited following my appointment @ntfc Focused and raring to go.

“On my way to the club now, press conference to follow later.

“I would just like to say thank you for all the many messages of support following my appointment at @ntfc

“Honoured that the board, owners and chairman at @ntfc placed so much faith in me. Together we can get this campaign up and running #ntfc”

Hasselbaink was set to meet the Town squad for the first time this morning, ahead of his first match in charge against Doncaster Rovers at Sixfields this Saturday.

New Cobblers boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has wasted no time in making a positive impression at Sixfields.

The 45-year-old was only appointed as Justin Edinburgh’s successor on Monday, but was at Moulton College on Tuesday morning to put his new players through their paces with a lively training session.

That done, the former Chelsea and Leeds United striker turned his attention to the media as he faced the TV cameras, radio and written press at Sixfields for the first time, and it’s fair to say he got off to a flying start on both fronts.

The former Burton Albion and Queens Park Rangers boss, decked out in a dark blue suit with claret lining and sporting a claret tie, oozed confidence, positivity and determination, and was clearly enjoying his first day in his new job.

Hasselbaink may be taking over a team that has lost four out of four in Sky Bet League One this season and is rock bottom of the table, but he is impressed with what he has seen so far.

“It is great to be here,” said Hasselbaink, who has been out of work since losing his job at QPR in November.

“I got stuck into training straight away, and it had to be done.

“It was a good session, it was good to be around the players, and to get some energy in them and to reassure them a little bit that we are here to be together with them.

“We are here to go on this journey as a unit together, not as individuals, but as people who are going to do this together, and I think that was very important.

“I am very excited to be here, but there is a lot of hard work to be done.

“Hopefully we are not going to get difficult times, but we might get difficult times, and they are the moments we have to stick together and find a way forward.

“But, to reassure everybody I really believe there is a lot of talent at the club, and it is about getting that confidence back, getting that out of the players, and being positive.”

Hasselbaink was one of two ‘potential targets’ immediately idenitifed by chairman Kelvin Thomas once the decision had been made to sack Edinburgh last week, but the former Netherlands international quickly emerged as the frontrunner.

So what was it Hasselbaink said to Thomas that made him stand out on his own and see him land the job as Cobblers boss?

“I think it was about both of us,” said Hasselbaink, who guided Burton to the league two title in May, 2015.

“He told me a lot of things that impressed me, what they want to do and how they want to go about things, and I was just being myself.

“I said how I see things, and how I would like to do things.

“It was about where the club has to be, and how we are going to do that, and I spoke of my energy and what I would like to bring to the club.”

Hasselbaink now has three days to work with his new squad ahead of taking charge of his first game against Doncaster Rovers at Sixfields on Saturday.

The Cobblers have announced that former Watford assistant boss Dean Austin is new manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s number two at Sixfields.

A former Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace defender, Austin made more than 450 senior appearances.

He began his coaching career as head of recruitment and coach at Southend United in 2005, helping the Shrimpers win two successive promotions to move from league two to the Championship.

Austin moved on to become assistant to Brendan Rodgers at Watford, and then followed Rodgers to Reading.

Highly thought of by Watford supporters for his role at Vicarage Road, Austin returned to the club in January 2015, helping Slaviša Jokanovic’s side to win promotion back to the Premier League.

Following Austin’s arrival at Sixfields, David Kerslake, who was assistant to Justin Edinburgh, has left the club.

Summer signing Rob Horne made an immediate impact as he scored for the Wanderers in their 22-7 win against Sale Jets at Heywood Road on Monday night.

The Australia centre arrived at Franklin's Gardens last week and he enjoyed his first 40 minutes in Northampton colours.

South Africa scrum-half Cobus Reinach also impressed on his first appearance for the club, while another new recruit, Jamal Ford-Robinson, scored the Wanderers' bonus-point try.

Charlie Clare and Jamie Elliott were also on the scoresheet as the Wanderers began the defence of their Prem Rugby A League title with a comfortable victory in gloomy conditions.

The game was a good audition ahead of Saints' huge Aviva Premiership meeting with Leicester Tigers at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday.

And Horne passed the test with flying colours before being replaced at half-time, with the Tigers match in mind.

Reinach and North weren't on for too much longer, with both also likely to feature against Leicester this weekend.

The Wanderers came flying out of the blocks at Heywood Road, applying plenty of early pressure to the home defence.

And after Horne was held up, the away side used a lineout drive to send hooker Clare over for an early score.

Horne didn't have to wait too much longer to get his own name on the scoresheet as he ran a clever line and flew through to score.

Hutchinson added the extras to give his dominant side a 12-0 advantage.

The game was being played almost exclusively in Sale territory, but the men in blue finally got a reprieve with a quick break from fly-half Kieran Wilkinson.

However, the Wanderers held firm under pressure, preventing wing Arron Reed from scoring out wide.

Sale continued to press and the Wanderers were offending on a regular basis, resulting in a yellow card for skipper Sam Dickinson.

And the Jets scored almost immediately as powerful centre Jonny Leota forced his way over, and Wilkinson narrowed the gap to five points with the successful conversion.

The Wanderers made one change at half-time with the impressive Horne replaced.

The second half started in feisty fashion, with new signings Reinach and Francois van Wyk involved in a pushing contest.

Referee Chris Bennett even got an inadvertent shove and Sale prop Jake Pope was shown a yellow card for his part in the dust-up.

The Wanderers took immediate advantage as Elliott, in the team as a late replacement for Tom Stephenson, latched on to a kick ahead to score.

But Hutchinson missed the seemingly simple conversion to leave the gap at 10 points.

Reinach and North were soon replaced and the game continued in scrappy fashion, with neither side able to produce a moment of magic.

That was until prop Ford-Robinson popped up out wide, grabbed a great offload from Api Ratuniyarawa and sprinted to the line to score in the corner.

It was an impressive turn of speed from the prop and it had earned the Wanderers the bonus point.

Hutchinson missed the conversion, but the Wanderers' work was done and they saw out the rest of the game to secure a stress-free success.

Sale Jets: Carleton; Reed, James, Leota, Charnley; Wilkinson, Walsh; Pope, Langdon, John; Postlethwaite, Nott; N Dolly, Seymour, Pearce.

Wanderers: Furbank; Elliott, Estelles, Horne (Dingwall 40), North (Strachan 55); Hutchinson, Reinach (Kessell 52); van Wyk (Beesley 68), Clare (Marshall 53), Ford-Robinson (Painter 68); Paterson, Moon (Ratuniyarawa 53); Ryan, Nutley, Dickinson (c).

Referee: Chris Bennett

A Boughton-raised woman who received a life-saving kidney transplant from her mum will be tackling the Great North Run to raise funds for renal research and inspire others to be organ donors.

Joely Slinn will be cheered on at the roadside by mum Jane when she runs the world-famous half-marathon in aid of Kidney Research on Sunday, September 10.

As 28-year-old Joely lines up at the race start, it will be almost exactly seven years since she received the life-changing diagnosis of kidney failure and started a gruelling eight months of daily dialysis.

In June 2011 she received one of her mum’s kidneys and, with her health now recovering well, is keen to show her support and raise money to help find a cure for kidney disease.

Joely said: “I count myself as one of the lucky ones, thanks to the lifesaving transplant I received from my mum, so I’m running the Great North to celebrate how far I’ve come over the past seven years and raise awareness and money for Kidney Research.

“There is currently no cure for kidney disease and a shortage of donor organs, so the work the charity carries out is vital.

“Even before my transplant I was never a natural runner, so this will be a huge challenge for me both physically and mentally. I’m thrilled to be running with Chris and really proud that mum will also be there to cheer me on.”

Joely, who grew up in Boughton and works at Daventry District Council as environmental improvement officer, only started running four months ago. Her partner Chris, who has been at her side throughout her illness, is helping with her training and will also be running the 13.1-mile route in an effort to raise £2,000 for charity.

To sponsor Joely and Chris for the Great North Run in aid of Kidney Research, visit their fundraising page.

The fifty-foot narrowboat Dawn Treader was taken on or around August 20 from a temporary mooring on the Grand Union Canal near Lemington Spa.

It was found moored and unattended by police on the Grand Union three days later in Lower Shuckburgh, 10 miles away from where it had been stolen.

Tim Coghlan, managing director of Braunston Marina, said: "This story is fortunately a fairly rare one on the canals, and in near-thirty years of working on the canals, I am unaware of any stolen narrowboat not being eventually recovered, though in one case it took five years.

"But the brilliant work by our local police team and Ali’s use of Facebook brought this one to an amazingly swift conclusion.

"Hopefully with all the information provided to the police and their own investigations, the perpetrators will be caught and brought to justice."

The boat's owner Ali Jefferey, a 40-year-old supply teacher from Leamington Spa, was in the process of moving her boat from its mooring in Warwick to a boat yard near Long Itchington.

She had moved it above Fosse Lock late on August 19, but when she returned at 6.30pm on the evening of Tuesday, August 22 the boat had gone.

Mrs Jefferey informed the police immediately and posted about it on Facebook, which helped to spread the word among the boating community and encouraged people to come forward with information.

A friend of Mrs Jefferey who saw her post on social media told her they had seen Dawn Treader at about 5.30pm on August 21.

A couple on holiday along the Grand Union informed police they had shared the Bascote Flight with Mrs Jefferey's boat and were able to give a detailed description of the people to the authorities.

On the Wednesday morning the police began a search of the canal from Marston Doles towards Napton, during which they received reports of a sighting of the Dawn Treader, said to be tied up at Lower Shuckburgh.

The police found the boat unattended in a relatively remote place with several empty beer cans and cannabis cigarette ends left behind, both on the boat and the towpath. Fingerprint and DNA samples were taken from these.

The boat had been broken into via the bow doors, which were hidden by the cratch cover.

The thieves found the ignition key, having seemingly tried to start the engine with a screwdriver, and departed with other boat keys they found onboard the Dawn Treader.

As a result a tow to Braunston Marina was arranged where work on repairing the doors as well as parts of the hull and paintwork - which were damaged by rough driving through locks - is being undertaken. Together with other damage, the total cost of the repairs is estimated at £2,000.

Jim Mallinder has told the Saints supporters that his players will be 'putting everything out there' to beat Leicester Tigers on Saturday.

Mallinder's men were thrashed 55-24 in their Aviva Premiership season opener against Saracens at Twickenham on Saturday.

It was a sobering day, with Sarries scoring seven first-half tries and nine in all.

And Saints now need a huge response against their local rivals, who were beaten 27-23 by Bath on Sunday.

When asked what his message for the Saints fans is ahead of this weekend's derby date, Mallinder said: "Hopefully they're going to get excited and look forward to it.

"We'll be putting everything out there.

"We'll be training hard and we'll be giving it everything we've got this week."

And when asked how many selection decisions he will have to make for the Tigers battle, Mallinder simply replied: "23."

Saints have finished outside the Premiership top four in each of the past two seasons.

They were fifth in 2015/16 and seventh in 2016/17.

But Mallinder insists things can be fixed and he feels confident that his team will improve in the weeks and months to come.

"We can fix this," the Saints boss said. "If you look at our players, we've got the players to do that.

"But we certainly need to step up."

Gospel reggae star Christopher Grant aka Chris Da Ambassada has launched a new single and video called Leave It Alone and says he wants to keep spreading positive vibes.

Born on the beautiful island of Jamaica and now residing in nearby Bucks, Ambassada is an international recording, award-winning reggae artist making waves across the scene with his talents.

His music brings us a taste of the Caribbean, with some vibrant and upbeat tracks that also delivery a strong positive message which is centred around his Christian faith. Songs like ‘How Far I’ve Come’ talk about his journey from humble beginnings in Jamaica to the recognised figure he has become within the industry.

The dad of two also talks about his mission to tell young people the truth and bring changes to their lives.

In a time where it seems violence is promoted in a lot of the music listened to by our youth, Ambassada’s stance is refreshing as he promotes positivity in his songs, which will be listened to by the same young audience.

He said he wants to bring about a change in the mindset of today’s youth and create one with a ‘can do’ attitude.

“I believe that I was called specifically by God to be an Ambassada for His Kingdom, with a unique sound and style to bring changes to the world,” Christopher said.

This year has already been huge for Ambassada with the release of no fewer than four singles. He was also nominated for three International Marlin Music Awards, has signed to new artist management with Tru-Life Promotions and is set to perform at the PGM Awards 2017 this October.

His latest project sees Ambassada release what he describes as a ‘hot new single’ and accompanying music video called Leave It Alone. DJs all over the world are already requesting the track from the likes of the United States, Costa Rica, the Caribbean and more.

So what’s the song about? Well, take a look and listen for yourself here or visit his own dedicated YouTube Channel - CDA-TV and see for yourself!

Chris added: “It’s a fantastic song that is sure to be a favourite of all reggae, dancehall and pop music lovers. Leave It Alone produced by Reminiss - @silentmindsuk - and mixed by Daniel at Runway Studios. Leave It Alone is also available on iTunes, Spotify and more.

For more finormation on Chris nad his music visit his website www.chrisdaambassada.com

Ben Duckett admits he was able to have ‘a little bit of fun’ as he racked up the runs against Sussex.

The talented opener rediscovered his best form with an imperious 193 as Northants dominated the opening day of an important Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash at the County Ground.

Having been sent into bat, the home side racked up 329 for five in 75 overs, with Richard Levi (44), Rob Newton (32) and debutant Luke Procter (30no) also chipping in.

It means fifth-placed Northants are in a strong position as they bid to keep their promotion bid alive against the side currently sitting third in the standings.

And Duckett said: “A lot of times this year I’ve felt pretty good but I’ve failed to go on and get those big scores.

“When I got to a hundred today it was really, focus and kick on, don’t throw it away and have a little bit of fun later on.

“It did a little early on and they bowled a touch wide but we got set and cashed in during the afternoon.”

Phil Dowson labelled Rob Horne 'a class act' after the Australia centre impressed for the Wanderers against Sale Jets on Monday night.

Horne scored on his first appearance in Northampton colours as he cut a nice line and charged in to dot down during the first half of the Prem Rugby A League clash.

The 28-year-old was replaced at half-time, with a clear eagerness to keep the player fresh for Saturday's east midlands derby against Leicester Tigers at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday.

And Dowson was delighted with the efforts of the former Waratahs player, who arrived at Saints last week having completed a break after the conclusion of the Super Rugby season.

"Rob Horne is a class act, obviously," said Dowson, who was drafted in as an assistant coach during the summer and who took charge of the Wanderers on Monday night.

"You don't get that many caps (29) for Australia without knowing what you're doing.

"He's obviously a tough runner but very skilful.

"He's a good leader. He hasn't said a huge amount because he's still getting to grips with the system, but he's a class act."

Another player making his first Northampton appearance was South Africa scrum-half Cobus Reinach, who played 50 minutes in the 22-7 success against the Jets.

And Dowson said: "It's difficult when you're in a playmaking position and you don't know many people and haven't been here very long, but I thought he looked sharp.

"Tom Kessell also looked sharp when he came on and it gives us options at scrum-half."

Like Reinach, George North was also replaced around the 50-minute mark as Saints looked to save him for Saturday.

And Dowson confirmed a plan was in place to only play certain players for a limited amount of time.

"We've got to be mindful of injuries with the game against Leicester to come on Saturday," Dowson said.

"We had a plan of not wanting to overplay guys who might be playing on Saturday and that's the way we went with that."

The Wanderers secured the bonus-point win thanks to tries from Charlie Clare, Horne, Jamie Elliott and Jamal Ford-Robinson.

And Dowson said: "I thought the defensive efforts from all the guys was outstanding.

"A lot of the younger guys put their hand up.

"After a disappointing Saturday (Saints lost 55-24 in their Premiership opener against Saracens) it was really good to get a win on a wet Monday night in Sale.

"I was really pleased with the effort, energy and physicality.

"There's obviously mistakes and things we can do better, but overall I was really pleased with the desire of the side."

An artist best known for her work with highland cows is visiting the Evergreen Art Cafe in Daventry on Saturday.

Jennifer Hogwood will be at the Sheaf Street venue between 11am and 1pm.

Growing up in the Bedfordshire countryside, as a child Jennifer Hogwood was surrounded by rolling fields, spending much of her time outdoors and so animals have always been a huge part of her life.

Always creative, even as a young girl, she loved painting and with no formal art training, having painted all her life, Jennifer is essentially a self-taught artist.

Jennifer’s wonderful highland cows have affectionately become known as “The

McMoos” and these delightful bovine buddies are instantly recognisable to collectors and members of the public alike.

Jennifer has even created her own unique shade of brown, which she uses for every new McMoo masterpiece!

Jennifer will be in the gallery as part of the exhibition of her new releases, which including originals and limited edition prints.

Visitors will be able to chat to Jennifer about her inspirations, techniques and what her latest collection of McMoos means to her.

For more details about the event visit www.evergreenartcafe.co.uk.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink says he will be happy to pass on all the advice he can to the Cobblers’ posse of young strikers - but they are going to have to do all the hard work themselves.

Hasselbaink was named Town manager on Monday, and took training for the first time on Tuesday.

As a player, the 45-year-old was a world-class striker, rattling in 233 goals in the top leagues in Holland, England and Spain.

He twice won the Golden Boot after finishing the top scorer in the Premier League, once for Leeds and once for Chelsea, and netted nine times for the Netherlands in 23 international appearances.

So for the likes of Billy Waters, Chris Long, Leon Lobjoit and teenager Joe Iaciofano, it must be exciting to know attacking tips are going to be available from such a player, day in, day out.

And Hasselbaink, who says he loves getting out on the pitch and coaching every day, says he is going to help them as much as he can, but ultimately the players have to help themselves.

Asked if he will be passing on advice to the youngsters in the Town squad, Hasselbaink said: “A chat with them will not be enough.

“It is not just about a chat, and we need to put in work and dedication.

“The players have the ability, they have the talent, but it is about how much do you want that talent to come out?

“If they are willing to work then it will come out, and that is what we are going to try to do.

“We will keep on working, keep on working, and keep on working, that is the only thing we can do.”

Hasselbaink takes charge of his first match as Cobblers boss on Saturday, with Doncaster Rovers the visitors to Sixfields.

The team are still searching for their first point of the Sky Bet League One campaign, and Hasselbaink is keen to get something on the board as quickly as possible.

As it stands, the Cobblers aren’t yet cut off at the bottom.

They are four points adrift of a batch of teams from 17th place down to 20th, and six points behind 13th-placed Doncaster, having played a game less.

It’s not ideal, but is a far from hopless position, and Hasselbaink said: “There is a long way to go in the season, and I am pleased with that, but we are where we are.

“We need to try to climb the league, and that has to be our first aim, forget about anything else.”

Hasselbaink is hoping this weekend is going to be the first of many for him in charge of the Cobblers.

He has signed a three-year deal at Sixfields, and he says it was important for him that club showed such faith in him.

“It is very important for me to know that,” said the former Netherlands international.

“But for me it was also important to be part of something for the long term.

“I am here to stay, to try and see this through, that this is going to be a successful time.”

Daventry Country Park is in the running for a national prize after once again claiming a Green Flag Award earlier this summer.

The park has since been entered into the 2017 People's Choice Awards which is an opportunity for the public and those that use the park to vote for their favourite green space.

Voting is open and will run until September 30, with the top ten winning sites announced on October 11.

Councillor Alan Hills, community, culture and leisure portfolio holder at Daventry District Council, said: “We are extremely proud of the park’s Green Flag status, a prestigious accolade which recognises its excellent facilities, community involvement, sustainability, conservation and heritage

“I would ask anyone who enjoys visiting the park to spend a moment voting for it in these national awards, so that we can demonstrate to the nation what a great, popular country park we have here in Daventry, so don’t delay - vote today.”

People can vote for Daventry Country Park by visiting www.daventrydc.gov.uk/countrypark and following the link or on Facebook.

Warwickshire and Northampton Air Ambulance which, with its sister service in neighbouring counties, provides rapid response to trauma and medical emergencies over an area of 3,850 square miles, will benefit from a number of initiatives with Amazon over the coming months.

These include donations, on-site fundraising by the Daventry team and attendance at Amazon events.

Speaking on the donation, Amazon Daventry general manager, David Tindal, said: "Everyone at Amazon in Daventry is very proud about our support for Warwickshire and Northampton Air Ambulance.

"We are passionate about helping people in our community and teaming up with Air Ambulance Northampton means we can help make a real difference in the area.

"The team here provides vital support as part of the emergency services across the county and beyond. We look forward to seeing what we can achieve together over the coming months."

The initiative has been marked with a donation of £2,500 to the charity from the fulfilment centre team.

Amazon Daventry teamed up with Warwickshire and Northampton Air Ambulance after the charity was chosen by the team at the fulfilment centre for support.

The move is part of a UK-wide programme that enables Amazon sites to provide on-going support to a charity in the areas where they operate, making a sustainable difference to important causes within the local community.

The partnership will help Warwickshire and Northampton Air Ambulance maintain its rapid response service so the team can come to the aid of as many people as possible.

Members of the Amazon team visited the charity to deliver the donation and to learn more about the work Warwickshire and Northampton Air Ambulance does.

Jo Payne from Air Ambulance Northampton said: "Thank you to David and everyone at Amazon in Daventry for teaming up with Air Ambulance.

"We rely on help and donations from businesses and the community, so to have this support from the team at Amazon is a real boost to our staff.

"On behalf of everyone here I would like to thank David and his team at Amazon in Daventry for their generosity and support."

The donation forms part of the ‘Amazon in the Community’ programme whereby the company supports the communities around its operating locations across the UK.

Motorists heading into Northampton are experiencing delays of up to an hour due to a broken down minibus that is leaking fuel.

People heading south on the M1 through Northamptonshire are at a standstill this morning because of the breakdown.

Lane one is closed to allow for recovery teams to clear up a fuel spillage on the M1 southbound between junction 17 for the M45 and junction 16 for the A4500.

As the bus has broken down in the roadworks construction area, recovery is taking longer than anticipated.

The breakdown has taken place on a section where there is no hard shoulder.

A second recovery vehicle has recently arrived on the scene to clear the fuel spill.

A £79,700 grant will pay for an urgent project to replace rotting floors at St Mary’s Church in Badby.

The grant, given by the Heritage Lottery Fund, has been made possible by National Lottery players.

A new step-less entrance is also being introduced, along with a large new flat area at the back of the church which can be laid out with chairs, tables and displays.

Work is due to start from October and will continue for about six months.

Tower captain Geoff Pullin said: “We have been battling away for several years to get this work done.

“We look forward to finishing it so everyone can use the village’s oldest building safely and easily.”

Jonathan Platt from the Heritage Lottery Fund said: “Historic places of worship like St Mary’s have fascinating stories to tell, and are often at the heart of communities. Thanks to National Lottery players we can help to address the church’s urgent needs.”

A reluctance to talk about death is leading to hundreds of life-saving transplant opportunities being missed, say the NHS.

More than three families a week are refusing donation of their deceased loved ones’ organs - because they didn’t know what their relative wanted.

This means more than 450 lifesaving organ transplants are being missed each year as families decide to say ‘no’ rather than guess at what their relative’s views might have been.

NHS Blood and Transplant has revealed the figure to mark Organ Donation Week (September 4 to 10) and is urging people to tell their families they want become life-saving organ donors. The reluctance to talk about the issue is contributing to a deadly shortage of organs and leaving families to make a difficult decision when someone they love dies.

Last year 457 people died while on the active transplant waiting list and a further 875 people were removed from the list, mainly due to ill health. Many of these people will have died shortly after being removed.

There are currently 6,414 people waiting for a transplant.

Anthony Clarkson, Assistant Director of Organ Donation for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “It’s a tragedy: hundreds of people are dying unnecessarily every year waiting for transplants.

“We know that if everyone who supported donation talked about it and agreed to donate, most of those lives would be saved.

“This Organ Donation Week, tell your family you want to save lives. A few words now can make an extraordinary difference. It will also make things much easier for your family to make the right decision.

“If you want to save lives, don’t leave it too late to talk to your family. If you want to be a donor, your family’s support is still needed for donation to go ahead, even if you are on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

“And if you are unsure about donation, please ask yourselves as a family; what would you do if one of you needed a transplant? Would you accept a lifesaving organ? If you’d take an organ, shouldn’t you be prepared to donate?”

Northamptonshire Police – along with forces in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire – opted to expand the number of officers carrying Tasers, also known as conductive electrical devices (CED), last year.

Today the force has announced that "about half" of the 100 officers who are being authorised to carry the devices have now finished their training.

Once all training is complete, it will take the number of response officers equipped with Tasers from 76 to 176.

Currently, the Taser capability available to Northamptonshire Police is provided by officers who work in the East Midlands Operational Support Services unit (EMOpSS), which provides specialist services to this county as well as Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.

Within EMOpSS, there are currently 388 police officer posts that can carry Tasers, including roads and armed police officers, the tactical armed policing team and the dog section.

The roll out means that, for the first time in Northamptonshire, Taser capability will be extended to officers in local policing roles.

Superintendent Chris Hillery, head of local policing said: "Extending our Taser capability will allow us to respond quicker and more effectively with the appropriate resources needed for a given incident.

"In addition, it will free up roads and armed response resources across the whole region, giving us greater capability to deal with them when required.

"Figures show that, nationally, 64 police officers are assaulted every day. By extending our Taser capability, we will be better placed to protect police officers and the wider community in general, from harm."

The Police Federation has been consulted and fully supports the decision to extend the use of Taser to local response officers.

Supt Hillery added "Evidence elsewhere in the country does not suggest that by simply equipping more officers there is an inevitable and automatic increase in the number of times CEDs are used.

"On many occasions, simply the presence of a CED can calm and resolve a situation without it necessarily being used to combat a violent situation."

The force says that every use of a Taser has to be reported and scrutinised and officers are individually accountable to the law for the amount of force they use

Figures released earlier this year by the Home Office showed that, nationally, there was a fall in the number of times Tasers were discharged.

Between April 1 and August 31 this year, Taser officers were authorised to deploy to incidents in Northamptonshire on 504 occasions.

Of those, Taser was used on 49 occasions although only actually fired on seven of those incidents.

All officers equipped with Taser are subject to the policy guidelines set down by the College of Policing.

Officers in Northamptonshire will all receive an additional day's training on the use of Taser, over and above the statutory three days, as well as benefiting from enhanced refresher courses.