Northampton Chronicle and Echo (Northampton, England) back issues from April 2008:
Make your home safe.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Families with young children can get home safety equipment free as part of a drive to cut accidents in Spring Boroughs and Semilong. The scheme, which is open to people with children aged up to four years old, who live in the Castle ward, will provide a free fire guard, ...
Campaigners propose village green status to save land.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Campaigners in Duston have hatched a new plan to stop developers building houses on what they say is the village's last remaining public open space. In the latest attempt to preserve the playing fields of the former St Luke's Primary School, an application is being prepared for ...
Brewers toasting takeover bid.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Carlsberg bosses are celebrating after winning a [pounds sterling]7.8 billion joint takeover bid with Heineken to buy out UK brewer Scottish and Newcastle. Shareholders in the UK's 250-year-old brewer, most famous for John Smith's and Newcastle Brown ale, voted unanimously in ...
257 anti-social incidents each days in Northants.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Police in Northamptonshire deal with a complaint about anti-social behaviour every seven minutes, despite a drop of more than 14,000 calls in the space of 12 months. New figures have revealed that between April and December 2006 the county force received a staggering 70,831 ...
Orient Express is coming to town.
Apr 01, 2008 ... People will be able to wine and dine in style on board an Orient Express train when it stops in Northamptonshire. The famous train is scheduled to travel through the county twice this year, picking up passengers who will be able to sample fine wines and cuisine. The ...
Teens on knifepoint robbery charges.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Two teenagers have appeared in court accused of robbing a schoolboy at knifepoint in Northampton. The pair, aged 13 and 15, are alleged to have threatened the youngster with a kitchen knife before punching him, rifling through his pockets and taking his school bag. ...
Book shop forced to close.
Apr 01, 2008 ... A bookseller has closed her Northamptonshire village shop for good, after serving the community for more than 25 years. The Fox in the Pound bookshop in Brixworth, which has been run independently by Paddy Fox and her husband Harvey since 1982, completed its last day of trading ...
Family's terror as home hit by car.
Apr 01, 2008 ... A man has told of his terror after a car crashed into his Northampton home just metres away from where he was sat on the toilet. Jason Pateman from Milton Street, Kingsley, had got up in the middle of the night on Sunday when he heard a huge crash. He and his wife ...
Five-day trial for man accused of murder.
Apr 01, 2008 ... The trial of a man accused of starting a house fire which killed 75-year-old Mavis Clift on New Year's Day will take place later this year. Paul Barber, aged 55, of Coleraine Close, Kingsthorpe, is charged with one count of murder and two for the attempted murder of his wife, ...
Time to look out for voles.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Water voles are under greater threat than tigers or pandas, according to the Wildlife Trust. The creatures, made famous by Ratty in Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows, have now been placed under special protection throughout the UK. Numbers of the rodents have ...
999 call police car in smash.
Apr 01, 2008 ... An investigation has been launched after a police car responding to an emergency call was involved in a collision with another car in Northampton. The crash happened outside Mem Saab restaurant in Wellingborough Road, Abington, at about 9.30pm on Saturday. The driver ...
Change in hospital visiting hours.
Apr 01, 2008 ... New standard visiting hours are being introduced at Northampton General Hospital to improve patient care and safety. The new times, which come into effect next Monday, will protect daytime rest periods for patients and enable more effective cleaning ...
Sun shines on pocket park for family fun day.
Apr 01, 2008 ... A sunny start to British Summertime helped ensure a village family fun day was a great success. An afternoon of nature-based children's activities was held at Cogenhoe pocket park on Sunday, with the bright weather providing a boost to proceedings. Organiser and ...
Firms in pledge to back Town Show.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Two of Northampton's biggest employers will be sponsoring the Town Show this year. Travis Perkins and Carlsberg-Tetley will be supporting Northampton Saints' organisation of the event at Franklin's Gardens over the May Bank Holiday weekend. Saints chief executive ...
Tables to sell for [pounds sterling]20,000.
Apr 01, 2008 ... A pair of giltwood tables from Northamptonshire will be sold at auction later this month. The 18th century tables are estimated to fetch between [pounds sterling]20,000 and [pounds sterling]30,000 when they go under the hammer at Christie's on April 24. The tables, ...
Speeding footballer hit with a [pounds sterling]200 fine.
Apr 01, 2008 ... A former Premier League footballer has been fined [pounds sterling]200 by magistrates in Northampton after he was found guilty of a speeding offence in the town. Former Newcastle, Leicester and Wolves striker Carl Cort was convicted of failing to identify the driver of an Audi ...
Villagers mourn 'lovely and kind' man with a community spirit.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Residents in the South Northamptonshire village of Helmdon have described Richard Lloyd as a community-minded man who regularly opened up his garden as a venue for plays. The motor sports enthusiast, who was the owner of the Apex Jaguar racing team, died after the private plane ...
Apology as new bus passes fail to arrive.(Correction notice)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Thousands of pensioners and disabled people from Northampton who applied for new style bus passes did not receive them in time for this morning's deadline. Northampton Borough Council confirmed only 8,000 of the more than 16,000 passes which were applied for in Northampton have ...
Jail term 'likely' for wife beater.
Apr 01, 2008 ... A husband with anger management problems, who admitted attacking his wife when she told him she was having an affair, is facing a jail sentence. Luke Oliver, aged 38 and formerly of High Street, Weston Favell, appeared at Northampton Crown Court to admit two counts of common ...
Risky surgery helps mum have baby son.
Apr 01, 2008 ... A woman with a rare medical condition decided to have risky open heart surgery so she could survive giving birth to a longed-for baby. Catherine Baker, of the village of Brafield-on-the-Green, was born with a hereditary disorder called Marfan's syndrome. The condition ...
Two children arrested after man dies in flats blaze.
Apr 01, 2008 ... A 14-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl have been arrested following the discovery of a body after a fire in Northampton. Fire crews were called to Shoemakers Court in Kingsthorpe Hollow shortly after 11pm on Monday and led eight people to safety. A body has however, ...
Driver arrested as wine lorry causes road chaos.
Apr 01, 2008 ... A lorry driver has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving after a cargo of wine was spilled all over the M1 in Northampton. Motorists faced rush-hour chaos after the accident, which saw parts of the motorway's northbound carriageway closed between junctions 16 and 17 ...
Hayes: Cobblers need favours for play-offs.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Jonathan Hayes is seeking favours from the teams playing Northampton Town's play-off rivals next week. Town need an almost miraculous sequence of results to come off if they are to finish in the league one top six. Hayes feels they need to win all of their remaining ...
Caitlin shines as Myles smashes British record.
Apr 01, 2008 ... World Championship bronze medallist Caitlin McClatchey put down a sizeable marker for Beijing selection on the opening night of the British Olympic trials in Sheffield. The 22-year-old cruised into the final of the 100m freestyle, pipping pre-race favourite Francesca Halsall to ...
Pepper the hat-trick hero.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Bugbrooke 26 Oadby Wyggestonians 5 Adam Pepper was the hat-trick hero as Bugbrooke proved too strong for Oadby on the club's VPs day. The Badgers raised their game in front of past and present ...
Young Scouts hold out for draw.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Leicester Vipers 7 Old Scouts 7 Scouts took to the field with five players aged 20 or under in blustery conditions and, playing with the elements in the first half, could only manage a seven-point lead. Eighteen-year-old Richard Slinn was making his debut on the wing ...
Tows fired up to end BBOB cup dominance.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Towcestrians 34 BBOB 0 Towcestrians coach Frank Packman says his team are more than capable of beating hot favourites ONs in Wednesday's Alliance Cup final at Franklin's Gardens. Holders ONs go into the contest as hot favourites having dominated the competition for ...
Bucks ease relegation worries.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Mens Own 3 Long Buckby 10 Long Buckby eased their relegation worries with a hard-fought victory over Mens Own. In the opening 15 minutes, Buckby scored two tries through Jonny Nixon and Jonny Hughes while Own were down to 14 men. Mark Newton kicked a ...
ONs pipped by Banbury.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Banbury 16 Old Northamptonians 14 ONs produced a disappointing performance against Banbury and will need to improve drastically if they are to retain the Alliance Cup tomorrow night. Banbury used the conditions far better than a below-par ONs, building up a 16-0 ...
Town League: Fleming's delight as Quins seal title glory.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Harlequins are the new premier division champions after easing to a 4-0 triumph over Thorplands United. A hat-trick from skipper Ashley Fleming and a solo effort from Lynval Da Costa gave Quins a comfortable win. Quins' charismatic manager Charlie Fleming was ecstatic ...
McClatchey wins British title.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Brixworth's Caitlin McClatchey is British 100m freestyle champion. The 22-year-old powered to victory in Sheffield this morning at the British Championships, which are also being used as trials for this summer's Olympics. McClatchey set a new British record in the ...
Driver sought after three-car A45 crash.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Police are appealing for a car driver to come forward after an accident on an A45 sliproad in Northampton. Three vehicles were involved in the crash at around 7.45am on Monday at the sliproad on the Queen Eleanor roundabout heading towards Mereway. The collision ...
Town rocked by underground explosion.
Apr 01, 2008 ... An underground explosion has left a Northamptonshire town without power this morning, with the pavement ripped up by the blast. The incident happened outside Jessons Well in New Street, Daventry, when a suspected electrical fault caused an explosion. The road was ...
Losing Foden to Saints 'the biggest disappointment' for Saint-Andre.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Sale Sharks director of rugby Philippe Saint-Andre says losing young star Ben Foden to Northampton Saints is his most disappointing moment in nine years as a senior coach. Foden, 23, has been outstanding for Sale this season but is moving to Franklin's Gardens because he wants ...
Blaze woman: Moment I decided to jump to escape fire.
Apr 01, 2008 ... A Northampton woman has described the moment she decided to jump from her first floor flat as a fire swept through the building. Rita Willis, aged 58, suffers from bronchitis, asthma and osteoporosis feared she would be left permanently crippled if she jumped from her home. ...
'Why weren't we told about lift tower?'.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Stunned residents reacted angrily this morning when they woke to discover teams of workmen had moved in overnight to start demolition work on the Express Lift Tower. It is believed the doomed tower will be completely felled within the next 24 hours. The 418ft tower ...
Diana: Treat Burrell evidence with caution, jury warned.
Apr 01, 2008 ... The jury at the inquest into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, was today warned to treat the evidence from former royal butler Paul Burrell "with caution". Coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker slapped a warning on how the panel's six women and five men should handle the ...
Coach leaves Diamonds with immediate effect.
Apr 01, 2008 ... First-team coach Kevin Hales has left Rushden & Diamonds after turning down a new deal at the Blue Square Premier strugglers. Boss Garry Hill's long-serving assistant has gone from the Nene Park staff with immediate effect after failing to agree contractual terms on a new deal. ...
Champions League: Chelsea warned of Fenerbahce welcome.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Chelsea's players and fans have been warned to expect a warm welcome when they take on Fenerbahce in the Champions League. Fenerbahce boss Zico says he will remain faithful to his Brazilian heritage by sending out his side to attack Chelsea. Fenerbahce are underdogs ...
Were you fooled by tower demolition?
Apr 02, 2008 ... Well, did you fall for it? The Chron's April Fool's Day spoof about the proposed demolition of the Express Lifts Tower had dozens of you calling our offices voicing their objections to the plans. But despite the phonelines being jameed and endless emails dropping in our inbox, ...
Air base case goes to court.
Apr 02, 2008 ... A peace campaigner has moved a step further in her quest to prosecute a US airman she has accused of assaulting her at a military base in Northamptonshire. Lindis Percy, 66, says she was injured by First Class Airman Frank MacDonald after being bundled to the ground and ...
Benefits cheat suspect accused of [pounds sterling]20k fiddle.
Apr 02, 2008 ... A suspected benefits cheat has appeared at Northampton Crown Court accused of fraudulently obtaining [pounds sterling]20,000 through false claims. Paul Ciorba, who is originally from Romania but lives in West Cotton Close, Southbridge, Northampton, ...
Drink driver crashed into wall.
Apr 02, 2008 ... A woman who drove her car into a garden wall while she was three times over the legal drink-drive limit has been banned from driving for the next three years. Karen Warner, 34, from Dairy Close in Brixworth, admitted driving from The George pub in the village with 118 ...
Former prostitute broke district ban.
Apr 02, 2008 ... A reformed prostitute from Northampton breached an order banning her from the Castle area of town because she wanted to buy some sweets. Dawnette Codner, 45, of Alexander Court, Lumbertubs, pleaded guilty at Northampton Magistrates' Court to entering the Castle ward against the ...
Coastal record attempt by medic.
Apr 02, 2008 ... A paramedic from North-ampton is hoping to break a world record in a new extreme sport along the Cornish coast. Adam Nash, of Duston, who is a former lifeguard, will be attempting the 60-mile land and sea coastal trek with Terence McLoughlin, a medical student from Sheffield. ...
Council to offload landmark cottages.
Apr 02, 2008 ... Four historic cottages on the edge of Abington Park could be handed to private developers so Northampton Borough Council does not have to foot a [pounds sterling]290,000 restoration bill. The listed homes, which border Abington Park at the junction of Wellingborough Road and ...
Charity fund given Lords celebration.
Apr 02, 2008 ... Staff, trustees and supporters of the Northamptonshire Community Foundation attended a House of Lords reception to celebrate the success of the Community Foundation Network. County High Sheriff Peter Ellwood was at the Houses of Parliament with foundation chairman David Laing ...
More protection for vulnerable children.
Apr 02, 2008 ... New arrangements have been brought into force to try to reduce the estimated 60 to 70 children who die in Northamptonshire every year. A new committee has been set up by the Local Safeguarding Children Board Northamptonshire (LSCBN) to make sure all agencies work more closely ...
[pounds sterling]300m backlog of work to repair roads.
Apr 02, 2008 ... The new contractors working on the county's highways have undertaken a [pounds sterling]300 million, five-year backlog of work to repair Northamptonshire's roads. Contractors MGWSP took over running the maintenance, improvement and management of the county's road network at the ...
University buys former school.
Apr 02, 2008 ... A former school building has been bought by the University of Northampton as part of the next phase of its [pounds sterling]80m expansion and development. The university has acquired the old Kingsley Park Middle School, which is next to its own Avenue Campus in St George's ...
Taxi takes Earl's girl to wrong Stamford Bridge!
Apr 02, 2008 ... One of Earl Spencer's daughters ended up at the wrong end of the country when a sat-nav mishap meant her taxi driver took her to Yorkshire instead of London to watch a Chelsea football match. The Spencer girl and a friend had tickets to watch Chelsea play Arsenal at their famous ...
Efforts to keep schools open during teachers' strike.
Apr 02, 2008 ... Every effort will be made in Northamptonshire to ensure schools are not shut during the first national teaching strike in 21 years due later this month. The National Union of Teachers (NUT) has announced a one-day strike on April 24 in protest at a Government pay offer. ...
Blaze flats: Concern over windows for escape.
Apr 02, 2008 ... The housing association which runs the block of flats in Northampton hit by a blaze has moved to allay concerns about the system for opening windows. Emergency services were called to the flats in Balfour Close, in Kingsthorpe Hollow, Northampton, on Monday night after a fire in ...
Public will have say on new homeless centre.
Apr 02, 2008 ... No decision will be made on plans to convert a troubled block of bedsits into a homeless hostel until the public have been consulted, Northampton Borough Council's leader has insisted. Concerns have been raised over whether a flagship [pounds sterling]5m homeless centre at ...
Wife's tribute to 'remarkable and talented' man.
Apr 02, 2008 ... The family of former south Northamptonshire resident Richard Lloyd, who died in the Farnborough plane crash on Sunday, have described him as a remarkable and talented man who will be greatly missed. The 63-year-old motor racing entrepreneur and father of three from Helmdon, near ...
Blaze flats: Tenants won't be allowed home for a month.
Apr 02, 2008 ... Tenants of the flats in Northampton where a fire caused the death of a man will not be allowed home for a month because serious damage has made the building unsafe. Structural engineers who examined the flats in Shoemaker Court, Kingsthorpe Hollow, yesterday found the stairwell ...
Town centre hit by power cut.
Apr 02, 2008 ... A play featuring TV presenter and comedian Richard Blackwood had to be cut short last night last night, when a power cut hit the Royal and Derngate. A fault on underground cables affected 696 customers of Central Networks in Northampton town centre, including Castilian Street, ...
Children released by police over fatal fire.
Apr 02, 2008 ... Two children being questioned following a fatal blaze in Northampton have been released by police pending further inquiries. A 14-year-old boy and a girl, 12, were arrested following Monday night's blaze in Shoemaker Court, Kingsthorpe Hollow, in which a man died. A ...
Driver arrested after Northampton hit and run.
Apr 02, 2008 ... A man was arrested after a hit and run collision left a 67-year-old woman with a suspected broken leg. The woman was attempting to cross Weedon Road, Northampton, at a light-controlled crossing outside Beacon Bingo, when she was in collision with a black Volkswagen Polo, at ...
Five years in jail for drug-smuggling prison guard.
Apr 02, 2008 ... A Prison Officer from Northamptonshire was today beginning a five year spell behind bars after admitting smuggling heroin and cocaine to inmates when he was caught with steroid tablets hidden in his underpants. Adam Seamark, 25, of Ruskin Way, Daventry, was arrested by police ...
Rule-break schools named.
Apr 02, 2008 ... Almost 50 schools in Northamptonshire failed to comply with schools admission criteria this year. The Government has named every one of the schools in the county which breached the rules when allocating places to new students. None of the county's schools asked ...
Caitlin misses out on 400m Olympic qualification.
Apr 02, 2008 ... Commonwealth champion Caitlin McClatchey failed to qualify for the Olympic 400m freestyle this morning. McClatchey won gold in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in the 400m freestyle, but she won't be racing in that event at the Beijing Olympics this summer after finishing third in ...
Three held following drugs raid at pub.
Apr 02, 2008 ... A huge drugs raid saw 50 officers target a pub in Northampton - with three people eventually arrested. The three men were held on suspicion of drugs offences following a raid on the Prince Of Wales public house in Harborough Road at the weekend. Acting on ...
Blaze death: Dead man became father just two weeks ago.
Apr 02, 2008 ... The man who died when a blaze ripped through the stairwell of a Northampton block of flats became a father only two weeks ago. Police today confirmed the victim as a 32-year-old man who lived at the flats with his wife - who he married less than a year ago - and their new baby ...
Travis Perkins buys tile retailer.
Apr 03, 2008 ... Builders' merchant Travis Perkins has bought tile retailer Tile It All for an undisclosed sum. The business, which trades from 16 outlets mainly in the North-east of England and Scotland, earned underlying profits of [pounds sterling]1.3 million for the year to 30 April 2007. ...