Summary

  • Updates for Wednesday, 13 April 2016

  • Councillors to decide on "fighting fund" against a new rail freight terminal

  • More than one review into the future of local government in Northamptonshire would be "stupid", says county council's deputy-leader

  • Royal Mail apology after some Police and Crime Commissioner campaign literature was delivered inside the Government's EU referendum leaflet

  • News, sport, travel and weather updates resume at 08:00 on Thursday

  1. Our live coverage through the daypublished at 18:00

    Local Live is finished for today but we'll be back tomorrow with all the latest news, weather, sport and travel for Northamptonshire.

  2. Mobbs Memorial match at Northampton Saints tonightpublished at 17:54 BST 13 April 2016

    Graham McKechnie
    BBC Radio Northampton sport

    Northampton Saints forwards coach Dorian West told me that it's "crucial" that current players have an understanding of the club's history and past players such as Edgar Mobbs (holding the ball).

    England team captained by Edgar MobbsImage source, Archive

    The Mobbs Memorial Match takes places this evening at Franklin's Gardens, with Saints taking on the British Army.

    The match has been played since 1917, in memory of Saints and England captain Mobbs, who was killed at the Battle of Passchendaele while commanding the 7th Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment.

  3. Weather: Showers tonight but fine tomorrowpublished at 17:47 BST 13 April 2016

    Alex Dolan
    BBC Look East weather

    Lots of fine weather this evening but the risk of a few showers and isolated thunderstorms and lows of 4C (39F).

    weather

    Early mist clearing to sunny spells and highs of 17C (62F).

  4. Corby MP and Grassroots Out founder says they will not challenge decision over official leave campaignpublished at 17:25 BST 13 April 2016

    Leave.EU, a group backed by UKIP donor Arron Banks, which supported Grassroots Out, said it was planning to seek a judicial review of the Electoral Commission's decision to designate Vote Leave the official leave campaign in June's EU referendum.

    However, Corby MP, Conservative Tom Pursglove, who was one of the founders of Grassroots Out, which also lost out on official designation, says there will be no challenge from them...

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  5. Headlines: Grassroots Out loses out on official designation...Decision due on rail freight fighting fundpublished at 17:10 BST 13 April 2016

    Sarah Foster
    BBC Radio Northampton

    If you are catching up...

    • The Vote Leave group is to head the campaign for Britain to exit the European Union in the referendum on 23 June ahead of a group founded by three Northamptonshire MP
    • A decision's due in the next few hours on a proposal to spend £100,000 of council money on fighting a plan for a rail freight terminal in the south of the county
    • The Mobbs Memorial Match takes places this evening at Franklin's Gardens, with Northampton Saints taking on the British Army
  6. Leave group backed by three county MP not named as a lead EU referendum campaignpublished at 16:53 BST 13 April 2016

    BBC Politics

    Vote Leave and Britain Stronger in Europe have been designated as the official Leave and Remain campaigns in June's EU referendum.

    Vote Leave - backed by Boris Johnson and Michael Gove - saw off a challenge from a rival campaign Grassroots Out, backed by UKIP leader Nigel Farage (middle) and Wellingborough MP Peter Bone (right), Corby MP Tom Pursglove (left) and Kettering MP Philip Hollobone (not pictured).

    UKIP leader Nigel Farage (middle) and Wellingborough MP Peter Bone (right), Corby MP Tom Pursglove (left)Image source, AP

    The campaigns will be allowed to spend up to £7m, get a free mailshot, TV broadcasts and £600,000 public funds.

    The Electoral Commission made the decision.

  7. Weather: Sunshine and showers this afternoonpublished at 16:24 BST 13 April 2016

    BBC Weather Watchers

    There has been lots of sunshine across Northamptonshire, as you can from this picture of Irhlingborough by BBC Weather Watcher 'coleole'.

    Irthlingborough

    Scattered showers will develop this afternoon but there may be some sunshine which will make it feel quite pleasant with a high of 15C (59F).

  8. Deadline for voter registration for May's elections approachingpublished at 16:09 BST 13 April 2016

    BBC News England

    Elections for a third of Daventry District Council seats and for Northamptonshire's Police and Crime Commissioner take place on 5 May but you will only be able to vote if you have registered to do so – and the deadline is next Monday.

    Ballot Box

    If you are not already registered, you can do so by by clicking here., external

    And if you want to find out more about the elections you can visit the voter information site, external or the BBC News elections homepage.

  9. Edgar Mobbs Hall of Fame cap loan to the Saints for memorial matchpublished at 15:33 BST 13 April 2016

    Graham McKechnie
    BBC Radio Northampton sport

    The World Rugby Hall of Fame cap awarded to Edgar Mobbs will be loaned to Northampton Saints this evening ahead of their Mobbs Memorial match against the British Army at Franklin's Gardens.

    Philip Mobbs (centre) receives Edgar Mobbs' Hall of Fame cap from Bernard Lapasset (r) and Malcolm Hawker (l)Image source, World Rugby

    Mobbs became the first Saints player in the Hall of Fame when he was inducted into it last September.

    He made 234 appearances for the club, captained England and was killed in World War One, commanding the 7th Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment.

  10. Ex-firefighter criticises Northants Fire over use of initial response vehiclespublished at 15:31 BST 13 April 2016

    Daventry Express

    A retired fire officer has criticised Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service’s response to road accidents, external.

  11. Press were right not to publish Whittingdale stories, says Corby MPpublished at 15:00 BST 13 April 2016

    BBC News Channel

    Newspapers were right not to publish stories about Culture Secretary John Whittingdale's private life, according to Corby's Conservative MP Tom Pursglove.

    John WhittingdaleImage source, AFP

    "This is exactly the sort of story that all of us were saying, and the public were saying, shouldn't be appearing in newspapers," he said.

    Mr Pursglove said the culture secretary probably had "more experience than anyone else in government" on press regulation, adding: "I think we need that expertise."

  12. Rail freight terminal 'very concerning' says parish councillorpublished at 14:41 BST 13 April 2016

    Martin Heath
    BBC Radio Northampton

    South Northamptonshire Council, external will decide tonight whether to put £100,000 into a fighting fund against a new rail freight terminal between Milton Malsor and Blisworth.

    The developers say it would create 9,000 jobs, but people who live nearby are worried about the impact it will have.

    A lot of agricultural land and village walks will disappear. It's very concerning. - Shaun Hope, Parish Councillor in Milton Malsor
  13. Northampton community loses battle to save pub...but might be offered a meeting room upstairspublished at 14:23 BST 13 April 2016

    Northampton Chronicle & Echo

    A lengthy bid to save a Northampton pub from being turned into a shop was finally defeated last night, external - though its soon-to-be tenants might offer residents a room upstairs to meet in.

  14. Northants captain Wakely 'frustrated' by abandoned gamepublished at 13:56 BST 13 April 2016

    No play was possible on day four of the Division Two game between Northamptonshire and Sussex, which ended as a draw after heavy overnight rain.

    The abandonment left Northants opener Ben Duckett stranded on 282 not out, 49 short of the county's record score.

    But the county's captain says there will be more opportunities for the opener...

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  15. Headlines: Council could set up fund against rail freight terminal... Mobbs cap loaned to the Saintspublished at 13:09 BST 13 April 2016

    Sarah Foster
    BBC Radio Northampton

    Here are your lunchtime headlines:

    • South Northamptonshire councillors will decide later whether to set up a fighting fund against a new rail freight terminal
    • The World Rugby Hall of Fame cap awarded to Edgar Mobbs will be loaned to the Saints tahead of their Mobbs Memorial match tonight
    • No play was possible on day four of the Division Two game between Northamptonshire and Sussex, which ended as a draw
  16. Football club wants protection for former groundpublished at 12:48 BST 13 April 2016

    Pete Cooper
    BBC Local Live

    Kettering Town have nominated their former ground of Rockingham Road in the town as a "asset of community value" to Kettering Borough Council, external.

    Rockingham RoadImage source, Pete Norton/Getty Images

    An asset of community value is subject to additional protection from development. A decision on the nomination is expected within eight weeks.

    Kettering left the ground in 2011 after financial issues and it remained empty since but the club hopes to return to the ground in the future.

  17. Northamptonshire's Duckett 'gutted' after rain means no chance of triple centurypublished at 11:58 BST 13 April 2016

    Northamptonshire's opening County Championship match of the season at Wantage Road has been abandoned, due to overnight rain causing the outfield to be too wet for play.

    It leaves 21-year-old opener Ben Duckett on 282 not out in the first innings against Sussex and frustrated with a lack of play over the last two days.

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  18. Deadline for buying Tata UK steel business is end of May, says potential buyerpublished at 11:43 BST 13 April 2016

    Pete Cooper
    BBC Local Live

    The deadline for bids for Tata Steel's UK business, which includes the plant at Corby, is the end of May, according to Sanjeev Gupta, executive chairman of Liberty House, one of the companies that has previously spoken of its interest in taking on the business.

    Tata Steel

    Yesterday, Business Secretary Sajid Javid said the government was prepared to "co-invest" with potential buyers of Tata's remaining business.

  19. Northampton pick young side to face Army in Mobbs Memorial matchpublished at 11:11 BST 13 April 2016

    Graham McKechnie
    BBC Radio Northampton sport

    The Saints, external face the Army tonight in the Mobbs Memorial match and they have picked a very young side.

    The stand-out selection is at fly-half where 17-year-old James Grayson follows in the footsteps of his father, former Saint and England fly-half Paul Grayson.

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