Police in Northamptonshire say they have rescued 11 people from modern slavery so far this year
Northampton Borough Council to push ahead with £500K plan to claw back £10.25 Cobblers loan
Three constituency Labour parties vote to back Jeremy Corbyn in leadership election
Cobblers sign winger Emmanuel Sonupe until the end of the season
Weather: Sunny and dry, peaking at 26C (79F)
Updates for Friday, 12 August
Georgina Burnett
BBC Weather
It was a touch chilly out there first thing, but temperatures are set to climb through the day to reach highs of 18C (64F).
Dry and bright this morning with light winds, though there is the chance of a shower in a few places.
Check out the latest forecast here.
Jodie Smith
BBC News
Northamptonshire's cricketers have booked their place at the T20 finals day for the third time in four years.
The Steelbacks beat Middlesex by seven wickets, with 11 balls to spare, in last night's quarter final at Wantage Road.
Finals day is at Edgbaston (pictured below) a week on Saturday.
Image source, Getty ImagesJodie Smith
BBC News
Thanks for joining us for Wednesday's live updates for the county.
We'll bring you the latest news, sport, weather and travel through until 18:00 this evening.
We'll start today's feed with a look at the weather - don't know about you, but I found it rather nippy outside this morning! Things are set to warm up slightly through the day though, so don't worry.
We'll bring you a full forecast shortly.
John-Joe O'Toole's extra-time winner against Championship side Barnsley sees Northampton reach the EFL Cup second round.
Read MoreNorthants reach T20 Blast Finals Day for the second year running with a comfortable seven-wicket win over Middlesex.
Read MoreRelive the first day of the County Championship matches between Kent and Worcestershire, plus Glamorgan and Northants.
Read More
Alex Dolan
BBC Look East weather
Rather cloudy with a few showers across the East region this evening but these will tend to fade to leave a largely dry night with clear spells. Lows of 8C (46F).
There's a risk of some early showers tomorrow, but generally a dry day with sunny spells. Maximum temperature: 18C (64F).
You'll find your latest local forecast at BBC Weather.
Earlier we mentioned the death of Norfolk racing driver Jack Sears. The winner of the inaugural British Touring Cars series in 1958, he died at the weekend aged 86.
Doyen of the motor racing world Murray Walker said Mr Sears, who was born in Northampton, was "an absolutely charming, cheerful, friendly, impeccably dressed, wonderful mannered man who was a Norfolk farmer who also happened to be a gigantic and successful racing driver."
Speaking to BBC Radio Norfolk's Matthew Gudgin, Mr Walker described Sears as "enormously talented and could put his hand to anything behind a steering wheel and do well."
Quote MessageLook at his record - he won the 1958 British Touring Car Championships, which was the first championship to be held for the BTCC, in an Austin Westminster and then he won it again in a 7 litre Ford Galaxy... Jack Sears was one of the prime movers of the British racing drivers club at Silverstone and he will be well and truly missed."
Murray Walker
Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live
Northamptonshire have two quarter-finals coming up, tonight in the T20, and next Thursday against Surrey in the One-Day Cup, again at Wantage Road and the chief executive of the cricket club has said that those extra matches will "help" the county's finances, but it was "all about support and spectators".
Image source, Getty ImagesChief exec Ray Payne said the proposed city-based T20 competition "wouldn't be good news" as cricket needed a "good foundation in county teams", adding that they would "show that tonight with a sell-out".
Also, following the depature of Olly Stone for next season and David Willey last year, he said they could hold on the likes of Ben Duckett (pictured for England Lions), because he "achieved what he did by opening for Northants in all forms of the game."
Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live
Ray Payne, chief executive at Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, external admitted he is a "nervous wreck" ahead of their T20 quarter-final against Middlesex.
Mr Payne said the T20 Blast was a "big tournament" for Northamptonshire and they have seen gates rise by 32% this year.
He put that down to Northants having "a reputation for being formidable" in the T20 and they had targetted a quarter-final place before the tournament began and they are "delighted it's at home".
Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live
With a place at Finals Day at stake, a lot of eyes will be on tonight's T20 quarter-final, but Northamptonshire batsman Ben Duckett said he will "forget about all that stuff".
He told BBC Radio Northampton that all the Northants players have performed well and "that's why we're here".
Image source, Getty ImagesAsked about what he does until when the game starts at 18.30, the 21-year-old said it was hard "doing nothing until three or four in the afternoon" adding that he was "getting a bit bored".
He said that although they hadn't faced Middlesex before in T20, Northants would "be the underdog again like we always are".
Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live
Northamptonshire, external and England Lions batsman Ben Duckett said he's "really looking forward" to their T20 quarter-final against Middlesex tonight adding that he "can't wait to get out there".
Image source, Getty ImagesDuckett, 21, has caught the eye this season with strong performance in all three formats of the game, but modestly said his year had "gone well so far".
He told BBC Radio Northampton presenter Annabel Amos, who is live at Wantage Road, that his favourite format of the game is the 50-over one-day game, but said when Northamptonshire are playing at home in the T20 it was "awesome".
The world of motorsport is paying tribute to Jack Sears who has died at the age of 86.
Image source, Getty ImagesNicknamed "Gentleman Jack", he was the winner of the inaugural British Touring Cars series back in 1958.
The British Automobile Racing Club, external confirmed that the Northampton-born driver, who lived in Ashill, Norfolk, died on Saturday night.
The next Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) event, which takes place this weekend at Knockhill (13-14 August), will be marked with a minute’s silence as a tribute to Mr Sears, who farmed in west Norfolk.
BTCC series director Alan Gow said: "It is with great regret and genuine sadness to learn of Jack’s death. I really liked Jack a lot… not only as an extremely talented and inspirational racing driver, but more importantly as a hugely popular, humble and impressive human being."
Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live
This end of the T20 competition is not new territory for Northamptonshire as last year they made it to the final, losing out to Lancashire by just 13 runs.
Image source, Getty ImagesBut then back in 2013 Northamptonshire won the T20 beating Surrey by 102 runs.
Image source, Getty ImagesIt was Northants' first one-day trophy since they beat Leicestershire in the final of the Natwest Trophy in 1992.
Alex Winter
BBC Radio Northampton sport
Middlesex have not faced Northamptonshire before in T20 and Steelbacks head coach David Ripley admitted that he doesn't "know them that well", but added "it's all about how we play".
Image source, Getty ImagesRipley, who guided the county to T20 victory in 2013 said: "If we play our best on the night, and being at home, we'll take some beating".
Mal Loye
Former Northants and England batsman
T20 and one-day cricket is something that Northamptonshire target - they've got very good white ball players and the experience of Finals Day and big games in white-ball cricket are the reasons why they've been so successful.
Image source, Getty ImagesThey'll play in front of packed Wantage Road tonight and a home crowd will make a difference.
Apart from the most recent game against Yorkshire, where the result didn't really matter, they've played so well at home, so they'll be hoping for a repeat tonight.
Mal Loye will be part of BBC Radio Northampton's commentary team this evening from 18:00.
BBC News Scotland
Mark Croxford, who has been jailed for 12 months for threatening to burn down another man's family home, repeatedly asked his victim Mark Livingstone for £18,000, insulted him and told him he had 10 days to get the money or he would "torch" his home, a court heard.
His victim then contacted the police.
Defence solicitor, Mark Harrower, said his client's son - a self employed tradesman - had worked for a company owned by Mr Livingstone.
The company went bust in 2014 and a lot of people had not been paid, including Croxford's son, who claimed he was owed £18,000.
Mr Harrower said his client had been under considerable stress in 2015 and had been on medication for depression and drinking to excess.
He and his partner had set up their own business, but she had left him in 2015 after he assaulted her, the court heard.
He added that she had written to the court saying she believed Croxford, 54, of Gayton, was going though "a difficult time".
The lawyer said Croxford had listened to recordings of his calls to Mr Livingstone and was ashamed.
But Sheriff Norman McFadyen sentenced him to a year in prison saying: "Only a custodial sentence is appropriate".
BBC News Scotland
A man from Northamptonshire has been jailed after threatening to burn down another man's family home if he did not pay him £18,000.
Mark Croxford, 54, of Gayton, previously admitted making the threats to Mark Livingstone at his house in Melrose in Scotland, in July 2015.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard Croxford believed his son was owed the money by Mr Livingstone.
Sheriff Norman McFadyen said the charge was of a "very serious nature" and jailed him for 12 months.
Joe Townsend
BBC Radio Northampton sport
Northampton Town's Alex Revell says their EFL Cup opponents Barnsley are a good example of what his side could achieve this season.
Image source, Getty ImagesBarnsley were promoted to The Championship via the League One play-offs and Revell said they "had proved everyone wrong" after The Tykes were tipped for relegation halfway through last season.
Revell added: "No-one knows what we are going to give this season, so hopefully we are going to be at the right end of the table and be pushing the big clubs".
Joe Townsend
BBC Radio Northampton sport
Northampton Town are in South Yorkshire this evening to take on Barnsley in the first round of the EFL Cup.
The games come thick and fast in these opening weeks of the season for The Cobblers - five in the first two weeks.
Image source, Getty ImagesStriker Alex Revell says that if the Cobblers can get "a nice little run" in the EFL Cup it'll bring "confidence for the league games".
The game at Barnsley's Oakwell stadium kicks off at 19:45.