Helen Popham
BBC Local Live

The Northampton Chronicle and Echo, external report that one in three people are still unaware about the roles of the Police and Crime Commissioner four years after the role was created. 

Northampton-born comedian Alan Carr has announced he is engaged to marry his long-term actor boyfriend after discovering the engagement ring in his dessert, Northampton's Herald and Post, external reports.  

Image source, Getty Images

In the last year, Ben Smith has run over 10,000 miles across Britain in all weather.

He is nearing the end of his challenge to run 401 marathons, external on consecutive days.

Find out more about Ben's task with this video.

Police are appealing for help in finding two men who robbed a Costcutter store in Irthlingborough yesterday.

Two CCTV images have been released by Northamptonshire Police, external after the pair entered the shop in the High Street sometime around 21:00.

One of the men remained at the front entrance, while the second offender approached the tills and jumped over the counter. He then used a hammer to smash open two tills and removed hundreds of pounds of cash. Both offenders then ran towards Finedon Road.

Police are also urging two teenagers who were in the store at the time and passed by the offender at the door to come forward.

Image source, Northants Police

Image source, Northants Police

BBC Sport

Northampton Saints will be chasing their first home win of the season in the Premiership tonight when they entertain Exeter Chiefs at Franklin's Gardens. 

The team hasn't had a great start to the season with just one victory from four starts so far, leaving them 10th in the table.

There's full coverage on BBC Radio Northampton from 19:00.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

In football, Northampton Town are on home turf at Sixfields tomorrow entertaining Bristol Rovers. They're looking to maintain their strong start to the season in League One, with the side currently 4th in the table.

Meanwhile, it's also a big weekend in the FA Cup for three of our non-league sides.

Brackley Town travel to fellow National League North outfit Worcester City and Kettering Town also have National League North opposition as they entertain Boston at Latimer Park.

AFC Rushden and Diamonds travel to Hendon from the Isthmian League, whilse Corby Town travel to Warrington in the Northern Premier League.   

BBC Weather

This afternoon will be a mix of sunshine and scattered showers, some could be heavy with a risk of thunder at times.

It will feel a little cooler than of late. Maximum temperature will be 15C (59F).

Martin Heath
BBC Radio Northampton

Daventry is becoming the latest area of the county to consider cutting council tax support for people on low incomes.

Claimants could be asked to pay a higher proportion of their bills. 

Officials say there are several options available, including increasing the minimum amount people pay towards their bills from a fifth to a third.  

Claimants could lose the benefit if they go abroad for more than a month, or the number of children taken into account when calculating the reduction could be cut to two.

Pensioners won't be affected by any changes and a consultation's under way until 10 November.

Stuart Linnell
BBC Radio Northampton

An art teacher from Northampton has drawn 456 portraits of soldiers killed in action in Afghanistan as a tribute to members of the armed forces. 

Sam Bailey, who teaches at the Caroline Chisholm School, will use her work to raise funds for the Royal British Legion.

She told BBC Radio Northampton: ''You have a dream, you decide this is what you want to do and you go for it, and I must admit halfway through I thought, 'what on Earth am I doing?'

"But I had thousands of messages of support from the families and it's that which kept me going.''

Willy Gilder
BBC Radio Northampton

A Northampton borough councillor says more needs to be done about the growing problem of Japanese knotweed, which can grow up to 20cm (8in) a day during the summer.

Lib Dem councillor Brian Markham says during his recent election campaign he was alerted to a problem with the weed on a footpath next to the Westone estate in the town.

"What worries me is this is on council land and actually about to invade people's gardens... the council would be liable for letting the problem spread to residents' gardens," he said.

Meanwhile, Japanese knotweed expert, Brian Taylor, has also recently visited an outbreak on the Weedon Road near to Sixfields...

He said: "This single plant will continue to spread naturally... every fragment of the plant that is broken off will then be spread and grown into new plants''.  

It is the landowner's responsibility to get rid of the plant. In 2014 legislation allowed councils to take action to force people to do so, but this has not happened in Northamptonshire.

A spokesperson for Northampton Borough Council said it is "not responsible for handling reports of Japanese knotweed". 

"Natural England holds information for the public regarding its legal status and the Environment Agency offers guidance and advice of proper control and disposal methods of Japanese knotweed.''

Helen Popham
BBC Local Live

An organisation which distributes essentials for vulnerable new mums and their babies has won a special award from the Northamptonshire Community Foundation.

Baby Basics, external, which is a volunteer-led project, won the Newcomers Award. 

Sebrina Oakey from the group says it's been very busy in the last few years.

'We're nearly up to the 500 mark - 500 baskets distributed throughout Northamptonshire," she said.

''We send out clothing and toiletries for the mum and for the baby, as well as a box of chocolates which is important for the mum!'' 

Elizabeth Rizzini
BBC Look East weather

Cambridgeshire along with Beds, Herts and Bucks will be mainly dry with sunny spells today, but with some heavy showers possible this afternoon.

It will also be feeling cooler, with a maximum temperature of 17C (62F).

In Northamptonshire, however, there'll be sunny spells and scattered showers throughout today, and some of those showers may be heavy with a risk of thunder at times. 

It'll be breezy during the morning too and feel a little cooler than of late, with a top temperature of 16C (61F).

Helen Popham
BBC Local Live

Good morning and welcome back to our regular updates from the Local Live team in Northamptonshire. 

As always, we'll be with you until 18:00 this evening bringing you all today's news, weather, sport and travel.

You can get in touch with all your comments, photographs and news via email, Facebook, external or Twitter, external.   

A full weather forecast is coming up next. Meanwhile, here's the view in Pattishall this morning thanks to Weather Watcher Paula-Maria.  

Helen Popham
BBC Local Live

That's the end of our rolling updates for today, but any breaking news will still appear here overnight.

Stories we've covered today include:

• Kettering Town are 'unlikely' to return to their Rockingham Road ground
• New England call-up Ben Duckett has become the first player to win the Professional Cricketers' Association young player of the year and players' player of the year awards in the same season.
• The Northamptonshire accent could eventually disappear, according to a new report

Don't forget to join us again from 08:00 tomorrow when we'll have all the latest news, sport, weather and traffic updates for Northamptonshire.

Have a great evening.

Alex Dolan
BBC Look East weather

A fine end to the day and staying dry overnight with lengthy clear spells. Turning chilly with temperatures dropping to single figures. Lows of 7-9C (45-48F) tonight.

There will be a dry and bright start to Friday with some pleasant spells of autumn sunshine. Some isolated showers developing later, mainly affecting western counties. Highs of 18C (64F).

For more details see BBC Weather.

Workers at the Tata steel plant in Corby are still in the dark after it was revealed that a deal to sell three other UK Tata factories could be signed within the next few weeks. 

Yesterday the BBC learned that Liberty House has placed a firm offer to buy the steelworks in Rotherham, Stocksbridge and Hartlepool but there was no mention of Corby. 

The leader of Corby Borough Council, Tom Beattie, says they remain very hopeful for the future, 

''It doesn't dishearten me completely because I think the Corby centre is clearly in a better position than some of the other sites across the country with a good order book, the financial outlook looks better than it has for some time.'' 

''So I'm confident that hopefully a buyer can found for Corby, unfortunately not this time round.''

BBC Sport

New England call-up Ben Duckett has become the first player to win the Professional Cricketers' Association young player of the year and players' player of the year awards in the same season.   

The 21-year-old Northamptonshire batsman who flies to Bangladesh with his England team-mates today.

Former England and Northamptonshire batsman Mal Loye says Duckett is "phenomenal".

He says ''to score so heavily, it's really a credit to him, not just technically but tactically, it's fully deserved, both awards and the writers award''. 

If your drive to work involves the A45 between Daventry and Northampton, you might be interested in @A45DaventryLink, external.

You may remember BBC Radio Northampton reporting on some rather alarming signs warning about roadworks which would last 90 weeks.

It's the construction of the long awaited Flore Bypass, officially known as the Daventry Link Road, between Weedon and Junction 16 of the M1. 

The new road is due to be completed by early 2018.

Police are appealing for information about the whereabouts of missing Ismail Sherzad, last seen at his home address in Troon Crescent in Wellingborough on Saturday 27 August.

Ismail, 16, is of middle Eastern appearance. He is 5ft 5in, of slim build and has dark hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing dark clothing. 

Police believe he may now be in the Kent area.

Image source, Northamptonshire Police

Alex Winter
BBC Radio Northampton sport

Callum Clark is set to make his return for Northampton Saints when Exeter visit Franklin's Gardens tomorrow night. 

Clark hasn't played since August 2015 with a serious shoulder injury. But he has been named in the team for Friday's night's game.

The only change to the Saints side who lost to Wasps last week. Read the full preview on BBC Sport.

Image source, Getty Images

Make sure you get your nominations in for your local Unsung Hero before the deadline of 23 October!

Find out how to here.

BBC Weather Watchers

It's certainly been a mixed day weather-wise in the county today - both sun and rain and plenty of clouds!

But how well do you know your stratocumulus from your cumulonimbus? If you need a quick refresher, BBC Weather Watchers have an article on cloud formations online as well as lots of other piece of weather related information.

Thanks to Willow for a picture of the Raunds countryside and Blues Shoes for a tree filled Corby sky. 

Send in your pictures by joining BBC Weather Watchers here.