Yesterday we told you Northamptonshire was among the worst for bed-blocking in the country.

The failure to get home care plans in place is the most common reason for so-called "bed-blocking", when people stay in hospital longer than they need to because there's no-one to take care of them at home. 

Image source, Enham Trust

Care firms say the problem is aggravated by a lack of care staff. 

Carol Muddiman is a care worker in Northampton. She enjoys her job but says the sector does not pay well and that puts some people off.

"You don't do this job for the money. Simple as that," she said.

"You have to enjoy what you're doing. You also have to be fortunate enough to be able to survive. I'm married and I have a partner that helps supports me, so it's not that drastic." 

The Herald and Post, external has a wonderful story about a widow in Northants being reunited with her long-lost 93-year-old sister living 5,500 miles away. 

Staying with positive news, Wellingborough's first black mayor is to have a road named after him, according to the Northants Telegraph, external.

Finally, the Chronicle and Echo, external is discussing whether safe standing should be re-introduced at the Sixfields stadium.

Planning permission has been granted for a further distribution centre to be build at the edge of the Pineham Development, to the west of Northampton. 

It's despite objections from people living in the village of Kislingbury. 

South Northants' planning committee said it was satisfied the development, external would not cause disruption to the village.

Georgina Burnett
BBC Weather

After a cloudy start to the day, it'll brighten up with sunny spells.

There's a small chance of showers, but it will feel warmer than yesterday, with temperatures reaching 13C (55F).

Here is my full regional forecast:

BBC Weather has more details for where you live.

Mariam Issimdar
BBC News

Good morning. We're here to bring you all the latest news, sport, travel and weather from around the county.

Don't forget you can keep us posted with your stories via email or Twitter., external

Live updates for Northamptonshire have now finished.

We'll be back tomorrow with all the news, weather, sport and travel you need for the county.

Any breaking news will appear here, but we'll be back at 08:00.

Have a good evening.

Julie Reinger
BBC Look East weather

A generally cloudy evening and night, with the risk of a few showers in the south.

Some patchy mist is likely under clearer skies, where temperatures will fall to around 6C (43F).

Tomorrow any mist should clear and once the showers have gone it should be largely fine and dry, with some sunny intervals.

A light east to south easterly wind, with temperatures reaching 14C (57F).

BBC Weather has more details for where you are.

Stuart Ratcliffe
BBC Look East

Andre Gonzales de Savage, the county councillor responsible for infrastructure, says projects like the upgrade of the A43 "will not come without disruption".

Work gets under way today on the stretch between the Moulton roundabout and a newly built roundabout at Overstone Grange.

Mr Gonzales de Savage said that linking Kettering and Northampton was "very important" for the county, and that eventually people would be "very pleased with the outcome".

The work is scheduled to finish next winter.

Stuart Ratcliffe
BBC Look East

Work has started today on the next phase of the scheme to improve the A43 between Kettering and Northampton.

This is now the second stage of the work and will see the building of a 1.2km (0.7 miles) dual carriageway from the existing Moulton roundabout, which will be re-built, to a new roundabout at Overstone Grange.

Some overnight road closures will be in force between 31 October and 2 November.

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Patients in the Accident and Emergency department at Northampton General Hospital have been explaining why they are there, including one man who says he goes there three times a week.Both Kettering and Northampton General Hospital failed to meet their A&E target times of dealing with 95% of patients within four hours this summer.  

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

The patients organisation Healthwatch Northamptonshire says there are "some challenges and problems within the [NHS] system that need sorting" to ease so-called bed blocking at Northampton General Hospital.

Northamptonshire has the second-worst record on bed-blocking in the country, and Northampton General Hospital says there are healthy patients who could go home but family members are unable to collect them.

But Sonia Bray, from Healthwatch Northamptonshire, said it wasn't as simple as patients not being collected.

"These are complex situations, families have to work and people don't always have families that are local," she said.

BBC News England

A man has been found guilty of murdering a book dealer over a £50,000 first edition of the Wind in the Willows.

Michael Danaher, 51, from Peterborough, stabbed Adrian Greenwood to death. The 42-year-old was found dead in the hallway of his Oxford home in April.

Danaher had drawn up a list of wealthy targets, that included Kate Moss and Jeffrey Archer.

That list also included former Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner Adam Simmonds and one of the businessmen involved in the failed Sixfields development, Howard Grossman.

Danaher told the jury at Oxford Crown Court he had acted in self defence. It took the jury about two hours to find him unanimously guilty. 

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Northampton General Hospital says it's to get "stricter" with families to try and cut so-called "bed-blocking".

Several times a week patients who are well enough to go home from hospital can't, due to issues including lost house keys or a family member going on holiday, according to those in charge at the hospital.

In the first eight months of this year, NHS England figures show our hospitals lost almost 3,500 bed days because patients or their families chose not to move on.

Dion Rogers, patient flow manager at the hospital, says that with many families working it can make it difficult for patients to be collected at a time "convenient" for the hospital rather than for the family.

Chris Jones
BBC rugby reporter

Wales players Jamie Roberts and George North will be available to play against Australia on 5 November, after Premiership Rugby agreed to a "one-off variance" of its policy regarding player release.

Image source, Reuters

Premiership Rugby's usual rules do not allow non-English players to be released for matches that fall outside World Rugby's international window.

This would mean Northampton's North and Harlequins' Roberts would not be allowed to play against the Wallabies, but it's been announced today the ruling has been relaxed on this occasion.

BBC Weather

It will be a rather cloudy rest of the day, but there could still be some brighter spells during the afternoon. It will be rather chilly, with a high of 12C (54F).

There are more details on the BBC Weather website.

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Elsewhere in Northamptonshire:

• The Northampton Chronicle and Echo reports, external that an eye-witness to a caravan fire in Northampton this morning said two gas canisters "exploded" during the blaze
• Two new story blocks have been added to Kettering’s timeline in the Market Place to commemorate a pair of significant events in the town's past, says the Northamptonshire Telegraph, external
• The Northants Herald & Post reports, external that Northampton Town Football Club's supporters' trust is set to consult Cobblers fans on whether they would like to see standing introduced at Sixfields

Image source, Getty Images

Georgey Spanswick, who currently presents BBC Local Radio's Friday 19:00-22:00 show, will front it five days a week when regular host Mark Forrest stands down in February.

Georgey, who currently also hosts the breakfast show on BBC Radio York, said: “I’ve loved presenting the Friday evening show for the last year and a bit. 

"So to be able to present the show five nights a week is fantastic."

Mark Forrest, who's moving on after presenting the programme from Monday to Thursday since it replaced regional shows in 2013, said: "I'm proud of the show we have produced for the last four years and I'm pleased to be moving on when the audience figures indicate the show is in great shape."

The evening show is broadcast on all 39 BBC Local Radio stations in England.

Our news about Strictly Come Dancing has now finished, so if you've been avoiding the result then you can look again.  

BBC One

Lesley Joseph's fellow contestants were sad to see her and partner Anton Du Beke exit the competition, and paid tribute to her after the results show:

BBC One

Our news about Strictly Come Dancing has now finished, so if you've been avoiding the result then you can look again.