Children in Need

It's BBC Children in Need day and lots of people are getting in on the act, including these pupils at Standens Barn Primary School in Northampton...

Send us videos and photos of what you're getting up to today via email, Facebook, external or Twitter, external.

BBC Sport

Saints' Teimana Harrison has replaced his Northampton team-mate Tom Wood at open-side flanker for England's match against Fiji tomorrow.

Image source, Reuters

He'll be joined by fellow Saints' forwards Courtney Lawes and Dylan Hartley, who once again captains the side that has won 11 straight matches.

Graham McKechnie
BBC Radio Northampton sport

Ceremonies are being held in Britain and France to mark the 100th anniversary of the final day of the Battle of the Somme during World War One.

More than a million British, French and German soldiers were killed or wounded in the Allied offensive, which lasted 141 days.

One of the men killed was William West, a Northamptonshire shoe-maker and Northampton Saints player...

Image source, Archive/BBC

West emigrated to Canada, but he came back to fight in the war with the Canadian Infantry and was to be involved in the fighting on the last day of the Somme.

West was hit in the chest and both legs and died five days later from his wounds.

We'll have more on his story throughout today.

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

The face says it all...

Image source, AFP

Ben Duckett's chance to shine once again in an England shirt has gone in a flash, as the 22-year-old is out for just five runs in the first innings of the second test against India.  

Ex-England skipper Michael Vaughan said on Test Match Special that Duckett's "mind is going to be frazzled now" and that "England are going to have to iron out very quickly" his problems facing off-spinners.

You can follow the game on the BBC Sport website and on Test Match Special.

BBC Politics

UKIP MEP for the East Midlands, Roger Helmer (left), says an audit leaked to Sky News, external, which claims the party misspent EU funds, was "revenge for Brexit".

It's suggested that the Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe, which is dominated by UKIP MEPs, broke rules because its funding must be spent on European Parliament business, but the audit claims it was used on UK campaigns. 

Image source, Getty Images

The leaked audit says more than 500,615 euros (£430,486) had been misspent - much of it in the UK ahead of parliamentary elections in UKIP target seats, including Thanet South where leader Nigel Farage (right) stood. 

Mr Helmer likened the actions of the European Parliament authorities to a witch-hunt. "They are absolutely determined to close down Eurosceptic groups. It isn't just our group it's other Eurosceptic groups in the parliament. They have been planning it for a long time," he said.

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

England are under way in their first innings against India, in the second test in Visakhapatnam.

India scored 455 all out in their first innings and the tourist will be looking to get as close at they can to that total.

Image source, AP

It looks like Northamptonshire's Ben Duckett (left) will have to produce the kind of innings that got him into the side as England captain Alistair Cook is already out for two.

You can follow the test match on BBC Sport and Test Match Special, and we'll bring you highlights of Duckett's innings (hopefully) through the day.

Georgina Burnett
BBC Weather

Largely dry through the day with only isolated showers and sunny spells.

Watch my full regional forecast:

However, it'll feel colder than yesterday in light south westerly winds. 

Maximum temperature: 6C (43F). There's more at BBC Weather.

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Good morning.

It's Friday and it's BBC Children in Need, external day. Today we'll be bringing you a flavour of some of the events going on around Northamptonshire.

Plus, we've got the rest of the day's news and we'll be building up to a busy weekend of sport featuring rugby, football and cricket.

If you want to get in touch then please email us, tweet us, external or head to Facebook, external.

Nineteen academy schools are to be investigated for "flouting" rules on transparency following a BBC investigation.

The Carlsberg brewery worker who died after an ammonia leak is named by police.

Live updates for Northamptonshire have now finished for the day.

Tomorrow is BBC Children in Need, external, and we'll be bringing you some of the events going on around the county.

Plus, after England coach Eddie Jones delayed naming his side for Saturday's match against Fiji, we'll bring you the news of any Saints players in the side which will again be led by Northampton's Dylan Hartley (complete with moustache).

We'll see you tomorrow from 08:00.

Image source, Getty Images

Sam Read
BBC Radio Northampton politics reporter

The headteacher of a Northampton secondary school says she is not "unduly worried" about any funding pressures in the county.

The NUT says static budgets but rising prices mean the county's schools face a £40m shortfall by 2020.

But Maureen Raine headteacher of Duston School says they may get better funding as a result.

You can see more on this on Look East tonight at 18:30 including what Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn thanks about the state of funding in Northamptonshire schools.

BBC Weather

Brrr! Most places will feel much colder and there's the risk of frost and icy patches as clear spells develop overnight. 

Southern counties may also get the odd shower. Temperatures dropping to 0C (32F).

Tomorrow will start frosty in places but it will be a mainly dry and bright day. Cold though with temperatures of 7C (45F). 

BBC Weather has more local forecasts.  

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

A man who died following an ammonia leak at the Carlsberg factory in Northampton last week has been formally identified as 45-year-old, David Chandler from Bridgnorth, Shropshire.

A post-mortem examination was carried out at Leicester Royal Infirmary and the cause of death was given as inhalation of ammonia.

A 51-year-old man who was in critical condition is improving and remains in hospital.

Police are still on location and are working with the Health and Safety Executive at the scene of the incident.

Sam Read
BBC Radio Northampton politics reporter

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) says there will have to be staff cuts in Northamptonshire's school unless the government ease the funding pressure over the coming years.

The NUT have produced figures which say schools across the county will see a real-terms cut in funding of over £40m, but the government says the union is scaremongering and using figures from a funding formula that's not being used.

But Gordon White, from the NUT in Northamptonshire, says because school spend most of their budget on staff that is what will be affected.

Sam Read
BBC Radio Northampton politics reporter

The Department for Education (DfE) say that the National Union of Teachers claim that by 2020 Northamptonshire schools will see a real terms cut in funding of £40m is "irresponsible scaremongering".

The DfE go to say that this is "based on figures that are entirely speculative"

"As the NUT and ATL's own report admits, they do not even reflect the government's proposed fairer funding formula for schools, which is yet to be published," said a spokesman.

Image source, Science Photo Library

A government spokesman said: "In reality, the schools budget has been protected and in 2016-17 totals over £40billion, the highest ever on record. 

"The government's fairer funding proposals will ensure that areas with the highest need attract the most funding and end the historic unfairness in the system."

Nick Fairbairn
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire sport

Midfielder Brad Inman is in contention to be included in the Peterborough United squad for the local derby at Northampton on Saturday.

The summer signing from Crewe, who broke his leg in pre-season, featured for the reserves against Bournemouth in midweek.

Image source, Getty Images

Boss Grant McCann told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire: "It was great to see Brad back, he's still a bit tentative going into tackles but he felt good in the game. He's in contention for the squad for this weekend."  

Sam Read
BBC Radio Northampton politics reporter

A Northamptonshire head says fewer teachers, resources and subject options are all possibilities, because of funding pressures.

The National Union of Teachers says by 2020 Northamptonshire schools will have seen a real terms cut in funding of £40m.

But Iain Massey, who is the head at Sponne School in Towcester, says funding pressures mean he has to think carefully about whether to replace teachers who leave.

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Police investigating the shooting of a teenage boy at a travellers' site in Northamptonshire have made further arrests.

Officers executed two warrants in Northamptonshire on Tuesday, when a 23-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man were arrested.

Both have been released on bail pending further investigation.

The 17-year-old victim suffered serious injuries following the shooting at the Greenfield site in Braybrooke, near Market Harborough, at about 23:00 on 10 July.

Three men, aged 34, 35 and 40, were initially arrested following the incident and released on police bail.

A month later, three more men, aged 24, 29 and 37, were arrested and subsequently released on police bail pending further inquiries.

Katherine Ganczakowski
BBC Radio Northampton

The Young Inclusive People (YIP) club is run by Aspirations Wellbeing for young people living with a disability or learning difficulty.

Children in Need donations, external help fund summer camps and special sports sessions for kids of all abilities.

They also use arts and crafts to boost the confidence of more than 200 children in the county. Organisers say the donations will transform lives.