Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Elsewhere in Northamptonshire:

• An investigation has been launched at Weston Favell Academy after a fire in a toilet left a man needing treatment for smoke inhalation reports the Northampton Chronicle & Echo, external
• While, the Northamptonshire Telegraph writes, external that the local Liberal Democrats say Kettering Council should give serious consideration to plans to lease or sell council-owned land to Kettering Town

Image source, Getty Images

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

The north and southbound carriageway of the M1 will be closed between junctions 16 and 18 from 21:00 on Saturday until 06:00 on Sunday.

In addition, the M45 as well as the north and southbound on and off slips at Watford Gap services will be closed at the same time.

It's part of the upgrade of the M1, external to a so-called "smart motorway", where the hard shoulder is turned into permanent lane to increase capacity.

Tom Percival
BBC Radio Northampton

"Don't use A&E unless you absolutely have to" is the message from Kettering General Hospital.

They say their Accident and Emergency department it's under extreme pressure today.

While symptoms like chest pain should always be checked at A&E, they say numbers of patients are attending with things that can - and should - be dealt with elsewhere.

This kind of appeal has become increasingly common in recent years. 

There are many factors involved, but earlier this year the BBC found, external people attending A&E departments in Northamptonshire with problems such as loose toenails.  

Willy Gilder
BBC Radio Northampton

There are plans for a new facility to turn all the county's waste into energy, but so far no site has been earmarked.

Northamptonshire County Council deals with 170,000 tonnes, of black-bin rubbish every year at a cost of £17m, but at present it's sent to a number of a different waste disposal companies.

Image source, WBC

It seems that this new facility would turn waste into energy, probably using a gasification process: but plans for a similar plant at St James in Northampton have run into strong opposition from local people, external.

Gasification is a process where waste is subjected to high temperatures and converted into gas, which is then burned for energy.

The county council says that as well as dealing with domestic waste the new energy park could also re-cycle tarmac using a new technology that turns tarmac back into road building materials.

Andrew Radd
BBC Radio Northampton

Mal Loye, the former Northamptonshire and England batsman, has joined Derbyshire, external as the club’s new development coach. 

Since retiring in 2011, the 44-year-old has held a number of coaching roles within the game including batting coach at Natal and high performance head coach with Bangladesh.

Image source, Getty Images

Loye, who was born in Northampton, had two spells with his home county from 1991-2002 and again from 2010-2011. He also played seven One-Day Internationals for England.

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

It is "absolutely appalling" that Daventry University Technical College (UTC) is to close next year, the principal of the Parker Academy secondary school in the town says.

Yesterday the trust of the UTC said it was no longer viable to keep the school, which takes pupils from 14, open.

Andrew Makereth, from Parker Academy, said: "Question have got to be asked of the people who allow the school to recruit students in September only to close part way through December."

He also said that the other schools in the area "must work together" to help the UTCs students who'll have to transfer through their courses.

Amy Woodfield
BBC Local Live

This week we've been hearing about a backlog for MRI scan results at the Leicester Royal Infirmary and other hospitals in the area. 

It's been blamed on problems with a new £30m digital imaging system.

BBC Radio Leicester has been to see a man in Market Harborough whose company delivers private ultrasounds - to see how this is affecting the private healthcare system.

Jonathan Park
BBC Look East sport

Northampton's Paralympic champion swimmer Ellie Robinson has been shortlisted for the BBC Young Sports Personality 2016.

Robinson won gold in the 50m butterfly at the Rio Games, and won bronze in the 100m freestyle.

Earlier in the year, at the IPC European Championships, she brought back one silver (50m butterfly) and three bronze medals (50m, 100m and 400m freestyle).

This is moment she returned from Brazil and to school and swimming training in Northampton...

BBC Sport

Rugby is ahead of other sports when it comes to dealing with concussion, says Wales captain Sam Warburton.

Fellow Welshman George North suffered his latest head injury while playing for Northampton on Saturday.

TV replays appeared to show North lying motionless for a short time, but he was allowed to play on after passing a mandatory pitch-side assessment.

"They are really cautious now. A lot more sports are a lot worse off than rugby," said Warburton.

Image source, Getty Images

Warburton said North is "confident he'll get back fully fit".

He added: "I spoke with George this week and he said he's got a bad neck, but he's pretty happy with his return to play schedule.

"He's not too worried about it so it was reassuring to hear that he was fine."

BBC Sport

A shortlist of three has been named for the BBC's Young Sports Personality of the Year award 2016.

Rugby union's Keelan Giles, Paralympic swimmer Ellie Robinson and gymnast Amy Tinkler make up the final trio from 10 nominated athletes.

Image source, Getty Images

The winner will be presented with their award on BBC One's The One Show on Wednesday 14 December.

They will follow in the footsteps of past winners such as Wayne Rooney, Andy Murray and Ellie Downie.

Northampton swimmer Robinson broke the Paralympic record to win gold in the 50m butterfly at the Rio Games.

The 15-year-old also won bronze in the 100m freestyle, breaking a British record in the process and has been described as a "great role model to both able-bodied and Para-athletes".

Image source, Getty Images

Elizabeth Rizzini
BBC Look East weather

A cloudy and misty start to the day however, during the morning, some brighter spells may develop. Most parts should stay dry throughout the day with a high of 13C (55F).

Here's my full forecast...

There are more details on the BBC Weather website.  

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Good morning.

It's Friday and we're a little bit closer to Christmas.

But today we'll be bringing you all the news, weather, and travel for Northamptonshire.

And in sport we've got football, rugby and another honour for a gold medalist from the county.

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

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Live updates for Northamptonshire have now finished.

We'll be back tomorrow with everything you need to know for Northamptonshire.

Among other things, we'll find out the outcome of the investigation by Premiership Rugby and the RFU into Northampton and Wales wing George North's injury during the Saints' defeat to Leicester.

Any breaking news will appear here overnight and we'll be back tomorrow from 08:00.

Alex Dolan
BBC Look East weather

Remaining cloudy, with the chance of isolated showers. 

It'll become dry, with clear spells developing in light south westerly winds, with temperatures falling to 6C (42F).

There may be a few mist patches first thing in the morning. It'll remain cloudy, with occasional bright spells and stay mild with temperatures reaching 13C (55F) on Friday.

You can find further details for where you live on BBC Weather.

Sarah Foster
BBC Radio Northampton

Unions at the Tata Steel plant in Corby have been praised in parliament following a rescue deal for the business.

The company is to invest £1bn in its largest site - at Port Talbot in South Wales - just nine months after it was put up for sale.

But the workforce - including five hundred based in Northamptonshire - are being asked to accept less from their pensions.

The Conservative MP for Corby, Tom Pursglove, is welcoming the move.

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Nine people have been arrested in an inquiry into the suspected smuggling of Iranian nationals into the UK.

In a co-ordinated operation, five were arrested in Greater Manchester in dawn raids on Monday while a 29-year-old Iranian man was held in Northampton.

Another Iranian man, 29, was simultaneously detained in Glasgow.

On Tuesday, a British woman, 46, and a 33-year-old Iranian man were arrested at Manchester Airport. All nine have been bailed pending further inquiries.

Home Office immigration officials said their investigation into the suspected smuggling ring started in March and had been carried out with French border police, Europol and Eurojust.

Nine people are arrested as part of an investigation into the suspected smuggling of Iranian nationals into the UK, the Home Office says.

Conservative Central Office and local party at odds over whether to investigate the role David Mackintosh MP played in £10m loan to Northampton Town

Staff at the Co-op in Sharnbrook High Street were threatened with a knife in an armed robbery last night. 

Bedfordshire Police say three people smashed the till and took money and cigarettes before running off towards Park Lane. 

It's been reported that, shortly afterwards, a supermarket was robbed just over the border at Wollaston in Northamptonshire.

Image source, Google

The robbers are described as wearing scarves and hoods. One was wearing a white jacket and the other two were wearing dark coloured coats. 

Det Insp Dani Bailey said: "This was a terrifying ordeal for the staff involved, who fortunately weren't injured but have been left understandably shaken."  

Julian Sturdy
BBC Look East

The statement from Conservative Party central office marks a widening of the rift between the local party and Tory HQ.

Over the past year, local officials have publicly stood by their local MP as he faced repeated criticism over what he did before he became an MP.

Image source, Conservative Party

With a majority under 4,000 there had been no appetite to attempt to force a by-election.

David Mackintosh, who denies any wrongdoing, I'm told by a close source is in no mood for standing down. But something's changed and the fall-out between MP and the association which picked him has gone from private murmurings to open conflict.

Who'd be a fly on the wall in the open-plan office they share?