BBC Sport

England captain and Northampton Saints player Dylan Hartley will be available for the opening fixture of the Six Nations against France after receiving a six-week ban for striking.

The 30-year-old caught flanker Sean O'Brien with a swinging arm during Saints' Champions Cup loss to Leinster on Friday and received the third red card of his career.

He has now been suspended for a total of 60 weeks.

Image source, Getty Images

England start their Six Nations title defence at Twickenham on 4 February.

Hartley, who pleaded guilty to the charge at an an independent disciplinary hearing in London on Wednesday, is able to play again from 23 January.

Hartley's previous poor disciplinary record led to an extra week being added to the original five-week suspension.

Elinor Cross
BBC Radio Northampton

Two years after a popular day centre in Wellingborough was saved by a group of volunteers, more than 90 clients have been enjoying a Christmas party.

Wellingborough Borough Council decided to close Glamis Hall in 2015, so families started a big campaign to keep it open. Eventually the council handed it over to a group of volunteers so they could run the centre.

All the volunteers dressed in a Christmas theme to wait on those who attended today's party. Many of the guests said the centre was a lifeline for them - particularly at Christmas.

Martin Heath
BBC Radio Northampton

The Northampton Chronicle and Echo, external features a Long Buckby woman who was told by beauty judges that she looked "too foreign" and needed to lose weight, but has now been shortlisted for "Miss England".

The Evening Telegraph, external reports on a campaign to reduce the "extortionate" burial fees for people who want relatives to be buried in Kettering even thought they didn't live there.

Martin Heath
BBC Radio Northampton

Parents and staff members have joined forces to launch a campaign to save the University Technical College in Daventry.

The trustees announced last week the school, which provides vocational courses for 14 to 19 year olds, will close next year because it's failed to attract enough pupils.

An online petition's been set up that calls for the Department of Education to keep the UTC open or convert it into a mainstream school.

People who've responded to the petition so far have described the closure as "absolutely disgusting" and say the UTC should have been able to accept pupils when they leave primary schools at the age of 11.

Northampton Saints chairman Tony Hewitt says the club hope to appoint new attack coach as soon as possible.

Amy Woodfield
BBC Local Live

The number of people out of work in the East Midlands has increased again - it now stands at 4.7%.

Image source, PA

Figures for August to October show that 112,000 people are unemployed in this region, which is 3,000 more than the previous quarter. 

Nationally the unemployment rate has fallen to a 10 year low.

Martin Heath
BBC Radio Northampton

An inquest in Northampton has been hearing how a student from Little Houghton died after she went swimming alone in Thailand.

Bryony Freestone, who was 19, died off the coast of Koh Chang in August. Staff from a hotel found her on the beach and tried to revive her, but she was pronounced dead at a nearby clinic.

Image source, Sophie Freestone

In a statement read out at the inquest, Ms Freestone's mother said her daughter had been "extremely close" to her twin sister.

"Together they would sing, dance, mountaineer and scuba dive," she said.

"She would see beauty in the world and was not ever afraid to chase it."

The coroner, Anne Pember, recorded a verdict of accidental death.

BBC Weather Watchers

Birds, berries and bushes have been captured by Weather Watcher Blue Shoes 42 in Corby, where a temperature of 9C (48F) was recorded.

The rest of the day will be dry, sunny and mild, with a top temperature of 11C (52F).

Tonight will see some cloud and mist developing, with outbreaks of rain and drizzle in the early hours of the morning.

Get the full forecast from the BBC Weather pages.

Tom Percival
BBC Radio Northampton

Supporters of Kettering Town are hoping a borough council meeting tonight will increase the chances of their team getting a base in the town again.

They've been playing elsewhere since their ground at Rockingham Road was repossessed by the landlord in 2011. They're currently using a pitch in Burton Latimer.

Politicians refused to preserve Rockingham Road as an "Asset of Community Value", but that decision is being challenged at a meeting tonight.

Fans are also hoping to win support for an alternative site for the Poppies. They want the club and council to start talks about using the Weekley Glebe Playing Fields (below).

Martin Heath
BBC Radio Northampton

The county features twice in a new table showing the best-attended sporting events of the year.

The F1 Grand Prix and the Moto GP, both at Silverstone Circuit, attracted almost half-a-million people between them.

The Formula One weekend was second only to Wimbledon in the table published by Deloitte's sports business group. The tennis tournament was visited by 494,000 spectators.

Overall, total gates at professional sports events in the UK were 69.8m - down 1% on 2015. 

Caroline Densley
BBC Radio Northampton Sport

Northampton Town manager Rob Page has apologised for his side's FA Cup second round defeat at the hands of the lowest-ranked team left in the competition.

Jack Duggan put the ball in the net for Stourbridge with four minutes to go to set up a third-round clash with Wycombe and kick the Cobblers out of the FA Cup altogether.

Image source, Getty Images

Page said: "I apologise for that performance. I didn't expect that at all.

"From the first minute they deserved their victory. We congratulate them and wish them all the best, but we're hurting in the changing room."

Stuart Linnell
BBC Radio Northampton

Raymond Chambers, a computer science teacher from Brooke Weston Academy, is one of four teachers who've been shortlisted for an international education award.

The Varkey Foundation Global teacher prize, external is an annual accolade that recognises the outstanding achievement of one educator from anywhere in the world. There were 20,000 nominations this year from 179 countries. 

The winner will be announced in March.

Mr Chambers has already received a national teaching award for the innovative use of technology.

"There is a lot of bad press about how hard it is to be a teacher," he told me, "but it's good that the Varkey Foundation acknowledges the work they are doing.

"I love to be in the classroom - it's that buzz. No day is ever the same."

Martin Heath
BBC Radio Northampton

Meanwhile, a new £13m college building has opened in Daventry.

It replaces the original Northampton College campus in the town, which was based in an old secondary school.

The facilities include a purpose-built hair salon, a beauty treatment room and a car workshop.

Almost 400 students are already using the building.

Pat Brennan-Barrett, the college principal, says the idea of moving out of Daventry altogether was considered, but rejected. 

"The governors made a conscious decision to invest in a new facility in Daventry and we feel passionately about making sure the people have a college they can come to where 98% of them will pass their qualification," she said.

Image source, Northampton College

Martin Heath
BBC Radio Northampton

Image source, Google

Daventry's two academy schools are to receive £135,000 to improve outdated facilities like toilets and pathways.

The money for the Parker Academy and DSLV has come from the E-Act Trust, external, which sponsors both schools and 22 others around the country.

It's some welcome news for education in the town, following last week's announcement of the closure of the University Technical College which has failed to attract enough students.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

This morning we've been telling you how a teacher from Northampton is one of four UK teachers shortlisted for the $1m (£790,000) Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize.

But other than being a big money prize, what exactly is the award?

• The prize was set up to recognize one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession, as well as shine a spotlight on the important role teachers play in society
• By unearthing stories of heroes that have transformed young people's lives, the prize hopes to bring to life the exceptional work of millions of teachers all over the world
• The top 50 have been shortlisted from more than 20,000 nominations and applications from 179 countries
• The shortlist has representatives from 37 countries
• The winner will be announced at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai on 19 March 2016

David Keller
BBC News

I can't possibly call them highlights, but if you want to take a look at what happened last night you can watch below...

The full match report is here too.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Image source, Apollo Strategic Communications

Well, apparently Mr Chambers entered teaching by accident as the result of a last-minute Computer Science degree placement, but found he loved it.

At the time, ICT learning was fairly traditional and undeveloped, so he started developing new software for learning using Microsoft Kinect, which developed into a blog, then a project with other teachers, which eventually led to him being invited to Portugal to present it on a global scale.

In 2015 he received the UK national teaching award for innovative use of technology and in 2013-14 won the Microsoft Innovative Expert Educator award.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

A teacher from Northampton has made the top 50 shortlist for the annual Global Teacher Prize.

Raymond Chambers, a computer science teacher from Brooke Weston Academy in Corby, is one of four UK teachers included in the shortlist for a $1m (£790,000) Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize 2017, external.

Image source, Apollo Strategic Communications

Now in its third year, the US award is the largest prize of its kind in the world and, in recognising one exceptional teacher, is intended to recognise the importance of teaching and help raise the public status of the profession.

There are three other UK teachers in the running for this year's prize, which will be announced next March - Adnan Mahmood, a business and enterprise tutor from Barking and Dagenham College, London; Nathan Atkinson, headteacher at Richmond Hill School, Leeds, and Peter Ferris, now teaching drama at the Mercy College in Belfast.

The current holder of the Global Teacher Prize is Hanan Al Hroub, who grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp and is now a teacher of refugees herself. 

Simon Oxley
BBC Three Counties Radio

As mentioned, Wycombe Wanderers will host Stourbridge in round three of the FA Cup after the non-league side caused an upset with a 1-0 win over League One Northampton last night.

The Glassboys are the lowest ranked team left in the competition.

Stourbridge chairman Andy Pountney said they are now relishing a trip to in-form Wanderers.

"We'll go down there and enjoy the day, we'll take a lot of fans down there, it's my birthday that weekend so let's hope I can have another birthday present," he said. 

BBC Sport

Can you believe it...

Northampton Town have been knocked out of the FA Cup by non-league Stourbridge - a team 89 places below them in the English football pyramid.

The Cobblers lost 1-0 in last night's second round tie - sunk by a goal four minutes from time.

Image source, Getty Images

Afterwards, defender David Buchanan admitted the opposition deserved to win.

"You've got to give them massive credit, from start to finish they were the best team," he said.

"On the night we just weren't good enough."

The Northern Premier League part-timers have now earned a first-ever third round tie, at League Two side Wycombe Wanderers.