Our live coverage has come to an end for the week - we hope you'll join us again on Monday when we're back with regular updates from 08:00.

Today's main stories have included:

• Northampton South's sitting MP is facing a battle to be reselected for the 8 June general election
• A speed monitoring device is stolen from a village in the south of the county, police say
• And Northamptonshire's cricketers get off to a flying start at Worcestershire

Staying with sport, we'll wish good luck to Kettering's Kyren Wilson as he takes a 9-7 lead going into this evening's final session of his World Championship Snooker second-round match against Stuart Bingham.

Image source, PA

Full coverage here and on the BBC Red Button.

A head teacher has completed her 28-mile walk from her home in Rugby to Brackley Junior School, external.

Promoting the Healthy Schools Project, Ros Peet set off at 04:30 and made it to school at about 15:00.

Ros Peet said: "My children were waiting at the gate with a lovely reception singing One More Step Along the World I Go.

"When I got to Helmdom, which is about four miles from school, my feet started hurting and I did wonder if I'd get there."

She's raised about £800 the School Fund.

BBC Weather

A largely cloudy night with some patchy light rain pushing down from the north. The winds becoming light and variable and lowest temperatures around 6C (43F). 

Image source, BBC weather

Once the last of any overnight rain has cleared, Saturday will be relatively cloudy with odd showers feeding southwards. There should be some bright or sunny spells and a top temperature of 13C (55F).

A cold start to Sunday with a touch of frost in places, it’ll then be largely dry with some brightness and sunshine at times and the small chance of a shower. Temperatures again reaching around 13C (55F) at best.

BBC Weather, external has more local forecasts.

Here are some snaps from our BBC Weather Watchers. 

It'll give some readers a sense of the conditions in Roade, where they're holding a public meeting tonight about the proposed rail freight interchanges.

Image source, .

Image source, .

Image source, .

For a full forecast, visit BBC Weather.

Four fire engines and an aerial appliance are at the scene of what police are calling a "significant" fire at a thatched cottage.

It's in Easton Maudit, which is south of Wellingborough, near Bozeat.

The police were called at 12:15 and were "working with Compton Estates to minimise the impact on the local community".

Compton Estates runs Castle Ashby and its estate, which its website, external says includes 214 houses and 50 commercial premises.

Fire crews are dealing with a "significant" blaze at a thatched cottage in Easton Maudit, between Wellingborough and Olney.

More details to follow...

A man has died after a white van he was in crashed near Brackley.

Northamptonshire Police said a Renault Trafic lost control "for reasons unknown" at the Duck End junction in Hinton-in-the-Hedges, at about 12:30, and rolled on to its side.

Three people were in the van, which was the only vehicle involved in the crash.

Police said they were still informing next-of-kin.

Philippa Taylor
BBC Local Live

If Theresa May's recent announcement of a snap election in June has made you yearn to be an MP, here are a few guidelines, external for you to consider.

You can't stand if you're:

• Under 18
• A member of the police forces
• A member of the armed forces
• A civil servant, a judge or a peer
• You're subject to a bankruptcy restrictions order or a debt relief restrictions order

If none of those conditions preclude you, and you're either a British citizen, a citizen of the  Republic of Ireland or a commonwealth country (with certain provisos) then you're over the first hurdle, and will need to consider these regulations:

• You need a completed set of nomination forms and a deposit of £500 
• You also need an election agent
• You probably want to plan and run a campaign

There - it's almost as simple as that. So what's stopping you? I'm off now to see how much money is in my piggy bank.

Matt Precey
BBC Look East

An emergency meeting of Northampton South Conservatives will take place on Tuesday, 2 May as the local association decides whether it wants its sitting MP David Mackintosh to stand again.

The selection meeting was due to take place on Friday, 28 April, but it's been moved at Mr Mackintosh's request.

The venue has yet to be decided, as the Billings Road Conservative Association offices aren't available on that date.

Image source, Getty Images

Thieves have stolen a speed monitoring device which was placed in a village to remind motorists of the 30mph limit, police say.

It was installed by Highways England on Deanshanger Road in Wicken, near Milton Keynes.

When officials went to check it last week, only the mounting bracket was left on the post, Northamptonshire Police said.

It is thought to have been taken some time between 9 and 11 March.

Image source, Google

Those were the words of Denise Arthey to doctors after she and her husband Chris were involved in a road accident while on holiday.

Chris and Denise are just some of the thousands of inspiring runners who will be taking part in the London Marathon on Sunday. 

Read more about there story here and follow the live text commentary on this website from 08:25-16:00 BST on the day.

If you're taking part in the race - or know someone who is - let us know by using the #GetInspired on social media and we could feature your message!

Image source, Getty Images

Kyren Wilson of Kettering (left) has a two-frame lead over Basildon's Stuart Bingham following the daytime session in Sheffield.

The pair will begin the final session of their second-round World Snooker Championship match at 19:00, with Wilson 9-7 up in the best of 25-frame match.

The match is live on the BBC Red Button. Full coverage details here.

Former Nottinghamshire and Hampshire seam bowler Andy Carter comes out of retirement to sign for Northants.

Alex Winter
BBC Radio Northampton sport

All change at Worcester with three wickets in 10 balls for Andy Carter, playing here for his sixth county.

First, Moeen Ali drove a touch loosely to one brought back in towards him and then Tom Kohler-Cadmore shouldered arms fourth ball.

Moeen never quite looked in full control, with several plays-and-misses through his innings. But he did play two straight drives of note and an extra cover drive to make the crowd purr. A half-century to begin his season, but his side in a spot of bother, with Ben Cox also gone, caught behind in Carter's next over..

Image source, BBC Sport

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

The University of Northampton wants budding young artists to decorate the hoardings around its Waterside campus construction site, external. 

It's lunch on day one at New Road, where Northamptonshire are away to Worcestershire in their third County Championship match of the season.

The home side are 92-3, with Daryl Mitchell (30), Brett D'Oliveira (5) and Tom Fell (5) all gone in the opening session.

England batsman Moeen Ali is 42 not out.

Follow this afternoon's action at BBC Sport.

Meet Fran - she's just one of the many thousands who will be taking on the London Marathon this weekend.....

If you're taking part in the race - or know someone who is - let us know about it using the #GetInspired hashtag on social media and we could feature you in our live text commentary or messages on the TV coverage during the day. 

Kettering's Kyren Wilson is leading Basildon's Stuart Bingham 8-7 as we come to the end of their morning session in Sheffield.

The final session in their second-round match at the World Snooker Championships at the Crucible begins at 19:00.

Wilson hit a 110 break with no response in the 10th frame. There's one frame of this session left.

Follow the snooker results at BBC Sport.

Matt Precey
BBC Look East

We've been reporting today how Northampton South MP David Mackintosh faces a deselection fight ahead of the general election.

As part of our investigation we also uncovered a report from 2013, suggesting he was "not of the calibre to be an MP".

Here's that report in full...

Sam Read
BBC Radio Northampton politics reporter

It is up to the local party to decide whether current Northampton South MP David Mackintosh should be re-selected to stand for his seat in the upcoming general election.

That is the view of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid.

Image source, PA

The MP faces a deselection fight over his role in a loan in which millions of pounds of public money appears to have vanished.

Mr Javid, who was visiting Northamptonshire to meet Tory candidates for the upcoming county council elections, said the decision over Mr Mackintosh was "not something I should get involved in".

"It would be wrong to comment on that," he said.

But he added: "What I can say about David, having had the pleasure of working with him for the last couple of years in Parliament, is that he is a very effective, very confident and very passionate MP who has worked very hard on behalf of his constituents."

Mr Mackintosh, who did not attend Mr Javid's visit, earlier told the BBC: "I intend to stand for re-election."