A man who's volunteered for more than 10 years in a local park has won the Spirit of Corby award for this year.

The annual awards, organised by Corby Borough Council, go to people who've done something exceptional in the town.

"I'm very, very grateful," said winner Cyril Sellars, who was recognised for his work as chair of the Friends of Coronation Park.

"I am thoroughly a Corby boy and I want the best for Corby. I will give every hour I've got because people tell me daily how much they enjoy that park.

"It encourages me for every hour I spend there."

Kris Holland
BBC News

Welcome back to live updates for Northamptonshire on Thursday, 21 September.

We'll be here until 18:00 keeping you up-to-date with the latest news, sport, weather and travel as it happens.

As always, if you want to get in touch you can by email, Facebook, external or Twitter, external.

Northants all-rounder Rory Kleinveldt takes a career-best 9-65 to set up a good chance of victory against Nottinghamshire.

Kris Holland
BBC News

That's it for Wednesday's live updates for Northamptonshire. Scroll down the feed to look back at any stories you may have missed.

We'll resume our live updates at 08:00 tomorrow, but any breaking news stories will appear here in the meantime.

Have a good evening.

Alex Dolan
BBC Look East weather

This evening will stay mainly dry with clear intervals. It will turn cloudier later in the night with some light rain or drizzle.

Light winds and lows of 11C (52F).

It will be a fine and dry start to Thursday, with outbreaks of rain later.

Light to moderate winds and highs of 21C (70F).

BBC Weather has more.

Orla Moore
BBC Local Live

A memorial stone has been unveiled marking 100 years since a local hero was awarded the Victoria Cross.

Captain Harry Reynolds was born in the village of Whilton, near Daventry. He served with the 12th Battalion, The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) during World War One.

He won the VC in September 1917 at the age of 38 for his bravery during a heavy bombardment in the Battle of Passchendaele.

But he appeared to be something of an established hero, having already won the Military Cross the previous spring.

His grandson Nick says he didn't know much about his grandfather's experiences until now.

Image source, Jamie Cooper

"I knew he'd won the Victoria Cross and I wore his medals for the Buckinghamshire Advertiser when I was about 10," he told BBC Radio Northampton.

"The medals are now with the Regimental Museum. But I didn't know a great deal of the detail."

Image source, Jamie Cooper

Orla Moore
BBC Local Live

Community, the union that represents steel workers at Tata in Corby, has given a "tentative welcome" to the news the company is to merge with German rival, Thyssenkrupp.

The deal would create Europe's second-largest steel group after ArcelorMittal.

Job losses are expected as the merger takes place, but the Corby plant, which produces tubes, is considered a valuable asset, according to Community's, external Corby rep, Douglas Fairbairn.

"We've had a difficult two years with Tata," he said.

"But potentially things could improve with this merger with Thyssenkrupp. There are some things that need to be ironed out, some guarantees for the UK side of the business but we look forward to seeing what this brings.

"At Corby we are a value added side of the business - potentially it could be good news and open new markets for us.

"Things have improved over the last year - we are on the up."

Martin Borley
BBC Radio Northampton

Corby Urgent Care Centre has been threatened with closure for months after a disagreement over funding between the Corby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which holds the purse strings, and Lakeside Plus, which runs the centre.

However, the CCG says agreement has now been reached to keep the centre open.

The contract has been extended that will allow Lakeside Plus to continue running the site, but that will expire again on 31 March 2019.

Either party may give four months' notice to terminate the contract before that point.

A consultation is due to start later this year looking at the future of health services in the Corby area. This will determine the long-term future of the centre.

The site opened in 2012 and was created to help relieve the strain on A&E at nearby Kettering General Hospital.

Relive all the action as champions Exeter beat Wasps and Northampton win at London Irish in the Premiership.

Alex Winter
BBC Radio Northampton sport

What a helter-skelter game this has been so far. 20 wickets have fallen in four sessions but from nowhere, Northamptonshire have began to assert themselves with the bat to move to a strong position, Richard Levi going past fifty in just 40 balls.

But Northants could be a couple of batsmen light in this second inning with Ben Duckett and Alex Wakely both needing treatment for hand and face injuries sustained in the morning session.

This morning saw Rory Kleinveldt take the remaining five Notts wickets in an unbroken 13-over spell for a career-best 9-65 and the eighth instance of a nine-wicket haul in an innings for Northants. A fine achievement.

Unfortunately they're now off for bad light at Wantage Road, with an early tea taken and Northants 152 runs ahead.

Image source, BBC Sport

The future of Corby's Urgent Care Centre - which had been at threat of closure - has been secured until 2019.

Lakeside Plus' contract to run the centre was due to end on the last day of September, leaving its future in doubt.

In a statement, the NHS Corby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said: "The contract will be subject to an extension from 1 October 2017 that will allow it to continue up to but not beyond 31 March 2019.

"Either party may give four months’ notice to terminate the contract before that point. The agreement has been signed by Lakeside Plus and it will be signed by the CCG this week."

The statement added that: "Both parties are seeking a period of stability to enable engagement and consultation with staff, patients and public about the future shape of local services."

Here's a look at what else is making the news in Northamptonshire today:

• The Northampton Chronicle and Echo reports, external on a protest group which says a proposed multimillion-pound ring road around Northampton will improve journey times by just 40 seconds.
• Meanwhile, the Northamptonshire Telegraph, external says a centre which supports vulnerable people is appealing for help to increase its opening hours.
• And the Daventry Express, external has news of a new display at Daventry Country Park's visitor centre.

A man was stopped by police in a balloon-covered golf cart after visiting a McDonald's.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink says Northampton Town are in a "learning process" after his first defeat as their manager.

A statue honouring the first ever female MP for Northampton will be commissioned and erected in the courtyard of the Guildhall.

Margaret Bondfield was elected to parliament in 1923 and later became the first female cabinet minister.

The statue will be unveiled next year, as part of a number of events marking the centenary of women gaining the same voting rights as men.

• Read more: Margaret Bondfield - the undercover 'shopgirl'

A memorial stone is being unveiled in the village of Whilton, near Daventry, to mark 100 years since the Victoria Cross was awarded to a man born there.

Captain Henry Reynolds won the Victoria Cross in September 1917 for his action during the Battle of Passchendaele, having already won the Military Cross in the previous spring.

Known as "Harry", Reynolds was one of 10 children born in Whilton Locks, where he grew up and lived his early married life.

Some of his descendants will be in Whilton for today's event, where there will be a parade led by the Royal Scots and a thanksgiving service to be taken by the Bishop of Peterborough.

BBC Radio Northampton has been looking at Reynolds' story...

India's Tata Steel and German steel manufacturer ThyssenKrupp have agreed the first stage of a deal to merge, it has been confirmed.

The companies signed a memorandum of understanding to combine their European steel operations in a 50-50 venture.

Tata employs more than 500 people at its plant in Corby.

The tie-up will lead to job losses to be shared between the two companies, but it's not yet known how Corby will be affected.

The firms have been in negotiations since last year when Tata withdrew from a sales process to sell its entire UK operations.

• Read more: Tata Steel and ThyssenKrupp merger deal confirmed

The M1 motorway has fully reopened after a "suspicious object" was found under a bridge - forcing an extensive closure.

The object, which Thames Valley Police says, external contained a "highly corrosive material," was discovered on the hard shoulder at 07:30 yesterday and leaked across two lanes.

Shortly after the road was closed both ways leaving hundreds of motorists stranded while emergency services and a bomb disposal team attended the scene.

The northbound carriageway reopened at 17:00, but the southbound side was not back in action until 22:30.

Police say the substance has now been cleared and added there was no evidence of a "terrorist-related incident".

Kris Holland
BBC News

Welcome back to live updates for Northamptonshire on Wednesday, 20 September.

We'll be here until 18:00 keeping you up-to-date with the latest news, sport, weather and travel as it happens.

As always, if you want to get in touch you can by email, Facebook, external or Twitter, external.

Michael Jacobs' superb second-half strike is enough to give Wigan Athletic victory over Northampton Town in League One.