The defendant stole a vehicle covered in balloons and drove it "many miles".

Police are appealing for witnesses after a woman was sexually assaulted in Rushden.

The attack happened between 02:00 and 02:20 on Saturday when the woman was walking along John Clarke Way.

A man forced her to the ground, but ran off when she screamed.

The offender is said to be white, of medium build, with short messy dark hair and dark busy eyebrows.

The chief executive of Northamptonshire County Council, external is leaving the post.

Paul Blantern (pictured) has held the role for 10 years, and will leave the local authority on Friday, 13 October.

A statement from the Conservative-controlled council says they have agreed that now is an appropriate time to change the organisation's management for the different challenges ahead.

The council says it's a mutual agreement, and because they want to secure a "continued strong delivery" as soon as possible, a quick transition time and a payment has been agreed.

The Civil Aviation Authority says around 410,000 people are affected by the collapse of Monarch Airlines.

The company has been placed into administration, and all of its future bookings for flights and holidays have been cancelled.

BBC Radio Northampton listener Barb is one of those who's lost her holiday.

She and her sister were due to fly to Portugal later this month:

A meeting is being held in Wellingborough tonight to discuss controversial changes to the town's train services.

The government says it wants to provide better rail services to the cities further north by cutting their journey times to London.

So the proposal is to run an intercity service, which does not stopping at various stations along the way - including Wellingborough - where many commuters get on and off.

Image source, Google

Instead, passengers using Wellingborough would have to change at Kettering to go any further north - and campaigners say there would be far fewer, and slower commuter trains going south from Corby.

People have until the 11 October to contribute to the consultation, external. Tonight's meeting, hosted by the Department for Transport, is at the Wrenn Academy.

Wellingborough council leader Martin Grittish says good rail links are vital for the town, as work continues on the major development at Stanton Cross.

About 3,000 staff at the cash-strapped council may be forced to take one day's unpaid leave.

Helen Burchell
BBC News

A champion powerlifter's hopes of defending his world title have been crushed by the collapse of Monarch Airlines.

Steve Walker, 61, from Hardingstone in Northamptonshire, was 10 minutes away from Luton Airport when he got a text from a friend telling him all flights were cancelled.

Image source, Steve Walker

He was travelling with his wife to catch the 07:35 flight to Stockholm, heading to the World Masters Powerlifting Championships 2017 in Sundsvall, to defend his title in the 74kg Masters 3 class (age 59 and over).

"I got a text... at 04:30 to say everything was cancelled," he said.

"We pulled over to the services on the M1 and I checked it all out on my phone, and it was right.

"We had no choice but to turn around and head home."

Mr Walker, who's been powerlifting for 30 years, had paid for the trip himself.

It cost more than £1,000 for flights and accommodation for himself and his wife.

Image source, Steve Walker

This year's championship competition was supposed to be his last - his chance to defend his title and hopefully break two world records in the process.

"When we got home, I checked all over the place and I could have got a flight from Heathrow, but by the time I got there, and with all the travelling, I'd have arrived in Sundsvall in the early hours of Tuesday, and you can't go straight into a competition from that," he says.

Image source, Steve Walker

The new flight would have cost him an extra £600.

"That wasn't meant to be," he adds.

"I've just had to cut my losses. I'm absolutely gutted.

"The competition will be streamed live online, but I don't want to see it. I don't want to watch a competition I should be in."

League One side Northampton Town sign midfielder Lewis McGugan on a free transfer on a deal running until January.

So-called tent towns for the homeless are springing up across Northamptonshire.

Northampton, Corby and Wellingborough all have tent communities.

Organisations, from the Citizens Advice Bureau to day care centres, say the demand for Shelter and council accommodation is on the increase with 30 people a week registering for help.

New government figures show that in the last 12 months more than 58,000 households were accepted as homeless by their local authority - that's a 15% increase on five years ago.

Pensioner Mervyn Painton said rising rents meant he had no choice but to pitch a tent to live in.

"They told me I wasn't a priority and that there was nothing they could do," he said.

"They did fill in some forms for some charitable organisations but apparently I'm too old, and also one didn't believe I was homeless because I was freshly washed, shaved and clean."

You can see more on this story in Inside Out, on BBC One (East) at 19:30.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Northamptonshire vicar the Reverend Richard Coles has made it through to week three of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing programme by the skin of his teeth!

On Saturday night he danced an American Smooth with partner Dianne Buswell to Billy Ocean's Love Really Hurts Without You, in a performance described as "lumpy" but "entertaining".

Judge Darcey Bussell called it "quite lumpy" rather than smooth, but she would "never bore of watching" him.

Head judge Shirley Ballas said he stayed "well in time to the music" but they needed to see a little bit more technique and Bruno Tonioli called it a "feast of entertainment in a technical drought".

His performance earned him 17 points which left him joint bottom of the leaderboard, but he is obviously proving popular with viewers because he didn't have to take part in Sunday night's dance-off and will perform in next week's movie week.

Kate Kinsella
BBC Weather

Some patchy cloud around and it's going to start getting more breezy.

There will be some bright spells around, as well as a bit of sunshine, with the cloud coming and going during the afternoon.

It'll stay breezy, with a top temperature of about 16C (61F).

Get more on the forecast where you live, from BBC Weather.

Northampton Saints overcome Harlequins at Franklin's Gardens to record their fourth-successive win and go top of the Premiership.

Kieffer Moore's ninth goal of the season gives Rotherham the points against struggling Northampton at the New York Stadium.

With the county season finished for 2017, BBC Sport users have chosen their Championship team of the season.

With the 2017 county season here, keep up to date with the latest signings, departures and rumours ahead of next season.

Details of all the county cricket signings and departures from the 2018 season.

Listen to BBC radio commentary from Saturday's rugby union action in England's Premiership and Championship.