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Live Reporting

Helen Popham

All times stated are UK

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  1. Today's weather: Mainly dry this morning

    Kate Kinsella

    BBC Look East weather

    It's a chilly start to the new working week and this morning will be mainly dry with sunny spells.

    It's due to turn cloudy later and there could be some heavy rain, hail and thunder in the Beds, Herts and Bucks area.

    Maximum temperature: 15C (59F).

  2. Virgin Trains East Coast rail staff on strike

    Katy Lewis

    BBC Local Live

    Workers on Virgin Trains East Coast have begun a 24-hour strike this morning in a long-running dispute over jobs.

    Virgin train

    The RMT union said about 1,800 members, including train crew and some drivers, are taking action against threatened job cuts and disputes over working conditions and safety.

    Virgin Trains East Coast, which operates services between London, eastern England and Scotland, said it was making changes to customer-facing roles. 

    The company said it would be running a full timetable during the strike but there will be some changes to on-board catering and it may not be able to open the food bar or run a trolley service in standard class, and the first class menu will be reduced.

    I think the message is to stock up on food before you travel.

  3. Welcome back to live updates for Northamptonshire

    Pete Cooper

    BBC Local Live

    Good morning.

    It's the start of another week and there is plenty going on, including a 24-hour strike on Virgin Trains East Coast.

    We'll soon bring you a round-up of the weekend's sport and today's weather forecast too.

    Bit foggy this morning isn't it... best take care on your travels.

    Pattishall
  4. Video content

    Video caption: Bringing down an unwanted drone

    The BBC's Mike Cartwright sees a drone net in action - for use in bringing down and disabling drones.

  5. By Brendon Mitchell

    BBC Sport

    George North

    Wales wing George North stars as Northampton Saints come back from 13-0 down to beat Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership.

    Read more
    next
  6. Our coverage across the day

    Helen Popham

    BBC Local Live

    That's the end of our rolling updates for today, but any breaking news will still appear here.

    Stories we've covered today include:

    • A Northampton borough councillor says more needs to be done about the growing problem of Japanese knotweed.
    • South Northamptonshire MP Andrea Leadsom says she is still looking at whether farming subsidy can be maintained at its current level after 2020.  
    • Northampton's "Chatty Man" Alan Carr has thanked fans for their messages of congratulations, after he revealed he has got engaged to long-term partner Paul Drayton.  

    Don't forget to join us again from 08:00 on Monday when we'll have all the latest news, sport, weather and traffic updates for Northamptonshire.

    Here's a lovely picture of Long Buckby sent in to BBC Weather Watchers by Keen Camper. 

    Have a great weekend.

    Long Buckby
  7. Anti-drone 'Spider-Man web' developed

    Mike Cartwright

    BBC Look East

    And finally... a Northampton graduate has launched one of the first anti-drone security companies, offering products such as a firing net, similar to Spider-Man's web, to capture nuisance flying machines.

    Sales of the unmanned flying devices have dramatically increased over the past two years, but it has led to a three-fold increase in drone-related incidents being reported to police.

    Richard Gill said: "After seeing reports of drones being used irresponsibly near airports and flying drugs into prisons I thought that I should do something about it."  

    Video content

    Video caption: Northampton graduate develops a net you can fire to catch nuisance drones in mid-air

    Here it is in action. You can see more tonight on BBC Look East at 18:30 on BBC One.

  8. Weather: Dry tonight but turning wet tomorrow

    Dan Holley

    BBC Look East weather

    Isolated showers this evening will fade away to leave much of the night dry with clear spells, and perhaps a few mist patches. Turning chilly with light winds, as temperatures fall to 6C (43F) in prone rural spots.

    Weather map for the East of England

    Sunny spells on Saturday, particularly at first, but an increasing risk of showers or longer spells of rain developing, some heavy with hail and thunder, and perhaps some local flooding. 

    Feeling notably cool with light and variable winds, and temperatures only reaching 16C (61F).

    Get your full local weekend forecast from BBC Weather.

  9. Bats monitored as part of wildlife survey

    Helen Popham

    BBC Local Live

    The Wildlife Trust has been busy with its bat monitoring programme today.

    Forty bats were found in Stoke Wood End Quarter, an undisturbed woodland two miles from Desborough.

    As the footage shows, the bats are placed in the bag temporarily before being checked by qualified bat surveyors, and then released as part of the annual bat survey.

    View more on twitter
  10. Homeless man attacked while he slept

    A homeless man was repeatedly kicked while he slept in a recreation ground in Towcester.

    The attack off Islington Road happened sometime between 22:00 and midnight on Wednesday. 

    He was kicked in the upper body, causing bruising to his torso.

    It's believed the offenders ran away along Islington Road. Anyone with information can contact Northamptonshire Police on 101.

    Islington Road Towcester
  11. 'There's a lot of work to do', says environment secretary

    Sam Read

    BBC Radio Northampton politics reporter

    South Northamptonshire MP Andrea Leadsom says she is still looking at whether farming subsidy can be maintained at its current level after 2020.

    The Secretary of State for the environment has been speaking to BBC Radio Northampton on a visit to Wellingborough today.

    She leads the department that is looking at what farming subsidy should look like after leaving the EU.

    Cows on a farm

    Mrs Leadsom says she wants to think about ''how can we really support the brilliant work that our farmers and fisherman do?"

    She always wants "our generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it, but at the same time focus on the UK rather than 28 EU members of state. There's a lot of work to do to get to that".

  12. Microbreweries in the county 'fantastic', says Conservative MP

    Sam Read

    BBC Radio Northampton politics reporter

    Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Andrea Leadsom, has praised the work of microbreweries in the county.

    The number of small independent breweries in Northamptonshire has more than doubled in the past six years.

    Andrea Leadsom

    On a visit to Hart Family Brewers in Wellingborough, the South Northamptonshire MP said it was "fantastic" news that new businesses were on the increase.

    ''It's a real growing activity... they're popping up all over the place. It's so important. We're seeing so many new businesses starting up right across the board.''

  13. Saints' hooker shows drawing talent

    Saints' hooker Mikey Haywood is part of the line-up facing Exeter this evening, but did you know he could draw too?

    Mikey came into BBC Radio Northampton to draw a picture of next week's special guest on the radio station's sports programme.

    Can you guess who it is? 

    See the full video and post your comments on BBC Northampton's Facebook page.

    Saints art work