Matthew Pearson, 31, of Bellamy Road, Oundle was recently jailed for crashing his car when he failed to slow down for a roundabout. It was reported that he was driving his BMW, while under the influence of alcohol, at over 100 miles an hour when he hit the Warmington roundabout on the A605.
With alarming headlines circulating around the country about the economic downturn in the UK, everyone is very concerned about their own financial situation close to home.
How has the credit crunch affected the UK? According to the BBC, from June 2007 to June 2008, food prices rose by 10.6%, petrol prices rose by 24%, whilst house prices went the other direction, down 8.1%. Among the key food items, milk and bread rose by 13%, cheese rose by 16%, whilst eggs jumped by 33%. In the housing market, the Communities and Local Government have confirmed that house prices are 0.3% lower than a year ago, but according to Graham Beale, the head of Nationwide building society, house prices might have dropped 25% from its peak (Autumn 2007). The sub-prime crisis in America certainly had an effect on the UK housing market as the low number of mortgage approvals show. Mortgage approvals have dropped from 58,564 in 2007, to 21,086 in 2008. The UK is now experiencing zero growth, and with the global economy looking grim, the UK may enter recession soon.
The newest shop in Oundle was finally unveiled at the end of August. Comperio Interiors, owned by Lorraine Hedges, has been trading for four years and is currently based in Polebrook. Their new premises at Number One, Market Place serve as a showroom for their designs, and is all sparkling fixtures and smooth countertops.
For too long now, cigarettes have been littering our streets. Recently, East Northamptonshire Council has launched a campaign highlighting the penalty incurred for littering, and asking every single smoker around the county to ‘Bin your Butt’, in order to reduce the amount of cigarette butts on our streets. This will make the streets far more presentable and far more pleasant for the public.