A man who had previously been disqualified for drink driving has been jailed for further offences including drink driving at the British Grand Prix earlier this year.

Ben Mooney, 31, from Coventry, was sentenced to a total of 18 weeks in prison and was handed an extended driving disqualification of four years and nine months. In addition to this, he was also ordered to pay £154 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.

He had previously pleaded guilty to all offences in a hearing at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on 8th July 2024 after being arrested by police at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone earlier in the month.

Shortly after 11pm on Saturday 6th July, police officers on duty at the main stage area of the event spotted a green and yellow John Deere work utility vehicle being driven at excessive speed close to concert goers.

Officers suspected the 31-year-old had been drinking and he was arrested on suspicion of driving while over the prescribed limit of alcohol after failing a roadside breath test.

Mooney blew 43 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml breath, exceeding the legal limit of 35mg.

The man had been working at the Formula One race for a third-party food vendor.

Further checks on the police national computer also flagged that he was also disqualified from driving until the end of February 2025, and he was also charged with driving while disqualified.

During a routine search in police custody, Mooney was also found to have a small bag of white powder, which tested positive for cocaine, in his possession and he was further arrested and charged for possession of a controlled Class A drug.

Mooney pleaded guilty in his hearing to all three offences as well as a further charge of using a motor vehicle on a road or public place without third party insurance.

Arresting officer PC Scott Kimberley of the Roads Policing Team for Northamptonshire Police said, “Driving at excess speeds near large crowds is dangerous and reckless however, knowingly doing this when you do not have a licence and are over the prescribed alcohol level to drive is just pure stupidity.

“We see the devastating effects of those who have a total disregard for the sanctions imposed by the courts and continue to drive after being disqualified. It is also extremely disappointing to see that there are still people who choose to use our roads illegally and irresponsibly.

“Ben Mooney had already had his driving licence revoked as the standard of his driving had put himself and others at risk. Driving this vehicle at excessive speed near a large crowd of people while under the influence of alcohol not only showed a real contempt for the authorities but was also selfish, dangerous, and irresponsible.

“Reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads remains a priority for Northamptonshire Police and our partners at the Northamptonshire Safer Roads Alliance, and I’m pleased the courts have dealt with this driver robustly.”

MK Dons have announced the loan signing of goalkeeper Tom McGill from Brighton and Hove Albion.

The 24-year-old Canadian joins the Dons for the season, and will be MK Dons’ tenth new recruit ahead of the upcoming 2024/25 season in League Two.

McGill made the move to Milton Keynes upon his return to England, having been a member of the Canadian squad during the Copa America in June and July.

The goalkeeper joined Brighton in 2014 and has spent his career with the Seagulls, while he has also made loan moves out to Worthing, Greenwich Borough, Basingstoke Town and Crawley Town, although he made just one EFL appearance for Crawley and five overall before he was recalled by his parent club.

McGill has also been a regular on the bench for the Seagulls’ first team in the Premier League and Europa League.

In an arrival interview with MK Dons, McGill said he was happy to move to Milton Keynes and was looking forward to getting started.

He said, “It was an easy decision for me after a couple of conversations with the gaffer, I got told you can play with freedom, within the realms of what we’re trying to do here, and that’s all any player wants to hear really!

“For me, having a run of games, having the freedom to play under a gaffer that plays a similar style to what I’m used to, that’s all I’m after, winning and success with a team that deserves it I think.”

Mike Williamson also said he felt McGill had the prospect to be the right fit for the club, with the Dons Head Coach saying that he was confident Brighton’s work developing McGill would make him the right fit for his system.

He said, “We ask a lot of our goalkeepers, and that’ll be no different for Tom. He’s a bright, energetic player who we’re confident has the footballing intelligence to excel in our system. Brighton have done a fantastic job with his development, now it’s up to us to get the best out of him.”

Milton Keynes City Council have announced plans to increase investment to expand services for children with autism in the local area.

The City Council pledged investments of more than £660,000 to expand the number of local school places and support for children with autism in Milton Keynes.

This expansion is part of wider work to support a rising number of children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) as the city grows.

The investment would allow the creation of specialist teaching units for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) at two schools – Bradwell Village School and Priory Common School. A decision to go ahead with the work is set for 30 July.

Two dedicated units would provide places for an additional 36 pupils across the two sites including teaching spaces with breakout areas, intervention rooms and outdoor play areas.

Construction work, which includes some internal remodelling as well as extra buildings, would begin next year with places expected to be ready for September 2025.

The expansion of these two schools is one of several projects the City Council is looking to take forward to increase local support for children and families with SEND. Between 2015 and 2023, the number of children with EHCPs in Milton Keynes rose by 40%, whilst the number of children needing support with autism has almost doubled.

Councillor Joe Hearnshaw, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said, “We continue to expand our network of specialist local support for young people with additional needs. We already have six excellent special schools in Milton Keynes and another seven with specialist departments but as the city continues to grow, we expect increased demand for places. We know these additional teaching units will be a welcome boost to these inclusive schools and the communities they serve.”

Schools that were interested in providing these additional places were invited to submit an expression of interest.  These were reviewed by a panel of specialist officers who identified the two sites as being most suitable to support this area of need.

Luton Town will host the England under-21s team for a friendly against Austria in early September.

The England under-21 team will play Austria at Kenilworth Road on Monday 9th September 2024, with the game taking place as a 7:45pm kick-off.

The match will be one of England’s two games in the September international break, with the team also scheduled to play Northern Ireland in a a qualifier for the 2025 Under-21 Euros, which are scheduled to take place in Slovakia next year.

Luton will be hosting an England under-21s game for the first time in 31 years, when Kenilworth Road hosted a match between England and San Marino in February 1993. That game saw future England stars Steve McManaman, Jamie Redknapp and Darren Anderton among the scorers in a 6-0 win.

The Hatters have confirmed that tickets for the game cost £15 for adults or £10 for Luton Town season ticket holders and members, while concessions (66+, U22 & U17) are £7.50 or £5 for Luton Town season ticket holders and members.