A former Thames Valley Police officer has been sentenced after he was convicted of misconduct in a public office in Milton Keynes.

Adam Jones, 40, of Monkston, formally based at Milton Keynes police station, was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict of one count of holding of a public office and wilfully neglecting to perform duty/wilfully misconducting himself.

He was also found guilty by majority jury verdict of three further counts of holding of a public office and wilfully neglecting to perform duty/wilfully misconducted himself, following a six-day trial at Reading Crown Court which concluded on Friday 9 December.

Returning to the same court on Monday (16/12), Jones was sentenced to two years and six months’ imprisonment.

Between January 2013 and August 2021, Jones committed wilful misconducted by contacting three different women on occasions when there were no policing purpose for him to do so and seeking by such contact to pursue a sexual or improper emotional relationship.

Former PC Jones resigned from Thames Valley Police on 14 September 2022, and was later charged by postal requisition in September 2023 following an investigation by his former employer.

Thames Valley Police Deputy Chief Constable Ben Snuggs, said, “I am pleased with the outcome in this case, which reflects former PC Jones’s totally unacceptable behaviour.

“His actions have no place in policing and this outcome reflects our commitment to take decisive action in such circumstances and uphold the trust and confidence of the communities we serve.

“Prior to these criminal proceedings, former PC Jones attended an accelerated misconduct hearing and John Campbell QPM, the then Chief Constable, determined that if he had not resigned, he would have been dismissed from Thames Valley Police.

“Our communities put their trust in us to use the personal information we hold on police systems lawfully, legitimately and appropriately. The public has a right to expect that police officers act with the utmost integrity and professionalism all day, every day.

“As this case demonstrates, where they do not, I am clear that they will face the consequences of their actions.”

Former MK Dons Head Coach Russell Martin has been sacked by Premier League side Southampton.

Martin leaves Southampton after a year and a half at St Mary’s, with the decision coming less than two hours after the Saints’ 5-0 defeat by Spurs last night (15/12).

Defeat was Southampton’s 13th out of 16 games in the Premier League so far this season, with last season’s play-off winners 9 points from safety and with just 5 points to their name in the whole campaign.

The Saints have named under-21 manager Simon Rusk as interim boss while a new manager is found.

In a statement, Southampton’s board of directors gave their regards for Martin’s work in helping Southampton win promotion last season but that the reality of the situation meant they had to make a change.

The club said, “We can confirm that we have taken the difficult decision to part ways with our Men’s First Team Manager, Russell Martin.

“Going into the start of the season, we all knew the challenges that we would face this year as we readjusted to life in the top flight, competing in the best and most competitive league in the world.

“However, the reality of our situation is clear. The board have supported Russell and his staff and been open and transparent regarding our expectations. We have all been on the same page in recognising the urgency of needing results to improve.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank Russell and his staff for all the hard work and dedication they have given the club on and off the pitch over the last 18 months. Everyone connected with Southampton FC will always have fantastic memories of last season, especially the Play-Off Final win in May.”

Martin had won promotion from the Championship in his only full season as Saints boss in 2023/24. The South Coast club went on a club record unbeaten run of 25 games in all competitions but finished 4th in the table, although they were able to beat West Bromwich Albion over two legs before beating Leeds United in the play-off final at Wembley last season.

However, the step-up has proved difficult for the Saints and Martin’s possession-heavy football philosophy. Southampton are the Premier League’s lowest scorers so far this season with just 11 goals from 16 games and have struggled to keep clean sheets, with just one in the entire campaign. A 5-0 defeat by Spurs, with the London club scoring all their goals in the first half, proved the final straw for the Saints’ board.

A former Scotland international, Martin had begun his managerial career with MK Dons. Martin was named as the club’s manager in November 2019 as a replacement for Paul Tisdale, with the former Norwich and Wycombe man having joined the Dons as a player from Walsall in January 2019.

At MK Dons, Martin would win 30 out of 80 games in charge, with the side staying up in the shortened 2019/20 season and finishing midtable in the following season. Martin left the Dons to join Swansea City in August 2021, before moving to the Saints at the start of last season after two seasons in South Wales.

Willen Hospice is setting its sights on raising an ambitious £185,000 this December through its biggest ever Christmas appeal.

The Milton Keynes-based charity will see all donations made to the charity until the end of December – or until the matched funding pot runs out – be doubled thanks to the generosity of local donors pledging to match every pound raised by the community.

Willen Hospice says this opportunity has been made possible by a group of passionate local philanthropists who have collectively committed to matching donations in the hope that it will inspire more people to give.

“Mary, my late wife, and I were immensely grateful for the wonderful support we received from the Willen at Home team before she died in January 2007,” says Michael Willis, one of the donors who is matching gifts this December.

“They made it possible for Mary to stay at home, where she always wanted to be, and say goodbye to close friends and family in her own way and in her own time. The reality is that hospitals are not equipped to provide decent end-of-life care. It would be tragic in so many ways if the Hospice was forced to cut back the Willen at Home service.”

Earlier in December, the Hospice was honoured to participate in the Big Give Christmas Challenge, which also matched public donations. Thanks to overwhelming support, the £35,000 target was achieved in just five days, representing an incredible start to the charity’s appeal.

All funds raised through the Christmas appeal will directly support Willen at Home. This dedicated team work 365 days a year providing expert care to local patients with a life-limiting illness, like Mary, who wish to remain in the comfort of their own home. Willen at Home’s specialist nurses help patients to live well until they die, by easing symptoms, giving medication advice and providing emotional support.

While £185,000 is a substantial target, the Willen at Home service alone costs £1.4 million a year to run and receives no NHS funding. This creates a significant gap that the Hospice must bridge by depending on the local community to take part in fundraising and buy from its charity shops.

To make a donation that will be doubled, visit www.willen-hospice.org.uk/christmas. Donations will be doubled until 31 December or until the matched funding pot runs out, whichever is sooner.

Scott Lindsey was left disappointed by his MK Dons side’s failure to create enough chances or score against Gillingham.

MK Dons had possession dominance in the contest but struggled to create big chances in the match, and a second half goal by Robbie McKenzie instead took the points for Gillingham in the game at Stadium MK.

Defeat came after MK Dons had won their six previous games, but Lindsey said he felt the team’s performance was good enough to extend their winning run and was disappointed at the lack of cutting edge his side provided.

He said, “We haven’t won it because we weren’t good enough in front of goal. That’s how we’ve not won it. For all the ball we had, we didn’t create enough and then when we did create, we weren’t ruthless enough within them moments. That’s how we’ve not won the game. It’s very simple, really.

“I don’t think we can play much better if I’m honest with you but we’ve got to ask more questions of the opposition or certainly the goalkeeper. We didn’t do enough in front of goal. I think we got through on occasions but wasn’t ruthless, calm or good enough in the moment to score. So that’s the reason why they go down the road with three points.”

Lindsey was also left frustrated with the goal that the Dons conceded, feeling that keeper Tom McGill should’ve saved it but also feeling the defensive unit also didn’t cover themselves in glory.

“They score off the second phase of a corner. It shouldn’t happen. The keeper should save it. But fair play to them and good luck to them.”

Elaborating further, he said, “He’s got to save it. Having said that, we’ve got to deal with the corner better than we did or certainly the second phase of it. There were unmarked players at the far end of the box. The boy who brought it down and scored showed real good skill to get through us but he shouldn’t have that much time in the box. We gave him too much time. It’s not all Tom’s fault – as a defensive unit, we’ve got to do better.”

MK Dons had over 75% possession in the game, but Lindsey felt that the team didn’t do enough with it and that it ended up coming back to bite the team as he had feared.

He said, “We were good in the game. Anyone who was at the game today, it was clear to see we were the better team and we were good. I said to the team at half-time, ‘Don’t let it be one where its a smash and grab for them. Don’t let them score. The longer it goes on at 0-0, the easier it is for them to go up the other end, put one in the net, then close the door and lock it off.’

“That’s exactly what happened. All I’ve just done is walk into the dressing room and said I told you so because I could feel it coming. We had to put them chances away in the first half and didn’t, and we didn’t create enough in the second half.

“We’ve got to be better. We’ve got to have more invention in front of goal.”