Luton Town have announced the signing of George Saville, who will join on a free transfer from Millwall.

Saville will join Luton when his Millwall contract expires at the end of June, with the 32-year-old Northern Irish international signing a deal of undisclosed length at Kenilworth Road.

The news sees Saville become Luton’s second signing in as many days, with the League One club having also announced the signing of Kal Naismith on a free from Bristol City this week.

The midfielder had been a regular for the London-based club in the just-concluded season, making 45 league appearances for a Lions team that finished 8th in the Championship and just missed out on a place in the play-offs.

Saville had been with Millwall for four seasons, having joined the Londoners for a second spell at The Den following a spell with Middlesbrough in 2021. The midfielder began his career with Chelsea, while he had also played for Wolves, Bristol City and Brentford.

Luton boss Matt Bloomfield told the club’s official website that Saville rejected offers to stay in the Championship to make the move to Kenilworth Road, and that he saw the arrival as a big piece of business ahead of the new season.

He said, “We’re really pleased to sign George not just because of the experience and quality he’ll bring, but because he’s really enthused about the challenge that lies ahead.

“He’s chosen us over some Championship offers which shows his belief in our club, and that’s the type of character we’re after.

“A tactically astute defensive midfielder and a player who can influence those around him, we’re hoping George can help us with his leadership and ability to knit the game together in the middle of the pitch.

“He’s going to be an important component of the squad as we start to mould the group for what we need next season, and I’m extremely happy to have got this first piece of important business over the line already.”

Northamptonshire Police have confirmed preparations are underway for a policing operation covering next month’s British Grand Prix F1 race at Silverstone.

With more than 480,000 people expected to attend the four-day event between July 3-6, Northamptonshire Police will be delivering what they describe as, “a robust policing operation in the run up to and during the race event, to ensure visitors to the circuit have a safe, and enjoyable experience.”

A range of policing resources will be used during this year’s event to help prevent crime, both at the circuit and in the local community, and deal robustly with any incidents.

Uniformed and plain-clothed police officers will be patrolling the circuit, the campsites and the surrounding road network, while there will also be specialist officers including armed officers, search teams, disruption officers and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) units.

Officers will have use of policing powers introduced under the Public Order Act 2023 as part of the contingency plans should anyone attempt to unlawfully disrupt the event, and Live Facial Recognition (LFR) will again be in operation at the circuit.

LFR technology has been used at the event for the past two years and works by scanning faces with a camera to match biometrics against those held on a watchlist. This list is generated by the police and focuses on those who pose the greatest risk of danger to the wider public in attendance.

They include suspects wanted for offences or have an outstanding warrant for an arrest issued by the courts, those who pose a risk of harm to themselves or others and vulnerable missing people.

This year’s policing operation will be led by Event Commander for Northamptonshire Police, Superintendent Pete Basham.

He said, “We are working closely with the event organisers, other emergency services and partner agencies as the event approaches, to ensure Formula 1 fans attending the event have a safe and enjoyable experience, and that anyone looking to commit a crime doesn’t succeed. 

“We have many years of experience in the policing of this event. However, this doesn’t mean we can afford to be complacent and detailed and rigorous planning still takes place. Each year brings its own challenges and the security measures in place will be as stringent as ever.

“Extra resources will be in place over the four days, made up of uniformed and plain-clothed officers, PCSOs, police staff, police dogs, specials, specialist vehicles and volunteers as well as policing colleagues from neighbouring forces. They’ll be patrolling in and around the Silverstone circuit, as well as the campsites, local villages and surrounding roads.”

Bumper crowds are expected again this year with racegoers also able to enjoy live concerts by big names including Sam Fender, RAYE, Fat Boy Slim and Becky Hill. However, police have advised against anyone turning up without a ticket and to be aware of counterfeit tickets.

Superintendent Basham added, “I would urge people to be aware of potential counterfeit tickets being sold, particularly on social media platforms, and I would strongly advise against coming to the event if you don’t have a ticket.

“Finally, the many thousands of people coming to the event can be a huge help to us in preventing any incidents, by being extra vigilant and reporting anything or anyone that looks out of place or suspicious. We would rather have a well-meaning report that turns out to be nothing rather than not being told at all.”

Event schedule and travel information has been released ahead of the upcoming Bludfest and Forever Now festivals at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes.

The two events are scheduled to take place later this month, with Bludfest taking place on Saturday 21st June and Forever Now a day later on Sunday 22nd June.

Bludfest is the second iteration of a festival organised and headlined by pop-rock star Yungblud, having held its first edition in 2024.

Forever Now is a new event at the venue, organised by promoters AEG as a celebration of alternative music between the late 1970s and early 1990s, featuring acts such as Kraftwerk, The The, Billy Idol, Johnny Marr, The Psychedelic Furs, PiL, Berlin and the Happy Mondays.

At both events, the box office opens at 11am, with doors at 12pm and acts starting from 1pm. Final entry is at 8pm, while the schedule venue curfew is 10:30pm. Forever Now also has an early entry available between 11am and 11:30am.

The venue has three entrances, with all signposted on site. Attendees arriving on foot are advised to use the north entrance by Chaffron Way, while there is a dedicated entrance for people with accessibility requirements.

Tickets can be purchased from authorised ticket agents: AXS and Ticketmaster. Once purchased, tickets cannot be exchanged, refunded or returned unless the event is cancelled.

Both events may not be suitable for young children, especially those under 2yrs of age. However, attendees that do arrive with a non-ticketed child under 2yrs old are advised to report to the box office where an attendant will provide a complimentary ticket. All children 3yrs and older will need to have a purchased ticket. 

Upon entry, the ticket is scanned. Signal in the area can be restricted when there’s a lot of people around so attendees are advised to either download your ticket in advance or print your ticket off for a quicker entrance. Attendees are also advised that there is no re-entry when leaving the National Bowl.

Empty Plastic Refillable Bottles up to 500ml (no metal bottles), 500ml of Water in unopened plastic containers of up to 500ml, sun cream or lotion in original containers at 200ml or less, vape liquid/eye drops in standard plastic 10ml containers (contents may be tested) and small bags are permitted. For bags, dimensions allowed are up to W21cm x H30CM x D8cm (A4 Size).

Tickets, ID, payment cards and phones are deemed as essentials to bring, with portable phone chargers or powerbanks recommended.

Many items are forbidden, including drugs, alcohol or other non-water liquids, food brought off-site, weapons, aerosols, flags, glass items, umbrellas, perfumes, dogs except for service animals, flares/fireworks, bicycles, laser pens, professional cameras, audio recording equipment, skateboards, hoverboards, drones, unsolicited marketing equipment and camping chairs. A full list is available on the venue website.

To avoid long wait times, attendees are asked to consider bringing only essential items in a small bag. Admission is subject to search, with compliance with security checks being mandatory and any items deemed dangerous or inappropriate by security staff will be confiscated.

Food and drink vendors will be a cashless system with card or phone payments only.

Medical facilities will be provided on site and signposted for those who may require attention, while medication can be safely stored and refrigerated at the medical tent on site if required. Medications requiring injection must be stored in the medical tent. For any emergencies, approach the nearest security personnel or visit the medical tent. Trained medical staff are available to assist you at all times.

Water refill stations and toilets are located throughout the Bowl complex, with an on-site map available.

Car parking is now available to book online. Official parking spaces are available using the Park The Car Here Booking Platform, with accessible parking also available for those who need it. Signposts will be on display around the site.

The nearest railway station is Milton Keynes Central, with services operated by Avanti West Coast and London Northwest Railway. People walking from the station, whether they are travelling by train or parking near the station, are advised to exit the station, walk for 50 meters, then turn right onto a footbridge over the railway line. This pedestrian cycleway “Leisure Route 51” is a 20-minute walk to the Bowl and will be signposted with event signage.

Coach services to the venue are in operation by Big Green Coach from a variety of towns and cities across the UK. Services will arrive in time for the first acts and be ready to leave after the show is over.

A full list of advice, tips and other things to expect over the two festivals is available on the Destination Milton Keynes website.

Police have made an additional arrest as part of their investigation into a disturbance reported in Bletchley last week.

Three arrests had previously been made, with police now confirming that a 37-year-old man from Ashlands, Milton Keynes, was arrested today (10/6) on suspicion of robbery, possession of a bladed article, possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and affray. He remains in police custody at this time.

The arrest is in connection and incident in Garrowmore Grove, Bletchley on 3 June.

Three other men who have previously been arrested in connection with the incident have been released on bail with strict conditions while the investigation continues.

At around 4:20pm on 3 June, Thames Valley Police confirmed that officers received reports of a disturbance on Garrowmore Grove between a number of people who were in possession of weapons. It was reported that during this incident, a firearm was discharged.

Detective Inspector Rachel Wheaton of Milton Keynes CID said: “I am acutely aware of the concern incidents such as this cause in our community.

“I would like to reassure the community that we are making good progress with our investigation and have made a number of arrests.

“We are investigating this incident as a top priority, following a number of lines of enquiry and making house to house and CCTV enquiries.

“There will be an ongoing police presence in Ashlands over the coming days.

“I would again appeal for anyone in the area between 4pm and 4.30pm on 3 June who may have witnessed suspicious activity around Garrowmore Grove to get in touch with us.

“We are also asking anyone who heard or saw the incident taking place or anyone with dash-cams driving through the area to check if they passed a silver Toyota Auris estate which we believe is linked to this incident.

“Anyone with information can provide information through our online reporting pages, or by calling 101 quoting reference 43250273836.

“If you do not wish to speak to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 and they will take your information anonymously.”