Police spotted a Ford Mondeo without a tax disc, spoke to the driver and found he was over the drink-drive limit.

Donatas Soblevicius (30), of Galway Close, Spalding, had 55 microgrammes of alcohol in breath – 30 over the legal limit – when he was arrested in the town’s Winsover Road on April 21.

Jim Clare, prosecuting, said police stopped the driver at about 7pm.

Spalding magistrates on Thursday banned Soblevicius from driving for 16 months and imposed a £200 fine with £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

The court will allow him to cut four months off the ban if he completes a drink-drive rehabilitation course.

Solicitor Carrie Simson, mitigating, said Soblevicius had been to a party celebrating with friends.

She said: “He tells me he drank only two cans of beer and a certain amount of time had elapsed, in hindsight not long enough but he felt perfectly fine to drive.”

A newly-formed community group of Eastern Europeans and Brits is holding a family picnic in an effort to bring both populations together.

Linked2Gether has been formed to try to change attitudes and get members of the different cultures to communicate.

Letter writers to the Free Press and commenters on its website have often called for integration so it is hoped the picnic could be a catalyst towards community cohesion.

The picnic will be held in Ayscoughfee Gardens on Saturday from 2-4pm.

A spokesman for the group told the Free Press: “We are under no illusion that society will change overnight.

“But unless we make a start the ridiculous stereotypes and the irrational fears will win and we as a society will lose.”

Flyers advertising the event have been printed in five languages

* Full story in Tuesday’s Lincolnshire Free Press.

A Crowland Cares community driver has turned roadie for her son and his chums on a charity cycle to Edinburgh.

Christine Todd has taken four days off her voluntary role taking residents to hospital appointments to support The Cycle Sandwich team over a gruelling 400-mile journey.

However Christine, of South Street, doesn’t think they have bitten off more than they can chew. She said: “I think they are bonkers, but they are raising money for the Sue Ryder hospice in Peterborough which serves this area, so it’s a really good cause.

”I’m going to drive the truck with a spare bike, pump and luggage and just be there for support.”

The team of son David, Martyn Bolam and Graham Motley set off from Peterborough today (Tuesday) with the first stop tonight at Hull.

On the way, in addition to the ride, David and Martyn will swim five miles along the River Nene and then run the Edinburgh Marathon on Sunday.

David (33), an IT service manager, said: “That’s why we are calling it a sandwich - a swim sandwiched between a ride and a marathon.

“I’ve called it this because you get a nice slice of swim, a huge filling of cycle and then a top slice of run.

“None of us have any specialist connection with Sue Ryder, we just all believe they are a worthy charity and could use the money.”

The team is hoping to raise £2,000 For more details about the fundraiser and how to make a donation, visit www.thecyclesandwich.co.uk

It’s been a time of celebration in the trust since my last column with May featuring International Nurses’ Day.

The day, which coincides with Florence Nightingales’ birthday on May 12, is an opportunity for us to take a look at the excellent work our nurses do every day for patients, wherever they may be cared for in our local community.

At Lincolnshire Community Health Services, we were asked to nominate those who really stood apart from the rest to both their patients and their colleagues.

The first was Janine Gargett, who some of you may recognise as one of our case managers with the Holbeach community nursing team.

Queen’s Nurse Janine is extremely hardworking and dedicated to her role.

She is always positive and demonstrates a kind and caring attitude.

Janine is always willing to help whenever asked and has volunteered willingly to help in other areas, which has always been appreciated.

She acts as an excellent role model for new staff and student nurses and is highly respected by all of the team.

The second nominee and overall winner for our area was Becky Portess, a case manager working with Parkside Surgery community nursing team in Boston.

Becky transferred to Parkside Surgery in February 2012 and has demonstrated excellent leadership skills.

She has helped to transform the team through encouragement and acting as an outstanding role model.

Becky has a real passion for district nursing, the organisation, local population and brings that enthusiasm into everything she does.

Becky is always keen to learn more and will always offer her help and assistance willingly wherever possible.

We are very proud of all of our nurses and held a small ceremony to show our thanks and appreciation for International Nurses’ Day.

This hopefully won’t be the end of our celebrations.

Our patients, their carers and families are now being asked to shout about who has made a difference in their lives through the national NHS Heroes scheme.

This doesn’t have to be a nurse – it can be anyone providing your healthcare who has gone above and beyond their daily duties to make you feel at home.

This can include your doctor, healthcare support workers, therapy staff, receptionists, porters or other administration staff...the list is endless!

Nominating is easy; simply go to www.nhsheroes.com and fill in the short online form about your nominee deserves to be recognised.

This is a great opportunity to show your unsung hero how much you care and appreciate their help.

Business is blooming at a new Gosberton clothing agency thanks to the village’s recent flower festival.

Camilla Emanuele has opened The Shop in the Coach House, a building she coverted at the bottom of her garden at the Old Vicarage in Salem Street.

Former professional chef Camilla (49) cooked up the idea to include childrenswear because she saw a gap in the market.

She said: “I sell everything really - shoes, designer handbags which are really popular, jewellery and adult clothes - but included childrenswear because not many agencies do.

“Children’s clothing, especially designer brands, are very expensive, but not many agencies stock them. I just saw a gap in the market and because the coach house was unused I thought I’d turn it into a shop.”

The shop, which can be accessed by its own path, is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10.30pm to 4pm.

Running a clothing agency is a far cry from Camilla’s original career as a professional chef working all over the world.

After moving to London from Sweden she was personal chef to the Lord Mayor and also worked at restaurants in the West End.

It is probably no surprise that she met her husband Joe, a financial consultant, at the opening of a restaurant in London. They have two children Oscar (14), who goes to Spalding Grammar School and Sofia (12) who attends Spalding High School.

Seeking the country life, they moved to Gosberton three years ago.

The business works on a 50/50 business with customers donating clothing and other items for sale and getting half what is paid.

After the appropriate season, the owner can collect them if they have not sold or they can be given to charity.

There’s a tip for those thinking of searching through their wardrobes. Camilla said: “If you haven’t worn it for two years you never will, so why not make some money out of it.”

You can contact Camilla on 07745057190.

Holbeach businessman Ashley King has added to his varied portfolio after acquiring a 50 per cent share in Langwith Builders.

The deal went through on May 3 and Mr King is now in partnership with Ian Brown.

He said: “I was looking to get back into the building sector and was delighted when this opportunity came my way.

“Langwith Builders is a good local business with a long history and was a perfect fit for me.”

The company, which has been trading in Holbeach since 1927, works on a wide range of projects from housing to commercial.

Recent projects have included the sixth form building at the University Academy Holbeach, new premises for Gutteridge Ltd on Wardentree Park, Spalding, several high specification homes in Kirton, an extension to the Audi garage showroom in Peterborough and a new warehouse for Lincolnshire Field Products.

Enhanced annuities are a type of the traditional conventional annuity.

In the same way as with a conventional or standard annuity, the company providing it takes on all the risk of providing you with a guaranteed income for life.

However, enhanced annuities take into consideration detailed information about your health and lifestyle to provide you with a more personalised annuity quotation.

Qualifying for an enhanced annuity could mean a significant increase in your retirement income. Evidence shows that compared to the lowest standard annuity, this could mean potential increases of around 20 per cent for minor conditions, around 30 per cent for moderate conditions and around 40 per cent (sometimes even higher) for serious medical conditions. Based on these figures if a standard annuity paid you £5,000 per annum, then a 40 per cent increase would be £7,000 per annum.

As this income will be paid for the rest of your life, then it is a significant amount extra. Whether you could receive more or less than this depends on the specific health or lifestyle conditions you have. It is estimated that over 60 per cent of people at retirement may qualify.

When an annuity provider quotes for an enhanced annuity, they will pay close attention to the factors that will affect your life expectancy. This includes where you live, whether you smoke and drink, your lifestyle and your medical history.

Unlike in the case of life insurance, where health problems cost you more in premiums, in the case of enhanced annuities health problems can mean a higher income in retirement. This is because the companies providing the enhanced annuities make judgements about your life expectancy, which they factor into their calculations.

Every enhanced annuity quotation is prepared on an individual basis using information gathered about you. That’s why they can sometimes take a little longer to set up than a standard annuity, but the end result is an annuity that more accurately reflects you as an individual and could pay you significantly more income.

If you are approaching retirement or feel that this scenario may be applicable to your situation, then please make sure that you investigate all the options open to you.

The following decisions have been made recently by magistrates at court hearings. In all drink-drive cases the legal limit is 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood or 107 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine. Addresses of defendants published in these registers are taken from the legal records held by the magistrates’ courts. The details are given to the court by the defendant – but this may be some time after the original charge and they may have moved in the meantime.

Spalding Magistrates’ Court:

Mantas Kizevicius (23), of Heron Way, Spalding. Attempted theft of goods worth £49.99 from Homebase, Spalding. £80 fine, £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs. Theft of goods worth £50 from Boots, Spalding. £80 fine.

Joseph Pike (26), of Rotten Row, Pinchbeck. Driving whilst unfit through drugs. £250 fine, £25 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for three years.

Matthew Preece (39), of NFA. Theft of good worth £6.65 belonging to Sainsbury’s, Spalding. £75 fine, £20 v/s, £40 costs. Drunk and disorderly. No action taken over breach of two previous conditional discharges.

Gareth Yates (22), of Dovecote Estate, Rippingale. Drink driving (Bourne). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 15 months.

Phillip Malone (36), c/o Churchfield Close, Deeping St James. Theft of toffee vodka worth £64.50 belonging to Adnams and two counts of assault. Community order with drug rehabilitation requirement. Theft of jewellery and ornaments from Market Deeping Antiques and Craft Centre. Community order, £60 v/s.

James Waxman (33), of The Tenters, Holbeach. Begging. £35 fine, £20 v/s.

Verdon Brown (36), of St Matthews Close, Holbeach. Theft of beer worth £16 from Tesco, Holbeach. Six-month conditional discharge, £8 compensation, £15 v/s, £45 costs.

John McCann (38), of Leicester Road, Market Harborough. Trespass in pursuit of game (Spalding). £75 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs.

Simon Tough (46), of Horseshoe Road, Spalding. Drink driving (Spalding). £110 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 20 months.

Benjamin Francis (21), of Roman Bank, Holbeach. 
Supplying cannabis (Holbeach). £280 fine, £15 v/s, £85 costs.

Adam Poppe (31), of Lanthwaite Close, Nottingham. Failing to provide a breath specimen (Spalding). Committed to prison for eight weeks, suspended for 24 months, £80 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 42 months.

Matthew Stanley (34), of Turnstone Way, Stanground, Peterborough. Drink driving (Surfleet) and two counts of failing to surrender to custody. Community order made for 120 hours’ unpaid work, disqualified from driving for 36 months. No insurance (Spalding). £110 fine, £15 v/s, £150 costs.

Roy Choate (52), of Anne Road, Sutton Bridge. Drink driving (Spalding). £110 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 16 months.

Dickson Cooper (64), of Fishpond Lane, Holbeach. Failed to stop after an accident (Moulton). £175 fine, £20 v/s £85 costs, 5pts.

Sean Cross (35), of NFA. Drunk and disorderly (Spalding). £35 fine, £20 v/s, £60 costs.

Raminta Rudzeviciute (28), of Tattershall Road, Boston. Drink driving (Holbeach). £280 fine, £28 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 22 months.

Donatas Soblevicius (30), of Galway Close, Spalding. Drink driving (Spalding). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 16 months.

Craig Whitrid (18), of Daniels Crescent, Long Sutton. Failing to stop after an accident (Long Sutton). £115 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 7pts. No separate penalty for no insurance, driving without due care and attention and a licence offence.

Evaldas Zbormirskiz (39), of Seagate Terrace, Long Sutton. Theft of diesel from Peter Harper and Sons. Community order for 80 hours’ unpaid work, £300 costs.

Victor Ford (35), of High Street, Gosberton. Contravened a non-molestation order. 12-month conditional discharge, £15 v/s.

Edvard Mencinskij (24), c/o Hannam Boulevard, Spalding. Theft of whiskey worth £13.19 belonging to Aldi. Community made with requirement to take part in alcohol awareness course.

Grantham Magistrates’ Court:

Marcin Dobrzycki (26), of Cortez Close, Spalding. Speeding (Whaplode). £200 fine, £15 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Victoria Drakard (32), of Rosemary Way, Downham Market. Speeding (Whaplode). £400 fine, £15 v/s, £85 costs, 4pts.

Jan Herc (28), of Portland Street, Boston. Driver of vehicle carrying too many passengers (Fosdyke). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs.

Hayley Jeffrey (25), of High Street, Kirton. No MOT (Boston). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs.

Salvijus Kaupas (26), of Stoneleigh Court, Peterborough. No MOT (Cowbit). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Timothy Turner (35), of Kimberley Road, Lowestoft. Speeding (Swineshead Bridge). £35 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Robert Eley (49), of Drain Bank North, Cowbit. Licence offence (Donington). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

James Ellis (21), of South Drove, Quadring. No insurance (Gosberton Clough). £300 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Michael Emery (54), of Gunthorpe Court, Mansfield. Speeding (Swineshead Bridge). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

James Gibson (38), of Norwich Road, Shouldham. Speeding (Holbeach). £585 fine, £58 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Fagner Perazzo (29), of Station Road, Swineshead. No MOT (Boston). £65 fine. Licence offence. £65 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Stephen Brocket (20), of Monarchs Road, Sutterton. No insurance (Grantham). £200 fine, £15 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Elzbieta Berezowska (40), of Elmwood Avenue, Boston. No insurance (Swineshead). £240 fine, £24 v/s, £43 costs, 6pts.

Przemyslaw Jankowski (30), of The Crescent, Spalding. Defective tyre (Spalding). £40 fine, £20 v/s, 3pts. No separate penalty for defective tyre.

Lynne Jones (47), of Claudette Avenue, Spalding. No insurance (Weston). £270 fine, £15 v/s, £43 costs, 6pts. Licence offence. £50 fine.

Dean Kasey (27), of St Paul’s Road, Peterborough. Criminal damage and assault. Community order made to attend domestic abuse and alcohol rehabilitation sessions. £65 compensation, £60 v/s, £85 costs.

Darren Lawes (36), of St Paul’s Road, Spalding. Speeding (Deeping St James). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £43 costs, 6pts.

John O’Neill (59), of Annaghmore Road, Coalisland, Dungannon. Speeding (Swineshead). £120 fine, £20 v/s, £43 costs, 3pts.

Luke Sykes (21), of Aketon Road, Castleford, Leeds. No insurance (Sutterton). £350 fine, £35 v/s, £43 costs, 6pts.

Tomas Krasulys (30), of Station Street, Boston. Assaulting a PCSO. Committed to prison for 28 days. Further 14 days imprisonment for failing to surrender to custody.

Andrew Woolf has decided to step down as a member of Moulton Parish Council shortly after handing over as chairman to Coun Geoff Cooper.

Coun Woolf will continue to represent Moulton as a district councillor.

A council health scrutiny committee is to invite campaigners to observe its meetings and witness its work first-hand.

Lincolnshire County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee – which is responsible for holding health organisations which serve the county to account – has extended the invitation to members of the newly-former Cure the NHS Lincolnshire group.

The group has been set up as United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust faces a review of its mortality rates and aims to help make sure that managers and officials are properly held to account over health issues .

The Health Scrutiny Committee has received regular updates from United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust over the past few years.

Committee chairman Coun Christine Talbot said: “People in Lincolnshire can have confidence that effective scrutiny of health organisations is taking place.

“Any interest groups in the county putting public views forward as part of the review by Sir Bruce Keogh are welcomed, and the committee will also be contributing information given to us by the public.”

Cure the Lincolnshire NHS has been set up by Folkingham businessman Jan Hansen to give people a focus for sharing their experiences of hospitals.

Jan said: “There have been complaints that the public do not know how to contact the team who will be carrying out the safety review and that is why we have launched this organisation.”

Go to www.cureNHSLincolnshire.org or email info@cureNHSLincs.org

Police are trying to find out how an 86-year-old woman died when her car ended up in a dyke at Billingborough Fen.

It happened on Wednesday when police were called to a report of a silver Vauxhall Astra in a dyke on Main Road just before 4.30pm.

The woman was dead but police are unsure how the car came to be in the dyke and anyone with information should call PC Robin Dunn on 101.

A computer hacker who played a part in sophisticated cyber attacks on major global institutions has been sentenced to two year’s detention.

Jake Davis (20), who moved to Spalding from the Shetlands after he was bailed to his mum’s address in Beech Avenue during the court process, was among four members of a group of British hackers jailed for masterminding cyber raids on the likes of the CIA, Sony and the FBI.

News International, the NHS and the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency were also victims of the gang of “hactivists” who called themselves Lulzsec.

During their reign of cyber terror they stole sensitive personal data, including emails, online passwords and credit card details belonging to millions of people.

They also carried out distributed denial of service attacks, using linked networks of up to one million computers to overpower and crash websites.

Their activities collectively cost their targets millions.

Davis and the other three admitted offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

Davis, who used the alias Topiary, was Lulzsec’s publicist. He was ordered to 24 months in a young offenders’ unit.

Sentencing them at Southwark Crown Court last Thursday, Judge Deborah Taylor said some of the taunting of their victims “makes chilling reading”, and what they considered to be a game had real consequences.

She said: “You cared nothing for the privacy of others but did everything you could through your computer activities to hide your own identities while seeking publicity.”

All 16 UKIP county councillors refused to back an anti-racism declaration put forward by veteran Labour councillor Rob Parker at a meeting on Friday.

Coun Parker wanted to ensure all county residents are treated equally with access to the same services, but UKIP’s group leader Chris Pain says all it did was “support multi-culturalism whilst not helping integration at all”.

The motion was passed by 60 councillors – Tories, Labour and Independents – but UKIP members abstained.

After the meeting, Coun Pain blamed multi-culturalism for “destroying the fabric of our British Society”.

He said UKIP’s stance is about “space, not race” and offered to have his London barristers prepare a motion for the county council that is “fit for purpose”.

Coun Pain said while discussing Lincolnshire’s diverse and multi-racial heritage, the motion declared: “We will work vigorously to combat all forms of racism to rid Lincolnshire of racial discrimination.”

He said: “The UKIP team were placed in an untenable position where they could not sign the declaration as presented and now the quiet accusation is that they are racist.”

Labour deputy group leader Rob Parker said UKIP’s response was “seriously disappointing”.
He said: “The motion was passed in 2007 by all of the political parties and when we had a new council I thought it would be a good time to reaffirm our commitment to equalities.
“It’s about sending a message to our staff and the people we serve that we treat people equally.”
Coun Parker said equality was not solely about race – it’s about gender, the old and the young.
He said: “We have got equal rights to services.”

A spate of thefts involving specialist satellite receivers for tractors continues in South Holland - this time in Moulton Seas End.

The latest incident where a Star Fire satellite receiver was stolen from a farm happened some time overnight between Sunday and Monday.

Previous thefts of the device, which are valued at more than £10,000 each, have taken place at farms in Deeping St Nicholas, Moulton Eaugate and Sutton Bridge.

Advice from the NFU suggests that the receivers are designed to be removed easily and quickly at the end of a working day, making them a target for thieves.

Insp Jim Tyner, community policing inspector for Spalding, said: “This is a new offence for us but the fact is that if tractor users don’t remove these items, there is a chance that a thief will.

“These are unusual and specific pieces of equipment and I would ask people to be on the lookout for any being sold.”

Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting incident number 255 of May 20, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Chlldren aren’t hard to please, it’s their parents who’ll decide which attraction or activity to take them to this bank holiday weekend – and us adults tend to be a lot more picky.

But wherever you live in south Lincolnshire, there’s a farm park not far away that will tick all the boxes as a fun and relaxing day out for both parents and children.

Farm parks have been steading improving since they first started to appear more than 20 years ago.

These days you can expect to fund picnic tables, a cafe, a shop and indoor and outdoor play equipment as well as farm animals and small pets.

l Snettisham Farm Park is open daily from 10am to 5pm on a working mixed farm with the added attraction of a deer park, beside the Norfolk coast road on the way to Hunstanton.

There’s a chance to bottle feed lambs, collect freshly laid eggs and enjoy a “safari” among the deer.

www.snettishampark.co.uk or call 01485 542425.

l Pigeons Farm on Wisbech Road, Thorney at PE6 0TD, is open daily from 10am to 5pm and here children are encouraged to get as close as possible to the animals.

This weekend you can bottle feed lambs at 11am and 3pm and collect eggs at 1.30pm.

There will be a chance to meet calves, peacocks, piglets, rabbits, guinea pigs and chicks.

www.pigeonsfarm.co.uk or call 01733 271020 or 271414.

l Church Farm at Stow Bardolph (PE34 3HU) is open 10am-5pm daily and offers children the chance to make friends with a variety of tame animals and their young at close quarters.

www.churchfarmstowbardolph.co.uk or call 01366 382162

Nothing beats hopping aboard a boat to give you that “get away from it all” feeling, however close to home you may be.

And every summer since 2005 when Broadgate Homes and South Holland Council paired up to launch the Spalding water taxis, anyone who fancies a short river trip has been able to get afloat any time between Easter and the end of October.

You can expect to catch a taxi roughly every 30 minutes from 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and from 11am to 5pm on Sundays.

It will cost you £3 per person, regardless of age, either way, and £6 for a return ticket.

The taxi boats are offered for private charter, available any day of the year – daytime or evening.

With capacity for 12 people at a time, they’re a good deal for two or more families to take together.

www.spaldingwatertaxi.co.uk or call 01406 380532 or 07970 832131.

The historic interest of the Barclays Bank building at Long Sutton is delaying works to reinstate the cashpoint following a ram raid last August.

Although the bank reopened quickly after the teleporter raid, Barclays is having to use specialists like stonemasons and source and have approved “very specific materials” to get the work done.

A Barclays spokesman said: “One example is the bricks which have needed to go through an ageing process to ensure a match as close as possible to the existing brickworks.

“In addition, due to the age and unusual style of the windows they have had to be manufactured specifically for the building.”

No date has been given for the installation of the cashpoint, but the bank promises it will be “as soon as possible”.

“We want a parade, we want it during the May Bank Holiday weekend and we want it to start and finish in Spalding.”

That was the resounding message sounded out at a public meeting on Saturday morning to discuss how to proceed following May 4’s final flower parade.

Around 100 people attended the meeting at Spalding’s South Holland Centre.

The idea of a 2014 weekend event was unanimously supported and an organising committee made up of volunteers from the meeting will now be organised to move plans forward.

Chairing the meeting was local MP John Hayes, who told those attending: “What we want is a new tradition for Spalding and South Holland, built on the history of the flower parade.

“We have got to make this happen.”

The task group of Mr Hayes, Spalding Chamber of Commerce president Phil Scarlett, Free Press editor Jeremy Ransome and Springfields Horticultural Society chairman David Norton presented their rough vision for a future parade before the floor was opened to the crowd.

Passions ran high at times during the two-hour meeting, also attended by parade stalwart and former Lincolnshire County Council deputy leader Eddy Poll, South Holland District Council leader Gary Porter (representing his town ward) and members of other local groups.

It was agreed that churches would continue to hold their flower festivals to coincide with the event.

The long-held tradition of a Queen, Prince and Princess would also be retained.

There would be a shorter, town parade, with the emphasis on local groups, schools and organisations making their own floats and showcasing what they do, rather than on flowers.

There would hopefully be entertainment afterwards such as children’s attractions and live music, to prolong the event into the evening.

District councillor Roger Gambba-Jones said: “We need to learn lessons from what diminished the attraction of the parade for local people. We need to fix the mistakes of the past.”

And Rev John Bennett, of Spalding’s St Mary and St Nicolas Church, said: “Even without a flower parade in 2014, people have already told us they will return for the 26 church flower festivals during Mayday Bank Holiday weekend.

“If the town wants to benefit we must stick with that weekend.”

Replying to criticism of recent parades starting and finishing at Springfields, Mr Norton said he was happy to relinquish that arrangement.

“We simply stepped in because the facilities in town were lost,” he told the meeting.

“And when after-parade events were held in town, hardly anyone turned up.

“But we will gladly pass it on.”

A local market trader told how takings for shops were always down on parade day and explained that stall holders do not attend any more as the market is moved, meaning footfall is down considerably.

Mr Norton, Mr Poll and Mr Porter also explained why the old parade had been axed for financial reasons, how the various expenditure was incurred and how funding was no longer available because of austerity measures passed on to South Holland District and Lincolnshire County councils.

Well, spring reluctantly arrived on the farm in early April, after what seemed like a year of cold and wet weather.

This allowed us to start with the job of drilling our spring crops. All of the sugar beet went into ideal conditions and now, with modern drills and cultivators, the operation only takes us a week to drill our acreage. The crop is now growing away well and we are pushing on with keeping the weeds at bay.

It’s also allowed us to get the potato crop planted without any weather delays and we managed to get finished in good time. It’s a total opposite to last year when we had a six-week delay due to the rain. Last April we recorded 153mm on the farm, compared to just 20mm this year.

We are also just about finished with the vining pea drilling. We are programmed to drill the crop with the other growers throughout the season to ensure the continuity of crop at harvest to keep the factory full with fresh peas.

During drilling we found one of our returning field guests nesting in the field. The oyster catchers seem to be returning year after year and nesting in the fields around the farm. We are carrying out a number of bird surveys to hopefully see the numbers of all different species increasing around the farm. It’s clear that large scale arable farming and wildlife can mix well together.

Visit www.worthfarms.co.uk to keep updated.

UPDATE WEDNESDAY 5PM: A 26-year-old man from Spalding has appeared in court today in connection with a robbery near a town cycle shop.

Grantham magistrates remanded Shane Osbourne of St Thomas Road in custody until May 29 in relation to a robbery near Gibbons Cycle Shop in Winsover Road on May 16.

WEDNESDAY 10AM: A 26-year-old man from Spalding has been charged in connection with an incident in the town where a woman’s handbag was stolen.

Shane Osbourne of St Thomas Road is due to appear at Grantham Magistrates Court today in relation to the robbery that occurred in Winsover Road last Thursday.