An allotment holder at Sutton bridge has had his entire asparagus crop stolen.

The theft was reported to the parish council by clerk Suzanne England.

PCSO Toni Musico-Cardillo said she is trying to put together some crime information material together for the allotment holders to help them with their security.

She said: “If need be I will sit down there in plain clothes.”

Regulars at the Bell Inn, Weston Hills, have exceeded expectations by raising more than £1,000 for leukaemia patients at an East Midlands hospital.

The pub staged raffles, coffee morning, collections and other events in aid of the haematology department at Nottingham City Hospital where Bell Inn regular Diane Harris was treated for leukaemia twice in recent years.

Landlady Kathleen Filby said: “We try to raise money for as many charities as we can and when Diane told us she was fundraising for the haematology department at the hospital in Nottingham, we decided to support her with that.

“We went to the hospital to present the cheque and her specialist, Professor Nigel Russell, was very pleased with the amount raised.”

Pictured are Diane (left) and Kathleen with Professor Russell (Photo supplied).

Retired music teacher Jacqueline Kemp (61), of Baxter Gardens, Spalding, has graduated from the Open University with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Jacqueline began the degree some years ago and completed two modules. In 2008, when clearing out the loft for new insulation, she came across her books and contacted the Open University to see if her previous credits still counted towards the degree. They did, and so Jacqueline embarked on the remaining three modules, all in music.
The graduation ceremony was in Ely Cathedral and Jacqueline says she was by no means the oldest graduate present.

Residents in a West Pinchbeck road bore the brunt of a burst water main that they claim brought HGVs and cars speeding outside their homes.

Dozen’s Bank was closed for almost 24 hours while engineers repaired a water main which burst on Bank Holiday Monday.

But the road closure led some motorists heading towards Bourne to use Blacksmith’s Row, a one-way 40mph road, as a shortcut despite road signs to confirm Dozen’s Bank was closed.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said: “It was a total nightmare and we had huge articulated lorries trying to get down here, as well as cars coming off the main road at 50mph.

“I was sitting in my house, half-expecting someone to come through our window and some cars were driving up our garden trying to get past each other.”

Another resident, who also declined to be named, said: “It caused absolute havoc and drivers were just ignoring the No Entry signs.

“The language from some of them was horrendous and they weren’t going to stop for anybody.”

An Anglian Water spokesman said: “There were large numbers of signs telling people there was no through route along the A151.

“Unfortunately, many people simply ignored the signs and tried to find their own way through using local roads.”

The parish council is refusing to reinstate recycling bins in the grounds of The Curlew Centre at Sutton Bridge because broken glass left on the ground poses an injury risk.

Coun Vicky Hills said people are now leaving carrier bags of jars and bottles in the Memorial Park car park – and called for the recycling bins to be put back.

“It doesn’t cost us anything,” she told the parish council.

But Coun John Grimwood said the recycling bins were taken away by the contractor because people were removing bottles and smashing them near the play equipment.

He agreed bags of bottles should not be left in the park, but keeping the recycling bins meant broken glass had to be swept up all of the time.

Clerk Suzanne England said she had contacted the council’s insurance company, who told her broken glass was a risk and it would have to be cleared up.

She had tried to find an alternative recycling site at Lincolnshire Cooperative, but the firm would not agree to have the bins.

• The parish council has agreed to put up new 5mph speed limit signs in the Memorial Park car park to put the brakes on speeding drivers. A “no ball games” sign will also go up.

• Parish councillors are looking at the cost of providing free dog poo bags after the district council withdrew funding.

Police are stepping up roadside breath tests to put a stop to drink-drivers who have had have one too many for the road.

John Siddle, from Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership, says the new crackdown coincides with the barbecue season – and is urging people to get a lift home rather than try to calculate whether they are safe to drive.

He said: “When people are enjoying the summer barbecues, we ask you to make provision to travel by nominating a designated driver or pre-arranging a taxi home.

“Although people will say they are okay to drive, it is almost impossible to calculate accurately whether they are.

“It cannot be calculated so it is pointless even trying.

“In the past year in Lincolnshire, five people have died in more than 80 drink-related collisions and more than 120 people have been injured.

“Some have suffered serious and often life-changing injuries where drink or drugs were a contributory factor.”

Police will carry out breath tests during the early morning, evening and at night.

And field impairment tests will be conducted to catch out drug users.

Spalding police inspector Jim Tyner is appealing for families who fled from Ayscoughfee Gardens to come forward and speak to officers about an attack on two Lithuanian men.

Both victims are in hospital being treated for head injuries and police want to catch the two English-speaking males responsbile.

Insp Tyner said it’s believed the male left the gardens via the Cowbit Road entrance in the company of two females.

He said understandably families fled from the gardens when the attach happened – shortly before 1pm – but he wants them to come forward now and help police with their inquiries.

• Two men received head injuries when they were attacked in Spalding’s Ayscoughfee Gardens shortly before 1pm today.

Police are treating the assaults as racially aggravated and are looking for two English-speaking males in their late teens.

The victims of the attack, both in their twenties, are now in hospital receiving treatment.

Community police inspector Jim Tyner said: “Because of comments made at the time, we are treating this as an unprovoked, racially motivated assault.”

Police are looking for the attackers, said to be in their late teens.

One wore a grey hoodie, grey tracksuit trousers and trainers. The second wore a blue T shirt.

• Witnesses are asked to call Spalding Police Station on 101.

Information can also be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

A 26-year-old man from Spalding has appeared in court charged with robbery near a town bike shop.

Shane Osbourne of St Thomas Road denied robbing a handbag from a spot near Gibbons Cycle Shop in Winsover Road when he appeared at Lincoln Crown Court on Wednesday.

Osbourne was remanded in custody until September 9.

Shaun Parker (29), of Broad Lane, Moulton, was given a six month community order after he admitted stealing reptile goods from Baytree Nurseries Garden Centre at Weston.

Spalding magistrates also ordered him to pay a £60 victim surcharge.

A health and safety investigation has started after a man was injured while working at the Wherry’s Lane development in Bourne.

The man was coming down a ladder when he sprained his ankle on Thursday.

Sutton Bridge Parish Council is opposing an engineering company’s bid to expand its business because neighbours are complaining about noise nuisance from its existing works.

Residents of Lime Street, including Nigel Fenton, told the parish council that Dodfrey Engineering doesn’t stick to the operating conditions imposed on the business under its existing planning conditions.

He said doors are often open when heavy machinery is running and residents are suffering.

Coun Vicky Hills agreed and told the meeting: “They don’t adhere to the conditions that are set now.”

Member Jenny Rowe said she visited the company when the doors were open while the angle-grinder was working.

“It was agreed that this door had to be closed,” she said.

Mr Fenton told the meeting: “They have been reported by about ten residents.”

Coun Shirley Giles said she had already contacted South Holland District Council’s planning department because the company’s planning application had indicated “no” to the question: “Is it in a flood risk area?”

She said the planning authority has agreed to contact the Environment Agency before it does anything else.

Coun Michael Booth proposed the parish council should object to the extension because residents living near the engineering business already experience problems.

Organisers of Deeping Agricultural Show are celebrating a bumper year after people turned out in their thousands for fun in the sun.

There was a packed programme of entertainment, the usual popular cattle, sheep and poultry shows, a thrilling gymkhana and displays of vintage tractors as well as exhibitions featuring country crafts.

Last year stalwarts battled on through heavy rain to make sure the show went on but the weekend’s sunshine meant there was a big turnaround in fortunes.

Ian Allen, show chairman for the last 25 years, said: “It was excellent. It’s the best one we have had for six or seven years.”

Figures on attendance – and the amount of cash raised – will be known in a few days’ time.

Mr Allen said: “The treasurer has not done his figures yet, but he was smiling.”

Some of the proceeds will be donated to Deeping Men’s Group, who help the disabled, and to Deeping Scouts.

The main ring was the setting for horse and pony events on Saturday, but the emphasis was on entertainment on Sunday as the Kangaroo gymnastics team, Nij Vyas sheep dog display team and Cyril the Squirrel and his racing terriers took centre stage.

There was more to watch in the entertainment marquee, including Deeping Ministry of Dance, and the rural marquee focused on displays such as sheep shearing, wool spinning, basket weaving, painting and upholstery.

Keen shoppers had a whole mall of tempting treats.

Thankfully, David Wheeler couldn’t think of a rhyme for ‘retina’ when writing nonsense verse for his grandchildren about his eye patch.

He was wearing the patch after a sudden and dramatic loss of eye-sight in his left eye caused by a detached retina.

“I think in younger people it can happen with a blow to the head, such as being hit by a cricket ball,” says David. He was at Lord’s Cricket Ground on the second day of the England v Sri Lanka test match in 2011 when he lost the sight in one eye in about 50 minutes.

He said: “If you are older, short-sighted and have large eyeballs and sneeze violently it can happen like that. I don’t remember being knocked on the head or sneezing.

“It was like a net curtain slowly being drawn across. Apparently, sometimes the retina peels off slowly, but mine was quick and dramatic.”

David was a short walk away from the London Eye Hospital, where he had surgery the following morning to glue the detached retina back on, something that was successful at the second attempt.

David, who lives in Spalding, explained the eye patch to his grandchildren by saying he had become a pirate and there followed pirate adventures, stories and a poem.

He said: “I have written lots of poems for my grandchildren because they love verse and rhyme and nonsense, so it was not intended for publication, just to amuse. They loved it, particularly because it mentions their names, Sophia and Oliver.”

In fact, David was already a published author, having written a student guide to a poetry anthology, Moon on the Tides.

David, a teacher at Spalding Grammar School for 26 years and head of English for 16 of those years, had taught the daughter of colleague David Twigg when she was in the sixth form.

Following a Masters degree in journalism, Natalie Twigg had written and illustrated a children’s book and also published a short work on Hemingway.

After returning to her family home in Spalding she and David agreed to collaborate on another book, Sunlight on Grass: a student guide to the AQA GCSE short story anthology.

During that process, David discovered that Natalie could draw and she admits she felt inspired to illustrate David’s nonsense verse when she read it. The result is My Pirate Grandad, written by David and beautifully illustrated by Natalie. Published by Red Axe Books, £1 from each copy sold goes to the NSPCC.

The mum of three-year-old boy who needs an operation and therapy costing £20,000 has been overwhelmed by the generosity of readers since the Lincolnshire Free Press launched an appeal to help him walk again.

Joshua Holmes, of Gedney Drove End, has severe cerebral palsy and is soon to have a major operation to relieve stiffness in his legs.

Since the appeal was launched last month more than £330 has been sent to the Free Press office.

In addition, £200 has been donated to Joshua’s Just Giving page.

Mum Aimee said: “This is fantastic news. We are hoping Joshua will be able to have his operation the next few weeks and start his therapy soon afterwards.

“To tide him over until the operation he is going to have Botox injected in his leg to relax his muscles and help ease the pain.”

By the time Joshua has his operation, he will also have undergone an MRI scan and a bladder test.

Aimee said: “We are grateful for all the donations from readers. Every little helps us towards our goal of seeing Joshua walk again without any pain.

“He’s a lovely little boy – such a brave little man.”

One of the donations brought into the Free Press office was from a man who met Joshua at his health centre.

A note with it said: “My husband had a severe stroke and is very sensitive to disability.

“He was talking about a little boy he had seen in the health centre and the next day the article was in the Free Press.”

In addition to individual donations, a cheque for £200 was also sent in from the Cecil Pywell Community Centre, Holbeach, from a coffee morning.

Another for £49 was from Long Sutton Baptist Church.

To help with the appeal, Joshua’s brother Jake (10) is holding a sponsored silence at a table top sale taking place at Gedney Victory Hall on Saturday, from 11am to 3pm.

A friend of the family, Christina Hillier, will also be holding a sponsored row, with proceeds being shared between Joshua’s Fund and the Cornelia Dilange Syndrome Foundation (CDLF) charity.

To support the fund, write a cheque to the Lincolnshire Free Press Children’s Fund and send it to our office at Priory House, The Crescent, Spalding, PE11 1AB, in an envelope marked Joshua’s Appeal.

Joshua’s progress can also be followed on Facebook at Joshua’s SDR journey.

A village running out of space to bury its dead is negotiating to buy more land.

Sutton Bridge Parish Council discussed its plan for a new cemetery behind closed doors last week.

The council will not say precisely which site it is trying to buy, but parish council chairman John Grimwood revealed to the Lincolnshire Free Press that it is a field beside the main road.

He said the council still has work to do before it can be brought into use.

Coun Grimwood said the land is not as close to the village centre as the parish council would have liked, but it had to start looking again after Scott’s Miracle-Gro decided the cemetery could not go on its land.

Parish council clerk Suzanne England said councillors resolved on what they believe would be an appropriate sum for purchase of the land, subject to trials, testing, investigation into wayleave rights and drainage issues.

She said there will be further meetings to “investigate the best way forward concerning acquisition of the land”.

At April’s annual parish meeting there were calls for the parish council to find a new cemetery quickly.

At that time there were just 20 plots left in the cemetery at St Matthew’s churchyard.

Resident Chris Morley said: “Can we push this on a bit quicker?”

Floral tributes are being laid across South Holland in response to the online “Protest of Flowers” campaign.

A Facebook page has been set up calling for people in every city, town and village in Britain to place flowers at their local war memorial ahead of Drummer Lee Rigby’s funeral as a protest against terrorism.

Flowers were placed in Fleet Hargate by Jo and Patrick Halford – the parents of a serving police officer in Woolwich, where Lee was murdered.

Mr Halford said: “Our son, John, is in the police force and it brought it home to us that what happened to Lee could happen to anyone wearing a Help for Heroes T-shirt.

“For some time our other son, Robert, served in the RAF in Iraq, so when we heard about the Protest of Flowers we thought we would like to do something.

“London, where thousands of bunches have been left, was a bit too far, so we thought the perfect place for us was Fleet Hargate’s memorial.”

Flowers left in Pinchbeck read: “In memory of a brave soldier, Drummer Lee Rigby. Our thoughts are with your family and friends in the hope that it is some comfort to see the kindness and compassion of the British public.”

Doreen Hewitt, membership secretary of the Spalding branch of the Royal British Legion, welcomed flowers being laid at local memorials.

She said: “I think it is a fitting tribute to one of our heroes. Lee was a serving soldier and to have flowers laid at the memorials is a brilliant idea.

“It will help to unite our country against terrorism. Our soldiers continually face conflict and the threat of being killed.

“The wreaths we lay on Remembrance Day in November are not just for that day, but for every day.”

A man has been charged with causing the death of cyclist Tim Osborn by dangerous driving on the A151 Bourne Road at Spalding on September 14.

Paul Walken (42), of Chapel Lane, Folkingham, has been bailed to appear at Spalding Magistrates’ Court on June 20.

Mr Osborn (27) lived in Pode Hole and worked at Morrisons supermarket in Pinchbeck.

Tuesday: Drivers escaped injury in a two-car crash on Hull’s Drove, Crowland, this morning.

Police were alerted at 9.40am and remained on the scene for some time.

South Holland has a new police detective inspector.

Richard Myszczyszyn (33) will be based at Spalding Police Station for seven months, covering the maternity leave of Det Insp Helen Stamp.

He joined Lincolnshire Police eleven years ago, spending much of that time working in CID at Skegness Police Station.

Spalding-based community policing inspector Jim Tyner said Richard has worked on solving major crime cases during his time with Lincolnshire Police. He is delighted to welcome Richard to the South Holland police team.

A last-ditch effort to save Moulton Community Centre and Village Hall from closure has been launched by trustees for both buildings.

About 3,000 leaflets appealing for volunteers to help run the buildings have been sent out to homes in Moulton and surrounding villages on behalf of Moulton Community Association.

Several trustees, including former lettings officer Margaret Geary, have left the association in recent weeks and chairman Roger Seal is due to leave later this year.

He said: “There’s been a modest response so far to previous appeals for volunteers from people in Moulton, Weston and even Whaplode St Catherine.

“But we need a few more volunteers who can do small things for the association, like organising summer fetes and other activities throughout the year.

“In the last couple of weeks, an architect who inspected the buildings said they were in a better state now than they were five years ago so people won’t find themselves lumbered with a ruin.”

But the association has warned in the leaflet that unless enough new volunteers come forward before the end of June, steps will be taken to close the community centre and village hall for good.

Andrew Woolf, South Holland District Council member for Moulton, said: “Both halls are the focal point of the village and I’d hate to see the association go to the extreme of closing them.”