A FARM worker who tried to rip the heart from a woman after horrifically stabbing her in the chest has today been jailed for 18 years.

Andrzej Chranowski (34) stabbed night shift worker Christine Seymour (59), while she was talking to a mate on her mobile phone outside her home in Spalding. He then pushed his hands inside her chest in an apparent attempt to tear out her heart.

Police, alerted by other residents in the shared property, arrested him inside Ms Seymour’s room.

Michael Cranmer-Brown, prosecuting, said that when officers entered the room Chranowski calmly asked for a cigarette and confessed “I’ve just killed a woman with this,” still holding the scissors.

Chranowski, of Green Lane, Spalding, denied attempted murder on February 2, 2011 but was found guilty by a jury after a trial. He was also convicted of wounding another resident with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm.

Judge John Milmo QC, passing sentence at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday, said “This was a wholly unprovoked attack with a potentially lethal weapon.

THE £200million deal for the world’s largest security group, G4S, to run some Lincolnshire Police services was officially signed on Wednesday.

G4S will build a two-storey police office and 30-cell custody suite – most likely at Nettleham, the county police headquarters – as well as run the force control room, town inquiry offices, ICT and other services.

More than half of the force’s 980 civilian staff will transfer to G4S.

The contract is the biggest of its kind ever offered by a UK police authority. Ten others are expected to follow suit.

Lincolnshire Police Authority chairman Coun Barry Young yesterday confirmed Nettleham as the likely site for the new police office and cell block, but said the whole of the estate, buildings and land, will be subject to a comprehensive review.

Last week a source close to police matters said Sutterton, or another site between Spalding and Boston, was being eyed for the new build.

SPALDING’S Woolram Wygate is due to reopen to traffic on Monday after a six-week upgrade to the railway crossing.

The Network Rail project has involved bringing the crossing up to modern standards, including the replacement of the old gates with barriers.

Commissioning of the crossing is expected to be carried out this weekend before the road reopens.

Network Rail had come under fire for the length of the road closure, which followed hot on the heels of an earlier 12-week closure while junction improvements were carried out, but the company insists the work has been completed on schedule.

MUM Louise Gann claims she spotted a black panther in a field as she took her two children to school in Holbeach yesterday (Thursday).

Louise (42), of Washway Rood, Holbeach, was driving from home towards Boston Road South when she glimpsed the big cat in a field not far from the Bull’s Neck pub at about 8.35am.

She said: “It was in between Washway Road and Penny Hill.”

Louise has reported the sighting to police.

Please call our newsroom on 01775 765413 if you have seen the big cat or let us know of similar sightings by commenting on this story.

For more on this story see Tuesday’s Lincolnshire Free Press.

CLOSURE-threatened day care and respite care homes in Spalding and Bourne could be saved under new proposals being put forward by county council bosses.

Families of people with severe learning difficulties and physical disabilities feared they would lose the vital support of the Chappell Centre and Cedar House in Spalding and Bourne Day Centre under cost-cutting plans.

However, Lincolnshire County Council staff yesterday offered a reprieve and are now rethinking their plans.

Terry Hawkins, interim assistant director for Adult Social Care Commissioning, said: “We have listened to what people have told us about what they trust, value and want.

“Consequently, rather than physically closing existing centres from which such support is provided, we’re recommending a model which sees centres and services stay open if well utilised, with existing staff or private firms supported to continue running them in the same buildings.”

The full proposals are expected to be revealed in the next few days in a report being considered by the county’s Adult Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday.

So far the authority has said proposals include working to keep buildings open and supporting existing staff or a private business who wish to take day centres on as a viable support service.

In respite centres like Cedar House, the recommendations would see commission private providers in each unit and work to enhance access to the units for people with a variety of needs, whilst also making it more affordable.

The authority also says it is “confident” those currently receiving support through the in-house Community Supported Living service – help to live independently at home – can use the private market.

Mr Hawkins added: “While the fact remains that, in these tough times, the authority cannot continue to directly run or commission services which may result in double-funding or places not being used, we remain committed to providing access to support which meets people’s needs.

“What we’ve learned from our extensive consultation is that a building and the set-up is just as important to people as the services themselves.

“We will therefore be using resources and a support team to help empower people to take control and continue to have their needs met in a way of their choosing.

“We’ll be looking to achieve this by March 2014 – and will continue to run each service until alternatives are available.”

Maurice Chappell and Michael Lee will address the Adult Scrutiny Committee and present a petition with more than 5,800 signatures from their campaign to save the Chappell Centre.

A final decision on the adult social care proposals will be made by the county council’s Executive on March 6.

WHAPLODE pensioner David Willows has elected crown court trial on two charges alleging he had offensive weapons on February 1 this year.

Willows (72), of Middle Road, pleaded not guilty to possessing a hammer without reasonable excuse in Mill Lane.

He also denied a similar charge involving possession of a piece of wood with a nail sticking out.

He appeared at Spalding Magistrates’ Court on Thursday when the case was adjourned to April 12 for the preparation of crown court committal papers.

THIEVES raided South Holland District Council’s West Marsh Road depot in Spalding for the second weekend in a row, making off with diesel worth £2,000.

Ten refuse trucks were targeted overnight Friday/Saturday and police want witnesses to call them on 101.

Fuel worth £1,400 was taken the previous weekend.

Coun Roger Gambba-Jones, who holds the portfolio for waste management, said the council is looking at new security measures.

The depot is covered by CCTV, has a high fence and good lighting.

He said a security firm was employed in the past but as officers left following their round, the thieves moved in behind them, and full-time on site security would cost far more than the value of the stolen fuel.

Coun Gambba-Jones said: “At the end of the day they are robbing the local taxpayers.”

DISCUSSIONS over the future of Holbeach Youth Centre will continue to help volunteers find a “sustainable plan” to run it.

Lincolnshire County Council has vowed to help support those who will help run the facility in light of county-wide funding cuts to youth services.

The authority outlined its position after Holbeach parish councillors spoke of their concerns about who might be willing to run it last week.

Coun Patricia Bradwell, executive councillor for Children’s Services, said: “Our Children’s Services team have held stakeholder events in Holbeach followed by further discussions with members of the current youth centre management committee, trustees of the sports hall and other interested parties who have come forward.

“This is to look at developing a sustainable plan for continued delivery of activities and management of the youth centre.

“We can help support groups put together a sustainable plan and get more dedicated volunteers involved. Discussions with all interested parties in Holbeach will continue and if anyone else is willing to come forward and get involved there will be another meeting in early March.”

Anyone who would like to get involved should call Lincolnshire County Council on 01522 782111.

THERE’S so much going on in the area and so many questions that need answering that we have decided to give readers a platform.

Starting today, we are giving you the opportunity to quiz the area’s two most prominent politicians.

South Holland and the Deepings MP John Hayes will answer your questions in the Free Press and you can fire your queries at South Holland District Council leader Gary Porter in the Spalding Guardian.

Both men have promised to be honest, upfront and forthright in their responses.

Whether it be a concern over immigration, a problem with litter or if you seek views on town centre development plans or traffic worries, these are the men to ask.

Email your queries to spaldingquestions@jpress.co.uk – stating whether they are for Mr Hayes or Mr Porter, and we will get them answered for you.

TRUMPETS of yellow fill the fields and glasshouses at M & G Congreve’s farm at Whaplode, but grower Lance Whittington is finding what the consumer wants at the moment is “cheap and cheerful”.

Lance and his father-in-law Maurice Congreve are known for the quality of their daffodils, winning prizes at Springfields Horticultural Exhibition on a number of years to prove it.

To achieve that quality Lance says he and Maurice crop the flowers themselves, and adds: “Presentation is important. My father-in-law and myself and two workers do all the cropping ourselves to produce good quality. We produce nice quality indoor daffodils, but this year unfortunately they want cheap and cheerful rubbish.

“The recession has hit this year and people just aren’t buying things. I don’t know if it’s going to be a good year for outdoor flowers. If the buyers aren’t there and people have a lot of flowers in the cold store and get worried and dump them all, that brings the price down.”

Lance classes the family business as a “small growers”, with five glasshouses and about 25 acres of outdoor daffodils, supplying the markets at London, Liverpool and Manchester. In addition, they grow alliums and alchemilla in summer, arable crops such as potatoes, wheat and sugar beet, and operate the popular maize maze.

BRILLIANT Bakkavor staff in Spalding completed our ‘Joshua Appeal’ in one fell swoop with a whopping £900 donation within hours of the story hitting the streets.

Spalding Garth School pupil Joshua Holmes (3) suffers from a severe form of cerebral palsy, which affects all four limbs, and is fed through a tube in his tummy.

He also has severe global development delay and speaks in “baby babble” rather than words.

Single mum Aimee Holmes (27), of Bridge Road, Sutton Bridge, has never heard him say “mummy” and doesn’t know if he will ever be able to talk.

Aimee and her family have spent hundreds of pounds on equipment – including a 5ft wide soft play ball – to make life more comfortable for Joshua.

Last Thursday, Aimee launched a £1,200 appeal to buy a specially adapted shed so Joshua’s equipment can be set up inside and he can play there safely with her.

We gave the appeal a kick start with £300 from the Lincolnshire Free Press Children’s Fund, Bakkavor staff shop manager Pat Baxter picked up the phone to donate £900 and we received £70 in three separate donations from generous readers.

All money given will go to Joshua’s care.

Bakkavor staff shop raises thousands of pounds for good causes.

Pat Baxter said she was so moved by Joshua’s story that the decision to help was instant.

She said: “That’s what we do, isn’t it? We help local charities and children. When I read the story I thought oh my goodness and I spoke to my manager.”

Aimee was bowled over by the news.

She told us: “Oh my word, that’s amazing. I can’t believe that.

“I was really worried that the appeal would run for ages and that people would not donate or anything.

“I am just so grateful.”

On Tuesday, Aimee and Joshua went to Bakkavor to meet Pat Baxter.

Spalding Guardian and Lincolnshire Free Press editor Jeremy Ransome was also there to add his thanks and meet the little boy at the centre of the appeal and his mum.

He said: “Joshua is a smashing lad and we were only too glad to help. We want to thank Bakkavor staff – and our readers – for being so generous. Every penny will go to Joshua because Aimee has explained he has an ‘endless list’ of special equipment needs.”

l The Lincolnshire Free Press Children’s Fund helps children living in our circulation area and donations can be sent to us at Priory House, The Crescent, Spalding PE11 1AB.

FLOUR millers Whitworth Bros Ltd has acquired the assets of independent miller Smiths Flour Mills, which includes mills in Holbeach, Langley Mill and Worksop.

Smiths is one of the largest independent flour millers in the UK. It employs around 130 staff across its three sites, and produces flour and cereal ingredients based on wheat, maize and rice.

Whitworths said its first priority was to ensure the continued supply of milled products to its customers.

It is believed all staff will transfer across to Whitworth Bros and the business will continue to trade as normal.

DRINKING “homemade medicine” put a man at twice the drink-drive limit when he was stopped by police.

Sigitas Kirkickas (50) claimed not to realise it would make him unsafe to drive, despite it containing alcoholic spirits, when explaining his actions to magistrates in Spalding.

He was banned from driving for 38 months and fined £100. He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

He admitted drink-driving following the incident on January 23.

Prosecuting, Rebecca Ritson said Kirkickas was stopped in a Ford Transit van by Insp Jim Tyner on Farthingales in Spalding at 10.40am.

He failed a breath test and later gave a reading of 53 microgrammes in 100 millilitres of breath at the police station. The legal limit is 35.

Mike Alexander, defending, said Kirkickas, of Portland Street, Boston, claimed he had not drunk alcohol for two years.

“It became clear that the bottle Mr Kirkickas was drinking from was homemade medicine,” he said.

He said Kirkickas had taken “three or four swigs” of the spirit-based mixture.

Mr Alexander added: “He did not know he was drinking, he thought that he was taking medicine.”

MUM of two Zoemarie Sheldon is determind to break what she sees as a vicious cycle of benefits, drink and drugs that could threaten the future of some young people in Gedney.

Zoemarie (33), of Main Road, says the young people of the village have no youth club or other associations that might occupy their spare time, and adds: “From communicating with residents in the community, there is a problem of very low income. Not many people have jobs and depression kicks in. It’s been an eye-opener really.

“Gedney has given me a home to start my family and I feel someone has to do something because the circle is going to keep going round and round. I think if you get stuck in that road of benefits and drink and drugs it is very hard to get off it and if you haven’t got positive influences around you are not going to get out of it. Just to spend time with positive adults can make such a difference.”

Residents’ association Nxt Generation Gedney was begun two years ago, initially with the aim of revamping the local park. However, Zoemarie says doing that made her realise “there was a lot more need in the community than just the park” and a youth group now runs alongside it.

Zoemarie, who is chairman of Nxt Generation, and a team of volunteers have been holding free events at the local park, such as festivals, fairs and Christmas parties.

The community responded with enthusiasm, which was all Zoemarie needed to apply for and successfully get funding from the Police Property Act Fund, a pot of money from the sale of stolen goods or lost property.

Lincolnshire Police community safety officer Gill Finn explained the money did not come from confiscated alcohol or drugs. She said all liquids had to be tested at the laboratory at Police headquarters before being destroyed and drugs were incinerated, again at Lincoln, after being held in secure storage during the time they were being used as evidence in a criminal case.

The contents of the property store changes on a daily basis and police will appeal for owners of some things, such as items of historical value. However, to avoid a “free for all” members of the public need to provide proof of ownership.

Things seized as part of a criminal investigation or handed in to the police have to be held in the property office for six months before going to local auction and the proceeds are then added to the Police Property Act Fund.

Gill added: “It’s not just property, because sometimes cash is handed in, and after six months has elapsed that goes into the fund. What I do is manage a grant fund whereby local charitable causes or clubs can apply for money and use it for community safety or crime reduction projects.”

In Lincolnshire, the funds received fluctuate between £15,000 and £25,000 a year and that is distributed back into the community on a daily basis. Some of the other organisations to benefit in the south of the county include Agape Foodbank in Spalding, to provide volunteers with fluorescent jackets so they are more visible when out in the community, and Pinchbeck Parish Council, which used the money to provide a summer holiday skate park to help distract youngsters from anti-social behaviour.

Nxt Generation received £260 from the police fund for youth activities although members are also prepared to help themselves. For instance, a car boot sale they organised raised enough money to allow a group of teenagers to record a World Cup song, England Till We Die, which was sold to raise cash for community funds.

Zoemarie hopes this evidence of community support will be sufficient to persuade the district council, which owns the park, to allow Nxt Generation to lease it from them. What is absolutely clear to Zoemarie though is that projects such as the recording have helped to build confidence in teenagers who previously had little hope.

“There is nothing for the kids to do and there is not much work,” said Zoemarie, who works as a children’s entertainer. “I have got teenagers volunteering for me because even though they are not getting paid they are gaining skills they would normally get at work. Their confidence is building. I was working from the age of 13 and that does so much for your self-esteem and gets you on the right track, but it’s much harder for the younger generation.

“It’s been an amazing journey really and I have actually become a parish councillor to try and get more done in the community.”

CHRISTMAS may seem like a distant memory, but for some people it is still casting a large shadow over their lives.

According to the Debt Support Trust, payday loans increased by 400 per cent in the run-up to last Christmas and if these short-terms loans are not paid back on time that could result in additional debt.

More worryingly, the homelessness organisation Shelter – which says someone in the UK faces losing their home every two minutes – points out that one in seven of the population used payday loans to pay their rent or mortgage last year.

One Long Sutton resident knows only too well how traumatic the prospect of homelessness is and how people can be left feeling they have no one to turn to, other than loan sharks.

John, who does not wish to disclose his surname for fear of being stigmatised by the mental illness suffered by his wife Ann, says they were evicted from their last rented home as a result of Ann’s condition. “As far as they were concerned, she was unstable,” he says sadly.

As a result the couple were faced with homelessness unless they could find a deposit for their current home, difficult because John doesn’t work as he is Ann’s full-time carer. Luckily, a friend was willing to loan them the money they needed, interest free, and the couple moved into the property in October.

However, John realised he had a problem: he had to repay the loan in addition to his rent and the other costs of moving.

On top of that Christmas was approaching and John admits: “I was at my wits’ end because me and my wife don’t have family and so we had no one we could turn to.”

Fortunately, someone suggested approaching the Lincolnshire Credit Union, which has a LincUp base in Long Sutton’s Market House (Fridays, 10am to noon), and John was able to negotiate an affordable £1,000 loan.

He says: “It had got to a week before Christmas and because of our circumstances they arranged to get the money instantly into the bank. It solved my problem and if it wasn’t for them I don’t know what I would have done.”

He is now repaying the loan on reasonable terms and in additon John has been encouraged to save a small amount regularly to help pay off the loan earlier, which will reduce the debt as well as earning him interest on what he has saved.

As well as the Long Sutton base, LincUp operates out of St Paul’s Church in Spalding (Saturday, 10am to noon), run by volunteers from the Spalding churches. It was launched in response to what the Spalding Town Husbands and Citizens’ Advice Bureau saw as a growing need for financial help for people living in the area.

The Rev John Bennett said: “The Town Husbands had given grants to people in need for very many years, but the number of applicants had risen sharply.

“Working with the CAB, the Town Husbands agreed a means for ensuring that the money they have available is targeted towards those in greatest need.”

This meant some people would miss out unless there was an alternative and so Mr Bennett offered St Paul’s as a base for LincUp to provide affordable loans, based on the ability to pay rather than past credit history, and a safe and convenient method of saving.

Mr Bennett said: “There are many people for whom a relatively small amount of money can make a big difference. Many of those who approach the credit union at St Paul’s are looking for a loan, often to pay the deposit for rented accommodation.

“Banks are unwilling to lend a few hundred pounds, and while there are commercial companies who will lend this sort of sum they charge very high interest and, in the worst cases, people have found that they pay back thousands rather than hundreds.

“In the next few years, credit unions will be seen as a real alternative to mainstream banks because they are owned and controlled by their members.”

Contact LincUp on 01522 528886/845100 or call into the Spalding or Long Sutton bases for further information on its Christmas savings club, loans and general savings.

FIRST time fixes are being trialled across South Holland in a bid to fill potholes faster.

After three back-to-back bad winters Lincolnshire County Council had been facing a big backlog of road repairs where freezing conditions had left large holes.

Emergency repairs were carried out to make the area safe for road users, but these were often short-term solutions and required a return visit by workmen to carry out a permanent fix.

But after the recent spell of bad weather this winter, the council has revealed it is taking part in trials of new materials and processes which aim to provide a long-term fix with just one visit.

Paul Rusted, head of Highways – Client Services, said: “We have completed the repair of all the potholes that developed as a result of the last three years of severe winter weather and are continuing to repair any further potholes that we become aware of, using ten teams to carry out any necessary work.

“We have completed an extensive programme of surface dressing and are in the process of finishing other carriageway repairs to prevent the formation of further potholes.

“Highways are also trialling a number of new products and processes to help reduce potholes forming in the future.”

The trials have included the Jet Patcher process, which uses a tanker to deliver hot bitumen, filler and aggregate into a pothole in one operation, and the Hot Box, which carries permanent hot material that remains sufficiently workable to carry out repairs throughout the day.

Members of the county council’s highways, transport and technology scrutiny were told at a meeting yesterday that the trials, particularly using the Hot Box, have seen some successes.

The council now intends to merge its trial results with emerging guidance from the national Highway Maintenance Efficiency Programme to finalise an overall approach to pothole repairs.

WATER bosses will not rule out a hosepipe ban for Lincolnshire in the coming months as drought continues in the county.

Anglian Water has confirmed there is a “definite possibility” action could be taken, despite having avoided hosepipe bans across its entire region for the last 20 years.

The firm was among the major organisations from the water industry to attend a drought summit with Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) on Monday.

There they discussed measures already implemented to tackle drought and actions that need to be taken to mitigate its impact in the future.

John Clare, from Anglian Water, said: “There is a definite possibility of a hosepipe ban. We have not had a ban in any part of the Anglian Water region in 20 years but it would be silly of me to rule it out, especially in parts of Lincolnshire.

“We are doing all that we can to get on top of it and leakage and that’s why we are asking customers to try and conserve water where they can.

“We’re not asking them to go without but we are asking them to do what they normally do in a more efficient way.”

Lincolnshire has been affected by drought since June, along with Cambridgeshire, parts of Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and West Norfolk.

This month, 11 more counties in the south east of England were also declared to be in drought.

The Environment Agency says September to January was the driest five-month period for the Anglian region – south of the Humber and north of the Thames – since its records began in 1910.

Mr Clare said Anglian Water was already doing everything the Government has asked water companies to do to help the situation.

He said staff will also be looking to work with other water firms where possible but they are still asking customers to do their bit.

Mr Clare added: “If customers spent one minute less in the shower, install a water butt to capture rain water for their plants rather than relying on the mains supply, or use a bucket and sponge to wash their car rather than use a hosepipe. These are the little changes we are asking people to think about.

“There is no panic but there is a situation and we have to recognise there is a concern.”

A DRIVER caught speeding in the same spot on the A16 four times in three weeks has escaped a ban.

Lorry driver William Kelly (63) told Spalding’s magistrates he would be “left with nothing” if his licence was taken away after pleading guilty for being repeatedly clocked by the fixed camera at Deeping Common.

Kelly had appeared before the court on Tuesday to allow a panel of magistrates to consider banning him from getting back behind the wheel.

However, the bench accepted his plea that it would cause him exceptional hardship.

Prosecutor Rebecca Ritson said Kelly had been recorded at speeds between 48-56mph on August 17, 18 and 31 and again on September 2. The limit for his Volvo HGV was 40mph.

Kelly, representing himself, told the court: “I have been driving for 46 years. I have always taken great pride in having a clean licence and I would like to think I am one of the most considerate drivers on the road.

“I do not know what happened to cause this speed because I am always so careful. I spent 23 years in the Army and my driving in the Army was first class.”

Kelly said he also relied on his licence to take his wife, who is on incapacity benefits for a curved spine, to regular hospital appointments.

He explained he had also been suffering from ill health and said it may have been to blame for his “lack of concentration” on the road.

Kelly, of Potton, Bedfordshire, told the court he has been signed off from work since December and has been advised not to drive until he had seen a specialist at Papworth Hospital.

His licence was endorsed with three penalty points for each of the four speeding offences. He was also ordered to pay a £35 fine for each offence, along with £43 towards costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Giving the sentence, presiding magistrate Jim Price warned Kelly: “When you do get back behind the wheel be extremely careful.”

A BOY who went missing for 90 minutes on Friday night has told police he was abducted.

Lincolnshire Police launched a major operation when his parents reported him missing from his Surfleet home at 6.25pm.

The nine-year-old turned up at relatives’ home in Pinchbeck at 8pm.

He has told police he was abducted from his garden, driven in a car and dropped off a couple of miles away at a park in Gosberton.

Schools in the area have stepped up their warnings to pupils about the dangers of strangers.

• Full story in tomorrow’s Lincolnshire Free Press

TWO businesses responsible for illegally exporting 259 tonnes of mixed waste to China were on Wednesday fined the maximum for the offence.

Ten containers from Bourne were stopped at the Port of Felixstowe on a routine inspection and found to have contents not suitable for export to China under international convention, designed to protect human health and the environment.

Miriam Tordoff, prosecuting for the Environment Agency, told Grantham magistrates that the UK and China are both signed up to the convention.

All the containers were loaded at BW Riddle, a vehicle dismantling and metal recycling site in South Fen Road. Bourne. Partner Colin Riddle admitted breaching the regulations and failing to fill in paperwork correctly describing the waste.

He was fined £5,000 and £4,000 for failing in his duty of care.

Derby firm Chungs UK Ltd, which sources and exports scrap metal and plastic to sell, mainly to China, also pleaded guilty to breaching the regulations and was fined £5,000, the maximum for the offence when heard in the magistrates’ court.

The businesses were also each ordered to pay £6,500 towards costs.

Mrs Tordoff said although the loads were not hazardous, samples showed the mix was not right for automatic export to countries signed up to the convention.

China had not agreed to accept the waste from Bourne and the lack of description of the waste meant there was no prior agreement to show that it would be managed in an environmentally sound way.

Both companies had admitted it was not the first time they had exported this type of waste to China without notification or consent. On the transfer notes the waste was described as Type A indicating ‘aluminium from construction and demolition waste’.

Instead, the containers held a mix of steel car parts, copper wiring, aluminium foil and alloy parts, rubber and plastic hoses, jubilee clips, pieces of car tyre, pieces of upvc window frames, plastic car parts, rubber car belts, circuit board, chipboard and wood fragments, glass, foam, brick and stone.