Police are hunting vandals who smashed the window of a vehicle outside a Spalding house over the weekend.

The vehicle was parked outside a home in Laburnum Grove where the window was smashed some time between 6pm on Friday and 11.30am on Saturday.

Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting crime number 32130029491.

Police are looking for information about a burglary at a home near Deeping St James on Monday.

Suspects got into a home in Frognall through a patio door some time between 7pm and 8pm.

Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting incident number 463 of July 29.

The time to get the children kitted out for the new school year if you haven’t done it already is now.

And the least stressful place to do the mega-shop required for youngsters who will be starting at a new school in September is here.

Anyone who has struggled though a major uniform search in the city in the last week of the holidays with children in tow will need no telling why that is.

Shop locally as soon as you can at your nearest school outfitters and shoe shops and you will have no trouble.

South Holland’s official school outfitters like Mann and Son and Hills in Spalding want to stop you heading for the chain stores in the city, so they keep their prices reasonable and provide a flexible service.

Trutex stockist Mann and Son allows parents to make an evening appointment and have the Hall Place shop to themselves to completely kit out a boy starting at either Spalding Grammar School or the Sir John Gleed School.

And Hills of Spalding, which supplies both boys and girls, also swears by Trutex for producing hardwearing clothes at very sensible prices – good value for money in other words.

Juniors’ trousers are coated with Teflon and come with knee patches for children who wear through the knees.

For shoes, try Gibbs or Revills in town, who can fit your children’s feet with the best shoes for taking those first steps into the classroom come September..

Ford’s latest Fiesta looks very different to that which has gone before but it’s probably not as radical under the skin as you might expect.

Still, the introduction of the excellent 1.0-litre three-cylinder Ecoboost engine is extremely welcome.

Certain realities exist in the supermini market. The additional cost of diesel engines rarely makes them big sellers, so this is where the state of the art in petrol engines is often played out.

Right now, Ford’s 1.0-litre Ecoboost three-cylinder unit is looking like it might just be in the box seat. It’s available in both 100 and 125PS guises and it’s already been a big hit in the Focus, winning the 2012 International Engine of the Year award along the way. With less lard to lug around in this installation, it’s pretty vivid, especially in 125PS form, getting the Fiesta to 62mph in just 9.4 seconds.

The Fiesta has long been one of the very best superminis to drive. Expect that still to be the case, even though here, the underbody changes are relatively few. Ford has developed new chassis and suspension components to improve the ride quality and refinement of the car and further refined the Ford Electronic Power Assisted Steering system.

That massive trapezoidal front grille might have a few people looking twice and wondering whether an Aston Martin Cygnet is attempting an overtake. So yes, it’s certainly distinctive – but not an unattractive feature and something that works well with the Fiesta’s shape.

Inside, Ford has relocated electric window switches, heated seat switches and interior door handles in the new Fiesta. A full leather-rim steering wheel is offered for the first time and a smart five inch central colour display supports the model’s first integrated navigation system.

The Ford Fiesta has always been a vehicle that the British public has warmed to.

There’s an unpretentious quality to it and a focus on providing the things that really matter to small car buyers – fun handling, an affordable asking price, low running costs and decent accommodation and space.

Now you can add strong safety provision and low emissions to that list as well.

The latest car has a polish and self belief that we’ve never seen from the Fiesta before.

In short, this blue collar car has made good. Especially with this 1.0 EcoBoost petrol engine fitted.

The owner of a Gedney Drove End pub is hopeful of bringing in new regulars after giving it a £60,000 facelift.

Sean Portass called The Rising Sun a “proper country pub” after workmen spent about a year renovating it to be a venue fit to welcome customers of all ages.

The pub has new mahogany furniture, solid oak bar, kitchen, patio and children’s play areas, as well as restored oak beams which are thought to date back to the 17th century.

Sean said: “I bought the pub midway through 2012 when it was closed down, boarded up and really rough.

“Workmen gutted it, then restored its original fittings and added some new features which are now completely finished.

“There was an official opening earlier this month and everybody was absolutely amazed by the transformation from what it was to what it is now. “People are really surprised how it’s turned out because it looks absolutely stunning and I think The Rising Sun is now a proper country pub.”

A programme of live entertainment has been lined up at the pub which closed in 2011, starting with a charity fundraiser on August 4 and a karoake night on August 10.

Guests can also look forward to a range of home-made meals which Sean, who owns several other pubs in Long Sutton and Sutton Bridge, said he was keen to increase.

He added: “I’m very pleased with the work that’s been done at the pub because it now has a good country feel, a good atmosphere and once people have come in, they’ll want to come back again.”

The future of a voluntary life-saving service covering Morton and north Bourne is in doubt because of a lack of support.

Members of the area’s LIVES First Responders group have made an urgent appeal for more people to join them as the number of volunteers has dropped to just three.

The group was one of the first to be set up in Lincolnshire in 1999 and volunteers provide care for people with chest pains, breathing difficulties or who have hurt themselves in falls and are waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

Sue Slaymaker, group co-ordinator, said: “The need is very great in Morton and the surrounding area but we can’t seem to get volunteers to go out and be First Responders.

“We’re down to just three members and the group is now in danger of folding if we can’t get anybody else to join us.

“You don’t need any previous experience because everybody is fully trained in conjunction with LIVES and the more people we have, the easier it is for everybody to respond to calls.”

Volunteers work on a rota basis in response to calls from East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) and are trained to give basic life support, including the use of a defibrillator in cases of cardiac arrest.

Other areas covered by the group include Cawthorpe, Dyke, Haconby, Kirkby Underwood, Rippingale and Stainfield.

Marianne Robinson, a First Responder from Morton who helped out after a road accident on the A15 in Dyke last year, said: “We just happened to be coming back from an incident in Bourne when we saw a man who had come off his motorbike at a crossroads in the village.

“We were first on the scene and he was in a serious condition, but we managed to stabilise the man until the paramedics arrived.

“A few days later, we got a letter from EMAS saying ‘Well done and thanks very much’.”

Volunteers need to be aged 18 or over, have a full driving licence and be willing to work as part of a team.

Marianne, who is also a part-time swimming teacher, said: “I really enjoy being a First Responder and I find it rewarding because it’s something provided by the area for the area.

“I’ve been a volunteer for ten years and people are always grateful when we can go to their homes and take control of a bad situation where someone is unwell.”

Anyone interested in joining the group can email Sue at sslaymaker48@gmail.com or Marianne at 19.gandm@gmail.com

Twelve people have appeared in court accused of being involved in the abduction and beating of a man and a woman in West Norfolk earlier this year.

Violet Chilton (56), of Dades Lane, St John Fen End, appeared before Norwich Crown Court for a preliminary hearing on Friday, along with 11 other defendants.

The other defendants include Edward Dolan (37), Wayne Dolan (35) and Sheila Conboy (55), all of Walpole Marsh, Walpole St Andrew, Laura Dolan (36), of Two Sisters Close, Sutton Bridge, and Thomas Chilton (28) and Jason Chilton (26), both of Dades Lane, St John Fen End.

Vanessa Frankham (48), of Wisbech Road, Walpole St Andrew, Natalie Cooper, (22), of Bridge Road, Sutton Bridge, and Valerie Harris, (46), of Thistlebrook, London, also appeared at Norwich Crown Court on Friday, along with two 17-year-old youths, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

No evidence was offered and none of the charges were formally put to the defendants. The case was adjourned until a further hearing on September 6, when it is expected that pleas will be taken.

No date has yet been fixed for the pending trial but it is expected to start early in the new year and last for up to four weeks.

As the wheat harvest approaches most farmers are hoping for the summer weather to continue and looking forward to a lot better crop than we had last year.

I say most farmers because there are a few growers in this area who feel that wheat does not give them enough return and only grow vegetables and/or flowers, which just shows how good land is in the Spalding area.

Rainfall has been below average this summer, which is no bad thing as it is far more pleasant to be farming when soil is not sticking to your boots. July was the first month for 16 months when the temperature was above average: no wonder plants and crops are behind their usual time slot.

This time last year we were thinking we were going to have a good harvest, especially as prices of wheat and rape were rising. This year we know that the UK will have a small harvest as there are so many hectares of land that lie fallow but prices are falling, which illustrates so well that the prices we receive for our wheat, barley and rape crops has nothing to do with what happens here; it is a combination of the weather, politicians and the price of oil. Of those three, I believe the politician has the greatest effect on our prices.

Farmers can feed the world but we cannot feed and fuel the world and the more fuel the politician asks us to grow the higher the prices we will receive from our crops.

The way that hundreds of junior doctors are taught at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) has been praised by a specialist team.

“Recognisable improvements” in education and supervision have been highlighted by the Local Education and Training Board, which oversees medical training.

Its findings include:

l “Considerable progress” in leadership and governance

l A comprehensive strategy across the Trust’s three main sites in Lincoln, Boston and Grantham.

l The Trust is “striving to deliver the very best education and training”.

l A friendly environment, where junior doctors feel valued.

l Improved supervision of junior trainees.

This confirms recent feedback from junior doctors that they have a good experience at ULHT and feel well supported.

They also say that both trainees and patients are benefiting from the Trust’s introduction of a system which ensures that each patient is reviewed by a senior doctor every day.

ULHT’s Director of Medical Education, Sunday Ikhena, said: “We welcome this report, which confirms the progress we are making through our determination to deliver high-quality education.

“We are also pleased that the report recognises we are making these advances in the face of significant challenges.”

The LETB report was produced at the request of the Care Quality Commission, following the Keogh review of patient care at ULHT which raised concerns about staffing levels.

The report highlights the fact that because of geography, recruitment to medical posts in Lincolnshire is difficult – especially at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston.

This can place more pressure on junior doctors.

ULHT is also allocated fewer training places than other Trusts of a similar size.

There are more than 350 doctors in training at ULHT.

You have just three days left to take your children to our Cute Kids competition 2013 photographic sessions.

We are seeking the area’s most adorable children and if your little angel is between newborn and five years of age then this is the competition for them.

Our competition is free to enter – all you have to do is head over to The Playbarn at Springfields Outlet Shopping centre in Spalding with your little one(s) and your completed entry form(s) as printed in the Lincolnshire Free Press and Spalding Guardian.

The photography sessions will be running today (Wednesday), Thursday and Friday, between 10am and 4pm.

The professional photographer there will take a lovely photograph of your child that will be automatically entered into the competition and will be available for purchase (if required) at a later date.

You won’t need to return again to the venue – it’s as simple as that! All of the photos will be published in our special features in September so don’t miss your favourite newspaper every week for further details as they are announced.

The photographic sessions are now on at The Playbarn, a fun packed indoor and outdoor centre especially designed for children aged 12 and under.

There’s plenty of fun to be had over the summer at The Playbarn, with owl handling, face painting, Jurassic crazy golf, music, pottery days and teddy bear picnics plus much much more.

Don’t miss your chance to enter and be the lucky winner of prizes including 18”x12” colour print, WOW toys (as featured at www.wowtoys.com), a family day out at Drayton Manor theme Park (home of Thomas Land), a £100 Haven holiday voucher (for family time together on your seaside escape) and a Kid Eats Free voucher for Frankie & Benny’s (valid for whole year). So don’t delay, pop down to The Playbarn to enter!

Landowners and property owners are being invited for talks on the future development of Spalding town centre.

South Holland District Council knows of several parties with land and/or property in central Spalding, but there are potentially many other stakeholders from whom it would like to hear.

The aim is to hold a series of forum events, with discussions on how the town might develop in the years to come.

Council leader Gary Porter said: “The future of Spalding town centre is enormously important and I think it would be a very useful exercise for those with a significant stake in it to get together.

“We’d like to hear from anyone who owns property or land in Spalding town centre.

“There really is no masterplan or hidden agenda here – this is about getting these people around a table to see if there are synergies from which there can be possible mutual benefits in the future.”

Invitations to a first forum – scheduled for Monday, October 7 – will be sent to all known landowners and freeholders.

Future forums would be aimed at developers, leaseholders, other vested interest groups and the public.

Anyone wanting to register as a landowner or freeholder is asked to email economicdevelopment@sholland.gov.uk

Growers looking for new cut flower crops or improved varieties attended an open day at the National Cut Flower Centre in Holbeach St Johns on Thursday.

The centre, a Horticultural Development Company (HDC) funded project to carry out research and development on behalf of the cut flower industry, shares its findings with growers at its open days.

However, as Pinchbeck flower grower Sue Lamb points out, the day is also an opportunity to network with other growers as well as key people from the supply chain.

She said : “The days are very useful. It’s a chance to have a good conversation with other growers to see if everybody is experiencing the same problems.

“But you have also got attendance there from buyers, supermarkets and big packers and that’s quite rare because not everybody gets a chance to meet these people. The idea is that it’s a look and see, not just for growers but for the buyer, so if there is serious interest there is no reason it won’t develop into a contract the next year.”

HDC knowledge transfer manager for ornamental crops Wayne Brough said visitors to the day looked at commercial trials of column stock, which he said tended to suffer from root disease, and soil treatments.

They also considered weed control options and looked at a herbicide trial, as well as studying new crops and different varieties available to growers.

Two men have appeared at Lincoln Crown Court today charged in connection with a robbery at a Spalding job agency.

Olegs Nikolajevs (23) of no fixed address and Kristaps Vilcins (21) of School Lane, Wisbech, were remanded in custody until October 11 when they are due to appear at the same court charged with robbing Wykeham Staff Services, off Holbeach Road, of almost £18,500.
They also face charges of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause violence and possessing a weapon for the discharge of a noxious liquid of gas.

Motorists in Spalding are being warned to protect their vehicles from thieves targeting catalytic converters in the area.

Police believe Mercedes Sprinter vans are particularly at risk, but other commercial vehicles are also vulnerable.

Anyone with information about catalytic converter thefts in South Holland should call police on 101.

Fairly new headteacher at Clough & Risegate Community Primary School Shaun Thompson – he started last September – set up a new PTA after joining the school.

At the end of his first year the children – including Max Barlow and Steph Charlton – were delighted with the PTA’s summer fair, which raised £576 to fund activities. Mr Thompson said teacher Bev Rooney worked hard, along with Year 6 children and parent helpers. SG130713-121NG

Youngsters at Holbeach St Marks Church of England Primary School donned Tam o’Shanters and kilts to act out their end of year play, The Last Monster in Scotland.

Teaching assistant Cheryl Cole said: They absolutely loved it and were fantastic, especially for a small school.” SG120713-121NG

Diesel has been stolen from a van in a village near Market Deeping after thieves drilled a hole into its fuel tank.

The van was parked on King Street, West Deeping, when the theft happened some time between 12.30am and 6.30am last Wednesday, July 24.

Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting incident number 88 of July 24.

A mum-of-two’s bid to cut the speed limit on a Donington road has suffered a blow after county highways bosses said no action was needed.

About 200 people signed an online petition launched by Michelle Maddison of Bicker Road to lower the speed limit on the A52 Donington to Bicker road from 60mph to 40mph.

Michelle launched the petition just days after she was involved in a three-vehicle collision outside her home in January.

In a Donington Village Newsletter article, she wrote: “The A52 is a very fast, busy road with constant heavy traffic, including HGVs and other vehicles, turning off into businesses and homes, all within a current speed limit of 60mph.

“I feel strongly that we must campaign together to reduce the speed limit down to 40mph to prevent future traffic or pedestrian accidents.”

But a review by Lincolnshire County Council, details of which were circulated by Michelle to campaign supporters, concluded that the 60mph speed limit was appropriate.

The review said: “The road in question has good visibility and is one of our wider A class roads.

“There are no recorded accidents and the roadside development is such that we are satisfied within our assessment that the speed limit in place is appropriate and we are unable to reduce it.”

Donington district councillor Jane King said: “I was all in favour of the campaign because the A52 is a horrendous road and the traffic on it has increased in the last few years.

“There aren’t adequate footpaths on some parts of the road and when lorries go past, it really does feel like you’re being sucked into them.”

But there may be hope for Michelle after South Holland and The Deepings MP John Hayes said he would be happy to meet her and then take her concerns to the council.

Police in Bourne have taken away pencil drawings from a woman after reports of her going door-to-door in an attempt to sell them.

The woman is claimed to have shown people a laminated card stating she was deaf and trying to earn money towards further education.

But the drawings were taken from her after police found them to be of poor quality and the woman not to have a peddler’s license.

Police are reminding residents to use door chains and peepholes in the event of cold callers knocking on their doors and free “No Cold Callers” stickers are also available from Bourne Police Station.

Fifteen rows of red cos lettuce are planted in one pass in an 18-hectare field at Gedney Drove End.

It’s the second crop on that field for 2013, says J E Piccaver production director Phillip Hubbert.

Lettuce raised from seed in glasshouses is planted day in day out from late February onwards and the harvest finishes in Lincolnshire in October for the major producer of specialist lettuce.

Most of the work is carried out by seasonal agricultural workers.