Nuclear test veteran Douglas Hern (77), from Moulton, has a new pal thanks to a case of mistaken identity.

Fellow Royal Navy veteran Barry Harrison (73), who emigrated to New Zealand, was looking up an old shipmate called Douglas Hern – and found a different man with the same name, who served on a shore base, HMS Revolution, during the Christmas Island tests.

As well as a shared military history, the men have their birthdays on the same day and celebrated together last week after meeting for the first time.

Photo: SG110913-211TW

The following decisions have been made 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 here 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.

Boston Magistrates’ Court

September 2

Alan Ebbutt (33), of Marketstead Estate, Kirton. Driving whilst disqualified (Kirton). Community order with 180 hours’ unpaid work, £60 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 18 months. Driving without insurance. No separate penalty.

September 4

Daniel Bramble (26), of Mill Lane, Horncastle. Drunk and disorderly (Kirton). £40 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs. Breach of conditional discharge. No action taken.

Carmen White (37), of Princess Road, Kirton. Stole clothing worth £231.50 from Asda (Boston). 12-month conditional discharge. Intent to cause harassment (Boston). 18-month conditional discharge, £15 v/s, £85 costs.

Grantham Magistrates’ Court

September 5

Benjamin Leuty (24), of Bells Bridge, Holbeach St Johns. Drink-driving (Long Sutton). £280 fine, £28 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 20 months.

Alexander Giddins (26), of Keightley Road, Holbeach. Using a vehicle without insurance (Holbeach). £145 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for six months. Failing to stop for police (Holbeach). No separate penalty. Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence. No separate penalty.

September 9

Mark Coe (24), of Collet Gardens, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross. Stole £50 belonging to Sainsburys. 12-week prison sentence. Attempted to steal cash from McColl’s newsagent (Bourne). 12-week prison sentence to run concurrently. Stole £30 from BHS (Lincoln). 12-week prison sentence to run concurrently. Attempted to steal cash from Sainsburys. 12-week prison sentence to run concurrently. Breach of suspended sentence. 20-week prison sentence to run consecutively. Breach of suspended sentence. 15-week prison sentence to run consecutively.

Kamran Altaf (22), of Reeves Way, Peterborough. Drink-driving (Spalding). 12-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months, £80 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for three years. Driving whilst disqualified (Spalding). 12-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months to run concurrently with requirement to attend a drink impaired driver programme, disqualified from driving for 12 months. Took a vehicle without the owner’s consent (Peterborough). 12-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months to run concurrently with requirement to attend a drink impaired driver programme, disqualified from driving for 12 months.

September 10

Penny Avison (38), of Buttercup Court, Deeping St James. Speeding (Sibsey). £200 fine, £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, 3pts.

Donald Coleman (46), of Railway Lane, Chatteris. Speeding (Swineshead). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Ian Hanbury (65), of The Square, Horewood, Leeds. Speeding (Whaplode). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

David Reynolds (48), of Dingley Court, Westwood, Peterborough. Using a vehicle without insurance (Bourne). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Miroslaw Stanejko (32), of Merlin Close, Bourne. Speeding (Welby). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Leszek Stanislaw Winiarski (34), of Horse Fayre Fields, Spalding. Using a vehicle without insurance (Spalding). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts. Using a vehicle without a test certificate. £200 fine.

Linas Jurgutavicius (23), of London Road, Spalding. Using a vehicle without insurance (Spalding). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Lee Ashmore (43), of Acacia Avenue, Chapel St Leonards. Speeding (Pinchbeck). £40 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Philip Baker (49), of Great Close, South Witham. Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence (Swineshead). £50 fine. Using a vehicle without insurance (Swineshead). £120 fine, £20 v/s, costs £85, 6pts.

Darren Bean (40), of Coronation Avenue, Deeping St James. Speeding (Whaplode). £290 fine, £29 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Steven Brain (23), of The Parslins, Deeping St James. Damaged windscreen (Corby Glen). £40 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs.

Stephen Bunn (47), of Garnsgate Road, Long Sutton. Driving without due care and attention (Long Sutton). £40 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 4pts.

Benjamin Clarke (38), of Havelock Street, Spalding. Speeding (Pinchbeck). £115 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Keith Evans (52), of Harvey Close, Bourne. Speeding (Whaplode). £115 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Rodney Forster (46), of Rushton Drive, Carlton Colville, Lowestoft. Speeding (Swineshead). £150 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Matthew Howie (38), of Martin Avenue, Irvine, Ayrshire. Speeding (Swineshead Bridge). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Nathan Jones (19), of Union Street, Holbeach. Defective headlamp (Spalding). £105 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs.

Stacy Latter (37), of Old Station Yard, Morton. Speeding (Langtoft). £40 fine, £20 v/s, 3pts.

Claire Mather (39), of Dean Lane, Water, Rossendale. Speeding (Whaplode). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Aurimas Mockus (26), of St Johns Road, Spalding. Speeding (Whaplode). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Bernard Mumby (78), of De Wint Avenue, Lincoln, Speeding (Swineshead Bridge). £70 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Christopher O’Hare (39), of Ash Grove, Clockface, St Helens. Speeding (Pinchbeck). £175 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Brian Perrin (66), of Edinburgh Avenue, Gorleston. Speeding (Swineshead Bridge). £40 fine, £20 v/s, 3pts.

Sally Wainwright (44), of Wash Road, Fosdyke. Speeding (Swineshead). £40 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Dan Walker (26), of London Road, Spalding. Driving a vehicle without insurance (Spalding). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for six months. Illegal number plate. No separate penalty.

Ronald Sharma (59), of Wignals Gate, Holbeach. Speeding (Spalding). £100 fine, £20 v/s, £100 costs, 5pts.

People in Sutton Bridge will get a chance to comment on a new gas-fired 1800MW power station planned for the parish.

Energy giant EDF is holding a public information day at The Curlew Centre, in Bridge Road, from 11am-3pm on Saturday, September 21.

Sutton Bridge B will power two million homes.

EDF says the power station has been redesigned since the original plans were submitted some seven years ago and it will have higher capacity and more efficient technology, giving it lower C02 emissions.

EDF spokesman Jeremy Bush said: “The UK needs a massive investment in new power stations to keep the lights on in the coming years. Efficient gas fired stations can play a role in meeting that need as part of a diverse mix of resources, including nuclear and renewables.”

South Holland District Council was a consultee on the original EDF plan in 2006, when it said it was happy with the proposal subject to a Section 106 agreement, but it never received a final go-ahead at that time from the Department of Energy and Climate Change and has now been revised.

• Villagers are fighting plans from EnergyPark Sutton Bridge for a gasifier-type power station on nearby land at Wingland.

That project has already been passed by South Holland District Council’s planning committee and is awaiting a Government decision on an environmental permit to operate.

A new medical director has been appointed to United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) to further develop the Trust’s drive to become a more clinically, patient-led organisation.

Dr Suneil Kapadia is a highly motivated and experienced clinician, and has demonstrated a sustained commitment to patient care with emphasis on quality and service development.

Dr Kapadia joins ULHT from the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust where, over a 13 year period, he was Clinical Director for medicine, gastroenterology and sexual health services. He was recently the Divisional Medical Director which encompassed six acute medical specialties, focusing on the needs of patients by reforming care and working closely with commissioners.

Dr Kapadia’s extensive background will bring strong clinical direction to ULHT and ensure that senior decisions regarding medical services are clinically led and put the patients’ needs first.

Dr Kapadia said: “I would now like to focus my energy, commitment and passion to help deliver high quality clinical care in a challenging economic and clinical climate at ULHT.”

Voting is open for all categories in the 2013 East Midlands Food and Drink Awards.

Lots of South Holland establishments have been put forward already in the Wash/Fens section.

The category winners in this section will then go forward to compete against champions from Lindsey, Kesteven and Melton/Rutland for the overall prizes.

Votes can be cast by going into the establishment listed or online at: www.east midlandsnewspapers.co.uk/events/food-and-drink/

The awards are open to anyone who runs a local business, is a customer or member of staff. You can nominate by email, phone, text or online.

The regional category winners will be announced at the end of October and voting will re-open for overall winners.

Details on which towns/villages fall within each area can be found at bit.ly./emfdawards

Email nominations to linda.pritchard@jpress.co.uk Include the category and name of the establishment, followed by the town or village.

Or you can call her on 01476 562291, nominate online at bit.ly./emfdawards, where there are also details of how to text.

A motorbike was seized and several youths warned about their behaviour by police in a crackdown on disorder across Bourne.

The motorbike was used in a manner which led to complaints from residents on the Elsea Park estate in Sandown Drive before Neighbourhood Policing team officers took action on Wednesday.

As well as seizing the bike, police also warned another moped rider and handed out unacceptable behaviour warnings to a 15-year-old from Bourne and an 18-year-old from Morton.

Sally Waltham, manager of Elsea Park Community Trust, said: “We’ve worked with the police and taken targeted action against the people responsible.”

A man who denies being drunk and disorderly in Poplar Court, Spalding, will stand trial before the town’s magistrates on January 2.

Daniel Rowledge (23), of West Parade, Spalding, appeared before magistrates sitting at Grantham on Thursday.

Two men accused of handling a stolen pedal cycle between July 4-7 are to appear before Spalding magistrates on October 10.

They are Oliver Thompson (18), of Jubilee Close, Spalding, and Samuel Wass-Lightfoot (18), of Green Lane, Spalding.

Both men had their cases listed before magistrates in Grantham on Thursday, but did not appear.

A motorist was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving after a three-car crash on the A17, near the Chestnut Tea Rooms, Gedney.

No one was injured but minor delays were caused by the accident just after 1pm today (Monday).

A motorist was treated for injuries to his face after a two-vehicle collision on the A17 at Gedney on Sunday.

The accident involved a Ford Focus and Ford Fiesta which collided on Washway Road, near the Gedney roundabout and Beijing Palace Chinese restaurant, at about 2.50pm.

Police and paramedics attended the scene where the Focus driver, a man from Butterwick, was treated for minor facial injuries.

A man has denied causing more than £5,000 damage to nine cars at D and M Motors, Crowland, on April 8 this year.

Francis Babalola (21), of London, will stand trial at Grantham Magistrates’ Court, for criminal damage on December 10. He is on bail.

Magistrates have adjourned a charge of theft of alcohol from the One Stop Shop at Holbeach to a hearing at Spalding Magistrates’ Court on October 10.

Darren Osborne (29), of East Elloe Avenue, Holbeach, has not entered a plea.

Magistrates issued a warrant with bail for the arrest of a man accused of stealing a £59.99 DVD player from Sainsbury’s in Spalding.

Leszek Krzyczkowski (53), of Edinburgh Drive, Spalding, failed to attend a hearing at Grantham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

His case was re-listed for the Spalding court on October 10.

No plea has been entered.

Two UKIP councillors who represent South Holland have joined a breakaway group on the county council.

Alan Jesson, who represents Spalding South, and Richard Fairman, for Spalding East and Moulton, are among six UKIP county councillors who have left the main opposition group.

The new UKIP Lincolnshire group has been formed by Coun Chris Pain, who was ousted last week as the leader of the main Lincolnshire UKIP group.

His departure as leader followed a dispute with UKIP national chairman Steve Crowther.

As well as Couns Jesson and Fairman, the new UKIP Lincolnshire group consists of Bob McAuley, John Beaver and Tiggs Keywood-Wainwright.

Their departure from the main group means it is no longer the main opposition group on Conservative-led Lincolnshire County Council, as it now only has ten members.

The opposition group is now Labour, with 12 members.

But Coun Pain said he did not want the disruption to interfere with his suggestion to scrap the county’s district and borough councils and adopt unitary authority status.

He tabled a motion at a full council meeting on Friday, saying the move could save up to £25million every year, even after transition costs.

Council leader Martin Hill tabled an amendment, which was passed, saying although the council recognised the potential for savings, local government structure has to be decided by parliament and this government had indicated there will be no such legislation.

Coun Hill’s amendment recommended councillors to lobby MPs and political parties to include proposals for the long-term sustainability of local government in their manifestos.

Lincolnshire County Council is under fire for axing libraries while stashing away millions of pounds worth of savings in its coffers.

The county aims to save £2million by shifting 32 libraries into the hands of volunteers, companies or groups.

But Labour county councillor Phil Dilks – who has spearheaded a campaign to save Market Deeping Library – says the council should use some of its savings to protect the libraries, at least for a year.

Around 9,000 protestors from The Deepings were among those signing petitions to force Friday’s full council debate on library cuts, but Coun Dilks said the final decision will still be made by the nine-strong executive rather than the full council.

He said: “Lincolnshire County Council underspent by over £1million every week last year and they had left over £55 million.”

Coun Dilks says around half will go to schools and about £2million will be spent on potholes.

He can’t work out the final figure “because it’s all smoke and mirrors” but believes at least £10million has gone into the council’s reserves.

Coun Dilks said the council’s logic is that there are bigger cuts to come and it has to save money now, but the council could use some of the money to keep the libraries.

The council is keeping 15 libraries and people in The Deepings want Market Deeping Library put on the safe list, which includes Spalding.

Coun Dilks says Market Deeping’s library is in a more highly populated area than some on the safe list and the community isn’t putting forward a volunteer bid to take it over because they want to retain it as a county council run, professionally staffed library.

The councillor, who represents Deeping St James, has already described the council’s plans as “the biggest closure programme that the country has ever seen in 160 years of library provision in this country”.

The council’s consultation on its library plans runs until September 30.

Results will be analysed by Sheffield’s Hallam University, a report will go to the council scrutinies committee in mid-November – when recommendations are expected to be made public for the first time – and the final decision will be made by the executive on December 3.

Coun Nick Worth, executive councillor for libraries, said: “I don’t know what is going to be in the final report. We will just have to wait and see. In the meantime, we are getting a steady stream of expressions of interest.”

He says expressions of interest have been made or are in the pipeline for Holbeach, Donington and Crowland.

Coun Worth said he hasn’t had a chance to catch up with Pinchbeck yet, but people there were very keen a little while ago.

A desperate man, who lost his wallet, phone and address of the place he was meant to stay, ended up breaking a £400-plus window when he climbed into a portable cabin.

Self-employed electrician James Brayford didn’t realise the cabin window wouldn’t take his weight – and it smashed.

Police arrested him inside.

Marie Stace, prosecuting, said Carillion PLC were carrying out work for Network Rail and had a number of portable cabins on a site in Spalding’s Winfrey Avenue.

At about 3am on June 28, a member of the security staff saw Brayford walking around the compound and heard a noise coming from a nearby portable cabin.

Miss Stace said he was offered restorative justice – where he could pay back the company £456 without coming to court – but was unable to afford it.

Solicitor Daven Naghen said: “This is perhaps something of a sad case. He is not somebody who is in the business of troubling the courts.”

Brayford lost his phone and wallet, which contained the address of his friend where he was due to stay, and effectively spent two-and-a-half hours wandering the streets looking for help.

Mr Naghen said he went to the compound, where security staff told him to go away, and then decided to climb into the cabin.

He said Brayford’s work is irregular and he could not afford the restorative justice offer, which would have been the end of the matter.

Brayford (30), of Newcastle-under-Lyme, pleaded guilty to criminal damage and was conditionally discharged for six months.

He was ordered to pay £456 compensation and a £15 victim surcharge at the rate of £10 a week. There was no order for costs because of his limited means.

Police are looking for a man seen naked from the waist down in the Baston area at the weekend.

The half-naked man was spotted in Main Street and Hadrians Drive at about 5.30pm on Friday.

Anyone who knows who he is should call police on 101, stating incident number 364 of September 13.

With slicker exterior styling, a much-improved interior, more equipment and better value for money, Nissan’s latest MK4 Micra supermini has turned over a new leaf.

Some would say that there was quite some scope for improvement and they wouldn’t be wrong, but the truth is that this vastly improved Micra has quietly morphed into a wholly respectable supermini contender.

Of all the aspects of the original version of this MK4 Micra, the one that probably needed the least work was the way it went down the road.

It was always good fun to drive and its light weight gave it some pretty nimble reflexes.

The latest model doesn’t change a whole lot here, instead tuning the details.

The big draw remains the DIG-S engine and this is really the model you need to be targeting. The heart of the Micra DIG-S is a direct injection engine teamed with a supercharger – hence the car’s name: Direct Injection Gasoline-Supercharger.

The Micra’s most obvious changes are to the exterior. The entire ‘face’ has changed with a redesigned grille reestablishing a stronger link to Nissan’s corporate look with the familiar circular badge ‘held’ within a chromed extended V-shaped motif. The bonnet, wings, headlamps and front bumper are also changed. And where fitted, the front fog lamps have been given a bit more prominence with chrome edging.

The rear features a resculpted bumper, LED tail lamps and a panel at the bottom of the tailgate.

The fresher look is complemented by different 15 and 16-inch alloy wheel designs.

The colour palette now includes pearl metallic Pacific Blue and metallic Platinum Sage. These join the eight existing colours.

The big question that hangs over this car is whether these changes are enough.

What this latest Micra does represent is a big step forward compared to its predecessor.

That was a car which was fun to drive, economical and reliable but which possessed next to no polish, no slickness and no reassurance that you’d bought a supermini able to duke it out with the class best.

A heavily revised interior helps in that regard and the exterior styling changes do much to reinforce the perception of quality.

The Micra’s chances aren’t going to be transformed overnight but this is now a car you could realistically recommend to somebody who doesn’t want to follow the crowd.

I think Nissan would call that a result.

An inspirational grandfather has died after losing a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Ron Thomson was given just six months to live when he was first diagnosed with the disease in March 2009, but outlived doctors’ predictions by almost four years.

In that time he inspired his family to raise thousands of pounds for pancreatic cancer charities.

He also took part in several drug and treatment trials to help in the fight against the disease.

Ron’s granddaughter Lorna Palmer, who organised a fundraising ball in March of this year, said: “He was a loving grandfather and he fought a hard battle against the disease.

“We were all together at the end and my nan was a rock.

“He is in each and everyone of us and will be with us forever.”

Ron died on July 31 at his home.

His daughter Corinne Goodchild said: “He wanted to die at home with dignity and with the dedicated help of the district nurses, St Barnabas nurses and Marie Curie night nurses he was able to do just that.

“Also the Macmillan nurses gave him tremendous support – all their kindness and expertise went a long way in ensuring Ron’s final hours were pain-free and dignified.”

She said he will be greatly missed by all the family, including his wife Gill, five children, 11 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

She added: “He was such a lovely family man who was liked by everyone who was lucky enough to know him.”

A funeral was held at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Holbeach, where £320 was raised to be split between St Barnabas Hospice at Home service and Marie Curie Nursing Service.

A drunken man exposed his manhood in the street and ended up hurting a police officer who was trying to handcuff him.

James Dooley (29) drank more than he was used to while keeping up with a group of 18-year-old who were on spirits and energy drinks.

Marie Stace, prosecuting, said police were in Westlode Street, Spalding, just after 3am on August 18 when they heard Dooley say “look my hands are in my pockets” while his manhood was fully exposed and protruding from the zip in his trousers.

Police led Dooley aside to avoid members of the public witnessing his behaviour, but he attempted to walk away.

Miss Stace said door staff from Loaded helped police as he struggled while being handcuffed.

During the struggle, Pc Karl Cinivas was thrown to the floor and grazed his elbow.

Dooley was taken to custody at Boston Police Station, where there was a further struggle in which Dooley ended up breaking the lanyard to an officer’s Taser device.

When interviewed, Dooley couldn’t remember exposing himself and told officers he thought he had been having “a pee in the street”.

Dooley, of Town Drove, Quadring, told magistrates: “I am really sorry for the aggravation I have caused to the police officers and any offence I caused outside the club.”

He was fined £335 for resisting PC Cinivas and must pay £50 compensation to the officer, £39.95 compensation for the damaged lanyard, £85 costs and a £34 victim surcharge. He received no separate penalties for being drunk and disorderly and criminal damage.

Dooley admitted all three offences.