A host of local firms have teamed up with South Holland District Council to offer attractive discounts on services and products for empty homes.

The scheme – one of a number which the council is promoting to help make best use of the housing stock – would particularly appeal to anyone wishing to sell, rent or renovate a property.

However, anyone wishing to carry out home improvements or decorating could benefit too.

Several estate agents have agreed to offer discounted selling fees through the scheme and some letting agents have cut-price administration fees.

For anyone needing to buy products or materials, Jackson Building Centre in Spalding is offering a good discount.

Anyone wishing to take advantage of the discount scheme must contact South Holland District Council to obtain a qualifying document.

To register interest in taking part in the scheme – either as a customer or a firm willing to offer a discount on a product or service – email privatehousing@sholland.co.uk or call the Private Housing team on 01775 761161.

The scheme was organised and started by the district council’s private sector housing adviser, Julie Briggs, as part of National Empty Homes Week.

She said: “It’s great that local companies have come on board with the council in this scheme. There are good savings to be made on a wide range of goods and services.”

An investigation is underway into the conduct of a teacher at a Spalding secondary school.

The Spalding Grammar School teacher, who has not been identified, is currently suspended until the investigation is complete.

Headteacher Nigel Ryan said he was unable to elaborate on the nature of the allegation against the teacher, but assured parents it had nothing to do with current students at the school.

He said police had initially been involved when the matter came to light but no further police action had been necessary.

He also said he hoped the school’s in-house investigation would be complete by Christmas and parents would be informed at that time if there was anything they needed to know as a result.

Mr Ryan also confirmed another teacher, who only started at the school in September, had left after something came to light which they had not disclosed at the time of their appointment.

Again, he was unable to elaborate, but said it did not affect the school’s pupils.

Mr Ryan added: “I can assure parents neither of these matters affect the students other than in the sense of staff not being there, but we have taken all necessary steps to make sure that their education is not adversely affected and that new teachers are found to replace them as quickly as possible.”

Chairman of governors the Rev John Bennett defended the school against claims parents should have been told of the teacher’s suspension, saying it would be unfair to tarnish his reputation if the allegations were found to be untrue.

More than 40 people attended a meeting on Tuesday night to discuss concerns over speeding.

Lincolnshire county councillor Helen Powell (Lincs Ind) called the meeting, which took place at Bourne Corn Exchange, to hear residents’ views on speeding across the county. The feedback will be fed into a county-wide policy review.

The council has set up a task group, which will consider issues and then make recommendations for an updated policy for the criteria around which speed limits are set.

Coun Marianne Overton (Lincs Ind), who is a member of the task group, was at the meeting to hear the feedback.

Coun Powell said the main concerns raised by people were speeding in the town centre and near the schools in Bourne.

She said many people wanted to see an enforced 20mph zone in these areas.

People were also concerned about crossing the road in Thurlby and Northorpe and the 60mph speed at Kates Bridge, where there is a petrol station.

Coun Powell said: “I just wanted the people I represent to have their say on these issues and not feel that decisions are being taken in an office in Lincoln. I was so thrilled we got it organised and pleased that people came.

“The whole room thought there was a big issue with speeding in the roads in the town centre and with enforcing speed limits.”

At the beginning of November, having endured six inches of rain since October 13, it began to look like we were going to be left with about 15 per cent of our potato crop in the ground over winter.

Nature came to our rescue and, with colder weather, the rain stopped. We finished harvest on November 19, 11 days later than last year, which was also wet.

The land left to lift should have been cleared by the end of September, but wasn’t due to the weather of last winter and this spring, so we had to wait longer for the well-bodied land to dry out before we could start planting. The cold spring and dry summer meant the crop only started to grow properly when it received two inches of rain in the latter part of August, so when we tried to desiccate it in the third week of September it just didn’t want to die off, and the lifting date kept getting put back.

With all our crop now in the barn, we are about 12 per cent down on yield compared to last year, which I put down to a combination of lack of summer rain and the physiologically immature age of the seed we planted, which meant fewer potatoes were set by each plant. The trade is trying to hold prices down, but if our yields are typical, there should not be a surplus and storage may pay for a third year in a row.

I hope all potatoes in south Lincolnshire have now been safely gathered in, and a big thank you goes to all farm employees for their hurculean efforts.

A wild pheasant shoot at Deeping St Nicholas has been named the winner of the coveted Silver Award at the 2013 Purdey Awards for Game and Conservation.

Nicholas Watts, from Vine House Farm, received the award and a cheque for £3,000 at the annual ceremony in London.

The award was presented to Nicholas for his “outstanding wild game and habitat management” at Vine House Farm.

Since 2010, Vine House Farm has employed a full time keeper, whose determined vermin control has seen the farm’s wild pheasant populations treble, and songbird species flourish.

Visiting judges noted several key habitat improvements, such as 35km of new, open cultivated strips under environment stewardship schemes, introduction of double hedge plantings and changing local fen drainage board policy to allow single bank moving of dykes.

Nicholas also won the Purdey Silver Award in 2002.

Youngsters learned all about how tough it could be living in Victorian England.

Pupils from year six at Spalding’s Ayscoughfee Hall School enjoyed a “fantastic” trip to the Galleries of Justice in Nottingham , where they attended reform school.

Headteacher Clare Ogden said: “They found out just how strict school could be.

“They also re-enacted a play in an actual Victorian courtroom of a case for two convicted children and finished off by experiencing criminals’ lives in the very corrupt jail.”

When Julie Watkins decided on a change of lifestyle she never thought she would end up playing mum to about 300 turkeys.

Julie took over an existing farm at Moulton Eaugate about six months ago and changed its name to Cranberry Farm.

There, she takes in day-old turkey chicks which are kept under heat for about four weeks before being allowed to go outside.

Julie oversees everything, from monitoring the heat for the young chicks to culling the birds from 21 weeks onwards.

The former stockbroker, former welder and, more recently, last mile steward at the London Olympics underwent a course to learn to kill humanely and now breeds turkeys in accordance with the association she belongs to, the Traditional Farmfresh Turkey Association (TFTA).

She said: “They are all bronze, a good quality turkey. Normally, the chick is being kept warm by mum who lets it out when it needs to go out. I play mum and this year, I don’t know if it’s standard, we found it difficult to control the heat because the temperature this summer was very high so we had to keep a very close eye on the temperature in the sheds.”

Turkeys go to local butchers’ shops as well as farm gate customers.

Julie, who is married to Simon, also sells cranberry bushes and has some for her own use which she hopes in time will produce enough berries to make a sauce.

Lincolnshire landowners and rural businesses are being warned by the county’s police to take extra security precautions.

The warning follows a spate of thefts across the county of farm vehicles and plant machinery.

Advice includes immobilising and securing all vehicles and equipment when not in use, particularly in the darker mornings and early evening times.

Police say machinery and tools should be identified, and owners should keep a record of serial, chassis and model numbers of machines. They also suggest painting a name on valuable tarpaulins in letters at least a foot high.

Members of South Holland Growers’ Club were due to hear about tulip mechanisation at their meeting at Whaplode Manor last night.

Bas Goede, sales manager of Bercomex bv, a world leader in flower handling technology, was due to speak about the company’s philosophy, show the range of machinery and handling aids produced by the business and shed light on future developments.

A parish council thinking of buying gritters for snow-bound estate roads has put the plan on ice for now.

Coun Gary Croxford told Sutton Bridge Parish Council it would cost about £5,000 for a variable spread gritter – which could cover up to a six-metre wide stretch on a three-and-a-half mile run.

Parish council vice-chairman Michael Booth said he would prefer it if the project were backed by an emergency planning committee, which he hoped could be got going again in the village, because the gritting would need a team of volunteers.

Coun Croxford will contact councils that have launched similar projects and report back.

l The council is accepting a one-tonne stock of salt from county highways to use on paths this winter.

Kirton organic farmer Andrew Dennis recently built a “veg tower” to raise awareness of Lincoln Cathedral’s northwest tower restoration fund, with £10 from every box sold donated to the £2.5million programme to repair both turrets.

Lincolnshire farmers are being asked to support the restoration fund by donating a tank of grain each from this year’s harvest.

It was Archers Day at The Bull Inn in Ambridge – better known as Rippingale – and the event was a sell out.

More than 40 people tucked into a starter of Stilton, Celery and Pear Soup – also available in Nelson’s Wine Bar, which will only sound familiar to listeners of The Archers.

Among the main course choices was Kathy Perks’ Winter Trawlerman’s Pie, as served by The Bull in that fictional place, Ambridge, the name of the “essential drama from the heart of the country” beloved of Radio 4 listeners.

However, all is not harmony in Ambridge-cum-Rippingale.

The storyline of a recent episode was less rural idyll and more urban combat, involving “a showdown with Rob and Jess”.

It seems controversy is stretching far beyond the boundaries of Ambridge, with a huge row in the national press over the birthplace of The Archers, according to Rippingale resident Jim Latham.

Jim has no doubts about the programme’s origins and other villagers agree with him.

Jim says Rippingale’s Archers Day was the village’s way of proving it was the model for the world’s longest running soap opera – and not that pretender Inkberrow in Worcestershire.

Local journalist Jim and his colleague John Warman have gathered historical documentary proof, not just that Rippingale is Ambridge, but that central characters in the radio drama were based on real-life locals.

He said: “The BBC chose Inkberrow as Ambridge years after The Archers started and became so popular that national newspapers were desperate for photos of the cast in farming settings.

“Inkberrow was near the recording studios in Birmingham and also the home of its editor, Godfrey Baseley, and so it became Ambridge – but it was not its inspiration.”

In fact, Godfrey Baseley visited Rippingale in 1946 as a radio producer to make a half-hour programme called Farm Visit, says Jim. A transcript of that recording came into Jim’s possession and the last two pages carry interviews between Godfrey, local farmer Henry Burtt and his son Stephen.

Jim says: “The eventual main characters of Dan Archer and his son Phil were based on Burtt and his son – and what they talked about became plotlines for early editions of The Archers.”

Godfrey made a second visit to Burtt to talk farming, indisputable proof to Jim that The Archers was conceived in nowhere else but Rippingale.

The Archers Day at The Bull Inn at Rippingale was so good that landlady and chef Sue Atkinson is planning another in the New Year.

“I have had brilliant feedback,” said Sue, who admits the event went much better than she thought it would.

Dishes for the evening were all inspired by food produced by characters in the Radio 4 drama The Archers.

One diner, Jim Latham, said: “The Archers meal was fantastic. Most people had the Harvester Rabbit with Sage Dumplings and John Archer’s Bubble and Squeak, as cooked by Clarrie Grundy at Grange Farm, which was simply wonderful.”

Another guest, from Grantham, used to work for local farmer Henry Burtt, the man Jim believes to be the inspiration for the main character in The Archers, Dan Archer.

Jim will talk to the Grantham man to build on his research proving the model for The Archers’ fictional village Ambridge is Rippingale.

Crowland Brownies assistant guide leader Liz Forth and young leader Kate Lucas took 15 girls to Frydays in the town to learn how fish is boned, potatoes are chipped and batter is made – and to sample the goods.

Mrs Forth said: “Some of the children had never seen a potato straight from the ground before. They forget chips and crisps are made from them.”

Drunken men smashed windscreens and windows in cars parked on a Spalding street in “ten to 15 minutes of madness”.

Thomas Berry (19) and Liam Martin (20) each admitted five counts of criminal damage when they appeared at Spalding Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

Jim Clare, prosecuting, said the cars were damaged between midnight and 12.15am on November 2 in Holland Road.

An Isuzu Trooper, belonging to Brian Kirk, had its windscreen shattered and a rock was found on its bonnet.

Windows were smashed in a Peugeot 406, owned by James Campbell, Robert McCallister’s Skoda Fabia, which suffered a rip to the passenger seat and a damaged handbrake, Andrew Pennington’s Audi A3 and Nicholas Wide’s Vauxhall Insignia.

Mr Pennington found his car damaged, heard “further smashing” along the street and confronted Berry and Martin in a driveway.

He told them to stay there, as police had been called, and described them as “aggressive”. They ran off but police arrested them soon afterwards.

Mr Clare said Mr Pennington was claiming £60 for his insurance excess, but that was not cost of repairs – there were no documents giving the cost of repairs to the other cars.

Berry, of Stonegate, Spalding, and Martin, of Halmer Gate, Spalding, will be sentenced on December 19 when a probation report has been prepared.

Solicitor Rachel Stevens said the men had been to a house party and Martin was “completely and utterly mortified “ by his behaviour and wants to compensate the car owners.

Solicitor Daven Naghen, for Berry, said: “It is going to prove to be an expensive night for him. It’s ten to 15 minutes of madness on their behalf.”

The Bank of England is threatening to impose tough new curbs on mortgage lending as it seeks to head off a future housing bubble.

In the financial policy committee’s quarterly Financial Stability Report, published today, it says there is no “immediate threat” to financial stability from the housing market but issues a series of warnings about the quality of mortgage lending and funding.

The report says the bank could tackle a house price bubble with tougher capital rules in targeted areas alongside loan to value and loan to income caps.

The warnings come on the same day the bank brought forward the end of funding for lending on mortgages by one year to January 2014.

Council of Mortgage Lenders’ data shows mortgage lending rocketed 37 per cent year on year in October, its highest level in five years.

Knight Frank and Savills’ house price surveys, both published this month, forecast house prices to rise by a quarter in five years.

Spalding police are warning residents to lock up following a rise in house burglaries.

PCSO Paul Coupland, from the Spalding estates policing team, said he’s done extensive patrols today (Thursday) and found a number of unlocked garages and outbuildings.

He said: “It takes seconds for someone to go into your open garage and insecure outbuildings and take your property.

“Don’t make it easy for them – lock-up and shut up.”

New Polish students at the Sir John Gleed School in Spalding will have even better support and understanding in future.

Two teaching assistants at the school have recently visited a school in Elblag in Poland to observe at first hand the teaching of Humanity subjects and English in Polish schools.

One of the teaching assistants, Sharon Caress, said: “We felt this was an excellent opportunity to help us understand how to best support Polish students who have recently joined the school.”

Sharon and fellow teaching assistant Carmel Bombardini received funding from the Comenius in-service training programme via the British Council to enable them to visit the 11 Lyceum of General Education, which has pupils aged from 13 to 18.

They met and observed teachers and students at work, as well as being guests at a formal lunch with the school’s headteacher.

However, Sharon and Carmel were themselves a cause of great interest in Poland, where very few schools employ teaching assistants to help support learning in the classroom. The pair were questioned extensively on their classroom roles and responsibilities.

They were also interviewed by Radio Gdansk and asked for their impressions of Polish schools and students.

Sharon and Carmel told them they had found Polish students “very focused on their work” and they were impressed by the level of English, and in particular English grammar, the pupils had.

The links made with the Polish school will continue, with students emailing each other and taking part in Skype conferencing. Teachers from Poland are applying for funding to visit the Spalding school next year.

Police are stepping up warnings on winter burglaries as Christmas approaches so residents can cut the risk of being targeted by thieves.

Nationally burglaries rise by 63 per cent during winter months, according to security specialists Yale, who say: “Darker nights mean lighter fingers.”

House burglaries in South Holland saw a 26.5 per cent fall – with 41 fewer break-ins – in the year to date compared to the same period in 2012.

But police are still advising residents to cut their risk of becoming a victim.

Crime reduction officer PC Ian Greenshields says dark nights offer criminals more cover.

He said: “Poorer visibility makes offenders feel as though they can move around without being spotted or seen – this can increase the number of offences being committed.

“A common aspect of why a particular property in a street may be targeted is when it is left in darkness, which makes it appear unoccupied.”

He suggests residents take simple steps to avoid being a target:

n Use timers so lights and a radio come on as darkness falls – several timers give the impression of a resident moving around the home

n Close and lock all windows and doors

n Don’t leave valuables on display near windows (such as jewellery, laptops and Christmas presents)

n Lock away garden items that burglars could use to break into your home – move bins to the back garden as burglars may climb onto them to gain access

n Cancel milk and papers if you go away

For more information on beating the burglar and Christmas crime visit www.lincs.police.uk, call 101 and ask to speak to your crime reduction officer or email crime-reduction@lincs.pnn.police.uk

A doorman had a heart attack after being assaulted at work and was flown to hospital by air ambulance.

Philip Malone (37) punched doorman Martin Fox and headbutted bar manager Richard Parrott at The Deeping Stage, Market Deeping, on April 29.

Mr Fox had chest pains after struggling on the floor with Malone, who threatened to kill him, and was airlifted to hospital.

Jim Clare, prosecuting, told Spalding magistrates Mr Fox was discharged after five days, having had a heart attack, and was fitted with a stent.

In a statement, Mr Fox said: “I didn’t ask whether my heart attack was caused by the incident or whether it could have happened any way.”

Mr Fox said all he tried to do was protect himself and others from Malone.

Mr Clare said Malone was with a friend in the pub garden at about 2.30pm and seen trying to urinate on a swan and put his private parts in his friend’s drink.

Staff asked Malone to leave, but he swore and said: “I will leave when I am ready. I am staying here all afternoon.”

Malone punched Mr Fox, who grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him down the drive towards the road.

About two minutes later Malone appeared inside and headbutted Mr Parrott on the nose before “jumping” onto Mr Fox.

Mr Fox, who weighs 15-and-a-half stones, fell on top of Malone, and said: “For some reason he put his hand in my mouth and was pulling at my tongue. He was then yelling at me, threatening to kill me, that he knew where I lived and that he would burn my house down.”

Malone scratched Mr Fox’s face and bar staff helped clean off the blood.

Malone, care of Churchfield Close, Deeping St James, admitted the assaults and sentence was adjourned to December 19 for a probation report.

Solicitor Roger Lowther, mitigating, said: “I think it would be a great leap to say he (Malone) was responsible for the heart attack. I don’t think he could be responsible if the victim required a stent – that would build up over a long period of time.”