Staff and pupils at Spalding’s Sir John Gleed School are celebrating the official appointment of their new headteacher.

Will Scott was made acting headteacher of the troubled academy, that had been placed in special measures, when Janet Daniels left under a cloud in May.

Since then he has been working tirelessly to move things forward and get the academy out of special measures.

Mr Scott, who moved from Surrey to become deputy headteacher of Gleed Boys’ School in 2006, said he was looking forward to being able to officially lead the joint schools.

He said: “I’m obviously delighted. It’s always been an honour to work with such fine students.

“The problems we have had here are no secret but I’m looking forward to working with the students, parents and the wider community so we can move forward as soon as possible.

“There are a lot of good things happening at this school and we want people to know all about it.”

The announcement that he had officially been appointed headteacher was made by the chairman of governors David Rich in a letter to parents on Thursday.

He wrote: “He was put through a challenging process with good candidates for the post from various parts of England.

“Mr Scott has done an excellent job as acting headteacher and he shone brightly during the selection process.”

Lesa Jeffery, chairman of Friends of the Sir John Gleed School, said: “We are absolutely over the moon. The students respect Mr Scott and that’s a massive step forward.

“He loves the school and wants it to work.

“He’s a genuinely nice man. It’s onwards and upwards from now.”

Parent Rebecca Thirkell, who reported the school to Ofsted ahead of it being placed in special measures following “serious incidents relating to violence”, was equally delighted with the appointment.

She said: “I’m really pleased and I’m sure the children are, too.

“I’m hopeful that the school will go from strength to strength and I think it’s the best outcome possible.”

Two kittens have been rescued from a colony living on a farm in Crowland after a plea from the volunteers who feed them.

The volunteers visited the Lincolnshire Free Press office after the recent spell of freezing weather because kittens were dying and they were having to bury them.

PJ Cat Rescue, of Long Sutton, visited the colony in a barn belonging to a retired farmer during the summer to try and rehome some of the cats.

But Phillip Newhouse, from the charity, said they were only able to take a few because after the story was published they became inundated with feral cats from across the district.

Mr Newhouse said: “Once people knew we took feral cats they kept bringing them in. We had 35 brought to us in 10 days.

“The rescue was also delayed because one of our fostering homes was quarantined after a cat was taken in with FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus).”

Following the plea from the volunteers who feed the cats and kittens on the farm, PJ Cat Rescue worked towards accommodating them – in spite of already being oversubscribed.

The charity has room for 70 cats, but is currently trying to rehome more than 100. Mr Newhouse said: “The volunteers caught them for us because we couldn’t get near them.

“They were very cold. We picked them up in the evening and it must have been below freezing. I got bone cold out there.

“But they are coming along fine and have already put on weight.

“We think they are about eight weeks old and one of them is male, although we haven’t been able to check yet. One of them is friendlier than the other but we are getting there –it usually helps when they have a full tummy.

“There is a long way through the rehoming process to go yet and they will be neutered. But they make fantastic pets.

“Of those we rehomed from the barn in the summer one remained feral but lives in a warm stable and is fed every day, another stays out in the day but likes to go in for food and cuddles and another spends all day indoors on its new owner’s knee watching TV.”

l Anyone interested in rehoming a kitten or a cat can call Janet Boujaama at PJ Cat Rescue on 01406 258221.

A man with mental health problems called police when he felt suicidal but ended up hurting two constables.

Jason McKenzie (29), of Roman Bank Crosses, Long Sutton, admitted assaulting PC Steven Kirtley and PC Scott McCraig when they answered his call for help on November 19.

Paul Wood, prosecuting, said McKenzie would not allow police inside his house and PC Kirtley sat with him in the back of a car writing notes.

At one point McKenzie told PC Kirtley to stop writing and get him away from the place where he was.

McKenzie then launched himself at the officer, forcing him to get out of the car for his own safety.

During a scuffle, McKenzie, put the officer in a headlock. The officer drew his taser, but McKenzie tried to grab it from him.

Mr Wood said the disorder came to an end when the officer fired his taser into McKenzie’s chest.

The court heard PC Kirtley was left with scratches on his arms and an injured finger and PC McCaig suffered discomfort to his right elbow.

Solicitor Julian Sheen said McKenzie tried to contact a mental health unit that day, but that failed, and he called police.

Mr Sheen said: “This matter came about because of the state he was in. He hugely regrets it and it has been deeply troubling him since the incident last month.”

Magistrates on Thursday sentenced McKenzie to nine months supervision by probation. He must pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

Intruders attempted to get into a home in Eastgate, Deeping St James, some time between 8am and 6.30pm on Monday.

Anyone with information should call police on 101, stating incident 370 of December 16.

Meanwhile, police are also looking for thieves who stole a pressure washer from a farm in Graby, near Pointon.

A blue Nilfisk Alto Neptune 5-28x pressure washer was stolen between 9.30am and 4.30pm on Monday and police think at least two people were involved in order to load the item into a vehicle and drive off.

When calling police, state incident number 142 of December 17.

Thieves struck twice in the Deeping St James this week, stealing catalytic converters from vehicles in both cases.

A blue Peugeot 406 estate parked in Fraser Close and a biege Citreon Xsara Picasso parked in Manor Way were targeted some time between last Friday and Monday.

Anyone with information should call police on 101, stating incidents 341 of December 16 and/or 231 of December 17.

Sutton Bridge is bracing itself for a big tide on New Year’s Day that will be about a foot higher than the one that threatened to flood homes on December 5.

The Environment Agency (EA) says tides in the first week of January will be “slightly higher” than those on the night Britain’s east coast took a battering, but this does not mean a repeat of the flooding that hit towns like Boston.

EA spokesman John Ray said high tides – known as spring tides – can be predicted years ahead, but tidal surges can only be forecast about a week before as they depend on weather.

Tidal flooding is caused by a combination of tide levels, tidal surge, low pressure and strong winds.

The EA’s flood and coast risk management senior adviser, Mark Robinson, said: “The chance of spring tides combining with weather conditions that caused the tidal surge this December are low for the New Year.

“However, our teams are closely monitoring the situation and we will remain vigilant to ensure we remain safe by issuing flood warnings where appropriate.”

Sutton Bridge Parish Council decided on Tuesday it will try to get a team of volunteers together to fill sandbags the next time the village is threatened by flooding.

On December 5, the tide forced water from the Nene out through a drainage valve and it cascaded into Lime Street.

The EA put sandbags on the drain and a line of sandbags across Lime Street – no homes were flooded but parish councillors and residents filled sandbags to lay across doorsteps.

Police were forced to close Cross Keys Bridge for public safety after 100 sightseers abandoned cars in nearby streets to watch the river levels rise.

The parish council is calling for some streets to be closed to traffic next time there is a flood so sightseers can’t get in the way of emergency services.

• Flooding information is updated every 15 minutes on www.environment-agency.gov.uk

New varieties of specialist lettuce for 2014 have been selected by a Gedney Marsh grower to meet the type of weather challenges thrown at farmers over the last two years.

While 2013 was a productive year for J E Piccaver in terms of leaf developments for the salad industry, 2012’s rainfall followed by “the coldest spring for 50 years” highlighted once again that varieties of lettuce have to perform in diverse seasons, said Richard Pett, crop development manager.

He said: “New varieties for 2014 have been selected that can meet these challenges.”

New varieties include Multileaf Red Batavia Stefano, a mild to sweet flavour whose outer leaf tips have an intense red colour which contrasts with the lower green centre.

Richard says the variety offers increased resistance to the Downy Mildew fungus and is suitable for cropping during the complete outdoor season.

Other new varieties include Multileaf Lollo Rossa Ezfilan, bred to offer improved shelf life, and Multileaf Red Coral Wintex, which offers extended shelf life and has been bred with more vigour so is ideal for spring and autumn production.

Much of the business’s R&D is conducted on the soils at Gedney Marsh, especially lettuce types. Further trials are based on the sandy loam soils near Colchester of growing partner Anglia Salads, where the emphasis is on the chicory family.

Some aspects of the positive contributions of botanicals and microbials to intensive horticulture is the topic up for discussion at the meeting of South Holland Growers’ Club at Whaplode Manor on January 6 (7.30pm).

The speaker is Nicholas Stutterheim, from Koppert Biological Systems.

With New Year’s Eve tonight, the CLA East is repeating its call for a ban on the use of sky lanterns.

This is the sort of occasion when more people use sky or Chinese lanterns, but the CLA fears it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident.

It is appealing for local authorities in Lincolnshire responsible for issuing Entertainment Licences to take action and prohibit their use.

A man who stabbed his flatmate’s partner and her best friend to death in a brutal attack has been jailed for life.

Mehmet Ozen (41) murdered Darren Harwood and Charlotte Piccaver (both 26) following a row over rent money.

A murder trial jury heard how Mr Harwood, a DJ from Sleaford, and Miss Piccaver, from Spalding, were both fatally stabbed in the throat after Ozen “went mad”, striking out with a large kitchen knife at his flat in Red Lion Street, Boston.

Passing sentence this evening, Mr Justice Flaux told Ozen he could only pass a life sentence. Ozen will have to serve a minimum of 27 years before he is considered for parole.

Mr Justice Flaux said: “What is clear is that this was a brutal attack on two young people who at the time were unarmed. This was a deliberate, targeted revenge attack.”

The judge added: “The psychological and emotional impact of the murder of these two young people on their parents and their siblings has been truly devastating. In a very real sense you have destroyed their lives as well.”

John Pini, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court the knife attack was an act of revenge by Ozen, who also lived in the property, after he was injured in a scuffle with flatmate Keyleigh Wright and her two friends two days earlier.

Giving evidence, Miss Wright (24) said: “He (Ozen) came out of his bedroom shouting at me about the rent. I couldn’t really understand him. He was aggressive. The next I remember is him waving a knife in my face. I screamed at him to leave me alone. He came at me with the knife. He stepped forward and lunged up towards my throat. I put my right arm up. If I hadn’t done that the knife would have got my throat. It cut my arm.”

“I didn’t see Darren. I started going to the floor in the kitchen. My next memory is seeing Charlotte lying on the bedroom floor. I don’t know how she came to be there.

“Ozen was stood over Charlotte but I didn’t see the knife. Then I saw Darren on the kitchen floor.”

Miss Piccaver was so severely injured she died at the scene.

Mr Harwood was stabbed in the neck with a blow that cut his main artery and suffered three other stab wounds but was able to speak to hospital staff before he died.

Ozen, who had recently become a British citizen, claimed he acted in self defence after Miss Wright walked in to his bedroom at 4.30am armed with a knife. But the jury convicted him of both murders, which happened on April 21.

They failed to reach a verdict on a charge of attempted murder on Miss Wright.

The jury was told that Ozen had sub-let the flat to Miss Wright after losing his job and getting into financial difficulty.

She paid him four weeks’ rent in advance but they argued after he asked her for more money.

Twenty-three people will not be welcome in Spalding shops this Christmas.

Their faces are in a picture gallery of mug shots showing who has been barred for committing crime and anti-social behaviour.

This is Business Watch – and ex-cop Stuart Brotherton is using his 30 years’ experience in the police force to help drive down retail crime in the town.

Mr Brotherton, who retired as Spalding police sergeant earlier this year, took the part-time position of scheme co-ordinator for Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry in August.

Based a few doors away from his old office at the police station, he said: “When I took the position it was clear the scheme needed reinvigorating.

“I’m really pleased with how it’s going – there are now 25 shops in the scheme.

“What’s more they are keeping in contact with each other. More than 20 of them hire radios from us and log in with CCTV volunteers each morning.

“It’s excellent seeing member shops using their radios and sharing information.

”We’ve already had five or six people detained as a result of member shops doing just that.”

Nationally, the cost of crime to businesses has risen this year by 15.6 per cent to an overall cost of £1.6 billion.

According to the British Retail Consortium, in spite of more investment in protecting businesses there has been a significant reduction in the number of offences being reported to police.

Mr Brotherton said: “It’s difficult to measure the success locally in statistics because not all incidents involving items of little value are reported to police.”

Steve Shephard, manager of Robert Goddard in Vine Street, has been a member for six months.

He said: “We already had one shoplifter convicted and jailed as a result of the partnership with Business Watch, PCSOs and the team here.

“We’re very happy we joined.”

Joining the scheme costs less than £10 a week, including £3 to rent a radio.

Mr Brotherton said: “That’s a small price to play if it stops someone stealing a trolley load of goods worth £150.

“With the investment in CCTV, a thriving Business Watch and our partnership with the police and other agencies the future is really bright for businesses in the town.”

A man accused of begging in the streets of Spalding spent 20 hours in police custody until he appeared before magistrates.

James Waxman (33), who lives in a caravan in Long Sutton, was fined £20 on each offence when he admitted five counts of begging or gathering alms in a public place and a public order offence when he swore at a PCSO with members of the public present.

Spalding magistrates decided on Thursday that none of the fines was payable because of his time served in custody. None of the offences carries a prison term.

The begging offences were brought under the Vagrancy Act of 1824 and Criminal Justice Act of 1982.

Paul Wood, prosecuting, said Waxman was in Market Place, Spalding, on November 26 when a member of the public told police he was outside W H Smith asking passers-by if they had any change.

Police were called to the town’s Aldi store in Winsover Road on November 29 when Waxman had asked a member of staff for money – and officers returned to the store on December 8 when customers felt “intimidated” by Waxman’s begging.

Mr Wood said Waxman was again found begging in Holbeach Road on December 4.

On December 10, a PCSO approached Waxman in The Crescent, but Waxman swore at the officer with members of the public present.

He said Waxman had a number of similar convictions “as well as a record of general criminality”.

Solicitor Mike Alexander, mitigating, said Waxman is “mainly homeless”, although he has a caravan, and receives no benefits.

He said Waxman had “24 or so” breaches of an anti-social behaviour order and had been in and out of prison as a result, mainly for a day.

Mr Alexander said Waxman was arrested last Tuesday and spent virtually 20 hours in police custody before being produced at Grantham Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, when the cases were adjourned to Spalding on Thursday.

Twelve chickens and a duck have been stolen from homes across South Holland within a three-day period this week.

Three Japanese Shamo chickens were taken from a barn in South Drove, Lutton Marsh, between 3pm and 5pm on Sunday.

Two days later, two chickens were stolen from outside a house in Saddlers Way, Long Sutton, between 8am and 10pm.

Also on Tuesday, seven chickens and an Aylesbury duck were stolen from outside a house in Baulkins Drove, Sutton St James.

Anyone with information should call police on 101.

The Internet has transformed the way in which some people read books now.

Many people choose to download books direct to their e-reader – much cheaper than buying a hard copy of a book and more convenient than packing half a dozen books when going on holiday.

However, it has also transformed the opportunities for getting into print for budding authors.

While a book publisher is still the best way to get published, there is a huge amount of competition out there and the round of rejections can be dispiriting – and discouraging.

Former Spalding High School pupil Janet Pywell – her mother Norma is well-known from her years as a teacher at Monkshouse Primary School – has recently self-published her first two books, available from Amazon as a hard copy or as an electronic download.

She says it’s a fairly simple process: authors upload their manuscript along with a professionally designed book cover to a company called Create Space. The book is then printed on demand and the author pays costs two to three months in arrears – a fee hopefully covered by book sales.

“At one stage it was looked down upon,” says Janet. “Now loads of people are turning to self-publishing. I have known authors who are self-published who previously had publishers who said they would do things for them and didn’t and they are now successful.”

She admits the hardest part of self-publishing is marketing, but luckily that’s an area Janet has some experience in, having formed her own marketing company in Belfast ten years ago.

She combined that business with her career in travel and tourism that has taken her to many parts of the world.

Some of those countries feature in her books, the crime novel The Golden Icon, followed by Red Shoes and other short stories.

The Golden Icon, the first in a trilogy, is about the valuable artworks and artefacts stolen in World War 2 by the Nazis – interestingly a subject that has been in the news very recently.

Her research led her to a book, The Monuments Men, about a group of people with expertise in museums and archaeology who volunteered to save as much of the culture of Europe as possible during World War 2. It’s a fascinating story, and one that has inspired a film directed by and starring George Clooney due for release in 2014.

The book of short stories includes a prelude to The Golden Icon.

The Golden Icon is available in paperback for £8.99 and Red Shoes for £5.99 from Amazon – http://amzn.to/1d2nWJ3e and http://amzn.to/ J6ATYA – or as downloads for under £2.

Detectives are warning people not to fall for a pre-Christmas bank scam after a couple from Spalding almost lost their cash.

The couple were called on their mobile phone by a man claiming to be from Lloyds Bank who advised them that their bank accounts were no longer secure.

He then advised them that new accounts had been opened for their money to be transferred into after an internal investigation by a member of staff.

During the call on Wednesday afternoon, the man told the couple to phone him back using the number of the bank of their bank card to confirm his identity.

But suspicions were raised when the call went straight through to him and he suggested that the call was intercepted by him by an unknown means.

The couple were then told not to tell Lloyds TSB staff about the matter when transferring money because of the internal investigation.

Fortunately, a relative who worked in a bank was able to freeze the transfer in time.

Recent figures from Financial Fraud Action UK show that one in 25 adults in the UK may have been a victim of this bank scam, known as “vishing,” with 43 per cent of those being adults aged 50 or over.

Anyone with information should call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

Chevrolet is quick to raise its hand to claim ownership of the SUV concept. Long ago in a galaxy far, far away (let’s call it 1930s America) the company developed the huge off-road capable Suburban, but things have moved on and these days SUVs this side of the Atlantic are a little smaller.

Sales in the sub-compact SUV sector have been booming. You can already buy a Chevrolet compact SUV in the shape of the Captiva, but the spirit of downsizing is strong in Europe and the latest breed of high-riding, good-looking soft-roaders are little longer than superminis.

This sector of the market is the Trax’s back yard, although you wouldn’t guess at a glance. It’s chunky, muscular and imposing, with a deep side profile thanks to low ride height and a high roof line. Frankly it looks brilliant, and certainly bigger than it is. But in reality it slots into parking spaces as easily as a hamster into that gap beneath the sofa.

What Chevrolet has tried to do with the Trax is give buyers maximum value in a product that feels a little bit premium. That comes in several strands, starting with the sort of chiselled looks that endow it with the elusive X(pensive) factor.

Then there’s the sheer amount of space Chevrolet has carved out of the shell. A modest boot is backed up by a huge under-floor storage well that could (and can) hold a spare wheel, with special compartmentalised storage boxes available for the main boot area too. But then inside there are three – yes, three – useful pockets in both front doors, a large open-faced storage bin, two glove boxes, two storage slots on the dashboard, an under-seat drawer and four cup holders. The everyday usefulness of the design is staggering. Rear passengers get a surprising amount of legroom, too.

As for the driving experience, the Trax comes apparently prepared for anything, with four-wheel drive an option and technology like hill descent control designed to ensure a safe journey off the beaten track.

But the truth is that the Trax, however many wheels it sends power to, is very much built for the streets.

The front skirt is aggressively low and catches on ruts, dips and rocks if you do venture off the beaten track. Chevy would be better to reduce the unnecessary tech and sell the car for less.

There is a basic 1.6-litre petrol engine and two turbocharged upgrades; a 1.4 petrol and a 1.7 diesel.

The latter can trace its roots back to Moses and despite its decent performance it can’t hide just how noisy it is, so the star performer is the 1.4, which has a hearty midrange with a cheeky background growl and returns respectable fuel economy if driven to the in-built gear change indicator.

With the petrol engine the Trax is a thoroughly likeable car for many reasons. It convincingly bridges the gap between practicality and panache, even if some of its electronic off-road gadgetry is superfluous.

These days new cars have to stand up to closer scrutiny than ever, and the Trax does so with style.

After the huge success of our toy appeal, we are now desperately seeking some willing Santa’s little helpers to make sure deprived South Holland children have a gift to open on Christmas Day.

Harry Drury, of toy appeal partner We’ll Let Your House, is hoping to put a team together for this weekend to wrap the hundreds of presents readers of the Lincolnshire Free Press have kindly donated.

We have been inundated with gifts, including toys and books, for boys and girls aged from toddlers to 12.

Harry and his team will be delivering the gifts to worthy recipients at the beginning of next week, but they are hoping volunteers will come forward to tackle the mountain of gift wrapping to ensure Christmas really is merry for children who otherwise not have anything to open.

If you can spare an hour or so to help, contact Harry on 01775 888314 for further details.

The latest from our girl about town...

Angel has noticed a sign in her gym all this month saying something along the lines of ‘Friends free in December’. On Monday it struck her that she had better request one soon before the offer ends....

* A big thank you from Angel to all the market traders who turn out each week – sometimes in horrible weather – to bring us all kinds of food stuff and everything from furniture to clothing. Well done everyone!

* Angel likes to support local traders when possible, but recently had to go online to buy a particular Nintendo DS game for her nephew that she could not find in any shops.

First she “purchased” it through Amazon, only to receive an email TWELVE days later saying it was not in stock and they could not get a copy.

Then she “purchased” it from play.com

This time, not only did she received a confirmation email, but even another one the next day to say the game had been posted... only to hear the next day that it had been “oversold”.

Eventually she managed to buy it from Nintendo and it was delivered and wrapped within 48 hours.

When possible, however, Angel will continue to shop local in the safe knowledge that when you’ve bought something you can put it in a bag and take it home.

* It seems to be every man or woman for themselves when it comes to parking this Christmas! Angel has been chatting to one reader who was upset about a blue badge holder in Sainsbury’s car park taking a mother and baby space.

The reader had both children with her when a car swerved in it leaving her with no space. What made her particularly angry was there were plenty of disabled spaces, but if she parked in there she would have got a fine. A little bit of seasonal goodwill needed here, Angel thinks.

* Angel loves seeing all the wonderful Christmas lights displays outside people’s homes but heard from a friend that they’ve been known to cause accidents with drivers “rubber necking” to check them out. Apparently people in one particular street in Leicester go over the top to compete with one another and vehicle shunts go up on a par with the excellence of the displays.

Angel was sad to hear from a friend who lives in Sutton Bridge. She put up her lights last year but daren’t do the same again this year because she was the only one.

* During a recent break, Angel found out that no matter how many timetables you put up in rail stations, people will still get on the wrong train.
So imagine a group of friends’ horror when they sat on a train they thought was heading for London King’s Cross, only to be told it was bound for Birmingham New Street.
A definite case of too much information to take in.

Gosberton Youth Club is looking for adult volunteers and donations so it can provide extra activities for children and boost numbers attending.

The club is a registered charity and secretary and trustee the Rev Ian Walters said around £7,000 has been spent on urgent maintenance, but another £2,000 is needed for projects like replacing the floor in one of the toilets and upgrading equipment used by youngsters.

He says extra volunteers and donations will also help the club boost attendance and put on talks, demonstrations and outings.

Mr Walters said: “At the moment we are looking for donations because the money we have in the kitty is to pay for running costs, like heating and lighting.

“We are still short of adult volunteers to supervise the young people when the club is open.

“We like to have three adults at any one time. Is there anybody out there who would like to help?

“If we get 20 people to volunteer, if would mean you would be on duty approximately once every four months.”

Full training is given and the club pays for a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks, previously known as CRB checks.

The club meets from 7.15pm-9.45pm with around a dozen youngsters attending on Tuesdays and 30 to 40 on Fridays.

Mr Walters said: “It does fantastic work and some of these kids really are thankful for it – it’s a safe place for them to be.”

The club briefly closed early this year after a falling out with the Rainbows Playgroup, which shares the hall, when the playgroup refused to sign a new contract until minor refurbishment work was carried out.

But the row was soon mended and Mr Walters said they are working happily together.

l To volunteer, donate or hire the hall please contact Mr Walters on 01775 840694.