A motorist is due to appear at Norwich Crown Court on Friday where she will be sentenced for causing the deaths of two Sutton Bridge sisters.

Marie Easter (44) has admitted causing the deaths of Tamzin and Jessica Portor, aged ten and seven, by driving without due care and attention.

Mrs Easter, of Herbert Ward Way, Terrington St Clement, was driving a black Ford Focus on December 27 which left the A47 at Walsoken, near Wisbech, at about 6.40pm.

The girls, who attended Sutton Bridge Westmere Primary School, suffered fatal head injuries as a result of the incident.

Their father Alan and brother Liam were also travelling in the car at the time and they escaped with minor injuries.

Mrs Easter also suffered minor injuries.

The Holbeach branch of Chandlers (Farm Equipment) Ltd is one of the new dealerships announced by Valtra, a member of the AGCO group.

The Holbeach depot will be supplying Valtra tractors and its team of experienced AGCO trained sales, parts and service staff will be providing comprehensive 5-star AGCO dealer sales, parts and service cover for farms throughout the district.

Valtra national sales manager Mark Broom said: “This new appointment provides farmers with the opportunity to purchase machines from the comprehensive Valtra range safe in the knowledge there is support from an experienced AGCO dealer.”

Three experts from the Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research facility will lead workshops at a unique conference next month.

The centre’s head Adrian Cunnington and fellow experts Glyn Harper and Adrian Briddon are to lead workshops during Storage 2020: International Storage Conference.

A Potato Council spokesman described it as “a unique conference, with high profile international speakers” as well as a senior buyer from Tesco’s who will talk about consumer requirements.

In addition, those who attend will have a choice of workshops to attend, including Glyn Harper’s New Technology for Disease Detection; Adrian Cunnington’s Storage 2020: Optimising Store Performance; and Adrian Briddon’s CIPC: Best Practice for Residue Control.

The conference is on Thursday, February 13 at Peterborough Arena (9.45am to 4.15pm). Entry is £30 (Potato Council levy payers) from 07792 209919 or miya.kotecha@potato.ahdb.org.uk

Multi-layered growing in urban warehouses may not be such a far-fetched idea, members of South Holland Growers’ Club will hear at their next meeting.

The talk on The Latest Developments in LED Lighting is on Monday, February 3 at Whaplode Manor, Saracen’s Head (7.30pm).

Two experts will talk about the many possible benefits to growers in terms of yield and quality improvement.

Holbeach Parish Council is to raise its precept by nearly £2,500 or just over one per cent for the coming year.

Spending on allotments, playing fields and other services in the Holbeach area was agreed by councillors at a meeting on Monday.

The precept rise means a small increase for council tax payers in 2014-15 compared to last year when they were asked for an average of £56.66 based on a Band D property.

Included in the budget is £7,500 for new fencing at Carter’s Park and almost £5,700 for CCTV in Holbeach, a bill cut from last year’s precept.

Coun Paul Brighton, finance committee chairman, said: “We did have a wishlist but we cut it down in order to keep the precept rise at a reasonable level of under two per cent.

“In terms of working out our budget for 2014-15, it all went very smoothly, although we’re not going to do everything we would have liked to do.

“But instead, we’re going to do everything that’s essential.”

This means improvements to Carter’s Park will go ahead after it was branded an “eyesore” by parish council vice chairman John Spencer at Monday’s meeting.

He said: “There’s a lot of work to be done in Carter’s Park and I think now’s the time to do it, so we’re going ahead with the fencing work to make the place more presentable and not an eyesore.

The Rural Payments Agency was at LAMMA last week helping farmers bring their businesses into the digital age.

It was promoting its increasingly popular paper-free service, Single Payment Scheme Online at the show.

A white Mercedes Sprinter refrigeration van parked in a Bourne street has been stolen.

The van was parked in Manning Road when it was stolen between 9pm on Tuesday and 5am yesterday.

Anyone with information should call 101, stating incident 26 of January 22.

A man branded “aggressive and anti-social” while begging for cash in Spalding is back on the streets after appearing in court again this week.

James Philip Waxman (33), of no fixed address, was given a day’s detention by magistrates after being charged with two counts of begging in a public place and two of breaching an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) imposed on January 15.

The ASBO was meant to stop Waxman from begging or trying to beg anywhere in England and Wales until further notice and was imposed after he appeared in court earlier this month on previous charges of begging.

Waxman was arrested by police in Spalding on Friday after he was recognised from a story about the ASBO in our sister paper, the Lincolnshire Free Press, last Tuesday.

At a hearing before Lincoln magistrates on Saturday, Waxman admitted to begging in Holland Market and Market Place on Thursday and Friday respectively, along with two counts of breaching the ASBO.

Waxman was sentenced by Grantham magistrates on Monday but the day’s detention was deemed served due to the time he spent in custody between hearings.

Spalding community policing inspector Jim Tyner said: “Some people may consider begging to be harmless but we were receiving numerous calls about the aggressive and anti-social nature of Waxman’s begging.

“Poverty is not a crime and we, along with local charities, have tried to support Waxman but he would not accept our help.”

Meanwhile, a trader claims that reports of people begging have dropped since a spate of incidents last year which led to a meeting between Insp Tyner and members of The Crescent Traders Association.

Joanne Holmes, of Wrights Flooring and Carpets, The Crescent, said: “I think security has improved because I’ve not heard anything about people begging and there doesn’t seem to be as many people hanging about now.”

The pupils of Spalding High School are often preparing cake stalls as part of the citizenship scheme within school.

Yet our next foray into the world of charity comes from the form of a teacher; Mr Jason Martindale.

A keen supporter of children’s charity Barnardo’s, our beloved DT teacher will run the London Marathon this April to raise money for this worthy cause.

There are various schemes to support his endeavours including a hair and beard designing competition, of which the lucky winner will see their design shaved into his head.

Please support this worthy cause by donating at www.justgiving.com/Jason 
Martindale. Thank you!

Shoppers in Spalding are welcoming a Government clampdown on jobless EU benefits “tourists” to stop them milking Britain’s welfare system.

Home secretary Theresa May and work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith say jobless migrants will be denied housing benefits from April – and will only be able to claim jobseeker’s cash for six months if they have a “genuine” chance of work.

A three-month ban on claims for out of work benefits is already in force.

Polish-born Diana Gajek (38), who lives in Spalding, welcomed the step, saying: “You have to put something into the pot before you take from the pot.”

Diana started her working life here in the fields in 2003 and now owns the Polish Education Centre.

Paddy Dunham, from Spalding, said: “I think it’s a good idea. They (the Government) never give me anything, I have never got anything out of them.”

Peter Timson (60), from Spalding, said: “If migrants are going to come to this country and not have a job to come to, why are they coming here?”

Peter Wood (77), from Holbeach, says the Government should tighten the rules.

He said: “They come over here because their benefits are not as good as ours. People should not come to this country if they haven’t got a job to come to.”

Peter Goodacre, from Moulton Chapel, said: “Most of the migrants coming over are quite happy to work – it’s not a case of coming over to try and grab what they can benefits wise.”

New mum Charlotte Morgan (22), from Spalding, says people must work to pay money into the system before taking it out.

She said: “You have to put something into the pot first otherwise it’s just not fair really – I wouldn’t mind if they had been living here five or six years.”

Fights are always breaking out on Monday nights at the Curlew Centre in Sutton Bridge – but no one gets hurt.

That’s because it’s non-contact fighting led by Pro Martial Arts Schools’ kickboxing instructors Aaron Farr and Ben Merson, who coach young and old to help them boost their fitness with safe, friendly and effective martial arts tuition.

Aaron and Ben, both aged 24, live in Sutton Bridge and have known one another since they were four-year-olds at Westmere Primary School.

They went to the same secondary school – and also work together making roof trusses at Walker Nene in Wisbech.

Aaron and Ben are second dan, black belts in the sport and launched the club in Sutton Bridge a little over a year ago because “there isn’t a massive amount” for people to do.

To their surprise, numbers attending the village club are around 35 – the same as their club at Lynnsport and Leisure Park, in King’s Lynn, which has a much bigger catchment area.

Classes at Sutton Bridge are split for juniors (seven to 12 years) and adults (13-50 years) and participants work out to music at a pace that’s suitable for them.

Aaron said: “Kickboxing teaches people discipline and self-control, because it is a martial art, and it’s a really good form of exercise.

“People who come to the club almost exercise without knowing it – they use parts of their body they wouldn’t normally use and it’s good fun for them.

“Children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), and other problems like that, all really enjoy it because it gives them an outlet for all that build up of energy.”

As well as fitness, all-round benefits include stress-busting, improved muscle tone and boosted confidence.

Aaron said: “A surprising number of people haven’t got a lot of confidence – I know it helped with my confidence.”

A couple of students from Sutton Bridge picked up gold and silver medals in the Pro Martial Arts Schools’ championships, but Aaron says people only enter competitions if that’s what they want to do.

He got into kickboxing almost by accident five years ago.

Aaron said: “It was between boxing and kickboxing – I decided I wanted to do a sport or a martial art – and the kickboxing fell on a more convenient night.” 
To join the club call 07882 581347 or 07912 790988.

How do you know that an establishment serving food is of a decent standard?

If it looks good in the restaurant or at the counter, how do you know that it’s the same behind the scenes? The answer is the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.

Whether it is a supermarket, corner shop, takeaway or factory canteen, every establishment which deals directly with a consumer will receive a rating under the scheme.

Fortunately, South Holland fares very well with over 95 per cent of establishments rated “generally satisfactory” or better. More than 40 per cent have the top rating.

But there is always room for improvement. There are 26 establishments rated either one or two, which require differing levels of improvement. And one place has a rating of zero, which means urgent improvement is necessary.

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, which is operated by South Holland District Council in partnership with the Food Standards Agency, sets out standards in hygiene, structure and confidence in management.

Each establishment is visited by food, health and safety officers unannounced on a regular basis. All those given a rating of less than three are offered guidance and coaching to improve.

Craig Fowler, who is Food, Health and Safety manager at South Holland and Breckland councils, said: “Many establishments advertise their rating on a window sticker.

“If they don’t, it might be worth asking yourself why. You are entitled to ask staff what the rating is.

“It’s also worth bearing in mind that the rating is based on what we saw on the day of inspection. Standards can change and the rating represents a snapshot in time.”

A lower rating might not necessarily reflect the premises’ cleanliness; it could indicate a lack of food safety management procedures.

However, whilst consumers might form a positive opinion of what they can see “front of house”, it can be that the picture behind the scenes is not as good.

Coun Malcolm Chandler, district council portfolio holder for regulatory services, said: “Our officers work hard to ensure that the residents and visitors to South Holland can have confidence in the places they choose to buy or eat food.

“The vast majority of establishments take pride in their premises and processes and deservedly get good ratings.

“Unfortunately there are establishments that fall below a decent standard and when they choose to ignore our coaching, we will take enforcement actionto ensure that residents receive the proper standards from the district’s food retailers.”

l All ratings are available to view under a search facility at http://ratings.food.gov.uk

Spalding fuel company Rix Petroleum has invested a “six-figure sum” in new transport to meet what it claims is rising fuel demand across the area.

A new 26-tonne, six-wheel Scania tanker, with a capacity of 20,000 litres, has been added to Rix’s fleet based at Welland Business Park, Clay Lake.

The firm, which supplies heating oil and commercial dealers to both residential and business customers across South Lincolnshire and north Norfolk, is preparing itself for colder temperatures when demand for fuel traditionally rises.

Robin Exley, manager of Rix Petroleum Spalding, said: “Last year, we had a lot of new enquiries for heating oil as the bitter weather lasted for many months.

“The whole team worked flat out and fulfilled all the orders, but it was a stretch and the new tanker will enable us to fulfil orders more efficiently so that customers remain topped up during the winter.

“Because of the extra business, Rix has been allowed to invest a six-figure sum into our fleet to ensure that those customers who relied on us in the past are able to do so again.”

Mobile phone innovator Simon Vaitkevicius will be Spalding Business Club’s guest when it meets at Bookmark, The Crescent, on Thursday February 6.

The meeting starts at 7am and includes a talk by Simon called Introduction to the Use of Innovation in Business.

Admission is £8, including breakfast, and for more details, call Ken Magg on 01775 711333.

Why go to all the hassle of moving when you could simply stay put and improve?

Simon Cunnington, assistant manager at long-established business Andrew & Co Spalding Ltd, says internal decoration and outdoor decking are the two key things people are currently doing to improve their homes.

What’s more, people are doing the clever thing and, where they don’t want to fork out for expensive high-end paints, they are using Andrew’s matching service to find a cheaper, but good quality, equivalent.

Simon said: “Neutral colours are popular – off-white, cream and magnolia. They want the cheaper paint so we do a matching service for them. We have a machine that will make up an equivalent colour and generally we can get close. There will be a slight difference, but to all intents and purposes it’s the same.

“With paint you do pay for what you get, but they can buy Dulux, Crown and Johnstone’s here, and they are all good quality.”

People are also using garden decking to improve the appearance of their gardens – creating an attractive seating or barbecue area in the process.

This winter has been so mild so far that Simon says they have sold a lot of decking already this year.

The store sells all the materials required for do-it-yourself decking, from joists that go underneath to the wooden decking itself.

Simon adds: “We can work out what is required for a given area and cut to size.

“It’s a fairly easy job and doesn’t take a lot of skills.”

However, if homeowners don’t feel confident enough to tackle something like garden decking, Simon says Andrew’s has a list of tradesmen they can recommend for the job instead.

Intruders broke into a store in Billingborough and got away with cigarettes and alcohol.

It happened at Co-op Food in High Street where a gang got in through a back door in the early hours of Thursday.

Anyone with information should call 101.

It’s still easy to be reminded of chunky Shoguns and rapid Lancer Evolutions when thoughts turn to Japanese car maker Mitsubishi.

Back in 2010 the firm introduced a compact SUV in a bid to grab some of the action in, at the time, an evolving market sector.

Fast forward to today and the ASX has been given a subtle makeover and costs a little less than before, as it attempts to take a slice of the increasingly popular compact “soft-roader” SUV market.

At launch the ASX’s appearance aped that of the now departed Colt supermini, but the slightly angular look does much to give the ASX an “edge”.

It’s the same inside, with the ASX’s cabin clearly at the more durable end of the scale.

But that’s about as rough and tumble as the ASX gets.

Mitsubishi’s latest updates include a greater level of sound proofing to boost cabin refinement, while the standard specification has been given a welcome uplift. There’s now Bluetooth connectivity across the range, for example.

Along with the existing 1.6-litre 115bhp petrol and 1.8-litre 114bhp diesel engines, Mitsubishi has introduced a six-speed automatic transmission option tied to the larger 2.2-litre 148bhp from its Outlander model.

This flagship combo also comes with full-time four-wheel drive – an option on the 1.8 diesel – while the rest of the range ships in wallet and city-friendly front-wheel drive.

On the road the 2.2-litre ASX proves to be a brisk and refined performer.

You sit higher than in a conventional family hatchback but there’s very little in the way of pitch and roll when on the move.

While the changes might be subtle, Mitsubishi’s engineers have focused on the things that matter. A more refined cabin ambience and, whether you tow or drive mainly in the city, the inclusion of an auto gearbox are both welcome attributes.

Lastly, price reductions plus a welcome uplift of the standard specification ensure that Mitsubishi’s ASX is easily capable of taking the fight to the competition.

Police are looking for help after someone was seen trying the door handles of vehicles parked in a Bourne street.

They were seen in Harvey Close at about 7.40pm last Tuesday when they were wearing blue jeans and a grey hooded top.

Anyone who can help should call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, stating incident 332 of January 21.

A Spalding grandad has expressed his horror at finding a blood-filled syringe close to his home in the town centre.

Pete Williams, landlord of The Punchbowl, made the find in Chapel Lane on Thursday afternoon.

The needle was surrounded by blood-stained tissue and other paraphernalia that might suggest drug use.

Pete said: “I live in Chapel Lane and my grandson plays around here and here we have a syringe with blood in it. The needle is still in there.

“It just needs a couple of kids to think, ‘Let’s play doctors and nurses’. It’s frightening. This is Spalding, not Birmingham. This is really quite frightening.”

Pete reported the find to Spalding police.

Two men were stopped in the act of breaking into a shed in West Road, Pointon, before getting away in a white Ford Transit van.

The attempted break-in happened at about 3.15am last Tuesday and anyone with information should call 101.

Please state incident 13 of January 21.