Advertisement feature by by Helen Mumby-Croft, of Aspire Health and Wellbeing Spa, The Crescent, Spalding

I have talked about painkillers that you take by mouth in the last two parts. There are some very strong painkillers which you can wear as a patch – these help people who have pain 24/7, because it gives a slow continuous dose of the painkiller.

These patches are usually a type of morphine and are very strong, prescribed only for the severest type of pain. There are also some painkillers which are topical – this means you rub them into your skin.

You can buy things over the counter that either heat up or cool down, and this works because your body is set up to give priority to certain sensations in order to protect you from harm.

Therefore heat, cold, vibration, are all messages which take priority, and can therefore override pain messages that are more chronic.

This is the way TNS (transcutaneous nerve stimulators) machines can help – they do not treat the pain, just distract you from the pain.

A TNS machine only works while it is on, and never at night when you sleep because if you cannot feel it, you cannot be distracted.

Sometimes muscle relaxants like diazepam can help by reducing muscle spasm. Muscle spasm in itself is not the problem, muscle spasm occurs as a defensive spasm to limit movement when you hurt yourself, a bit like putting a plaster cast on a broken limb.

The problem is diazepam is very addictive, because it alters your sleep pattern. It gives you something called rapid eye movement sleep, which is the second stage of sleep, but it stops you having deep sleep, the first and most refreshing sleep phase – so you might sleep, but not have good quality sleep so you crave more drug to help you sleep better.

Diazepam should only be used when you have spasm, and not as a regular painkiller.

The rule of thumb is, use your painkillers as prescribed, no more than recommended, as you could be making your pain worse.

Painkillers are not designed to cure you, nature takes care of that mostly, but it will help you keep mobile and carry on so you do not get problems from being immobile, like blood clots.

Take painkillers early, they work best when your pain is just starting, rather than when your pain is at its worst.

Use anti-inflammatories to treat your problem rather than just as a painkiller.

Reduce your dose of medication as soon as you can. If you need more medication than you have been prescribed, go back to your doctor, do not just take more

Lincoln- based Theatre Company Zest has again been performing for students at the Thomas Cowley High School.

Year 9 and 11 students were entertained by three young actors who played two characters each in the fast- paced performance of Man-Up. The production had a sex theme.

People in Bourne interested in serving their community and saving lives are invited to a recruitment event in the town next week.

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue is looking for men and women who want to know more about becoming on-call or retained firefighters to attend a recruitment evening at Bourne Fire Station, South Street, on Wednesday March 19 between 6pm and 8pm.

You must be a minimum age of 18 and live or work within five minutes travelling time of the fire station.

Richard Friend, station manager for Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, said: “We are looking for committed men and women to join the county’s on-call crews to help provide the best possible service to their community.

“We are looking for a combination of practical ability, mental resilience, courage, physical fitness and the ability to remain calm and focused in difficult circumstances.”

There is no need to book but for more details, call 0800 358 0204 or go to www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/lfr/recruitment

ON THE BEAT with Inspector Jim Tyner

My police radio crackled suddenly into life: ‘Ten, nine! Ten nine!’ These four words turned my blood to ice. In days gone by, this was the police radio code that meant an officer was under attack and needed urgent assistance.

It was 10pm on a Saturday night and I had just come on duty. I was a newly-promoted sergeant and this was definitely not the gentle start I was hoping for. I had had two daytime ‘admin days’ and this was my first proper shift as the new sergeant.

I ran to the scene. As I turned the corner there was a large crowd of about 100 people in the street in various stages of inebriation. They were all there: the happy huggers; the wall-wobblers; the gigglers, but I wasn’t paying attention to them as I was anxious to find the officer who had requested help.

I had to push through the crowd towards the nightclub entrance. As I got closer I could see one of my officers, PC Adams, restraining a man on the ground. I noticed that the crowd was getting a bit tense but I still didn’t know what had happened. I could hear faint sirens in the distance and knew that more help was on the way.

Before I could get to PC Adams a member of the crowd told me that there was another officer injured nearby. Who should I help? A few minutes earlier I had been all bright-eyed expectancy, arriving at work as the new sarge. Now I was in an agony of indecision. I shouted to PC Adams and he confirmed that he would be alright for a few minutes. I went to look for the second officer and very quickly found PC Rogers kneeling on the floor nearby. He was able to tell me that he had been kicked in the mouth: he had broken teeth and a suspected broken jaw.

I was just about to apply First Aid, when a witness pointed out the man who had attacked PC Rogers. He was just starting to walk away. It was my second moment of indecision in as many minutes. I was still waiting for reinforcements to arrive: should I help PC Rogers or go after his attacker.

I had been a constable longer than I had been a sergeant, so the impulse to make an arrest was strong. Having made my decision, I decided that sneakiness was the best bet: I rushed up behind the man and slipped on the handcuffs before he had a chance to realise that he was bigger than me and stronger than me. As I did this, other officers started to arrive with a police van. I was joined by a cop I hadn’t met before and we started to walk my prisoner to the back of the police van.

We got to the back of the police van with my prisoner when I was suddenly grabbed in a bear hug by a huge grizzly-bear sized man in the crowd and dragged to the ground. Now, rule number one of police safety training is to avoid being on the ground.

Rule number two is that if you do break rule number one; make sure no one ends up on top of you. I broke two rules in two seconds. There should be a third rule for other cops: if your sergeant is on the ground with an assailant on top of them, DO NOT jump on top of both... unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened as three burly cops jumped on top of the two of us.

I was suddenly the bottom slice of bread in a grizzly-bear sandwich. The air expelled from me like the pressing of a pair of bellows and I felt the unmistakable pop as my ribs gave way.

This was definitely not the most shining example of leadership that I had hoped for. As the mix of Keystone Cops and grizzly bear untangled above me I realized that I had no idea how PC Adams or PC Rogers were. This was absolute chaos. I couldn’t keep up with everything that was happening but I could see that the man that had pulled me to the ground was now under arrest as were two others.

It was at this point that I realised that I’d lost a contact lens in the kerfuffle. Despite the pain from my ribs, I giggled to myself at the thought of shouting for everyone to stand perfectly still while I searched for my lens.

The problem is, I was meant to be the sergeant, directing and controlling the others, but actually I was at the point where I wanted to simply put on my civvie jacket and mingle with the crowd!

Instead, I went back and checked on PC Adams. We took his prisoner to a police van and it was obvious that PC Adams had also been hurt and had sustained broken ribs when he had been attacked prior to my arrival.

I next checked on PC Rogers, who was being tended to by a paramedic. In typical cop understatement he said: ‘Well, that was a waste of expensive dental work. My orthodontist is going to be upset’.I checked my watch. It was 10.15pm... 15minutes in to my shift and three of us had nasty injuries and we had five prisoners to take to the police station. I took a deep, painful, breath, sorted my thoughts and finally started to take control my officers.

As the scene returned to normality, I remember thinking to myself about the sign I had seen on the way to work: ‘Welcome to Stamford’.

And that’s why I’m sharing this story with you. It isn’t my proudest moment, but it shows that drunken behaviour and assaults don’t just happen in Spalding.

It also illustrates the dangers that my officers face, but this is nothing new... this story is from October 2000.

PS: The five men went to court and were convicted of violent disorder. The cops all made a full recovery.

Last week I attended a meeting to hear a report on the current situation in regard to Sutton Bridge Parish Council’s decision to seek guidance in respect of getting a judicial review of South Holland District Council’s granting of planning permission for a gasifier/incinerator plant at Sutton Bridge.

I had previously attended a meeting at which the council had agreed to make a capped sum of £10k available for this purpose. We were told that having spent some £2,500, a majority of the council decided they would not take the matter any further, on the premis that this would bankrupt the Council. This despite the fact they still had £7,500 left.

The meeting had been called by Shirley Giles, a pensioner, who had offered to fund the £2,000 out of her own pocket, but the council refused.

As we were told that such developments were planned for areas of least resistance, such decisions, of those by both the parish and district councils, should come as no surprise.

The meeting was told, at some length, of the history of these plants, the potential impact of emissions, both through

the six stacks to be erected and the heavy increase of HGVs also the potential danger of placing such a plant next to

the existing power station, near to the Wash and in an area of potential flooding.

A previously-held petition was signed by 950 residents, but totally ignored. So much for the Localism Act.

In conclusion, failure to defeat the planned development will confirm the feeling that Sutton Bridge, with an additional power station, gasifier/incinerator and wind farm, is a dumping ground.

Still we can draw comfort from the promised 30 pieces of silver, sorry, money for local community projects.

And anyway, who cares?

BJ Smith

Sutton Bridge

The following planning applications have been submitted to the councils:

South Holland District Council

Mr and Mrs G Ibrahim, Rose Cottage, 21 Station Road, Gedney Hill. Residential building plot.

Gosberton House School, Westhorpe Road, Gosberton. Works to Gosberton TPO.

Lincoln Diocese, The vicarage, 5 Church Street, Holbeach. Works to trees in conservation area.

Lincolnshire County Council, Sutton Bridge Children’s Centre, Anne Road, Sutton Bridge. Retain mobile buildings used for Sutton Bridge Children’s Centre and Sunbeams Playgroup (retrospective).

Mr N Hutton, 109 Woolram Wygate, Spalding. Demolish bungalow and build one chalet bungalow and one bungalow (resubmission).

Mr and Mrs G Ibrahim, Rose Cottage, 21 Station Road, Gedney Hill. Detached double garage.

Miss J Cummings, 3 Harlequin Drive, Spalding. First floor extension above garage (amendment).

County Interiors, Apple Way, Pinchbeck. Vary condition, limiting occupation/use of premises.

Mr J Allwood, 12 Hall Gate, Moulton. Works to Moulton TPO.

Whitworth Bros Ltd, Whitworth Mill, Barrington Gate, Holbeach. Replacement sign.

Mr J Honnor, Pipwell Manor, Washway Road, Saracen’s Head. Works to Saracen’s Head TPO.

Elgoods and Sons Ltd, The Wildfowler on the Wash, Main Road, Gedney Drove End. Change of use from public house to single residential dwelling.

Mr M Thompson, 4 Saxony Way, Donington. Single store extension to provide double garage.

Mr J Kirk, 1 Delgate Avenue, Weston. Details of external materials, means of foul water disposal and affordable housing.

Lincolnshire County Council, University Academy Holbeach, Postland Road, Crowland. Demolition and rebuilding single storey section, demolition/removal of boiler house, water tank and mobile classrooms, security fencing, external works and changes to parking arrangements. Changes to colour of existing cladding of building and size of sprinkler tank and pump house previously approved.

Mr S Normanton, West Lighthouse, Guys Head Road, Sutton Bridge. Detached summerhouse/games room.

Mr K Woolsey, 13 Mill Green Road, Pinchbeck. Single storey extension.

Ventrolla, 26 Market Street, Long Sutton. Removal of upvc double glazed windows and replace with timber single glazed windows.

N Snaith, Long Drove House, Hundred Fen, Gosberton Clough. Single storey attached garage.

Mr M Yould, land adjacent Homelea, Dozens Bank, Pode Hole. Steel framed building to provide food storage and livestock shelter for rare animal breeds.

Mr and Mrs S Dixon, Priestly House, Quadring Bank. Replacement dwelling.

Mr A and Mrs J Keen, The Yews, Quadring Road, Donington. Details of boundary treatment, brickwork details and brick panel.

The Crown Estate, 77 Woodgate Road, Moulton Chapel. Two semi-detached dwellings.

Bernard Matthews Ltd, Luttongate Farm, west side of Luttongate Road, Sutton St Edmund. Ten biomass heating packaged plant rooms and associated works.


Boston Borough Council

Holly Lodge Nurseries, Streetway, Wyberton. Variation of condition permission to allow for additional occupants.

Crimond, Church Lane, Swineshead. Extension.

Pig and Whistle, Market Place, Swineshead. Residential development.

8 Hansard Way, Kirton. Single storey extension.

Holly Lodge, Streetway, Wyberton. Application to remove agricultural occupancy.

Bridge Farm House, Gauntlet Road, Bicker. Listed Building Consent for removal of front porch and rear chimney stack, installation of replacement external windows and doors.

Bridge Farm House, Gauntlet Road, Bicker. Removal of front porch and rear chimney stack, installation of replacement windows and external doors, improvements to external walls and roof and erect perimeter fence.

Threeways, North End, Swineshead. Detached dwelling.

South Kesteven 
District Council

Tidman, Reidlands, 7A Mill Drove, Bourne. Omission of chimney and alterations to elevations.

Double and Megson Solicitors, 4 Chapel View, Dyke. Compliance with conditions.

PM Recycling Ltd, Outgang Road, Baston. Steele portal frame open sided canopy with profiled metal sheet.

Grimsthorpe and Drummond Castle Trust, Mill Leys Farm, School Lane, Edenham. Variation of condition of permission.

Bates, 1 River Lane, Deeping St James. First floor extension, two storey front and side extensions.

Cross, 8A and 10 Bridge Street, Deeping St James. Extension and alterations to outbuilding to form new storey detached dwelling.

Cox, 10 Bridge Street, Deeping St James. Demolition, reconstruction and change of use of shop to residential.

Riddle, Blue Sky Plastic Recycling, South Fen Road, Bourne. Use of land and buildings for waste recycling (retrospective).

Grimsthorpe and Drummond Castle Trust, Mill Leys Farm, School Lane, Edenham. Discharge several conditions.

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.

Lincoln Magistrates’ Court

February 11

Nerijus Vaikasas (38), of Holland Road, Spalding. Stole goods worth £20.95 belonging to Aldi (Spalding). £135 fine, £27 victim surcharge, £85 costs. Assaulting a police officer. £135 fine, £50 compensation.

February 17

Richard Hare (27), of Woolram Wygate, Spalding. Driving while using a mobile phone (Sutterton). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Timothy Knight (35), of Thames Tunnel, East Street, Crowland. Driving while using a mobile phone (Cowbit). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Jonathon Warfield (35), of Branches Lane, Holbeach. Speeding (Cowbit). £400 fine, £40 v/s, £85 costs, 4pts.

Deividas Cernys (34), of Telford Court, Spalding. Speeding (Threekingham). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Ronald Thompson (52), of Tasman Caravan Site, Peterborough Road, Eye. Speeding (Whaplode). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Lauren Arthur (22), of Viking Way, Thurlby. Allowing someone to use a vehicle without proper insurance (Bourne). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Samuel Johnston (29), of Meridian Close, Boston. Speeding (Spalding). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

James Mason (28), of Viking Way, Thurlby. No insurance (Bourne). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts. No separate penalty for driving otherwise than accordance with a licence.

Scott Reynolds (27), of Livingstone Drive, Spalding. Failing to give driver ID (Nettleham). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Ivars Rupulis (28), of Windmill View Court, Willoughby Road, Boston. Speeding (Wyberton). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Claire Capps (33), of South Street, Swineshead. Failing to stop after an accident (Woodhall Spa). £337 fine, £33 v/s, £85 costs, 7pts. No separate penalty for failing to report an accident and driving without due care and attention.

Steven Hewitt (43), of Woodgate Road, Leverington. Speeding (Whaplode). £60 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Noshy John (42), of Swanspool, Peterborough. Speeding (Cowbit). £100 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Ingrid Justice (33), of Fields View, Benwick. Speeding (Cowbit). £75 fine, £20 v/s, £40 costs, 5pts.

Kevin Turner (55), of Royal Oak Drive, Wickford, Essex. Speeding (Cowbit). £75 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Andy Watt (58), of Lee Avenue, Algarkirk. Speeding (Butterwick). £60 fine, £20 v/s, £40 costs, 3pts.

February 24

Laimis Mechouskis (30), of Opportune Road, Wisbech. Failing to give driver ID (Tydd Gote). £400 fine, £40 victim surcharge, £85 costs, 6pts.

Scott Reynolds (27), of Livingstone Drive, Spalding. No insurance (Spalding). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts. No separate penalty for defective windscreen and defective tyre.

Simon Hughes (22), of Childers Gate, Sutton St James. Being the driver of a vehicle which illegally stopped within the limits of a pelican crossing (Skegness). £35 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts. No separate penalty for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

Lloyd Hurford (24), of Lime Close, Burgh Le Marsh, Skegness. Speeding (Swineshead Bridge). £225 fine, £22 v/s, £85 costs, 4pts.

Egijs Kovalevskis (26), of St Thomas Road, Spalding. Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence. £65 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Jane Sanderson (48), of Almond Walk, Sleaford. Speeding (Swineshead Bridge). £60 fine, £20 v/s, £25 costs, 3pts.

February 26

Sharon Thomas (43), of Hereward Road, Spalding. Stole fragrances and cosmetics worth £72.96 belonging to Boots (Lincoln). £75 fine, £20 victim surcharge. Stole clothing worth £78.90 belonging to Primark. £75 fine.

Boston Magistrates’ Court

February 10

Andrew Box (40), of Waterside Court, Double Street, Spalding. Carrying a lock knife in public (Spalding). Community order with curfew for four weeks and electronic monitoring, £60 v/s, £85 costs.

Deniss Ukolovs (25), of The Granary, Bedford Place, Spalding. Stole meat worth £22 belonging to Sainsbury’s (Spalding). 12 months conditional discharge. Stole gammon worth £56.28 belonging to Late Shopper, Spalding. £28.14 compensation, £15 v/s.

February 12

Piotr Dlugosz (43), of Hardwick Estate, Kirton. Stole curtain tie backs worth £36 belonging to Oldrids, Boston. Had a Stanley knife blade for use in the course of, or in connection with theft. Community order with 100 hours unpaid work, £60 v/s, £85 costs, Stanley knife blade to be forfeited.

Lukasz Labiszak (30), of Hardwick Estate, Kirton. Had a Stanley knife blade for use in the course of, or in connection with theft (Boston). £110 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, Stanley knife blade to be forfeited.

Benjamin Chapman (30), of Queens Avenue, Spalding. Stole electric razor worth £50 belonging to Wilkinsons (Lincoln). Community order, £65 fine, £60 v/s.

February 13

Victor Lilburn (71), of Cranmore Lane, Holbeach. Two counts of falsely claiming pension credit. 24 months conditional discharge, £100 costs.

February 17

Tomas Sinkevicius (44), of Hannam Boulevard, Spalding. Drink driving (Spalding) and driving while disqualified. 12 weeks prison sentence suspended for 12 months with 200 hours unpaid work, £80 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 36 months. No separate penalty for no insurance.

Tomas Smilgin (22), of London Road, Spalding. Failing to provide roadside breath test (Boston), driving while disqualified (Spalding). 12 weeks prison sentence suspended for 12 months with 200 hours unpaid work, £80 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 3 years. No separate penalty for no insurance.

Joseph Piskula (41), of Bowditch Road, Spalding. Drunk and disorderly (Spalding). £400 fine, £40 v/s, £100 costs.

February 19

Stuart Brunt (24), of Copes Way, Chaddesden, Derby. Trespass in search of game (Holbeach St Marks). £500 fine, £50 v/s, £85 costs.

Byron Gordon (32), of Samuel Johnson Close, Streatham, London. No insurance (Spalding). £110 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 8pts. No separate penalty for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

Regarding your story about missed doctors’ appointments: If more surgeries had a “walk-in” surgery then appointments would not be missed. If you are feeling unwell you want to see a doctor that day, not in a week’s time.

I also fail to see how a doctor not seeing a patient can cost money.

Margaret Martin

via email

A teenager who was arrested in the early hours of Friday morning, on suspicion of aggravated burglary in Holbeach, has been charged.

Ryan Crane (18), of Cranmore Lane in Holbeach, has been charged with the aggravated burglary of a property in Arthur’s Avenue.

Crane will appear before Lincoln Magistrates today (Saturday).

There will soon be some new COPS on the beat in Spalding - helping local police officers sniff out crime.

Dog owners are being invited to sign up for Canines on Patrol (COPS) - a county wide campaign where eagle-eyed residents report anything suspicious spotted on their daily walks.

The launch takes place at Rooke’s pet store in High Street on Saturday, March 15, and owners who sign up will get an information pack, incident log and a COPS ID badge for their dog.

Even though they will be wearing the COPS badge, dogs won’t be expected to chase any criminals. While they carry on sniffing, it is their owners who could spot something vital.

PCSO Kim Marlowe, who is launching the campaign with PCSO Lisa Waterfall, said: “Dog walkers have always been important sources of information for us.

“Because they walk at regular times, they are more likely to spot if someone hasn’t drawn their curtains that day and may be sick, or where a window has been broken.

“Once when I was walking my dog I came across some dumped stolen lead which I wouldn’t have found on my normal patrol.

“Becoming a COP acknowledges how important dog walkers are to the police.”

Crime reduction advice will be given to members to make them aware of current incidents.

Members will also be told how to safeguard their animals and personal possessions.

The Rooke’s launch is between 10am and 4pm. Dog owners can also get their pets microchipped for free thanks to the Dogs Trust.

Another launch will be at Baytree Garden Centre on April 12 before COPS is rolled out across South Holland.

An open letter to all it should concern.

As a long-term resident of Moulton, I feel empowered to make my views known. I found Moulton to be a most desirable conservation village, spoilt only by having the equivalent of an industrial site at its heart.

It has many of the essential village amenities – a pub, a church, a surgery and a 
couple of shops, including a post office.

However, the longed-for peace and quiet is regularly disturbed by juggernauts using the B1357 through the village despite there being plenty of alternative routes. Houses shake when one of these monsters goes by!

A neighbour tells me that during the earthquake of February 2008, she thought it was a very long juggernaut passing! Another neighbour has been forced to increase her glazing from double to triple in order to sleep at nights.

In addition, for those who live just outside of the village these ever-larger leviathans prevent access to the village amenities (school, surgery, shops, church and buses) by foot or bicycle without taking life in hand (there is no footpath or lighting).

And the reverse holds true: villagers are prevented from walking or cycling in the countryside.

I do not know how much of this unwelcome traffic was generated by Gardmans (the site began originally as a small local blacksmith) but it must have had some effect.

Since Gardman has closed we have noticed there is much less heavy traffic passing. Nor do I know what plans the owners of the site have, but I do believe everything possible should be done to dissuade both heavy traffic from the 
village and to prevent the re-establishment of an industrial site which should never have been introduced into a conservation village in the first place.

I do think the village will be best served by a residential, rather than a commercial, development of the site.

Google Earth tells me there is room for several houses and this increased population would boost trade to the post office and stores, butcher, fish and chip shop and the local public house.

Moreover, such housing would provide employment to local builders.

It is undeniable that the local authorities have a duty to discover what the population thinks, and to use that knowledge to inform any decisions. In this case the opinions of those residents on the B1357 through Moulton are of especial relevance.

Furthermore, I know that Cambridgeshire and Leicestershire are not alone in implementing traffic policies which seek to protect villages and their inhabitants (especially playing children and the elderly) by dissuading, or indeed banning, heavy lorries from travelling through them.

I urge everyone at parish, district and county council level to find out what the people think before making decisions.

This is a rare chance to make our village even more beautiful; let us not waste it.

James Crosby

Moulton

Though it has taken him a long time, the P&CC for Lincolnshire has at last apologised to the Chief Constable for his ‘irrational and perverse’ decision to suspend him.

Hopefully we will now see two of Alan Hardwick’s proposals acted upon! Firstly ‘a line should be drawn’ – preferably through his contract. Secondly, he ‘moves on’ – to somewhere he is unable to waste any more public money nor needlessly undermine the morale of Lincolnshire Police.

Peter Breach

Pipwell Gate

Moulton Seas End

Money Matters by Scott Woods

With stock markets getting off to a shaky start in January following impressive equity returns last year, will investors approach the 2013/14 ISA season with greater caution?

Or will they opt instead for trying emerging markets or a possible fixed income turnaround?

Despite a confident outlook for markets and investors’ growing risk appetite in 2013, net retail ISA sales for the previous tax year actually fell to £1.1 billion compared to £2.3 billion in tax year 2011/12, according to Investment Management Association figures.

The outlook for 2014, by contrast, appears less optimistic as recent volatility in emerging markets coupled with the removal of quantitative easing (QE) and softer economic data in the USA has seen equities start the year on a less firm footing.

The MSCI World Index has so far returned -1.4 per cent in 2014 compared to 15.49 per cent for the same period last year and the current backdrop is seeing some advisers adopt a more cautious approach to this ISA season.

Bestinvest managing director Jason Hollands said: “This season is very different to last year when we had a very clear and quite bullish view on equities.

“You saw fantastic returns on developed equity markets, supercharged with the tailwinds from QE.”

Other advisers are adopting a more optimistic view, looking beyond any short-term volatility to argue that equities can continue to deliver over the long-term.

Investors could risk missing out on another good year for equities by not participating in the current ISA season, according to Skerritts Financial Advisers’ head of investment Andrew Merricks.

But whatever your view, utilising your tax efficient allowances can be crucial in the search for decent returns.

My wife and I went into town last Sunday, saw loads of litter blowing around, lots of beer cans, empty shop premises, two shopping trolleys in the Welland and a few beer drinkers sitting around on the only day when people could park for a while untroubled.

But we now saw a traffic warden on duty making sure you did not out stay your welcome.

What next, stop and search grannies?

I hope I haven’t given the council ideas.

This town is going downhill fast and this council is hastening the process.

D Crowder

Spalding

A lawn mower and number plates have been stolen in separate incidents in Sutton St James.

Thieves cut a wire fence outside a house in Manor Hill before going inside a shed and stealing a Westwood ride-on lawn mower between Friday February 28 and 4pm on Friday.

Then a set of number plates were stolen from a vehicle parked on a driveway in Baulkins Drove between 10.30pm on Thursday and 8am on Friday.

Anyone with information should call 101.

A supply of lead was stolen from Hall Farm, Dowsby, overnight between Thursday and Friday.

Also, tools were stolen from a barn in Hall Meadow Road, Deeping St James, between 10am on Thursday and 2pm on Friday.

If you can help, call 101.

Residents of Sutton Bridge have renewed their fight to stop a multi-million pound gas-fired power station being built close to the River Nene following a 10ft tidal flood surge in the river in December.

EDF Energy’s plan for the 1,800MW power station will be decided by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

South Holland District is an official consultee and residents are asking the council to oppose the plan.

South Holland and The Deepings MP John Hayes revealed he has misgivings about infrastructure like Sutton Bridge B and the EnergyParK Sutton Bridge gasifier being placed in an area “that’s possibly subject to tidal surges”.

Resident Brian Collins-McDougall, from New Road, tells the council: “It is sheer madness to consider building a plant of this size on a red zone that is at high risk of flooding.”

He said the riverbanks “only just held back the surge” in December.

East Bank residents Colin and Janet Blundell tell the council: “The recent flooding and excessive ground water levels have not been taken into consideration.”

The Blundells are also worried by emissions from three power stations in such a small area.

The council was asked to forward its comments to the DECC by March 18, but has asked for the deadline to be extended.

District planning committee chairman Roger Gambba-Jones said he believes mitigating measures could be incorporated into Sutton Bridge B as they have been in other coastal areas.

EDF said it carried out a “comprehensive flood risk assessment”.

Intruders tried to break into a home in Chapel Lane, Haconby, near Bourne, on Friday.

A back door was damaged but no entry was made during the attempted burglary between 8.30am and 9.30am.

Anyone with information should call 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 stating incident 130 of March 7.

A village pub residents fought to save has been reduced to a heap of rubble.

South Holland District Council, which placed the fire-damaged Ye Olde Dun Cow on its community assets register, is under attack from campaigners in Cowbit for allowing the demolition to go ahead.

Owners Market Homes applied for planning consent to demolish the pub, saying the building was unsafe.

But Jonathan Matthews, spokesman for the Save Ye Olde Dun Cow Campaign, said: “It seems incongruous that in one breath the planning authority could recognise the obvious need for Ye Olde Dun Cow as a vital social hub and, in the next, encourage the developer to demolish a pub which goes back to the 1500s and which more than 600 people in the village, John Hayes MP and local district and county councillors wanted to be saved.

“So much for localism.”

He said the council chose not to invoke a rule that would have allowed a public consultation – denying residents a chance to play a part in the future of a pub that has had a key role in village life for many generations.

Mr Matthews said the council had “run roughshod over the wishes of the very people it purports to support”.

UK Border Agency officials and police arrested five men at a restaurant in Quadring in relation to suspected immigration offences.

The raid took place at The Curry Inn, in Main Road, on Thursday.

Police say the men booked into custody were aged in their 20s and 30s and came from addresses in Cambridgeshire, Hampshire and Cheshire.

The UK Border Agency is expected to issue a statement later today.

The restaurant is continuing to trade.