TWO teenagers who robbed a 16-year-old boy at knifepoint in Spalding were yesterday each sentenced to 28 months youth detention.

Passing sentence at Lincoln Crown Court, Judge Sean Morris told the boys, aged 15 and 16, what they had done “beggars belief.”

The pair, who cannot be named because they are under 18, admitted carrying out the robbery in Commercial Road, Spalding, on February 10.

Phil Howes, prosecuting, said the 16-year-old pulled a knife from his jacket after his accomplice demanded “what have you got?” from their victim.

Mr Howes told the court: “The knife blade was held close to the victim’s stomach.”

An iPod was taken from the victim after the 15-year-old went through his pockets and ignored an old mobile phone, the court heard.

In a victim impact statement which was read out in court the 16-year-old said he now worried about going out on his own.

Mr Howes added: “His first concern was for his safety, not his property.”

Police later recovered the kitchen knife used in the robbery.

In mitigation the court was told both boys had admitted what they done.

But Judge Morris told them they had pleaded guilty to a very serious offence of robbery.

He said: “In this case what you did beggars belief.

“On February 10 you set off to rob a member of the public at knife-point.

“You armed yourselves with a kitchen knife and picked out a perfectly innocent young man walking down the street.

“You robbed him. It must have been a terrifying experience for him.”

RESIDENTS found drinking in the streets could be fined up to £500 in new powers being used by the police to keep Spalding town centre safer.

Designated Public Place Orders (DPPOs) were introduced in April and there has already been a significant fall in the number of call-outs to local police.

Insp Stuart Hurst said: “We launched Operation Trunk in April to tackle drinking in the streets and anti-social behaviour, and have already seen a decrease in calls and incidents.

“We are trying to prevent problems before they start by getting the message out.

“When the weather is bad, as it has been recently, ‘PC Rain’ is our friend. But when it warms up and people start congregating in groups, that is when members of the public get concerned.”

In tackling anti-social behaviour, the officers researched problem areas in the town, including Holland Market where ‘boy racers’ have been reported driving fast around the car park. Insp Hurst said: “Shoppers out with the families do not want to see youths doing handbrake turns in the car park.”

A team lead by PC Arianne Kitchener has been using DPPOs to seize alcohol if officers believe people drinking in the streets could lead to anti-social behaviour.

It already has the backing of the new Chief Constable of Lincolnshire, Neil Rhodes. He told the Free Press: “Stopping drinking in the streets is high on the list of priorities for Spalding police.

”Police are working with South Holland District Council’s anti-social behaviour team to get the message out.”

The area covered by DPPOs includes Castle Sports Complex, West Elloe Avenue, Love Lane, High Street and Park Road.

Insp Hurst said: “Ringleaders have been targeted and we are finding they are no longer in town. We hope that gives reassurance we are serious about making the streets safe for all.”

However, he said the police could not afford to be complacent. He said: “We would still like to encourage the public to contact us if they see any incidents that concern them.”

LEGAL action could begin as early as next week if a Spalding grot-spot is not cleaned up.

Network Rail has been accused of dragging its heels over removing rubbish from the area around the town’s Steppingstone Bridge.

And South Holland district councillor Coun Roger Gambba-Jones has warned the company it has until the end of the week to finally move in, or he will “call their bluff” and resort to the courts.

Coun Gambba-Jones said: “Network Rail called me on Friday afternoon to say they had been unable to come last week because of a death further up the line.

“It seems they only have one small team on the ground, so they had been delayed getting here but they promised it would now be towards the end of this week, from Wednesday onwards.”

Problems at Steppingstone Bridge have been ongoing for a long time and include large quantities of litter under the bridge, repeated graffiti problems on the bridge’s enclosed sides, a lack of lighting and an unattractive fence.

Last month Coun Gambba-Jones received the support of fellow South Holland district councillors to press ahead with his campaign to force Network Rail to take action, after he compared the area to “something you would expect to see in the less pleasant areas of large inner cities that have been neglected for decades”.

He told members he would be applying to magistrates for a litter abatement notice.

Coun Gambba-Jones had hoped to get the area cleaned up ahead of Spalding Flower Parade earlier this month as he felt it gave the wrong impression of the town to the thousands of visitors to the major event.

He said: “I now have two direct dial telephone numbers for people I need to speak to at Network Rail rather than going through customer services, so hopefully we are making progress.

“I’m going to give them a last chance and if there is no-one here by the end of the week I will go to court.

“I’m not going to stand for any more delays.”

A NEW village bus service is growing in popularity as more people discover it.

Brylaine started the service through Moulton Seas End and Saracen’s Head after a campaign by district councillors.

Coun Anthony Casson said: “It is going well and the number of passengers is growing as more people realise it’s running.”

The buses leave Holbeach’s Horse and Groom at 7.59am on Boston College days and 9.15am on school days, Holbeach Tesco at 8.01am (9.17am), Saracen’s Head village hall at 8.06am (9.22am) and Moulton Seas End at 8.10am (9.26am).

The return service leaves Boston bus station at 2.20pm (4.45pm).

A SPALDING man is warning people to beware when using the cashpoint at Tesco Express in Matmore Gate after his card was cloned.

He said he was contacted by his bank saying someone in the USA has been trying to take money out of his account after he used the cashpoint.

Although they weren’t successful in removing any money, the man – who has asked not to be named – said he wanted to warn other people who might not be so lucky.

He said he knows other people who have been affected after using the ATM.

“If Tesco knew someone had been tampering with the cashpoint you would think they would at least have put up a sign warning people and telling them not to use it,” he said.

“My bank was very vigilant and alerted me as soon as they realised people were trying to take money from the account – but if they had succeeded it could have caused problems.”

A spokesperson from Tesco also said the company has no records of any complaints about the cashpoint.

She urged people to always report any suspicious activity so that it can be looked into and action taken where necessary.

Lincolnshire Police told the Free Press it had no record of any complaints being made about the cashpoint but advised anyone who is concerned to contact Crimestoppers for advice about how to recognise cashpoint scams.

Crimestoppers are on 0800 555111 or visit www.crimestoppers-uk.org

ADMINSTRATORS have announced the imminent closure of 19 Clinton Cards stores and 25 Birthdays shops.

Spalding and Bourne stores are not among the Clintons Cards stores set to close by the end of next week.

Stamford’s store is also not on the list but it’s understood that staff have been told it is being closed and clearance signs have been put up.

THE manager of a builders’ merchants stole a bathroom suite and then tried to cover up his theft by falsifying documents.

Nicholas Franklin removed the items over a 12 month period from the Bourne branch of Jewsons before installing them in his home at Spalding.

Vanessa Marshall, prosecuting at Lincoln Crown Court yesterday, said Franklin stole the items piece by piece over several months loading them into his car when none of his colleagues was around.

Jewsons began an investigation into the branch while searching for unaccounted stock.

Investigators visited Franklin’s home and noted the bathroom floor tiles came from the store.

Further inquiries revealed that although Franklin had paid for some tiles others were not accounted for.

Franklin later confessed to taking the tiles as well as a bathroom suite and an underfloor heating system claiming he thought it was a perk of the job.

Checks showed that some of the items had been “wiped off” the books to make sure the stock balanced.

Franklin (39), of Bourne Road, admitted theft of a bathroom suite worth £5,895 over a 12 month period from February 2011.

He was given a six-month jail sentence suspended for 12 months and 200 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £340 prosecution costs.

Judge Michael Heath told him: “You helped yourself over a 12 month period to a bathroom suite and tried to cover your tracks by cleverly falsifying documents. You saw this as a perk of the job but this was a serious breach of trust.”

Mark Watson, defending, said Franklin was sacked when the theft came to light.

He said: “He is desperately ashamed of his behaviour.

“He has lost his good character and has lost any prospect of getting another job as good as the one he enjoyed at Jewsons.

“This is an enormous fall from grace for this defendant although brought about entirely by himself.”

Mr Watson said that Franklin is now working night shifts in a factory on minimum wage.

POLICE seized cannabis plants worth £88,500 in a drugs raid at a South Holland flat.

Lincolnshire Police executed a search warrant at Horseshoe Court in Crowland after being requested to do so by Cambridgeshire Police.

Officers found 48 “medium sized plants” in a back bedroom and located a further 150 “small plants” inside a cupboard.

There was also associated equipment for lighting, heating and watering.

Prosecutor Jim Clare told Spalding magistrates said a police expert estimated the potential value of the cannabis at £88,500.

And a forensics expert said they plants had a potential yield of 14.33kgs of the drug, of which 8.85kgs would be the strong type known as skunk.

Benjamin Ansell (23), of Battlefields Lane South, Holbeach, and Danny White (24), of Horseshoe Court, Horseshoe Yard, Crowland, pleaded guilty to producing the class B controlled drug on January 18.

The pair appeared at Spalding Magistrates’ Court on Thursday when they were bailed to Lincoln Crown Court for sentence at a later date.

Presiding magistrate John Reynolds said the bench decided their sentencing powers were insufficient to deal with the case.

Mr Clare said White told police he owed a £2,000 debt to an unnamed man and agreed to grow the cannabis to pay off the debt.

The unnamed man supplied both the 48 medium sized plants as cuttings and the 150 smaller plants.

Mr Clare said White admitted asking Ansell to help “because Ben had previously grown it”.

The prosecutor asked magistrates to consider sending the case to the crown court for sentence because of the high value of the drugs seized.

Mr Clare said sentencing guidelines suggested the offence would be dealt with by custody of between two-and-a-half to four years.

Solicitor Sacha Waxman, for White, said it was conceded the offence was serious.

Solicitor Rachel Stevens asked magistrates to retain jurisdiction and pointed out her client, Ansell, had a minor role.

She said: “He was going to get nothing out of this whatsoever. It was something in which he had a bit of knowledge. There was a social relationship between the two men and he offered the benefit of his knowledge.”

POLICE in Spalding are stepping up patrols to prevent any clashes between football fans during Euro 2012.

Some local officers are giving up rest days to increase presence in the town when high profile matches are taking place.

England’s first match in the UEFA European Championship is against France on Monday, June 11.

Insp Stuart Hurst said: “Passions run high when big matches are on. We are anticipating people will be going to pubs to watch the matches and drinking while they are there.

“We want people to have a good time, but we also want other customers and people in town to feel safe.”

The increase of patrols is to avoid any repeat of the riots that took place in Boston when England played France in Euro 2004.

More than 100 fans went on the rampage after England’s defeat by France. Two police cars were set ablaze and an off-licence was set on fire. Six men who took part in the riots were sent to prison for a total of 11 years.

Insp Hurst said: “We will act robustly with any fan who uses the championship to be disorderly.”

TYDD St Mary Primary School’s car park has had a facelift thanks to Lincolnshire County Council which has donated £200 from its Big Society Fund.

The money was used to paint new white car parking markings in the school’s car parking area.

Headteacher Sonya Ripley said: “We have limited space and our car park was a bit of a free- for-all.

“We decided to get new linings to make it much clearer.

“We really do appreciate the donation, it has helped enormously.”

THE current holder of the Miss Spalding and the Fens crown, Sarah Ashworth, has been telling the Lincolnshire Free Press of her excitement and trepidation as she prepares for the semi-finals of Miss England later this month.

Sarah, (19), who lives in Saracen’s Head, won the Miss Spalding and the Fens title in February which automatically places her in the semi-finals of Miss England which will be held on May 30 in Leicester.

These semi-finals will see Sarah compete against other regional winners in front of a panel of judges to go through to the grand final in June.

One of the rounds will involve Sarah modelling her own eco-friendly dress that she has made herself.

“I’m really looking forward to the semi-finals in Leicester, but I’m so nervous,” she said.

“However whatever the outcome is, I’m so grateful for everything and all the experience I have received so far.”

Sarah, who also works part-time at Bentley’s Bar in Spalding, could also automatically gain entry to the finals if she wins a public vote, which is open from now until May 30.

For more details on this go to www.missengland.info

Sarah’s modelling career so far has seen her travelling to some exotic locations, including China for this year’s Miss Oriental Tourism, a competition set up to promote tourism in the Sichuan province of China, devastated by an earthquake in 2008.

The trip saw Sarah attend the World Peace Ceremony where she got to release birds and balloons and she also learned more about local life from visiting various places in the community including homes for the country’s elderly people.

“It was an amazing experience,” said Sarah.

“I have made some fantastic friends from all across the globe – all very useful if I want somewhere to stay!”

Other countries Sarah has visited in her career so far include Cyprus for the 2011 Miss Globe International competition.

A TEACHER at Spalding Grammar School has been dismissed after it was discovered he did not have relevant qualifications.

It is understood the teacher was a “temporary member of staff from an approved agency”.

A concerned parent, who informed the Spalding Guardian of the teacher’s absence, said she had been told he “had no degree, no teaching qualification and not even A-levels”.

She said: “I wonder how penetrating the interview was and, of course, it reflects badly on senior management that he taught from September until May without any checks.”

Nigel Ryan, headteacher at Spalding Grammar School, said: “As is usual practice in many schools, we used an approved agency to employ a temporary member of staff.

“It became clear that this teacher did not have the relevant qualifications and we can confirm he is no longer employed by the school.

“In accordance with the approved agency’s terms and conditions, it is the agency’s responsibility to carry out the appropriate checks and we will be reporting this matter to the relevant authority.”

Mr Ryan wanted to reassure parents that pupils’ work has not suffered. He said: “We have moderated all the work completed by pupils he taught.

“This work is up to the expected standards.

“Another teacher who previously worked here has been re-employed to take over the position.

“We have made all the students he taught and their parents aware of the situation.”

Spalding Grammar School is currently advertising for “a teacher of English”.

The advert states: “Spalding Grammar school are looking for an enthusiastic teacher of English to join a well-established department.

“The successful candidate will be expected to teach thoughout the school, including A-level.”

• Paul Reid, headteacher at St John The Baptist Primary School in Spalding, remains absent.

Police have confirmed they are still investigating an allegation at the school.

A spokesman said: “Lincolnshire Police have been contacted in connection with an allegation made at the school and officers are currently conducting enquiries.

“At this early stage, we are unable to state the nature of the allegation.”

POLICE have defended their decision to use a Taser gun on Florence Thomson after she threatened officers with a knife after stabbing her husband.

A statement released by Lincolnshire Police following Mrs Thomson’s sentencing describes the scene that greeted officers called to the couple’s home on November 11 last year.

It said: “Mrs Thomson was holding a knife, she was acting aggressively towards the officers and raised the knife as she approached them.

“Despite being told to put the knife down on more than occasion, she failed to do so. She had already caused injuries to herself with the knife.

“Her husband was in a bedroom at the address suffering from serious and life-threatening injuries.

“The use of the Taser was necessary to prevent Mrs Thomson injuring herself further, to prevent her from injuring the attending officers, but most critically to allow for immediate medical attention to be rendered to her husband who officers knew was elderly and had been stabbed multiple times.

“Had the officers not acted so quickly, it was possible that the injuries to Mr Thomson may have proved fatal.”

Det Insp Dave Rimmer, who led the investigation, said: “I have no doubt that the quick actions of the officers in using the Taser prevented further injury or even death in these circumstances.

“The decision to use the Taser was the most appropriate and proportionate means of force necessary to gain control of the situation.”

• Click {http://www.spaldingtoday.co.uk/news/latest-news/sad-case-of-long-sutton-woman-78-who-stabbed-husband-17-times-1-3866521|Florence Thomson court case} for more

A TEAM of experts is looking into the viability of turning a town car park into formal gardens.

And if it is deemed worth going ahead with the plans, South Holland District Council leader Gary Porter hopes it could be named in honour of one of this year’s big events.

He has said he would like the new green area to be named Jubilee Park in honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Coun Porter said: “There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes by property, planning and legal experts to look at whether it is worthwhile pressing ahead.”

He said the team will be looking at the town’s overall parking provision and where people would park if Victoria Street car park was to be lost.

Coun Porter added: “We would have to make sure the alternatives worked for the people of South Holland.

“We also need to look at how much it would cost – if it’s not going to make things better it will not go ahead.

“Although I won’t say at this stage that I’m confident, I am hopeful it will go ahead and if it does it would be nice to have something new that has jubilee connotations.”

Coun Porter revealed his dream of seeing the car park changed to a park last month when he said he would like to see it replace the town’s Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field, which could be built on as part of plans for the redevelopment of Holland Market.

His plans include a full-time park keeper to maintain the gated gardens, which would include children’s play equipment and benches.

Part of the initial cost would be bankrolled with a “significant” sum from Holland Market developers Corbo, but Coun Porter hopes it could become self-sustaining using rental yields from sheltered accommodation which could be built on the edges of the park.

A MOTORIST accused of causing the death of a pedestrian on the A17 is to face a jury trial later this year.

Kyle Simpson (26), of Market Rasen Way, Holbeach, denied causing death by careless driving on June 1, 2011, when he appeared before Lincoln Crown Court on Tuesday.

Judge Michael Heath adjourned the hearing for trial in November and Simpson was granted unconditional bail.

The charge follows the death of pedestrian Jason Smith (38), of Spalding Road, Holbeach, who died following an incident on the A17 at Holbeach.

WHAT a tragic story on our front page today, and what a sensible decision from the judge not to sentence frail pensioner Florence Thomson to any more time in prison.

So often the judiciary are criticised for the leniency of their sentencing, but in handing Mrs Thomson a two-year community order, Judge Michael Heath was spot on.

One can only imagine the strain and hopelessness the 78-year-old must have been experiencing when she repeatedly stabbed her husband of 40 years, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s.

The devoted wife had already suffered enough after seeing her actions harm the man she loved, being Tasered by police and spending five months on remand in prison.

She has also been banned from having any contact with her daughter, who discovered the stabbing, and can only under supervision visit the care home where the man she still loves now lives. She has not yet been allowed to do this.

Judge Heath summed up my feelings exactly when he said: “There are very exceptional cases where justice should be tempered with mercy. This is one of them.”

ALL of us gardeners are suffering a little bit under the hosepipe ban, now that the heavy rains of April and early May seem to have subsided, but a small story on page 8 of today’s Spalding Guardian made me raise an eyebrow.

Following the wettest April in 113 years Anglian Water is allowing turf growers and landscape gardeners to use hosepipes to water new lawns and plants at customers’ houses.

I can see the fairness in this as these people have a living to make. But letting their clients continue to use a hosepipe for 28 days afterwards? No. Use a watering can like the rest of us.

ANOTHER negative story about local teachers on page 9 of today’s paper. It’s a really unhappy coincidence that there have been three instances of teachers leaving schools – temporarily or permanently – over the last few weeks, but I am positive this is just an unfortunate, coincidental blip in an area with solid schools and good teachers.

WELL-known Spalding jeweller, John Pulford, has died at St John’s Care Home in the town aged 80.

Mr Pulford was born in Pinchbeck in 1932. He left school at 14 and started his apprenticeship at Dryden’s in Spalding until leaving for a two-year break to do a stint in the army for his National Service.

After completing his apprenticeship he opened a watch-repair shop and so began a presence in Spalding that lasted up until he finally retired in September 2007 aged 75.

Mr Pulford married his wife, Margaret, in 1964 and lived in Sherwood Drive. The couple had no children.

Mrs Pulford, who died last year, was a secretary at Maples for 36 years.

Mr Pulford enjoyed gardening, played snooker at Spalding Constitutional Club and attended dinner dances with his wife.

Niece Helen Woods said: “He was a very private man but was a well-known face in Spalding. The shop was his life, he loved it.”

SHOPS in our area are hoping soaring temperatures will attract more people into town and boost sales.

A tough start to the year for local businesses was echoed this week by the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

UK retail sales were the worst in two years in April as record rainfall hit the high street and fuel sales plunged. The drop in sales was led by 5.2 per cent decline in clothing and footwear, said the ONS.

Jason Rooke, president of the Spalding and District Chamber of Commerce, said: “Trade in the town has been slow and it continues to be tough out there, but we are hoping the good weather will bring more people into town and help boost sales.”

Mr Rooke said the Chamber is encouraging local traders to make the most of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games.

He said: “We are keeping up the bunting from the flower festival, but we hope shops will dress their windows, too. Some already have and they look great.

“We also hope they will stay open over the bank holidays. Hopefully, there will be lots of people in town.”

Darryl Simpson, managing director of Spalding’s Hills Department Store, said the sun was definitely bringing shoppers out.

He said: “A week ago people were still wearing coats and boots, but the store is quite busy with shoppers looking at seasonal clothes and products.”

Nigel Wallis, general manager of Baytree Nurseries and Garden Centre in Weston, said he was hoping for a good weekend.

He said: “It has been very quiet, but we’ve had a few good sales since the sun came out.

“All we can do is keep positive and keep at it.”

A MAN arrested in Hall Place, Spalding, on Monday for a public order offence appeared at court in custody on Tuesday and received a six-month conditional discharge.

Kamil Wondzwiski (24), of Bourne Road, Spalding, pleaded guilty.

A SPALDING off-licence could face losing its licence after a sniffer dog uncovered thousands of smuggled cigarettes in a concealed cupboard.

Police have applied to get Euro Mini Market’s licence revoked after the store was found to be selling the illegal cigarettes on several occasions.

The evidence against the Station Street shop will be considered by a panel of South Holland District Council’s licensing committee next Monday.

Panel members will hear how the store was initially raided by police and officers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in February, when 4,900 non-duty paid cigarettes were found.

They were discovered by a trained sniffer dog in a purpose built store, concealed underneath the official cigarette display case, which was accessed by pulling on false power sockets to reveal a hinged door with the cigarettes behind.

All of the cigarettes were foreign brands and none were UK duty paid, so should not have been on sale in this country and have since been destroyed.

The licence holder was interviewed and admitted constructing the hide.

But the licensing panel will hear that just 12 days later, on February 20, the shop was visited again by a licensing officer from Lincolnshire Police and a further 1,340 cigarettes seized from the same concealed store.

The staff member said he had been storing the cigarettes for someone to collect, but was not able to name the person.

A police statement to the hearing will say: “This serves to demonstrate that the management of the premises is ineffective in having been found selling goods for which duty had been evaded on two occasions, thereby failing to promote the Licensing Objective for the prevention of crime.”

Lincolnshire Safer Communities Services will also give evidence supporting the police application, detailing two test purchases in January and April which resulted in cheap foreign brand cigarettes being sold to members of the public, including children under the age of 16.