A drinker who racially abused a taxi driver in Spalding must pay £25 compensation to his victim.

Paul Barbour (48) was also ordered to hand over the fare he refused to pay – £23 – and fined £160 with £85 costs and a £25 victim surcharge when he appeared before Boston magistrates yesterday (Wednesday).

Barbour, of Midsummer Gardens, Long Sutton, pleaded guilty to a racially aggravated public order offence by using words that were likely to cause Amjad Mahmood harassment, alarm or distress.

Nick Todd, prosecuting, said Barbour got a taxi from the rank in Spalding at about 1.50am on August 17.

He said Barbour was “obviously in drink”, having had six or seven pints during the course of the evening.

“He questioned the taxi driver, who I think is of Indian descent, as to the actual route that the taxi was taking and eventually refused to pay,” said Mr Todd.

The prosecutor said the taxi driver took Barbour to the police station and, during the course of the journey, Barbour directed towards him a racially abusive, two-word phrase.

Solicitor Andrew Goldsborough, for Barbour, said his client was “extremely nervous about the situation he faces today” and “disgusted and thoroughly embarrassed by his behaviour on that night”.

He said Barbour had been out with a group of friends and was expecting to get a lift home, but ended up taking a taxi.

Mr Goldsborough said Barbour fell asleep and at some point woke up in a location that was not particularly familiar and questioned the taxi driver, “a guy that was just doing his job”.

He said Barbour accepted the driver should not have been subjected to any form of abuse.

“He is thoroughly ashamed at his age of being before a court and wishes not only to apologise to the court but, if it was possible, he would wish to extend that apology to the taxi driver.”

Presiding magistrate Andrew Leonard said: “We have looked at this case and obviously it is racially aggravated and therefore it does accelerate it slightly up the scale.”

A Spalding woman denied theft of £808.10 from her employer, Swineshead business Oasis Beauty and Hair Ltd, when she appeared before magistrates on Wednesday.

Ashleigh Hubbard (19), of Chestnut Avenue, will stand trial at Boston Magistrates’ Court on January 5.

Hubbard had her unconditional bail extended to the new hearing date.

A Wyberton man damaged a police cell “making it useless”.

Dean Dawson (42), of Low Road, was detained after CCTV operators alerted police to an incident in Boston at about 6.30pm on August 8.

Nick Todd, prosecuting, told Boston magistrates Dawson picked paint off a wall and plaster around a ceiling rose, “according to the police making the cell useless”.

Dawson was given a year’s conditional discharge with £45 costs and a £15 victim surcharge when he admitted being drunk and disorderly and criminal damage.

Solicitor Andrew Goldsborough said the damage resulted from a “mix of slight boredom and slight agitation”.

A man of 20 denies dangerous driving in six Spalding streets on July 25.

Martyn Miles, of Pinchbeck Road, Spalding, also denies failing to stop when required by police. He will stand trial at Boston Magistrates’ Court on January 8.

Police arrested a drink-driver after receiving a tip off from a member of the public who saw him drinking inside his Audi A8 early one morning.

Nick Todd, prosecuting, said the person who called at 7am on August 11 suspected that Deividas Druciunas was drink-driving.

Police found his car on Sheep Market and followed it onto Station Approach.

Mr Todd said Druciunas gave a positive roadside breath test. He was then taken to the police station, where he was found to have 67 microgrammes in breath – almost double the legal limit of 35mcgs.

Druciunas (28), of Castle Close, Spalding, was banned from driving for 18 months, fined £350 and ordered to pay £85 costs with a £35 victim surcharge. He admitted driving with excess alcohol.

Druciunas, who was not represented by a solicitor, told Boston magistrates he had nothing to say about the offence.

A Spalding man will stand trial at Boston Magistrates’ Court on January 12 on a charge of common assault and two counts of criminal damage.

Waldemar Baldyga (41), of Spring Gardens, denies all three offences. He has been granted bail.

Magistrates have issued a warrant without bail for the arrest of a Spalding takeaway boss who faces 26 charges under food hygiene regulations.

Rafat Thoun, of Time Square kebab and pizza shop at 25 Winsover Road, failed to attend a hearing at Boston Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

He is being prosecuted by South Holland District Council.

One charge against Thoun lists a string of alleged contraventions, including raw meat doner muslin bags being used for cleaning, filthy floors and equipment, such as the fridge, which is said to have contained decomposed food and a clump of black mould, and there was a tub of butter found to be contaminated with carpet beetle.

The same charge alleges there were no anti-bacterial sprays or chemical disinfection in the premises and staff were being advised to use window cleaner as disinfectant for raw meat areas. It also says raw chicken was thawing in a dirty sink, the hand basin in the toilet was dirty and the toilet pan was dirty.

Another charge alleges food was not being protected from contamination and a further charge alleges there was a rodent gnaw hole in a rear storeroom door.

The charges arise from council visits to the premises in May, July and August.

When the summer nights gradually start to get shorter it’s a sure sign that autumn is looming.

This is the time, though, that your garden will repay you for all the hard work that you’ve put in over the year.

Making room for planting.

Looking around your garden in August shows the areas where you may have to weed and prune in order to retain its beauty.

The late summer garden shows signs of promise and there are plenty of flowers yet to burst into colour.

Dahlias and roses look heavenly at this time of the year.

If you look at the Spalding Bulb and Plant Co website you will find other types of seeds and plants to brighten up your garden in late summer and early autumn.

The months of August and September are also an excellent time to decide on the future pattern of your garden.

Caring for your garden when on a late holiday

Here are some tips that will show you what to do with your garden before going on that long awaited summer holiday:

lDeadhead roses and plants that are constantly in bloom, this will encourage growth and won’t damage your plants. In fact, pruning will make your plants stronger and when you return they will be starting to flower again.

lCutting and feeding the lawn is also an important job. If you are going away for a couple of weeks then cut the grass as short as possible, this will mean that you won’t come back to an unruly mess.

lIf your plants need watering or feeding then ask a friendly neighbour to help while you’re away.

Late flowering plants

This is the time to enjoy al fresco eating. There’s something magical about relaxing outside and enjoying the floral fragrances of the late summer. Staggered planting throughout the year will ensure perpetual beauty in the garden so that there is constant colour throughout the year and into late autumn.

Preparing the ground for planting

The months of October and November are the most important time for planting for the following year. Late summer is the time for planning.

Preparing the ground is one of the first steps to take.

Take a note of the plants that flourish in your soil and discard those that have withered.

Dig over all areas set aside for planting and remove any weeds, then add some manure or feed.

With the recent changes to pension rules, there has been a drop in the number of annuities purchased by people accessing their pension funds.

An annuity is a financial product that allows you to convert your pension savings into a regular income that will last you for the rest of your life.

One downside that is sometimes levelled at annuities is that on death the pension fund has been “lost”.

The thinking behind this is that if the individual dies in the early years after having bought an annuity, they will not have received enough payments to have returned the amount of pension fund used to buy the annuity in the first place.

Whilst this can be true, annuity death benefit options might go some way to help address this point.

It should also be remembered that the contributions to the pension have benefited from tax relief and so perhaps a better approach is to assess the income paid out against the actual net cost to the individual.

Additional peace of mind when considering annuities can be gained by incorporating some of the available death benefit options at retirement.

The inclusion of death benefits comes at a cost which will be seen in the amount of the annuity, i.e. the more death benefits that are included, the lower the starting annuity will be.

That’s because the liability and risk to the annuity provider increases where death benefits are included.

An example of a death benefit option is to include a “guarantee period” - a minimum period of time for which an annuity will be paid irrespective of how long the individual lives.

The maximum permitted guaranteed period under a pension annuity is ten years meaning that if a member has an annuity that is paid monthly, it has a guaranteed period of 10 years.

If the member dies after four years, monthly annuity payments will continue for another six years.

by Sophie Davidson

As the longer nights start to draw in, now is the time to enhance your living space by adding a beautiful extension onto your home, which can be used all year round.

A conservatory is possibly one of the easiest extensions you can plan – just be sure to ask for permission from the council beforehand and check neighbours are happy for you to go ahead.

It also lets you to take advantage of the autumn and winter sun, when it gets too cold to sit out in the garden.

Indoor plants and seedlings will flourish in a conservatory space and pets will enjoy lounging in the sunshine.

However, money might be a little tight after construction, so why not get crafty and up cycle some second hand furniture or create something by hand, to dress your new space up.

You could craft a new rug, sew some comfy cushion covers or pay a visit to your local charity shop to source some used chairs or a table, to patch up and make your own.

Get creative with distressed paintwork, bright colours and new upholstery and take a look online for some inspiration.

Sites such as homecrafts.co.uk offer some great ideas and easy to follow tutorials.

Taking the time to create the finishing touches for your new living space should leave you with a great sense of satisfaction as you enjoy the last of the autumn sun, sipping a cup of tea and relishing a great view of the garden.

A woman of 38 has denied harbouring two escaped prisoners at her home in Brownlow Crescent, Pinchbeck.

Megan Morris appeared at Boston Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday when her case was adjourned to September 18 for a pre-trial review.

She pleaded not guilty to knowingly harbouring Peter Chorlton and Anthony Simpkin, who had escaped from HMP North Sea Camp at Freiston, near Boston, between January 19-20 this year.

• A teenager has denied assisting the same two men, with the intention of preventing, hindering or interfering with them being taken into custody, and that case will also go to pre-trial review on September 18.

Detectives are no nearer confirming exactly how a 42-year-old dad-of-one died after being attacked at his home in Spalding.

Warren Free was found with serious injuries at his home in Coronation Close last Thursday morning and was airlifted to Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, where he died in the early hours of Friday morning.

An inquest into Mr Free’s death was opened and adjourned to a later date by south Lincolnshire senior coroner Prof Robert Forrest in Boston yesterday when he described the death as “unnatural”.

Prof Forrest said: “My understanding is police were called to an incident at Coronation Close in Spalding just before midday on August 28 when a man had been assaulted.

“The man died as a result of his injuries and inquiries into his death are now ongoing.

“Several people have been arrested and a file is being prepared by the police for submission to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

“While it is clear that Mr Free’s death is an unnatural one and is associated with his injuries, I am not yet in a position to confirm what the actual, detailed cause of death is.”

During the inquest, Prof Forrest revealed that Mr Free’s body was formally identified by his sister Bernice Medford at Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, on Friday.

A post-mortem carried out on the body on Monday proved inconclusive as to the cause of death and Prof Forrest pledged to review the case on September 24 to determine whether a further post-mortem was needed.

Seven youths – five boys and two girls – were arrested, questioned and given police bail in connection to Mr Free’s death which detectives are treating as a murder inquiry.

More than 30 detectives from three counties – Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire – are involved in the inquiry, which is being led by DCI Martin Holvey.

“Lots of enquiries need to be completed through house-to-house visits and forensic tests, with a large number of officers being involved with the investigation,” DCI Holvey said.

“I am liaising with the CPS and a file of evidence needs to be sent to them when the investigation is completed.”

DCI Holvey also confirmed that a family liaison officer was working with the family while the investigation continues.

“It’s a very distressing time for them but they are working with my family liaison officer who is supporting them,” DCI Holvey said.

Meanwhile, Spalding community policing inspector Jim Tyner has warned against ‘trial by Facebook’ after he became the victim of an “angry mob” posting comments about him and the case on social media.

In his weekly On the Beat column (page 6), Insp Tyner said: “People without knowledge of the area or the circumstances (of this case) can make comment on any subject they wish without repercussions.

“I have been the victim of online trolls in recent weeks and I know of other victims who have recently been vilified online by anonymous commentators.

“It’s the 21st century equivalent of the angry mob rampaging with pitchforks and flaming torches.

“The investigation is continuing at a great pace and the last thing we need is for speculation and misinformation to jeopardise any future prosecution.”

Detectives have renewed their appeal for anyone with information about Mr Free’s death to come forward.

DCI Holvey said: “Anyone who has knowledge of Mr Free or saw anything in the Coronation Close and surrounding area, we are very keen to hear from them.

“No matter how insignificant it may be, it will be very useful to us.”

You can call the Major Incident Room on 101, quoting incident 161 of August 28, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Spalding is to have a new flower to act as ambassador for South Holland – and the search begins here.

This year will see the launch of Spalding’s Tulip Queen, an exciting position for a young lady in our area.

The role of Tulip Queen means that the lady will be an ambassador for South Holland.

She will be a VIP when visiting many different businesses and events in the area, such as the People’s Parade, the Tulipmania weekend and the Christmas Lights Switch On, which will be her first ever appointment under her new title.

Jan Whitbourn, from organisers Tulip Radio, said: “I wanted to bring back something like this and I wanted to make it really special – South Holland needs an ambassador.

“This lady will be an ambassador for the area, which is a really important job for her to do. Most importantly, this is not a beauty competition. We are looking more at personality, merit and the knowledge of South Holland.”

The ladies who apply for the role will be asked to go along to a preliminary interview at Loaded Nightclub in Spalding and they will then go along to the South Holland Centre on November 28 – the day of the Christmas Light Switch On, where the winner will be announced.

The Tulip Queen will be whisked away to Fancy Frox to be put in a new dress, and then to Hills Department store to have her make up done – she will then officially switch on the lights with Santa.

For an entry form, visit the Spalding Guardian and Lincolnshire Free Press offices, Tulip Radio or Loaded Nightclub. Entrants must be aged over 18.

A weekly column written by members of South Holland District Council. This week with Councillor Roger Gambba-Jones, Portfolio Holder for Waste Management, Green Spaces and Operational Planning

Our refuse and recycling freighters must be one of the most familiar sights for South Holland residents, given that every one of our 38,500 household gets a visit from one of each, almost every week of the year.

Even if you don’t actually see the vehicle, it’s difficult to miss their distinctive sound, as they can be fairly noisy, especially at 7am!

However, over the last few months, there’s been an important change that should make our refuse and recycling collections a bit quieter.

Whilst our 12 new freighters will still be just as visible, with their shiny green paintwork and eye-catching adverts for the green bag lottery, the new vehicles come with a noticeable reduction in engine noise levels.

This is achieved via a more fuel-efficient engine and a sophisticated exhaust system that reduces the engine’s exhaust emissions. The shorthand description for this is Euro 6.

The new trucks also come with all-round safety cameras, making vehicle manoeuvring much safer for our loaders, for pedestrians and other road users.

One particularly clever feature is something called rear wheel steering. This allows for easier and tighter turning, whilst reducing significantly the wear and tear on both the vehicles’ rear tyres and the surface of the roadway.

The last bit should please our colleagues at county highways!

Of course, all this hardware wouldn’t be of any use without our hardworking collection crews.

Even though I’ve been the cabinet member for this service for nearly four years now, it still amazes me that one vehicle, a driver and two loaders can visit an average of some 1,300 dwellings every working day.

This number does vary depending on how rural a particular route is and how far the vehicle has to travel to tip its load, before continuing on its collection round.

However you divide it up, that’s an awful lot of miles, manoeuvres and reverses if you’re a driver and a huge number of steps taken and bags lifted, in all weather conditions, if you’re a loader.

Spalding Grammar School is appealing to students and staff, both past and present, for their photos taken at the school.

The pictures will be used to create a timeline celebrating the school and its community throughout history, made by a professional artist.

Chelsea Turnell, communications and marketing manager at the school, said: “We want to create something that represents the school and its past, and we need as many photos as we can get, dating as far back as possible, to make the project a success.”

“We have had a great response on Facebook and Twitter, but we would like even more pictures, especially from people of an age who are not necessarily on the Internet.”

Those looking to partake can take their photos into the school or send them through the post with a self-addressed stamped envelope to be scanned and quickly returned.

Pictures can also be sent to Chelsea using the school’s social media accounts or via media@spaldinggram marschool.lincs.sch.uk

Lincolnshire residents are invited to help celebrate the work of the area’s NHS community teams at a special Health at Home event.

For the first time, Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trustis combining its annual staff awards with its annual public meeting, on September 24 at The Showroom on Tritton Road, Lincoln.

From noon, visitors will be able to enjoy a light lunch and browse a selection of stands representing the trust’s services. Britain’s most successful female winter Paralympian, Jade Etherington, will open the awards at 1.30pm.

To attend call 01529 220300 or email membership@lincs-chs.nhs.uk by Monday.

Fenland and District Coeliac Group, which covers Lincolnshire, is holding a couple of events next month.

Coeliac disease affects one in every 100 people and is a digestive condition caused by an adverse reaction to gluten – found in wheat, barley and rye and any products produced using these cereals.

Possible symptoms are tiredness, nausea, wind, anaemia, loss of weight and bloating.

Those attending the events can ask questions, sample products and help raise awareness of Coeliac disease

If you have any paper back books or items that could be used for a tombola stall at future events , they can be brought along too.

A coffee morning will be held on Saturday, October 4 at Downham Market Town Hall in Norfolk ( PE38 9JZ) from 9.30am until noon.

There will be a tombola, books and card stall and Becky’s cup cakes and Glebe farm in attendance. For more information call Alan Smith on 01366 387872 (evenings).

Also, on Saturday, October 18 there is a food fair at Peterborough Regional College, Park Crescent (E1 4DZ), from 10am until 1pm.

There will be many manufacturers at this event and a chance to try products before purchasing. Admission £1 per person, children under 16 free, and parking is free. For further information call Kristina Buffham on 01733 760325.

Refuse that should have been collected in Spalding yesterday should be gone by the time residents return home.

Refuse lorries were unable to access Shearers Drive, resulting in complaints from some residents.

A spokesman for South Holland District Council said: “Our refuse lorries were unable to make collections in Shearers Drive on Thursday due to builder’s vehicles blocking the road.

“We are aiming to make collections there later today (Friday).”

Suspicious activity around a Sutton Bridge house led 
police to smash a cannabis addict’s drug growing factory.

Officers went to the rented property in Withington Street and found that one of the upstairs bedrooms had been converted into a cannabis den.

Katarina Wilson, prosecuting, said “Police went to the address due to there being suspicious comings and goings.

“When the officers gained access they were able to detect a strong smell of cannabis. Two bedrooms had evidence of cannabis growing.”

Empty plant pots and cannabis bushes and stalks were found in one of the bedrooms and ten healthy plants were found in another.

Miss Wilson said: “Lights were suspended from the ceiling and there was a ventilation system.

“Timer switches and temperature gauges were recovered.”

No-one was in the property at the time of the police search but three days later the tenant, Sarah Kelk, handed herself in and confessed that the cannabis plants belonged to her.

Kelk (24), who now lives at Bridge Road, Sutton Bridge, admitted production of cannabis between August 11 and October 11, 2013.

She was given a six month jail sentence suspended for 12 months with 12 months supervision.

Judge John Pini QC told her: “You have had a serious cannabis addiction for a long time.

“It is not harmless. It is a drug that causes a significant number of health problems and is immensely damaging.

“You have come perilously close to an immediate prison sentence but I want to see if you can rid yourself of the drug.”

Liz Harte, in mitigation, said that although Kelk was the tenant she spent very little time at the property as it was almost uninhabitable.

She described Kelk as a vulnerable woman and added: “She has always been brought up with the ethos that you smoke cannabis. She moved away to this awful flat. It was almost uninhabitable.

“Her cannabis use escalated, no doubt due to her circumstances. She was smoking cannabis in copious quantities.”

Miss Harte said Kelk was addicted to cannabis and needed help to rid herself of her drug problem.

A man accused of causing the death of motorcyclist Marcel Banom by dangerous driving on the A16 at Spalding on March 12 this year is due to have his case heard at Lincoln Crown Court on Wednesday.

Edvinas Maciulevicius (25), of Piccard Drive, Spalding, is further accused of causing the death of Mr Banom while driving a VW Passat that was not insured.

Mr Banom (37) had an address in Peak Hill, Cowbit, at the time of his death.