UPDATE TUESDAY 11.20AM: The death of a man whose body was found in a Spalding waterway at the weekend is not being treated as suspicious, police have confirmed today.

A dog walker discovered the man’s body in Vernatt’s Drain, near the Johnson Community Hospital, on Sunday afternoon.

The man’s family has been informed but his name will not be released until other relatives are notified.

South Lincolnshire Coroner’s Office has opened and adjourned an inquest, but the exact cause of the man’s death isn’t yet known.

MONDAY 9AM: A man’s body has been found in water on the edge of Spalding during the weekend.

The body was discovered by a dog walker in an area of Vernatt’s Drain, off Pinchbeck Road, shortly after 2pm yesterday.

An Underwater Search Unit from Lincolnshire Police pulled the body out of the water and a post mortem examination will take place later today.

The man’s death is currently being treated as unexplained while enquiries continue and Detective Inspector Suzanne Davies said: “A scene guard is in place, limiting public access to the area, and further work at the location will continue in daylight hours.” Anyone with information should call 101, quoting incident number 210 of January 25.

A delicious aroma of freshly baked bread and cakes is filling the air of Spalding this morning, marking the re-opening of a much-loved bakery.

The ovens at A E Pacey and Son Bakery in Red Lion Street were fired up for a practice run yesterday to make sure that when the shop doors open today at 10am, the new front counter area is filled with loaves, baps and cakes – all made with the traditional recipes residents have missed.

Helping new owners Sharon and George Tear get started is the previous owner Richard Pacey. His baker, Ian Waters, has also been taken on as a permanent member of the new team.

Thousands of readers followed the story when the Free Press revealed in December that the family-run business, which closed in August after serving the community with its much-loved recipes for nearly 100 years, would be re-opening.

Today’s re-opening follows weeks of early starts for new owners George and Sharon Tear, who have been determined to keep the traditions alive.

Sharon said: “We got the keys on January 6 and were straight in with builders, plumbers and plasterers.

“We’ve done the decorating ourselves and all of the staff have been hands-on to help us.

“Before we took the bakery on I didn’t know what a 5am start looked like – it’s been a lot of early starts and late finishes.

“I’m excited, nervous, anxious, hungry and broke – it’s been quite a journey and we hope everyone likes it.”

As well as maintaining the original name and, of course, the traditional steam tube oven which Richard used to bake more than 1,000 items on a weekday, and triple that number on a Saturday, the bakery and its cafe now has a modern twist.

New customers will be able to buy freshly baked bread and cakes from over the counter, but also take a break in the cafe seating downstairs.

As part of the renovation, attractive brickwork has been exposed on one wall and this has been continued upstairs, where the table seating is mixed with easy chairs and settees.

It’s five years since the cafe was last open, but customers can expect a return of the daily hot meal and pudding on the menu, as well as sandwiches and cakes and the introduction of paninis, jacket potatoes and soup of the day. Everything in the bakery and served in the cafe will be made from scratch using locally sourced ingredients.

Former owner Richard was back in the bakery when the Free Press popped along yesterday. He said: “I’m delighted to be back to help Sharon and George get up and running.

“It all looks good and I wish them every success.”

An exciting new event is riding into town over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend – and it could be the next big thing since Spalding Flower Parade.

Spalding Velo Prix will see Spalding Cycling Club organise a British Cycling Go-Ride Racing event on the Saturday morning, which will be open to all u-16 children from across South Holland competing on the Monks House Lane playing field.

In the afternoon, families are invited to ride about 20 miles around Spalding and district in a guided tour, visiting some local churches taking part in their annual flower festival. These rides will be ideal for less experienced riders and members of Spalding Cycling Club will be available to provide support.

On Sunday morning, the action moves to Spalding Market Place for a British Cycling organised Italian Pursuit race, an exciting spectator sport in which a team drops a rider at the completion of every lap until only one rider per team is left to battle it out in the final lap.

The event will be open to teams of riders from primary schools in South Holland with a separate competition being held in the afternoon open to teams of riders from nearby cycling clubs.

This event marks the return of town centre cycle racing, formerly held on the Sunday following Spalding Flower Parade. There will also be a cycle jumble and stalls.

Also on Sunday morning, there will be another guided ride of about 35 miles for more hard-core cyclists setting off from Spalding town centre. The Fenland Road Club have agreed to organise and lead this ride.

As lead organisers, Spalding Cycling Club will be able to draw on the experience of its members in event organisation after establishing themselves on the British Cycling regional event calendar for many years by hosting a range of races and time trials in South Lincolnshire.

Since the Free Press presented members with the idea towards the end of last year, the club has succeeded in uniting Springfields and the town centre to once again give hundreds of families a reason to visit Spalding over the former flower parade weekend.

Broadgate Homes and Spalding Water Taxi have come on board as main sponsors, with Springfields Horticultural Society, organisers of Tulipmania and Classic Car Show taking place the same weekend, providing barriers for the races, and the Free Press keeping the public informed of developments on the run-up to the event.

Existing club sponsor 
Gibbons Cycles and Sports have also confirmed their support of the weekend’s activities.

Simon Wright, chairman of Spalding Cycling Club, said: “I have been overwhelmed by the level of support from sponsors, stakeholders and club members, all determined to make the weekend a success and not only create a great event for 
visitors to Spalding to enjoy but also encouraging people to get out and ride their bikes.”

Ian Canhan, director of Broadgate Homes, said: “I am delighted to support an event that involves children and promotes cycling in the area and what a lovely place 
it is to live.”

Holbeach Community Policing Panel is meeting at the Age UK Pop-In Centre, Church Street, Holbeach, tomorrow at 6.30pm.

The meeting starts with a public forum between 6.30pm and 7pm before panel members discuss current priorities for the area’s policing team during the next 3 months.

Former student of Sir John Gleed School Nicholas Fletcher has graduated at Nottingham Trent University with a Masters in journalism.

Nicholas who comes from Weston Spalding was previously at Derby University, where he gained a B/A degree in journalism. He now works at the Lincolnshire Echo Newspaper in Lincoln.

BREAKING NEWS TUESDAY NOON: A man has died after being hit by a train on the Peterborough to Lincoln line running through Spalding today.

The accident happened south of Sleaford shortly after 6.30am when police and paramedics from East Midlands Ambulance Service were called to the scene.

However, the man was pronounced dead at the scene and his family has been informed.

A British Transport Police spokesman said: “We were called to the line south of Sleaford station shortly after 6.30am after reports that a person had been struck by a train.

“Lincolnshire Police and East Midlands Ambulance Service also attended, but a man was pronounced dead at the scene.

“We are working to make a full identification of the man whose death is not being treated as suspicious.

“His next of kin has been informed and we will prepare a file for the coroner.”

Train services between Spalding and Lincoln were disrupted this morning because of the incident.

The final touches are being put to a new CCTV service for Holbeach, costing council tax payers more than £6,300.

Up to five cameras will soon be in position around the town centre as a deterrent to crime and disorder, with the capability of monitoring Holbeach 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The system will also include a Shop Watch radio link to prevent shoplifting, all controlled from a centre in Boston under a sharing agreement with South Holland District Council.

A report from the district council for Holbeach parish councillors said: “The final proposal has been received for the CCTV replacement scheme and the order for the hardware has been placed.

“All the necessary survey work and physical testing is complete, further work around the technology and locations has taken place and the areas identified by the parish council for coverage will all be included.

“Slight amendments to the exact location of the camera sites and improved technology will also mean there is some wider coverage in these locations too.”

Parish councillors were told in January that a CCTV volunteer based at Spalding Police Station has been taken on by Boston Borough Council for monitoring purposes.

Holbeach county councillor Nick Worth said: “It’s good news that the parish council is going to get CCTV cameras in Holbeach to ensure the safety of people in the town.”

Spalding Ramblers made the most of the sunshine by walking around Holbeach St Matthew on Sunday. Judy Chapman, publicity officer, said: “It was a wonderful walk, with lovely views across the Wash and you could see the Boston Stump from wherever we walked.”

Since forming in 1986, members meet every Sunday and walk between five and ten miles, and this is extended to Wednesdays in the summer. Members believe that rambling is the perfect way to exercise and enjoy the beauty of the countryside. Non members are invited to join the group for two trial walks. Alongside wanting to connect like-minded people, the group has been successful campaigning for two bridges over drains in the local area to create footpaths. The Ramblers hold annual celebrations for the anniversary of the first walk in Bourne Woods every June. The programme for 2015 is now available from the South Holland Centre and from local libraries.

The row over Tory plans to shove around 30 libraries into the hands of volunteer groups hotted up yesterday with Labour claiming a disgraceful Conservative “con-trick” had been exposed in a new report.

Deeping St James county councillor Phil Dilks, Labour’s shadow executive member for libraries, said a damning council audit report revealed the Tories plotted to close libraries while promising in their election manifesto to extend library opening hours.

He also accused the ruling Conservatives of delaying publication of their controversial plans until a month after the election.

Coun Dilks said: “Had they been honest and revealed their draconian plan before the elections, they know they would not have been able to cling on to power.”

Executive member for libraries, Coun Nick Worth, countered: “We made it clear in late 2011/early 2012 that £2m would have to be saved within the library service. This proposal was included in the budget agreed by full council just before the county elections, and the Labour group did not oppose it.”

He said the council ran volunteer pilot projects and it was right to wait for the outcome of those before pressing ahead.

Tickets for the Spalding Guardian Election 2015 hustings are now available.

The event, hosted by the Lincolnshire Free Press’ sister newspaper, is taking place at the South Holland Centre on Thursday, April 23.

Readers will be able to quiz the candidates standing for South Holland and the Deepings in the parliamentary elections in a Question Time-style debate.

In the line-up so far are MP John Hayes, UKIP’s David Parsons and Labour’s Matthew Mahabadi.

We are awaiting confirmation from Liberal Democrat candidate George Smid and other parties who have yet to announce who their candidate will be have shown an interest in attending.

Since we announced the free event two weeks ago, the South Holland Centre and our own telephone lines have been inundated with enquiries on how to book.

Tickets, limited to four per person, can be acquired from the South Holland Centre booking office by calling 01775 764777.

Seats in the auditorium, which holds more than 300 people, will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis.

Doors will open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start.

Jeremy Ransome, Free Press and Spalding Guardian editor, said: “We always knew that several issues connectede to the area at the moment were going to make this election an interesting one, both at district and general election level.

“That is why I had the idea of getting all the parliamentary cadidates together for our own, special ‘question time’-type event.

“But I must admit I have been staggered by the interest shown in the event already.

“Ever since we announced our intentions the phone has not stopped ringing with people inquiring how they can get tickets.

“There has been a lot of interest at the South Holland Centre too.

“This should be a very interesting evening and I am looking forward to it.”

Lincolnshire Police has 
received an olive branch from the Government in a row over funding after talks with county MPs.

Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Hardwick has been invited to apply for special funding from the Home Office to offset cuts of almost £10.5 million over the next three years.

After a meeting with Policing Minister Mike Penning in London on Tuesday, it was also agreed that Chief Constable Neil Rhodes should become part of a group looking at the future of police financing.

Chief Superintendent Phil Vickers from the East Midlands Operational Support Service said: “It has long been recognised by the communities in Lincolnshire that we get a raw deal in terms of our policing budget.

“We have had support from local MPs, county and district councillors to highlight the unfair funding for Lincolnshire and if there is the possibility of our unique position being recognised, then I think that is positive news.

“There are still things that we can do and are doing to share work with other forces and make use of efficiencies at all levels.

“But the delivery of local neighbourhood policing is always going to be the prime objective of Lincolnshire Police and government funding is critical to that.”

South Holland and the Deepings MP John Hayes, who set up the meeting, said: “We have made real progress in securing a fresh commitment to new thinking about funding for Lincolnshire Police.

“I have always fought for a fair deal for Lincolnshire because I want policing that guarantees the safety and security of the people I serve, support for our excellent police officers and a long-term funding solution for Lincolnshire Police which protects us into the future.”

Mr Penning said: “Police reform is working and there is no question of them having the resources to do their important work.

“We have made it easier for the police to do their jobs, but the Government is conducting a fundamental review of the way funding is allocated between force areas.

“This work is ongoing and we will consult with police forces and others in due course.”

Police and headteachers are welcoming new steps by the children’s charity, the NSPCC, to help parents keep their children safe on the Internet.

Earlier this month, a “psychotic animal” – Lewis Daynes (19) – was sentenced to life in prison for the sexually motivated murder of Surrey boy Breck Bednar (14) after grooming him through online gaming and then luring him to his flat.

Step by step Daynes became Breck’s manipulating controller and then, the day after their first-ever meeting, his killer.

Talking to strangers or encountering sexual content are the two things that worry children most when using the Internet.

Paedophiles hide behind other identities, often posing as children, and it’s easy for children to sign up to many sites aimed at adults and see explicit sexual material.

The NSPCC has launched A Parents’ Guide to Being Share Aware – saying what’s safe or unsafe to share on the net – together with other advice that’s available free on www.nspcc.org/shareaware

NSPCC chief executive officer Peter Wanless said: “We know that children do take risks online, sometimes without realising it. And we know some parents feel confused by the Internet – out of their depth and out of control.

“Keeping children safe online is the biggest child protection challenge of this generation. Parents have a vital role to play but we want social networking sites to respond to parental concerns about their children’s safety and privacy.”

Share Aware is aimed at parents of children aged from eight to 12 years and offers simple advice that puts grown-ups back in control.

The campaign will be supported by two animations to be shown on prime time TV – “I Saw Your Willy” and “Lucy and The Boy” – which chart the perils of revealing too much information.

Talking points for parents to raise with their kids include:

* Keeping personal details safe (emails, name, phone number, school names);

* Not everyone’s who they say they are online;

* Choosing usernames that don’t reveal personal information;

* Which images might be OK to share;

* Thinking about what you share (once it’s online it’s out of your control).

Lincolnshire police spokeswoman Jemma Peacock said: “We start to teach our children about road safety as soon as they can walk and it becomes part of their understanding of the world.

“Internet safety is just as important, but the messages we need to convey are not quite so straightforward for everyone. Some parents are not confident in their understanding of the Internet and may even feel that their children’s knowledge exceeds their own. The Share Aware campaign aims to help parents feel more confident in having the conversations they need to have about Internet safety.”

Det Insp Simon Lovett heads the Lincolnshire Police team dedicated to tracking down online paedophiles.

In 2013 he warned parents about perverts who prompt children to perform sex acts live on webcam – and then blackmail them to do more with threats that their naked pictures will be revealed to family or friends.

He said then: “Children can become trapped in this cycle and they can almost become slaves to these people because they have to do their bidding. “As Home Secretary Theresa May said, a child can be at greater risk sitting in their bedroom on their computer than they are outside the school gates.”

* Among headteachers supporting the NSPCC campaign is Paul Reid, from St John’s Primary, Spalding, who said Internet safety is part of the school’s overall safety and wellbeing work which begins in Reception.

He said: “This work also covers safe use of the world wide web – not giving personal details, what to do if you are worried about anything you see on the Internet, safe use of social media and online gaming etc. We have also run workshops for parents and we direct parents to an e-safety website and termly newsletter that highlights some of the dangers.

“The work on e-safety is now part and parcel of our keeping children safe work and I welcome the NSPCC initiative, as it will be a useful resource.”

People affected by the route of cables that will connect the proposed Triton Knoll offshore windfarm to the National Grid at Bicker Fen are being encouraged to tell the developer how they would like a major new community investment fund to work in their area.

RWE Innogy UK, which is developing Triton Knoll, is running a month-long consultation to understand local priorities for the funding, the sorts of initiatives which could be supported and who might be involved in making decisions about applications.

Up to £500,000 will be available during the onshore construction of the wind farm and up to a further £40,000 for communities living close to the above ground electrical infrastructure. Both amounts are subject to the final installed capacity of the wind farm. A newsletter with details of how to take part in the consultation has been sent to homes along the onshore cable route. Anyone can have their say by completing a questionnaire, either online or via post, and returning it no later than 5pm on February 26.

Jacob Hain, RWE Innogy UK’s project manager for Triton Knoll, said: “This is a great opportunity for the area and for local people to have their say on how our funding should be spent.

“We take pride in the delivery of our community funding schemes and want to ensure they are set up to reflect the priorities of the local community, support sustainable projects and build on strategic goals in order to attract other forms of grant funding if possible.

“We’d like to hear from as many people as possible during this consultation. Anyone can have their say on how this funding should be spent by completing our questionnaire.”

Feedback on the consultation can be provided via questionnaires online at www.rweinnogy.com /tritonknoll. Alternatively, team members can be contacted on email at tritonknoll@rwe.com or by writing to the following postal address: Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm, RWE Innogy UK, Auckland House, Lydiard Fields, Great Western Way, Swindon, SN5 8ZT.

RWE Innogy was awarded a Development Consent Order for the offshore array of the Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm in July 2013. Once constructed, it could provide enough electricity to meet the energy needs of up to 800,000 average UK households annually.

In the dead of the night Harold Payne often lays in bed and thinks about the old boys he has lost over the years.

When Harold began fundraising to take World War 2 veterans back to Normandy there were about 60 of them.

Now, there are just four left.

They may be gone, but Harold is determined that their stories will not go with them to be forgotten by future generations.

He is creating a mobile museum to take to schools and other venues so that some of their experiences will be shared with others.

For instance, Philip Milton of Holbeach died recently aged 94, and is one of the veterans that Harold has been working with for years.

But it was only a couple of years ago that Harold learned Philip had been through the notorious Valley of Death, the site of Nazi German mass murder.

“All them years he never told me until one day I said, ‘How bad was it really?’,” says Harold.

Harold (74), proprietor of the Anglia Motel at Fleet Hargate, spoke to another veteran, Mr Pooley from Wisbech, who recalled his experience of landing on Juno beach and jumping into the water with a rope around his waist to pull the boat in, all the while under heavy fire.

Naturally, memories were stirred for the veterans particularly when they made their annual pilgrimage to Normandy with Harold.

During one of those visits, the late Reg Kettering of Long Sutton spoke about taking and losing the same French village 16 times.

Harold says: “All his old mates are in the cemetery out there that we visit each year.

“Roughly 14,500 of our lads are laying in cemeteries out there. It amazes me when I go and look at the headstones – they were 15, 16, 17 or 18. I always say to children when I go into schools that when these young lads went to war they were young men because they left school when they were 12 or 13 and then went to work on the farms.

“The stories I have heard from the veterans should be remembered and passed on.

“I often lay in bed at night and think about those old boys I have lost. It’s memories, isn’t it? I have learned a lot in the last 21 years.”

Videos of veterans talking about their experiences will be shown in the mobile museum, which will be filled with memorabilia from both world wars.

Now Harold is appealing for donations of 1914-18 and 1939-45 memorabilia to go in the museum.

Items such as medals or photographs are all of interest. Ring Harold on 07530 006867 or go to the motel to hear about his plans. Alternatively, talk to him at Morrisons supermarket at Pinchbeck on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Police are warning people in South Holland to be vigilant after two suspected cases of bogus council officials visiting homes in the area.

Both incidents happened on Tuesday in Whaplode and Holbeach St Johns where two men wearing in high visibility jackets claimed to be from South Holland District Council offering free loft insulation.

South Holland Community Policing Inspector Jim Tyner said: “These types of offences are despicable as the offenders prey on the elderly and vulnerable in our society.

“The men tried to trick their way into the homes by pretending to be council officials but thankfully, they were foiled by quick-witted residents.”

“We are asking people to be good neighbours by keeping an eye on elderly or vulnerable neighbours.

“If you are suspicious, record car registration numbers as distraction burglars are trying to trick their way into people’s homes to steal money and valuables while the householder’s attention is elsewhere.

“Most callers are genuine and mean you no harm, but bogus callers can often seem very plausible and will try to fool you.”

Anyone with information should call 101.

Mobile phone users in South Holland are being warned to look out for suspicious messages showing the logo for Lincolnshire Police.

A man in the county went to police after he received a message on his mobile phone supposedly from the force.

The message claimed the man’s phone was blocked as a result of a website showing sexual content and that he would have to pay £200 to have it unlocked.

Anyone receiving such messages should call 101 straight away.

Harold Payne started raising money for local charities 40 years ago.

However, 22 years ago he began collecting money to take veterans to Normandy and estimates that around £560,000 has been raised in total.

For the past 21 years he has taken groups of veterans – 1,000 in total – and schoolchildren and laid wreaths in memory of the fallen of all nationalities.

When the numbers of Normandy veterans began to fall the money raised started helping the Royal Anglians through the Help Our Local Heroes fund.

Harold is planning this year to apply for planning permission for a memorial in Fleet Hargate dedicated to the men and women who have lost their lives in recent conflicts.

But for now his project is the educational mobile war museum.

Harold says: “Young people have to understand that war doesn’t achieve anything. When they look at the pictures, the films and memorabilia and read about the amount of soldiers lost, when they see memorials with all the names on they will understand more what it’s all about.”

A house in Bourne has been burgled after a gang forced open a pair of patio doors to get inside

The burglary happened at a house in Beech Avenue between 6.30am and 8.30pm on Monday.

It’s not known whether any items were stolen but anyone with information should call 101, quoting incident 432 of January 26.

Meanwhile, police in Bourne are asking people living in the town, particularly its outskirts, to call them after a spate of burglaries in recent weeks.

You can call the Neighbourhood Policing Team on 101 extension 3727.

There was also a burglary at a house in Lindsey Avenue, Market Deeping, on Sunday.

The burglary took place between 9.20am and 7.20pm.

Anyone with information should call 101, quoting incident 349 of January 25.

You can also call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

A policeman who spoke to a woman following an argument with her partner later spotted her behind the wheel and “presumed she may be over the limit”.

Kelly Edwards (35), of Mill Green Road, Pinchbeck, was found to have 83mgs of alcohol in blood – 3mgs over the limit.

She pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol on Mill Green Road on November 30 when she appeared before magistrates at Boston today (Wednesday).

Edwards was banned from driving for a year, fined £110 and ordered to pay £85 costs with a £20 victim surcharge.

She can cut 13 weeks off the ban if she attends a rehabilitation course.

Prosecutor Nick Todd said a policeman saw her Honda Accord at about 6.20pm.

He said the officer had been in conversation with her an hour or two earlier when he noticed that she’d had a drink.

Solicitor Mike Alexander, mitigating, said: “She had an argument with her partner and that caused the officer to come round and speak with her in the first place. She was upset – she tells me she didn’t think she would be over the limit at all. You have heard how close she was to the limit.”

Holocaust Memorial Day was marked by Spalding Grammar School pupils.

Year 9 students wrote poems and created other work in response to what they learned.

The work, created in Ethics and Philosophy studies, was then presented in assemblies and displayed on a notice board in the main corridor.

See also Sir John Gleed School’s exhibition, page 12.