A 12ft stone crocodile ornament that was stolen from a garden in Bourne has been reunited with its owner.
The ornamental reptile was taken from a garden in Rangoon Way between Sunday, April 19 and Tuesday, April 21.
News of the theft spread on social media before the crocodile was eventually found and returned last Wednesday.
Vandals smashed the driver’s window of a car parked in East Lane, Morton, between 6.30pm on Friday, April 24 and 9.00am the next day.
Meanwhile, thieves tried to steal a car parked in Cherry Holt Road, Bourne, at about 10pm last Wednesday.
Two people were reportedly seen running away from the area at the time of the attempted theft.
Meanwhile, a shed in South Road, Bourne, was broken into by an intruder from land at the back of the building near the Spinney and Kier building site on Elsea Park.
It happened overnight between last Wednesday and Thursday.
Anyone with information should call 101.
In a situation where no single political party wins an overall majority after the polls close at 10pm tonight (7 May), the 2015 General Election will be known as a ‘hung Parliament’.
Under the current electoral system, First Past The Post (FPTP) the candidate in each of the 650 constituencies with the most votes wins, thus a party needs 326 elected MPs for an outright majority.
In the case of a hung Parliament, the current Government will remain in place until a majority government can be formed - which is what happened in the 2010 General Election.
Talks between party leaders could take days as agreements are brokered ensuring a new administration can function.
This could mean party manifestos that people voted for could be altered or cast aside.
Or, a party leader could opt to go it alone and try to run a minority government.
In that scenario they would still need the support of other parties in order to get their laws passed.
There is only one guideline for forming a government in a hung Parliament: that the politician who can tell the Queen that he has a workable majority in the House of Commons is the one the Queen will authorise to form a government.
After a long day of voting and a long night of counts, the Lincolnshire electorate has again stayed ‘true blue’
Speculation of a UKIP surge following the parties strong performance in the last Lincolnshire County Council elections did not materialise.
Sir Edward Leigh held his Gainsborough seat and increased his majority by 4,890 to 15,449, defeating Labour’s David Prescott, son of John Prescott.
Victoria Atkins succeeds retiring Sir Peter Tapsell as MP for Louth and Horncastle, defeating UKIP county councillor Colin Mair.
Conservative Matt Warman held off a UKIP charge in Boston and Skegness, beating young Robin Hunter-Clarke by more than 4,000 votes.
Stephen Phillips easily held on to the Sleaford and North Hykeham seat with 56.2% of the vote and a 24,000 majority.
In Grantham and Stamford Nick Boles held his seat for the Tories with a 19,000 majority and Karl McCartney narrowly held on to his Lincoln seat, defeating Labour’s Lucy Rigby by some 1,400 votes.
A Spalding artist has visited the home of Dame Vera Lynn to present her with a print of a painting entitled ‘We’ll Meet Again’.
It shows the wartime singer Dame Vera with veteran pilots of the Battle of Britain in front of a Spitfire at the 70th anniversary celebrations of the Battle of Britain in London in 2010.
Ken Rush (84), of Ambleside Drive, is a member of the Guild of Aviation Artists and is exhibiting in its summer exhibition at the Mall Galleries in July.
He and his wife, Jean, travelled to Sussex to present the painting to Dame Vera in celebration of the 70th anniversary of VE Day, just following an ITV news crew.
They were on the road for just over 11 hours but managed to get back in time to see Dame Vera on the ITV news.
Ken said: “It was a great honour to meet Dame Vera. She has been part of our lives since we were children.
“At 98 she is an icon and a symbol of everything that the Second World War represents. She is also a great and wonderful lady and I’m pleased to say she loves the picture.
“I told her that her scarves she wore that day took a long time to paint, which amused her.”
The veterans pictured with Dame Vera are (left to right): Flight Lieutenant Walker, Flight Lieutenant Drever, Wing Commander Neil, Wing Commander Foster, Flying Officer Wilkinson, Squadron Leader Rose, Flight Lieutenant Burns and Squadron Leader Wellum.
Limited edition signed prints of the Battle of Britain painting will soon be offered for sale on the Dame Vera Lynn Trust for children with cerebral palsy website at www.dvltrust.org.uk
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.
Boston Magistrates’ Court
April 8
Christine Baynes (64), of Garners Wharf, Sutton Bridge. Drink driving (Sutton Bridge). £100 fine, £20 victim surcharge, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 12 months.
Ceslovas Gaidukas (48), of St Paul’s Road, Spalding. Drink driving (Spalding). Community order with 150 unpaid works, £60 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 26 months.
Joshua Arnold (19), of Queens Road, Spalding. Criminal damage (Spalding). 12 months conditional discharge, £250 compensation, £15 v/s, £85 costs.
Arnold Cviklinskij (35), of Langley Mews, Kirton. Drink driving (Boston). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 21 months. No insurance. £200 fine.
Angela Isted (62), of Daniels Gate, Spalding. Drink driving (Long Sutton). £120 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 12 months.
Stasys Krisciunas (54), of Trinity Street, Boston. Drink driving (Kirton). Three months’ prison sentence suspended for 12 months, £80 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 23 months. No separate penalty for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence. No insurance. £200 fine, 6pts. Took a vehicle without the owner’s consent (Spalding). Three months’ prison sentence concurrent suspended for 12 months.
Robert Phimister (22), of Royce Road, Spalding. Used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour (Spalding). £75 fine, £20 v/s, £40 costs.
Kiril Abakumov (29), of Chestnut Avenue, Spalding. Possession of pepper spray (Spalding). 12 months conditional discharge, £15 v/s, £85 costs, pepper spray to be forfeited and destroyed.
Dwane Brown (28), of Allerton Court, Wyberton. Two counts of assaulting a police officer (Boston). £500 fine, £200 compensation, £50 v/s, £85 costs
April 10
Mark Duggan (56), of Market Rasen Way, Holbeach. Possession in a public place of a kitchen knife (Holbeach). Two years’ conditional discharge, £15 v/s, £85 costs, knife to be forfeited and destroyed.
Ludmila Kuznecova (42), of Havelock Street, Spalding. Failing to give a specimen of breath for analysis (Boston). £195 fine, £20 v/s, £100 costs, disqualified from driving for 16 months.
Christopher Scoulding (38), of Porthouse Drive, Pinchbeck. Assault (Spalding). Community order with 150 hours work, £100 compensation, £60 v/s, £100 costs.
April 13
James Cotton (60), of White Cross Lane, Tilney All Saints. Failing to stop after an accident (Sutton Bridge). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £250 costs, 6pts. Failing to report an accident. £200 fine. No separate penalty for driving without due care and attention.
Vladislav Strelcenok (30), of Laureate Grove, Spalding. Possession of scalpel blade in a public place (Spalding). £150 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs. Blade to be forfeited and destroyed. No separate penalty for theft of a razor worth £9.95 belonging to Wilkinsons (Spalding), compensation £9.95.
Grantham Magistrates’ Court
April 13
Claire Hunt (58), of Poppy Place, Bourne. Drink driving (Thurlby). £500 fine, £50 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 24 months.
Antony Slack (54), of Dovecote Estate, Rippingale. Sent threatening letter (Rippingale). Restraining order, £220 fine, £22 v/s, £85 costs. No separate penalty for sending a second threatening letter.
Richard Vernalls (39), of Fraser Close, Deeping St James. Used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour (Market Deeping 7.2.15). Drink driving (Market Deeping 15.2.15). Community order with alcohol treatment requirement, £60 v/s, £170 costs, disqualified from driving for 4 years. No separate penalty for drink driving (Uffington 30.11.14) and being drunk and disorderly (Market Deeping 30.1.15).
Lincoln Magistrates’ Court
April 8
Lea Beechman (38), of Cranesgate North, Whaplode St Catherine. No insurance (Whaplode). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.
Svajunas Mockus (38), of Queens Road, Spalding. Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence (Spalding). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.
Marin Hulton (27), of Broadwater Crescent, Stevenage. Speeding (Spalding). £335 fine, £33 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.
Matthew Makin (18), of Fallowfields, Spalding. No insurance (Langtoft). £110 fine, £20 v/s, £40 costs, 6pts. No separate penalty for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.
John Zimmer (56), of Cowdales Drove, Donington. Speeding (Quadring). £335 fine, £34 v/s, £85 costs, 4pts.
April 13
Vicky Cunningham (45), of Birkholme, Corby Glen. Speeding (Bourne). £165 fine, 5pts.
Gytis Paskevicius (28), of Park Road, Spalding. Failed to give driver ID (Nettleham). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.
Artis Linins (22), of Ayscough Avenue, Spalding. No insurance (Spalding). £165 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts. No separate penalty for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.
Mark Aston (34), of Sycamore Way, Batley. Speeding (Whaplode). £135 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.
April 16
Martyn Miles (21), of Pinchbeck Road, Spalding. Assault (Market Deeping). Community order with 3 months curfew requirement, £100 compensation, £60 v/s, £85 costs. No separate penalty for failing to surrender to custody.
April 17
Valerijs Matutis (31), of Albion Street, Spalding. Stole wine and nuts worth £5.88 belonging to B&M Bargains (Boston). £145 fine, £20 v/s. No action taken on breach of conditional discharge.
South Lincolnshire remains Tory blue after wins for the Conservatives in constituencies covering Bourne, Billingborough and villages south of Boston.
Nick Boles is still MP for Grantham and Stamford, including Bourne, after retaining his seat with a majority of 18.989.
Mr Boles polled 28,399 votes, UKIP candidate Marietta King was second with 9,410, Labour’s Barrie Fairbairn was third with 9.070 and Liberal Democrat Harrish Bisnauthsing fourth on 3,263.
Other candidates for Grantham and Stamford were Aidan Campbell (Green Party) on 1,872, Independent Ian Selby on 1,017 and Jan Hansen of the Lincolnshire Independents on 724.
Stephen Phillips won in Sleaford and North Hykeham, which includes Billingborough, with 34,805 votes, ahead of Labour and UKIP.
Matt Warman is the new MP for Boston and Skegness with 18,981 votes, edging UKIP’s Robin Hunter-Clarke on 14,645 into second with Labour’s Paul Kenny third.
Seventy-three candidates contested seats in the South Holland and The Deepings district elections.
Twenty-eight of the 34 candidates put forward by the Conservatives won theirs, with seven of the 21 Independents winning and two of 11 standing for UKIP.
Results are:
Crowland and Deeping St Nicholas - 3 seats
*Angie Harrison - Conservative
*Bryan Alcock - Independent
Peter Bird - UKIP
Jim Astill - Conservative
Paul Barrett - Independent
Jennie Head - Conservative
Brian Sumner - Green
Donington, Quadring and Gosberton - 3 seats
*Robert Clark - Con 2268
*Jane King - Ind 1677
Colin Johnson - Con 1657
Roger Neal - Con 1043
Fleet - 1 seat
*Peter Coupland - Conservative 720
Paul Chapman - Ind 371
Anne Ramkaran - LibDem 70
Gedney - 1 seat
*Joanne Reynolds - Con 588
Sarah Wilkinson - Ind 245
Andrew Parks - UKIP 406
Holbeach Hurn - 1 seat
*Nick Worth - Con 719
Richard Crowley - Ind 324
Holbeach Town - 3 seats
*Francis Biggadike Con 1902
*Tracey Carter Con 1304
*Paul Foyster UKIP 1290
Rita Rudkin Con 1215
Martin Howard Ind 918
Long Sutton - 3 seats
*Jack Tyrrell Con 2076
*Laura Eldridge Con 1922
*Andy Tennant - Ind 1620
David Wilkinson - Ind 1567
Jeanne Sibley - Ind 1039
Moulton, Weston and Cowbit - 3 seats
*Anthony Casson - Con 1953
*Andrew Woolf - Con 1650
*Rodney Grocock - Con 1326
Emily Bates UKIP 1198
Voyteck Kowalewski - Lab 486
Mary Lane LibDem 468
Jim Scarsbrook - Ind 847
Pinchbeck and Surfleet - 3 seats
*James Avery - Co 1952
*Sally Slade - Con 1908
*Elizabeth Sneath - Con 2074
Geoff Garner - UKIP 1161
David Turp - Ind 583
Douglas Dickens 378
Spalding Castle - 1 seat
*Gary Taylor - Conservative 681
Mark Le Sage - Independent 229
Martin Blake - Green 125
Spalding Monks House - 2 seats
*George Aley - Con 1026
*Angela Newton - Ind 1398
Dave Maltby - UKIP 817
Spalding St John’s - 2 seats
*Jack McLean - Con 1017
*Graham Dark - Ind 821
Roger Perkins 421
Rob Gibson - UKIP 733
Spalding St Mary’s - 2 seats
*Harry Drury - Con 1178
*Gary Porter - Con 1084
Richard Fairman - UKIP 805
Robert West - Ind 523
Spalding St Paul’s - 2 seats
* David Ashby - Con 889
*Peter Williams - UKIP 865
Glynis Scalese - Con 767
Spalding Wygate - 2 seats
* Roger Gambba-Jones - Con 1355
* Christine Lawton - Con 1267
Anthony Cronin - Ind 736
Geraldine Scholes - Ind 626
South Holland Parish Election results:
Crowland, East ward
Bryan Alcock Ind 672 ELECTED
David Ancil 330 ELECTED
Thomas Atkinson 464 ELECTED
Peter Bird 363 ELECTED
Linda Boor 508 ELECTED
David Kempton 337 ELECTED
Geoff Quince 275 ELECTED
David Ringham 391 ELECTED
Victor Harding 231
Crowland, West ward
Reg Boot 428 ELECTED
Tina Croxford 336 ELECTED
Cathleen Elphee 357 ELECTED
Angie Harrison 394 ELECTED
Peter Haselgrove 326 ELECTED
Jennie Head 316 ELECTED
John Parnell 518 ELECTED
Margaret Beardshaw 313
Peter Cooper 243
Gedney Hill
Colette Coleman 170 ELECTED
Ian Coles 157 ELECTED
Kenneth James 153 ELECTED
David Mann 198 ELECTED
Paul Redgate 145 ELECTED
Lisa Lakey 138
Brenda Harper 136
Holbeach Town
Paul Foyster 981 ELECTED
Val Gemmell Independent 976 ELECTED
Paul Gunn 938 ELECTED
Martin Howard Independent 1427 ELECTED
Isobel Hutchinson 901 ELECTED
Kathy Rooke 658 ELECTED
Carol Rudkin 1327 ELECTED
Graham Rudkin 1043 ELECTED
John Spencer 829 ELECTED
Joan Woolard 637 ELECTED
Mark Smith 522
Whaplode
Richard Barlow Independent 319 ELECTED
George Merchant 403 ELECTED
Michael Pullen 357 ELECTED
Rita Rudkin 305 ELECTED
Paul Stafford 274
Being able to recover and rehabilitate in a hospital just two miles from his house felt like being “home” for patient Brian Stout.
His return to Lincolnshire from hospital in Cambridgeshire, where he had undergone major surgery for severe arthritis in his neck vertebrae, marked the start of a challenging journey to regain his independence.
“When I came around from surgery I was unable to move anything and within three days I got flu and then thrush,” explained Brian, of Spalding.
“The first thing I wanted to do was get well enough to get home, but I thought I would maybe end up in a hospital 20 or 30 miles away. I ended up at the Johnson, just two miles down the road, and felt like I was home. Until then, my family and I didn’t even realise the ward was there.”
The Welland Ward at Johnson Community Hospital, which is run by Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS), plays a vital role in helping patients to recover and rehabilitate in the community.
Patients might be admitted following a fall or stroke, or, like Brian, may have previously been receiving specialist care at an acute hospital. A move into the community can support those who no longer need acute medical care, but still require intensive therapy to help them regain independence and recover well enough to continue their care at home.
This could involve a diverse team, which includes nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.
Brian (71) said: “The staff were first class. We battled away to get me moving towards regaining my independence.
“They even found me a piano to play. I was in there seven weeks before I could go home. Providing you do your bit, the staff will do everything they can to help you.”
Brian can now stand and walk with a frame and is improving movement in his hands. A talented musician who went on tour with Rod Stewart in 2011, he is still unable to play his beloved double bass, but is slowly regaining his ability to play the piano. Building activities like playing the piano into his therapy have played an important part in helping Brian to return home.
He has had therapy continued with home visits from the Independent Living Team and is supported by a personal care plan through social care.
Helen Pattinson, Specialist Occupational Therapist from LCHS, said: “We are proud to be able to support patients in the community. When a patient is admitted, we work with them to develop a care plan which is individual to them.
“Wherever possible, we incorporate daily tasks or favourite hobbies into therapy to not only make it enjoyable but to give the confidence and the ability to support them to regain their independence. Before any patient returns home, we ensure they can be discharged safely, which could include continued care with our community teams, referrals into other services or advice on how to remain healthy at home.”
I read with interest the item on page 15 of last week’s Guardian and would like to warn the residents of Sutton Bridge that the information provided by the Post Office may not be correct.
Here in Pinchbeck we received similar information about longer opening times, including Sunday, of the Post Office if/when it was moved from a stand alone post office into the Mace shop.
The opening times quoted were those of the shop BUT the post office section is not, and never has kept those times. In general the opening times are the same as for the old post office except for Wednesday afternoon. For stamp collectors we have no service for special stamps and other philatelic material.
It is possible that a post office at Nisa in Sutton Bridge will be open for the same hours of the shop but only if they have the staff to run it.
Following my previous letter concerning the ‘Spalding stink’.
It appears that Anglian Water do understand the problem but will not spend the money to sort it out.
Instead they are relying upon mitigating the smell. That is reducing the smell but not stopping it.
This information came to light in a reply to my previous letter by someone who tells me that the installation is not at capacity and nothing is cheap to install and with price controls extremely tight, a big cheque is not going to be given to solve all the issues.But the company is committed to continue to try to sort the issue permanently.
If so why waste money on systems that only reduce the smell?
I note that Anglian Water has a turnover of £1,092 million, operating profit of £447.3 million, net £266 million.Dividend payable £193 million.
Obviously the Spalding installation is not the only one to have had problems with odours.
Ingoldmells sewage works also had a problem.
It has taken Anglian Water some 20 years apparently, to solve the problem, cost approximately £800,000.
So has this flushed out Anglian Water, or do I smell a rat?
It looks as though residents, businesses and visitors will have to hold their noses for some time to come.
A new skate park has finally opened in Kirton after plans were set-back last year by a spate of vandalism and arson.
Residents and parish councillors worked together on the project for the Dame Sarah Swift playing field - with the £35,000 facility now in place.
It was officially opened by the park committee and supporters last weekend.
“The facilities are being used now by all the youngsters,” Ian Turner, chairman of Kirton Parish Council told The Standard.
“There haven’t been any more problems with vandalism - but our only concerns now are the incredible amount of litter the young people are leaving on the site.”
The committee has plans to further develop the park with a BMX track at the far end, but Coun Turner said: “This is on hold at the moment until the young people learn to be a bit more responsible.”
He added: “The park is now a great area for young people and a pleasant area for all residents. Local police have been very good at combating some of the issues we have head there in the past.”
Re: Your article in relation to the bus shelter in Fleet Hargate.
Mr Stinders, the developer of the properties mentioned, had, out of courtesy, contacted Fleet Parish Council in regard to his intention to remove the bus shelter attached to his properties.
Since then there has been much correspondence between members of the council in attempting to understand the situation and find a solution. This issue has come at what some may describe as an unfortunate time being just before the Parish, District and Parliamentary elections.
We have therefore both asked that the bus shelter situation be placed on the agenda for the next meeting of the parish council at 7.10 pm on May 18 at the community centre in Fleet Hargate.
The clerk has also provided councillors with a copy of minutes dated February 23, 1953 that detail the site (Fleet Jail) originally belonged to the church authorities who then sold the site ‘in-total’ and that the deeds show the bus shelter was included in the sale.
Mr Stinders therefore legally owns this site with no legal covenant or other charge held over it in relation to the bus shelter that we are aware of. The council, in agreement with Mrs Fleurette Stinders, has maintained the bus shelter in the intervening years.
In recent times, due to misuse and fouling of the facility (including human excrement) the bus shelter has rarely been used despite it being open and available.
Your readers should note that a similar situation occurred with the brick built bus shelter that was located near to the Holbeach House development on Fleet Road. This shelter had become a ‘hang-out’ for one or two small groups who abused the facility.
The generosity of residents who took it upon themselves to clean up after these groups was sorely tested and stretched to breaking point. Consequently the council voted to have the facility removed, it was not replaced and a new parish notice board now stands on the site.
Mrs Woolard is a serving councillor on Fleet Parish Council and will have received all correspondence on this matter as and when it became available.
It should also be pointed out that there are many other bus stops in Fleet Hargate and the surrounding area that do not have a shelter attached to them.
Indeed, the ‘sister’ stop on the opposite side of the road does not have a shelter yet this does not seem to have been an issue to residents as it has never been raised at any parish council meeting as far as we are aware. What are we to do this these? We therefore urge all residents of the ward who have an issue with this bus shelter to make their concerns known to Fleet Parish Council prior to its next meeting so that proper discussion can take place on this matter.
Traders can take a stand at Bourne’s Thursday market on May 14 and 21 for just £10.
There are up to 10 stalls available on each market day for Love Your Local Market Fortnight, with places to be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.
Traders need public liability insurance in place to a value of £5 million in order to book a stall and food traders require relevant food hygiene certificates.
South Kesteven District Council’s business manager for venues and facilities Paul Stokes said: “This is a great opportunity for businesses to take up a fantastic offer, be they existing traders or individuals wanting to bring their products or services to a new client base.
“If you are a small or medium-sized enterprise, this is a good chance to promote your business and look at the market as a place to have a permanent stall.” For more details, call the council on 01476 406080 or visit www.southkesteven.gov.uk
Police are looking into a spate of car vandalism in Spalding over recent days.
Three cars in Pennygate and one in Cathedral Drive were targeted overnight between Saturday and Sunday.
These attacks came after the driver’s-side window of a Ford Focus parked in Chestnut Avenue was smashed overnight between Wednesday and Thursday.
At the same time, a Vauxhall Signum parked in Marine Road and a Mini Cooper in Greenwich Avenue also had their windows smashed.
Meanwhile, rubbish bags were set alight in Chestnut Avenue and Rowan Avenue during the same period.
Anyone with information should call 101.
Car owners in Donington are being warned after a report of catalytic converters being stolen in the village.
Police believe that thieves have targeted Honda Accord models registered between 1998 and 2004.
There have been reports of similar thefts across Lincolnshire, including Horncastle, Coningsby, Stickney, Skegness and Barrowby.
Lincolnshire Police’s crime reduction officer Sally Picker said: “This is a problem across the whole county and a huge amount of work is already being done to catch the criminals involved through Operation Brompton, which tackles all metal theft.
“It is hoped that catalytic converter marking kits will prevent further crimes and also improve the chances of securing convictions when offenders are arrested.
“All you have to do is put a coded sticker on your catalytic converter and coat it with a tube of the liquid provided to create a permanent mark.
“You then register your code on the International Security Register (ISR), run by Retainagroup that produces the marking packs, which means that when we recover catalytic converters, the marked ones tell us that a crime has been committed and the ISR leads us straight to the victim.
“Meanwhile, the prevention side comes in with stickers that you display on your car, advertising the fact that your converter is marked – putting criminals off.”
Anyone with information should call 101, quoting incident 39 of May 1.
You can also call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
I recently read one of the most appalling comments on your website I have ever read this year and I am really quite upset, disgusted and furious at the same time.
This quote is from Dennis Hannant, town centre manager: “As for concerns about the new eastern European shop selling alcohol.
“If there was just one in town the people who street drink and urinate in people’s gardens would be queuing up outside it.
“Shops need the alcohol to make them pay. Would residents rather there were 24 empty shops?”
This was in response to a fellow resident’s concerns about the state our once-beautiful town is in and the fact yet again one of our historical buildings and, yes, another pub, is being turned into a convenience store selling alcohol.
The Peacock pub is a convenience store selling alcohol – there are far too many and we don’t want or need anymore.
We don’t need any more eastern European stores full stop – our supermarkets stock their goods and alcohol together in their own aisles as it is, so why have we the need to have these stores in the first place?
They are an eyesore, a mess and don’t blend into the surroundings, certainly are not in keeping with the town’s flora and fauna. In any case who are these shops conveniencing – certainly not local Spalding folk?
If this is the kind of attitude our own town centre manager has then we all may as well shut up shop and move out – perhaps over to Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Bulgaria or Romania, urinate in their streets, work shifts, drink till we are so drunk we don’t know what we are doing let alone where we are, and still drive to work.
These people would be better off trying to integrate with us – learn our language, respect our customs.
Look at the children. They don’t see a problem because the next generation are learning together, but most of the adults just don’t want to be part of Spalding at all.
As for the comment about ‘would we rather have 24 empty shops?’. Of course we wouldn’t, but let’s open shops which appeal to us all, not the minority or is it majority now!
Mr Hannant, if this is all you can do and say to help pick this town up I would stop right now and hand in your notice.
Yours really disgusted.
Higgidy Ltd is recalling two date codes of its ‘Chicken & Smoky Spanish Chorizo Pie’ as the product contains egg, which is not mentioned on the label.
This makes the product a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy or intolerance to egg.
Product details: Higgidy Chicken & Smoky Spanish Chorizo Pie. Pack size: 250g. ‘Use by’ date: 15 May 2015 and 16 May 2015
The Food Standards Agency advice to consumers is: “If you have bought the above product and have an allergy or intolerance to egg, do not eat it. Instead, return it to the store from where you bought it for a full refund.”
Customers can also contact the Higgidy Helpline on 01273 446 830.
People living near a Spalding car wash have raised an 80-name petition to save it from being closed down.
Neighbours deny there is a nuisance problem caused by Town Hand Car Wash in Double Street run for the past two years by Mohamed Soucho (38).
South Holland District Council granted temporary planning permission for the business in January 2014 which ran out 12 months later.
But an application for the car wash to stay was turned down last December due to problems with spray and water coming from cars as they are washed and rinsed.
Mr Soucho, who came to the UK from Kurdistan in 2002, said: “I spent £9,500 on a new roof so there would be no problems for my neighbours.
“I’ve had letters from them saying that I look after the area, help people by keeping an eye on their homes while they are at work and they are happy with me.”
Mr Soucho added that four people would lose their jobs if he was forced to close the car wash.
Christopher Thompson (66), of Double Street, said: “The people who run the car wash come from an oppressed part of the world, but they are very pleasant, very respectable and very hard-working.
“None of us living in Double Street have any complaints about them and they are valuable members of the neighbourhood.”
A 23-year-old Spalding man has spoken of the gruelling week he spent as part of a humanitarian rescue effort following the Nepal earthquake.
Adam Turner was part of a 16-strong charity Search and Rescue Assistance in Disasters (SARAID) team, based in Kathmandu.
He flew safely home on Sunday, much to the relief of his father Kevin who has been busy fundraising – and just in time of his birthday.
Relaxing before returning to work at Cotswolds Outdoor in Peterborough yesterday, Adam said: “I don’t think the impact of the trip has sunk in yet.
“I was part of a logistic support team helping with the communications between teams tasking, home and the United Nations.
“We were not involved in live rescues – Search and Rescue has finished now.
“But the humanitarian work which is continuing and will be for many months to come.”
The LIVES First Responder who had spent one weekend per month for 18 months training to become an Operational Team member for SARAID was part of 55 rescue missions operating 12 to 14-hour days in Kathmandu. Adam’s team had travelled with 1½ tonnes of the latest rescue equipment, including sound and vibration detection equipment, as well as specialised search cameras to help locate victims trapped under buildings and cutting equipment to help tunnel into collapsed buildings to rescue them.
In addition, they had to carry stretchers and medical kit, ropes, generators, tents, satellite communications and their own food, to ensure they are not a strain on local resources.
He said: “I was excited at first being chosen to be part of the international effort but it was also daunting.
“The scenes of devastation were overwhelming. Many of the older buildings are totally collapsed and work has now started to clear them, provide shelter and cater for sanitation and hygiene needs.
“There are a lot of displaced people living in the streets.
“Even if their homes had not been displaced they chose to live outside in makeshift tents because they feared getting trapped after one of the aftershocks.”
Since returning home, Adam said he hadn’t even thought about his birthday.
He said: “I’m just happy to be back and trying to catch up with some sleep.
“I’ve suffered jetlag quite badly because Kathmandu is four-and-a-half hours ahead of us. But it’s back to reality and my day job now – until the next time.”
His dad, Kevin, was especially pleased to see Adam home.
He said: “I’m relieved but very proud.”