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

May 13

Luke Arons (35), of Winsover Road, Spalding. Assault (Spalding). Community order, £60 v/s, £85 costs. No action taken in breach of conditional discharge.

Saulius Zinkevius (23), of Rathkenny Close, Holbeach. Assault (Spalding). Community order with 100 hours unpaid work and requirement to participate in Building Better Relationships Programme, restraining order, £60 v/s, £85 costs.

Piotr Kutyla (25), of Northampton Road, Wellingborough. Possession of cannabis (Spalding). 12 months conditional discharge, £15 v/s, £180 costs, cannabis to be forfeited and destroyed.

Olegas Malachovas (39), of Lynn Road, King’s Lynn. Driving while disqualified (Holbeach). Community order with 150 hours unpaid work, £60 v/s, £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge.

Arkadiusz Chrapicki (45), of Palin Drive, Spalding. Drink-driving (Spalding). £325 fine, £32 v/s, £85 costs, £150 c/c/c, disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Matthew Crease (30), of Winsover Road, Spalding. Drink-driving (Spalding). £420 fine, £42 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 12 months. No separate penalty for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and no insurance.

Jevgenijs Scervenihs (27), of Riverside Park, Spalding. Drink-driving (Spalding). £250 fine, £25 v/s, £85 costs, £150 c/c/c, disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Grantham Magistrates’ Court

May 7

Paula Abreu (30), of Johnson Avenue, Spalding. No TV licence. £240 fine, £24 v/s, £120 costs.

Jemma Almond (26), of Porthouse Drive, Pinchbeck. No TV licence. £280 fine, £28 v/s, £120 costs.

Emma Bone (23), of Bowditch Road, Spalding. No TV licence. £280 fine, £28 v/s, £120 costs.

Luke Britton (34), of Thames Road, Spalding. No TV licence. £200 fine, £20 v/s, £120 costs.

Susan Foreman (39), of Spalding Common, Spalding. No TV licence. £240 fine, £24 v/s, £120 costs.

Katie Henderson (27), of Willesby Road, Spalding. No TV licence. £280 fine, £28 v/s, £120 costs.

Stacy Mason (23), of St 
Thomas’s Road, Spalding. No TV licence. £200 fine, £20 v/s, £120 costs.

Maria Waugh (31), Cranesgate North, Whaplode St Catherine. No TV licence. £200 fine, £20 v/s, £120 costs.

Kerrie Fisher (31), of Falcon Way, Bourne. No TV licence. £40 fine, £20 v/s, £40 costs.

Katarzyna Kolasa (37), of Winsover Road, Spalding. No TV licence. £200 fine, £20 v/s, £120 costs.

Maxine Lewsley (26), of Daniels Crescent, Long Sutton. No TV licence. £240 fine, £24 v/s, £160 costs.

Elwira Bobkowka (26), of Winsover Road, Spalding. No TV licence. £440 fine, £44 v/s, £120 costs.

Pamela Grimes (38), Church Lane, Moulton. No TV licence. £440 fine, £44 v/s, £120 costs.

Cindy Harper (35), of Fulney Avenue, Spalding. No TV licence. £280 fine, £28 v/s, £120 costs.

Donna Howlett (32), of Royce Road, Spalding. No TV licence. £240 fine, £24 v/s, £120 costs.

Gibril Joof (41), of Sandringham Court, Holbeach. No TV licence. £80 fine, £20 v/s, £80 costs.

Paul Masterson (38), of Chapel Court, Sutton Bridge. No TV licence. £240 fine, £24 v/s, £120 costs.

Christopher Newman (42), of East Elloe Avenue, Holbeach. No TV licence.
£440 fine, £44 v/s, 
£120 costs.

Natasha Oliver (34), of Fulney Avenue, Spalding. No TV licence. £240 fine, £24 v/s, £120 costs.

Julie Savage (44), of Clarkson Avenue, Cowbit. No TV licence. £480 fine, £48 v/s, £120 costs.

Richard Mondey (46), of Carrington Drive, Hope Pole. Indecent exposure (Market Deeping). Community order with requirement to participate in Community Sex Offender Programme, £60 v/s, £270 costs.

May 11

Call Clark (19), of Meadow Road, Peterborough. Drink-driving (Market Deeping). £110 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 16 months. No insurance. £110 fine.

Glenn Manuel (48), of Mill Lane, Whaplode. Drink-driving (North Kyme). £400 fine, £40 v/s, £85 costs, £150 c/c/c, disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Emma Herring (35), of Oldeamere Way, Whittlesey. Drink-driving (Deeping St James). £465 fine, £47 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 15 months.

Lincoln Magistrates’ Court

May 8

Mark Vinall (31), of Windcast Caravan Park, Spalding. Stole furnishings belonging to Keith Butters Ltd (Spalding). £200 fine, £20 v/s £350 costs. Failing to surrender to custody. £100 fine, £150 c/c/c.

May 11

Glen Newcombe (38), of Church Road, Wigtoft. Speeding (Langrick). £165 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

May 12

Andrew Millican (47), of The Reservoir, Spalding. Drink-driving (Spalding). Community order with requirement to participate in Drink Impaired Driver Programme, £60 v/s, £85 c
osts, £150 c/c/c, disqualified from driving for 24 
months.

Carlos Chauarrij (21), of RAF Lakenheath, Brandon. Speeding (Whaplode). £100 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

John Hollings (65), of Bailey Way, Peterborough. Speeding (Crowland). £300 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

May 15

Violeta Dambrauskaite (32), of Staveley Street, Edlington, Doncaster. Theft of a mobile phone. Community order with 150 hours unpaid work, £60 v/s, £85 costs. No action taken on breach of conditional discharge.

Records were broken when the sun came out for The Deepings School annual sports day.

Each house – Welland, Priory and Guthlac – entered two boys and two girls in each event from every year group.

Throughout the morning they competed in the field, middle distance and track events, plus tug of war, capture the flag and rowing.

Scott Waumsley broke the Year 10 boys high jump record jumping 1.75 meters and Lewis Toynton broke Scott Waumley’s Year 8 high jump record, set in 2013, jumping 1.57 meters.

The oldest record broken on the day was the Year 7 girls javelin record, set at 16.10 in 1998 by J Bish. Victoria Bell broke it by throwing 17.10.

In the afternoon spring events there were only 18 points separating the three colleges. This set the scene for a great afternoon watched by the whole school.

Three further records were broken – the 4x100m relay by Priory’s Year 8 boys and Year 9 boys and girls.

With the relays carrying double points this gave Priory college a huge, well-deserved advantage and they went on to take the overall trophy. Despite dominating last year and putting up a great battle, Welland college had to settle for second place, with Guthlac college a very close third.

Being ‘bombed’ by jets from Holbeach bombing range came as a shock to Rob and Sue Mitchell.

The couple, who moved into their Dawsmere home seven years ago, admit though that they very quickly grew accustomed to the jets from the nearby range flying overhead.

In fact, Rob, who was formerly in the Army, says they made him feel “at home”.

So when he spotted the decommissioned Royal British Legion branch flag propped up in Christ Church, Rob decided to take action.

With the support of the former church warden, the late Mick Bills, a group of people was rounded up and the Gedney Drove End and Dawsmere branch of the RBL was re-formed.

Rob is chairman, Bill Ward is vice-chairman, Sue is secretary, James Roscher (17) is treasurer, Christine Mitchell is Poppy Appeal organiser and her son, Joe Mitchell, ex-Army and in his 20s, is the branch standard bearer.

The president is Stuart Piccaver, a role previously held by his late father, David. In fact Stuart’s grandfather, known as the Major, formed the first branch after the Second World War.

It is a small branch, with just 24 members, but Sue says it is an important part of community life.

She said: “We were trying to keep the connections to the village and the old branch as close as we could.

“Our branch has a mandate from its membership that we particularly like bringing the village together and we have strong links with the church.”

Through fundraising, the tiny branch is also helping fund the organisation’s work nationally in helping all ex-military and their dependants who are in need.

Just as the people helped by the RBL are no longer just elderly veterans, but young men injured in recent conflicts, so the services offered have changed. Rob says there is now something similar to a handyman service that people can call on and the RBL offers help to ex-military personnel starting their own business.

The branch’s next fundraiser is a Classic and Vintage Vehicle Show on Saturday, June 27 (10.30am to 4.30pm) – which is Armed Forces Day – at the old school field on Church Road, Dawsmere.

Anyone with an old vehicle of any age is welcome to take it along to the Classic and Vintage Vehicle Show at Dawsmere on June 27 (entry free).

The many vehicles on display will include steam engines, a display by Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue and some military transport.

Some veterans have been invited to attend and, if weather permits, there will be a Spitfire fly-past.

There are going to be stalls, tarot readings and, for the children, a bouncy castle and face painting. Everyone will appreciate the barbecue food on offer.

Opposite the field, in Christ Church, there will be flower displays and an exhibition of old photographs by Long Sutton & District Civic Society. There will also be stalls and refreshments inside the church.

“Spalding is ready to become the cycling town of Britain.”

South Holland and The Deepings MP John Hayes has vowed to get on his bike with this message for the man who has taken over his former role as Minister of Transport.

Mr Hayes was praising Spalding Cycling Club and the Lincolnshire Free Press for its work in establishing a new event which he believed in future could put the town firmly on the map for cycling enthusiasts.

He told the second annual Spalding Cycling Forum: “I stood in the town centre on the second day of the Spalding Velo Prix and was overwhelmed by the excitement and enthusiasm even though it was a rainy day.

“The event was a triumph in promoting cycling in a fresh way.”

Spalding’s cycle action group Pedals hosted the meeting at the South Holland Centre on Friday, when members of the public were invited to hear from the county and district councils, Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership, Sustrans, Spalding Cycling Club and Pedals itself.

The forum was again chaired by Mr Hayes, who since the last meeting had introduced the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy amendment in the Infrastructure Bill.

Mr Hayes said £700 million had been put aside by the Government for a series of cycling schemes involving the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, Community Linking Places Fund and the Cycle Safety Fund.

He said: “I can appreciate that until now it seems the focus has been on the cities but there needs to be a plan for towns. Spalding is the perfect place to launch this.”

David Jones, chairman of Pedals, said the Government was making the right noises about cycling.

He said: “I know John Hayes is keen to see Spalding as the citadel of cycling in Lincolnshire and supports the measures we have asked for from Lincolnshire County Council, who claim their is no money, but that money sometimes appears suddenly and randomly, so we have proposals ready.

“The only visible sign of LCC activity for cyclists is the new build-out for cycle parking in front of the library in Victoria Street.

“On the subject of cycle storage at homes and places of work, I think South Holland District Council planners are more often asking for this, which is good.

“Our expectations for the next 12 months? – S106 money from Power Station Phase 2, the Woolram Wygate/Pinchbeck Road junction being made cycling friendly, progress with Coun Angela Newton’s admirable suggestion that a cycling-friendly bridge be build at the Eight Gates, and SHDC taking their responsibility for the Daffodil Route seriously.”

This year’s forum also focused on the health benefits of cycling and what more can be done to encourage more people to hop on their bikes for the good of their own health and the health of the environment generally.

There was a call for headteachers to promote riding to school and for facilities for cycling to be improved.

Denise Middlebrook, of the Road Safety Partnership, was present to support safer cycling after three cycling fatalities in Spalding in the past three years.

She said: “We are promoting the use of wearing helmets using the Ryan Smith Foundation and the story of a 17-year-old who was in a coma for four months after a cycling accident in Chapel St Leonards.”

The Royal Mint is reminding parents of babies born on the same day as Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge that they have just two weeks left to complete their online application and collect a ‘lucky’ silver coin for their child.

The Royal Mint will gift 2,015 babies born on May 2 2015 with a special Lucky Silver Penny to celebrate the arrival of the new addition to the Royal Family in keeping with an age-old tradition to mark a new birth with a gift of silver for good luck.

More than 1,300 parents across the country have already applied for one of the limited edition coins, which are struck with the year of their baby’s birth and feature the new coinage portrait of Her Majesty the Queen.

A present of silver to mark the arrival of a new baby is now generally considered to be a symbolic keepsake, rather than a practical gift. However, throughout history, crossing the palm of a new born baby with silver, or offering them a silver penny, was also seen as a way to wish them wealth and good health throughout their life.

This is the second time that The Royal Mint has gifted Lucky Silver Pennies to babies born on the same day as royalty, following on from the birth of His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge on July 22 2013, when more than 1,700 babies sharing his birth day received one of the special coins from The Royal Mint.

Princess Charlotte’s safe arrival has also been commemorated on an official United Kingdom £5 coin by The Royal Mint.

Shane Bissett, Director of Commemorative Coin and Medals at The Royal Mint, said: “The birth of the new royal baby has been a joyous occasion not just for Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge but also for the whole nation.

“However, it was also a very special day for many mothers and fathers across the country who welcomed the arrival of their new babies, which is why we wanted to extend this historical moment to them with a unique and timeless gift that can be treasured for years to come.

“Silver is closely associated with birth, as crossing the palm of a new born baby with silver is a way to wish them wealth and good health throughout their life.”

Parents wishing to claim one of the 2,015 Lucky Silver Pennies simply need to visit Facebook.com/theroyalmint and register the birth of their child before 1 July 2015.

Lincolnshire Police have been congratulated on a two per cent reduction in crime in the latest annual report by Alan Hardwick, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire.

Making the comments on a video, Mr Hardwick also took the opportunity to reiterate calls for ‘a fair deal’ concerning funding in Lincolnshire.

He said: “We continue to be at the national table discussing the future of the funding formula, which really it’s an understatement when I say does not serve Lincolnshire fairly and means you pay more than most in the country for your policing, but you are provided the least by government – and that’s what we’re trying to correct.”

In his report Mr Hardwick says: “When I took office I gave myself and the Force three clear priorities: reducing crime, a fair deal for the people of Lincolnshire and police and services that are there when you need them. These were not just my priorities, they were what the public wanted to see. Thanks to the efforts of the Chief Constable, his officers, staff and volunteers, we are successfully delivering for the people of Lincolnshire. It’s been another great year.”

On the subject of reducing crime, Mr Hardwick observes it has fallen in Lincolnshire at a faster rate than the national average. “Recorded crime is down by over 2.1 per cent in the last year and by 23 per cent over the last five years. HMIC have graded Lincolnshire Police as good at reducing crime and preventing offending, and good at tackling anti-social behaviour.”

Discussing further his commitment to address the sustainability of Lincolnshire Police’s funding, he added: “Working towards a fair deal for the people of Lincolnshire has been a real focus for me and the Chief Constable in the last twelve months. HMIC graded us as outstanding in terms of delivering affordable policing. We were even commended by the Prime Minister. Ministers are seeing that the Lincolnshire model – affordable, efficient and effective policing – is one that the rest of the police service could learn a thing or two from.”

Mr Hardwick also pays special tribute to the role Mr Rhodes is playing in their joint efforts. “We are both engaging with Government in a constructive way to inform the future model for police funding. For me that means not placing any more burden on the Lincolnshire taxpayers who already contribute above the national average in council tax to the costs of policing the County. The Chief Constable has been particularly challenging of those forces that have a long way to go to be as efficient as we are.

“It’s a pleasure to work with a Chief Officer who has a passion for not only the future of Lincolnshire Police but also a real vision for how the rest of the service should operate.”

Finally, Mr Hardwick underlines the efforts being made to ensure the police and other services are there when needed.

“A key commitment from me was to ensure the Chief Constable had sufficient resources to maintain officer levels at 1,100 and PCSOs at 149, despite our grant from Government being reduced by £3.2m in the last year.

“Without our people, we simply cannot deliver. We have continued to see good performance in the Force Control Room in terms of answering and response times and the new THRIVE model is already proving its worth. We are investing in more technology and I know the mobile data project and body worn video will be welcomed.

“We also continue to play a leading role in the East Midlands region where developments in partnership with other Forces are all testament to our commitment to improving h.”

The full annual report can be read by visiting 
http://www.lincolnshire-pcc.gov.uk/Transparency/PCCAnnualReport/PCC%20Annual%20Report%202014-2015%20(web).pdf

Watch the youtube video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gVuV_s-Vns

HAYES IN THE HOUSE: By MP John Hayes

The year of 1975 saw the first appearance of ‘The Sweeney’ on British television, the Bay City Rollers reached number 1 in the charts with ‘Be My Baby’, and ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ debuted at cinemas to great effect.

It was the year of the awful Moorgate tube crash, the end of the Vietnam War, and the year Margaret Thatcher (mercifully) replaced Edward Heath as leader of the Conservative Party. Nineteen Seventy Five was also the last -and only- time Britons had the chance to vote on our country’s relationship with its European continental neighbours.

Forty years ago this month British voters chose to stay in the European Community, which we had joined two years earlier. Back then, the public was asked if Britain should stay in the Common Market, which many equated with increased opportunities for trade, more jobs and a much needed boost for the economy.

Ahead of taking Britain in to the EEC, in June 1971 Prime Minister Heath’s government circulated a White Paper to every household in the country, which promised the (rightly) sceptical public that “there is no question of Britain losing essential sovereignty”. Viewed from today’s perspective we know Heath could barely have been more wrong; such an assurance about the risk to our right to govern ourselves was either naïve, deceitful, or possibly both.

The European Union of modern times is anything but a mere trading market. Unidentifiable, unelected Brussels bureaucrats interfere in the affairs of democratically elected Governments; 
foreign judges overrule our courts; and an unmanageable, unsustainable single currency has brought other European economies to their knees.

Back in 1975, the then Home Secretary Roy Jenkins –another deluded Europhile- declared that the result “puts the uncertainty behind us, it commits Britain to Europe”. However, the fundamental changes in our relationship with the European Union and subsequent loss of sovereignty has left the British people hungering for a diet of less Brussels.

That’s why I’m delighted that during the past week the new Conservative Government has started the legislative process for a straightforward in/out referendum on Britain’s future in the EU. The referendum will be held by the end of 2017, following the Prime Minister’s negotiations with Brussels for a fairer settlement. David Cameron has been clear that immigration, welfare and competiveness will be at the heart of this.

1975 also saw Status Quo release their album ‘On the Level’, but when it comes to Europe the status quo is not good enough; it is time to level with the British people – the EU isn’t working and must change, and whether we stay or leave is no-one’s choice but theirs.

This week marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, a document that enshrined the rights, privileges and liberties of the clergy and the nobles, and placed limits on the power of the crown.

The charter, first signed at Runnymede on the banks of the Thames contained 63 clauses dealing mostly with the administration of justice, and the detail of feudal rights and customs.

What you want to know more?:

- It was granted by King John in June 1215, drawn up after his barons rebelled and forced him to agree to limitations on his power, because he had demanded heavy taxes to fund his unsuccessful wars in France.

- Originally known as the ‘charter of liberties’ or the ‘charter of Runnymede’ it acquired its more familiar name in the year 1217.

- About 20 copies were originally made, only four survive: The British Library holds two; the cathedral cities of Salisbury and Lincoln have one each.

- Lincoln Cathedral’s copy was on display in New York when the Second World War began and then spent nearly six years locked in Fort Knox.

- The original versions were written in Latin on a calfskin parchment. The first known written English version was made in 1534.

- Only three of the original clauses in Magna Carta are still law: one defends the freedom and rights of the English church; another confirms the liberties and customs of London and other towns; and a third paved the way for trial by jury.

- Magna Carta guaranteed free movement of people in and out of the country, for merchants (clause 41) and everyone else (42).

- The charter granted no freedoms to women. But some clauses did help women, particularly widows who were no longer forced into second marriages when a knight died in combat or of disease.

- Many of the rights in the 1998 Human Rights Act originated in principles emerging from Magna Carta. the Human Rights Act enshrines the European Convention of Human Rights in British law.

A 15 year old girl accused of murder later admitted to striking the victim over the head with a metal pole, a jury was told today (Tuesday).

The girl , one of six teenagers on trial accused of the murder of Spalding man Warren Free, allegedly made the admission to her own sister shortly before she handed herself in to police.

Stuart Trimmer QC, prosecuting, said the accused 15 year old was crying hysterically when her sister collected her from Pennygate in Spalding.

He alleged to the jury that the 15 year old told her sister: “This man came at me with a pole in his hand. He came towards me and turned to me and said ‘Come here you bitch’.”

The accused girl allegedly continued: “Jake [Edwards] punched him to the back of the head and got him to the floor. I grabbed the pole and hit him over the head four times. He grabbed my ankles and I kicked him in the face.”

Mr Trimmer alleged the girl later told “deliberate lies” about the incident and about the disposal of the metal pole. When she was interviewed by police she admitted swinging the metal pole four times but claimed on the first two occasions she struck two of her co-defendants and then missed with the third swing before making contact with the man on the fourth time.

She told police “He got up. I kicked him in the face and ran.”

The girl is one of six teenagers accused of attacking Mr Free (43) after he confronted them in a park over the noise they were making.

The jury has heard Mr Free, whose home in Coronation Close backed onto the park, became involved in a verbal altercation with the group. His rear fence was then vandalise and he returned to his home. He collected the metal pole and went back to the park where he was allegedly attacked and struck with the weapon.

The jury heard that after the incident Mr Free went back home, cleaned himself up and smoked a cannabis joint before going to bed.

Friends called an ambulance the following day when they were unable to rouse him. He was subsequently airlifted to hospital in Nottingham where he passed away from head injuries.

Mr Trimmer said a post-mortem examination revealed that Mr Free had multiple cuts and bruises to his face and head as well as multiple bruises to his torso, upper arms and both legs. He also suffered a brain injury.

The prosecutor said: “The immediate cause of his death was the head injury. The other injuries were consistent with kicks, stamps and blunt force trauma.”

Six teenagers all deny the murder of Warren Free on August 29, 2014. Three of the defendants, including a girl, were 14 at the time while the others were a girl of 15 and a 16 year old together with Jake Edwards, now 18.

Two of the boys, who were 14 and 16 at the time, each deny a charge of perverting the course of justice relating to the metal pole which it is alleged was disposed of in a nearby waterway.

DAY ONE (MONDAY, JUNE 15):

A gang of teenagers murdered a Spalding man after attacking him in park close to his home in the town, a jury has been told.

Warren Free (43) confronted the youngsters in the park known as “Bumpy’s” behind his home in Coronation Close complaining about the noise they were making at 3.30am, but it is alleged he was met with abuse and then attacked.

Mr Free armed himself with a metal pole after it was alleged his fence was vandalised, and as he approached the teenagers, it is claimed he was knocked to the ground where he was kicked, punched and stamped on.

A 15 year old girl is then accused of striking him to the head with the metal pole.

Mr Free, who was left covered in blood, made his way back inside his end terrace bungalow home in Coronation Close, cleaned himself up and went to bed.

Friends were unable to rouse him later in the morning and made a 999 call. Paramedics were called and he was air-lifted to hospital in Nottingham. He passed away within 24 hours of the attack as a result of bleeding on the brain

Stuart Trimmer QC, prosecuting, told the jury at Lincoln Crown Court “It was a fast and brutal attack.

“Warren Free was on the floor unable to fight back. The picture is of a group of youths gathering around a helpless man and delivering an attack with feet, fists and a metal weapon.”

Six teenagers all deny the murder of Warren Free on August 29, 2014. Three, including a girl, were 14 at the time while the others were a girl of 15 and a 16 year old together with Jake Edwards, now 18.

Two of the boys, who were 14 and 16 at the time, each deny a charge of perverting the course of justice relating to the metal pole which it is alleged was disposed of in a nearby canal.

The trial continues.

Town lost for words after dad’s murder

Family’s tribute to Warren Free

Youths deny murdering Spalding dad-of-two Warren Free

Inquest opened and adjourned in Warren Free inquiry

Teenager appears in court on Warren Free murder charge

Warren John Free : Obituary

A consultant paediatrician at Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital, Dr Margaret Crawford, has been awarded the MBE for her child protection role across Lincolnshire.

Dr Crawford joined Pilgrim in 1983 and, as well as seeing young patients at the children’s ward in Boston, she runs clinics in Grantham and Skegness.

Her county-wide role in child protection is part of multi-agency drive to help children who have suffered abuse or neglect and also involves representatives from the police, social care and education.

It’s likely Dr Crawford will receive her MBE at St James’s Palace from a member of the royal family later this year.

She said: “I am very excited.

“It was totally unexpected and it’s a great honour.”

Originally from London, Dr Crawford is married to Geoff Day and has two grown-up daughters, Helen and Susie.

EMAS’ performance figures for 2014/2015 show the service is now reaching more 999 calls within the eight minute target time than in previous years.

But the service is still falling short of hitting Government targets.

Commenting on the figures, Sue Noyes, who was appointed substantive Chief Executive last month, said: “I am very proud of the excellent work of our staff, volunteers and our partners, it’s clear we are an improving service and our performance results are proof of the progress made.

“Whilst frontline staff deal with 999 calls day in and day out and know how important it is to arrive as fast as possible, they’re always reminding us that the quality of clinical care they provide is as important as how quickly they arrive.

“During 2014/15, EMAS was one of the top performing services for our response to a type of heart attack caused by a prolonged blockage of blood supply to the heart.

“We successfully provided high quality clinical care at the scene and then ensured the majority of patients arrived at a specialist cardiac unit within 150 minutes of us receiving the initial call for help.

“This is just one example of how the clinical skills of our staff save lives. They’re all dedicated, highly trained and experienced practitioners, even though on some occasions, they’re not able to arrive within the eight minute target time due to challenges such as the distance they have to travel, traffic jams and bad weather

“Despite these challenges, we’re now only seconds away from achieving the time standards. If the target arrival time was eight minutes and 30 seconds, we would have hit the standard in 2014/2015.

“We still have big challenges to face but have strong plans in place to address them. For example, we are currently recruiting and training 200 more frontline staff and investing 3.9million pounds in our fleet. Both of these actions will allow us to respond to emergencies faster.

“Together with the continued backing of our commissioners and stakeholders, and the support and tremendous hard work of all our colleagues, I’m confident EMAS will continue to move in the right direction.

“Thank you to our staff and volunteers for their continued support and for providing the best possible care to our patients across the East Midlands.”

During 2014/2015, EMAS achieved a response rate of 71.61% Red1 and 70.20% Red2 (response within eight minutes) and 92.80% (support vehicle within 19 minutes) across the East Midlands.

During December and January EMAS saw an increase of 22% in the number of emergency calls compared to last year – almost 200 extra calls each day.

​A new report has found that eating up to 100g (4oz) of ​​chocolate a day has been linked to a lowered risk of heart disease and stroke.

Research led by the University of Aberdeen found that compared to people who ate no ​​chocolate, those with a higher intake had an 11% lesser risk of cardiovascular disease and a 25% reduced risk of associated death.

It was also linked with a 9% lower risk of hospital admission or death as a result of coronary heart disease, while it was similarly associated with a 23% reduced risk of stroke, even after taking account of other factors.

The study, which came from analysis of almost 21,000 adults taking part in the EPIC-Norfolk study, which is tracking the impact of diet on the long-term health of 25,000 men and women in Norfolk, concluded that there is no evidence for cutting out ​​​​chocolate to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Around one in five (20%) participants said they did not eat any ​​​​chocolate but among those that did, daily consumption averaged 7g (0.25oz) with some eating up to 100g.

Those who ate the most also tended to be younger, have a lower weight, waist to hip ratio, and blood pressure, and were less likely to have diabetes and more likely to carry out regular physical activity - all of which add up to a favourable cardiovascular disease risk profile, researchers said.

Eating more ​​​​chocolate was also associated with higher energy intake and a diet containing more fat and carbohydrates and less protein and alcohol.

The study authors pointed out that dark ​​​​chocolate is usually said to have more beneficial effects than milk ​​chocolate, but milk ​​​​chocolate was more frequently eaten by the Norfolk participants.

Professor Phyo Myint, of the School of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Aberdeen, said: “Our study concludes that cumulative evidence suggests higher ​​​​chocolate intake is associated with a lower risk of future cardiovascular events.”

Dr Tim Chico, reader in cardiovascular medicine and consultant cardiologist at the University of Sheffield, said: “This study adds to the evidence that people who consume​ ​​​​​chocolate tend to have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, although such studies cannot say whether the ​​​​chocolate is the cause of this protective effect.

“There is evidence from other studies that have randomised people to be given ​​chocolate​ ​that this can have effects that might reduce cardiovascular disease, such as a reduction in blood pressure.

​“​These studies taken together suggest that there might be some health benefits from eating ​​chocolate.

​“​However, it is also clear that ​​​​chocolate has the potential to increase weight, which is unequivocally bad for cardiovascular health.

“The message I take from this study is that if you are a healthy weight, then eating​ ​​​​​chocolate (in moderation) does not detectibly increase risk of heart disease and may even have some benefit. I would not advise my patients to increase their ​​chocolate​ ​intake based on this research, particularly if they are overweight.”

The study is published online in the journal Heart.

Three Lincolnshire children have written to Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States, to ask if she can influence what is happening to Lincolnshire’s libraries.

The children were inspired by Mrs Obama’s recent speech where she stated libraries and museums aren’t luxuries or ‘extras’ that can be passed over while money goes toward other goals like creating jobs or teaching children, and explained that “so often our libraries and museums are doing the critical work to help us achieve those goals in the first place.”

The letters were written by three siblings from The Deepings, Sian (11), Rhiannon (13) and Rhys Morgan Plowright (seven), but focus on libraries across the county.

The children felt Mrs Obama’s words made a great deal of sense, and they hope she can influence what is happening to their local library and libraries across Lincolnshire.

The letters have now been posted to The White House, and the children are hoping to be able to report back soon with their replies.

Michelle Obama has become a role model for women and an advocate for poverty awareness, higher education, and healthy living.

Rhiannon’s letter in full:

Dear Mrs Obama

My Mum gave me some information she read about the statement you wrote saying “Libraries and museums aren’t extras or luxuries, that can be passed over while money goes towards other goals.”

I really agree with you and wanted to ask if you can help influence the people in charge of Lincolnshire County Council please? They say they need to cut the councils budgets, and for the past two years we have been trying to write to them to make them see how important the Deepings library is to us in our small market town in South Lincolnshire. Our library may have to close, unless our community takes it over to run it with volunteers. We have about 18,000 people living in our community- servicing 4 primary schools, and a large secondary school.

It’s not fair to expect that the library can be run long term by unpaid volunteers, who are already doing lots of other things in the community on a voluntary basis, like sports and youth clubs, scouts, guides groups and various other things, and working and looking after families. We just want to keep our professionally run library open, so people of all ages can enjoy reading and recycling books, but the Council are sure that it needs to save money by making the librarians redundant and closing our Grade 2 listed building – or making people run it, look after the building, let the top floor out for offices, and fund raise to bring in money so the bills can be paid.

I have been using the library since I was a baby, like my younger sister and my brother- we all love books and stories, and I really think the world would be a much worse place without a story to escape to, or to be able to use books to research for homework. If we lose our library, we all lose out, and we will never get it back- it’s been a part of my childhood, with storytimes, and craft sessions- and I really don’t want to see it disappear. Shouldn’t all children be able to access books? Lots of my friends play on their computers and phones, but this can be really unhealthy – our minds need proper exercise with our imaginations being stretched, otherwise who is going to be the next generation of storytellers, or creative developers?

My sister, brother and I have tried helping my Mum fundraise, and to help her and the community group set up to protest about and protect the library, but it looks like it’s going to be taken away from us all. We have written to our Prime Minister, the Queen and my brother even asked his friend God to intervene! It seems while they are all sympathetic, no-one really wants to stand up and fight and help us.

I know you are the other side of the Atlantic, but I’m sure you understand the importance of what we are trying to do, and I really hope in my heart of hearts that you can help us, please you might be our only real hope?

Thank you for listening

Rhiannon Morgan Plowright

Aged 13

Staff and pupils at Gosberton Acadey went to great pains to raise money for a charity close to their hearts.

They donated a week to raising more than £700 for Children with Cancer and Ward C2 at Addenbrooke’s Hospital Charity because pupil Ethan Devaney’s four-year-old brother Lucas has cancer.

Lucas will also be joining his brother at the school this year and he went along with mum Joanna to watch teaching assistant Giles Favell have his legs waxed.

Children paid £1 for a wax strip and this alone raised more than £100.

The first strip was auctioned and was won for £20 by Seth Marshall.

Also during the week two members of staff, Lorraine Horness and Louise Poutney, did a skydive, there was a danceathon, where children had to dance whenever they heard music, and a super hero non uniform day.

Staff member Samantha Newark said: “It was a fantastic week of fundraising.

“We volunteered Giles for the leg wax and he said it didn’t hurt.

“We know we have raised more than £700 but we haven’t got the exact figure yet.”

A Sutton St James pensioner was put off his evening meal over a “confusing” label he thought was suggesting the meat he bought had been slaughtered eight years ago.

Denis Sylvester (84) bought a portion of ribeye steak from Tesco in Holbeach showing a “Use By” date of June 19.

But when he got home, Mr Sylvester discovered the words “Slaughtered in IE 2007”, IE being the European Union (EU) code for Ireland.

Mr Sylvester said: “I went to Tesco with my daughter on Wednesday morning and picked up some Irish ribeye steak at the fresh meat counter.

“When I got home, I noticed the meat had a ‘Use By’ date of June 19 and the small wording underneath which I thought had meant that it was meat produced and slaughtered in Ireland in 2007.

“I contacted Tesco at Holbeach and spoke to a woman who said she would enter into a book and suggested I should bring it in as soon as possible so they could look at it.”

Under EU law, a business that sells or supplies meat must have a “traceability system” that shows what animal or group of animals it came from.

The system comes under the Compulsory Beef Labelling Scheme which shows the animal’s place of birth, slaughter and licence number of the slaughterhouse.

But Mr Sylvester said: “To me, it’s a confusing situation to find yourself in when a label seems to read as if the meat was slaughtered in 2007 and the average person may well see it as I do.

“I’ve got a piece of meat that I’m not going to eat, so I’ll be returning it to Tesco as unsatisfactory and hope they will give me my money back.”

The Free Press took a print of the label to Simpsons Butchers in Spalding where butcher Peter Law said: “If the meat had been slaughtered in 2007, it would now look like a piece of wood and it would be inedible and freezer burnt (meat discoloured by dehydration).”

A spokesman for Tesco said: “2007 is a factory identification number and not a date.”

Public Health England (PHE) is encouraging everyone in our region to become ‘tick aware’ this summer and learn how to prevent infections from the diseases associated with them.

Ticks are tiny spider-like creatures and are found in woodlands, parks and gardens. They are most prevalent in late spring, summer and autumn. PHE is asking the public to be mindful of getting bitten as we venture outdoors during the warmer climes.

PHE Head of Medical Entomology, Dr Jolyon Medlock, said: “Now is a good time to think about ticks and what actions to take to avoid the diseases they carry.

“The number one thing that people can do to stay safe from ticks is to carry out a tick check after spending time outdoors and remove ticks as soon as possible. If a tick is removed within 12 to 24 hours it will reduce the risk of being infected.

“As children are bitten mostly on the head, this is a very important area to check particularly behind the ears, at the hairline and on the neck. It is recommended that tweezers or a tick tool be used to remove ticks, as other methods may lead to infection.”

Lyme disease is the most significant tick-borne infection in the UK, causing an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 cases per year. Often the only symptom of Lyme disease is a rash, which gradually spreads from the site of the tick bite. The rash can cover a large area and last for weeks if left untreated. Some patients may also have ‘flu-like’ symptoms.

Cases of Lyme disease are often acquired through recreational activities including camping, walking, hiking and mountain-biking, where tick exposure is more likely. Areas where the infection has been transmitted in the UK include popular holiday destinations such as Exmoor, the New Forest, the South Downs, parts of Wiltshire and Berkshire, Thetford Forest, the Lake District, the Yorkshire moors and the Scottish Highlands.

Despite case numbers tripling between 2001 and 2012, many people remain unfamiliar with ticks, and the associated disease risk and tick bite prevention measures.

PHE is working with local councils to raise tick awareness and the risks to health.

Do you pick up your dog’s poop or are you one of the pet owners dumping on South Holland?

The number of people fined for failing to pick up their dog’s poo fell nationally by almost 20 per cent last year, mainly due to cuts in council budgets and lack of manpower to catch offenders.

However, South Holland District Council has joined up with a national environmental charity to launch a new campaign aimed at reducing dog fouling in the district.

The ‘We’re watching you’ campaign was successfully piloted by Keep Britain Tidy in 2014 and was launched in South Holland last week.

From tomorrow, striking glow-in-the-dark posters urging dog walkers to pick up after their pets are being rolled out across the district.

Officers will put up a small number of signs on fences and posts at carefully selected sites in Spalding, Donington, Gosberton, Surfleet, Pinchbeck, Weston and Long Sutton.

The poster’s slogan ‘Bag that poo, any bin will do’ will remind dog owners to make use of the nearby general waste and dog poo bins.

This innovative campaign has followed research which has shown that dog walkers are more likely to pick up after their dogs when they think that they are being watched.

The Keep Britain Tidy pilot, which used the posters and was funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), saw an average reduction of 46 per cent in the levels of dog fouling.

In 2014-15, 2,868 fixed penalty notices were issued in England and Wales – down from 3,521 in the previous 12 months.

According to the figures there were 73,824 complaints about dog mess in 2014-15 – but 103 councils did not issue any fixed penalties.

The government said it was working with councils to find “local solutions”.

Fixed penalty notices can be issued by people, including council officers, to anyone who fails to clean up dog mess on certain land where the public have access.

The cost of the penalty varies in different local authorities but in South Holland it is £50.

Over the years, residents in South Holland have waged their own war on dirty dog owners.

In 2013, a fed-up Surfleet mum took on selfish dog owners who leave their pets’ poo behind on pavements in the village.

Fran Healands sprayed yellow powder on grot spots in Surfleet to highlight the problem of dog fouling and persuade people walking their dogs to be more responsible.

She claimed that parents had to “hop, skip and jump” over dog mess left on pavements while taking their children to school despite there being several new dog bins in the village.

Coun Jane King, district councillor for Donington, is delighted the campaign is being launched.

She said: “The subject of dog poo not being picked up has come up several times in Donington.

“If this campaign works it will be excellent.

“Someone used to leave dog poo just outside the gate of a local school.

“You can imagine the mess when children charged through the playground into school.

“The weather is warming up and it become a mine field missing it in Flinders Park.

“But if you say anything to anyone you are likely to get a mouthful.”

On launching the new campaign, a spokesperson for South Holland District Council said: “We are confident that the posters will encourage dog owners to be responsible.”

Coun Malcolm Chandler, portfolio holder for environmental health, said: “The vast majority of dog walkers are very responsible and pick up after their animals.

“This campaign aims to remind those who may be tempted to leave it that it is not acceptable.

“Dog fouling isn’t a big problem in the district, but when it does occur it is deeply unpleasant for residents, who often tell us that it is by far the worst type of litter.

“That’s why we’ve teamed up with Keep Britain Tidy to help make sure our outside spaces remain enjoyable for everybody.”

* Dog owners should pick up after their dog and dispose of the poo bags in the nearest bin or by taking home to dispose of in their own household waste bin.

Residents can inform the council of litter and dog mess on the website www.sholland.gov.uk/doitonline/

Around 600,000 ​bank account payments ​have gone missing after a technical glitch at ​​NatWest owner Royal Bank of Scotland​ (RBS)​

The group said an issue with its “overnight process” meant some customers of NatWest, ​RBS, Ulster Bank and private bank Coutts had not seen credits or direct debits applied to their accounts.

An ​​RBS spokesman said the issue had been identified and fixed, but it was still working to retrieve missing payments.

​​RBS said: “We are working to get this resolved as quickly as possible and apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused.

​Delayed payments would be processed “no later than Saturday”, RBS added.​

“To any customers concerned about the implications of this issue we advise them to get in touch with our call centres or come into a branch where our staff will be ready to help.

“We will ensure no customers are left out of pocket as a result of this issue.”

NatWest’s Help Twitter account has been bombarded with tweets from worried customers who have woken up this morning to find payments missing from their accounts.

The group was not able to confirm how many customers had been affected, but said it was not all accounts.

NatWest and RBS have been hit by a number of embarrassing IT glitches in recent years.

In 2013, RBS’s online service was disrupted by a denial-of-service attack.

​In November​ 2014​, the state-backed group was hit with a £56 million fine from the Bank of England and City watchdog Financial Conduct Authority after a computer failure in 2012 saw as many as 6.5 million customers unable to make payments for as long as three weeks.

The outage hit customers at NatWest and Ulster Bank - RBS’s Irish business.

Guy Anker, the managing editor of MoneySavingExpert.com, said: “This is a hugely worrying time for those affected. It’s vital anyone with an RBS, NatWest, Ulster or Coutts account that was expecting money today or is expecting money to go out, say to pay a bill, checks their account immediately.”

He added: “If you were due to make important payments today such as your mortgage, rent or utility bills, then ensure you let the other person or company know as soon as possible.”

See ​{http://personal.rbs.co.uk/personal/support-centre/got-an-emergency.html|RBS ​contact information at rbs.co.uk​|go to rbs.co.uk​}.​

Many will remember when travel in and out of Lincolnshire was by a single carriageway over the bridge and along the bank into Norfolk.

They will also remember how prevalent mist and fog were on their return, and how the sight of the Bridge Hotel’s illuminated sign was a comfort that the end of their journey was fast approaching.

How come this beacon and first hostelry in Lincolnshire is to meet its fate thanks to a wrecking ball?

Thousands danced in its ballroom, all manner of societies held meetings there, birthdays were celebrated and dinners enjoyed. It was the first choice for most of the functions held in the district.

I am sure that local councillors and other local people have done what they can, but would it, I wonder, have been allowed to get into the state it is if it had been within the comfortable confines of Spalding?

PREVIOUS STORIES:

New hitlist of grotspots revealed by council to bring pride to the district

Bridge icon to be bulldozed?

Court order to stop hotel raves

Squatters and vandals are trashing The Bridge Hotel

HOTEL: Building should be converted