A crashed driver found in a field at Quadring Eaudyke – with a road sign stuck underneath his Peugeot – was more than double the drink-drive limit.

Police were called to Water Gate shortly before 4pm on May 3 when Aleksejs Korcagins (28) and a passenger were found uninjured in the car.

Marie Stace, prosecuting, said a police officer smelled alcohol on the driver’s breath and he gave a positive roadside test.

Korcagins, of Harvey’s Close, Spalding, was found to have 80 microgrammes of alcohol in breath – the legal limit is 35 mcgs.

Solicitor Liz Harte, mitigating, said Korcagins was “in some distress following personal family difficulties” at the time, but wasn’t putting that forward as an excuse – it was merely an explanation.

Miss Harte said Korcagins was aware he had behaved foolishly and it would not happen again.

District judge Frank Appleyard, sitting at Boston Magistrates’ Court, banned Korcagins from driving for 20 months and fined him £260 with a £150 court charge, £20 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.

Korcagins, who pleaded guilty, can cut the ban by a quarter if he completes a rehabilitation course.

Police in the region have issued a warning after reports of a scam email circulating which has the potential to infect computers with malware.

The email appears to be from Royal Mail and once opened can download malicious software, known as malware, onto computers and devices.

Officers from the Cyber Crime Unit within the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) are reminding people to use caution when opening emails from unknown or unsolicited sources.

Further information on the scam can be found on the Action Fraud website: http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/beware-of-royal-mail-scam-emails-that-contain-cryptolocker-feb14

Every Wednesday, Dunne’s Diner in Holbeach holds a special lunch to raise money for Holbeach Hospital.

Susan Dunne has been holding this special event since Feburary and so far, just over £1,100 has been raised. “We just want to thank people for their support because without them we cannot do it,” said Susan, who is pictured presenting the cheque to Maxine Winch of Holbeach Hospital. Also pictured, from left, are: Mandy Walker, Janet Lineker, Alan Appleyard, Shiela Disdell and Sarai Bayne. (SG100615-119TW)

Youngsters from Spalding Primary School and Wygate Nursery held separate non-uniform days to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of Mark Arnold.

The children all wore green, the charity’s chosen colour, and raised £511.55.

A woman more than two-and-a-half times the legal drink-drive limit crashed into a telegraph pole on the opposite side of the road as she drove along Wargate Way at Gosberton.

Josephine Lister (51), of St Margaret’s, Quadring, had a drink-drive offence in 2013 and was given a statutory three-year ban for a second conviction within 10 years when she appeared at Boston Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

District judge Frank Appleyard told Lister that she must understand the risks posed to other people by her actions.

He said: “Your responsibilty is not to get into a motor car when you are drunk and cause accidents.”

Lister, who admitted driving with excess alcohol on January 18, was given a year’s community order, with a requirement to attend a drink-impaired driver’s programme, fined £110 and must pay a £60 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.

Marie Stace, prosecuting, said Lister’s blood-alcohol reading was 217 milligrammes – the legal limit is 80mgs.

Solicitor Rachel Woodcock, mitigating, said Lister suffers from manic depression and takes daily medication for that.

Parents joined their children for a picnic on the school field at Sutton St James Primary School.

Headteacher Claire Willows said: “The parents brought their own picnics and ate together with the children. It was a lovely day.”

After this picnic, all the children attended and took part in the sports day in which the four houses – Nene, Ouse, Welland and Witham – competed.

Even the local playgroup turned up to enjoy the event, held on the eve of the school’s 157th anniversary.

The East Midlands has lost public sector jobs at more than twice the rate of London, according to new government figures published this week.

The figures show that between 2010 and 2015 public sector employment in the East Midlands fell by 7.2 per cent. Over the same period public sector employment fell by 3 per cent in London and by 2.5 per cent in the South East.

The TUC says the findings highlight how austerity has had an unequal impact on UK regions. The East Midlands has lost 26,000 public sector jobs since 2010.

TUC Midlands Regional Secretary Lee Barron said: “While public services across Britain are under pressure from extreme cuts, it’s clear from these figures that the East Midlands has been hit badly by austerity.

“The East Midlands has suffered a higher rate of public sector jobs losses compared to other parts of the UK. By contrast, more prosperous parts of the UK have seen public sector employment fall at a much slower rate.

“With even more severe spending cuts around the corner, the strain on services and communities is only going to get worse.”

Ten homes were affected when a water main burst in Spalding late last night.

Water was spotted gushing on the Springfields Camelgate roundabout and the supply to the homes was cut off for Anglian Water workmen to work through the night.

Residents on social media were describing it as the town’s new water feature.

The supply was switched back on at 5.30am until 11am for the breakfast period.

A spokesman for Anglian Water said: “There has been a delay because of recent roadworks and the amount of concrete the workmen have had to get through to get to the main.

“However, we are hoping the supply will be back on by mid-afternoon.”

I am really pleased to see that the council has come to its senses and is going to let the Bridge Hotel at Sutton Bridge be pulled down.

It has been an eyesore for a long time.

Now, I hope it will give permission to pull down the Red Cow at Donington. That is really a big blot on the landscape.

Council taxpayers in Lincolnshire could be hit by another whopping bill if a judge grants a second judicial review over proposed changes to the county’s library service.

Lincolnshire County Council spent more than £100,000 at a judicial review trying to defend its plans to shove 30 libraries into the hands of volunteers while keeping 15 core libraries.

The council now intends to keep that model of service while having it run by an outside organisation instead of keeping it “in house”.

Council executive member for libraries Coun Nick Worth said: “We’ve been notified that the decision on whether or not to grant permission for a judicial review will be taken in court at an oral hearing before a judge on 21 and 22 July.

“If permission is not granted, the claim will fail. If permission is granted, the court will proceed immediately at the same hearing to decide whether the challenge has any merit.

“We are now preparing the strongest possible defence. Sadly, this will mean further – and, in our opinion, unnecessary – expense for taxpayers.

“In the meantime, we’ll continue to implement our plans to create a new-look library service, including working with local groups to develop the network of community hubs.

“We’ll do so in the firm belief that our plans are good for taxpayers, good for library users and good for local communities.”

As John Hayes takes his seat in Parliament as the re-elected MP for South Holland and The Deepings, he has an important opportunity to help people beyond our borders as well as those at home.

By signing The One Campaign’s ‘Just Say Yes’ pledge, he can help to ensure that most UK aid goes to the world’s poorest countries and that girls and women are put at the heart of global development.

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to almost one billion people, around half of whom live in extreme poverty.

Girls and women in these countries are hit twice as hard: by being born poor and female, they face disproportionate social, economic and political barriers far greater than for men or for women who live in richer countries.

Ending extreme poverty is in our national interest as a more stable, secure and prosperous world would clearly benefit the UK.

With international summits in Addis Ababa, New York and Paris still to come this year, 2015 is a unique moment to put us on a path to ending extreme poverty for good.

Politicians around the world have a part to play in achieving this goal.

I urge Mr Hayes to sign our ‘Just Say Yes’ pledge.

TRISH TAKES FIVE: By blogger Trish Burgess

Whilst some people’s bucket list includes spotting all the ‘Big Five’ animals on a safari, mine has been to visit each of the five Scandinavian capital cities - a Scandi Safari.

Like many others I have fallen under the spell of the cool, trendy Scandinavians. The Nordic Noir has become a genre in its own right due to TV programmes such as The Killing and Borgen together with authors such as Stieg Larsson and Jo Nesbo.

During an adventurous trip to Iceland in 2007 we visited Reykjavik but it wasn’t until 2011 that we ticked off Copenhagen, closely followed by Stockholm and Oslo, in 2012 and 2014.

The last of my Big Five was Helsinki, a city I knew very little about. Finland conjured up thoughts of Nokia, saunas and the Moomins, not necessarily the perfect ingredients for a short city break.

Having just returned, I have to agree with the Helsinki Tourist Board’s phrase of the moment. Helsinki? Hel Yeah! Here’s my Top Ten reasons why.

1. It’s a small capital city which never seems crowded with people or traffic. We didn’t have to queue to enter a museum or gallery. Even a ride on the Finnair Skywheel, the equivalent of our London Eye, was a case of turning up and jumping on.

2. The city is very low-rise, spread over 300 islands. One of the few structures which does make a bid for the skies is the Olympic Stadium Tower which provides magnificent views across the harbour towards the other islands that surround the main heart of Helsinki.

3. The architecture is handsome, reflecting its years under both Swedish and Soviet rule. The golden cupolas and redbrick facade of Uspenski Cathedral vie for attention with the snow white neoclassical Lutheran Helsinki Cathedral.

4. Most of the attractions are easy to reach on foot, along wide pedestrian-friendly boulevards, there is an excellent tram network and regular ferries take you to the beautiful islands, such as Suomenlinna, in minutes.

5. A previous European City of Culture, it has a number of impressive modern galleries, museums and concert halls such as the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art and Finlandia Hall.

6. The World Design Capital for 2012, Helsinki has a fabulous selection of shops and some very cool homeware designers: leave room in your case for some classic Iittala glass or bold Marimekko prints.

7. They may have a reputation for being quite reserved but the Finnish people are delightful hosts. Speaking perfect English, they are warm and welcoming.

8. There has been a food revolution in Helsinki: it’s not all herring and reindeer steaks. Finding good restaurants was a breeze as the influence of the top-notch chefs has trickled down to all budgets.

9. Finns endure months of cold temperatures and little sunlight. Little wonder that they make the most of the long summer days. Picnics in the parks and sitting outside at pavement cafes are the norm, even if they wrap up in fleece blankets when the temperature drops.

10. Unlike its nearest neighbours, its currency is the Euro so, although it’s not cheap, the reasonable exchange rate at the moment makes it far more affordable.

Follow Trish on Twitter via @mumsgoneto and read her blog at www.mumsgoneto.blogspot.com

Trish Takes Five: 25 years and still on the road together

Two tonnes of waste straw and manure were destroyed in a blaze at Swineshead last night.

Motorists were warned to be aware of smoke across the A17.

Firefighters from Donington extinguished the fire using one hose reel and two drags.

With the price of property in the south of the country reaching astronomical heights, Lincolnshire is fast becoming the place to have a second home.

One irrefutable statistic is the viewing figures for nature programs is highest in the Midlands, yet when the “isn’t it lovely here, so untouched” grips them enough to want a holiday home, what they have learnt about the countryside is immediately forgotten.

The first thing they do is put up a halogen light that one can use to read a newspaper a quarter of a mile away.

The next is lay as much concrete and slabs down as possible; followed by rushing into town to buy a strimmer.

Treating reeds as weeds, everything that grows above an inch high is cut down to ground level.

Is it any wonder why we no longer see finches on a regular basis and the vole is, for those who live by a river, not even gradually disappearing?

Here, on The Res, we even had one idiot cutting down bushes that had nesting birds in it. Probably saved him needing to wash his car every day.

Those concerned are asking us to plant suitable flowers in our gardens.

A good start would be to leave well alone.

A major fresh produce firm is to close its operation near Boston, shedding more than 100 roles, as part of plans to join forces with a business near Spalding.

It follows a period of consultation relating to plans from Produce Word Group to form a joint venture with LFP (Lincolnshire Field Products), based at Wykeham, over the growing, harvesting, packing and marketing of brassicas.

It was back in February when Produce World Group announced the proposal, explaining it would see the closure of its site in Butterwick where - at that time - 250 people were employed in the brassica trade. Last week, the firm announced the site was to close as planned.

A spokesman for the business said: “Consultation has now been concluded and, as envisaged, the Produce World Butterwick site will close later this year.

“We are pleased to say that 120 colleagues from Produce World Butterwick will transfer to Produce World LFP at Wykeham, and this process will take place over the next few months.”

One hundred colleagues have taken redundancy and about 30 have left to go to other jobs, the spokesman added.

He stressed this was double the number anticipated when the consultation was launched.

Explaining the proposals in February, Martin Tate, commercial director of LFP, said: “This Joint Venture will help to secure the future of brassica growing in this part of Lincolnshire.”

I read, with some amazement, the article concerning Robert Brown’s invention in last week’s Spalding Guardian.

Please say to Mr Syson that I’m still very much alive, with a grown family and living in Stamford.

My invention never got off the drawing board, but it gave me and my school pals a lot of fun, as you can imagine.

I have a personal interest in the Lincolnshire Free Press and Spalding Guardian newspapers having worked for them as an apprentice printer and stone hand compositor (1955-57) when both papers were based in Spalding.

Mr Walter Cook was general manager at that time.

My address 19 Caithness Road, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 2TE.

Entrepreneur Claire Hall has missed out on pitching to Sir Richard Branson for vital funding but says taking part in his national competition has created plenty of new opportunities for her business.

Claire, of Kirton Holme, entered her brand Percy’s Vodka Teas into the 2015 Pitch to Rich contest, which is offering up to £1m to help fledgling businesses and was thrilled to receive enough votes to make it through to the next round.

But after making it onto the 50-strong shortlist, the 33-year-old has now been told her business won’t be going any further in the contest.

Nevertheless she is thrilled to have made it so far, with plenty of new opportunities arising as a result of taking part.

“It was great to be in the 50 companies shortlisted from 550 in the growth category, most of which are much larger operations than me.

“I’m really pleased I got as far as I did,” says Claire, who has dedicated the last ten years of her life to turning her idea into a viable business.

“I’m not disappointed at all, and from the short time I’ve been involved in the process, well a lot has come out of it.

“I’ve had people contact me about investment and it’s certainly helped to raise the profile of Percy’s, so I’m very happy.”

The idea for Percy’s Vodka Teas – with flavours White Tea, Pear and Raspberry, White Tea, Apple and Elderflower, Black Tea, Apple, Lemon and Lime and Black Tea Pear and Ginger – came about when Claire left university.

It was while drinking a fruit tea that she came up with the idea to make her own containing vodka.

Since then she hasn’t looked back and currently sells her drinks through online retailer Not On The High Street and her own website, where they priced £4 for a 250ml bottle.

As for the future, Claire says there are lots of exciting plans in the pipeline including some new festive flavours towards Christmas.

“The competition has brought it all to life again – it’s all very exciting at the moment.

“I’ve got lots of events coming up,

“I’m looking for investment and working closely with Not On The High Street too.

“The competition has opened up a lot of new doors, and I just want to take the opportunity to thank everyone who voted and supported me,” she added.

THOUGHTS OF A FRUITCAKE: By Carolyn Aldis

So, recently I have been out to celebrate a few milestone birthdays with my friends.

With one group of ladies, I have been out until the early hours, dancing the night away in different pubs and clubs. I busted my moves and cleared the dance floor, only to wake up the next day unable to walk properly due to the pounding that my knees took (skidding across the floor isn’t considered a “move” anymore, apparently.) My friends were surprised to find that I only drink water when I am out, as in their world, nobody dances that badly while they are sober.

Another time, I went out for a sit down meal, where because there were 20 of us, we were put on a long table and I was opposite someone I didn’t know and next to someone I had previously offended. Now, I am normally quite friendly and chatty but I was a bit annoyed that I wasn’t sitting with my friends. We’ve all had the situation where we have been kettled into position as we scramble to sit next to someone we know, only to end up opposite a tough crowd. I am not great with languages, but when the woman opposite me who was previously semi-comatose suddenly started to talk animatedly to her neighbour, I read that body language fluently. I decided to try and chat to the offended one next to me.

“So, how is that gorgeous husband of yours?” I enquired, all smiles, knowing that flattery is a good lubricating oil over troubled waters.

“He left me for someone else who thought he was gorgeous.” Came the icy reply without even a turn of the head.

Moving on, then…

This weekend, I went to The George at Stamford for afternoon tea for my friend’s 40th. We all dressed up for the occasion and sat in wonderful surroundings, next to the open fire, which seems absurd in June, but was rather lovely. We had our dainty sandwiches, miniature cakes and pots of tea and all agreed that even though it wasn’t cheap, it was worth it.

My own 40th was a combination of my favourite things…I needed a big venue, so I booked The South Holland Centre. I love the stage and so started the evening off by singing “Dancing Queen” dressed in a fabulous Abba suit. I chatted about the experiences I have had over my life and did some amateur dramatics in the form of Sybil Fawlty. People sat at the round tables, chatting while they ate. On each of the 15 tables was a birthday cake that represented something special to me, ranging from a green Mini that had been my first car, to Zippy from Rainbow, my favourite programme as a kid. I finished the night off with a disco that featured all my favourite songs.

Celebrating a milestone is important regardless of how you do it and it doesn’t always have to cost much, whether you play Scrabble with friends, have a sit down meal or have a disco.

The memories created last a lot longer than the bubble bath giftset…

I’d like to hang on to my sunny disposition

Is The Church relevant?

I also get the feeling and I have been told, that the Church today for most people is irrelevant, and an outdated institution, but I wonder when some of these critics of the Church were last in a Church building, it is amazing that the Church is expected to be there for such things as (tough not always), weddings, baptisms, funerals, and never darken the door at any other time.

Whilst the most important thing in the life of the Church is it’s worship life, ranging from traditional to modern, a style for everyone to discover their personal relationship with God where people discover their faith or perhaps I should say there spirituality, which is shown quietly and done without being observed through such things as food banks, lunch clubs, coffee mornings, personal visits, supporting people through personal crisis, counselling, youth work, etc.

On the surface to many who walk past the doors of our churches it may seem that these buildings are no longer relevant to them. But I challenge you all, that when these buildings are open, to stop, go in and discover for yourself how relevant they can stillbe today.

The managing director of a Lincolnshire poultry firm is in the running for the title of Poultry Farmer of the Year after making the final three in a national competition.

Daniel Fairburn, of L.J. Fairburn and Son, is vying for the honour in The Farmers Weekly Awards 2015.

The awards recognise and reward farmers for innovation, their commitment to the industry and for hard work.

Judging teams will now be visiting all 45 finalists across the 15 award categories ahead of the winners being revealed at a glittering ceremony in London on October 1.

L.J. Fairburn and Son, based at Alford, is a family farming business and now one of the largest egg producers, packers and suppliers in the UK - delivering more than 13 million eggs every week.

In 2012, Aldi gave the business its first chance to supply direct to retail. Today, it has accounts with Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Asda, The Co-operative, Iceland, Netto and 3663 Food Service.

Mr Fairburn said it was ‘a huge honour’ to have been shortlisted.

He said: “The way our family business has progressed over the last two years is down to my teams’ overwhelming drive and determination – all 175 members of staff share a genuine passion for the egg laying industry and take pride in producing a product to the very highest standards.”