The jury in trial of six teenagers accused of the murder of Spalding man Warren Free are to continue their deliberations into a fifth day tomorrow (Wednesday).

The jury of six men and six women, who retired on Thursday at the end of a four week trial, spent today (Tuesday) continuing to deliberate without returning any verdicts before they were sent home for the night by the trial judge Mr Justice Goss.

The prosecution alleges that 43 year old Mr Free suffered fatal injuries after he confronted a group of teenagers in the early hours of the morning about noise they were making in a park at the rear of his home in Coronation Close, Spalding.

It is alleged that Mr Free was kicked, punched and stamped on by the teenagers before a 15 year old girl struck him over the head several times with a metal pole.

He went home to bed but friends were later unable to rouse him. An ambulance was called and he was airlifted to hospital but passed away within 24 hours from a head injury.

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.

A boy, who was 14 at the time, denies a charge of perverting the course of justice relating to the disposal of the metal pole in the Coronation Channel in Spalding. A second boy, aged 16 at the time, has admitted perverting the course of justice.

None of the defendants gave evidence to the jury. Barristers representing the defendants have argued that the accused whom the prosecution claim were involved in violence towards Mr Free acted lawfully either in their own self defence or in the defence of others in the group. Others are said not to have been involved at all and claim to have been innocent bystanders.

Previously...

WARREN FREE MURDER TRIAL: Jury to deliberate for a fourth day

Rail safety figures show the number of deaths on the railways reached an all-time high of 332 last year (2014/15).

The increase in deaths comes despite a record-breaking eighth consecutive year without a fatal train accident, the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) said.

In the last 12 months there were 293 suspected suicides and 22 fatal injuries caused by trespassing on main line railways in Great Britain, the RSSB said. This is a rise from the 300 public fatalities from suicide and trespass recorded between 2013 and 2014.

RSSB’s director of system safety, George Bearfield, said the rail industry took the issue of suicide “very seriously”.

He added: “RSSB is part of a cross-industry National Suicide Prevention Group which has been set up to tackle the issue of railway suicide and is supported by the Samaritans.

“Local Samaritans branches also work with station managers, station staff from both train operating companies and Network Rail and the British Transport Police, in prevention and post-incident support work.”

The annual safety figures also show 10 members of the public, including two vehicle drivers, died in accidents at level crossings, and a further four died at stations last year. Two workers were fatally injured in road traffic accidents, and another in an incident at a train depot.

The number of assaults recorded by the British Transport Police (BTP) in 2014/15 was higher than the previous year, with a rise of around 10%. Although this is the first increase in the ‘normalised’ rate for more than five years.

On Monday night (20 July), a man was arrested after a train carrying 42 people crashed in to an empty car on a railway track leaving it a mangled wreck.

The 35-year-old is being held on suspicion of obstructing the railway after the crash at Claymills level crossing in Staffordshire, British Transport police said.

The driver of the car was not in the vehicle at the time but was later found unhurt nearby in the Stretton area of Burton upon Trent.

Emergency services attended the scene but no one required further treatment.

Mr Bearfield said: “While we are pleased to be reporting some positive figures today, no one in the rail industry is complacent about safety and there remain areas of concern that we will be working with the industry to address.

“However, rail remains one of the safest forms of transport. The reports being released today are part of the robust evidence base that the industry uses to develop and drive targeted safety improvements.”

Office of Rail and Road (ORR) director of railway safety, Ian Prosser, said there was still “room for improvement”.

Mr Prosser said: “Great Britain’s railways have a strong track record on improving safety, and after a decade of investment and growth, are now statistically the safest in Europe. While this improvement is to be commended, statistics only tell part of the story, the industry cannot become complacent. ORR’s inspectors have identified that there is still room for improvement.

“ORR’s evidence highlights the challenges facing the rail industry, in particular, the need to manage growth safely. Our safety inspectors report a mixed picture, with improvements at level crossings, on platform safety and asset management. However, inspectors are also seeing scope for improvement in safety risk assessments and worker health and safety.

“The regulator is working with the rail industry to help it take a more proactive approach, recognising and managing safety issues before passengers or rail workers come to harm.”

A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators and Network Rail, said: “Safety is always our top priority, and the work done to transform our railway has made it the safest in Europe for passengers today.

“The rail industry is constantly looking at its performance and making improvements to keep passengers, staff and the public safe, especially at level crossings.”

Everyday life in South Holland is to be captured in sculptures to be unveiled in Spalding town centre later this year.

Details of a Spalding Trail, sculptures based on real people living and working in the town, were revealed at a meeting hosted by the Transported arts group at the South Holland Centre on Tuesday.

The sculptures, to be produced by Cornish artist Joseph Hillier, have been jointly commissioned by Transported in partnership with Spalding and District Civic Society, South Holland District Council, schools and Spalding town centre manager Dennis Hannant.

Nick Jones, programme director for Transported, said: “Spalding is in a very good place where it is lucky enough to have a motivated group of local people who are championing an ambitious programme to create public artwork for the town.

“The arts have the capacity to bring about meaningful and powerful change which this project taps into by asking the question ‘what makes a place special to those who live there?”

Mr Hillier was chosen to produce the artwork after a selection process where artists were invited to put forward their proposals for a piece of art that would both capture and celebrate the town’s market history.

A Civic Society spokesman added: “Working in partnership with Transported, this is the society’s first commission in an ambitious project to celebrate Spalding’s historic market with a group of public artworks in the town centre.

“This is aimed at increasing the town’s attractiveness for residents and visitors alike, building on our continuing blue plaque scheme which has so far recognised (Swiss philosopher) Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Frank Pick (former head of London Underground), historian Peter Connolly and musician Jimi Hendrix.”

Mr Hillier is holding an artist’s sitting at Ayscoughfee Hall Museum on September 25 and 26 after which people might even be represented in the final sculptures.

“It’s a great honour to be chosen to make a series of small pieces of sculpture that will reflect the diversity of cultures and activities that go on around Spalding and will be here long after I’ve gone,” Mr Hillier said.

Mr Hannant added: “People like Joseph Hillier enrich our lives and I can only hope that what he’ll produce will enhance Spalding and give the town even more of an originality and personality.

“It will also give people a focus and encourage them to look after their environment.”

A heartbroken pet owner has issued a warning to other dog lovers after her great Dane got burnt from giant hogweed.

Joanne Boardman, aged 47, had taken her rescue dog Ellie on a walk through fields and allotments when the plant scratched the eight-year-old’s nose.

A few days later, the scratches had turned into big open sores and blisters.

Joanne said: “I noticed a couple of scratches on Ellie’s nose and a few days later they turned into blisters.

“I took her to the vets and it turned out she had been burned by giant hogweed.

“She had open blisters on her nose for about two to three weeks.

“The blisters were really sore, open wounds and very painful for Ellie, because they were on her nose, which is a really sensitive part for any dog.

“She is such a friendly, happy dog normally and this had a massive impact on her – she went really quiet and just wasn’t happy at all.

“All we could do was open wound management, so management of the wound with antibiotics, pain killers and cleaning it every day with salt water just to try and reduce the blisters.”

Giant hogweed contains toxic components which, if touched, make skin extremely sensitive to sunlight, meaning it can burn and blister easily. ​{/news/health/health-news/video-warning-over-toxic-giant-hogweed-plant-when-out-and-about-this-summer-1-6848425|Read more: what to do if you come into contact with the giant hogweed|read more}

The plant, which can grow up to 3.5 metres tall, affects animals as well as humans and can cause severe burns, particularly in summer months when UV rays are strongest.

Voluntary sector worker Joanne, who has three other dogs – two great Danes and a Newfoundland – wants to warn other dog owners of the dangers of hogweed.

She said: “I want people to know about hogweed and be aware that it is out there, because it is really dangerous.

It’s just horrible to see a pet in so much pain.

“People should be really careful and check out giant hogweed.

“There are loads of stories at the moment so if you see anything that looks like giant hogweed, try to keep your dogs away from it – because what you don’t want to happen is what I have had which is huge sores and numerous trips to the vets and then trying to deal with a dog with really bad blisters for two weeks.”

Reports of injuries following contact with giant hogweed have drastically increased over the past month as UV rays are strongest in summer.

I write regarding the letter in last week’s Spalding Guardian from Maureen Male, chairman of Holbeach Parish Council’s planning committee.

Mrs Male was not happy that the comments her and other people in Holbeach made against the Ashley King application for 900 houses appeared to have been ignored by the district council when it came to granting planning permission.

She made the point that the majority of people who voted to support the application did not live in Holbeach, and that no notice was taken of important local issues.

I was not at the meeting so cannot comment on that application, but I know exactly how she feels.

Last year, myself and several other residents who live near the Bourne Road/Winsover Road/Hawthorn Bank T-junction, believe we made valid and comprehensive reasons relating to why an application for a licence to sell alcohol from 6am to 10pm should be refused.

We attended the licensing hearing and, guess what, the local councillor, Graham Dark MBE, who knows the area well, voted against granting the licence, but two Holbeach members, namely Francis Biggadike and ex-councillor Rita Rudkin, appeared to ignore all the points raised by local people and instead voted to grant the application.

Already, some of the issues we raised are coming true. Vehicles parking on the zig-zag lines outside the premises, vehicles parked partly on the pavement making it difficult for people in disabled scooters to get by and adding an extra hazard for some of our blind and partially sighted residents who live nearby.

I agree that it is a pity that local knowledge, and the views of local people, can be overridden by people who might not know the area.

The 2015 Apprentice of the Year in the National Construction College Awards is Crowland Cranes’ Steven Garrod.

The 2015 Apprentice of the Year in the National Construction College Awards is Crowland Cranes’ Steven Garrod.

Steven (19), who joined the company as a school leaver at 16, was also awarded a first for his contribution to his advanced studies in Crane and Plant Mechanics.

A spokesman at Crowland Cranes said: “This was a very impressive achievement by Steven as these awards are presented in recognition of those in the construction industry who go above and beyond, showing both high levels of work ethic and personal skills.

“Crowland Cranes was proud to be part of the NCC East Apprentice Awards 2015 celebrations.”

Steven, a Year 3 apprentice at Crowland Cranes, attended the awards at CITB Bircham Newton.

The National Construction College continues to be the largest training provider of its kind in Europe – supporting over 26,000 individuals every year, including over 700 apprentices.

It enjoys achievement rates well above the national average.

The spokesman said Steven has progressed successfully within the company since joining.

The continuation of these awards is the CITB Pride of Construction award, which will be held at the National History Museum in London in November.

Steven is one of only four apprentices representing different areas of the country eligible to be presented with this final award.

Crowland Cranes’ annual intake for a three-year modern apprenticeship to like-minded school leavers is still open to applicants for autumn 2015.

Anyone interested should email sales@crowlandcranes.co.uk The closing date for applicants is August 10.

Spalding Grammar School Year 12 student Jack Matthews has been awarded one of the Institute of Physics and Ogden Trust’s Young Physicist of the Year awards.

Jack is pictured with his physics teacher, Dr Marshall, who nominated him, and Helen Pollard, an ex-physics teacher and representative of the Institute of Physics and Ogden Trust, who presented the award.

The efforts of Sir John Gleed School students in Spalding to mentor classmates from various countries and cultures who often don’t have a lot of English has been celebrated.

A special event in Cafe Central was held to celebrate the achievements of the school’s EAL (English as an additional language) Peer Mentors.

Around 20 Year 10/11 students have helped and supported the EAL pupils over the past year, meeting with them regularly to help them understand homework, develop their language skills through games, and generally make them feel welcome and settled in their new surroundings.

The event was attended by lots of the young people who have been supported and are grateful to the mentors for their help. Head of academy Will Scott presented certificates to mentors.

Newton House at the Peele Community College at Long Sutton now has a new mascot – and he does vital work.

Medical Detection Dogs was the house charity of the year, and the aim was to raise £2,000, enabling the school to sponsor a puppy to be fully trained as an assistance alert dog.

The form succeeded in their challenge and their sponsor puppy will be called Newton.

Head of Newton House Mrs Earl presented a cheque for £2,107.80 to Mrs Claire Moon and her Medical Detection Dog Magic at an evening celebration assembly where the students’ successes and achievements were also acknowledged.

A video was shown of the charity work students have been involved with during the year and the audience heard about the tremendous work the Medical Detection charity does.

A school spokesman said: “Newton House looks forward to receiving various updates, visits and photographs of their new puppy Newton over the next year.”

Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Hardwick and Chief Constable Neil Rhodes have welcomed plans to reform the way forces are funded.

The two have long campaigned for a ‘fairer dealer’ for Lincolnshire Police and today (Wednesday) issued the following statement: “We welcome today’s announcement by the Police Minister Mike Penning, giving details of plans to reform the system of allocating government funding to police forces.

“Over recent months we have worked hard and constructively with Home Office officials to provide solutions to the challenge of police finance. The overall pot of money for policing is shrinking and it is more important than ever that funding is shared fairly.

“We will be working carefully through government proposals to understand the implications for the police service in general and for Lincolnshire communities in particular.

“The new, proposed formula is population based and would appear to take cognisance of both socio-economic and environmental factors that affect policing demand.

“We recognise that, across the country, forces face different and sometimes complex policing challenges and have to manage different levels of threat, harm and risk. The new formula must cater adequately for those.

“However, particularly for smaller forces, the acid test will be whether the base cost of being in business is covered. Funding must be set at a level that sustains a decent quality of service to our communities and sensible transitional arrangement will be important.

“The timetable for consultation and subsequent implementation is tight, but we welcome the energy and drive for change and intend to fully play our part in the consultation process.”

A new dementia and exercise cafe has been set up in Spalding and will open its doors next month.

Spalding Health and Wellbeing (SHAW) Community Interest Company has received funding for the cafe from the Lincolnshire Dementia Support Network.

It will run every Wednesday from August 12, 1.30pm- 3.30pm, at Tonic Health in Westlode Street, Spalding.

The Dementia Support Network has been established by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to help people with dementia, and people who care for them, to participate in a wide range of activities that will help them to maintain as good a quality of life as possible.

SHAW’s proposal was the only one offered funding in the south Lincolnshire region, and is one of 12 initiatives across the county.

The cafe will offer a range of exercise and movement therapies for people with dementia, including yoga, tai chi and seated exercise, with the aim of getting people moving more, to help improve balance and co-ordination, whilst getting the feelgood factor gentle exercise can provide.

At the same time as the movement activities are taking place, carers will have access to services including relaxation therapies, meditation, and movement classes, allowing them the opportunity to relax and unwind.

Both groups will then reconvene for refreshments. A variety of services will be invited in to talk about different areas of life which may affect people with dementia, their carers and families, including safety in the home, money management, help and support available.

Services for people with dementia are popular in Bourne and Market Deeping through Dementia Support South Lincs, but nothing had previously been established in Spalding.

Tonic Health’s ground floor, step-free and disabled-friendly facilities make it an ideal location, and the venue will be able to host up to 50 people.

The funding means the cafe will be able to run for a year, without financial worry, and it is hoped it can eventually be self-sustaining.

SHAW is asking for a donation of £2 per person per week to help support the project in the long-term.

For further information and to register your place, call 01775 725059.

Pupils from Spalding Parish Church Day School raised £414 for Macmillan Cancer Support after a ‘Dress up and Dance Day’.

Children brought in a donation to attend school dressed in dance clothes and also purchase ice poles.

They then spent a great afternoon completing a whole school dance.

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Tea, tears, cakes and cheers at Spalding Parish Church Day School
Parish rules do come good

So you’re planning to be a barbecue hero over the summer, but it takes more than donning a chef’s hat and apron to make sure you don’t have a barbecue disaster casting you as the villain!

Whether you’re a natural born griller, or dusting off the coals for the first time, enjoying a barbecue is part of the fun of summer – after all, it’s the perfect excuse to get together with family and friends and relax in the sunshine and light nights.

But with more than 500,000 cases of food poisoning each year in the UK – salmonella being one of the main causes of hospital admissions – it’s important to know how you can avoid the sizzle being taken out of your fun.

Dr Dr Kevin Hill, Chair of NHS South Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “Cases of food poisoning almost double over the summer months. Food poisoning is caused by eating food contaminated by bacteria, such as salmonella or Escherichia coli (E. coli), or a virus, such as the norovirus.

“Although food poisoning is usually mild, and most people get better within a week, there are times when it can be more severe, so it’s important to take the risks seriously. Children, older people and those with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to food poisoning. Following these simple steps will help to keep food safe.”

Simple steps include:

n Making sure the coals are glowing red with a powdery grey surface before you start cooking to make sure they are hot enough

n Ensuring that frozen meat is properly thawed before it’s cooked

n Regularly turning the meat and moving it around the barbecue to ensure it is cooked evenly

n Always cutting the meat at the thickest part to ensure none of it is pink on the inside. Don’t assume that because meat is charred on the outside it will be cooked properly on the inside.

Remember that meat is safe to eat only when:

n It is piping hot in the centre

n There is no pink meat visible

n Any juices are clear.

Dr Hill added: “Recent research by the Food Standards Agency shows that one-in-five people do not keep raw foods on separate plates, increasing the risk of bacterial cross-contamination; 28 per cent of people don’t check that burgers and sausages are cooked all the way through before serving; and 32 per cent of people don’t check that chicken is cooked properly. Poultry meat was also linked to the most cases of food poisoning – an estimated 244,000 cases each year.”

To prevent cross-contamination:

n Always wash your hands with soap and water after touching raw meat. Make sure your dry properly too. Damp hands encourage germs

n Use separate utensils (plates, tongs, containers) for cooked and raw meat

For more information on barbecue food safety, visit www.nhs.uk

A leading national debt charity says South Holland residents owe £1.9million in unpaid council tax.

National Debtline, the free advice service run by the Money Advice Trust, is now urging people to seek help if they are struggling to keep up with their payments.

The £1.9million is a rolling total built up since 1993 and is up from the £1.7million-plus that was owed last year.

The sum is equal to an average of £49 for every home in the district.

National Debtline was contacted by 96 people from South Holland last year but the charity believes many more people are floundering.

Money Advice Trust chief executive Joanna Elson said: “We are seeing more and more people seek help with council tax arrears but the fact that South Holland residents owe £1.9million makes us concerned that many more people in the area are struggling alone. Free debt advice services such as National Debtline are here to help.”

South Holland District Council finance portfolio holder Coun Peter Coupland said today: “Last year 98 per cent of residents paid their council tax on time, a figure we are proud of and one I want to see get even higher in the years ahead.

“The figures quoted cover all years since 1993. While zero debt is always our target, just as in business getting 100 per cent of bills paid is a big task which requires and gets our constant attention.

“We encourage people struggling to pay to contact us at the earliest opportunity so we can try to help. We can also direct them to national free, independent and confidential support and advice organisations for further support.

“Of course debt enforcement action is always the last resort, but we do and will continue to take such action whenever it is necessary.”

• For help visit www.nationaldebtline.org or call 0808 808 4000

The whole village of Fleet mourned with their rector in the terrible death of his second son, Lieut Harry Law, in 1915.

Although the Rev J H A Law and his family had not lived in the village very long, the rector had become known “as a man devoted to the cause of duty”.

Now, the report continued, “the rev. gentleman has been called upon to live to the uttermost the principles which he has preached – bravery and resignation in the face of trouble. There are not many men who could have stood at the open grave of a dearly beloved son and calmly joined in the singing of the National Anthem as he did. It was an example which will be cherished in the memory of Fleet folk all their lives.”

Lieut Harry Law’s body lay in the church, shrouded in the Union flag, all night, his death the result of wounds received in France. Parishioners began to assemble in church a considerable time before the funeral was due to start.

A detachment of 69 men of the Royal Bucks Hussars, together with two trumpeters and Captain Weatherly, Lieut Russell, Lieut McDougal and Sgt Major Phillips, arrived by train from King’s Lynn. They marched to the church and formed up in front of the grave, which “loving hands had lined with laurel and masses of beautiful roses”, while the bearer party entered. The soldiers carried the body to its last resting place in a downpour of rain.

During 1914, Harry was second lieutenant in the Cambridge University OTC and was gazetted to the 6th Rifle Brigade at the outbreak of war, before being attached to the 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He was with his regiment as a machine gun officer, and was mentioned in dispatches. He was acting adjutant at the time he was wounded, and was gazetted lieutenant two days before his death.

The combines are starting to roll out in south Lincolnshire and by the time this prose starts flying off the news-stands, fingers crossed, so will ours, writes Ian Stancer.

Earliest yield indications are encouraging, but we have to be realistic where late drilling and slugs caused patchy establishment in too many fields. On the other hand I’m looking forward to harvesting a few fields that look to have exceeded earlier expectations, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves; with seemingly every farm commodity struggling to break even at current values, careful decisions need to be taken for the coming year. Sugar beet has taken a big hit in price again and because it’s pre-determined, it’s more straightforward than most crops to determine viability. It’s no secret that British Sugar have product stockpiled in warehouses so that even though they clearly want to continue producing in the long term, they are happy to see the crop coast along for a few years until the European market loses some surplus production capacity in the least efficient nations, in the hope that our inherent efficiency will win through.

A big campaign lies ahead, but as ever the most important thing to consider is safety for ourselves and those working with us. NFU Mutual has launched a new internet-based safety audit called Safety Hub, aimed at the simpler, smaller farm units with up to three workers. Unfortunately, it’s not free, but it does seem to have the potential to be a useful aid, both to ensure compliance with the latest health and safety legislation, and to focus the minds of those working within its framework to be more aware of the risks. It’s interactive and rather than providing just a snapshot in time the aim is to keep updating the information when circumstances change.

Here’s wishing you all good weather, bounteous yields, better prices and, most of all, a safe voyage through.

A house in Halfleet, Market Deeping, has been burgled, although it is unknown whether items were stolen.

Burglars got in through a conservatory some time between 5am and 5.15am on Wednesday.

Anyone with information should call 101, quoting incident number 40 of July 22.

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

The jury in the trial of six teenagers accused of the murder of Spalding man Warren Free are to continue their deliberations into a seventh day tomorrow (Friday).

The jury of six men and six women, who retired on Thursday of last week at the end of a month-long trial, spent today (Thursday) continuing to deliberate without returning any verdicts before they were sent home for the night by the trial judge Mr Justice Goss.

The prosecution alleges that 43 year old Mr Free suffered fatal injuries after he confronted a group of teenagers in the early hours of the morning about noise they were making in a park at the rear of his home in Coronation Close, Spalding.

It is alleged that Mr Free was kicked, punched and stamped on by the teenagers before a 15 year old girl struck him over the head several times with a metal pole.

He went home to bed but friends were later unable to rouse him. An ambulance was called and he was airlifted to hospital but passed away within 24 hours from a head injury.

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.

A boy, who was 14 at the time, denies a charge of perverting the course of justice relating to the disposal of the metal pole in the Coronation Channel in Spalding. A second boy, aged 16 at the time, has admitted perverting the course of justice.

None of the defendants gave evidence to the jury. Barristers representing the defendants have argued that the accused whom the prosecution claim were involved in violence towards Mr Free acted lawfully either in their own self defence or in the defence of others in the group. Others are said not to have been involved at all and claim to have been innocent bystanders.

South Holland District Council is writing off uncollected debts totalling almost £280,000 for the financial year that ended in March.

Business rates amounting to £69,055.53 make up the single biggest heading, followed by accounts receivable (sundry debts) totalling £67,919.01.

The council was also owed £19,597.85 in former tenant arrears, £19,146.55 in housing benefit overpayments and £10,3814.54 in unpaid council tax.

So far this year, the council is ready to write off a further £39,875.88 with sundry debts (£15,877.19) and business rates (£12,327.79) making up the bulk of the bill, followed by former tenant arrears on £6,233.88 and housing benefit overpayments on £5,437.02.

A report to the council cabinet says the need to write off a debt “usually arises due to the debtor being untraceable, insolvent, ceased trading with no assets or deceased with no funds in the estate”.

It says all methods of recovery are pursued before writing off is considered and written-off debts can be reinstated.

The East Midlands Ambulance Trust emergency vehicles were issued with 4,507 speeding fines worth £450,700 by police forces over a five year period.

A Freedom of Information request by the BBC to all ambulance trusts in England showed they received 23,227 speeding tickets between 2009 and 2014.

But, only 400 of those tickets were upheld, a Freedom of Information request by the BBC has found.

Carl Rees, from the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, said “common sense should be applied” and “notices should only be sent out if no blue lights can be seen flashing”.

“After the appropriate checks have been made the PCN (penalty charge notice) should be waived. We understand that this is what happens in the majority of cases,” he said.

Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Barry, from the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said: “When an emergency vehicle clearly displaying blue lights triggers a camera, but the police can see that it was being driven safely in accordance with the law with blue lights displayed, they would generally stop notices from being sent out.

“This has been made more difficult with the introduction of average speed checks in recent years, which usually capture the speed and number plate of the vehicle but not necessarily an image.”

Section 87 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 states: “No statutory provision imposing a speed limit on motor vehicles shall apply to any vehicle on an occasion when it is being used for fire and rescue authority purposes.”

“If blue lights are displayed, then police will assume, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, that the exemption is valid and no further action will be taken. No paperwork will be sent to the organisation concerned.”