Emergency services are currently at the scene of an accident at the notorious Peppermint Junction in Holbeach.

There has been a road traffic collision at the junction, where the A151 meets the A17.

• More when we have it.

Firefighters used specialist cutting equipment to rescue a child from the back of a car after an accident in Sutterton this afternoon.

Crews used mini-cutters to remove a child seat from the rear of a car and free the young passenger after the accident on the Spalding Road just before 3pm.

Crews from Donington and Spalding attended and also used special equipment to stem a fuel leak from one of the cars.

Market Deeping Neighbourhood Policing Panel will be meeting at the Open Door Church, Spalding Road, Deeping St James, on Monday, July 11 at 7pm.

The meeting starts with a 30-minute public forum where people can suggest ideas to be included in the area’s policing priorities for the next three months.

After the public forum, the panel will go into closed session to discuss and set policing priorities for the Deepings’ area.

An electrical fault in a dishwasher was the cause of a fire in a kitchen at Deeping St James overnight.

Fire crews from Market Deeping, Spalding and Crowdland attended the fire in a property on Thackers Way just after midnight (Wednesday).

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the fire using a hose reel and thermal imaging cameras.

Investigators believe the fire was caused by an electrical fault.

A collision between a lorry and a car is adding to problems for motorists passing through the roadworks on the A47 this morning, Wednesday July 6.

There are already long delays due to the ongoing roadworks on the A47, the A16 and the A1139 around Eye.

The queues are not being helped by a collision which has blocked the B1443 Thorney Road in both directions.

Traffic updates throughout the day here.

Motorists heading for Spalding via Pinchbeck this morning are advised to seek alternative routes due to delays.

We are receiving reports of heavy traffic and tailbacks causing considerable delays in Pinchbeck on Church Street due to road works on the way into Spalding.

Traffic is stretching from Spalding Road, along Church Street to Surfleet Road.

Vehicles are said to be moving, but only slowly.

A disciplinary hearing is to be heard following allegations of gross misconduct against a Lincolnshire police officer.

The hearing will take place from Wednesday, July 13 to Friday, July 15, starting at 9am at Lincolnshire Police headquarters, Deepdale Lane, Nettleham.

At the hearing, Sergeant Philippa Rowson will answer to allegations of gross misconduct following a public complaint. The allegation involves breaches of the Standards of Professional Behaviour relating to ‘use of force’, ‘authority, respect and courtesy’, ‘discreditable conduct’ and ‘duties and responsibilities’.

The is a public hearing and will be heard in front of a panel.

If you wish to attend, e-mail your personal details to psd@lincs.pnn.police.uk or call 01522 558013 before 9am on Tuesday, July 12. The force will reply with a reference number to attend which you should bring with you to police headquarters on the day.

Anyone wishing to attend will need to email: full name and address; date of birth and role (if you are representing an organisation).

The panel chair has the right to exclude anyone attending the hearing at any point during the proceedings if valid objections to their presence are raised.

Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance charity have formally accepted the new, state-of-the-art Agusta Westland 169 helicopter to become its workhorse of the skies above the county this year.

The charity will now have a £2.3million a year target to raise to keep it in the skies.

Chief Executive Karen Jobling and joint chairman of the Board of Trustees Jack O’Hern travelled to Vergiate in Italy to formally accept the AW169, from AgustaWestland yesterday (Tuesday).

“It has been really amazing to finally see our new Ambucopter and to come out to the factory in Italy where it has been built. Our pilots have recently been here training and converting onto the AW169, and now seeing it come off the production line we’re looking forward to it flying back to the UK and becoming operational,” said Karen Jobling.

“The new helicopter will be in the same emergency yellow as our current helicopter, which the people of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire recognise as their air ambulance. Beyond the colour however, the aircraft is quite different. The AW169 has a significantly larger cabin area which will give our Critical Care Team 360-degree access to the patient, to provide time-critical medical treatment during flight if needed.

“The AW169 is faster, meaning we can reach patients, hospitals and major trauma centres more quickly. It can also fly further before it needs to be refuelled, which will allow us to deploy from one mission to the next without returning to base to refuel.”

Jack O’Hern said: “When the Board of Trustees were first presented with the information on the new top-of-the-range AW169, it was clear to see that this helicopter would be at the forefront of Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) operations and would enable the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance to provide the best possible critical care to its patients. This advancement in the service to patients means that the charity now needs to raise in excess of £2.3million each year to support our lifesaving work.”

The new aircraft will fly back to the UK very soon, but it will be a little while longer before people will see it taking to the skies.

First stop is for a custom built medical fit to ensure that all of the state-of-the-art medical equipment is laid out properly, before it is finally delivered to mission headquarters at RAF Waddington later this summer.

To find out more information on this go to www.ambucopter.org.uk, follow @LNAACT on Twitter or like facebook.com/ambucopter

A Holbeach resident has been found guilty of failing in his duty of care to dispose of his waste correctly after paying someone to dispose of his rubbish.

South Holland District Council brought the prosecution against Peter John McManamon after enforcement officers investigating a large fly tip at Gedney Hill discovered that they belonged to McManamon.

He had paid an unknown person to remove and dispose of these waste items.

Even though McManamon had not dumped the items himself, he had no details of who had removed the items for him and took no steps to ensure this person was licenced to dispose of such waste.

At Boston Magistrates Court on Monday he pleaded guilty to the offences of failing in his duty of care and was sentenced to a six month conditional discharge, ordered to pay costs of £297.37, compensation of £50 and a victim surcharge of £15.  He was ordered to pay £20 per week with the first payment in 14 days. 

Coun Roger Gambba-Jones, portfolio holder for environmental services, said: “Fly tipping blights the area for everyone, making the place untidy and potentially hazardous. 

“When there is clear evidence of this illegal activity we will look to take action.  We are happy with the verdict as it should send a clear message to anyone thinking of dumping rubbish or allowing it to happen in the district, that it is not acceptable and we will prosecute.”

Lincolnshire Trading Standards are warning county residents against using unregulated will writing companies to prepare wills, especially for property protection trust wills.

Some companies claim if a trust is set up to protect the value of your home, then it can’t be used for a means test against care home fees. This is not the case as there are limits to these products- often called ‘Property Protection Trust Wills’ or ‘Asset Protection Trusts’.

These types of companies tend to charge higher fees than regulated solicitors, and the companies concerned may not even be entitled to carry out this type of work.

Louisa Harris, Senior Trading Standards Officer at the county council, said: “Be really cautious about companies offering to set up a trust to protect your interest in your property, as a way of avoiding care home fees. Such trusts can be easily overturned and challenged legally, especially if care home fees are required soon after the trust has been created.

“If you doubt the legitimacy of any legal services you are being offered, check with the SRA that they are regulated.”

Pete Sidgwick, Assistant Director of Adult Care at the county council said: “We don’t want people to be put off from seeking the care they need over financial worries. All councils assess what someone should pay towards their care by looking at all of their financial circumstances, and that could include property in trust.

“However there are lots of ways to pay for your care and it doesn’t necessarily mean selling your home. The Care Act introduced deferred payment agreements which means you may not have to sell your home to pay for care in your lifetime.”

High street chain Matalan has issued an urgent safety recall of its Animal Castanets.

The retailer said it had become aware of a “potential serious safety issue” regarding the musical toys and has urged parents to stop their children playing with the immediately.

It has asked customers to return the toys - item number M802348 - to their nearest Matalan store for a refund.

In a statement, the company said: “We have become aware of a potential serious safety issue regarding the Animal Castanets identified above. As our customers’ health and safety is extremely important, we are recalling these products.

“If you purchased the animal castanets, please make sure that your children do not play with them and return them to your nearest Matalan store as soon as possible. Our staff will be happy to give you a full refund. You do not need to have your receipt.

“If you bought one of the Castanets pictured above for someone else or know someone who has

them, then please let them know about this notice.”

The recall does not affect any other Matalan product.

There were major traffic delays heading into Spalding this morning after an accident on the A151 at Moulton.

Two vehicles were involved in a collision at 7.17am and one patient needed medical assistance and was treated on scene with minor injuries.

Spalding High School hosted a CLIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children’s Book Award Shadowing Group as part of the ongoing collaboration of Spalding secondary schools.

Students from the High School, Sir John Gleed and Grammar took part in an afternoon of book discussions and quizzes. They discussed all the shortlisted books and debated their choice to win the award.

The three schools are already looking forward to doing the same next year.

It was all action when Year 3/4 children from Weston Hills CofE Primary School took part in a Tri-Golf tournament.

The event, organised by Agilitas, was held at the Post 16 Centre in Spalding.

Eight schools took part – St John’s School in Spalding, Baston Primary School, Surfleet Primary School, Moulton Chapel Primary School, Pinchbeck Primary School, Spalding Primary School, Gosberton House as well as Weston Hills Primary School.

The Weston Hills pupils pictured above came fourth overall, but school bursar Heather Pocklington said: “It was a fantastic morning for everyone concerned.”

Tri-Golf is said to be an excellent entry game for golf, with over-sized putters and pitching wedges.

The children had to make their way around eight activity stations when they received coaching from Year 12 students from the Post 16 centre, scoring points at each post.

A Boxer who came into a dog rescue centre with a massive mammary tumour and endured a long and expensive operation is on the road to recovery thanks to a donation from Petplan.

Thanks to the donation Three Counties Dog Rescue, based in Bourne, can pay for the recovery needs of Breeze.

The charity has successfully re-homed over 6,000 dogs and cats and vows to be there for each and every animal for the rest of their lives.

Overseer of Three Counties Dog Rescue Gyll Mauchline, who has shown a lifelong passion for animal welfare and dedication to pursuing the health and happiness of pets and owners, said: “Animals come to neglect and abandonment through no fault of their own. We want to get it right for them and we are still there for them for the rest of their lives. This donation from Petplan has allowed us to help yet another dog in need.”

Gyll also recalled the case of German shepherd / Doberman cross Caesar who was attacked when he was just 10 weeks old and who arrived at the centre with multiple fractures and extensive nerve damage. As a result of his injuries, Caesar’s jaw grew twisted and was only able to open a few millimetres.

Caesar was skeletal but thanks to the tireless dedication of the Rescue’s voluntary surgical team and six years of recovery behind him, Cesar is unrecognisable as the starved and shaken pup that arrived at Three Counties. He now weights 50kg and is, says Gyll, “an incredible dog.”

Petplan’s Head of Marketing, Isabella von Mesterhazy, added: “At Petplan we work with over 1,200 animal charities, more than any other pet insurer. We understand the challenges animal welfare organisations face and provide four weeks’ free insurance to anyone rehoming a pet from one of our animal charities.”

Isabella continues: “Pet insurance can help pet owners cover the cost of unexpected veterinary treatment and provides reassurance for adopters during those precious first weeks while an adopted animal settles into its new home. It also offers peace of mind for charities; uninsured animals are more likely to be returned to the rehoming centre if they are ill or injured. Having your pet insured is an important part of taking care of its future health.”

If you’re interested in finding out more about Three Counties Dog Rescue, visit threecountiesdogrescue.org and for more information about Petplan’s insurance policies visit www.petplan.co.uk

The new kitchen supervisor at Long Sutton Primary School has managed to fill more than tummies in her few short months in the post.

The school’s new kitchen only opened in March, with Catrina Smith and her team serving nutritious hot lunches to the children.

However, school business manager Tracey Roscher says Catrina has also filled the school’s garden with new plants and equipment after winning a competition run by Dobbies Garden Centre.

The competition asked entrants to express how a donation from them would help the beneficiary and what impact it would have.

Tracey said: “It links in beautifully with what Catrina is trying to do in the kitchen in providing good school meals and education the children about where food comes from.

“She and the team she has built around her are all getting to know the children and the kitchen has had an amazing impact in terms of more children are having the meal now it is prepared on site.”

The school had to arrange its own transport for their prize and Bibby Distribution came to their rescue with a vehicle.

Tracey said: “Who needs a van when you can have an articulated lorry? On the lorry it didn’t look much, but when we started unloading it was quite a bit of equipment and plants.”

All Well and Good is available to hire for a day or two, or even longer, but there are lots more ways to experience life on a narrowboat.

Operations manager Anthony Grunwell has introduced some new trips, but says he is open to suggestions that people put forward.

He has put together a number of packages that give a group of friends the chance to do something different.

They might spend an hour or longer on board and enjoy a glass of Prosecco and nibbles, or even learn to navigate the river by narrowboat.

But Anthony says: “We want people to tell us what they want and if we can do it we will organise it.”

Springfields facilities manager Jackie Sawyers is hoping that at some point Spalding Water Taxi Company will be able to “join the dots” and take the narrowboat to Springfields.

Currently, Spalding Water Taxi does not have permission to take the diesel-driven vessel along the Coronation Channel to the shopping outlet, but in future Anthony would like to be able to offer things like Father Christmas cruises so people can travel to Springfields and back by narrowboat.

We have just arrived at Peterborough, our pilot Anthony joked.

We were in fact at Spalding Water Taxi’s landing stage behind Hills department store on the river Welland and a light drizzle had begun to fall.

It was the end of a journey aboard All Well and Good, the company’s 47 feet long narrowboat, and we were all feeling cheerful.

We had reason to feel light-hearted: the company was good, the journey interesting and a small amount of Prosecco had been consumed.

A group of people – Tulip Radio’s Jan Whitbourn, town centre manager Dennis Hannant, Springfields facilities manager Jackie Sawyers, Springfields PA Julie Atkinson, Jeff Gray, who looks after Springfields’ marketing, along with this reporter and her husband – had been invited along for a cruise by Spalding Water Taxi Company operations manager Anthony Grunwell.

Anthony and taxi manager Simon Clarke piloted the vessel, offering all aboard the chance to have a go.

While I was quite happy to leave steering a very long boat to others, some aboard were more keen to try it.

However, having seen the concentration on Anthony’s face when it came to turning the vessel – near Chain Bridge Forge, the only place on the river on the town side of High Bridge wide enough to complete the manoeuvre – I think I was wise.

“There might be a little bump,” Simon, I think it was, cautioned, before someone else quipped back, “Have you got your water wings?”

If it falls to town centre managers in future to organise boat evacuations in case of disaster, watch out: Dennis declared that in the event of the boat being holed town centre managers were off first.

In fact, Anthony performed the move perfectly, one suspects possibly because one or two unwary users may have had to call on him to get them turned round in the past – the sluice gates at that end of the river form a dead end.

However, head in the other direction, towards Crowland, and the river opens up beautifully, with plenty of space for manoeuvre.

Ordinarily, one would expect to see far more wildlife on that stretch of the water, but on our hour’s trip we were lucky enough to see a kingfisher darting below branches along the river’s edge in the middle of town. Earlier, before we boarded, Anthony and Simon saw a seal in the river.

There were jokes about anti-nausea travel bands and having to duck under High Bridge, but in reality the trip was a dream. The world was a peaceful place as we chatted, explored the boat and, glass in hand, watched the town slip slowly by.

Firefighters from three stations are currently at the scene of a kitchen blaze at a building in Bourne.

Crews from the town, as well as Spalding and Billingborough, were called to a property in North Street, Bourne, shortly before 5pm.

There is no news yet as to what caused the fire, nor whether there are any casualties.

Firefighters attended reports of a van on fire in Holbeach last night (Wednesday).

The incident was reported at around 7.19pm on Boston Road South in the town.

According to a fire service spokesman, a crew from Holbeach were called to the scene but the fire was out on arrival. the crew made the van safe.