Almost a quarter of all babies born in South Holland last year were to foreign mums.

They are part of a baby boom in the district which has seen the number of births rise by 30 per cent in ten years.

The new figures, which put the total of babies born to foreign mums at 24.5 per cent, show a sharp rise from just 5.1 per cent in 2001.

The vast majority of those mums were nationals of one of 12 countries which have joined the EU since 2004, including Poland, Latvia and Lithuania.

Since then there has been an influx of Eastern Europeans who have made South Holland their home as a result of the ready availability of seasonal agricultural work and other jobs.

But the figure is much lower than many of the guesses the Spalding Guardian received in a straw poll on our Facebook page, with many readers believing the figure to be above 50 per cent.

South Holland District Council leader Gary Porter said it demonstrated the distorted view many people in the district have of the migrant population.

He said: “It is possible that some people get a disproportionate idea of how many Eastern Europeans we have in South Holland as when you are in the shops and there are people speaking a foreign language you can begin to feel you are in a minority.

“A quarter of babies being born to foreign mums is a high number but it is not a surprise as the majority of the Eastern Europeans who have come here have come to make a better life for themselves by finding work and many of them are of an age to be starting families.”

The increase in “foreign” babies born in South Holland has contributed to an overall growth in the number of births, which totalled 921 in 2001 – up from 681 ten years ago.

Coun Gary Porter says that growth continues to put pressure on local services, such as GPs and schools, but said he hopes, in the long run, it will help as babies born here will be recorded in official statistics.

He said: “Migrants coming into the area can take ten years to be recorded in national statistics and that means Government funding does not accurately reflect our population, but babies born here will be included immediately.”

He says there are other benefits, including young children passing English learning on to parents, helping the whole family integrate into society, and the positive attitude of foreign students rubbing off on their peers and pushing up attainment for all in South Holland’s schools.

But ensuring foreign children are able to integrate and learn the language does comes at a cost – with Lincolnshire County Council pumping thousands of pounds into children’s centres and pre-schools. In 2011/2012, schools in the county received £750,000 to support pupils with English as an additional language.

Debbie Barnes, director of children’s services, said: “We encourage all children to access early education through pre-school provision which significantly helps with their language development.

“Many schools which have a high proportion of children with English as an additional language now have bi-lingual teachers and assistants to support them when they first get to school.”

Two cars were involved in a crash in Spalding on Friday morning.

It happened on Park Road just before 8.20am when a white Vauxhall Corsa collided with a grey Citroen Saxo, with both cars sustaining some damage.

Lincolnshire Police confirmed there were no traffic problems caused by the incident and no injuries.

A man of 80 accused of causing the death of Kenneth Usher by driving without due care and attention has been committed for trial at Lincoln Crown Court.

Walter Coupland, of Winsover Road, Spalding, is accused of causing Mr Usher’s death at Parson’s Lane, Whaplode Drove, on February 3 this year.

He has entered no plea and will appear at Lincoln Crown Court on December 13.

Spalding magistrates on Thursday granted unconditional bail.

A man has pleaded not guilty to driving with 155 microgrammes of alcohol in breath – more than four times the legal limit.

Paul Garfoot (46), of Elsthorpe Lane, Grimsthorpe, will stand trial at Spalding Magistrates’ Court on January 10.

He was granted bail by Spalding magistrates on Thursday.

Police didn’t believe a Cowbit man that his driving ban had been rescinded and impounded his car, leaving him with a £300 bill to release it.

Dean Webb (20), of Drain Bank, appeared in court on Thursday when the prosecution withdrew a charge of driving while disqualified.

Solicitor Mike Alexander, for Webb, said the information had reached the DVLA but not the police national computer (PNC) and police didn’t investigate it properly.

He was granted a defendant’s cost order to help Webb recover his car.

Presiding magistrate Sally Ruttley said it was “a pity that it actually came to court”.

A man accused of assaulting a teenager in Winsover Road, Spalding, will have his case heard at Lincoln Crown Court.

Ben Mosedale (20), of Royce Road, Spalding, appeared at Spalding Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

No plea was entered. He was granted bail.

A burglar who callously ransacked a 90-year-old’s home – stripping her husband’s campaign medals and other historic memorabilia – had his sentence slashed by top judges on Tuesday.

Nigel Victor Duncan (51), of Albert Street, Holbeach, was jailed for seven years at Peterborough Crown Court in April after he admitted burgling Gwendoline Hillman.

Mrs Hillman, also of Holbeach, was in hospital when Duncan and an accomplice raided her home, London’s Appeal Court was told.

Mr Justice Langstaff, sitting with Lord Justice Toulson and Judge Anthony Morris QC, said it was “about as bad a case of ransacking as the courts have seen”.

“It is plain that the property had been trashed,” he said.

Duncan stole jewellery and electrical equipment, but the most damaging loss to Mrs Hillman was items of high sentimental value, included her husband’s Burma Star medal from wartime service, which he vowed he would be buried with.

The raiders also took an autograph book containing the signatures of luminaries such as playwright, George Bernard Shaw and Edward VIII.

Mr Justice Langstaff said Mrs Hillman’s life had been “blighted”, and she has taken up residence in the same nursing home as her husband.

However, he noted that the crown court judge had sentenced Duncan on the basis that he was a career criminal, imposing a “professional sentence for a professional criminal”.

But Duncan’s last house burglary was nearly 25 years ago, said Mr Justice Langstaff.

He said: “We consider the sentence was manifestly excessive and we substitute five and a half years.”

More people than ever are expected to turn out for Spalding’s Remembrance Sunday Service which this year falls on Armistice Day, November 11.

The Rev John Bennett, Vicar of St Mary and St Nicolas, said numbers have been growing due to modern day conflicts and, for some, the grief is both recent and raw.

He says everyone knows someone who has been involved in conflicts in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Mr Bennett said: “Every week the list of those seriously injured or killed grows and Remembrance Sunday gives us all a chance to stand in solidarity not only with the veterans of the world wars and their families, but those whose sadness and grief is recent and raw.”

The service starts just before 11am in Ayscoughfee Gardens.

Members of the public will be able to lay their own poppy crosses.

Wreaths will be laid by MP John Hayes, South Holland District Council chairman Coun Mick Seymour and ex-service organisations including The Royal British Legion.

Free Press and Spalding Guardian readers who filled in our forms to switch to cheaper gas and electricity will have to sign up again if they want to take advantage of a new deal offered by South Holland District Council.

Council leader Gary Porter, who is leading “The Great South Holland Energy Switch”, had hoped to save everyone the bother of signing up twice to register their interest.

But he’s now had legal advice saying people must register again as the offer has changed to a new provider, iChoosr, through two groups of councils led by Oldham and Peterborough.

One consortium expects customers to save between £60 and £200 a year.

If you want to be able to bag the first bargain price offered, you need to be signed up by November 25 because the ‘energy auction’ delivering lower gas and electricity prices is held the next day.

Sign up is easy. Have a copy of your recent energy bill to hand and visit www.sholland.gov.uk and click on the top story, The Great South Holland Energy Switch, or visit http://southholland.ichoosr.com

Coun Porter said: “I am one of the thickest people in the world with IT and I managed to sign up this morning.”

There are other ways to register an interest if you don’t have a computer:

• Contact your ward councillor (have your current energy bills handy)

• Visit the district council offices in Priory Road, Spalding (taking in your current energy bills)

At this stage people are only registering an interest. Once the offer price is known you can then opt in or out.

Next year Coun Porter hopes to widen the offer so South Holland’s small businesses can cut their costs too.

With interest-rates being held at historical lows, savers, particularly those who rely on their interest to pay bills, have been hit hard.

With the spiralling costs of food, fuel and utilities, this coming winter has some people worrying.
Most people are now used to looking at tax efficient homes for their money, such as Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), in an attempt to keep all their interest and not let HMRC have a portion. However, many people are unaware that the cash ISA element they regularly use only represents up to half of their annual ISA allowance.
In this tax year, the cash ISA allowance is £5,640 per person, but our total ISA allowance is £11,280 per person. The lesser known element relates to ‘investment’ or ‘stock and shares’ ISAs. They allow investors access to a huge range of risk-appropriate funds, either for income or capital growth and they provide a tax-efficient wrapper around any gains.
For those with existing ISAs there’s nothing stopping you switching provider for both your cash or investment ISAs. In fact, to make sure you continually get a top rate this will be essential, particularly for your cash ISAs.
Another trap some people fall into is they assume they have to have a lump sum to invest. Most providers now allow monthly contributions into these plans, so your tax-efficient oak trees can start from fairly modest monthly acorns.
We are already over half way through this tax year and the taxman would like nothing more than to keep nibbling away at your hard earned interest, so take stock of the opportunities we have.
Finally, it must be remembered that there are risks involved with certain ISA investments and your capital is not guaranteed in the same way as a cash ISA would be. 
Your investment amount could fall as well as rise and you may not get back as much as you invested. So take advice as to what funds are appropriate for your situation, aspirations and attitude to risk.

A shopper slapped with a hefty £80 fine for accepting a stranger’s car park ticket is to appeal.

Lynda Double fell foul of the rules at a car park at Beales department store in Peterborough after taking up the offer of another shopper’s ticket which was still valid for a further hour and a half.

But within six minutes of leaving the car park to do her shopping a car park attendant had issued the fine, leaving Lynda fuming and fearful that such a “jobsworth” attitude could end up spoiling another hapless victim’s Christmas.

She said: “I have decided to take a stand against this because everyone I have spoken to has said it is wrong.

“That parking attendant obviously saw us accept this other driver’s ticket but instead of coming over and telling us we would be fined for doing it, he waited until we walked away before issuing a ticket.

“It makes me wonder if the parking attendant is paid a commission for every ticket he issues. It was just a nasty, sneaky thing to do, so I am writing to the company which runs the car park to say I want to appeal against the fine.”

Lynda, of Surfleet, intends to appeal on the basis that she was not the one to break the car park company Napier Parking Ltd’s rule that states tickets are “non transferable”, as she did not transfer a ticket to anyone else.

She had been told that early payment of the fine would see it decrease to £50, but is willing to run the risk of having to pay the higher cost – or even face the prospect of being taken to court - to make a point.

She said: “Initially, I was very angry but was unsure I wanted to make a big fuss about it. But the more I have thought about it and the more people I have spoken to about it, the more I think it is important to take a stand and bring this to other people’s attention so the same thing doesn’t happen to them and ruin their Christmas.”

A lorry was severely damaged by fire in Mill Drove North, Cowbit, just after 7.15pm on Saturday night.

One fire crew from Spalding spent about 50 minutes dealing with a Ford Transit transporter which caught fire after an electrical short circuit in the engine.

The lorry was completely burnt out but no one was injured.

A woman hit her cheating husband twice on the head with a hammer after his mistress came to the house in the early hours of the morning.

David Abbott was asleep at the couple’s Whaplode St Catherine home and woke up to find his wife and mistress at the foot of the bed.

He dressed and went downstairs, words were said and Lorna Abbott armed herself with a hammer.

Spalding Magistrates’ Court heard on Thursday that she raised the hammer above her shoulder and struck her husband twice on the head.

Edward Johnson, prosecuting, said: “Between the two blows, she apparently was screaming words to the effect of ‘Get out, you *******, get out’.

“The injuries are not as severe as one might have anticipated. The injuries were repaired merely by gluing.”

Lorna Abbott (57), of Cranesgate South, admitted assaulting David Abbott by beating on October 13.

Solicitor Mike Alexander said a police officer recorded a comment from Lorna Abbott as: “I was aiming at his girlfriend, he got in the way.”

But Mr Alexander said she couldn’t remember saying that.

His client found out on their 39th wedding anniversary that her husband was having an affair.

Mr Alexander said Mr Abbott moved out, stayed with the other lady for a week and then moved home again.

On the night of the assault, the Abbotts celebrated together because Mr Abbott had got a new job.

Later the two women had an “amicable” phone conversation for about an hour.

“At this stage they are having a chat about the family and the situation,” Mr Alexander said. “This lady, for some reason, then decides to go to Lorna Abbott’s home to see whether the husband is okay.”

He said Lorna Abbott went upstairs to wake her husband, but the other woman followed.

“Lorna Abbott’s view, whether it’s right or wrong, is that this other woman is coming into her house to take her husband away after they have had a celebration.”

Mr Alexander said the husband has now moved in with the other woman.

The court heard Mr Abbott was at the back of the court to support his wife, but did not support the prosecution.

Sentence was adjourned to November 22 for a probation report.

Police are looking for information about the drivers of two vehicles which clashed on the A17 in Long Sutton.

A blue Renault van and a blue Ford Focus ran into each other a number of times before the van left the road and ended up in a dyke.

It happened at about 4.50pm last Friday and the road was closed for a time as the vehicles were recovered, but neither driver was hurt.

Anyone with information should call PC Darren Enderby at Holbeach Police Station on 101, quoting incident number 369 of November 2.

Police are trying to trace a TV, silverware and a collection of porcelain bulldog ornaments stolen from a house in Long Sutton.

The ornaments, a Samsung TV and items of coins, spoons, charms and other silverware, all having a bulldog feature, were taken during a burglary at a house in Taverners Mews some time between 7pm and 11pm on October 20.

Anyone with information about the burglary or who has seen such items up for sale should call DC Steve Nesbit on 101, quoting 539 of October 20.

Motorists coming into Spalding are facing major delays after a lorry jack-knifed on the A16 bypass near the town this morning.

The road is currently closed both ways between the A1175 and its junction with the B1165 Low Road after the articulated lorry broke down and became stuck in a verge just after 8am.

Both carriageways are blocked and police confirmed the road will be closed for a while while the lorry is being recovered.

Fire crews are trying to put out a major blaze at a house in Church Lane, Kirton, this morning.

The fire was reported at about 8.15am and five appliances, including one each from Donington and Holbeach, are currently at the scene.

Police are asking for help to trace a car that hit a woman and then drove off in Crowland last night.

The accident happened in Snowden Close at about 9.40pm when a 47-year-old woman was struck on the elbow by a silver car which didn’t stop.

The woman was treated in hospital but was not seriously injured and police believe the driver may be unaware that the accident took place.

Anyone with information should call PC Ingmar Collinson on 101, quoting incident number 468 of November 5.

A town centre manager, street pastors and a permanent craft market are some of the ideas on the table to bring more shoppers into Spalding town centre.

And there could be a £100,000 pot to pay for the ideas that get the backing of town centre businesses.

Members of Spalding and District Area Chamber of Commerce will discuss how they think Section 106 money, which has been given to South Holland District Council by major developers to be used to benefit the town, should be spent after being challenged to come up with ideas.

And they are being asked to come up with more ideas of their own for discussion at a meeting tonight.

President Phil Scarlett said: “The council has laid down the challenge to us to come up with ideas how the s106 money can be used to bring the most benefit to the town.

“We have already looked at the possibility of a town centre manager, but we could also consider street pastors, who engage with young people and help them stay safe while out enjoying the night-time economy.

“I also like the idea of a permanent craft market, probably starting with a dozen or so stalls open five days a week alongside the existing market.

“They could have lockable wooden stalls and we could possibly build up to about 50 or 60 of them over a couple of years, selling quality crafts like glassware, pottery and jewellery.”

Other ideas include better directional signage in the town centre or subsidised car parking.

Mr Scarlett said: “We can only spend the money once so we need to look at what will give us the best value for money.”

He said all businesspeople are welcome at tonight’s meeting at 5.45pm at the Broad Street Business Centre to find out more about what the Chamber is all about.

A man accused of assaulting a woman police officer in Spalding has had his case adjourned.

Robert Davies (37), of Main Street, Saltby, Melton Mowbray, is due to appear at Spalding Magistrates’ Court on December 13.

No plea has been entered to the charge which arises from an incident on October 14.