A desperate plea for ‘forever homes’ has been made by the RSPCA branches serving our area as the number of pets needing rehousing hits crisis point.

Vets are reporting at least four cats a week needing homes - and some owners, embarrassed they can no longer look after their pets, are taking them to centres in boxes claiming they have been found.

According to the area’s RSPCA inspector Justin Stubbs the animals are the victims of the economic downturn.

He said: “This is by far our worst year. All of our homes are full to bursting. First there are cats, then small furries and dogs.

“For the hundreds in our centres needing a new home, there is the same number waiting to be rescued.

“It’s all part of the throw away society we live in. People are moving out of homes or being evicted and leaving pets behind.

“Others just can’t afford to look after them and have to give their pets up.”

Incidents of cruelty have also risen, with at one point 70 cats awaiting court proceedings at a special centre in Eye that normally only houses 40.

In August, a father-of-two who failed to look after two pets was banned from keeping animals for three years.

David Foreman, of Deeping St Nicholas, caused unnecessary suffering to his dog and cat.

Both animals were seized by the RSPCA on March 29 to be treated and rehomed.

Mr Stubbs said: “The emaciated dog was one of the worst cases I have ever seen.

“But cruelty doesn’t stop at starvation. People who can’t afford vets bills think they can cure their pet with baby oil or garlic.

“It’s all a massive problem. Once it was easy to find new homes. Now it takes a great amount of phone calls and a lot of begging.

“We would love to hear from anyone who could offer a loving forever home.

“Our work is also costly and doesn’t stop at rehoming pets. There’s a massive expenditure on prosecutions and amending laws to protect animals, so any fundraising help would be welcome too.”

The RSPCA invested a great deal of funding in handing out neutering vouchers. Mr Gibbs said: “You couldn’t even give them away. A lot of these were never used and so we still keep getting kittens by the box full.

“Then there are the websites like Gum Tree and Freecycle offering free pets to good homes. How can owners tell whether they are going to good homes where they will be cared for?

“After all the messages - and we are coming up to Christmas when there will be messages not to give pets people can’t afford to look after – things don’t get any better.

“More than heartbreaking – it is frustrating.”

To donate to the RSPCA’s urgent Animal Welfare Crisis Appeal text ‘Crisis’ to 70007 to give £5 (Text costs £5 + one standard network rate message), call the Emergency Appeal Line on 0300 123 8181 or go online and donate by visiting www.rspca.org.uk/
crisisappeal

The heart of Holbeach St Johns could be the point where the church, village hall and The Plough all meet.

It could just as easily be found though at R F Welding Ltd, where Karen and Robert Frost (also known as Jack or Frosty) run a family welding and fabrication business that celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

They are also involved in the community, Robert as chairman of the village hall committee and Karen on the committee for the Rainbow Club, which looks after older residents.

Their business is remarkably varied, mending and making anything in steel, aluminium and stainless steel.

Work might be providing security grills and railings, a growing business these days, repairing tractors or working on much bigger projects.

For instance, the company built a new firing range for Oundle Rifle and Pistol Club and, more recently, has done work for celebrity clients in a sub-contract role making bespoke furniture.

They also make staircases, gates and railings for builders in Lincoln and are currently manufacturing 26 spiral staircases for a block of flats in the city.

More locally, the firm is responsible for keeping what is known as Smith’s flour mills in Holbeach going because it looks after maintenance.

The company is 30 years old and some of its employees have been with Robert almost from the beginning. For instance welder/fabricator Darren Crofts received a racing bike as a gift this year as reward for his 25 years with the company. Next year, his colleague Jamie Murley will achieve the same milestone.

Robert said: “I do think it is very important to have good, trustworthy and loyal employees because it does reflect on the business. You need to know that any job is going to be manufactured to a high standard.”

Much of Robert’s spare time is spent on village hall affairs, and the committee is currently fundraising for a new ceiling with a weekly meat raffle at The Plough, with proceeds split between the church, the WI, Rainbow Club and the village hall.

Various fundraising events have been held through the year, such as a fete and vintage tractor run, and a Christmas bingo is planned – date to be announced.

The annual Christmas gift and craft fayre is being held at The Plough on Sunday, December 9 (10am to 4pm), with local crafts and homemade products being sold to raise money to support local facilities.

An Iraq War veteran who had hundreds of child porn images was on Thursday spared immediate jail because of his exemplary army record.

James Forrester was arrested in September last year after police officers acting on a tip-off raided his caravan home in Market Deeping.

Andrew Scott, prosecuting at Lincoln Crown Court, said 1,123 child porn images were found on a laptop computer, a memory stick and on two DVDs.

Mr Scott said: “Predominantly the images were of young girls aged between nine and 14. The age range spanned from the youngest aged two to as old as 16.

“The vast majority were on the memory stick. These had been placed into specific user-created folders.”

Forrester initially told police he had received unsolicited emails which he deleted when he discovered what they contained.

But later he admitted accepting offers to send images from people he contacted through chatrooms.

Forrester (53), of Deeping Caravan Park, Towngate East, Market Deeping, admitted six specimen charges of making indecent images of children and a further charge of possession of indecent images. He also admitted possession of 41 extreme pornography images.

Stuart Lody, defending, said Forrester had an exemplary army career and subsequently spent 17 years as a full-time Territorial Army soldier before switching to a civilian role within the service.

He said: “He served in Iraq. What he saw there had a very profound effect on him.

“He didn’t seek any counselling for the problems he was encountering but instead resorted to alcohol. At the time of these offences he was consuming five litres of vodka a week.

“When he was not working for the Territorial Army he was living a lonely alcoholic existence.”

Mr Lody said that Forrester went onto chat sites to relieve his boredom and was introduced via links to other sites which led to the offences.

Forrester was given an eight-month jail sentence suspended for two years with two years’ supervision. He was ordered to complete an Internet sex offenders’ rehabilitation programme and placed on the sex offenders’ register for ten years.

Judge Sean Morris told Forrester: “These are not victimless crimes. Somewhere there is a child being abused and physically hurt and mentally scarred.

“You have made a huge error in your life. The reason I am suspending the sentence is that you served your country for many years in the armed forces. You have seen active service and it is quite clear that your experiences in Iraq changed your life and maybe your character.

“People who serve in the armed forces put their lives on the line therefore when they are in difficulties, in my view, that should always be taken into account.”

They call themselves The Heavy Breathers Club and they meet every week at Holbeach St Johns Village Hall for some light exercise.

The group are more properly known as COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) patients, and they meet each Wednesday (between 11.30 and whenever they finish, but usually about 1.30pm).

The group does circuit training, carrying out different exercises such as lifting weights, sweeping a broom and lifting tubes over their heads.

They are exercises taught as rehabilitation by community support group Inspire in Long Sutton. After attendinga course of lessons to learn what they could do, The Heavy Breathers decided to keep up the group exercise by hiring a village hall, something they hadve done for five years.

The current Heavy Breathers come from all across the district, such as Sutton Bridge, Spalding and Whaplode, but would welcome any new members with breathing problems who have first undertaken a similar rehabilitation course.

They have seen the benefits for themselves as one member Denis Kane, says he could walk just 50 yards at one time and now he can manage half a mile.

To find out if the group is right for you, contact Pat on 01406 365880.

A lorry driver shocked by his wife walking out pestered her with texts and self-harmed with a knife outside her home, leaving blood on her door.

Stephen Starr (51), of Eaugate Road, Moulton Chapel, had a formal police warning about harassment but continued to pester his wife with visits and an “inordinate” number of texts.

Magistrates on Thursday imposed a year-long restraining order banning Starr from contacting his wife unless through a solicitor, going to her Green Lane address in Spalding or attending Peterborough City Hospital unless he has an appointment or emergency treatment there.

He must also pay a £400 fine, £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Solicitor Ruth Harrop, mitigating, said Starr phoned his wife at teatime on September 4 and she told him then she had moved out.

Miss Harrop said: “He thought they were happily married and this came as a huge shock.”

He accepted he had sent an inordinate number of texts, but he was asking his wife if she would like to go for a meal or talk.

A lot of the messages were to say “I love you, I miss you, I want you back”.

Miss Harrop said there was mention of a knife on October 9 but he was self-harming.

“There haven’t been any threats to harm her,” she said.

Edward Johnson, prosecuting, said the Starrs were married for five years and together for nine.

After they separated in September, Mrs Starr moved to Spalding and complained to police on October 1 about him harassing her.

There were numerous text messages and repeated uninvited visits to her home.

Police gave Starr a formal harassment warning on October 3, but Mr Johnson said: “That didn’t abate his conduct.”

On October 9 he visited again, mentioned a knife, and Mrs Starr found blood on her door. There was another visit on October 12 when he arrived with flowers, chocolates and a card but Mrs Starr dialled 999 when he returned and banged on the door.

Young businesses in the Spalding area are taking the first steps to getting a powerful boost by entering the Local Business Accelerators (LBA) campaign.

Spalding Guardian Local Business Accelerators rewards promising young businesses with free local newspaper advertising and mentoring – and there’s still time to enter before the deadline of Friday, November 16.

Local press advertising is a proven force to drive growth for small businesses. Sixty per cent of owners agree that advertising in their local newspaper is the best way to attract customers in their area – and the same can be said for mentoring.

Ninety per cent of businesses that secured help from a mentor reported seeing the benefit, with three quarters citing an improvement in their ability to develop business plans and strategy.

Mentoring is a key part of the Government and private sector’s Business in You campaign which is supporting LBA for the first time. Business in You highlights the range of support and advice available to businesses to help them start up, improve and grow.

And a key partner of the Business in You campaign is mentorsme.co.uk – Britain’s first online mentoring gateway, owned and operated by the British Banker’s Association – which provides a single point of access for businesses seeking mentoring and those seeking to become mentors.

The gateway currently provides access to over 110 organisations and, through them, to around 22,000 mentors – a number that continues to grow.

Local Business Accelerators national ambassador Deborah Meaden, of TV’s Dragons’ Den, will provide a year’s mentoring to the national winner, chosen from the regional finalists. It will also receive a local advertising campaign devised by a top London creative agency, plus a £10,000 cash sum from the Business Growth Fund.

The south Lincolnshire-based business mentors are Spalding Guardian and Lincolnshire Free Press editor Jeremy Ransome, Deborah Brown from Roythornes solicitors, Keith Forrest from NatWest bank and Alistair Main from Duncan and Toplis chartered accountants. They will form a judging panel to shortlist entries before awarding one local company with the prize.

To enter the competition, which is also being backed by Governor of the Bank of England Mervyn King, visit www.accelerateme. co.uk

A pensioner who grabbed his wife’s throat and threatened to send her to her dead son has been ordered to attend a domestic abuse programme.

First Gulf War veteran Peter Oldham (68) attacked his wife of 42 years at their Rippingale home when she confronted him because their dog’s towel was wet.

Oldham, living temporarily in Tallington Lakes, pleaded guilty to assaulting Maureen Oldham at Linnet Drive on September 24 when he appeared before Spalding magistrates on October 11.

At Thursday’s resumed hearing, he was given a two-year supervision order with a requirement to complete a domestic abuse programme. He must also pay £85 costs.

Prosecutor Edward Johnson said at the time the Oldhams were considering separating but were still living together.

Oldham was in his study when his wife asked him about the wet towel.

Mrs Oldham described how he jumped up, grabbed her by the throat and pushed her into the hallway.

Mr Johnson said: “She describes a firm grip on her throat, which hurt.”

He threatened to send her to her son, who had died, and pushed her into a chair.

In a statement to a domestic abuse officer, Oldham said he was sorry and didn’t mean to hurt his wife – “he just wanted to stop her moaning”.

Mrs Oldham had a lump to her head, ringing in the ears and a bruised and swollen wrist.

She made a second statement to police saying her first statement was true but she no longer supported her husband being prosecuted.

Mr Johnson said she hoped to rekindle the relationship and he had been instructed not to seek a restraining order.

Rachel Stevens, mitigating, said: “He expressed remorse from the off. He says this is the first time he has ever raised his hand to his wife.”

Refuges used by South Holland women hurt in violence in the home are under threat as cases hit an all-time high.

Boston Women’s Aid – which runs services in Spalding and Holbeach – has two safe houses catering for eight women and their children, but these face the axe at the end of March unless cash can be found to run them.

The news comes as the number of serious or life-threatening domestic violence cases in Lincolnshire hit a huge spike, leaping in 12 months by 81 per cent from 403 to 730 for the year ending in March.

Lincolnshire Police has had 5,000 complaints of domestic abuse in six months and council leaders say the recession is partly to blame.

Sutton Bridge county councillor Chris Brewis describes the massive number of cases as “a tsunami” and says people are being pushed over the edge because money is so tight and tempers are frayed.

Speaking at the county’s communities scrutiny committee, Coun Brewis said: “People are struggling to get food on the table and that means the fuse is a lot shorter.”

Lynn Mitchell, manager of Boston Women’s Aid, says the picture will worsen when the benefits system changes in April and money is tighter still.

Boston Women’s Aid has lost a county council contract to run its two refuges and it has gone instead to a housing association which can take only three families. The group is trying to source alternative funds – and has applied to the Lottery.

An angry Crowland resident is warning that a road accident outside his home this week is proof that motorists are ignoring a 30mph speed limit currently in place.

Barry Jackson (44), of Thorney Road, said an accident there on Monday which left a woman needing hospital treatment after she was struck by a car was evidence that speed calming measures were needed.

Mr Jackson claimed motorists were regularly breaking the speed limit on the road and that he had spent the last 10 years fighting for speed humps to be put in place.

He said: “It’s been a nightmare living down here and I’ve banned my seven-year-old son from cycling on the road because drivers are regularly speeding.

“There’s supposed to be a 30mph speed limit, but cars are doing 50 or 60 mph and the residents are disgusted with it.”

Mr Jackson said he hoped the accident would make police and county highways officials take his and other residents’ complaints more seriously before someone is killed.

He added: “Anyone you speak to down here will say the speeding on Thorney Road is a joke and I hope the accident will make Lincolnshire County Council and the police do something about it.”

Police are asking for information about the accident which happened at about 9.40pm on Monday when a 47-year-old woman was struck on the elbow by a silver car which then drove off.

She was treated in hospital for minor injuries and has now been discharged.

A police spokeswoman said: “The driver of the car may not know the collision occurred and anyone who was driving in the area on Monday night should call the police on 101, quoting incident number 468 of November 5.

A Spalding driver has pleaded not guilty to failing to provide a specimen of breath to police.

Krzysztof Ruszkowski (57), of Hawthorn Bank, will stand trial at Spalding Magistrates’ Court on January 17.

He was granted unconditional bail by magistrates on Thursday.

A man appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to an assault charge.

Matthew Evans (31), of Cygnet Court, Spalding, is accused of assaulting Andrew Evans and will stand trial on January 8.

He was granted bail by Spalding magistrates.

A 20-year-old man is being treated in hospital for leg injuries after his motor bike collided with a car in Long Sutton last night.

The man from Sutton Bridge was riding a Honda motor bike when it collided with a Ford Fiesta in Market Street just after 8.50pm.

Police confirmed the man was taken to hospital in King’s Lynn but his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening and anyone who saw the accident should call 101, quoting incident number 505 of November 8.

A woman appeared in court accused of four counts of making off with out paying for fuel, including amounts worth £97.22 and £99.86 from Market Deeping’s Rainbow Petrol Station.

Charlotte Smith (37), of Edgerley Drive, Peterborough, will appear again at Spalding’s court on November 27.

Three people were taken to hospital with neck and back injuries after the car they were in hit a trailer and caught fire in Gedney Drove End.

Fire and ambulance crews attended the accident which happened in Main Road just after 5.15pm last Friday when a silver Peugoet 206 collided with the trailer being towed by a green John Deere tractor.

A 19-year-old woman driving the car along with two passengers, a boy and girl both aged 15, were given oxygen and then taken to hospital in King’s Lynn but their injuries weren’t life-threatening.

Anyone who saw what happened should call police on 101, quoting incident number 387 of November 2.

A man in court on a public order offence told Spalding magistrates he was arrested for using two swear words while the shop that refused to sell him alcohol was selling illegal cigarettes.

Spalding magistrates heard Craig Walling (30), of Edinburgh Drive, Spalding, was arrested in Sheep Market on October 23.

Walling told the court he used two swear words but was swearing in front of police rather than at them.

He said: “I accept, yes, I was at fault.”

Walling, who pleaded guilty, was fined £45 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge at Thursday’s hearing.

A man of 51 denied resisting a Spalding police officer, PC Robert Exler, when he appeared at Spalding Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

John Pullen, of Porthouse Drive, Pinchbeck, is accused of resisting PC Exler on October 14 at Pinchbeck.

Magistrates on Thursday adjourned the hearing for a trial on January 10. Pullen had his bail extended.

Three people appeared at Spalding Magistrates’ Court on Thursday accused of going equipped for theft by having a foil lined bag in their possession in Spalding on October 23.

Constanta Barcila (30), Marius Mandache (28) and Robert Mandache (32), all of Camp Lane, Handsworth, Birmingham, had their cases adjourned to November 29. No pleas were entered.

A woman had to be given oxygen by fire crews after her house caught fire in Langtoft this morning.

The woman was making candles in the kitchen of her semi-detached house in the village when paraffin wax in a pan was left unattended and went up in flames.

Crews from Bourne and Market Deeping were called out at about 10.53am and used breathing apparatus to put out the fire with a pan lid, but severe smoke damage was caused to the kitchen.

Former Spalding Flower Queens are invited to take part in the Flower Parade’s final fling next year.

Susan Richmond, from organisers Kenyon Communications, said the company would love as many former Flower Queens as possible to join the celebrations by taking part in the 55th and final parade.

The aim is for the May 4 parade to go out with a bang and the theme, “Let’s Celebrate”, is opening the way for a breathtaking procession of mobile floral sculptures.

Four unique float designs are already in production and these are Stars n Stripes, Popping A Cork, Up Up and Away and A New Arrival.

Floats in the procession will be decorated with more than a million hand-pinned tulip heads.

Also taking part are street entertainers, marching bands, local music performers and local community entries.

As always, the parade will begin its three mile journey through Spalding’s crowd-lined streets from the Springfields Events Centre in Camel Gate.

As 2013 is the parade’s swan song, talks have been going on to see what kind of event will take its place.

Eddy Poll, county council executive member for economic development, said: “Several ideas for how the festival could evolve were put forward.

“We’ll be looking at whether any of these have any mileage in them over the coming months.

“In the meantime, we will be working to make sure next year’s event is the spectacular finale the current parade deserves.”

There’s talk of Spalding’s Flower Parade being replaced by a food and flower festival.

At a meeting of Spalding and District Area Chamber of Commerce, Chamber vice-president and tourism officer David Norton suggested static floral floats could be placed around the town when the food festival is held. Mr Norton organised the parade for many years.

New organiser Caroline Kenyon, of Kenyon Communications, warned it would be “foolish” to allow the parade’s pulling power to die with it.

• For more on the flower parade visit www.spalding-flower-parade.org.uk – follow @flowerparade on Twitter or SpaldingFlowerParade on Facebook.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is calling for schools to increase their engagement with small businesses, as new research shows only nine per cent of small firms have taken on an apprentice in the last 12 months.

Wash branch chairman Kevin Mothers said: “There has been so much change to the apprenticeship system over the last 30 years that small firms really don’t know how to access an apprenticeship or what they’ll get at the end of it.”

“By encouraging business engagement earlier in the schools system through careers guidance, work experience and mentoring, not only would it improve people’s opinion, but it would also mean that youngsters can make an informed choice about their career.”

Around two thirds of small firms have never had any contact with local schools or colleges. Many businesses are unsure about how to get in touch and don’t have the time to ‘cold call’ so it should be up to the school to reach out to small businesses in the local area and build sustainable partnerships with small businesses to provide this valuable knowledge.