The following decisions have been made by magistrates at court hearings. In all drink-drive cases the legal limit is 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood or 107 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine. Addresses of defendants published here are taken from the legal records held by the magistrates’ courts. V/S means victim surcharge.

Boston Magistrates’ Court

December 5

Jonathan Fox (51), of Stonegate, Spalding. Assaulted a police officer (Spalding). £500 fine, £150 compensation, £50 v/s, £620 costs.

December 6

Darren Goodwin (48), of The Chase, Pinchbeck. Drink driving (Gosberton). £120 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 36 months.

December 7

Lee Froude (40), of West Drove North, Gedney Hill. Dishonestly received stolen goods (Gedney Hill). 12 months conditional discharge, £20 v/s, £85 costs.

Jennifer Proctor (47), of Abel Close, Deeping St James. Drink driving (Market Deeping). £120 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 17 months.

Harry Gurton (32), of Parthian Avenue, Wyberton. Assault (Boston). Community order with 160 unpaid work, £500 compensation, £85 v/s, £85 costs.

Darren Matthews (44), of Sheppersons Avenue, Gosberton Risegate. Dishonestly undertook or assisted in the retention, removal, disposal or realisation of stolen goods (Gosberton Risegate). £80 fine, £30 v/s.

Ivan Lialko (39), of Johnson Avenue, Spalding. Drink driving (Spalding). £270 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 22 months.

Curtis Prendergast (32), of Westbourne Drive, Glinton. Carried in a public place an offensive weapon, namely a police-style extendable baton (Market Deeping). 12 weeks prison sentence concurrent suspended for 12 months with 80 hours unpaid work. Assault. 12 weeks prison sentence suspended for 12 months with 80 hours unpaid work, £100 compensation, £115 v/s, £85 costs. No separate penalty for criminal damage.

December 12

Miroslav Genfiorskyj (50), of Coalbeach Lane South, Surfleet. Assault (Surfleet). 2 years conditional discharge, £20 v/s. No action taken on breach of conditional discharge order.

December 13

Simon Lemon (45), of Skelton Road, Diss. Drove without due care and attention (Long Sutton). £220 fine, £22 v/s, £200 costs, 4pts.

Mitchell Jermyn (19), of Station Street, Donington. No insurance (Sutterton). £440 fine, £44 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts. No separate penalty for driving otherwise than accordance with a licence.

Pawel Wegrzynski (30), of Sir Isaac Newton Drive, Boston. Speeding (Surfleet). £220 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 7 days.

Lincoln Magistrates’ Court

December 6

Jake Boyton (26), of Cranesgate North, Whaplode St Catherine. Failed to give driver ID (Lincoln). £660 fine, £66 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Richard Christison (26), of The Crescent, Woodlands, Doncaster. Speeding (Swineshead Bridge). £220 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Karol Cichawa (36), of High Street, Swineshead. Speeding (Kirton). £217 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Gary Frankcom (55), of East of England Way, Orton Northgate, Peterborough. Speeding (Cowbit). £66 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Michael Galloway (27), of Harrington Street, Bourne. Defective tyre (Bourne). £120 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts. No separate penalty for defective tyre.

Liam Hills (18), of Monarch Avenue, Fletton. No insurance (Market Deeping). £660 fine, £66 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts. No separate penalty for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

Esperanza Gonzalez (49), of Pinchbeck Road, Spalding. Speeding (Cowbit). £220 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Nicola Mansellas-Cooper (48), of Clarkson Avenue, Cowbit. Speeding (Cowbit). £220 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Lee Marshall (31), of Elizabeth Avenue, Tattershall Bridge. No insurance (Kirton). £325 fine, £32 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts. No separate penalty for speeding.

Julie Keen (29), of Springway Crescent, Grimsby. Speeding (Cowbit). £61 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Steven Kelk (31), of Queen Street, Sutton Bridge. Failed to give driver ID (Lincoln). £180 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Mark Le Quesne (21), of Crosslands, Donington. Speeding (Kirton). £292 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

December 7

Ben Lloyd (34), of Freemans Way, Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire. Speeding (Swineshead Bridge). £173 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Adam Bewick (25), of Whitwell, Paston. Dangerous driving (Sutterton). 20 weeks prison sentence, £115 v/s, disqualified from driving for 2 years. No separate penalty for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, no insurance possession of cannabis and possession of cocaine. Drugs to be forfeited and destroyed.

December 8

Scott Barlow (27), of First Avenue, Spalding. Speeding (Spalding). £440 fine, £44 v/s, £85 costs, 4pts.

Alex Barrett (30), of Rogers Drive, Saltash, Cornwall. Speeding (Cowbit). £220 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Thomas Bell (49), of Market Place, Middlesbrough. Speeding (Little Sutton). £220 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Richard Bradley (46), of Spalding Road, Crowland. Speeding (Swineshead Bridge). £220 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Andrew Briggs (31), of Rynet Court, Marsh House Lane, Warrington. Speeding (Long Sutton). £220 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Danas Burdulis (36), of New Road, Gaywood, King’s Lynn. Speeding (Little Sutton). £220 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Haulato Djalo (35), of Ulverston Close, Paston. Speeding (Baston). £220 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Dustinas Dumbliauskas (23), of Water Street, Springwood, Huddersfield. Speeding (Little Sutton). £200 fine, £30 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Before the local councils

South Holland District Council

South Holland Methodist Circuit, Gosberton Methodist Church, Risegate Road, Gosberton Risegate. Conversion of redundant church into residential dwelling.

Holbeach and Elloe Hospital Trust, Boston Road North, Holbeach. Annexe to hospital to prove care home for elderly and individuals with physical difficulties.

M Davison, 137 Broadgate, Whaplode Drove. Two detached bungalows.

M Dunnett, 19 Upper Welland Terrace, London road, Spalding. Part demolition, extension and conversion of garage and storage buildings.

Mr and Mrs Smith, Bleak House Farm, Dawsmere Road, Gedney Drove End. Convert first floor of barn to self contained annexe.

Moulton Chapel Youth and Community Committee, land Woodgate Road, Moulton. Details of management plan.

Gosberton Parish Council, playing field, High Street, Gosberton. Works to TPO.

Mr and Mrs Hart, Milestone Lane, Pinchbeck. Residential development.

E Lee, area of land encompassing The Beeches, Horseshoe Road, Spalding. Discharge of 106 agreement.

Mr and Mrs Shortland, 45 Delgate Bank, Weston Hills. Extension.

Ashley King Developments, Backgate, Cowbit. Modification of condition to allow amendments to approval.

P Twell, 258 Siltside, Gosberton Risegate. Large scale details.

T Carey, 11 Clough Road, Holbeach Clough. Extension.

S Pacey, 24 Crown Avenue, Holbeach St Marks. Extension and convert garage into kitchen.

Datum One, 4 Park Road, Holbeach. Details of large scale drawings.

D and R Property Services, rear 100 London Road, Long Sutton. Pair semi-detached and terrace of three dwellings.

Mr and Mrs Wallis, 4 Daniels Crescent, Long Sutton. Demolish extension and build new extension.

Mr and Mrs Brightey, 89 Roman Road, Moulton Chapel. Conservatory.

Mr and Mrs Cook, 149 Bourne Road, Spalding. Extension and alterations.

Savills, Estate Office, Bridge Farm, New Road, Sutton Bridge. Conversion of barns into three dwellings.

H Brown, site adj 30 Austendyke Road, Weston Hills. Four detached houses.

Mr and Mrs Stamp, adj 25 Small Drove, Weston. House and garage.

B Allens, land off Whale Drove, Whaplode Drove. Rabbit breeding unit.

Market Deeping Building Co, White Cottage, Cranesgate North, Whaplode St Catherine. Replacement dwelling.

Ashley King Developments, Backgate, Cowbit. Condition details submitted.

Vine House Farm Bird Foods, Vine House Farm, Main Road, Deeping St Nicholas. New farm shop, tea room, car parking and access.

HSBC, 8 Market Place, Spalding. Signage.

Ashley King Developments, land between Barrier Bank and B1179, Spalding. Change of use from D1 to B1.

Belmont UK, adj 204 High Road, Weston. Two dwellings.

An animal lover is horrified after learning of an online petition against his plans to build a pet breeding unit near Crowland.

Glen Bruce, who currently runs a pet breeding business with his brother in the Crowland area, has spent three years putting together plans for a new ‘state of the art’ unit for the animals on land off Whale Drove.

However, after plans for the unit recently went public and were wrongly described as a rabbit breeding unit, protesters have set up the online petition fearing the unit would be used to supply rabbits for medical research.

Mr Bruce says that is not the case and is appalled that anyone could think this.

The petition currently has more than 2,000 ‘supporters’. He said: “I’m shocked to be honest with you. My head is spinning over this.

“It is a pet breeding facility to provide animals as pets.

“We are animal lovers and I am appalled that someone would make this assumption that it is something to do with the vivisection trade.

“It is nothing to do with that and we would never entertain something like that. It is not something that people who have a love for animals would do.

“To be described as a rabbit breeding unit is not correct. We are breeding pets, and that includes guinea pigs, hamsters and rabbits, as well as a wormery. The idea behind this plan is about the welfare of the animals.

“We want to give the animals the best possible environment. It will be unique. When you go to buy animals from garden centres and other pet shops you see the animals in cages and they have often been moved from place to place before they are collected by the buyer.

“That puts stress on the animals and we wanted to remove that stress by creating a custom environment for them.

“Our idea is that people would be able to see the animals on a webcam (via the pet shop) before they buy them and then be able to pick them up from us.

“It is our intention to look after the animals by creating a comfortable environment.”

He also explained that it would be a ‘green’ facility and eco friendly.

The current plans put in for the unit have been revised after initial plans were turned down by South Holland District Council in 2015.

The council said it had no objection to the business but could not allow the additional isolated dwelling in the countryside, due to landscaping policies.

The new plans have been submitted without the dwelling.

Firefighters are currently at the scene of a blaze in the Market Place, Long Sutton.

Crews from Holbeach and Long Sutton were called out at 4.50pm to a blaze at a derelict property.

• More when we get it.

Have any of your readers had problems with the car park at Sainsbury’s in Holland Market?

My daughter received a penalty notice for £70 accusing her of parking between 10.15am and 4.55pm when only two hours are allowed.

She had initially parked in the morning and returned some four hours later to then finally exit at 4.55pm, as stated on the parking charge.

The system has not registered her leaving and re-entering the car park during the day.

Our only hope is my daughter’s dash-cam footage of her other travels during that time, which we are hoping will be enough to challenge the fine.

I wonder how many people have received these fines and have had no option but to pay.

The best year for UKIP so far has come to an end.

In 2016, we finally forced a referendum on the country’s EU membership and won.

Meanwhile, the election of Paul Nuttall brought to an end some minor differences within UKIP.

Nigel Farage was great, but we needed to make changes. The party now has the new leader most of us wanted in the first place.

As for his CV, I’ve heard him speak many times and he has always been honest about wanting to finish his PhD.

Criticising him for this is just another attempt to smear someone who frightens the establishments, left and right. They would have preferred a weaker leader.

Nationally, we will be concentrating on winning seats from Labour. Dogged by infighting and divisions, they long ceased to care about our country or its people.

Here, and in other places where UKIP came a respectable second in the general election, we intend to increase pressure on all sitting representatives.

Democracy only works properly where there is a strong opposition. Without it, there is little incentive to change for the better.

Locally, we have fresh county elections in May and, while I don’t see us running Lincolnshire, the best possible way to shake things up is to vote UKIP.

As we go into 2017, it would be nice to think we can all start afresh, especially with post-Brexit negotiatons being high on the agenda for the new year.

Soon, the legal mechanism to formally begin Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, known as Article 50, will be invoked.

It will trigger a two-year timetable in which the terms and conditions of the UK’s exit must be negotiated.

Here, the Government can end the uncertainty caused by the referendum and bring some stability to manufacturing by investing in a procurement programme which could create a strong internal market.

Building a product where it is bought, and using what we manufacture, would make finanical sense.

Take the Ford Fiesta; it is the best-selling car in the UK, but is currently manufactured in Cologne.

Procurement should be part of a government toolkit to support industries such as steel and the automotive sector.

Such a tool kit must include investment, subsidisation, tax credits and support for the training of apprentices.

The government must progress with large infrastructure projects to create and maintain jobs, including the Heathrow expansion and the HS2 link between London and Manchester, both of which could be supported by our own steel industry.

Brexit negotiations must include the retention of employment rights which are underpinned by EU legislation and case law.

These include rights defending workers’ time regulations, paid holidays, maternity and parental leave, and equal pay.

If within the two-year timeframe of negotiations an agreement is not reached, a hard Brexit should be avoided.

Despite Prime Minister Theresa May’s recent announcement that ‘Brexit means Brexit’, it is crucial that we stay away from the mindset of leaving at any price.

It is vital to retain access to the single market for the long-term stability of UK manufacturing and jobs, currently worth £229 billion to British manufacturing in terms of exports.

If the Government cannot get the right deal for the country, we could see a damaging effect on manufacturing and jobs for decades to come.

CABINET CALL: By Coun Anthony Casson of South Holland District Council

Since my portfolio responsibilities changed last year I’ve been busy getting to know the Public Protection services which are part of my new role.

One element of that service is our Dog Warden Rachel Thompson and I thought it would be a good idea to shadow her for a day to learn more about the work she does.

Rachel is responsible for lost and stray dogs across South Holland and works to reunite pets with their owners.

Her dedicated work has previously been recognised with the prestigious Footprint award from the RSPCA.

She also set up the South Holland District Council Dog Warden Facebook page which has proved immensely popular, often being seen by over 10,000 people, thanks to the huge number of likes and shares that her posts get.

The Facebook page has helped Rachel reunite dozens of dogs and given her access to a lot of helpful information.

In the past six months Rachel has found 107 dogs in the district and received 44 reports of lost dogs.

If a dog is not claimed, providing it is well and not aggressive, she will contact rescues to see if they can help.

Another big part of her role is dealing with dog fouling and since June 2016 there have been 28 reports of this.

The process involves gathering evidence from anyone who has seen the offender and trying to locate where they live. So we would appreciate help in this area.

If necessary she will put up dog fouling signs, but she also tries to engage with dog walkers and be a visible deterrent as much as possible.

As you may be aware, hare coursing is becoming a particular problem locally and this has given rise to a lot more stray dogs.

Rachel will be meeting with the Police Wildlife Officer in the New Year to see what can be done.

Her role isn’t solely focused on dealing with dogs. She also puts rat and mouse bait down in the Ayscoughfee bird aviary and along the river in town between Little London and the twin bridges.

My day out with Rachel gave me an interesting insight into her job. She provides an invaluable service and is completely committed to the cause.

From Bible stories learned in school it seems improbable that anyone would ever hug a leper.

The 21st century reality in the city of Vizianagaram, in the southern India state of Andhra Pradesh, is much the same.

Having leprosy makes you an outcast – your family and your community literally throw you out.

But Louise Timmins, who heads the UK arm of Brighter Future International, is happy to travel 5,000 miles from her south Lincolnshire home to help people in leprosy colonies and, yes, give them a comforting hug.

Louise said: “If there’s one thing that we all make a real point of doing is shaking their hands and putting our arms around people.

“Ninety-five per cent of the population worldwide is immune to leprosy – it’s a disease linked to extreme poverty and serious malnutrition.”

The last time Louise was in India with fellow volunteers, the head of a leprosy colony told them: “Our families have rejected us, the world has rejected us and yet you come all the way from England and sit with us.”

The devastating effects of leprosy are all the more tragic because these days the disease can be cured with a course of antibiotics but the fear of being an outcast means sufferers seek medical help too late.

Louise explains: “The issue is people are so frightened to come forward that by the time they do have the drug all of the effects of leprosy have set in.”

Leprosy is triggered by bacteria in the air, water or soil, and damages the sufferer’s nerves, notably in the hands and feet. Untreated the disease leads to disabling physical deformities.

Louise and local Brighter Future supporters will be distributing protective sandals to leprosy sufferers when they visit Vizianagaram next month.

Louise explained: “People can get very badly injured feet because they can’t feel it when they cut themselves.”

She works for the Peterborough-based Leprosy Mission and came across the charity Brighter Future on one of her trips to India around eight years ago, which makes her role as volunteer head of its UK operation a sort of busman’s holiday.

Brighter Future’s work extends to HIV sufferers, widows and orphans and people with disabilities.

The charity also gives people a way of breaking out of poverty through a micro-finance programme, which offers small loans and training to individuals.

In Vizianagaram, most people survive on less than £1 a day – that’s too little to provide for an education or treatment for illness, which means sometimes people die from normally treatable illnesses.

Louise is married to a former Spalding-based police inspector, Paul Timmins, now a superintendent with Lincolnshire Police, and Paul’s support for Brighter Futures last year included jumping out of a plane at 13,000ft because he wanted to “turn heartache to joy for people in need”.

Visiting India gives people a new understanding of poverty.

Louise explains: “It really does drive home how fortunate we are in the UK. While definitely there is poverty here, it’s nothing like the level you see in India.

“For me, the biggest emotional thing is to see the sadness in people’s eyes, the people who have leprosy who have been thrown out of their homes, their families and their communities.”

While in Vizianagaram next month, Louise and fellow charity trustees and supporters will help renovate one of Brighter Future’s homes for orphans who have HIV – supporters will also meet the children they sponsor.

Globetrotting Louise also has an April family holiday in the diary, which will see the couple’s daughter Marika (6) visiting her home country, Nepal, for the first time since she was adopted, and a second trip with the Leprosy Mission to India in November.

Louise says: “I don’t normally do quite to many trips a year.”

• For more information please visit www.brighterfutureinternationaltrust.co.uk

The website’s “How Can I Help” tab outlines gift options for changing lives from as little as £7, to buy a potentially life-saving mosquito net, to £1,000 for a new home. 
You can also donate cash and every single penny goes to the people helped by the charity.

... Brighter Future milestones ...

Charity founder Victor Parisipogula was educated thanks to sponsorship by a Christian couple from America.

Victor’s good start in life led him to a vision of a brighter future for others and he founded Brighter Future in 2002, which he runs with his wife, Mary.

Among key milestones for the charity are:

2004 - a home was founded for street children

2006 - a UK donor enabled the opening of a home to care for 40 children; a second home was opened by the end of that year for orphaned children with HIV and three further homes followed over the next six years

2007 - Brighter Future’s work extended into surrounding communities with medical care for elderly and disabled people with leprosy and a welfare programme for widows and children with HIV – today the charity cares for 170 children

2008 and 2012- The Leprosy Mission funded the rebuilding of dilapidated houses in several leprosy colonies so people lived in a safe and secure environment

2009 - a tailoring centre was founded to train older girls and women living in poverty

2012 – a hospice was opened for widows with HIV and their children

A popular nature reserve near Boston could be set to see even more birdwatchers come flocking to it after winning a prestigious award.

RSPB Frampton Marsh has been named the Site of the Year by Birdwatch magazine’s national reader poll the Birders Choice Awards.

John Badley, senior site manager for the reserve, said: “We really were not expecting this.

“It is a great honour to receive this award and a fitting tribute to all the effort that staff and volunteers have put into creating a place ideal for birds and those who love to see them.”

Frampton Marsh Nature Reserve was opened in 2009 and has seen more than 50,000 visits annually from die-hard bird watchers, to those with a more casual interest in wildlife.

It holds a number of events throughout the year for visitors, including children’s workshops.

The site has also seen visits by interesting and rare birds most notably in recent years a glossy ibis attempted to nest in the marsh which in turn attracted birdwatchers from all over the country.

Officials at the reserve say that each year there is ‘a sizeable list of rare birds that visit’.

A spokesman said: “All year round, nature lovers find something to enjoy. From massive flocks of ducks and geese in the winter, to purring turtle doves in the summer.”

The reserve is open every day, all day.

An on-site visitor centre is centrally-heated and has toilets (including baby-changing facilities) and a self-service catering area with snacks and hot and cold drinks.

It opens 9.30am-4pm every day except Christmas Day.

For more information call 01205 724678 or email lincoln
shirewashreserves@rspb.org.uk.

Drinking Diet Coke won’t stop you getting fat, according to new research.

Ditching your favourite beverage for its heavily marketed sugar free alternative is no better for preventing weight gain - and could also harm the environment.

Diet drinks contain artificial sweeteners which may be perceived by consumers as the healthier option for those who want to shed the pounds.

But there is no evidence to support the claims they are any better for health, or prevent obesity and related diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

It is believed calorie free drinks make us feel hungrier, prompting us to crave sugar laden snacks.

Artificial sweeteners could also interfere with the bacteria in our gut, which may trigger diabetes.

Professor Christopher Millett, of Imperial College London, said: “A common perception, which may be influenced by industry marketing, is because ‘diet’ drinks have no sugar, they must be healthier and aid weight loss when used as a substitute for full sugar versions.

“However we found no solid evidence to support this.”

Sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) such as soft drinks, fruit flavoured drinks, and sports drinks, make up a third of British teenagers’ sugar intake, rising to almost half in the US.

They provide many calories but very few essential nutrients, and their consumption is a major cause of increasing rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Artificially-sweetened beverages (ASBs) currently comprise a quarter of the global sweetened beverages market, but they are not taxed or regulated to the same extent - perhaps due to their perceived harmlessness.

The researchers said despite having no or very little energy content, there is a concern ASBs might trigger compensatory food intake by stimulating sweet taste receptors.

This, along with the consumers’ awareness of the low-calorie content of ASBs, may result in over consumption of other foods, so contributing to obesity, type 2 diabetes and other health problems.

Professor Millett and colleagues reviewed current evidence of the health effects of consuming ASBs.

Although there was no direct evidence for a role of ASBs in weight gain, they found there was no evidence ASBs aid weight loss or prevent weight gain compared with the full sugar versions.

In addition, the production of ASBs has negative consequences for the environment, with up to 300 litres of water required to produce a 0.5 L plastic bottle of carbonated soft drink.

Study leader Dr Maria Carolina Borges, of the Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil, said: “The lack of solid evidence on the health effects of ASBs and the potential influence of bias from industry funded studies should be taken seriously when discussing whether ASBs are adequate alternatives to SSBs.”

Co author Prof Carlos Monteiro, of the University of Sao Paulo, said: “Taxes and regulation on SBS and not ASBs will ultimately promote the consumption of diet drinks rather than plain water - the desirable source of hydration for everyone.”

The researchers said: “The absence of evidence to support the role of ASBs in preventing weight gain and the lack of studies on other long term effects on health strengthen the position ASBs should not be promoted as part of a healthy diet.

“The promotion of ASBs must be discussed in a broader context of the additional potential impacts on health and the environment.

“In addition, a more robust evidence base, free of conflicts of interest, is needed.

“Far from helping to solve the global obesity crisis, characteristics related to ASB composition, consumption patterns and environmental impact make them a potential risk factor for highly prevalent chronic diseases.”

Responding the British Soft Drinks Association’s Director General Gavin Partington said: “Contrary to the claims made in this article scientific research shows that low calorie sweeteners, such as those found in diet drinks, help consumers manage their weight as part of a calorie controlled diet.

“At a time when we are trying to encourage people to reduce their overall calorie intake it is extremely unhelpful that products which contain no sugar, let alone calories, are demonised without evidence.

“It’s worth bearing in mind that the UK soft drinks sector is the only category in which sugar intake is consistently falling year on year - over 17 per cent since 2012.”

Last year researchers found drinking just two glasses of diet drinks a day more than doubled the risk of developing diabetes.

Having five or more sugar-free drinks a day increased the risk by 4.5 times.

Around 3.3million Britons have been diagnosed with diabetes and the majority have type 2 - which is partly caused by obesity.

Lead researcher Josefin Löfvenborg of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden said diet drinks may ‘stimulate the appetite’, leading to weight gain.

She added that artificial sweeteners may cause chemical reactions within fat tissue and with bacteria in the gut.

This can lead to the body becoming less tolerant of glucose - a form of sugar - triggering type 2 diabetes.

The study was published in PLOS Medicine.

Regarding the imposition of part-night street lighting in Bourne, I believe that this is deemed unnecessary if LED lights are used.

We recently had our lights changed. If LED energy-saving lights were put in place, why are they now switched off at midnight?

Surely these lights are installed in other parts of the country to avoid any switch off, helping communities deter crime.

HAYES IN THE HOUSE: By John Hayes

A year ago David Cameron, in his New Year Prime Ministerial message to the nation, said: “We can make 2016 a game changer for our country.”

Although I am certain that he was not predicting the future his referendum provoked, the British people have indeed “changed the game”.

The people’s decision to vote to leave the European Union produced the greatest political earthquake of my lifetime.

That Britons, seeking to take back control of our affairs from the increasingly unaccountable, unnecessary and unwanted EU, frustrated the wiles of the bourgeois liberal establishment delights me.

At last, the voice of people that GK Chesterton said had “not spoken yet” has drowned out the whines of those that sneeringly deride a class they regard as ‘unenlightened’.

Brexit was not the only “game changer” of 2016; the election of Donald Trump in America elevated a businessman with no experience of public service to the most powerful elected office that exists. His success or failure will affect the whole world.

The shocks of 2016 were not limited to politics – from the extraordinary triumph of Leicester City to Ed Balls’ emergence one of Britain’s favourite dancers – we’ve enjoyed a remarkable year.

Perhaps the lesson of the various events of 2016 is that the fu – unpredictable. That shouldn’t come as a revelation, yet it’s easy to be fooled by the idea of inevitability; to imagine that what lies ahead is predetermined, be it in the world of politics, football or indeed in personal lives.

We can prepare for things we cannot predict by being resilient and resolute. Thinking this, I reflected upon the words of another former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, who said in her message of 1982 that the best New Year’s resolution is resolution itself – “determination, born of the conviction that the course we are following is the right one.”

In the year ahead we will hear much from the faint hearted and the weak minded about the risky unpredictability of a future outside the EU. We must remain firm in our conviction that we made the right choice, resolute that the path our nation has chosen is the right one and confident that our best years lie ahead of us. In such a spirit of hope, I wish all of my constituents in South Holland and the Deepings a peaceful and joyful New Year.

On the subject of street lighting, or the lack of it at night, I live down Clay Lake in Spalding and we have no street lights from the high school down to the river.

Yet when you head into town, you are met with a dozen or so of lights outside the council offices next to Ayscoughfee Gardens blazing away at 4am.

Then you have all the street lights for the car parks, plus about 20 lights at the new site in Cowbit Road.

If you continue on as if you are coming from Peterborough, you are plunged then into darkness, which is surely an accident waiting to happen.

Then you reach the old Cowbit roundabout and another 20 lights are ablaze.

When you go to Deeping St Nicholas, you are in darkness again on Policeman’s Corner. Why the disparity?

The rest of the village has new LED lights right through to Hop Pole.

What about the light pollution from businesses? The lights at the pallet yard in Deeping St Nicholas are so bright they shine over all the fields up to Policeman’s Corner.

Then there is the plant nursery in Horseshoe Road – at certain times of the year, you can see an orange glow all the way to Market Deeping.

Can’t we all share and have a little bit of light each?

South Holland’s ambulance service is recovering from a New Year’s weekend when it faced “significant pressure” from emergency calls.

Figures from East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) showed that in the first six hours of 2017 on Sunday, more than 1,153 emergency and urgent calls were taken, compared to nearly 1,100 over the same period in 2016.

The 14 per cent increase in calls escalated to over 3,000 calls before midnight on January 2, according to EMAS which led to it declaring a “Business Continuity Incident” where staff meal breaks were cut from 45 to 20 minutes.

An EMAS spokesman said: “At 5.30pm on January 1, EMAS declared a Business Continuity Incident in response to the high number of calls received and our ability to get to people reported to be in a potentially life-threatening condition.

“It meant that we could put into place additional actions to help provide extra support and improve services, including and in agreement with our trade union, reducing the staff meal-break time from 45 minutes to 20 minutes for the duration of the incident.

“Whilst far from ideal, this allowed us to have more colleagues and vehicles available during the unprecedented circumstances.

“The actions taken did alleviate the pressure and, at 9pm, the Business Continuity Incident was de-escalated and normal staff meal break arrangements resumed.”

EMAS is expected to brief members of Lincolnshire County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee about what a spokesman described as the “significant demand” on its resources which saw emergency calls soar by between 40 and 51 per cent.

Coun Chris Brewis, committee member and county councillor for Sutton Elloe, said: “The greatest concern about the problems on New Year’s Eve is that a high proportion of the events are people’s ‘self inflicted’ emergencies.

“The biggest risk is that in the instances where the emergency was caused by ‘overindulgence’, a very serious medical emergency might not have been reached as quickly as it would be normally.”

The EMAS spokesman revealed that the calls came from patients complaining of “a variety of problems, including alcohol-related illness or injury, falls, breathing problems and road traffic collisions”.

“To manage the huge increase in demand, EMAS held a strategic command cell (managerial response to an exceptional incident) throughout the night and early hours of this morning,” the spokesman said.

“EMAS also opened temporary treatment centres in several areas across the East Midlands and throughout the incident, we continued to prioritise patients.

“Those categorised as requiring a response to a potentially life-threatening incident were treated as a top priority. “However, patients who had a less serious condition were advised to seek alternative care or that they would experience a delayed response because of demand on the service.”

Andrew Ric, Chief Commissioning Officer of South Lincolnshire CCG which covers South Holland, the Deepings and Bourne, said: “The extended bank holiday and reduced primary care services available to patients may have contributed to this increase in calls to EMAS.

“However, we would reassure patients that we continue to work closely with EMAS and took every opportunity over the Christmas and New Year period to direct patients to alternatives, including their pharmacy, NHS 111, Urgent Care Centres and Minor Injuries Units.”

Spalding Parish Church has started the second phase of improvement work with the help of a financial legacy from an ex-member.

A new servery is to be built at the back of St Mary and St Nicolas Church, funded by a £25,000 gift from Jennifer Chappell who died in October 2012, aged 75.

It follows the unveiling of a new entrance at the 13th century-built church in 2014 and comes ahead of plans to build a new toilet and the “remodelling” of its gift shop in the future.

The Rev John Bennett, the Vicar of St Mary and St Nicolas Church, said: “We’re about to put a permanent servery in, with a sink, hot water taps and worktop when we need it.

“The timescale is that it should be ready by the end of March and the money for the servery has come from a £25,000 legacy that Jennifer Chappell left us.”

The new servery is to be officially dedicated in June by the Bishop of Lincoln, the Right Reverend Christopher Lowson, who visited Ms Chappell before her death.

Mr Bennett said: “Jennifer’s wish was for the legacy to go to ‘something useful’ and a reference to her will be incorporated into the servery.”

Jennifer Chappell, of Deeping St Nicholas, was the first woman ever to be elected as a churchwarden at St Mary and St Nicolas in March 1995.

But her full and fulfilled life also included 28 years as head of music teacher at Spalding High School, governor at Spalding Parish Day School and a member of the South Holland Singers for 37 years.

Speaking after her death on October 1, 2012, the Rev John Bennett said: “Jennifer was a gifted musician, a woman of deep and clear faith, care, self-sacrifice and kindness who we will remember with fondness and gratitude.”

An award-winnning pre-school in Spalding has been forced to close due to a falling number of children.

Tulip Pre-School, winners of the Pre-School Staff category at the 2015 Lincolnshire Free Press and Spalding Guardian Education Awards, held its final session just before Christmas.

The pre-school, formerly based at The Vista Hall, near St Mary and St Nicolas Church, opened in 2002 and had 36 children on its roll up to two years ago.

But its provision of term time, sessional childcare, as opposed to the full day learning offered by other nurseries, proved difficult for families where one or both parents work full-time.

Helen Mason, manager of Tulip Pre-School, said: “We closed the doors at the end of term on December 20 after struggling along for the past year.

“In the summer, we pulled out all the stops to go on a little bit further through the autumn.

“But we’re a charity and at a meeting of our trustees and parents last November, the decison was made to close the pre-school.

“One of the factors was the low number of children here because of the Government’s push for parents to go out and work.

“As a result of this, parents need full time nursery care where they can drop off their children at 7.30am and pick them up at 6pm.

“But we are only open during school term time to offer sessional care from 9am until 12 noon and from 12 noon till 3pm.”

Tulip Pre-School impressed judges for the 2015 Education Awards with having to set up and put away equipment as The Vista Hall.

But the judges were especially won over by a parent who said the pre-school was “a place where magic happens”.

Tulip Pre-School was set up by parents and ex-Assistant Curate at St Mary and St Nicolas Church, the Rev Rosamund Seal who is now the Vicar of Holbeach.

Mrs Seal said: “We set it up in an extraordinarily short period of time as a charitable pre-school, run by a management committee of parents.

“It became an extremely successful pre-school, offering bursaries and accepting referrals from health centres.

“But the world is a different place now and it’s very sad that Tulip couldn’t offer full-time nursery education for children.”

The Rev John Bennett, Vicar of Spalding, said: “The number of parents wanting to use the pre-school wasn’t enough for it to continue and it’s terrible sad.

“However, it’s a reflection of the way things have changed, with both parents very often working-full time and therefore finding pre-school provision not as helpful as full-time day care.

“In the meantime, we’re exploring all the options to see how The Vista Hall can serve the community better in the future.”

SPEED OF LIGHT: Singer-songwriter Philippa Hanna at Spalding Baptist Church on Thursday, February 16.

Philippa Hanna is marking her tenth year as a recording artist by bringing her Speed of Light acoustic tour to Spalding Baptist Church on Thursday, February 16, at 7.30pm.

The concert, jointly organised by the church, South Holland Community Church, Steve Mews and Alistair Main of Spalding Young Professionals, will feature songs from Philippa’s current album, Speed of Light, as well as her other material.

Alistair said: “We are delighted to announce that incredibly talented and in-demand singer-songwriter Philippa Hanna is bringing her Speed of Light tour to Spalding.

“People can hear the stories behind Philippa’s songs in an intimate setting following the success of her latest album, Speed of Light, recorded in Nashville, USA, last year.”

Speed of Light is the Sheffield-based singer’s fourth album in nearly ten years and in that time, she has supported two X Factor winners, 2010 runner-up Rebecca Ferguson and 2014 Britain’s Got Talent winners Collabro in concert.

Philippa’s songs, including I Am Amazing, Raggedy Doll, Out of the Blue and Lighthouse, led to invitations for her to open concerts for Leona Lewis and Little Mix, winners of The X Factor in 2006 and 2011 respectively.

Alistair said: “Born into a musical family, Philippa knew from an early age that making music was all she wanted to do.

“Philippa’s music draws frequently upon her experiences of a turbulent youth and the Christian faith she found in 2004.

“Since her 2007 debut album, Watching Me, Philippa has released several more studio albums, an EP (Extended Play), a live DVD and published two autobiographical books, More and Following the Breadcrumbs.”

Philippa is no stranger to audiences in Lincolnshire and eastern England, having previously been in concert in Ruskington, near Sleaford, Peterborough, Bury St Edmunds and at Stamford Methodist Church last April.

Speaking in 2014 after the release of her third album, Through the Woods, Philippa said: “I really want to create songs which give people hope, wherever they are in their faith journey.”

Tickets for the concert at Spalding Baptist Church, priced £10 for adults and £7 for under-16s, are available from https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/philippa-hanna-speed-of-light-acoustic-tour-tickets-29350130029#tickets

An exclusive interview with Philippa, who has also toured recently with fellow singer-songwriters Emile Sande and Anastacia, will be online at www.spaldingtoday.co.uk next week.

Firefighters were called to a property in Holbeach St Johns on Sunday evening.

A blaze had been caused by wooden logs being placed too close to a lit woodburner in a house at Old Fen Dike.

Called out at 9.28pm, crews from Holbeach and Long Sutton wore breathing apparatus while extinguishing the fire and used fans to ventilate the property.

Spalding Police report that a Dawes bicycle has been stolen from a property in the town.

The theft occured last Tuesday between 11.30am and 5.30pm at Jubilee Close, Spalding. The bike has a blue gel seat.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 and quote refernce number 17000003281.