A clean-up operation is wanted in a car park near homes and takeaways in Spalding that has become a dumping ground for rubbish.

Piles of litter, including bin bags, beer cans and food wrappers, have been left in Victoria Street car park and behind food shops in Winsover Road.

Now people living nearby have urged South Holland District Council to educate people about fly-tipping and putting rubbish out before collection day.

Jackie Allen (31), who lives near the car park, said: “I moved her from Pinchbeck in February and nearly every week, I’ve had to report fly-tipping to the council.

“Someone else told me that they had phoned up the council about the mess, only to be told that it would take several weeks for workmen to pick up the litter.

“Normally, they are quite good in collecting the bin bags on Thursdays.

“But I’ve asked the council if it could do some sort of educational campaign because it’s not good enough for anyone who lives and works in the area of Victoria Street car park to see all the rubbish there.”

Jackie claimed that the rubbish problem has led to a rat infestation in parts of the car park, as well as street drinkers who use it as a place to “hang out”.

She said: “The council has a duty of care to the people of Spalding and for anyone who uses the car park, the sight of rubbish there is bringing the town down.”

A district council spokesma said: “We received a report of litter in the area and street cleaning operatives visited the scene.

“We cleared up the litter which we could get to; however, some of it was on private property and behind barbed wire.

“The area has not been subject to any changes over the Christmas and New Year period, but we will look to take action if appropriate.

“In the meantime, we would ask any residents with any concerns of infestations to contact us with information at www.sholland.gov.uk/reportit”

Mad-cap inventor John Ward is being catapulted to radio and TV fame as the man who devised and chaired the World Cabbage Hurling Championships.

The Spalding Guardian columnist, who writes Ward’s World in our sister newspaper, created massive trebuchet-style catapults – hurlers – for the world championships staged at Holbeach.

John can be heard talking about the eccentric sport’s development on Radio 4’s The Kitchen Cabinet, chaired by broadcaster, writer and food critic Jay Rayner, at 10.30am on Saturday.

The show was recorded in front of an invited audience at Burleigh House and is expected to be heard by more than two million listeners.

John said: “The recording went well over an hour or more so I have no idea as to what the final, edited forty minute long version will contain.

“Since then, and totally unrelated, I have been having talks with another production team for the BBC but the television side, who are interested in making a possible series that is provisionally entitled ‘The Great British Eccentric Sports’.

“They felt after viewing the assorted bits about it on the Internet that this ticked all the boxes as it’s colourful, involves audience participation and has lashings of silliness about it.

“I have given them assorted videos of my constructing the hurlers with Andrew French as my ‘stunt person’ when we did the test runs as well as numerous photos taken since it started six years ago.”

John also gave the Beeb clippings from the Lincolnshire Free Press and Spalding Guardian, including stories featuring his invitations to Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone and Prince Philip to enter teams.

John said: “I am allowed to say at this point we will be recording a pilot programme in late February/early March involving a team of policemen against a team of solicitors.

“While it’s a fun thing there will be a donation I am told to be given to the winning side’s chosen charity at the end of the filming.

“The location for the filming is in Lincolnshire with two venues being researched.

“It is hoped that if it works it will perhaps develop into a series featuring odd and eccentric sports up and down the country.

“So there you have it – there is more to cabbages than coleslaw!”

Cabbage hurling John Ward style is a green sport in more than one sense because nothing goes to waste – every cabbage that goes into flight is recycled as dinner for livestock.

John has previously appeared on TV shows around the world with his wacky inventions such as the light at the end of the tunnel, bra warmer and mobile church font.

Previously ...

Duke of Edinburgh sends best wishes to all involved in the World Cabbage Hurling Championships at Holbeach

Will Sylvester Stallone hurl a cabbage?

Inventor turns Reliant Robin into fire engine

Outline planning permission was granted for the building of 34 homes in Quadring.

The homes are proposed for agricultural land off St Margarets, which is surrounded by drains.

Plans showed a mixture of family-sized houses with associated parking spaces, including 12 affordable homes.

However, Coun Rodney Grocock voiced concern over the plans after attending parish council meetings in Gosberton.

“I have been on the council estate and there are children playing and running about permanently, it would be a nightmare,” he told the meeting.

“I will not be supporting this application.”

Residents had also complained that the initial plan for the site was for 12 homes - which had been almost trebled.

Reports will now be prepared so the full application can be considered by the planning committee.

The Royal British Legion (RBL) is being asked to safeguard its social club building in Donington so it doesn’t become a derelict eyesore.

While the national organisation owns the Malting Lane building, the Donington and Quadring Royal British Legion Social Club called “time” – it’s believed – because upkeep costs were too expensive.

At the parish council meeting, a member of the public urged councillors to write to the RBL.

He said: “If that building is left it will fall into dereliction.”

The council agreed to contact the RBL and ask it to safeguard the building.

Council chairman Arthur Baldwin said the social club didn’t have enough users to meet building maintenance costs and the RBL (nationally) didn’t contribute.

The centre was popular at weekends and now a Boston couple, John and Sandra Lea, have thrown a lifeline to club-goers by joining forces with Wyberton Sports and Social Club to stage entertainment there starting this Saturday.

Other entertainment nights booked so far are: January 20 and 27; February 3 and 24; March 3, 10 and 17.

Doors open at 7.30pm and entertainment starts at 8.30pm.

John said: “If it goes well, we might put the Sunday night on.”

Following our story last week, when John and Sandra appealed for Donington club-goers and performers to get in touch, the couple met two of their club-going Donington friends at Wyberton Sports and Social Club and popular performer Trudie phoned and has been booked at the new venue.

Previously ...

Donington and Quadring Legion Social Club shuts ... but the entertainment nights go on

From our website ...

Were these 
old photos taken in Donington?

Hospice charity in urgent need of more volunteers

Families in South Holland can have their say on new plans for educating pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Lincolnshire.

The admissions process for special schools, including Gosberton House School, Garth and Priory Schools, both in Spalding, and Bourne’s Willoughby School, is under consideration.

Lincolnshire County Council is working with special school head teachers, governors and Lincolnshire Parent Carer Forum to develop a new model for special education across the county.

Forum chairman Coralie Cross chairman, said: “Together with the county council, we are working in partnership with special schools to improve provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

“We want to ensure that community special schools can meet the needs of all pupils, no matter what their specific disabilities may be, and increase support to children and young people in mainstream schools as well.

“But it is important we hear from parents, carers and children about our proposals as they are at the heart of SEND provision.

“Families can also find details of the consultation events planned in the county over the next two months.”

Under the new SEND proposals, no child will be forced to change school if parents don’t want them to.

However, with only 30 per cent of SEND pupils currently attending their nearest school, children will have the chance to attend a school in their community if that is possible.

Coun Patricia Bradwell, executive councillor for children’s Services at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “All children have the right to access education as close to their local community as possible and we are fully committed to working with our schools, parents and families to help realise this ambition.

“However, there are significant changes planned which aim to bring accessible inclusive education to all communities, with the added benefits of minimal travel, enhanced provision and an increased number of school places.

“We want all children to be able to access high-quality education and achieve their potential, as near to their family and local community as possible.”

To have your say, visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/SENDcommunities before March 14.

Excitement over Spalding schools’ new minibus

Running pupils now dressed for success

Mum relieved as son’s transport costs met

There are calls for the police and district council to step in over fears that the derelict Bridge Hotel at Sutton Bridge has become a drink and drugs den.

One villager says the boarded-up hotel appears to have residents and spotted “cheap voddy bottles” and burnt silver foil among debris on the pavement.

Another resident said: “I have had reports that there is quite a lot of noise coming from the hotel in the evenings. The ground floor window along the West Bank has been forced open into the old ballroom. It is probably the only room that has any floorboards left in it.

“The hotel is terribly unsafe. The fire exit at the back, three floors up, is open and there is no roof and no floorboards on the upstairs rooms. It won’t be long before someone is seriously hurt. Who will take responsibility for that?”

Parish council chairman John Grimwood is contacting the district to ask them to make the building secure but also wants action to clear the eyesore for good.

South Holland neighbourhood policing inspector Gareth Boxall said: “We do check The Bridge Hotel and patrol it regularly. Like any derelict building it attracts anti-social behaviour and we have worked with our partners at South Holland District Council and Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue to address some of the issues there. Since attending with both in September, we have received much fewer calls to the location.

“There are currently no ongoing crime investigations in relation to the building. As with all anti-social behaviour, we encourage members of the public to contact us when it is occurring to give us the best chance of catching those involved.”

A district council spokesman said: “The building is under constant observation by officers and remains structurally safe. Permission to demolish the building was granted in 2015. The decision to demolish it is with the owners.

“Anyone experiencing or witnessing anti-social behaviour can report it either by contacting Lincolnshire Police on 101 or contacting the anti-social behaviour team at South Holland District Council on 01775 761161”.

Previously ...

UPDATE: Arson blamed for major fire at Bridge Hotel in Sutton Bridge

Squatters and vandals are trashing The Bridge Hotel

Sutton Bridge Parish Council news in brief: marina opening to moles

A new village hall could form part of a 120-home development in Deeping St Nicholas if full permission for plans are agreed.

Outline permission was granted for the development on land at Home Farm. off Littleworth Drove.

The site is currently agricultural buildings, hardstanding, agricultural land and scrubland.

One-third of the properties will have to be afordable and substantial contributions made to the NHS and the county education department, for extrs classrooms to be built at Deeping St Nicholas Primary School and The Deepings School.

The developer has offered to provide the land for a village hall at the front of the site and to take on responsibility for its construction, to be negotiated through a Section 106 agreement, which would then be managed by the parish council on behalf of the community.

However, committee chairman, Coun Roger Gambba-Jones, pointed out that there would be no flexibility regarding the amount of open space on the proposed development, unless ‘something extraordinary’ was proposed.

Developer Kirk Homes has got the go-ahead to produce detailed plans for a new development in Pinchbeck.

Outline planning permission was granted for 40 properties on land bordered by Green Lane to the south and Surfleet Road to the west.

Developer James Kirk told the committee: “I hav always believed this location is ideal. I feel passionate about the quality of homes I wish to build.”

However, Coun James Avery said: “ I am slightly uncomfrotable with this application. There is a 50mph speed limit on this part of the road, but highways have no objection?”

Highways concerns were also voiced by Coun Rodney Grocock, about the country lanes surrounding the site: “They are so small there’s just about room for one car to pass or you have to go onto the dyke side.”

Worries about increased ‘urban sprawl’ were dismissed, with councillors considering there to be enough of a gap between Surfleet and Pinchbeck so as not to blur the village boundaries.

A Gedney woman has joined calls for an “overworked” East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) to be given more resources to save lives.

Jennette Gray (50) had to wait more than 90 minutes for an ambulance after she was involved in a crash on the A1101 Wisbech Road in Tydd St Mary six days before Christmas.

She was eventually taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn, where medical staff treated her for whiplash injuries.

Jennette said: “I was travelling home from Wisbech after leaving work and driving along Wisbech Road where the traffic was heavy, but slow.

“As I came up to the Common Way junction in Tydd St Mary, another driver pulled out straight in front of me.

“I slammed on my brake pedal immediately, but there was a collision on a really busy road and my car was in the middle of it, on a freezing cold night with no street lights on.

“Other drivers and people living nearby who saw the accident had to direct the traffic, otherwise there could have been another accident, until police arrived 30 minutes after the accident.

“An ambulance was called straight away and a lady who was a nurse stayed with me in my car until paramedics arrived.”

An EMAS spokesman confirmed that an ambulance was called at 4.25pm and it eventually arrived at 6.30pm, 98 minutes later.

Jennette said: “The paramedics were really good and they apologised for the delay, saying that they were flat out.

“My worry was that while I was waiting for an ambulance, somebody might have hit us.

“It was also scary for my family who were waiting to find out if I’d been seriously injured or not.”

Richard Hunter, ambulance operations manager for Lincolnshire, said: “At the time of the 999 call, we were experiencing a high number of emergencies and we have to prioritise the most life-threatening.

“We apologise for the distress caused to Jennette and her family in not being able to get to them sooner and we are keen to speak to them about their experience.”

Jennette said: “I do feel for the people who work in our emergency services because they are all doing an amazing job.

“But they are so overworked and there isn’t enough of them.

“Hopefully, something can be done so that the ambulance service won’t be overstretched as much and not be under so much pressure as they are now.

“I’d also like to say a really big thank you to all those who helped me on the night of the crash because without their help, things would have been much more difficult.”

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 calls were dealt with by Lincolnshire’s ambulance services during the first six hours of 2018, it has been revealed.

East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) also confirmed that many calls were due to illness or injury related to drinking too much alcohol.

A team of more than 120 staff, 145 ambulances and 50 “fast response cars” were used by EMAS to deal with 999 calls in the early hours of January 1.

Richard Henderson, EMAS chief executive, said: “Frontline colleagues, volunteers and people behind the scenes all worked incredibly hard to get an emergency response to people who really needed it.

“It was a challenging time, but we delivered the best possible service with the resources available to us and I send my personal thanks to colleagues, volunteers and partners for their continued commitment and dedication to help us provide quality patient care.”

Retirement party for ambulanceman

Rise in attacks on 999 staff

Rachel thanks heroes who saved her life

A Traveller couple have been allowed to continue living on their own land at Hurdletree Bank.

Decision-making had been deferred from last month’s meeting because councillors noted errors in the officers’ reports.

Concerns that the site would be occupied by an increased number of Travellers’ homes were allayed when permission was granted for only one caravan at the site and there was confirmation that the pitch was not contaminated land.

Council tax payers in Bourne and the Deepings are being asked for their views on what the amount should be for 2018/19.

South Kesteven District Council is giving people the chance to it decided where its element of council tax should go up by an average Band D amount of £5, or by three per cent which works out at a rise of £4.46 on an average Band D property.

The third option is to freeze council tax at its current average Band D level of £135.68, with a likely impact on services, including waste collection, environmental health and housing.

Coun Adam Stokes, SKDC’s cabinet member for finance, said: “We are committed to making a positive and lasting difference to the people who live and work in our district, whilst ensuring that our element of the council tax continues to be among the lowest in the country.

“We believe the way to do this is to focus on areas that will help the local economy, including the creation of InvestSK which is dedicated to supporting local businesses, improving our markets and ensuring that we continue to raise the standards of our streets through our hugely successful Big Clean initiative.”

“But to achieve all this, and taking into account efficiency savings and the use of existing reserves, the council will need to invest an additional £2.9million to deliver this agenda and maintain current services.

“Therefore, we are asking people to spare us a couple of minutes to let us know what they think as their feedback will then help us shape our budget report going forward.”

To have your say on SKDC’s council tax options, visit www.southkesteven.gov.uk/counciltax2018-19 and comeplete the survey before Monday, January 29.

MP John Hayes promises to be an “outspoken but not unreasonable” backbencher after quitting Theresa May’s Government on Tuesday morning.

Mr Hayes (59) was about to be reshuffled out of his job as Transport Minister when he met the Prime Minister in her office in the Commons.

“She was very courteous and complimentary about what I had achieved,” said Mr Hayes. “It wasn’t a hostile meeting.”

The South Holland and the Deepings MP had served on the Tory front bench for 18 years – and, since 2010, had been a Minister in six Government departments – but Mrs May was intent on promoting a new generation of MPs.

Five Tory leaders, including Mrs May, put Mr Hayes on their front bench and David Cameron took him to the heart of his Government as a special adviser, which saw him working at 10 Downing Street.

Mr Hayes said: “Mrs May said I had an exceptional record in Government. Clearly Prime Ministers have to shuffle their packs from time to time and now I am looking forward to the next phase of my career, which is to be an outspoken backbencher fighting for campaigns and causes which you can never quite do when you are a Minister.

“We agreed I would not be removed, I would offer my resignation. I think in these circumstances that was the right thing to do.”

In a handwritten resignation, Mr Hayes lists some of his achievements as a Minister but also expresses the hope that he can “continue to assist with policy development” and, as agreed with Mrs May, help Conservative Central Office boost party membership.

Mr Hayes told us: “My ambition was to become an MP and being a Government Minister was a bonus. There’s always sadness about change but you have got to see this as a new beginning, that’s the way I see it. The way you respond to these things defines you, doesn’t it?

He will use his new freedom to speak out without being restricted to a ministerial portfolio.

He said: “I have often thought there are things you can say as a backbencher that you simply cannot say in Government when you are bound by collective responsibility. I will be outspoken but not unreasonable.”

Mr Hayes will campaign for disabled and disadvantaged people, and “look again at education and skills”, having rebuilt the apprenticeship programme as a Minister.

He said: “I will be championing the cause of Brexit very strongly. We must leave the European Union lock, stock and barrel. There should be no compromise there.”

• John Henry Hayes CBE was born in Woolwich, London on June 23, 1958. He graduated from the University of Nottingham with a BA degree in politics and a PGCE in history and English.

Before entering Parliament, he was a sales director for The Data Base Ltd, an IT company based in Nottingham.

He was elected to Nottinghamshire County Council in 1985 and served there for 13 years, standing down following his election to parliament.

He contested Derbyshire North East at the 1987 general election but was defeated by Labour’s Harry Barnes by 3,720 votes. He fought the same seat at the 1992 general election and although he increased the Tory vote, finished some 6,270 votes behind Barnes.

He became MP for the new constituency of South Holland and the Deepings in May 1997 and secured a sixth term in June 2017 with a majority of 70 per cent (24,897).

After several years as a front bench opposition MP his first Government position was as Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, which he held from May 2010 to September 2012.

He then was switched to Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, a position he held only until March 2013 when he was appointed Minister without Portfolio in the Cabinet Office.

Hayes was appointed as Minister of State at the Department for Transport in the reshuffle of July 2014 but after the 2015 general election, was moved to the Home Office, being appointed Minister of State for Security.

In the government formed by Theresa May in July 2016, Hayes was reshuffled back to the Department for Transport.

He lives in Moulton with wife Susan and sons William and Edward, who both attend Spalding Grammar School.

Previously ...

MP John Hayes talks about 20 years at Westminster and says Cameron could have stayed in office

MP John Hayes speaks about his brush with death and the road to recovery

MP Hayes quits his Government post

A games inventor from Moulton is on the brink of seeing his creation in the shops this summer.

James Smith has just signed a publishing deal with Paul Lamond Games Ltd for his creation ‘Reveal’.

The 46-year-old came up with the idea for the knowledge-based family board game ‘with a unique twist’ one Christmas.

Originally called ‘Revealations’ it’s been re-branded as ‘Reveal’ as publishers felt it sounded snappier.

James said: “I am a little bit shocked that it’s becoming a reality.

“I always believed in the game and it seems people do really like it. Very few board games actually get published.”

He worked on the game for five years before unveiling prototypes to the public last March with a play test at Spalding’s Bookmark in The Crescent.

The UK Games Expo at the Birmingham NEC followed and he had interest from Hasbro and John Adams Toys, before Paul Lamond Games signed the deal.

He said: “People thought the game was fantastic and wanted to buy it there and then.”

We reviewed an early proto type of the game in this paper last year and loved it.

The tagline to the game is ‘no questions - just answers.’

The aim is to test your knowledge of song, TV and movie titles, collecting tokens as you go around the board.

When you land on a ‘category’ square your opponent takes a card from the corresponding category.

They put it into a card sleeve so that you can only see the first letter of each word of either a song, TV or movie title.

For example, if it’s a song you might see the letters T,P,O,L.

You get two guesses to work out the title and if you’re wrong them your opponent reveals the next two letters of the word, and so on.

You get points depending on how many attempts it takes you to guess the answer.

In the example, the answer was The Power Of Love.

James is launching a re-branded version of the game at the UK Toy Fair in London on 23-25 January.

He said: “The view is that the game will be in shops such as John Lewis, Debenhams and Argos from August.”

James spent £2,500 on creating early prototypes of the game but he’s made that back after getting an advance from his publishers.

SEE ALSO:

Will game be a ‘Revealation?’

Eccentric inventor makes it on to the big screen

Flytippers who dump waste on isolated farmland and other areas around South Holland have been branded as “naive, ill-informed and ignorant”.

The damning criticism from Coun Roger Gambba-Jones, South Holland District Council’s cabinet member responsible for rubbish collection, came as new figures showed that it cost the council nearly £60,000 to clear up flytipping.

Figures from the Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) revealed that more than one million cases of flytipping were handled by district and county councils in England in 2016-17, costing taxpayers about £58million.

Coun Gambba-Jones said: “The temptation is there and social media has a lot to answer for because it’s far too easy for people to go online and find a man with a van who can get rid of their stuff.

“This is either because they haven’t got the transport to do it or they don’t want to spend the money themselves.

“A great deal of the flytipping experienced by the farming and landowning community is from those not wanting to pay the commercial rates for disposal, rather than to domestic waste from householders.

“The only way we would be able to reduce this element of flytipping completely is if we offered a Rolls Royce service of free collections from every household, something that would be clearly financially unsustainable.”

According to the DEFRA figures, nearly 600 incidents of flytipping were reported across South Holland in 2015-16, rising to nearly 700 a year later or a jump of 12 per cent.

South Holland District Council has joined forces with Boston Borough Council and East Lindsey District Council to launch a “Most People” campaign, making people aware of their legal duty to make sure their waste is disposed of properly.

Coun Gambba-Jones said: “There are naive, ill-informed and ignorant people who think ‘I just want to get rid of this stuff’ and what surprises me the most is to see household waste dumped in Spalding when we have a recycling centre where people can get rid of it, with no questions asked.”

“Then there are people in the countryside who, to a certain extent, can’t be bothered and see it as easy enough to dump their waste in an isolated area where they are unlikely to be spotted.

“Jobbing builders, and those touting for business by doing house clearances, are required to have waste management licences and dispose of the waste they create or collect legally and at a commercial rates.

“But instead, flytipping is something these people choose to do to save money, knowing it is illegal and knowing how difficult it is for landowners to stop them and for councils to catch them.”

The flytipping problem is still prominent, despite the district council being part of Operation Fly Swat which involves prisoners at North Sea Camp in Boston who are coming to their end of their sentences clearing up flytipping.

According to a spokesman for Boston Borough Council, which covers Fosdyke, Kirton, Sutterton and Swineshead, the scheme has slashed the council’s flytipping bill by 80 per cent from nearly £104,000 to just over £20,000.

Coun Gambba-Jones said: “Working together with the drainage boards, housing associations, councils and the Environment Agency to use Operation Fly Swat in South Holland has been a win-win situation and is extremely good value for us.

“But we really want people to tell us, without putting themselves in danger, about flytipping because the sooner they tell us, the more likely we are to get the information to be able to do something about it.”

• You can report flytipping to South Holland District Council by calling 01775 761161 or online at www.sholland.gov.uk

South Holland joins forces with other councils to tackle fly tipping

Flytippers dump sofa by Spalding riverside

Family of fly-tippers fined for dumping waste in Spalding Common

Firefighters from Spalding and Holbeach attended a fire within a light fitting at a property on High Road, Whaplode yesterday afternoon (Thursday).

Crews used a CO2 extinguisher and a thermal imaging camera to extinguish the blaze at 4.04pm. Thankfully, there were no injuries.

Firefighters from Long Sutton attended a car fire on the A17 in the town at 6.41pm yesterday (Thursday)

There was fire damage to the engine compartment, caused by a fault within the battery. The crew extinguished the blaze using one hose reel. There were no injuries

Firefighters from Spalding attended a car fire on Brownlow Crescent, Pinchbeck at 8.13pm last night (Thursday).

There was fire damage to the engine compartment and the blaze was extinguished using one hose reel and a thermal imaging camera. Thankfully, there were no injuries.

The wealth management arm of local law firm continues to go from strength to strength with a new recruit to kick-start 2018.

Scott Wiseman brings a wealth of experience to his new role as an independent financial adviser at Chattertons Solicitors & Wealth Management.

Covering the Spalding and Boston areas, Scott specialises in investments, pensions and tax planning.

He joins the team at Chattertons headed by CEO Richard Ludlow, covering Lincs and Nottinghamshire.

Richard said: “We are so pleased to welcome Scott to our growing team, his experience and expertise are second to none and I know he will be able to provide great value to our clients.”

Scott has 20 years’ experience in finance. Having been a mortgage consultant for 10 years, he decided to move in to a financial planning role in 2008, qualifying in the same year and becoming diploma qualified in 2011.

Scott said, “I am thrilled to join the team at Chattertons, I am passionate about my work and look forward to helping all clients with their financial planning needs.”

Scott is involved in the local community as a school governor. Outside of work, he is busy with his family and being player/manager of a football team.

Chattertons Solicitors & Wealth Management has 8 offices across Lincolnshire. They provide legal and wealth management services with a focus on professionalism, efficiency and building relationships with their clients.

To contact Scott, visit www.chattertons.com or call the Chattertons office on 01205 351114.

Three men and a youth from southern England will be facing a trial on hare coursing charges in Boston in March.

Aaron Patrick Smith (24), of New Causeway, Reigate, together with a 17-year-old youth who cannot be named for legal reasons, face joint allegations of hunting a wild mammal with dogs and daytime trespassing on land in pursuit of game on December 13 at Clarkshill Farm, Gedney.

They both denied the charges when they appeared at Boston Magistrates Court.

Magistrates heard that two other men, who had been delayed on their way to court, Alfred Chambers, (39), of Moseley Close, Hersham, Walton on Thames and Leonard Doe (36), of Bishops Grove, Hampton, Richmond on Thames, faced similar allegations and would also plead not guilty.

The cases against all four were adjourned for a plea and directions hearing on February 15 and trial on March 16 at Boston. They were all granted unconditional bail.

A Spalding motorist was so concerned about a drink-driver that he twice took the car keys away from him and ended up on the ground in a scuffle with the man.

Maris Kutila (33), of Churchgate, Spalding admitted driving with excess alcohol when he appeared before magistrates in Boston on Wednesday.

Prosecuting, Shelley Wilson said that a man and his wife first noticed Kutila in his Vauxhall Zafira at 5.15am on December 11 because his indicator was going although he wasn’t turning and he was swerving the car from one side of the road to the other.

As they suspected he was drunk, they followed the car for about 10 minutes and rang the police.

They saw the car scrape along some wire fencing in Commercial Road and when he stopped, the man went to the driver’s door and took the key from the ignition but the driver, Kutila, had another key and he started the car again.

Ms Wilson said Kutila tried to drive off but the witness opened the car door and again grabbed the key.

She said that at this point Kutila became aggressive so the witness pulled Kutila out of the car to prevent him from driving and the two struggled before falling to the ground where the witness was able to restrain him until police arrived.

She said Kutila was arrested and gave a breath test which measured 122 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – almost four times the legal limit of 35.

Ms Wilson said Kutila denied driving and told police he had gone out to his car to get his wallet and the witness had punched him for no reason.

The magistrates imposed a 12-week prison sentence and said they had ‘very nearly’ sent him straight to prison because of the ‘very high reading’, but had decided to suspend it for two years.

They also fined him £500 with £200 costs and charges and banned him from driving for two years, but offered the drink drivers’ rehabilitation course which will reduce the period of the ban by 24 weeks.