Crime

Villagers have rallied to support the owner of their local shop after a break-in – launching a fundraising bid for beefed-up security and quickly topping £500. So many people turned up to help in the clear-up of Cowbit Village Store after up to £1,000 of cigarettes and alcohol was stolen that owner Colin Foxwell had to turn some away. Shop ...

John Hayes is taking his fight to get tougher sentences for criminals convicted of assaulting police officers to the Home Secretary. The MP for South Holland and The Deepings says those convicted of assaults on police officers should automatically receive a jail sentence. And he will give that opinion to Amber Rudd, urging her to instigate a change. Mr Hayes ...

Former Spalding man Andy Hall has appealed his conviction for criminal defamation and computer crimes in Thailand. The human rights defender’s legal team lodged the paperwork last week, five months after the outcome of his case in Bangkok. The conviction related to publication of a report entitled Cheap Has A High Price in 2013 by Finnwatch, a Finnish civil society organisation. ...

A 27-year-old man has been sentenced for five instances of flashing. Sam Thomas exposed himself in a series of incidents in September and October 2016. They were: in Lime Walk, Long Sutton on September 15 in Little London, Long Sutton on October 18 in Old Main Road, Fleet Hargate on October 21 in Windsor Crescent, Boston on October 21 at Lincolnshire ...

Seven incidents of harecoursing in South Holland were reported to Lincolnshire Police over the weekend. Police were anticipating a gathering on Saturday and had a 48-hour dispersal order put in place, allowing them to direct any people suspected of being involved in the illegal activity to leave the county. On Saturday, across the county there were 12 incidents of hare coursing reported: ...

Lincolnshire Police officers have been given the power to direct people to leave the county amid information received that a gathering of hare coursers is due to take place on Saturday. (Feb 11) The dispersal order can be used on people suspected of being involved in hare coursing. The force said: “Extra officers will be patrolling the county and our ...

Two men who robbed a Spalding mobile phone shop at knife-point, leaving staff terrified, face longer stretches in jail.   Kurtis Lamptey and accomplice Reece Francis travelled from East London in a stolen Audi Q5 to raid Carphone Warehouse in Winfrey Retail Park.   The pair entered the shop at 6pm after waiting for customers to leave.   Lamptey put his arms around the ...

The government’s solicitor general says the £500 fine given to a Spalding man who  knocked a police officer to the ground and repeatedly punched him was in line with sentencing guidelines. Pc Karl Cinavas was jumped on and assaulted by Jonathan Fox (51), who was drunk and had been verbally abusing a female South Holland District Council officer helping at ...

Two people were arrested following a joint raid by police and Lincolnshire County Council Trading Standards officers on a house in Spalding on Tuesday.(Feb 8) The men – aged 62 and 37 – were held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation. An onlooker told The Voice that there was a lot of activity at the property in ...

Police want help identifying the man in these CCTV images. They want to question him about a theft from Boots in High Street, Holbeach, at about 2.45pm on Friday, January 13. Two Scholl items valued at £80 were stolen.  Police said: ” If you recognise yourself or can help with who this is, please contact PC 434 Ellis on 101 or Crimestoppers ...

A drug user, who was back committing crimes just 48 hours after being given a chance, has been jailed.   Shane Cooper received a 12-week suspended jail sentence for burglary when he appeared before magistrates on January 30. But just two days later he was caught red-handed breaking into cars in his home town of Spalding. Jim Clare, prosecuting, told Lincoln ...

A police sergeant, decorated for his actions in a “potentially deadly” situation, has told how fire and ambulance service colleagues had to barricade themselves in a bedroom as a man clawed at the door with knives. Sgt Nick Waters, of Spalding police, and colleague PC Daniel Brant received Chief Constable’s Commendations for their actions at the scene in Crowland, which ...

A 57-year-old woman charged following a shooting incident in Whaplode has admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm.   Mary Jane Taylor, of Little London, Long Sutton, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to Alan Taylor (58) as a result of the incident on December 8.   Taylor , who appeared before Lincoln Crown Court on Monday (Jan 30) via video link from Peterborough Prison, ...

The premises licence for The Chequers Hotel in Holbeach has been revoked by South Holland District Council. A panel of councillors presented with evidence of fraud and smuggling came to the conclusion that “those running the premises have little or no regard for the authorities”. The premises licence has been held by The Chequers Hotel Ltd since June 2009. Neither of the ...

A petition launched in Spalding calling for streetlights to be switched back on across Lincolnshire has more than 200 signatures. Signatories are stating they feel vulnerable and anxious and fear for the safety of road users, cyclists and the frail. The roll-out of a countywide money-saving programme to switch off streetlights in many areas between midnight and 6am recently reached ...

Drivers caught using a mobile phone at the wheel face a tougher penalty from March 1. Motorists will receive six points on their driving licence and a £200 fine. This change will have a significant impact on young drivers in particular as they risk having their driving licence revoked following a first offence. Motorists will no longer be offered the ...

Police want to trace these two men about a theft from Lincolnshire Co-op Food Store in Holbeach. The incident happened at the Fleet Street store at around 8.30pm on Tuesday , January 17. A couple of meat items and two bottles of red wine were stolen. Anyone with information is asked to contact PC Steve Kirtley on 101, quoting incident number 351 of January 17.

A motorist who caused a fatal crash when he overtook an HGV and drove straight into a moped rider has been jailed for two years.   Philip Paddington-Wheatcroft struck the moped being ridden by teenager Jessica Danby as she was making her way from her home in Donington along the A52 on her way to work at Café Nero in Boston.   ...

A lorry driver using a mobile phone caused a crash at Holbeach on Monday (Jan 16) which put four members of the same family in hospital. Spanish national Ionita Bran turned across the path of the car which Kyle Moore was driving on the A17 at Peppermint Junction. All four people in the car were injured. They were en route ...

A Holbeach man has been jailed for 26 weeks for passing fake money. Peter Ian English, of Angell Lane, committed the offence at Spalding between June 7 and June 12 last year. It is said to have involved a charity. The 55-year-old appeared before Boston magistrates on Wednesday (Jan 18) and pleaded guilty to a forgery and counterfeit charge .  He ...