Crime

£315 court bill for flytipping in Crowland

Unwanted household items found dumped in Crowland have cost the owner a £315 court bill. Kevin Cosgrove employed a man with a van to take away items including a fridge and mattresses, which were later found in Low Road (pictured). South Holland District Council’s environmental investigations officer was able to trace them to Cosgrove’s address in Whittlesey. Cosgrove appeared at ...

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Boy and girl deny murder but admit manslaughter of Spalding dinner lady and her youngest daughter

A girl and boy accused of killing a Spalding dinner lady and her 13-year-old daughter have admitted manslaughter but denied charges of murder. The teenagers – both 15 – appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday (Sept 6). The pair each denied the murder of Liz Edwards between April 4 and 15 this year. They each also denied murdering Katie Edwards between April ...

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Criminal Spalding trader drops another premises licence appeal

A Spalding trader has again dropped an appeal against the revocation of a premises licence at the last minute. Karwan Ahmad waited until just hours before the scheduled hearing at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (August 17) before stopping his action in respect of Winsover off-licence. It meant from 10am on Wednesday, the revocation came into effect and alcohol could not ...

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Arson at Sutton Bridge landmark

A fire which damaged 70 per cent of disused The Bridge Hotel is thought to have been started deliberately. Firefighters managed to prevent it spreading to one end of the building, which is a landmark on the Lincolnshire/Norfolk border at Sutton Bridge. Three crews from Lincolnshire and three further crews and an aerial ladder platform from Norfolk were called to ...

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Criminal Spalding trader abuses licence appeal process to sell alcohol for extra six months

Legislation on appealing the loss of a premises licence is again under the spotlight after a criminal shopowner abused the system to his financial advantage. Karwan Ahmad withdrew an appeal against the revocation of his licence for Baltic in Winsover Road, Spalding, less than 24 hours before it was due to be heard in court. But he had succeeded in ...

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Judge jails prolific burglar who was naked and refused to enter court

A burglar who went on the run during his trial has been jailed for four years after being described as “a thoroughly dishonest man”. Shane Boyton refused to come into court for his hearing at Lincoln Crown Court on Wednesday (August 10) and remained naked inside a police car outside the building while he was being sentenced. The 37-year-old, of College ...

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Volunteers needed for Lincolnshire Police fight against exploitation of the vulnerable

Lincolnshire Police are looking for more volunteers to support its fight against exploitation of certain members of the community by rogue traders, doorstep crime, hate and mate crime, scams (including scam mail and fraud) and financial exploitation. They have set up Operation REVIVE with the purpose of befriending, supporting, advising, liaising with vulnerable and elderly members of the community who ...

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Spalding shootings: Grieving Hart brothers speak of ‘disbelief’ and thank public for support

The grieving sons of Claire Hart have spoken of their gratitude for the love and support received since their mum, and sister Charlotte, were killed in an incident which shocked the nation. Luke and Ryan Hart have drawn strength from the public’s reaction to the tragic shootings in Spalding just over a fortnight ago. The domestic incident happened in the ...

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Rural crime on the rise as thieves target countryside places

Rural communities across South Holland are being warned about the sudden rise in countryside crime. A report published by NFU Mutual has revealed that Lincolnshire is the worst county in the United Kingdom for rural crime. And the leading rural insurer believes those residents in South Holland with machinery, oil, diesel and quad bikes on their properties need to be ...

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Shock for business as phone system hacking leads to £9,000 calls bill

A business was shocked to discover that its phone system had been hacked, leading to a £9,000 calls bill. WH Brand, a car dealership in Whaplode Drove, found out on Monday that its voicemail had been compromised and expensive calls to foreign countries such as Sudan had been made from its lines. Calls to one mobile number had racked up ...

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Suspected drink-driver turned out to be playing Pokémon Go

Police pulled over a trawling motorist suspected to be drink-driving – and found him to be playing Pokémon Go. The Volkswagen Polo driver was stopped in Holland Market in Spalding overnight on Thursday (July 21) and found to be using the smartphone app, which has created a craze across the world. Spalding Police, who had spotted the car being driven ...

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Fraudster who used her dead child’s identity to claim £16,000 in benefits could be jailed

A woman who used the identity of a dead child to falsely claim benefits has been warned she faces a possible jail sentence. Lincoln Crown Court heard Maria Pridmore (36) falsely claimed over £16,000 in housing benefit, council tax and income support after failing to notify the authorities of changes in her circumstances. Chris Geeson, prosecuting, told the court Pridmore ...

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MP Hayes praises 999 services in aftermath of Spalding shootings – and condemns those ‘fuelling hatred and despair’

South Holland and The Deepings MP John Hayes has praised the work of emergency services at the horrific scene of three fatal shootings in Spalding.  Using a shotgun, Moulton man Lance Hart (57) murdered his wife Claire (50) and their 19-year-old daughter Charlotte before committing suicide. The tragedy happened in the car park of the Castle Sports Complex swimming pool ...

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Another shocking tragedy for Spalding

The tragic event on Tuesday (July 19) brought the number of people killed in violent circumstances in Spalding in the last two years to six. All three incidents were unrelated and only the most recent involved a gun. In August 2014, Spalding dad Warren Free died following a beating in a park behind his Coronation Close home. Six teenagers were ...

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Spalding fatal shootings: Workers’ desperate efforts to save lives

Frantic efforts were made to save the lives of Claire Hart (50) and daughter Charlotte (19) after the triple shooting on Tuesday. It was clear to the first people on the scene at Spalding’s swimming pool car park that a third victim, 57-year-old Lance Hart, was already dead. It is believed he shot his wife and daughter before turning the ...

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Word-for-word: News conference by police on fatal shootings incident in Spalding

Text of the news conference about the triple fatal shooting at Castle Sports Complex on Tuesday (July 19). Given at Spalding Police Station at 4pm on Tuesday: Temporary Superintendent Paul Timmins, Local Policing East At 9am this morning we received a call reporting a shooting outside Spalding swimming pool on Pinchbeck Road. Emergency staff, including police and East Midlands Ambulance ...

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Spalding fatal shootings victims unofficially named

The three people killed in a shotgun incident in the grounds of Spalding’s Castle Sports Complex have been named unofficially. They are said to be Lance Hart, his wife Claire and daughter Charlotte. The family is believed to be from Moulton.

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Spalding double murder court hearing: Accused girl (15) and boy (14) remanded in custody

A girl and boy accused of murdering a Spalding school dinner lady and her 13-year-old daughter appeared at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday (July 15). The 15-year old girl and 14-year-old boy are jointly accused of murdering Elizabeth Edwards (49) and her youngest daughter Katie Edwards, whose bodies were discovered at their semi-detached home in Dawson Avenue in April. No ...

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Holbeach man hit in the pocket for Gedney Hill fly-tip

A Holbeach resident has been handed a court bill for £362.37 for not disposing of waste correctly. South Holland District Council brought the prosecution against Peter John McManamon after enforcement officers investigating a large fly-tip at Gedney Hill linked it to him. He had paid an unknown person to remove and dispose of waste items. The council said on Wednesday (July 6): “Even ...

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Dangerous fake cigarettes seized in FOURTH successful raid on Spalding off-licence

A repeat offender off-licence in Spalding has been caught selling the type of fake cigarettes linked to fatal house fires. Police and Trading Standards officers raided Baltic in Winsover Road and seized 2,340 cigarettes. Among the haul including non-duty paid and counterfeit goods were packets of fake Pect. Cigarettes of this type have been linked to a number of house ...

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