Workers’ rights activist Andy Hall says he intends to sue for unlawful prosecution and perjury after Thailand’s Supreme Court dismissed a criminal defamation case against him.  The charges brought by the attorney general and Natural Fruit Co Ltd related to an interview the Finnwatch researcher gave to Al-Jazeera in Myanmar in April 2013 concerning his earlier criminal prosecution by Natural Fruit ...

The vicar of Spalding Parish Church is using this month of remembrance to spread a message of reflection and hope for the future after two years which have seen six violent deaths in the town. The inquest into the shootings deaths of Lance, Claire and Charlotte Hart in July was held last week. And two 15-year-olds will be sentenced on ...

Parents and other grown-ups can help BBC Children In Need by taking their youngsters to a Spalding salon for a haircut. Steffens Hairdressing in Sheep Market is donating 50 per cent of the cost of children’s haircuts to the appeal. The fundraiser is between Tuesday, November 15 and Saturday, November 19. Manager Toni Thompson is hoping to beat last year’s ...

Unemployment rates in South Holland and across Lincolnshire are falling. Latest figures show 335 men and 275 women in the district claimed benefit, which is a little more than one per cent of the population. In Lincolnshire, there were 4,260 males and 2,435 females (1.5 per cent). Meanwhile, jobseekers in the county are benefiting from a new project to access ...

Councillors investigating public complaints about Spalding swimming pool have concluded that the water temperature is fine but the facilities are not kept clean enough. The task group, which was formed following a sustained wave of criticism in 2015, disagreed with users who claim the water, particularly in the main pool, is too cool. A report to South Holland District Council’s ...

Beautiful images of Lincolnshire skies are to feature in a 2017 wall calendar in aid of Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance. The 12 photos selected came from more than 60 entries in a competition run by Twitter page @LincsSkies, run by Rachel Rodgers. She said: “Since setting up @LincsSkies I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the photos of the local ...

A Spalding newsagent has described how his family has lost gold jewellery worth a “significant amount” in a distraction burglary involving a gang of six people. The three men and three women targeted Ball’s News in Hawthorn Bank, with one of the group gaining access to the living quarters at the rear of the shop. She spent up to 15 ...

South Holland District Council will receive a £180,475 bonus from the government after contributing to a fall in the number of empty homes. Between October 2015 and October 2016, the number of vacant properties in the district fell from 258 to 232 and, as a result, the council will receive the New Homes Bonus Payment. The council’s private sector housing ...

Scores of tributes have been made to 21-year-old Alexandra Hills, who died in a road accident at Gedney on Monday. She was driving a blue Ford Ka which left the road and went into a drain. Police said the incident in Kingsgate, which runs between Gedney and Gedney Dyke, happened at 8.30am. A rescue effort involving several passers-by was made but ...

A woman in her 20s has died after the car she was driving crashed in Gedney today (Monday). She was in a Ford Ka in Kingsgate (between the A17 at Gedney and Gedney Dyke) at 8.30am on Monday when the car left the road and ditched into a dyke. The weather condition at the time was misty but it is not ...

Enterprising six-year-old Oliver Stanley used his love of tractors to fundraise for the Pilgrim Hospital. He owns a ride-on electric tractor and trailer and offered short trips to fellow youngsters at Moulton Show in September. Proud mum Sarah said: “Oliver decided that he wanted to do tractor rides for children and raise money for charity. “He did his own sign with ...

Pupils at The Garth School in Spalding have given John Hayes their designs for his official Christmas card this year. Collecting the entries from the special school’s pupils and then carrying out the difficult task of judging them with the help of his family is one of the South Holland and The Deeping MP’s favourite events of the year. Mr ...

As Breast Cancer Awareness month draws to a close, sufferer Claire White, of Gosberton Risegate, has told her story. One of the less than two per cent of people aged 34 or under to be diagnosed with breast cancer, Claire is a reminder that – whatever your age – you must know how to look for lumps and consult your ...

A wide-ranging raft of benefits has been agreed by a developer looking for permission to build 900 homes in Fen Road, Holbeach. And it’s crunch time for a separate application for another 650 homes just a mile away in a development known as Holbeach West. Next to the homes site is the location for University of Lincoln’s proposed centre of ...

The Broadgate Group has announced the renewal of its sponsorship of the film programme at the South Holland Centre in Spalding for another year. To celebrate the expansion of the partnership, a special screening of Tim Burton’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children was held at the centre. The evening was well attended by local councillors and businesses, and staff ...

The members of Spalding Lions Club would like to say thank you to those who stopped to talk to us recently at our stall promoting Lions International and Spalding Lions Club in particular. The stall was also promoting Sight Awareness and members of the public who wished to donate were invited to place their donation on an outline of a ...

I often wonder: what happened to the initiative for a better Spalding? Over the years local government have talked about a new multi-purpose sports facility, the big idea program, a better market place facility and, overall, a better Spalding. It has all gone very quiet. We see the housing development growing for the area, with 17,000 new homes planned for ...

I came to this country from Malta 30 years ago to work in the factories. Spalding was a lovely place to live and work, and the British people made us welcome. We never caused any trouble here but the town is not the same pretty place we were used to. Now all you see is dirt, rubbish, spitting and riding ...

Harrowing details of the moment when suicidal dad-of-three Lance Hart shot dead his wife and daughter at Spalding’s swimming pool car park have been heard at an inquest into the three deaths today (Thursday). A witness told of seeing Lance’s daughter Charlotte (19) walking towards him with her hands held up and her palms facing him moments before he shot her ...

The two sons of Lance and Claire Hart have issued a statement following the inquest into the deaths of their parents and sister Charlotte.  Luke and Ryan Hart said: “Charlotte and our mum were our inspiration and our purpose in life; they were the two most virtuous and beautiful people we have ever encountered. “It is not possible to describe ...