Crime

A 25-year-old nursing assistant has warned others after she was attacked by two men as she walked home from work in Gosberton. Jessica North thought nothing of it when she saw the men walking towards her on Salem Street until they blocked her way and wouldn’t let her pass. She said: “I was trapped between back-to-back parked cars and a ...

Workers’ rights activist Andy Hall was on Tuesday (Sept 20) found guilty of defamation and computer crimes in Thailand – and immediately signalled his intention to appeal. The 36-year-old, from Spalding, was convicted by Bangkok Criminal Court and handed a three-year suspended jail sentence and £3,300 fine. Hall conducted interviews and research for a report by campaign group Finnwatch which ...

Police investigating a racially aggravated public order offence on a service bus have arrested a 41-year-old woman. The Voice understands the incident to have happened on a 505 Spalding-King’s Lynn service. Police said: “We received a report at 5.30pm on Tuesday 20th September that a youth had been verbally abused by a female on board the bus. “A 41-year-old local ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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.