News

MPs have been asked to allow the police to reclaim the costs of keeping dogs confiscated from hare coursers in kennels. It came up when National Farmer’s Union (NFU) members from Lincolnshire went to the House of Commons recently to lobby Lincolnshire MPs about the issues surrounding rural crime. The meeting, which was chaired jointly by NFU national vice president ...

A fund set up to offer financial support to students from Holbeach and the surrounding area has allocated a large sum of money so far this year – but more is still available. The George Farmer Educational Foundation committee met this week to agree on the grants for the year and allocated a total of £17,500. Committee member Isobel Hutchinson ...

The county’s part-night street lights will keep unpredictable hours for the next few weeks as they adjust to the clocks changing this weekend. There are round 42,000 streetlights across the county that are switched off between the hours of midnight and 6am. Coun Richard Davies, Executive Member for Highways, said: “Over the next few weeks, you might notice that the ...

Local MP John Hayes has backed an appeal from Cancer Research UK for more NHS staff to deliver life-saving cancer tests and treatments.  The South Holland and The Deepings MP met with campaigners recently to hear about the “Shoulder to Shoulder Against Cancer” campaign. It calls for the UK Government to tackle what it says is a chronic shortage of ...

Poet, author and actor Benjamin Zephaniah was on hand to launch a new community bookshop in Holbeach last week. The Holbeach Bookshop on Park Road is being run by volunteers to provide the town with a supply of second-hand books. The brainchild of Rev Kate Plant, curate at All Saints, is currently applying for charity status and the five-person committee ...

Spalding blacksmiths Chain Bridge Forge is embarking on an ambitious art project this weekend – and everyone is invited to help out with the creative endeavour. On Saturday (27), the forge –one of South Holland’s most popular heritage sites – will host a free event at its site in High Street, Spalding. A spokesman for the forge said everyone is ...

A dispute which began with a woman being assaulted ended with a man being stabbed in the leg, Lincoln Crown Court was told today (Mon).   Luke Cannon stabbed his victim Gregory Duffy in the thigh during an incident in Roman Bank, Spalding.   Jonathon Dee, prosecuting,  said there was a confrontation between the men before Cannon stabbed Mr Duffy in the ...

A Pinchbeck man who was found with four kitchen knives in his car when police went to his home after an allegation that he had assaulted his partner, has been ordered to carry out unpaid work for the community. Leigh William Squance (43) of Glenside North, admitted assaulting a woman by beating, possessing four kitchen knives in a public place ...

A grandmother has hit out at the company running Spalding’s swimming pool after her grandchildren were turned away three times due to a “lack of staff”. For three weeks on the trot, the youngsters were unable to enjoy their Thursday swim in the teaching pool at the Castle Complex because of the issue. “It’s absolutely dire. My daughter was turned ...

The mum of a 16-year-old with cerebral palsy who spent years learning to walk, is hoping to raise money for an operation that will allow him to stay on two feet and pain free. Kieran Evans, of Pinchbeck, was initially given just 12 hours to live after being born three-and-a-half months early. The resulting bleeding on his brain led to ...

A Weston family has raised thousands of pounds for two hospitals to say thank-you for saving their five-year-old daughter’s life. Jessica Blow has recently been given the all clear from bone marrow cancer. Doctors had initially dismissed the then three-year-old’s swollen stomach and pain as constipation when she first became ill in May 2016. It took Jessica being admitted to ...

A familiar Spalding building has become a brand new wedding venue – and its owners are holding an open day this weekend for prospective couples to see the town’s newest place to tie the knot. Oliver and Dorota Sneath bought their Grade II listed former Magistrate’s Court House home in December 2016 and as The Sessions House, have converted two ...

South Holland Cyclists raised hundreds of pounds on a 60-mile ride. A total of 32 cyclists took part in the Sunday bike ride, organised by Castle Sports Centre operators, 1Life. The ride started in Spalding at the Castle Sports Complex and rolled through to Deeping and onto Stamford before heading back to the leisure centre for a Sunday roast dinner ...

Spalding Children’s Centre has unveiled its latest treasure – a new pirate ship bought by a parents group. The Friends of the Spalding Children’s Centre has purchased the new outdoor play activity after several fund-raising events. It was officially unveiled and is to be named HMS Gail after Gail Tolson who is leaving after five years working at the Bank’s ...

A decision on whether a Spalding care home will be allowed to keep a biomass burner next to residential gardens has been deferred by a planning committee. Residents in Westminster Drive were left shocked when the biomass boiler and its nearly 30 foot chimney appeared metres from their homes in May. After complaints to the council, Tanglewood Care Home submitted ...

The vast majority of schools in South Holland have asbestos in them, it has been revealed. Just six of all 44 primary, secondary and special schools in the district are listed as not having the material in their buildings. Lincolnshire County Council insists there is no risk to people’s health from the asbestos, as it currently is in the schools. ...

Holbeach Hospital has been inviting young people to come in and play with some of their more elderly residents. The Inter-Generation Sessions are the brainchild of activities coordinators Maggie Ward and Jackie White. Young people are being invited to take part in activities and talk to the older people. Jackie White: It’s something I’ve been interested in for ages. In ...

A housing developer has been accused of pulling ‘tricks’ by the chairman of the local planning committee. Coun Roger Gambba-Jones said an application by Ashwood Homes to build 32 homes, eight of which would be affordable, adjacent to Spalding United Juniors FC “sickens” him. The developer had previously been granted permission to build 26 affordable homes on the site. Coun ...

A Spalding care home which had no manager in place for more than six months has been told it ‘requires improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission. Southernwood House was the subject of an unannounced visit by inspectors in May of this year. The full report was published last week and shows that the home, on Matmore Gate, requires improvement in ...

Lincolnshire Police Student officer group “cohort 22” were out in force on Friday to tackle “Fatal Four” offences across the county. Police said that during the day, 42 traffic offence reports were issued for speeding, mobile phone use and not wearing seat belts. An arrest was made, 20 breath tests were conducted (all negative), 10 drivers were given the chance ...