News

Spalding market traders surprised their colleague Tony Schofield to mark his 75th birthday. He was on holiday for the actual day so friends on the market presented him with gifts on Saturday (April 30) – after a little distraction. Tony said: “They got me to go to a shop and when I came back there was this crowd at my ...

Fewer and fewer people in future are going to be able to emulate the loyal working-life achievement of Mick Taylor. He has just retired from Spalding’s Elsoms Seeds after a remarkable 49 years and nine months’ service. The company’s longest-serving employee began his career as a Saturday boy at the retail shop Elsom House in Broad Street, Spalding. Around a ...

Pregnant women could face a 50-mile journey to the nearest maternity ward under plans to downgrade Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital. A petition has been launched calling on health bosses to withdraw plans which could see services – including midwifery, paediatrics and vascular surgery – withdrawn from Boston and relocated to Lincoln County Hospital. The petition follows confirmation from health commissioners in ...

A 33-year-old man has appeared in court after a robbery at a Spalding bookmakers. Police launched an investigation after the incident at one of Ladbrokes’ shops in Spalding town centre on Thursday morning. Craig Walling, of St Matthews Close, Holbeach, was charged with the robbery, during which £500 was stolen. He has also been charged with possession of a Class ...

A teacher at a South Lincolnshire school accused of sex offences against young girls has been cleared of all charges by a jury at Lincoln Crown Court. James Sharpe was alleged to have deliberately touched four girls during lessons. During his trial Sharpe, who taught ICT (information and communications technology) and physical education, was asked by his defence barrister: “Did you ...

TUESDAY AM: A fire at a Spalding house which killed three people is not being treated as suspicious. Police have said a joint investigation with Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue is still ongoing. They have confirmed that the three victims were all men, but a formal identification has not yet been made. MONDAY AM:Police have confirmed that a third body has ...

Cash was stolen during a robbery at a Spalding town centre bookmaker’s shop this morning (Thursday). Police said a man got away with “a quantity of cash” in the incident just before 10am. A Lincolnshire Police spokesman said: “The suspect is described as a white man, aged 20-25, with short hair, facial stubble, and a light moustache. “He was wearing jeans ...

A new headteacher has been appointed at Long Sutton’s Peele Community College. Elizabeth Smith took up the permanent position last week after “shining” during the interview process. She had been acting headteacher since September when Simon Gilman resigned citing pressures of the job as his reason for standing down. Last week the board of governors issued a statement thanking everyone ...

South Holland District Council has been praised by residents for getting tough on criminality in Spalding off-licences and throwing out the latest application. Scores of Voice readers have welcomed the rejection of a bid for a premises licence at the former China City Restaurant in Winsover Road. It was refused due to the history of criminality between the property’s leaseholder ...

A puppy given to murder victim Liz Edwards as a gift from her loving partner is looking for a new home. Crossbreed Bebe was found “cowering in a crate” when police arrived at Liz’s Spalding home and found the bodies of her and her 13-year-old daughter Katie. It is believed, but not confirmed by police, that the pair had been ...

A trail of small plaques depicting various aspects of the heritage of Spalding and its surroundings has been mapped out. Half of the 14 bronze casts have already been attached to buildings in Spalding town centre; the others are due to go on listed properties, with planning consent expected soon. The £18,000 Spalding Public Art Trail is part of arts ...

Aldi is planning to extend its Spalding store in the near future. The discount supermarket has confirmed that it wants to extend the Winsover Road store and provide more car park spaces. The Voice understands that the development would be achieved by demolishing a small number of neighbouring properties. A spokesman told us: “Aldi owns a number of units on ...

It was a moment which Dougie Hern always hoped to live to see. The Aged Veterans’ Fund, which will enable payments to projects of benefit to the nuclear test veteran community, was officially launched last week. Dougie (79), of Moulton, is a Christmas Island test veteran and has been a leading light in a long campaign calling for the plight ...

Twenty volunteers spent over two hours cleaning graffiti from Spalding’s riverside on Sunday.(April 24) Graffiti is a regular item brought up at The Community Riverside Forum meetings. So with the help of town business Premier Property Management, which supplied materials and manpower, social group Spotless Spalding got to work on the clean-up. Spotless Spalding organiser Coun Jack McLean said: “Thanks ...

Twelve employees who between them have clocked up more than 170 years’ service with Bakkavor Meals have been rewarded. The company, based in Spalding and Sutton Bridge, held a celebration event at Moulton Mill on Monday. The dozen staff members have all completed at least ten years’ service and were presented with gift vouchers and certificates by Martin Husselbee, head ...

Residents could be living in a new £5.8million supported housing scheme in Spalding town centre within two years. South Holland District Council wants to see 39 ‘dementia-friendly’ homes built on a disused plot of land which it owns in King’s Road. The three-storey complex of 39 apartments (26 two-bedroom and 13 one-bedroom) would also include a shop, restaurant, hairdresser’s, games ...

A mum who left her 12-year-old son home alone living in squalor has been jailed for 12 months. Social workers found appalling conditions at the property in Spalding when they arrived to find the boy inside on his own. Richard Sheldon, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court on Monday that there had been no electricity in the flat for 48 hours and no ...

Work to build a new £900,000 marina “gateway” to south Lincolnshire begins next week. Engineering work starts on Monday on the commercial and leisure marina in Sutton Bridge. The first visible signs will be the installation of power and water supplies, involving trenching works along the riverbank. It will be followed by the driving of piles into the riverbed and the ...

Police are still appealing for anyone with information regarding the murders of Liz and Katie Edwards in Dawson Avenue, Spalding, to come forward. Officers want to speak to anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious in the area between noon on Wednesday, April 13 and noon on Friday. DCI Martin Holvey, of EMSOU Major Crime, who is leading the enquiry, said: ...

The owner of a Crowland wine bar who set fire to his own premises has been jailed for six months. John Carr piled up wooden chairs and a wooden clothes horse inside the bar before starting the fire at the Trinity Wine Bar in West Street, Crowland. Phil Howes, prosecuting at Lincoln Crown Court, said that Carr, who had been ...