News

A farm building at a nursery in Spalding was destroyed by fire on Saturday afternoon. The 30m x 10m barn at Groom Bros in Pecks Drove West was used for storing cardboard boxes and waste peat. Opperman Plants, of Low Fulney, rents the site from Holbeach firm Ashley King Developments. Business owner Mike Opperman raised the alarm at about 3.15pm ...

For many nightclubbers, the chance of bumping into their mum on the dance floor would fill them with dread. However, Loaded Nightclub is offering the chance to do just that as a Mother’s Day treat with a difference – clubbers can take their mum in for free on Saturday night. And the Westlode Street venue thinks there will be no shortage of takers for the chance to “treat their ...

A man has been charged with two Spalding burglaries. Szymon Staniszewski (23 yrs) of Poppy Close, Spalding has been charged with burglaries in Sezanne Walk and Park Avenue that occurred overnight on February 27/28. He has been bailed to appear at Boston Magistrates Court on April 8.

After a break of more than seven months, Pinchbeck History and Archaeology Project group is to resume its search for the village’s lost manor. The group’s final exploration will concentrate on a new site and in particular on the Cust family residence and its ruins as listed on an old map dated 1789. Recently a geophysical survey was carried out ...

MP John Hayes’ offer to look at legislation on the granting of premises licences has been welcomed. South Holland District Council’s licensing committee chairman Coun Malcolm Chandler wants the opportunity to look at one issue in particular – need. He said: “I look forward to working with John Hayes on the reform of the Licensing Act 2003 to bring back ...

An average of 250 parking tickets have been issued each month in South Holland as drivers continue to ignore restrictions. Now the county-wide parking enforcement scheme is set to expand – with a further six “street wardens” being taken on to ensure villages can be covered more frequently. Figures show that 2,542 parking enforcement notices were handed out in South ...

A childminder who is training as a mentor for fellow professionals has received an outstanding Ofsted inspection. Clair Wooding, who already runs drop-in sessions for fellow childminders in her home village of Holbeach St Marks, has been a child minder for 15 years and is delighted to receive the top grading from the education inspectors for the care she provides ...

The time it takes to clear leaves and debris from the synthetic multi-sports pitch at Glen Park in Surfleet has been halved. The purchase of a leaf blower and vacuum have been enabled with donations from Surfleet Parish Council (£1,000) and the designated members’ budgets of district councillors Sally Slade, Liz Sneath and James Avery (£250 each), and Jane King, ...

A new Holbeach support group has been given £1,000 by town charity shop Chosen. Little Miracles was founded last August to help families with any member 0-25 years with disabilities (learning difficulties or additional needs). It depends entirely on fundraising and donations. Everything for the families is provided free. Little Miracles meets in the Reading Rooms every Monday 9.30am-11.30am. Any ...

A Gosberton man who admitted assaulting his ex-wife twice has been sentenced to nine months in prison. Daniel Holyoak (31) twice broke a non-molestation order which prevented him from approaching his ex-wife, Georgina, after their relationship broke down. On the first occasion, Holyoak caused bruising to Georgina’s leg when he kicked her as she collected the couple’s two children from ...

Four men have admitted causing a public nuisance after police were called to an illegal rave. Kyle Perrot (19), of Nursery Close, Long Sutton, Ashley Box (20), of Daniels Crescent, Long Sutton, Luke Onslow (22), of Gedney Drove End, and Sam Curtis (22), of Gate House, King’s Lynn all pleaded guilty to a charge of public nuisance when they appeared ...

Former South Holland District Council officer Jim Scarsbrook will feature in the election results in May. But instead of reading them out – as he was four years ago – he’s planning to be one of the candidates announced as “duly elected”. Mr Scarsbrook (61), who is standing for the Independent Group, was returning officer at the last count in ...

The 4th Spalding Scout Troop can buy new camping tents, tables and lamps after a £980.50 donation by Spalding Round Table. Table’s ways and means officer Jason Parnell said: “We are proud to be able to support 4th Spalding Scout Troop and help them purchase much needed new camping equipment.” The cheque was presented to scout leader Rob Buck by ...

Four men believed to be illegal immigrants from Syria have been arrested after arriving at a fruit importer and distributor on Tuesday. Police said: “Just before midday, police were called to Empire World Trade, Enterprise Way, Pinchbeck. “Four adult men, believed to be from Syria, were arrested on suspicion of entering the country illegally.” The men were due to be ...

An extremely generous reader of The Spalding and South Holland Voice has pledged £50,000 to enable Hovenden House to replace a stolen minibus. The anonymous donor called the Fleet care home after seeing our story last week. They felt moved after reading how distraught the residents were by the theft from the home’s car park of the minibus, a Y-registration ...

A campaign has been launched for a footbridge to be built next to the Winsover Road railway crossing in Spalding. It is hoped that the space left by the demolition of the former signal box last weekend could be put to good use for a bridge, which could benefit pedestrians, and wheelchair users as well as encourage more people to ...

MP John Hayes has been criticised for leading a government bill that ended the moratorium on fracking. The Green Party parliamentary candidate for South Holland and the Deepings, Dan Wilshire, has criticised Mr Hayes for leading the bill, saying: “This is irresponsible behaviour from an MP supposedly representing a rural constituency. “We have seen in America the adverse effects that ...

Five men will be sentenced next week after a series of ramraids, including ones in Long Sutton and Crowland, which netted a total of £400,000. Joseph Upton, John Smith, Albert Smith, John Christopher Smith and Alfred Stanley, all from Cambridgeshire or Bedfordshire, carried out raids at 12 banks in 2012. They used JCB diggers to smash into businesses before ripping ...

Homes in Spalding and Crowland have been the target for a spate of burglaries during Tuesday and Wednesday. Three properties were burgled in Spalding and there was also an attempted break-in. A property in Chestnut Avenue was burgled some time between 5pm on Tuesday and 7am on Wednesday (police incident 45, March 4) and a house in West Elloe Avenue was ...

“Intensive support” is still needed to improve standards at South Holland primary schools a year after almost half were found to be “requiring improvement”. During the summer of 2013, it was identified that 17 of the district’s 35 primary schools (48 per cent) needed to improve – compared to just 20 per cent in the whole of Lincolnshire. It led ...