Vandals who have sprayed graffiti on signs and markings in Spalding aimed at helping social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic have been slammed by the local council.

Image source, South Holland District Council

Several signs and markings on footpaths in Spalding town centre have been vandalised (pictured), according to South Holland District Council.

Councillor Gary Taylor says: "Any anti-social behaviour such as graffiti is mindless, but to vandalise street markings and signs whose sole purpose is to protect lives and livelihoods is abhorrent to all rational people."

Lincolnshire Police says its officers are investigating.

A Lincolnshire MP is calling on the government to ease coronavirus restrictions as quickly as possible, saying: "We needn't have locked down the entire economy."

Image source, Parliament

It comes after research from De Montfort University suggests that some parts of the country never needed to be shut down.

The government is said to be considering reducing the 2m social distancing rule, and allowing more of the economy to reopen from 4 July.

The Conservative MP for Gainsborough, Sir Edward Leigh, says it's now becoming clear that the government's approach of locking down the entire economy may have been unnecessary.

Animals at a Lincolnshire wildlife park could have been put down if the site hadn't been allowed to open again as coronavirus restrictions were eased, its owners say.

Like many zoos, the Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary and Wildlife Centre, has struggled during the lockdown because it relies so heavily on income from visitors.

Unlike many businesses, its owners couldn't furlough staff because the animals in their care still needed looking after.

Last week, the government allowed open air attractions to open for the first time since lockdown, but it's taken many at least a week to prepare:

Dennis Drew, who runs the centre, says if they ran out of money they may have been forced to put some of their animals down.

But he says the decision to open is fraught with safety issues which other businesses don't have, because animals like lemurs, gibbons and otters are susceptible to Covid-19:

The owners of Go Outdoors, which has two stores in Lincolnshire, say they are preparing to call in administrators as the coronavirus pandemic pushes High Street retailers to breaking point.

Image source, Go Outdoors

JD Sports, which owns Go Outdoors, said in a statement it had looked at the options for Go and had decided to start the administration process.

The chain, which employs about 2,400 staff, specialises in camping equipment, bikes and clothes.

It has 67 stores across the country, including in Scunthorpe and Lincoln.

The coronavirus pandemic has ramped up pressure on the firm.

The Manchester-based JD Sports group bought Go Outdoors in 2016 for £112m.

But the chain has been struggling in recent years, and forced store closures under the coronavirus lockdown have further exacerbated the firm's problems.

The company said, external it had filed a notice of its intention in court, a move that protects the company from legal action and its creditors for ten days while an administrator is found.

A man claiming to be a police officer has burgled the home of a "vulnerable" woman in Lincoln after forcing his way in to the property.

Image source, Google

The man, who was dressed in black and wore gloves, knocked on the door of the woman's house, in Laughton Crescent, on the Ermine estate, at about 22:30 on Saturday night.

He said he was a police officer investigating recent burglaries in the area and, after she asked for identification, he broke the door chain and knocked the woman to the ground.

The thief rifled drawers and stole the woman's plum-coloured handbag, containing a small purse with a a small amount of money in it.

The victim, who's 56 and who has a medical condition and mobility issues, was left "distressed and shaken" but not seriously hurt, according to police.

The suspect is described as white, about 30 years old and about 5ft 10ins tall.

Det Insp Jenny Waddington said: "This was an awful incident. The victim has had the comfort of the safety of her own home invaded."

Anyone who saw a man acting suspiciously in the area on Saturday night, or who received a knock at the door, is being asked to contact police.

No unplanned emergency admissions will be made to to Grantham Hospital from today as the site moves towards becoming a coronavirus-free zone.

The plan to turn parts of the site into a Covid-free site, including temporarily downgrading its A&E to a 24-hour urgent care walk-in centre, were approved by health bosses earlier in June.

Unplanned admissions and people needing daytime A&E will now instead be directed to Boston Pilgrim Hospital and Lincoln County Hospital.

Grantham Hospital restricted its A&E opening hours in August 2016 due to a shortage of doctors, and some have seen the latest move as a further threat to services.

However, United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS trust says it will reduce the risk of coronavirus getting on site and and protect vulnerable patients.

Thousands of chemotherapy sessions, cancer surgeries and elective surgeries will be moved to Grantham Hospital from elsewhere in Lincolnshire.

Health bosses say this will dramatically cut the substantial waiting list created by the coronavirus pandemic.

Do you recognise this man? Police want to speak to him in connection with a theft in Spalding.

Image source, Lincolnshire Police

A woman in her 70s was shopping in the town's Iceland shop at about 10:30 yesterday when she discovered her purse had been taken from her bag.

Image source, Lincolnshire Police

The suspect is believed to have been accompanied by a woman wearing a black face mask.

Anyone who recognises the man in the pictures is being asked to contact Lincolnshire Police.

RAF Waddington is in line for a substantial redevelopment as it prepares to receive new aircraft, including the famous Red Arrows, it's been announced.

A new aircraft hangar, mission simulator rooms, runway access and facilities for about 1,000 personnel have been announced by the Ministry of Defence.

About 240 additional personnel will be posted at the site.

The Red Arrows will be moving to Waddington as aerobatic team's current home at RAF Scampton is being decommissioned in 2022.

Police are appealing for information after a man was assaulted last night in Sleaford.

Image source, PA Media

The victim was beaten by four men who'd called at his address on Riverside Close, according to police.

The man needed hospital treatment after suffering bruising and cuts to his head.

Officers believe the four offenders used a vehicle to travel to the area.

Anyone who was in the Westgate area or on Riverside Close between 21.30 and 22:00 on Thursday is being asked to get in touch with Lincolnshire Police.

Police are warning people in Lincolnshire to be on their guard against rogue traders.

Image source, PA Media

The calls to be vigilant come after a report of suspected rogue traders in the Boston area.

On Wednesday, two men in a Range Rover visited the home of an elderly couple in the Sleaford Road area and offered to pave a small pathway.

These men were described as very persuasive, quoting a high price for the work and officers believe they may have visited other homes in the area.

BBC News Travel

The A16 Louth Bypass is currently blocked following an accident, according to police.

Drivers are being asked to avoid the area if they can:

A joint squadron involving pilots and ground crew from the Royal Air Force and from overseas has started training at RAF Coningsby as part of £35m investment at the station.

Image source, Google

Flying started this week for 12 Squadron, with Qatari pilots and crew linking up with their RAF counterparts as Qatar gets ready to launch its own Typhoon force.

It's the first time the RAF has formed a squadron with another nation since World War Two.

Lincolnshire's three Laura Ashley are reopening - but only to start their closing-down sales.

Image source, Google

The fashion and furniture chain has stores in Lincoln, Grantham and Gainsborough.

They are set to close because the company went into administration earlier this year.

A series of socially distanced drive-in concerts, including several at the Lincolnshire Showground, is to take place across the UK this summer, promoters Live Nation have announced.

Image source, Live Nation

The likes of Ash, Dizzee Rascal, The Lightning Seeds and Gary Numan, have all signed up to play at the "Live From The Drive-In" events.

Outdoor spaces in Birmingham, Liverpool, London will play host, as well as Edinburgh and Bristol - with several of the gigs being held at Lincolnshire Showground in July and August.

The 300-car gigs have been designed to provide a safe alternative to the many events that have been cancelled.

The concert series, which will also feature The Streets and Tony Hadley, will run from mid-July until September, while music venues continue talks with the government about how and when they might reopen in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

More than 400 grassroots venues are facing permanent closure, according to the Music Venue Trust, which says the situation for many concert halls is "dire".

It has warned the UK government that an immediate cash injection of £50m is needed to prevent mass closures in July, August and September.

The Lincolnshire-based Red Arrows joined their French counterparts for a flypast over Paris earlier.

Usually based at RAF Scampton, members of the world famous aerobatic team flew to France to mark a very special anniversary - before repeating the spectacle over London.

Here's just a taster of the view the Reds' pilots enjoyed while in the skies over the French capital:

A statement by Lincoln's Students' Union mirrored one put out days earlier by counterparts in Essex.

Sharon Edwards
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Lincolnshire

A Lincolnshire council is being warned its very future could be in doubt if it doesn't merge some of its departments with a neighbouring authority.

Last week, Boston Borough Council members rejected a proposal to merge some of its service departments and share a single chief executive with neighbouring authority East Lindsey.

Now, local Conservative MP Matt Warman has taken the unusual step of publicly calling for a reversal of that decision, warning a failure to do so would risk the long-term future of the authority:

All councils in Lincolnshire have seen a big fall in the amount of money they get from government over the past decade, and the coronavirus outbreak is costing them many more millions in reduced incomes.

Boston council will vote again next week.

Chris Tredwell was "shocked" to see the reptile drop from a crow's beak while walking his dogs.

The Lincolnshire-based Red Arrows have been in action over the skies of Paris.

The famous aerobatic team, whose home is RAF Scampton, flew alongside their French counterparts La Patrouille de France.

They took to the skies together to mark the visit to London of France's President Macron to mark the 80th anniversary of Charles De Gaulle's historic speech to occupied France:

Boston United now look set to take part in the National League North play-offs.

Image source, Google

It comes after a vote yesterday determined that the season has been decided on a points-per-game basis following the coronavirus lockdown.

If the decision is ratified by the FA, it will mean the Pilgrims finish third and enter the play-offs at the semi-final stage.

It's expected they'll look to play the games in around a month's time.