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More than 500 jobs at a Lincolnshire food manufacturing firm are at risk after the company announced plans to close one of its factories and alter shift patterns.

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Bakkavor, which has two salads factories, two meals factories and a distribution centre in Spalding, said it had begun a consultation with those staff affected and where possible said it hoped to find alternative roles for people.

The company said the salads business had come under increasing pressure in the past 12 months and as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

In a statement, the firm said: "As a result, we have had to make some difficult decisions to ensure we can continue to remain sustainable in what remains a particularly difficult trading environment.

"We are therefore proposing to cease operating Factory 1 and change the night shift patterns within the Deli.

"We are also proposing to change how we manage operations across the site which will involve reviewing and reducing functional support roles. There are just over 500 employees impacted by these proposals.

"We believe these changes are fundamental to the future success of the site.

"If these proposals go ahead, wherever possible we will try to find alternative roles for those impacted across our other Lincolnshire sites or within the Group."

Health bosses have set out plans to make Grantham hospital a Covid-19 free site in an effort to help them clear a backlog of cases.

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United Lincoln Hospitals Trust say that from 22 June they plan to turn the hospital into a "Green site" and will temporarily close the Accident and Emergency department, replacing it with a 24/7 walk-in Urgent Treatment Centre.

The plans also mean that all patients must have a "known coronavirus status" before being admitted to any of the wards.

Under the proposal a large number of patients receiving chemotherapy or awaiting cancer surgery or other types of surgery would be transferred to Grantham, though cancer patients requiring "high dependency or intensive care" will continue at Lincoln or Pilgrim hospitals.

The Trust says the change would mean that within "2-3 weeks of full implementation there will be no waiting list for cancer surgery".

The changes are set to stay in place until at least 31 March 2021.

The Trust says says the temporary changes will allow it to "manage the pandemic in a way that best protects our patients and staff whilst delivering key services".

The boss of a Lincolnshire care provider is urging extra vigilance as coronavirus lockdown measures are relaxed so the lives of vulnerable people aren't put in danger.

Image source, St Katherine’s Care

Colin Webb, managing director of St Katherine’s Care, which is based in Lincoln and provides care to people in their own homes, says he's concerned people could become complacent and endanger others.

Mr Webb say's he's particularly worried about people who have no symptoms spreading coronavirus unknowingly - particularly to the elderly, the vulnerable and their carers.

He says: "Lincolnshire has been very lucky to have one of the lowest rates of infection in the UK, but that could well stop if visitors from outside the county start flocking to the coast or to our lovely city, or even if relatives visit their loved ones with the very best of intentions.

"We are advising families not to visit, at least for another two weeks, and even then, to meet at a distance until we know the severity of any second wave.”

Students who would normally be sitting their exams are now out working on farms across Lincolnshire.

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Worldwide Fruit, based in Spalding, has employed 30 A-level and university students to help with seasonal worker shortages during the coronavirus pandemic.

Libbi Burchnall, one of the students, says: "Since I started, I've been working mainly in the print room, so I help print off the labels for fruit boxes which we send off from the factory.

"It's been really fun for me to do. I also help out on a couple of the [production] lines as well, if they need help."

Worldwide Fruit operations director Neal Collishaw says the students have proved invaluable.

He says: "Initially, they started working in the production lines, doing manual roles and supporting the requirement for an increase in labour due to an increase in orders we received in lockdown.

"And they've progressed to other areas and offered key support to more skilled roles while people have been able to isolate."

A 17-year-old boy from Lincolnshire who died when the car he was travelling in crashed off the road has been described as a "wonderful son, brother and friend".

Image source, Family photo

Jack McLoughlin was a backseat passenger in a grey Mercedes Benz which crashed on Caistor Road, in Stainton le Vale, at about 22:45 on 3 June.

In a statement, his family said: "[Jack] was always kind to everyone and had a great love of all animals, especially his little shadow Rocky (pictured).

"He brought endless light and laughter to our family and anyone he met. He never missed an opportunity to tell his family he loved them and they were the last words we all had with him the last time we saw him.

"We will miss him more than words can say, but he is in our hearts forever and will be everywhere we are."

The driver of the Mercedes, aged 19, and another male passenger, aged 18, suffered non-life threatening injuries in the collision.

Lincolnshire Police say the car was seen in the Tealby area earlier that night with a Silver Ford Fiesta and it has been reported that loud music was being played from one or both of these vehicles.

The force is appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident, or who saw the car prior to the crash, to come forward.

Visitors will be able to visit Lincoln Castle's grounds and its Medieval wall walk again from today, following the easing of coronavirus restrictions.

Image source, Julian P Guffogg/Geograph

However, people planning to go on the castle's wall walk need to pre-book tickets online and once they're on the wall a one-way system will be in place.

A maximum capacity will also be set for the site as a whole and all the buildings there will remain closed for the moment, according to the Lincoln Castle team, external.

They say: "We really want to get this right first time. Please help us achieve this by supporting and following our new measures."

Several streets were evacuated in Boston on Sunday afternoon after what was believed to be an "old grenade" was found.

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The object was fished out of the River Witham near Sluice Bridge (pictured) at about 14:35 by someone magnet fishing.

The bridge was closed and properties within 100m of the site, including on Lister Way, Irby Street, Fydell Street, Castle Street and Union Place, were evacuated as a precaution.

Police later said the item which was found in the river "wasn't a grenade".

A Lincoln primary school which was due to reopen for some year groups from Monday won't be opening its doors after all.

The headteacher at Bishop King says the school has been risk-assessed and they've made the difficult decision to shut - for everyone - for a further week. The school has around 400 pupils.

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It's not clear why the decision's been taken, but staff hope to reopen on Monday, 15 June.

Lincoln's Waterside Shopping Centre will reopen later this month as coronavirus restrictions are eased, it's been confirmed.

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Social distancing and health and safety measures will be in place, with shoppers having to follow a one-way system and use hand sanitiser stations.

The centre's general manager, Dean Cross, says: "Our team will be monitoring the number of people who enter the centre, and we will have a queuing system in place as and when needed.

"Shoppers are asked to enter through our High Street entrance and exit via our Waterfront doors."

The centre is due to reopen on 15 June, along with 12 retailers based there.

McFly have cancelled their summer concert at Market Rasen Racecourse.

The band were due to perform on the 15 August but have called off the show because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Image source, Warren Higgins/Chuff Media

Organisers say ticket holders can get an e-voucher or apply for a refund.

A man who says he was subjected to racist abuse while at school in Lincolnshire says his former school have offered to meet him.

Tre Jean-Marie, a former Spalding Grammar School student, claims he was laughed at for his black heritage and accused of theft because of his skin colour.

Image source, Tre Jean-Marie

The 27-year-old says he was inspired to write to his former school about the racism he experienced, following the death of George Floyd in US police custody.

He said: "I never really had the strength maybe to do it beforehand, but because of everything that's been going on over the last week or so and all the social media campaigns about police brutality and white privilege I guess I felt empowered."

In a statement, the school's Headmaster Steven Wilkinson said he was saddened to read about Mr Jean-Marie's experiences.

He added: "Those incidents took place over a decade ago... I am confident that this is now a very different school. The school does not tolerate racism. When it happens, we respond, and we do so strongly."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Operators of the Fantasy Island amusement park on the Lincolnshire coast could be given free rein to make some changes at the site in the hope of improving tourism in the area.

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East Lindsey District Council has submitted a notice for a Local Development Order (LDO) which, if approved, will mean the owners of the park will not have to apply for planning permission to make certain alterations.

Documents before the authority say the principal aim of the LDO is to "support continued investment on the site at Fantasy Island...and, as a result, to support the economy of this part of the district".

The authority notes there have been a “large number” of planning applications for the resort over the years “often for very minor changes”.

It adds: "This constant need to obtain planning permission, for what are often uncontentious small-scale planning applications, takes up a considerable amount of time for both the operator and the local planning authority."

The order will split the site into three zones – covering caravan sites, shopping and eating facilities and the main Fantasy Island resort – and gives each area its own limits as to what can be developed or changed without permission.

However, Fantasy Island will still have to apply for things like alcohol, live entertainment, gambling, food hygiene, site licences and fairground operation certification.

Lincolnshire's Assistant Chief Constable has defended the way the force handled a Black Lives Matter protest in Lincoln last night.

Around 500 protesters took part in the demonstration in the city centre last, which was policed by just two officers - one of those being Assistant Chief Constable Kerrin Wilson herself.

The protest was organised following the death of African-American George Floyd in US police custody last month.

Assistant Chief Constable Wilson says: "When you've got crowds of that many, it's just absolutely impractical for a police presence to go in and separate that amount of people.

"We have to police it the best way we can," she added.

Police are renewing their appeal for information after the death of a 17-year-old boy in a collision in Stainton le Vale earlier this week.

The teenager was a backseat passenger in a Mercedes Benz which left the road and crashed at about 22:35 on Wednesday night. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the Mercedes, aged 19, and a male passenger, aged 18, suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

Officers say they are now particularly keen to hear from anyone who saw a grey Mercedes Benz and another car travelling around Stainton le Vale and Tealby on Wednesday night.

Police have received reports that the cars were seen in the area with loud music playing from one or both of the vehicles before the crash took place.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A total of 300 patients have now been discharged from three Lincolnshire hospitals after earlier testing positive for Covid-19, health bosses say.

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Mark Brassington, deputy chief executive of United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (ULHT), revealed the milestone on social media.

Staff in hospitals in Lincoln, Boston and Grantham were doing a "top job", Mr Brassington added.

According to the latest government statistics, 139 coronavirus-related deaths have been recorded in total across ULHT hospital sites, while there have been 113 deaths at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust sites

Lincolnshire's hospitals now have access to four new state-of-the-art cleaning machines designed to tackle germs resistant to traditional cleaning methods - including coronavirus.

Image source, ULHT

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) has spent £80,000 on the hydrogen peroxide vapour systems.The machines release a vapour into the air which is better at getting into cracks and hard-to-reach areas than conventional cleaning methods.

ULHT Facilities Manager, Ian Hayden, says that doesn't mean staff won't be doing the normal cleaning procedures.

Lincoln's planned "Imp Trail" has been rescheduled to next year because organisers want to avoid "cluttering the street" as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

The 30 statues, all painted by artists based in the area, are part of a planned tourist route around the city which had been due to be launched this summer.

Sarah Loftus, chief executive of Lincoln Business Improvement Group, said a date hadn’t yet been agreed for when the trail would finally be launched in 2021.

However, she added it would run for "a significant period including the summer holidays" next year.

Ms Loftus said: "The new plans will make the Lincoln Imp Trail bigger, better and more fun. It will bring people back into the city and put a smile on people’s faces, when it’s safe to do so."

A 17-year-old boy has died after being involved in a crash in the Lincolnshire Wolds.

Image source, PA Media

The Mercedes Benz he was travelling in as a passenger left Caistor Road at Stainton le Vale at about 10:35 yesterday night, according to police.

The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the car, aged 19, and a male passenger, aged 18, suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Police are appealing for anyone who saw what happened, or who has dash-cam footage of the crash, to get in touch.

A large fire at an industrial unit in North Hykeham was most likely caused by "a fault within a light fitting", investigators have said.

Twenty five properties had to be evacuated after the blaze broke out at Specialist Heat Exchangers on Freeman Road at about 15:00 on Tuesday. Residents have since returned home.

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service said one of its crews had re-inspected the area last night to "ensure any hotspots at the site are fully extinguished".

At its height, the fire service said crew members in 10 fire engines were sent to tackle the blaze, with plumes of smoke visible over parts of the the town.

Nobody was hurt and everyone from the factory had been accounted for, Lincolnshire Police had added.