Non-emergency patients asked to stay away from 'stretched' A&Es
Jail for Boston school caretaker after child sex offences
Missing 'vulnerable' 16-year-old boy is found
Wood yard fire at Wyberton brought under control
Rare albino seal pup rescued by Natureland Seal Sanctuary
Updates on Friday 4 August 2017
Lisa Gallagher
Weather presenter, BBC Look North
Largely dry at first with sunny periods. Showers will develop through the morning, becoming heavy for a time with a risk of hail and thunder mixed in.
Here's my full forecast:
Martin Slack
BBC Local Live, Lincolnshire
Good morning from Lincoln. I'll be bringing you all the latest news, sport, weather and travel from across the county until 18.00 today.
We love to hear from you, so get in touch by sending an email, or messaging on Facebook, external or Twitter, external.
Send in your pictures, news or info about what's happening where you are and we'll try to include it here.
Hope Bolger
BBC Local Live, Lincolnshire
That's it from me today. We'll be back at 08:00 on Tuesday with all the latest updates from where you live.
In the meantime, live news, sport and travel updates will continue right here throughout this evening and tonight.
For now, I'll leave you with five things we've learned today:
Three churches, including one in Lincolnshire, have been chosen to pilot a £3.8m scheme to solve the "national problem" of bats damaging churches.
Image source, Hugh Clark/Bat Conservation TrustThe Heritage Lottery Fund said it hoped the money would allow bats to live "in harmony" with congregations.
It added it viewed the cash as "a practical solution" to the problem.
The churches involved in the pilot are Holy Trinity, in Tattershall, Lincolnshire, Braunston All Saints, in Rutland and All Saints Church, in Swanton Morley, Norfolk.
It's turning a little cloudier now but our BBC Weather Watchers certainly made the most of the sunshine across the county this morning.
Thanks to Weather Watcher Will R for this photo in Wragby:
Image source, Will RAnd this one of the Ingoldmells coast from Weather Watcher Tredaround:
Image source, TredaroundAs ever, if you want to become a BBC Weather Watcher, just register online.
Plans to submit an ambitious multi-million pound Town Deal proposal for Greater Grimsby to central government have been approved.
The proposed Greater Grimsby deal aims to grow the local economy by £216m per year over the next 10 years, build 7,700 new homes and create up to 5,400 jobs.
Cabinet members agreed to the plans to be submitted to government in a meeting earlier today.
The deal could be a blueprint for how similar towns across the country work with the government on major regeneration projects, according to North East Lincolnshire Council.
Hope Bolger
BBC Local Live, Lincolnshire
It seems the rain didn't dampen the spirits of visitors to Mablethorpe Illuminations on Saturday.
Image source, Magna Vitae Trust for Leisure and CultureThousands of people descended on the promenade to enjoy an evening of music, entertainment and fireworks.
Quote MessageThis traditional event has been taking place for decades and is such an important event for the town of Mablethorpe. I am so pleased to see it continue to be well supported by the town and the vast array of visitors we have."
Katie-Louise Green, Event organiser, Magna Vitae Trust
Image source, Magna Vitae Trust for Leisure & CultureHe sent hundreds of texts to a "vulnerable" woman featuring "sexual references" a tribunal hears.
Read More
Harry Parkhill
BBC Local Live, Lincolnshire
A remembrance service is due to be held in Horncastle later to commemorate 100 years since the start of the Battle of Passchendaele.
In the three months of fighting in one of the bloodiest battles of World War One, half a million Allied and German soldiers were killed, wounded or went missing.
Julian Millington, from the Royal British Legion, says eight people from the Horncastle area lost their lives in this battle.
Mr Millington says tonight's event will be a fitting tribute to those who died:
Quote MessageWe've got the county chairman of the Royal British Legion and he's going to lay the wreath on behalf of the British Legion. Then the local Air Training Corps are coming with several of their members, and when the names of the fallen are read out they are going to place a cross in the garden."
Julian Millington, Royal British Legion
That service is happening in Horncastle at 19:30.
Earlier today, there was a gathering in Mablethorpe and at the war memorial on High Street in Lincoln to mark the anniversary:
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Maggie Curtis
News Editor, BBC Radio Lincolnshire
Lincoln's ice rink will not return festive period, it's been confirmed.
Image source, Lincoln BIGThe contractor who provided the rink is no longer able to offer the service and other providers proving too expensive, according to Lincoln Business Improvement Group (BIG)
Quote MessageEvery year the ice rink has grown in popularity and attracted more skaters but, despite this, we have always had to subsidise its cost. If we had a rink this year, the level of subsidy would have to increase significantly and we simply cannot sustain that."
Matt Corrigan, Chief executive, Lincoln BIG
Adults in North East Lincolnshire will soon benefit from new funding from NHS England for what are known as "integrated psychological therapies".
The health body says people with common mental health problems like anxiety disorders and depression often also have physical long-term conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.
By treating mental and physical health problems in an integrated way, the organisation says people can achieve better results.
The funding is part of NHS England's Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, external.
Hospital bosses say staffing shortages are likely to cause problems for up to a week.
Read MoreHope Bolger
BBC Local Live, Lincolnshire
A Sincil Street trader says footfall in the area has dropped dramatically during the work on the Cornhill redevelopment in Lincoln.
The multimillion-pound project aims to regenerate the Cornhill Quarter of the city, external in conjunction with the work being done on the Transport Hub, external.
But Rick Futter, from Cafe 44, says people are being put off from coming down to that area of town during the work:
Quote MessageYou've not going to be able to help the upset and unfortunately sometimes you see yourself as collateral damage. I think it's the fact that you're in a very precarious position and the stability seems to have gone in terms of us as traders, none of us really know where we stand."
Rick Futter, Cafe 44
Developers Banks, Long and Co say they are "committed" to supporting the traders in the area throughout the rejuvenation programme:
Quote MessageWe meet regularly with the traders, Lincoln Business Improvement Group and City of Lincoln Council to discuss the development programme. We've also put on a number of events designed to attract people to the area."
Spokesman, Banks, Long and Co
The Lincolnshire men who died in one of the bloodiest battles of the first world war are being remembered across the county.
Image source, Getty ImagesIt's 100 years since the start of the Battle of Passchendaele in which half-a-million Allied and German troops were killed, wounded or went missing.
Charles Chambers, from Ulceby, was killed on the first day of action in what went on to be a three-and-a-half month campaign.
He's been remembered at the Mablethorpe War Memorial and George Prideaux has told us his story:
Quote MessageHe was sent to the 18th Battalion the Manchester Regiment and they were moved into position ready for zero hour on the night of the 30th and he was killed by enemy artillery fire. His body was never found and his name's one of those names on the Menin Gate memorial."
George Prideaux
Barbara Stimpson
BBC Radio Lincolnshire News
Our top stories this afternoon:
Barbara Stimpson
BBC Radio Lincolnshire
Lincoln's Tug-of-War Club has won the bronze medal at the World Games in Poland.
Image source, Lincoln Tug-of-WarThe Lincoln team represented Great Britain in the men's 700kg competition.
The team's now preparing to pull for England at the European Championships in September.
Harry Parkhill
BBC Local Live, Lincolnshire
Two GP practices in Boston are proposing to merge and are asking for people's views on the plan.
Stuart House Surgery and Westside Surgery plan to join and want their registered patients to share their opinions during a two-month consultation, external.
The proposed merger would not result in any change to the combined practices' opening hours and patients will still be able to see their preferred GP, it's being emphasised.
The new practice would also be based on the site of the existing practices.
Dr Peter Holmes, from Stuart House Surgery, says by coming together they can be more flexible in managing increased workload.
Dr Holmes says the move has only come after "careful consideration" and the two practices believe it's "the most effective way to ensure a sustainable and resilient future":
Quote MessageWe think that by merging our two practices we will be able to support our vision of general practice to deliver sustainable healthcare to our patients, protect the provision of a local GP service and provide continuity of care."
Dr Peter Holmes, GP and Senior Partner, Stuart House Surgery
Sharon Edwards
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Lincolnshire
A Lincolnshire Police officer has been sacked after sending 507 text messages to a "vulnerable, older woman", a special case hearing has heard.
Image source, Lincolnshire PolicePC Julian Minton (pictured) sent "unduly familiar" texts to the woman between October and November 2016 after coming into contact with her when responding to her complaint of anti-social behaviour.
They included a "significant number of sexual references and innuendo", said David Ring, representing Lincolnshire Police.
The 55-year-old officer also admitted gross misconduct in relation to a second victim who he first came into contact with in September 2011, when he met her as a possible victim of domestic harassment.
He sent her personal text messages which made her feel he was trying to pursue a relationship, the hearing heard.
PC Minton told investigators that he accepted the texts were inappropriate but denied he was attempting to pursue a sexual relationship with the recipients.
Jon Hassall, from Lincolnshire Police Federation, representing PC Minton, said the officer had been experiencing "domestic and personal difficulties".
In a statement read on his behalf, PC Minton said he was sorry for letting himself, his family and Lincolnshire Police down and he apologised to the two women.
In delivering his decision to dismiss PC Minton, Chief Constable Bill Skelly said the two women were "vulnerable", and that it was "wholly" unacceptable for a police officer to abuse his position to pursue a relationship with a member of the public.
Two men have scaled the Humber Bridge a day before tighter security measures were installed following a previous climb two months ago.
The young men tried to climb the top of the bridge, which is 510ft high, with no safety equipment, before police sirens stopped their attempt.
In May, "urban explorers" scaled the structure prompting a security review.
The Humber Bridge Board said it had completed the security upgrade on Friday, the day after the breach.
In the latest video, posted by vlogger Jay Swingler, the pair can be seen scaling a barrier and then using suspension wires as handholds before aborting the climb and running to their car.
Corazon Garcia
BBC Radio Lincolnshire
Earlier we said that the A&E at Lincoln County Hospital was likely to return to normal following problems at the weekend.
This was after hospital bosses asked people to only attend A&E at the weekend if it was absolutely necessary due to a staffing crisis.
It appears, though, that the warning is now likely to remain in place for the rest of the week.
Dr Neil Hepburn, medical director at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, has thanked the public for their patience and support so far:
Quote MessageTo provide a 24/7 emergency service to the population of Lincolnshire the department is having to take extra measures to keep services running safely. Our A&E consultants will remain resident in A&E overnight to act as coordinating doctors, alongside physicians, surgeons and paediatricians, to see patients and to arrange the appropriate investigations and treatments as quickly as possible."
Dr Neil Hepburn, Medical Director
He added that people should visit their local pharmacy or GP, or call 111.
