Drink-drive officer rehired as civilian investigator
Three bailed over Woodhall Spa mustard gas find
'May must stay' - County MPs back Prime Minister
Row over new affordable homes near Scunthorpe
Updates on Friday 6 October 2017
Now that the nights are drawing in, you're running out of excuses if you haven't sent us a lovely sunset shot from where you are in Lincolnshire.
BBC Weather Watcher Stormwind27 had a camera ready and captured these lovely dusky purples yesterday evening in Bassingham:
Want to join the BBC Weather Watchers team? It's easy! Just click this link and follow the instructions.
Alex Rhodes
BBC Local Live, Lincolnshire
Let's take a look back at one of the main stories from Lincolnshire today - the scrambling of two Typhoon fighter jets from RAF Coningsby to intercept and escort a Ryanair flight.
Early this morning, at about 05:40, Ryanair flight FR2145 set off from Lithuania where authorities then received a security alert
This alert would later turn out to be a hoax, but two "Quick Reaction Alert" jets were deployed from Coningsby to divert the plane from its intended destination of Luton to London Stansted.
People in Suffolk got a rude awakening as the Typhoons broke the sound barrier over the county at about 08:30. It was even picked up on a seismograph:
Image source, BGSThe Ryanair flight's unusual Lincolnshire-based escort was captured by a photographer as it flew over the county:
Image source, Andy LonghurstThe plane eventually landed safely at Stansted and passengers made their way out of the plane:
Image source, JZA Ryanair spokesman confirmed the security alert had been a hoax and that passengers were being transferred to their intended destination by coach.
One thing's for certain, they won't forget that flight home in a hurry...
It was announced earlier this year that thousands of people had signed a petition to produce a Red Arrows Lego Hawk jet set, external but what's the latest?
Image source, Lego
George Smith
BBC Introducing in Lincolnshire
Did you know that BBC Introducing is 10 years old today? If you're an unsigned artist in Lincolnshire it's the best way to get yourself heard on the airwaves and more.
The Pylons are a band from Lincoln who first decided to upload their music in 2013 and they've been just one of BBC Introducing's successes.
Skip forward three years from that first contact with the BBC and they appeared at Glastonbury. Have a look at their performance:
A spate of thefts from trade vans has been reported across Lincolnshire in the past two months, police have said.
Image source, Lincolnshire PoliceBetween 1 August and 12 September this year 50 offences were reported in the county, according to the Lincolnshire force.
Thieves are targeting vans overnight and stealing valuable tools.
Insp Pat Coates says they're unsure why there's been a rise:
Quote MessageThere's been an increase nationally and we've seen it in the last six weeks. We don't know of any specific reason why, but obviously these tools are valuable and there's a market there."
Insp Pat Coates, Lincolnshire Police
BBC News Travel
Just a reminder that Northern rail staff go on strike again tomorrow, affecting journeys out of Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire.
Image source, NorthernMembers of the RMT union are involved in a long-running dispute over the roles of guards and driver-only trains.
They also walked out yesterday.
The sale of the Humberston Fitties chalet park will go ahead after North East Lincolnshire Council voted not to delay the deal.
A motion to stop the sale of the park to residential park operator Tingdene had been put forward by Councillor John Fenty yesterday, who said residents' concerns weren't being addressed.
But the council has voted not to abort the sale.
In March, Tingdene was announced as the preferred bidder to take over the leasehold of the chalet park.
Humberston Fitties, near Cleethorpes, consists of over 300 chalets held on leases from the council.
Alex Rhodes
BBC Local Live, Lincolnshire
As we told you earlier, two people been arrested on suspicion of possession of noxious substance after the discovery of canisters full of mustard gas near Woodhall Spa.
You probably heard of it during history lessons at school, but what exactly is mustard gas?
Image source, Science Photo LibraryIt was first developed in the early 19th century, but rose to infamy during World War One where it was first effectively weaponised and deployed by Germany at Ypres, Belgium, in 1917.
The Allies would follow suit and develop their own version.
Exposure to mustard gas results in blistering to the skin and lungs and while it can prove fatal it served more as an incapacitator during the war.
About 185,000 British and Empire service personnel were listed as gas casualties by the time the conflict came to end.
The use of mustard gas in warfare, along with other poisonous gases and biological weapons, was banned in 1925. However, its production and stockpiling was not
That perhaps offers some explanation as to why the canisters have been found near Woodhall Spa - an air station and army base were established there as late as the 1940s.
Despite the ban, it has been used in conflicts since. Under Saddam Hussein, Iraq used it against Kurds in the north of the country - and there is evidence so-called Islamic State has used it as well.
A mother-of-four forged her ex-husband’s signature to obtain a £20,000 bank loan, external, Lincoln Crown Court has heard.
Image source, The Lincolnite
Hope Bolger
BBC Local Live, Lincolnshire
A second person has been arrested following the discovery of mustard gas canisters near Woodhall Spa.
A woman has been arrested under suspicion of possession of a noxious substance, police have confirmed.
It comes after the arrest of a 38-year-old man from Lincoln under suspicion of the same offence after the cannisters were found at Roughton Manor Woods at the weekend.
Police have also now released this image of the gas containers:
Image source, Lincolnshire Police
David Sykes
BBC Local Live, Lincolnshire
As we told you earlier the two bottle diggers who found the mustard gas canisters were taken to hospital with minor burns and breathing problems.
The police say that while the area is now completely sealed off from the public you should see your doctor if you've been there recently and are experiencing health problems.
Quote MessageThe scene is secured and we're asking people to stay away from the wooded area. Anyone who's been there in the last few days and it experiencing any symptoms, they should report them to their GP.
Superintendent Phil Vickers, Lincolnshire Police
Paul Hudson
Weather presenter, BBC Look North
Cloudy with a risk of some patchy rain in places, but many places dry.
The fresh southwest winds will pick up as we head into the evening.
An elderly couple in a rural part of North Lincolnshire say they've been broken into over 40 times over four decades.
Sylvia and John live in the Isle of Axholme and say they feel helpless and thieves have taken everything they had.
Earlier this year it was revealed crime in rural areas costs people across the UK nearly £40m every year.
Alex Rhodes
BBC Local Live, Lincolnshire
Here's the latest from the Lincolnshire newsroom:
David Sykes
BBC Local Live, Lincolnshire
An area near Woodhall Spa where mustard gas canisters were found at the weekend is popular with dog walkers and scout groups, local residents say.
Bomb disposal teams were called to the site at Roughton Manor Woods on Sunday following the find.
Two people were left needing treatment in hospital for minor burns and breathing problems after discovering the canisters.
A man's been arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a noxious substance.
I've been talking to local residents who say the woodland, which remains cordoned-off today, is a popular area, especially during the summer months:
Quote MessageLots of people go to the woods. I see dog walkers all the time. Most weekends during the summer the scout camps are there and I'm sure they'll poke around a bit, so it is worrying."
Kim Appleton, Resident
More images have been released after the "hoax" security alert, which saw a Ryanair flight from London Luton Airport escorted to London Stansted by jets from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire:
Image source, JZA passenger, external has been tweeting updates and says "everyone now on buses".
Image source, JZAt one point there were "around 20-25 fully armed officers" by the plane and an "an air stewardess told me that bomb threat was made on plane whilst the plane was still in Kaunas," he said.
Image source, JZEssex Police has issued a new statement after a Ryanair flight bound for Luton was diverted to Stansted Airport, earlier.
The flight from Kaunas, Lithuania, was escorted by RAF Tyhoon jets after a "suspected hoax security alert".
Officers now say nothing suspicious was found on the aircraft.
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Two fighter jets which flew from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire this morning to intercept a Ryanair flight at the centre of a suspected "hoax" security alert were flown by pilots from crews on "QRA" - or Quick Reaction Alert.
Image source, Andy LonghurstQRA Squadrons are based at RAF Coningsby, covering the south of the country, and RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, to cover the north.
The crews can take off within minutes to intercept aircraft which have caused concern.
This can be because they are Russian military aircraft, or civilian planes which have stopped communicating with air traffic control, are not following their flight plan or have sent an emergency signal.
Sometimes, as happened over Suffolk this morning, pilots are given permission to fly at supersonic speeds, which may result in a sonic boom, to reach the aircraft as soon as possible.
QRA aircraft were launched on 12 days in 2015, eight in response to Russian aircraft and four to investigate other planes, Ministry of Defence figures show.
If you're just joining us, here's a look at the timeline of this morning's events after a passenger jet bound for Luton was diverted to Stansted Airport under escort from two Typhoon fighter jets from RAF Coningsby:
05:40: Ryanair flight FR2145 - a Boeing 737-800 (twin-jet) - departs Kaunas International Airport in Lithunia, 10 minutes later than scheduled.
08:35: People in Suffolk report hearing a sonic boom over the county.
08:55: Flight FR2145 lands at London Stansted Airport in Essex, having been scheduled to have arrived 35 miles away at London Luton Airport at 08:10.
09:15: First reports that jets have escorted a passenger jet over UK airspace.
09:19: Essex Police confirm they are "aware" of an incident at London Stansted airport.
09:26: The RAF issues a statement confirming that it deployed Tyhoon jets from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire to "intercept a civilian jet".
09:33: A Ryanair spokesperson says the flight from Kaunas was diverted after receiving a "suspected hoax security alert", adding that passengers will be transported by coach to their intended destination of Luton.
Fighter jets from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire caused a sonic boom over the skies of Suffolk this morning as they headed off to intercept a Ryanair flight at the centre of a security alert.
The jets intercepted the passenger flight and diverted it to Stansted Airport following the suspected "hoax" security alert.
The RAF said its quick reaction alert Typhoon aircraft were deployed and safely escorted the plane to the airport near London.
The sonic boom was detected by the Elmsett seismic station at 08:38 this morning:
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