Lara King
North East Lincolnshire reporter

Over 7,000 new jobs and 5,000 new homes will be created in North East Lincolnshire by 2030, according to the council leader.

Ray Oxby says the council wants to look at creating more opportunities for young people to work in more skilled jobs like the offshore wind industry.

Mr Oxby says senior government ministers are expected to visit North East Lincolnshire soon to see how the authority works with port operator ABP and other organisations:

BBC Humberside Sport

Scunthorpe United have appointed Neil McDonald as their new assistant manager, external.

Image source, Scunthorpe United

He's come over from Irish club Limerick and had previously worked with Graham Alexander at Preston North End, where he coached the youth team.

McDonald played professional football for 15 years at Newcastle United, Everton, Oldham Althletic, Bolton Wanderers and Preston before moving into coaching.

Lucy Parry
BBC Local Live, Lincolnshire

Plans for nearly 500 new homes to be built in Louth have been turned down.

Image source, East Lindsey District Council

Metacre Limited wanted to build 480 new homes on 26 hectares of farm land off Brackenborough Road.

This morning, East Lindsey District Councillors followed a recommendation to refuse the application.

For anyone who's been experiencing problems with their Virgin broadband services, Virgin Media says the problem in Grimsby and Lincoln has now been fixed.

The firm has apologised for any inconvenience caused.

Image source, Virgin Media

Corazon Garcia
BBC Radio Lincolnshire News

Earlier, we reported that the trust which runs Lincolnshire's hospitals was on high alert due to sustained pressure on its services so far this winter.

Image source, PA

It's now emerged that United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) has downgraded the alert from its highest level, known as OPEL 4, to the lower level of OPEL 3.

OPEL 4 meant the trust was unable to deliver comprehensive care and patient safety could be compromised.

ULHT says it's seeing a high level of demand, but it's rearranging operations as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, East Midlands Ambulance Trust, which serves Lincolnshire, remains at the highest level of alert.

A helicopter search is taking place off the coast of Norfolk for a missing Lincolnshire woman.

Image source, Norfolk Police

Officers say they're concerned about the welfare of 54-year-old Carol Smalley, from Spalding.

She hasn't been seen since lunchtime yesterday.

Anyone with information about her whereabouts is being asked to get in touch with police.

An application for 480 new homes in Louth is expected to be decided on today.

Image source, East Lindsey District Council

Metacre Limited wants to build on 26 hectares of land off Brackenborough Road.

Planning officers have recommended the plans are turned down, but East Lindsey district councillors will make the final decision.

Louth Town Council is also against the plans, saying the development is too big and there are other areas in the district that could sustain the development far better.

The BBC has contacted Metacre Limited, but no-one was available to comment.

Lucy Parry
BBC Local Live, Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire's hospitals have been put on the highest possible level of alert due to sustained pressure.

At least 16 NHS trusts have been put on the most severe level of "operational pressure", known as OPEL 4, for at least an hour in their A&E department over the last week.

It means the organisation's unable to deliver comprehensive care and patient safety could be compromised.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust says it is seeing a high level of demand but is rearranging operations as quickly as possible.

It has not been made clear yet if it is still on the highest alert.

This comes after hospitals in England were told to delay tens of thousands of planned operations until the end of the month.

NHS England says the decision is necessary to ease the severe winter pressures.

BBC Radio Lincolnshire

You've only got a couple more hours to listen to BBC Radio Lincolnshire on medium wave.

The transmitter at the Swanpool in Lincoln will be switched off just after 11:00 today.

But do not fear, there are more ways then ever to listen to BBC Radio Lincolnshire.

You can find it on 94.9FM, DAB, Freeview and online.

Nicola Gilroy
BBC Look North

Children in Lincolnshire are being forced to have unsafe contact with perpetrators of domestic abuse.

That's according to a number of survivors in the county going through the family court system who say they've been forced to hand their children to abusive ex-partners without supervision.

They say they feel further victimised by their abusers through the process.

The Ministry of Justice says new guidelines have been introduced to ensure the courts take full account of the harm that can result from domestic abuse.

More on this story on Look North on BBC One tonight.

Owain Wyn Evans
Weather presenter, BBC Look North

Cloudy through most of the morning with some outbreaks of rain.

Drier this afternoon with some bright spells developing.

Here's my full forecast:

Hope Bolger
BBC Local Live, Lincolnshire

Good morning from Lincoln. Hope here, ready to bring you the latest news, sport, weather and travel updates from across the county on Thursday 4 January.

Fancy getting in touch today? You can do so by sending an email or a message on Facebook , externalor Twitter, external.

Hope Bolger
BBC Local Live, Lincolnshire

Well that's it from me today, I'll be back tomorrow with the latest news, sport, weather and travel from across the county.

For now I'll leave you with five things we've learned today:

• Work on the Boston flood barrier will begin next week
• Hospitals in Lincoln, Boston and Grantham won't impose a blanket ban on non-urgent operations - despite national advice issued today
• A police team set up to combat hare coursing in Lincolnshire has said its policy of seizing dogs is helping to reduce offences
• Work on the next phase of the Grantham Southern Relief Road is expected to begin within months after permission was granted this morning
• More than 40 people in Lincolnshire have been charged with drink-driving over the festive period, police figures reveal

Have a good evening.

BBC Radio Lincolnshire

If you listen to BBC Lincolnshire on medium wave, you need to know the service is being turned off on Thursday.

But do not fear, there are more ways then ever to listen to BBC Radio Lincolnshire.

You can find it on 94.9FM, DAB, Freeview and online.

As breakfast presenter Scott Dalton has helpfully explained:

Hope Bolger
BBC Local Live, Lincolnshire

A surgery in Spalding has been rated as inadequate.

A recent CQC report, external found the "patients were at risk of harm" and there was "insufficient leadership capacity" at the Pennygate Health Centre in the town.

The practice requires improvement in being Effective, Caring and Responsive and is Inadequate for being Safe and Well-led.

The service is being placed in special measures and will be inspected again within six months.

Sharon Edwards
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Lincolnshire

Every council in the country is being asked whether rural areas like Lincolnshire should get more government funding.

A consultation has been launched into changing how Whitehall grants are calculated in ways that would benefit rural areas.

Lincolnshire County Council leader Martin Hill says they've been lobbying for a change, which could mean millions of pounds extra being spent on services.

Over half of the money the council receives comes from the government.

A former town clerk at Crowle and Ealand Town Council in North Lincolnshire has been found guilty of theft totaling £23,428

Image source, Google

Katy Fowler, 44, stole the money from the town council between 1 January 2013 and 30 March 2017.

She'll be sentenced at Grimsby Crown Court on Friday.

Martin Slack
BBC Local Live, Lincolnshire

Hospitals in Lincoln, Boston and Grantham won't impose a blanket ban on non-urgent operations - despite national advice issued today.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust says it already has plans in place to deal with higher demand.

Routine operations are being cancelled across the country after health chiefs in England issued new guidance to help hospitals deal with winter pressures.

But managers at ULHT have told the BBC in Lincolnshire they won't need to follow the advice because their winter strategy is already in place.

They say only a small number of operations will be affected at their sites.

Meanwhile, bosses at Scunthorpe and Grimsby hospitals said they would be following the guidance with routine procedures cancelled until the end of this month.

Richard Madden
BBC Radio Humberside

Lincoln may already have them, but it seems Topshop and Topman have signed for a new 11,300 sq. ft flagship store in the city's Waterside Shopping Centre.

Image source, Waterside Shopping Centre

It forms part of a multi-million pound refurbishment plan to strengthen the centre’s role as the primary fashion destination in Lincoln.

The store will open later this year.

Vicky Johnson
BBC Look North

Managers at Scunthorpe and Grimsby hospitals have decided to postpone all non-emergency operations until the end of January to help ease winter pressures.

They say they're in the process of reviewing appointments and will contact patients directly to re-arrange their treatment where necessary.

A number of routine outpatient clinics and day cases will also be cancelled to free up staff to care for the most serious and urgent cases.

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust say they have continued with the majority of elective surgery as planned over the last two weeks, with fewer than 30 procedures cancelled.