The government's being urged to ensure a planned improvement to rail services from Lincoln will go ahead.

Image source, Virgin Trains

That's despite uncertainty over who will run the East Coast main line

Stagecoach and Virgin are pulling out of the contract and it is unclear who will be taking over.

The Conservative peer Lord Cormack, who lives in Lincoln, asked in the House of Lords if extra services to London due next year would still go ahead.

The Transport Minister Lady Sugg said she expected it to happen.

From next month rented homes in East Lindsey will have to meet new rules on energy efficiency.

Image source, PA

The district council has been given new powers to ensure properties have an EPC rating of E and above.

Up to 2,000 properties may be affected.

Humberside Police are appealing for help to find missing 36-year-old Stewart Rafferty from Cleethorpes.

Image source, Humberside Police

He is white, 5ft 9in tall, slim build and with grey hair.

He was last seen wearing a grey coat, black jumper, light brown trousers and dark brown boots with splashes of paint on them.

He may have travelled to the Norfolk area.

It is being reported that Shrewsbury Town are unhappy over the parking arrangements for the game against Lincoln City at Wembley.

The Imps are due to play at the venue next month, but it's being claimed Lincoln City have taken all the parking spaces.

One alleged victim claims he was paid just £10 a day for 15 hours' work paving driveways.

If you're hoping to catch the train to Lincoln's big match next month, tickets are selling fast.

The Toys R Us chain is shutting all its 100 stores including the site in Lincoln after going into administration.

Image source, Google

No buyer has been found for the business.

It's emerged that 3,000 jobs are expected to be lost nationally by the end of next month.

One of North East Lincolnshire's longest-serving councillors and former Mayor Mike Burton has died following a short illness.

Image source, North East Lincolnshire Council

He was elected as a member of Immingham Town Council in 1966, had served as the Mayor of Immingham three times and as a borough councillor since 2011.

He took on the role of Mayor of North East Lincolnshire Council in 2012.

Here are the top stories from the Lincolnshire newsroom this lunchtime:

• Some parents say they're worried that proposed changes to special schools could have the effect of "diluting" their child's education.
• Boston Borough Council has apologised for not collecting rubbish in parts of East Lindsey.
• North East Lincolnshire's GPs are urging patients to make sure they have enough medicine, following reports that more severe weather is expected.

Alina Jenkins
BBC Weather

It should be a dry afternoon in Lincolnshire with some sunny spells. Here's the latest forecast:

Councillors have approved plans to turn a house into a visitor centre for Mrs Smith's Cottage in Navenby.

Members of North Kesteven District Council's Planning Sub-Committee approved Jeffery Kenyon's proposals for the centre at 3 Blacksmith Mews, with 17 voting in favour and just two abstaining.

Image source, North Kesteven District Council

The cottage is named after Hilda Smith who lived there for seven decades until she died in 1995, aged 102.

It is a preserved example of a simple, early Victorian, Lincolnshire cottage offering a glimpse into a bygone era, with walls only a single brick thick and the only modern innovations an inside toilet, cold water tap and electricity.

North Kesteven District Council successfully applied to the Heritage Lottery Fund, with almost £600,000 being awarded to repair the building in 2016.

The venue should reopen in 2019.

Developers behind 198 homes in Branston have successfully applied for a reduction in the amount they will have to pay to provide off site recreation facilities and open spaces in the village.

Image source, Google/BBC

Councillors on North Kesteven District Council's planning committee approved Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd's request to cut financial contributions from £270,288 to £183,600, a drop of nearly £90,000.

The reduction in funding is possible due to the adoption of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan, which has different requirements compared with the previous 2007 North Kesteven Local Plan.

North East Lincolnshire’s GPs are urging patients to make sure they have enough medicine, following reports that more severe weather is expected in the coming days.

Those who have repeat prescription are being advised to pick them up now, while the weather is still mild.

Fresh wind and snow is forecast over the next few days, with temperatures expected to drop.

The North East Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group says it's important that vulnerable and older people stay warm indoors.

A service is taking place today to mark the return of an antique donation box which was stolen from Boston Stump.

The large wooden box, which dates back to the seventeenth century, was taken from the church in November.

It was eventually found in a skate park but was badly damaged.

It's now been restored.

Boston Borough Council has apologised for not collecting rubbish in parts of East Lindsey.

Some homes have been waiting nearly a month for theirs to be emptied.

The authority says it faced an acute resource problem while trying to catch up with services after the snow.

Young drivers across Northern Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire are learning how to stay safe on the region's roads through virtual reality.

Road safety officers use immersive education to teach youngsters on how to stay safe on our roads.

They're going into schools and colleges and say the headsets are proving invaluable.

Hull Trains, external has published a list of which services are running normally and which ones have been cancelled or amended today.

Eight journeys have been cancelled and four will run as normal.

The company says some of its trains have been damaged by recent bad weather.

Image source, Hull Trains

Some parents in Lincolnshire say they're worried that proposed changes to special schools could have the effect of "diluting" their child's education.

Image source, Alexa Howard-Chalmers

The County Council wants to stop students with special needs from travelling long distances.

It could mean that they're sent to schools closest to them.

Alexa Howard-Chalmers says it could affect her Autistic son's school and is concerned his education will suffer as a consequence.

Over five thousand people have signed a petition opposing changes but the authority says they are needed.

Alina Jenkins
BBC Weather

What a beautiful start to the morning!

Here's my full weather forecast:

The Environment Agency says it's continuing to monitor the impact of pollution on the River Witham.

Tens of thousands of fish died last week and high levels of ammonia were found in the water.

The source has been identified but not revealed.

The Agency says it will consider restocking the river once the investigation is complete.