A Lincolnshire schoolboy says he wants to emulate his hero Phil Taylor after winning his first senior darts title at the age of 12.

Leighton Bennett, from Lincoln, beat a host of professionals on his way to winning the Cambridgeshire Open championship.

He's being hailed as the next big thing in the game, drawing praise from many, including Martin 'Wolfie' Adams a former world champion from Deeping St James.

Louth and Horncastle's MP Victoria Atkins is launching an initiative to help children at risk of abuse and exploitation across parts of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.

£13m of government funding will support communities across 11 councils, including North East Lincolnshire.

Ms Atkins (pictured) hopes it'll help social workers, police and nurses better protect young people.

A cashpoint at a Co-Op store in Hibaldstow, near Brigg has been ram-raided.

Image source, Co-Op

Police say they're investigating the incident on Redbourne Road in the village which happened at 04:15 this morning.

The cash machine was damaged and money was stolen from inside.

Police are appealing for witnesses.

Plans to turn a caravan park into housing for land workers near Boston have been halted.

Image source, Google

The owners of Old Leake Caravan and Leisure Park wanted to allow workers employed in the area to live on site.

They say it's because the holiday park isn't financially viable.

Councillors were split on the decision, which was recommended for approval, and in the end the plans were rejected by one vote.

A beauty contest entrant has created a dress covered in discarded plastic bottles, including some found on a beach in her home town.

Image source, Mark Cribb

Millie Margetts, 21, who is currently Miss South Yorkshire and a former Miss Grimsby, made the outfit using hundreds of bottles for the "Eco Round" of the Miss England competition.

She said she wanted to highlight plastic pollution and was inspired to create the dress after seeing the bottles on Cleethorpes beach.

"It's turned out to be amazing. I feel a sense of achievement," she said.

"We have such an issue all over the world with plastic pollution, it's all you ever see everywhere you go.

"I wanted to make the outfit bright and out there so it stands out when trying to put the message across," she added.

Government money will be spent tackling child sexual abuse and "county lines" drug dealing.

A man has been left with possibly life-changing injuries after a two car crash on Trent Bridge near Gainsborough.

Image source, James Matthew

The crash, which happened just before 07:00 this morning on the A631, involved two cars.

Police say the injured man was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary.

Officers have not confirmed if anyone else was injured in the collision.

A man has been given a restraining order for moving traffic cones outside his truck stop in Colsterworth.

Image source, Google

Albert White, 70, who owns the A1 truck stop, was arrested and charged with causing a danger to road users after he moved cones, which had been put out in preparation of a road closure.

The cones had been put out an hour earlier than scheduled, which prevented customers from using his truck stop.

A judge at Lincoln Crown Court said Mr White and the worker who was putting the cones out "nearly came to blows" after an argument.

He was ordered to keep the peace for three years or face a £500 fine.

He was also given a three year restraining order, which bans him from removing or interfering with any traffic cones or signs on the public highway.

A drone enthusiast has defended criticisms the hobby is putting horses at risk on Lincoln's South Common.

People who graze their horses on common land say the miniature aircraft fly too low and have been spooking the animals.

Dan Heard, who flies quadrocopters, says irresponsible drone users are ruining the hobby for people like him.

He says the rules mean you can fly the drones as long as you're 50m from people or animals, but not all users follow the rules.

Some children's eyes are at risk because they've never been for an eye test, according to the Association of Optometrists.

Image source, Getty Images

The association say the number of children getting tested in Lincolnshire has dropped by more than 6,000 since 2015, despite the tests being free on the NHS.

Nationally, a quarter of children have never seen an optician.

Dr Annabelle Maggee, an optician from Lincoln, says eye tests can also uncover other eye issues like lazy eyes.

If this is discovered before the age of seven, Dr Maggee says opticians can recover a a "surmountable amount of eyesight" can be recovered.

A row's broken out over the use of drones over Lincoln's South Common after people who graze their horses in the area said animals were being put in danger.

Image source, City of Lincoln Council

Drone pilots say the common (above) is an ideal place for their hobby, but horse owners argue the animals are spooked by the appearance of the aircraft in the sky.

Emma Carter, from Bransby Horses, a horse rescue centre outside the city, says it's "irresponsible" to fly near the animals.

Lisa Gallagher
Weather presenter, BBC Look North

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Lincoln City are still second in League Two after a dramatic 2-1 win over Bury at home.

The Imps scored twice in the last quarter of an hour to steal victory.

Eogham O'Connell put Bury in front in the first half.

But John Akindae scored a penalty in the 75th minute and Shay McCartan hit the second a few minutes later.

A third man has been arrested after a man died from serious head injuries at a house in Grimsby.

Image source, Google

Peter Craven, 46, died after being found in Oxford Street just before midnight on Wednesday.

Humberside Police opened a murder investigation and made a third arrest on Tuesday afternoon.

A 47-year-old man arrested on Thursday has been released with no further action. A 35-year-old man has been released on conditional bail.

The force has not yet made clear what the three men were arrested on suspicion of.

Officers continue to appeal for anyone with information to come forward.

Paul Tisdale maintains his unbeaten start as MK Dons boss after his side come from behind to draw with 10-man Grimsby.

Lee Frecklington produces a late winner as Lincoln City come from behind to beat 10-man Bury at Sincil Bank.

Dre Wilson had not been seen for four days before he was tracked down.

Some of the headlines in Lincolnshire so far today include:

• A Lincolnshire man who robbed a flat because he was stranded 15 miles from home has been jailed for nearly four years
• Tourism is worth £1.5bn to Lincolnshire, new figures reveal
• New dentists announced for Boston after it was found that most NHS dentists in the county are oversubscribed
• Boston Borough introduces thin lorries so bin lorries can fit down narrow streets
• Lincolnshire paralympian has won another gold to add to her hoard

The value of tourism to Lincolnshire has increased by 7.3%, according to the county council.

The councillor in charge of tourism, Colin Davie, says over 20m people headed to Lincolnshire in 2017, he says that figure is worth about £1.47bn to the county's economy.

Aviation heritage, the coast and Lincoln's history are among some of the main attractions pulling in punters.

The county council say it's focusing on attracting people from around the world now to keep figures rising.

A dog trapped in a car in high temperatures had to be rescued by Lincolnshire Police today.

Image source, RSPCA

Police say that the dog survived the incident, but are warning people to follow RSPCA advice (pictured) to prevent dogs becoming uncomfortable and potentially dying in hot cars.