Local Democracy Reporting Service

Lincolnshire could be the latest area of the country to completely ban the release of sky lanterns and balloons on public land.

Two authorities in Lincolnshire have already banned the activity on council-owned land earlier this year.

Both West Lindsey District Council and South Kesteven District Council said the lanterns were “impossible to control” and can pose a choking or entanglement hazard to wildlife and livestock.

Now, Lincolnshire county councillors are to discuss whether to introduce a similar ban on the authority’s land.

The measure follows the increase in popularity of releasing sky lanterns into the sky at charity events or other occasions.

Clare Fischer, from the Marine Conservation Society, said lanterns and balloons can be a “menace” to marine life, livestock and farm animals.

The charity has lobbied for local councils to introduce bans and called on the government to introduce national legislation on the issue.

There'll be some rain around in Lincolnshire to end the day.

Here's the latest forecast:

A Chinese firm has completed its takeover of British Steel.

Image source, Getty Images

Jingye Group said that the move would save more than 3,000 jobs in Scunthorpe and Teesside and it would modernise the towns' steelworks.

The firm reportedly offered £50m to buy the company after it collapsed and was placed under the control of the UK Insolvency Service last year.

Unions have said that although the deal "must be celebrated", nearly 500 workers still face losing their jobs.

British Steel employed about 5,000 people at the time of its collapse, and is the second-largest steelmaker in the country.

Jingye Group, which also makes steel, has promised to invest about £1.2bn over the next 10 years on upgrading its plants and machinery.

Police searching for a missing man along Water Street in Stamford have found a body.

Formal identification is yet to take place but it's believed to be 34-year-old David Kenwright, according to police.

He was last seen in the area on Saturday night.

His next of kin have been told, police say.

Lincolnshire Police officers are at Grantham and Lincoln stations today as part of a week-long regional crackdown on children being exploited by crime gangs.

Image source, Jonathan Thacker/Geograph

Criminal groups who move illegal drugs from big cities to smaller towns and villages are referred to as "county lines" gangs.

The operation has been organised by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit together with The Children’s Society and British Transport Police.

Insp Reid Martin from Lincolnshire Police said: "County line gangs across the UK are using the rail network to send vulnerable children to sell drugs on their behalf.

"We are here at Grantham railway station today, working with British Transport Police and colleagues from across the East Midlands to promote the #LOOKCLOSER campaign.

"This is about supporting vulnerable people and victims of exploitation, by asking members of the public and staff to, quite literally, look closer at what is around them."

Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership (LRSP) wants to introduce what it hopes will be a quick and easy way for drivers to upload dashcam footage of serious incidents.

Image source, PA Media

Some police forces in the UK, including Humberside Police, already have a website where drivers can send in video they've captured of incidents on the roads.

Now, LRSP says it wants a similar system to make it as straightforward as possible to collect evidence.

It's hoped it'll be in place by this time next year.

An exhibition about the UK's first warranted female police officer has opened in Lincolnshire.

Image source, Courtesy of Lincolnshire Police

Edith Smith was given her warrant card in 1915 with Grantham Borough Police after she had volunteered following the outbreak of World War One.

The exhibition at Grantham Museum was opened on Sunday to coincide with International Women's Day.

It will be a cloudy but dry afternoon in Lincolnshire.

Here's the latest forecast:

Marcin Stolarek's body is thought to have been moved from where he was killed to a drainage channel.

The new chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons is from Lincolnshire.

Reverend Canon Tricia Hillas was born in Kuala Lumpur and grew up in Skellingthorpe, with her family still living in Lincolnshire.

Her duties as chaplain will include joining the Speaker’s procession and conducting daily prayers in the Commons chamber when the house is sitting.

Her new role also involves providing pastoral care for members and staff of the Palace of Westminster – and includes being Priest in Charge of St Mary at Hill in the City of London.

World champion Justin Judge, from Skegness, says he "takes a bit of stick" at work.

Lincolnshire Police have been accused of "victim blaming" over advice given to women in the wake of a spate of sexual assaults.

Image source, Google

The Lincoln Labour Party Women's Group wrote to Lincolnshire's Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones criticising the force and calling on him to "ensure that the streets are safer for women".

In the letter, external, sent yesterday to coincide with International Women's Day, Lincoln Labour Women's Officer Val Moore said Lincolnshire Police's suggestion it was "sensible" for women not to walk alone in the dark or in unpopulated areas was "wholly unacceptable".

She said: “Attitudes to sexual assault in the form of stereotyping and victim blaming are prevalent and widely recognised as barriers to reporting this type of crime.

"Women are right to protest against the inference that they should be held responsible for the actions of their assailants and that by being in a certain area at a certain time of the day/night a woman has somehow ‘put herself at risk’."

Responding to the comments Mr Jones said he was "wholly committed" to improving and developing services to both protect women and help victims to "recover and heal".

Meanwhile Lincolnshire Assistant Chief Constable Kerrin Wilson said the force had posted the "preventative message" as a particular offender was targeting a specific area of Lincoln.

She said the message was the same as would be put out "if a particular street or estate was being targeted by a burglar".

Lincoln United manager Steve Housham and his assistant Nathan Jarman have left the club with immediate effect, it has been announced.

Image source, PA Media

In a statement, external the club said that due to financial reasons Housham (pictured above) and Jarman had decided to leave the club as they were finding it "increasingly difficult to recruit the players they felt they needed to be competitive".

Club chairman Ian Beaumont said: "We would like to thank Steve and Nathan for all their efforts".

The side are currently 18th in the Northern Premier League South East Division.

BBC Business News

A Chinese firm is set to complete its takeover of British Steel later today.

Image source, Getty Images

Jingye Group previously said that it would save more than 3,000 jobs in Scunthorpe and Teesside and modernise the towns' steelworks.

The firm reportedly offered £50m to buy the company after it collapsed and was placed under the control of the UK Insolvency Service last year.

Unions have said that nearly 500 workers could still face losing their jobs.

British Steel employed about 5,000 people at the time of its collapse, and is the second-largest steelmaker in the country.

Jingye Group, which also makes steel, has also promised to invest about £1.2bn over the next 10 years on upgrading its plants and machinery.

Jingye's chief executive has described the deal as a "new chapter in British steelmaking".

Lisa Gallagher
Weather presenter, BBC Look North

It's going to be a dry and bright start to the day for most of us with a good amount of sunshine.

But, by mid-afternoon, we will see a band of rain sweep in from the west and that is set to hang around for the rest of the day.

Temperatures will get up to about 11C in places:

Breaking news, sport, travel and weather updates from across Lincolnshire.

A man has died several days after he was seriously assaulted near a pub in Grantham.

Danny Maguire, 34, from Nottingham, was taken to hospital following the attack near the Kings Arms in Westgate on 28 February.

He suffered a serious head injury and died on Friday, police said.

Luke Templeman, 27, of Launder Terrace in Grantham, was charged with causing grievous bodily harm on 1 March and remanded in custody.