All 15 core libraries and a number of community hubs across Lincolnshire will remain open during the new England-wide coronavirus lockdown, it's been confirmed.

Image source, Google

But Lincolnshire County Council says they'll have to be run differently for the duration of the new restrictions.

Residents will be able to collect reserved books and use pre-booked public access computers, the council says.

Core libraries are located in Boston, Bourne, Gainsborough, Grantham, Horncastle, Lincoln, Long Sutton, Louth, Mablethorpe, Market Rasen, Sleaford, Spalding, Skegness, Stamford and Woodhall Spa.

Community hubs currently offering services are: Deepings, Welton, Pinchbeck, Navenby, Cherry Willingham, Crowland, Heckington, Sutton on Sea, Caistor, Wainfleet, Sutton Bridge, Swineshead, Bracebridge and Bracebridge Heath.

Hull Trains services are suspended from today.

Image source, Google

The firm, which runs trains between Grantham and London, has apologised to customers, saying the move was a "difficult" one to make.

In a statement, it says: "We endeavour to return to service on 3 December 2020."

Those who've already booked tickets are being asked to check the company's website for details on the refund policy.

A Lincolnshire couple are beginning today as a married couple after squeezing their wedding in just before the start of the new England-wide coronavirus lockdown.

Bride Arren Doughty and groom Matthew Roe were due to be married in three weeks.

On Sunday, they changed their plans and were instead married yesterday at St Mary Magdalen Church, near Lincoln Castle.

BBC Weather

Mist and fog patches may linger through this morning.

These will then clear to give spells of hazy sunshine through this afternoon.

A slightly cooler day.

It will stay dry and calm this evening and overnight.

Patches of mist, fog and low cloud developing through the course of the night.

Fog perhaps becoming quite dense in places:

Three more people have died in Lincolnshire's hospitals after testing positive for Covid-19.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust has confirmed the deaths today.

That means 180 people have died in hospitals run by the trust after testing positive for the virus since the start of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, a total of 143 people have died at sites run by the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Trust after testing positive for Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.

A Lincolnshire brewery says it may have to pour away 10,000 pints of beer due to the new national coronavirus lockdown.

Image source, Batemans Brewery

Batemans Brewery, in Wainfleet, owns and supplies around 50 pubs which will have to close for at least a month from tonight.

Owner Stuart Bateman says closing pubs is "not good news" during "the busiest time of the year" for the industry.

He says a last minute government announcement allowing pubs and brewers to sell takeaway alcoholic products will help, but it won't stop beer going to waste.

Mr Bateman says he's most concerned the lockdown will be extended past the current December end date.

He says the brewery will continue brewing beer in anticipation of pubs opening on 2 December, but if it's extended the situation will be "worse" and the brewery will have "to pour even more beer down the drain".

A Lincolnshire Conservative MP has defended the government's decision to impose a new England-wide coronavirus lockdown a month after scientists called for one.

MPs are voting today on the government's plans to close non-essential shops, restaurants and other facilities for four weeks from tomorrow.

Lincolnshire's director of public health, Professor Derek Ward, says the national lockdown would have been shorter if it had been imposed earlier.

But Victoria Atkins, MP for Louth and Horncastle and Home Office Minister, has defended the delay before lockdown saying "of course" the government had listened to its scientific advisors.

David Turner, 50, died in hospital three days after he fell and hit his head on a city street.

Two puppies found abandoned on a Lincolnshire beach have been restored back to health by one of the county's animal charities.

Lucky and Dodger were found abandoned on a beach at Chapel St Leonards about a year ago.

The puppies (pictured above soon after being found) had worms and parasites and had lost a lot of their fur from skin conditions.

But The Greyhound Trust took the dogs in and, after an appeal, were nursed back to health.

The dogs have now found two homes and their owners say they're happy and healthy.

A man has been taken to hospital with serious head injuries after an assault on Lincoln's High Street.

Police were called to the Madame Waffle cafe just after 21:00 last night and they found an unconscious man.

He was taken to Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham suffering from serious head injuries.

A 24-year-old man has been arrested and remains in custody, according to Lincolnshire Police.

A cordon was set up outside restaurants on the High Street earlier this morning (pictured), though it has since been lifted.

A man from Lincolnshire says he felt like "it was a crime to be black" after being racially abused at a grassroots football match.

Image source, Allan Ross

Allan Ross, from Horncastle, says he went to watch Pinchbeck United play last weekend when a man insulted him with a racial slur.

Mr Ross says despite raising concerns, he felt ignored by other supporters and the club.

He says: "You feel worthless. You feel as though it's a crime to be black. You feel ashamed. There's rage, frustration, anger. You go through every single emotion."

Gary Coombes, chairman of Pinchbeck United, says he was "absolutely disgusted" at the incident and has since banned the man responsible for the slur from attending future games.

The Lincolnshire FA, the governing body for grassroots football in the county, says it's investigating the incident.

In a statement, it says it "strongly condemns all forms of discrimination" and is working closely with local organisations to "ensure racism is eradicated from the game".

Meanwhile, Lincolnshire Police says it's aware of the incident and an investigation is ongoing.

Family and friends will not be able to visit patients in Lincolnshire's three biggest hospitals from tomorrow as the new England-wide lockdown gets under way.

Image source, Google

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT), which runs Boston's Pilgrim Hospital, Grantham Hospital and Lincoln County Hospital (pictured), says it knows the move will be "upsetting" for patients and visitors alike.

There will be some exceptions to the ban on visitors, mostly related to maternity services, the trust says.

Birthing partners will still be able to attend a birth, partners can also attend scans at 12 and 20 weeks and consultant appointments at 36 weeks into a pregnancy, the trust says.

There are also exceptions for visiting children on children's wards, for end-of-life patients and for significantly distressed patients with mental health conditions or learning disabilities.

Dr Karen Dunderdale, director of nursing at ULHT, says: "We must prioritise the safety of our patients and staff at this time.

"We hope to be able to review these restrictions following the end of the national lockdown period."

BBC Weather

A chilly start this morning. The day will be dry and fine, with plenty of sunshine.

Remaining dry this evening, and turning chilly under clear skies.

Overnight, mist and fog patches may form, persisting through till morning:

Grimsby chalk up their first victory in five League Two games with a win against new boys Barrow.

It's not long since Grimsby was the biggest fishing port in the world. How do its fishermen see the post-Brexit future?

Plans for a major extension to Lincoln County Hospital's A&E have been made public.

Image source, ULHT

The new building will be used as an urgent treatment centre and form a new entrance to the hospital's emergency department.

The proposals were announced by the government earlier in the year as part of £7m worth of improvements for Lincoln County Hospital.

A planning application has now been been submitted to City of Lincoln Council.

Family and friends will not be able to visit patients in Lincolnshire's three biggest hospitals from Thursday, it's been confirmed.

A new England-wide coronavirus lockdown starts on Thursday, during which many shops and services will be closed.

The United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT), which runs Boston's Pilgrim Hospital (pictured), Grantham Hospital and Lincoln County Hospital, announced the change earlier.

However, ULHT says there will be some exceptions to the ban on visitors, mostly related to maternity services.

Birthing partners will still be able to attend a birth, partners can also attend scans at 12 and 20 weeks and consultant appointments at 36 weeks into a pregnancy, the trust says.

There are also exceptions for visiting children on children's wards, for end-of-life patients and for significantly distressed patients with mental health conditions or learning disabilities.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Lib Dem councillors in West Lindsey refused to take part in a council leadership vote last night, because of the presence of the former leader of the authority at the meeting.

Image source, WLDC

Giles McNeill (pictured) stepped down from the leader's role last month after he was arrested in connection with a fraud inquiry.

Councillor McNeill was released on bail pending further inquiries into fraud allegations.

He has also been suspended from the Gainsborough Conservative Group.

Councillor McNeill has previously said he’s not able to comment on the matter at this stage.

Last night, opposition council members abstained during the election of a new leader.

Lesley Rollins, a Lib Dem councillor, said she was "disappointed" that Councillor McNeill was attending the meeting "considering the investigation that is currently hanging over his head".

"We would have hoped the administration would have requested he stayed away as a matter of neutrality."

In response, Councillor Steve England, chairman of the meeting, said Councillor McNeill was there "strictly in his role as an independent councillor, which he is perfectly entitled to do".

As a result of last night's vote at a virtual meeting of the authority’s full council, Conservatives Owen Bierley and Paul Howitt-Cohen were elected as council leader and deputy leader.

A total of 50 workers at the Moy Park factory near Sleaford have tested positive for Covid-19.

The number of people testing positive for Covid in Lincolnshire has dropped ahead of Thursday's national lockdown, Lincolnshire's director of public health says.

Image source, Reuters/Phil Noble

The average infection rate in Lincolnshire, up to and including 2 Nov, was 163 positive cases of the virus per 100,000 people.

In comparison, on 30 October, the infection rate in the county was 182 per 100,000.

Professor Derek Ward, Lincolnshire's director of public health, says Lincoln currently has the highest rate of the virus in the county at 225 people per 100,000.

The latest figures for the country as a whole show that England's average is 225 people per 100,000.