Grimsby Town sign French winger Julien Lamy as a free agent on a deal until the end of the season.

New loan signing Nicky Maynard makes an instant impact for 10-man Newport County with the winner against Grimsby Town.

Saturday's League Two match between Scunthorpe United and Oldham Athletic is postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Lincolnshire health bosses say they want a slow re-opening of the country, with schools first, amid hopes of a more positive Easter.

Image source, Reuters/Eddie Keogh

They say they have been feeding back to central government the need to “make one change” first and wait two weeks in order to test the waters and monitor Covid-19.

They hope that after Easter it will be a “very different situation” with lower rates of coronavirus and a larger vaccine rollout.

Professor Derek Ward, director of public health for Lincolnshire County Council, said: “My preference would be to open the education setting first.

“My preference would be to make one change. It could be a significant change so for example, it might be opening primary schools or it might be opening primary and secondary schools.

“Do one thing. Wait for two weeks. See what the impact is on the numbers and transmission before you then go on to do anything else.

Professor Ward added: “I think after Easter, it will feel like a very different situation. We will feel a lot more positive and hopefully, lower rates and much greater vaccine rollout."

Josh Willis says he became a mental health ambassador to help those struggling to find support.

BBC Weather

Through this evening and tonight, it will become quite chilly with a few clear intervals.

However, one or two showers are likely in places.

Local mist and fog forming later in the night:

A phone box in Lincolnshire has been covered with home made green hearts:

Image source, Graeme Reynolds

Wellingore Women's Institute is behind the display on the phone box which is on the A607 between Lincoln and Grantham.

Members say it's been done in a bid to raise awareness of climate change.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Adult social care and children's services in Lincolnshire have "really struggled" as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, say service bosses.

Image source, Google

Councillor Patricia Bradwell, Lincolnshire County Council’s executive member for children’s services, said the pandemic had put "immense pressure” on departments.

She said since the outbreak began, the number of children in care had increased by 10%, with an extra 60 children needing support.

However, the number of people applying to become foster carers has continued to grow, despite a reduction in the number of families available and an increase in the number of children having to be placed elsewhere due to self-isolation requirements.

Mrs Bradwell told the authority’s leadership: “Very vulnerable adults and very vulnerable children have not been able to get out or actually live their normal lives like going to school, and young people in care really did struggle.

“We did have more children come into care...There has been a lot of fallout with the children and older people who we look after because of the way the pandemic has affected us.”

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Nearly 130,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have now been administered in Lincolnshire, latest NHS England figures show.

The weekly data released on Thursday show 127,606 jabs were administered between 8 December and 31 January – that number's up by 40,206 on last week.

The data doesn’t include the new vaccination centre at the Lincolnshire Showground that opened on Tuesday which aims to administer over 1,000 doses a day.

The Showground centre is the second largest in the county, with another at the Princess Arena Sports Centre in Boston able to handle over 1,500 vaccines per day.

The figures show show 81,663 people under the age of 80 have received their first vaccination and another 1,321 have been given their second.

Some 43,035 people aged over 80 have received their first dose, with a further 1,587 receiving a second jab, the statistics reveal.

This means 92.5% of all over-80s in Lincolnshire have received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

The site at Wressle near Scunthorpe could produce up to two million barrels of oil.

Local elections in England will go ahead as planned in May, government sources say.

Image source, Reuters

Doubts had been raised about whether it was possible to hold the ballots during the pandemic, but council, mayoral, and police and crime commissioner elections will take place.

In Lincolnshire all 70 seats on the county council and a third of the seats on City of Lincoln Council are being contested.

The post of Lincolnshire's Police and Crime Commissioner is also up for election.

The city council and police commissioner elections were postponed last year due to the pandemic.

There will be some safety measures, with voters asked to bring their own pen or pencil to mark their ballots.

In all, £70m will be made available to make polling stations Covid-secure.

Masks will be compulsory in polling stations and there will be divider screens and sanitiser.

BBC Weather

There'll be some rain around in Lincolnshire tonight.

Here's the latest forecast:

The number of people being treated in Lincolnshire’s main hospitals for Covid-19 is falling.

Image source, Google

However, hospital bosses say they still have no spare intensive care beds.

Andrew Morgan, chief executive at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "Intensive care unit – 31 beds open and 31 beds occupied, including 20 with Covid."

A total of just over 100 patients with the virus are being treated at Lincoln County and Boston’s Pilgrim, Mr Morgan added.

Video-sharing social media platform Tik Tok has removed a fake account claiming to be run by a Lincolnshire school.

Image source, Google

The social media platform came under fire from the head of Westgate Academy in Lincoln who said it was still online despite him asking for it to be taken down.

TikTok says it's investigated the matter and the page has been shut down for "violating rules around impersonation".

The school's head teacher James Kelwick said he was "relieved and happy" the site had gone.

Mr Kelwick had previously written to parents about the site, describing it as a safeguarding risk.

He told the BBC that the school had contacted TikTok about 12 times since the page was brought to his attention by pupils two weeks ago.

Three people have been arrested in northern Lincolnshire in connection with thefts of catalytic converters.

Officers searched three addresses in Waltham, Brigg and Grimsby on Wednesday and found and seized a total of 24 catalytic converters, according to Humberside Police.

Two men, aged 31 and 34, and a 39-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit theft from a motor vehicle.

All three have been released under investigation as investigations continue, the force added.

Sarah Ayers urges people to obey lockdown rules after losing four of her relatives to coronavirus.

A member of the public was left shocked after discovering a foot-long orange corn snake in the corner of their dining room in Lincolnshire.

Image source, RSPCA

The reptile was discovered at a house in Lincoln on 28 January and reported to the police who in turn alerted the RSPCA.

Inspector Kate Burris, from the animal charity, said she thought the snake may have escaped or been abandoned and may have been living under the floorboards of the house.

"It must have been a bit of a shock for this member of the public to find a snake inside their house," she said.

"I think it was probably the last thing they were expecting to find."

The RSPCA has appealed for anyone who recognises the animal to come forward and urged owners to ensure their pets are kept safely and securely.

The Met Office is warning snow and ice will affect most of the East Midlands over the weekend and Monday.

The yellow warning is in place from 15:00 on Saturday until 00:00 on Monday, external and it means there's a small chance of travel delays and power cuts.

The Met Office said: "Cold conditions will persist through the weekend and into the following week with some disruption from snow and ice possible."

Image source, Met Office

A head teacher welcomes the deletion of a bogus account asking pupils to send in clips of themselves.

More than £500,000 is being invested in helping keep heritage skills alive at English cathedrals.

The Hamish Ogston Foundation (HOF) has joined forces with the Cathedrals’ Workshop Fellowship (CWF) to fund 21 stone masonry and joinery trainees at sites, including Lincoln Cathedral.

It had been feared some apprentices would have to break from their studies due to a lack of money as a result of the pandemic.

Joiner Wesley Blyth, from Lincoln Cathedral works department, is one of the trainees who will benefit directly from this grant.