A judicial review into the decision to close Grantham's A&E unit temporarily will be heard in the High Court today.

Image source, Google

The hospital was turned into a Covid-free site last year.

Campaigners claim the United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust decision was unlawful and it meant patients being forced to travel further from home during the pandemic.

The trust says the closure is only a temporary measure taken due to the coronavirus pandemic.

BBC Weather

It will be a fairly cloudy and cold day in Lincolnshire today.

Tonight, it will turn dry and the low cloud looks set to persist for much of the night:

The list of places in England receiving funds is dominated by the north west, Yorkshire and Midlands.

PA Media

The Humber region will be one of eight sites in England where a freeport will be located, it has been confirmed.

Image source, Reuters/Peter Cziborra

Pledged in the Conservative Party 2019 manifesto, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced in his Budget speech that the Humber region as well as East Midlands Airport, Felixstowe and Harwich, the Liverpool City Region, Plymouth, Solent and Thames and Teesside are all set to benefit from the post-Brexit status.

Mr Sunak said the "special economic zones with different rules to make it easier and cheaper to do business" would come with simpler planning, cheaper customs - with favourable tariffs, VAT or duties - and lower taxes, with "tax breaks to encourage construction, private investment and job creation".

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Stephen Barclay, quizzed about freeports by MPs last month, said he had expected the locations to be announced in "the spring", with the first freeports "ideally operational by the end of the year".

The freeport model works by allowing companies to import goods tariff-free and only paying once it is sold into the domestic market, or exporting the final goods without paying UK tariffs.

Further announcements are still expected on freeports within the devolved administrations, with the manifesto committing to creating 10 in total in the UK.

BBC Weather

Tonight will be cloudy with the risk of a few scattered showers.

However, it should stay largely dry.

A cold night with light winds, and some mist or fog patches:

Police have released a CCTV image of a man they are trying to locate in connection with the theft of a purse at a shop in Grantham.

Image source, Lincolnshire Police

The purse was taken from the handbag of a woman, in her 70s, while she was shopping in Lidl at Watergate just after 16:00 on 5 February.

The purse contained a Covid-19 vaccination card, bank cards and cash. One of the bank cards has been used to make online purchases.

Officers said they wished to speak to the man (pictured) who they believe may have information relating to the theft.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

North Kesteven District Council has unanimously approved a £4.95 annual council tax increase for 2021-22 - a rise of just under 10p a week.

Image source, PA Media

This means residents in a Band D property will pay £174.60 annually for the district council’s precept share, up from £169.65 the previous year.

This 2.92% increase in council tax was given the go-ahead in Tuesday evening’s full council meeting.

Council leader Richard Wright said: “The council’s financial plan underpins all we do as a council and projects a positive yet cautious future."

He added that the “relatively small” council tax increase “will ensure the council continues to deliver its services and invest in a future that will provide a clean environment, and invest in the economy.”

North Kesteven is expecting to receive approximately £1.5m in grant support for 2020-21, which will still leave an expected deficit for the council’s general fund for the year of about £678,900 as of 31 December 2020. This is to be financed from the Income Volatility Reserve.

People are being urged to stick with coronavirus restrictions even if they've had their Covid-19 vaccination.

Lincolnshire Resilience Forum said it remained important that everyone continues to follow the rules:

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Boston Borough Council and West Lindsey District Council have approved increases in their parts of the council tax.

Image source, Google

The Local Democracy Reporting Service says Boston Borough Council has approved a £4.95 council tax increase for 2021-22.

Band D properties in Boston will go from £192.96 to £197.91, a 2.57% rise.

Meanwhile, West Lindsey District Council has approved a £5 council tax rise as part of its budget for 2021-22.

The move is a 2.3% rise and the maximum allowed without sparking a referendum.

It will see the average band D property pay £222.74 to the authority.

A seal sanctuary in Skegness says it will only escape financial ruin if visitors are able to return over the summer.

Natureland has been rescuing and rehabilitating orphaned and injured seals since it was founded in 1965.

However, the attraction has been forced to close for the first time in its history due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The centre rescues up to 70 seals every year and each one costs about £2,000 to rehabilitate.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A bar owner in Chapel St Leonards has received a strict warning after police found six people drinking and dancing during what was claimed to be a business meeting.

Image source, Google

Walter Sheeran, director of Teen Spirit Limited and licence holder at Miller’s Bar in the resort, appeared before East Lindsey District Council’s licensing committee on Monday.

The committee heard police attended the premises in December after reports of loud noises, with CCTV later showing attendees drinking shots, watching football and dancing.

Lincolnshire Police said the incident showed a “clear lack of regard for the legislation” and other businesses had “chosen to be responsible” despite facing serious financial hardship.

The force had requested the bar's licence be revoked.

Defending the owner, Sarah Clover acknowledged the meeting “may have turned to more socialising”, but said those involved had been talking about business “on and off throughout”.

Ged Garner's first goal for Fleetwood helps put another dent in Lincoln's promotion bid as the Cod Army secure a 2-1 win at Sincil Bank.

Leyton Orient mark Jobi McAnuff's first game as interim manager with a 1-0 victory against rock-bottom Grimsby Town.

Cambridge lose top spot in League Two after Scunthorpe claim a 1-0 win at the Abbey Stadium.

It will be a cloudy end to the day in Lincolnshire.

Here's the latest forecast:

A pedestrian was injured in a collision involving a vehicle in Lincoln this morning.

Image source, PA

Outer Circle Road in the city was closed for an hour because of the incident, which happened at 09:40.

A male pedestrian suffered injuries which are not thought to be life-threatening, according to Lincolnshire Police.

A bar on the Lincolnshire coast which faced losing its licence for breaching coronavirus rules has been issued with a warning.

Police were called to Millers Bar in Chapel St Leonards in December and found six people had been drinking, dancing and watching football there.

The bar claimed it was a business meeting.

East Lindsey District Council says a "strict warning" has been issued to the licence holder regarding future conduct.

No further action was taken by the committee.

All Lincolnshire's Covid vaccine sites are continuing to offer people their jabs, officials say.

The reassurance comes after it was reported some people believed the major hubs were slowing down their operations.

The organisation which runs Lincolnshire's vaccination sites said due to demand and supply of the vaccine, not all its sites are open every day.

Police are trying to trace a man in connection with theft and fraud in Grantham.

Image source, Lincolnshire Police

Officers say a woman in her 60s lost her purse while out in Grantham on 14 February.

Two of her bank cards, which were in her purse, were used to withdraw about £700 from cash machines in the town.

Some of this money was withdrawn from the Esso service station in Harlaxton Road, police said.

Officers want to speak to the man (pictured) in connection with the investigation.

People without coronavirus symptoms in the Boston area are being urged to get tested at two new community testing sites in the town.

The previous facilities have now been relocated to Fenside Community Centre on Taverner Road and St Nicholas Community Centre on Fishtoft Road.

Boston continues to have one of the highest Covid-19 infection rates in the county: