A seven-year-old Crowland girl is loving her new sharp short bob hairstyle – but especially because she is raising money for charity in memory of her “daddy in heaven”.

Ellie Coupland had eight inches cut off her long blonde locks yesterday (Wednesday) after growing her hair since November last year.

She said: “I had butterflies when it was being cut, but I’m still pleased I had it done. It looks nice – but it also looks different.

“I think I’m going to grow it again, though.”

Her hair was cut by Lianne Johnson at Hollywood Hair Studios and will be used to make a wig for a child having chemotherapy.

So far Ellie has raised more than £300 for Stamford Hospital’s John van Geest ward, which serves South Holland and is where her father, Phil, who died aged 40 of pancreatic cancer, was treated.

The salon also donated the price of the cut to Ellie’s charity.

Mum Claire is especially proud of what her daughter has done.

She said: “Ellie rushed through to me this morning and said ‘today is the day’.

“She loves her new style, which is great for the holidays because she doesn’t have to tie it back or get sun cream in it.

“But she says she is going to grow it again.

“I’m so proud of what she has done.

“I was pregnant when Ellie’s dad was dying with cancer, but she knows he gave her her first bottle and we had two lovely weeks together as a family.

“Since then I’ve remarried but she’s fine about that – she knows she has a daddy here and a daddy in heaven.”

“Phil didn’t want to die in hospital so he came home.

“For a carer in hospital you have the support of nurses, but at home on your own it can be terrifying.

“We want to create more homely surroundings at the ward for those who do not want to go to a hospice so families can still have the support they need, but it’s not so clinical.”

To sponsor Ellie, email claireschocolate@live.co.uk or call 07771962076

Market Deeping post office has been closed for more than a week after the sub-postmaster resigned suddenly.

The branch in Church Street did not open on Monday, with a note on the door directing customers to the office in Bourne.

A spokesman for the Post Office said: “We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by the temporary closure of the Post Office branch in Market Deeping which is due to the sudden resignation of the subpostmaster.

“We are now exploring options that would enable us to restore the service to the community as soon as possible. We would like to reassure customers that we are committed to maintaining services in the area.”

The nearest branch for Market Deeping residents is in Church Street, Deeping St James.

Spalding United and Holbeach United both made winning starts to the new UCL Premier Division season on Saturday, but Deeping Rangers were handed a home reverse by much-fancied AFC Rushden and Diamonds.

Starting at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field, Spalding shook off a sloppy first half to dispatch promoted Northampton Sileby Rangers 3-1.

Tony Batterbsy and Sam Mullarkey both had early chances saved for the Tulips, before the hosts were stunned by an impressive opener from Dan Pritchard (27). The winger took down a crossfield pass on his chest and hammered a half-volley past the helpless Michael Duggan.

Jake Gibson almost levelled just before the break when he blasted just wide, as Pat Rayment’s men began to look frustrated.

But two goals in as many changed that just before the hour, as Lee Canoville (57) and Jake Gibson (59) turned the game on its head.

Captain Canoville fired the leveller, racing forward from right back and smashing low into the near corner from 18 yards.

There was even time for Lee Beeson to blaze over from close-range before Gibson rifled the Tulips ahead. The left sider fired home a fierce rebound after Jonny Allen’s header was cleared off the line.

Battersby, named man-of-the-match by the match sponsor Vic Couzens, then headed home number three from a Beeson corner on 73 minutes to wrap up the points for title hopefuls.

Over at Carter’s Park, champions Holbeach got their title defence under way with a 3-2 victory over Harborough Town.

Glen Maddison’s side led 2-0 at the interval thanks to debut goals from Liam Tunstall and new signing Julian Joachim, but the vistors halved the deficit immediately after the restart.

Another debutant, Curt Yeatman, extended the Tigers’ lead with a stunning strike before Harborough set up a grandstand finish with a late second.

There was also five goals at Outgang Road, but hosts Deeping were edged out 3-2 by hotly-tipped Premier Division newboys Diamonds.

Jack Wisniewski put Rushden ahead early on, only for Craig Parker to mark his competitive Deeping debut with a leveller.

Two Diamonds goals from Alfie Taylor and Fazel Koriya made it 3-1 to the visitors, but a last-gasp Matt Heron header did give Rangers a sniff of a point in the dying seconds.

Down in Division One, Bourne Town were held to a 1-1 draw in their Division One opener with Thrapston Town at the Abbey Lawn.

In the Peterborough and District League, Pinchbeck United took the derby spoils as they saw off Moulton Harrox 2-1 at Knight Street in the President Premier Shield. Ollie Gedney and Jonny Butler bagged the goals for United.

Crowland Town, meanwhile, got their Premier Division season off to a solid start by drawing 2-2 with Stilton at Snowden Field.

Omar Joof’s first game as boss of Holbeach United Reserves ended in a 3-0 Chairman Champion Shield win at Ryhall United, while in the same competition Long Sutton Athletic saw off ICA Sports Reserves 2-0 at London Road.

Also in the Chairman Champion Shield, Moulton Harrox Reserves were thrashed 9-2 at Ketton and Sutton Bridge United went down 4-1 at home to Peterborough Sports Reserves.

More football in Tuesday’s Lincolnshire Free Press.

RESULTS

• UCL Premier Division: Boston Town 1 Cogenhoe United 3; Deeping Rangers 2 AFC Rushden & Diamonds 3; Desborough Town 1 Huntingdon Town 1; Holbeach United 3 Harborough Town 2; Long Buckby 3 AFC Kempston Rovers 3; Peterborough Northern Star 3 Newport Pagnell Town 0; Spalding United 3 Northampton Sileby Rangers 1; Wellingborough Town 1 Wisbech Town 3; Yaxley 4 Stewarts & Lloyds Corby 1.

• UCL Division One: Blackstones 0 Potton United 3; Bourne Town 1 Thrapston Town 1; Buckingham Town 0 Peterborough Sports 2; Burton Park Wanderers 3 Olney Town 1; Eynesbury Rovers 3 Northampton Spencer 2; Harrowby United 2 Irchester United 2; Lutterworth Athletic 2 Wellingborough Whitworth 0; Raunds Town 1 St Neots Town Saints 1; Rothwell Corinthians 0 Oadby Town 2; Rushden & Higham United 2 Northampton ON Chenecks 2.

• Peterborough & District League: Premier Division: Crowland Town 2 Stilton Utd 2.

• President Premier Shield: Netherton United 9 Whittlesey Blue Star 0; Oakham United 1 Coates Athletic 2 (AET); Peterborough ICA Sports 2 Ramsey Town 1; Pinchbeck United 2 Moulton Harrox 1; Sawtry 1 King’s Lynn Town Reserves 2.

• Chairman Champion Shield: Farcet United 2 Warboys Town 1; Ketton 9 Moulton Harrox Reserves 2; Kings Cliffe United 6 Stamford Belvedere 1; Langtoft United 3 Thorney 1; Long Sutton Athletic 2 Peterborough ICA Sports Reserves 0; Netherton United Reserves 1 AFC Stanground 2; Ryhall United 0 Holbeach United Reserves 3; Sutton Bridge United 1 Peterborough Sport Parkway Reserves 4.

• PFA Jack Hogg Charity Shield (Wednesday night): Moulton Harrox 2 Netherton Utd 4.

Spalding Town produced a wretched batting display as they suffered a heavy home Lincs ECB Premier League loss against Lincoln Lindum on Saturday, while Market Deeping held on for a losing draw against rivals Bourne.

Starting with Town, the prolific Will Wright made 71 runs to help Lindum reach a solid, but gettable, 225-6 at Spalding Grammar School.

As it turned out, the total was more than enough with Spalding slumping to 96 all out in reply. Only Warren Nel (54) made any kind of score for Rob Ambrose’s charges, who are now 32 points clear of Haxey in the race for survival.

Over at the Abbey Lawn, Bourne and Market Deeping shared something of a run-fest at the Abbey Lawn. Bourne skipper Pete Morgan (64), Matt Hawken (62) and Conrad Louth (54) all recording half centuries in their 259-9 batting first.

Chris Jones made an impressive 74 for Deeping as they reached 233-9 and just hung on to record their first draw (losing) of the season.

More cricket in Tuesday’s Lincolnshire Free Press.

• Results: Haxey 168-7, Skegness 169-3 (Lovelace 68no, Brackley 65no); Woodhall Spa 249-6 (O’Brien 113), Sleaford 251-2 (McIntosh 135no, Roberts 83no); Lindum 225-6 (Wright 71), Spalding 96 (Nel 54); Grimsby 221-8 (Crossley 64, Warwick 52), Bracebridge Heath 225-3 (Cook 125); Bourne 259-7 (Morgan 64, Louth 54, Hawken 62), Market Deeping 233-9 (Jones 74); Louth 210-6 (Ahmed 61), Hartsholme 197 (Spence 52, S West 5-52).

Empty shops on the outskirts of Spalding could be converted into homes as ministers accept change must happen.

Planning minister Nick Boles, whose office is in Bourne, has suggested councils should concentrate on retail outlets in prime locations and allow other areas to become residential.

Mr Boles said: “People’s shopping habits are changing very fast as a result of the rise in internet shopping and changes in lifestyles.

“We need to think creatively about how to help town centres thrive in this new area.

“We want to encourage local councils to concentrate retail activity into the prime shopping streets in the heart of their town centres and adopt a more relaxed approach to under-used retail frontages.”

Some £1.2million of taxpayers money was shared out between 12 towns, including Market Rasen in Lincolnshire, to inject new life into their traditional shopping High Streets.

Market Rasen Business Improvement Group (MR BIG) representatives have visited Spalding Chamber of Trade and Commerce to discuss how making changes has helped their town centre.

Chamber president Phil Scarlett said: “There’s no doubt there needs to be a reconfigeration of town centres.

“The move is towards them becoming more social spaces. Town centres will evolve – they always have.

“At the moment Spalding is fortunate to have few empty shops,”

Coun Roger Gambba-Jones said: “My concern with changing shops into homes would be waste collection. There could be a problem accessing back alleys and we don’t want to see rubbish bags going out into the streets as soon as they were full.”

Campaigners are calling for a rethink on plans to close ambulance stations in the wake of the resignation of the 999 service’s boss.

Chief executive of East Midlands Ambulance Service Phil Milligan announced last week he was stepping down from his “very demanding” job.

His decision came a month after the trust was fined £3.5million for missing national targets for patients involved in life-threatening emergencies for the third year in a row.

Unions and health watchdogs are now calling for EMAS plans to cut the number of ambulance stations from 65 to 28, on hold.

Under the controversial plans, the stations would be replaced by nine super-hubs and a number of smaller stations and community points.

EMAS said Mr Millgan had left them with “clear plans for the future”, but campaigners from the four counties covered by the trust said they want the idea postponed so discussions can be held to find a better way forward.

Colin Todd, of the GMB union, which represents ambulance workers, said: “As a trade union, our members are saying they don’t want to close ambulance stations.

“We want to improve things and that’s the key.”

He said the union was requesting a meeting with EMAS’s interim chief executive Jon Sergeant.

Coun Christine Talbot, who chairs Lincolnshire County Council’s health scrutiny committee, said: “This is an opportunity for EMAS to look again at their plan.

“Lincolnshire is a very rural county and we have huge infrastructure problems on the east coast.

“It’s not easy to get an ambulance there.”

The committee has already referred EMAS’s plans to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, following concerns about the way the trust consulted on the proposals.

Mrs Talbot added: “We’ve got to get it right this time. We can’t mess about anymore. The people of Lincolnshire deserve better.”

A company planning to demolish a pub to make way for a supermarket have promised to design the new building in a style to respect the history and character of the area.

The King’s Head in Folkingham Road, Morton, is due to be demolished before winter to make way for a branch of the Lincolnshire Co-op.

It has been empty since the pub was damaged by fire in what was believed to be an arson attack in 2007.

Lincolnshire Co-op bought the site after the fire, but the plans were put on hold as the company was told the changes they wanted to make to the building were not suitable.

Highways officers at Lincolnshire County Council also raised concerns about access to the site via the A15 entrance.

The property was put back on the market two years ago for £150,000, but did not sell.

It has deteriorated further while it has been vacant and on the advice of building control and a structural engineer, Lincolnshire Co-op has removed an unsafe window.

Michelle Scott, Lincolnshire Co-op spokesman, said: “We have received advice from building control and a structural engineer that demolition of it should be carried out before the winter.

“We have secured the site to prevent danger to the public and are now moving forward with plans to demolish.

“We hope to soon be in a position to put forward plans for a new foodstore, designed in a way that respects the history of the site and the character of the area.”

Morton and Hanthorpe Parish Council approved of the plans to demolish the structure, as long as any replacement was as close as possible to the character of the building before the fire.

The King’s Head is situated within the conservation area of Morton, but is not a listed property although South Kesteven District Council has confirmed it is identified as a “building of merit”.

The following decisions have been made by magistrates at court hearings. In all drink-drive cases the legal limit is 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood or 107 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine. Addresses of defendants published here are taken from the legal records held by the magistrates’ courts. The details are given to the court by the defendant – but this may be some time after the original charge and they may have moved in the meantime.

Spalding Magistrates’ Court

August 1

James Chinn (34), of Hatcham Road, Kingstanding, Birmingham. Assault (Spalding). Ten-week prison sentence suspended for 24 months with requirement to participate in general offending behaviour programme, £250 compensation, £80 victim surcharge, £85 costs.

Nicholas Hayes (25), of Fifth Drove, Gosberton Clough. Failed to comply with community order. £30 fine.

Glynn Jenkins (43), of North Street, Crowland. Assault (Crowland). Twelve-week prison sentence suspended for 24 months with requirement to participate in building better relationships programme, £80 v/s.

Jamie Hodnett (43), of Sandringham Walk, Spalding. No insurance (Spalding). £500 fine, £50 v/s, £50 costs, disqualified from driving for six months.

Grantham Magistrates’ Court

July 31

Cristian Bondar (38), of Fairlop Road, London. Theft of a purse (Holbeach). Twelve weeks’ prison sentence.

Daniel Gusovate (42), of Fairlop Road, London. Theft of a purse (Holbeach). Eight weeks’ prison sentence.

Andrzej Kontny (59), of Winston Close, Gedney Drove End. Failing to notify of a change in housing and council tax benefit entitlement. Community order made with six- month curfew, £250 costs.

Katrina McCormick (25), of The Boundaries, Holbeach. Failing to comply with community order. Given 160 hours’ unpaid work.

August 2

Tamsin Bennellick (34), of Eastgate, Deeping St James. Drink driving (Market Deeping). £400 fine, £40 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 18 months.

August 5

Daniel Osborne (26), c/o Wygate Road, Spalding. Stole beer worth £9.99 from the Spar Shop, Pinchbeck, and threatening behaviour (Spalding). Community order with 150 hours’ unpaid work and requirement to participate in thinking skills programme, £150 compensation, £60 v/s.

Sabri Buykkaraca (31), of Witham Bank West, Boston. Defective headlamp (Spalding). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs. No separate penalty for defective side marker lamp.

Carole Cole (53), of Stowe Road, Langtoft. Speeding (Uffington). £335 fine, £33 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Steven Forbes (37), of Church End, Gedney. Speeding (Spalding). £110 fine, £15 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

John Hawkins (21), of Bellfield Close, Spalding. Defective headlamp (Spalding). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs. No separate penalty for two counts of defective side marker lamps.

Alistair Joseph (44), of Fulmar Lane, Wellingborough. Speeding (Deeping St James). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Pajo Jovic (45), of Fengate Close, Chessington. Unsecured load (Quadring). £400 fine, £40 v/s, £85 costs. Defective headlamp. £200 fine. No separate penalty for defective rear lamp.

Michael Kinsey (25), of Middleton Road, Clipstone Village, Mansfield. Using a mobile phone while driving (Fosdyke). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Ingars Kuke (25), of Crocus Walk, Spalding. Not wearing a seat belt (Spalding). £75 fine, £20 v/s.

Darius Laiukus (21), of Barge Close, Spalding. Defective rear light. £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs. No separate penalty for no rear number plate.

Katie Limb (19), of Washway Road, Saracen’s Head. Not wearing a seat belt (Quadring). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs.

Ovidijus Peluritis (33), of Sharman Way, Spalding. Driving while using a mobile phone. £100 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Stephen Pilkington (53), of Princess Road, Market Wheaton, E Yorks. Speeding (Swineshead Bridge). £60 fine, £20 v/s, 3pts.

Stephen Towell (36), of Spruce Close, Holbeach. Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence (Holbeach). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts. No separate penalty for not wearing a seat belt.

Miranda Beba (43), of Church Lane, Swineshead. Speeding (Moulton Seas End). £175 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Robert Ellis (68), of Delgate Avenue, Weston. Speeding (Moulton Seas End). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

William Gaskin (36), of Rose View Drive, Holbeach. Driving while using a mobile phone. £60 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Glenn Manuel (47), of Mill Lane, Whaplode. Speeding (Moulton Seas End). £435 fine, £43 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Kurt Mason (42), of Church Street, Pinchbeck. Speeding (Moulton Seas End). £435 fine, £43 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Joanne Medley 943), of Widdop Close, Richmond, Sheffield. Speeding (Swineshead). £35 fine, £20 v/s, £40 costs, 3pts.

Armands Pohevics (30), of High Street, Boston. Speeding (Moulton Seas End). £200 fine, £43 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Stephen Beardon (18), of Hurn Bank, Holbeach Hurn. No insurance (Gedney). £110 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts. No MOT. £35 fine. Failing to produce driving licence. £35 fine. No separate penalty for failing to produce insurance certificate.

David Swallow’s earliest memory is of sitting on a neighbour’s draining board watching her skin pigeons and rooks.

He was just three years old, but it made a powerful impression that has never left him.

At home in Holbeach, David’s late mother, May Swallow, cooked and baked regularly, and her food was appreciated by the family.

If there was rabbit for the pot, David recalls he and his father would take it in turns to eat the head, savouring the sweet cheek meat and tongue and even sucking the brains out.

May allowed David to help in the kitchen, and baking sessions using the old Be-Ro recipe books became a ritual.

David came into contact with game again in his second job after leaving school when he went to work for A H Worth. He recalls tying game by the neck and feet and attaching a luggage label to it, which is how it went through the post from Holbeach post office.

The job gave him experience of sales, which took him on to the next stage of his career, travelling the world for companies involved in fresh produce for about 20 years.

Some of his strongest memories of this time are of food, but he was experiencing authentically cooked lamb tagine in the middle of Morocco, or stuffed vine leaves in Egypt.

If he wasn’t a self-confessed foodie before that, he certainly was by this time. David says: “Over the years I always had a passion for food. I eat, breathe and sleep it. Even now when I leave work I watch anything to do with cooking.”

When he tired of travelling, David worked for fresh produce companies as supervisor or development chef.

In 2008 he retired early from his job as development chef at Bakkavor, and that ended up coinciding with May becoming ill and then dying.

David admits he moped about for six months before a job came up as head chef at The Chestnuts at Gedney.

The tearoom already served reasonably traditional food, such as Lincolnshire sausage and cottage pie, but David has developed that and now offers dishes such as rabbit pie, pigeon pie and steamed bacon, onion and sage suet roll, along with things like steamed jam puddings and rice pudding.

David says: “I am very keen on traditional recipes being kept alive, even if they have a modern day twist.

“You don’t have to use ingredients that cost the earth either because simple ingredients are often flavoursome. I use a lot of game, such as pigeon, rabbit and pheasant.

“The rabbit pie is much loved by customers at The Chestnuts.”

David works at The Chestnuts on Wednesdays and Thursdays, but says junior chef Matt Youngs is just as likely to produce traditional dishes on the other days.

David Swallow, head chef at The Chestnuts at Gedney, was a finalist in the East of England round of MasterChef in 2001.

David, a self-confessed foodie and avid watcher of the televised cooking contest, applied to go on the programme for about six years.

Prospective contestants had to devise a menu for £10, costing out ingredients to the penny.

This was in the days before the show’s format was altered, and David says he was in the blue kitchen on the year he got through to the televised finals – and has the apron to prove it.

For the finals, David produced a darne of roast monkfish with salmon mousseline on a bed of couscous with a red pepper dressing and a dessert of Bailey’s ice cream cheese cake with a mineola sauce.

David was undone when judge Gary Rhodes claimed he could taste what he called “the graininess of the gelatine”. However, David says: “It was a wind up because I’d used leaf gelatine.”

Undaunted, David has continued to develop his skills, making celebration cakes and occasional wedding and Christmas cakes and has taught himself sugar craft.

Police are warning people to be aware of the latest email scam.

If you receive a message purporting to be from your bank asking you to confirm the details of a purchase, including a link to click if you didn’t buy the goods, do not open it and delete it.

Firefighters from Holbeach were called a Ford Transit truck on fire on the A17 near Penny Hill Road at 5.10pm on Saturday.

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue said the blaze severely damaged the vehicle’s engine and cab.

Two men who deny carrying offensive weapons in Clarkson Avenue, Cowbit, on May 31 are facing a trial at Spalding Magistrates’ Court.

Ashley McAlister (26), of Cowbit Avenue, denies carrying a wooden pole and Shane Smith (34), of Main Road, Tongue End, denies carrying a car jack handle.

Both men also deny using threatening, abusive words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of unlawful violence or to provoke unlawful violence.

Spalding magistrates on Thursday adjourned the cases for a trial on December 19.

Both men were bailed.

A Spalding man will stand trial on October 17 for driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.

Magistrates bailed Julius Ziga (36), of Chestnut Avenue, at a hearing on Thursday.

A warning has been issued abour door-to-door salesman operating across the county, claiming they are deaf and are selling pencil drawings to support themselves.

A spokesman for Lincolnshire Police said: “This is a scam. We have already sought out one individual who most definitely was not deaf.”

The advice is “ if you are not sure, do not open the door

A protest march against the risk of closure of Lincolnshire libraries will be held next month.

Protesters against plans by the county council to hand over control of 32 of its 47 libraries to community groups will march in Lincoln city centre in Saturday, September 21.

There is a chance to give blood at two sessions in Spalding this month.

The sessions are at Springfields Events Centre on Thursday, August 29, from 1pm to 3.30pm and from 5pm to 8pm.

Call 0300 1232323 to make an appointment.

Police are investigating after a Landrover Discovery had its tyres slashed in Park Road, Holbeach, at the weekend.

The damage was discovered at about 4.30pm on Saturday. Anyone with information can call police on 101.

Pay packets of £100,000-plus a year for UK charity bosses have been branded a disgrace by South Holland residents who say donated cash should go to good causes.

Thirty bosses at 14 charities making up the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) earned more than £100k last year – and the biggest payout, £184,000, went to British Red Cross chief Sir Nick Young.

Two Save the Children executives took over £160,000.

Charity Commission chairman William Shawcross is urging charities to be cautious, saying: “Trustees should consider whether very high salaries are really appropriate and fair to both the donors and taxpayers who fund charities.”

But the DEC says pay is “broadly in line” with other charities and cash spent on management of disaster responses is capped at seven per cent.

A spokesman said: “A balance must be struck between minimising overheads and ensuring a robust management system is in place.”

But Sue White, from Pinchbeck, said: “I think it’s disgraceful. The money should not be going to the big bosses. They certainly don’t deserve all that money.

“I don’t think we should be sending money anyway – it should be clothes, food, seeds and tools.”

Edward Cook, from Spalding, said: “They are not worth the money they are paid and the money should go to the people they are running the charity for.”

Sam Watson is considering becoming an unpaid volunteer at a Spalding charity shop and says news on the whopping pay packets means she will look for “a more meaningful charity that doesn’t pay the bosses that much”.

Angie Nunn, who lives in Moulton, described the big payouts as “scandalous”.

She said: “It’s disgusting, really. What are they going to do with all that?”

Michael Hoadley, from Whaplode, said: “I am not in the least bit surprised. It’s something I worry about because I do believe in giving money to charity.”

Peter Bettles, who lives in Gosberton, said: “It seems to be a bit far fetched. These things get wafted around by people who don’t want to give to charities.”

A 49-year-old man has been given a formal caution for assaulting a PCSO in Spalding.

PCSO Zara Nacheva was dealing with street drinkers along the riverbank in Commercial Road.

She was not injured.