TYDD St Mary Primary School is appealing for memorabilia for a display marking the past 50 years of the school’s history.

Headteacher Sonya Ripley recently came across documents relating to the official opening of the current school building on Wednesday, June 27.

She said: “I felt the anniversary should be marked with an act of worship followed by tea and cake.If anyone has any old photographs or school reports we hope to create a display in the hall.”

Contact the school on 01945 420269 if you can help.

CONDITIONS have been imposed on an engineering firm in Sutton Bridge following complaints from nearby residents that their homes are being “shaken” apart.

Staff at Dodfrey Engineering now have restrictions on their opening hours and noise levels, must keep their workshop doors closed and will have to carry out work on their equipment to prevent any equipment causing “noticeable vibration”.

The decision came from South Holland District Council’s planning committee on Wednesday as councillors considered a retrospective application to change the use of the building in West Bank for a joinery and metal fabrication workshop.

Coun Chris Brewis, reading a statement from nearby residents in Lime Street and Custom House Street, said the firm had “all but ruined” their lives.

“One homeowner has had severe damage inflicted to his home, caused by strong vibrations created by the use of a metal guillotine that have travelled through the ground causing severe structural damage,” he said.

“There is a strong possibility that the vibrations may also have an effect on other houses in the terrace, a domino effect.

“There is a reasonable fear that the bungalows of Custom House Street may suffer similar problems.”

Council officers told the committee imposing planning conditions would help monitor the situation for residents - and allow the council to carry out enforcement action if conditions are breached.

Coun James Avery said: “After listening to the debate and having it explained in more detail, I think that the conditions are robust enough to mitigate the issues they are looking to circumnavigate.”

PUPILS from Long Sutton Primary School raised a staggering £1,600 by staging their very own Olympic-themed mini-marathon.

Children throughout the school and nursery excelled themselves by participating in an incredible afternoon of fun-running last year and handed over a cheque for £800 to their charity of choice, the RSPCA.

The children had a choice of the amount of laps of the 0.75km circuit they wished to complete, and were set a maximum limit of 12.

Many competitors challenged themselves to do the maximum, including the younger athletes, who out-shone several exhausted teachers in the process.

Along the route there were 12 Olympic-themed stations, manned by eager year six students, where runners were challenged to numerous mini-events, such as long jump and shuttle runs.

School business manager Mark Lunn said an incredible day was had by all and parents and children showed a great deal of generosity.

He added: “Everybody was a winner, the children had a fantastic time and achieved what they wanted to.”

PUPILS Christopher Simpson, Alex Simpson, Adam Day and Aleah Wilson proved to be the best poets when they competed in Gedney Hill Primary School’s poetry reading competition.

The competition was open to everyone in the school, from reception through to Year 6.

The pupils were allowed to choose their own poems to read out in front of the judges and the winners were awarded with prizes.

A spokesman for the school school said: “All the children benefited from being able to enjoy reading and performing the poems to the rest of the class.”

STUDENTS at Spalding High cooked up a tasty dish which saw them finish runners-up in a county cookery competition.

More than 20 pairs of youngsters, aged 11 to 14, from a dozen Lincolnshire secondary schools took part in the Go Global contest, which aimed to teach children about different cultures and traditions through food.

The high school team was one of eight to get through to a regional final last weekend, but they were pipped at the post to take up a place in the national final in June

Teams had to plan, prepare and cook a two-course meal, and the Spalding girls wowed the judges with a feast of leek and pancetta quiche, roulade, and an orange and raspberry dessert.

Teacher Janet McPhee said: “It was a very close call. The food was up to a very high standard.”

CALLING police to tell them he was “pleased” an officer had been shot during an armed siege has resulted in a man being jailed for nine weeks.

Louis Woodward (22) was said to “relish and enjoy” making the offensive call to a police operator the same day an officer was shot in the face during an 11-hour incident in Sutton St James.

He was handed the sentence at Spalding Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to making a grossly offensive call from West Road, Bourne, at an earlier hearing.

Prosecutor Rebecca Ritson told the court Woodward’s call had left the operator “distressed”.

She said the woman had not long started her shift on January 31 and had not been aware of the incident.

A single bullet had been fired at a police officer, resulting in the bullet becoming lodged in his mouth. The armed siege came to an end when officers entered a house on Chapelgate and found Barry Horspool (61) dead in an upstairs room.

No shots were fired by armed response officers.

Miss Ritson described how Woodward had told the operator: “I only hope that more people go around doing this sort of thing”, before adding: “I just wanted to let you know how pleased I am.”

Woodward went on to leave his mobile telephone number and address when the operator offered to get an inspector to call him back.

Solicitor Nen Stasojevic, mitigating, told the court Woodward, of Queen Street, Grantham, had a “plethora” of mental health conditions.

He said: “It goes without saying that this is was an act of the greatest folly, greatest stupidity and greatest idiocy.

“There is no mitigation that I can present concerning the actual telephone call itself other than to say Mr Woodward left his full name, he telephoned from his own mobile phone, gave the mobile number to the police and gave his address.”

Mr Stasojevic said there was “no love lost” between Woodward and the police but said there was “no excuse” for his behaviour.

Giving the sentence, presiding magistrate Richard Spinks told Woodward it was a “very serious offence” that caused “great distress” to the police officers involved.

No costs or compensation were awarded.

A MUM says she feels more positive that action will be taken to improve safety outside her home after a site visit by a highways officer.

Dawn Adams has been fighting for three years to have a footpath or traffic calming measures installed in Seas End Road after witnessing a number of near misses between pedestrians and cars.

In February she returned home from posting letters calling for something to be done to find a lorry had ploughed into her garden where hours earlier her daughters had been building snowmen.

As a result of her letter, Lincolnshire County Council’s area highways manager Jonathan Pearson met Mrs Adams outside her home to see for himself the dangers.

Mrs Adams said: “In all the years I’ve been campaigning for this, this was the first time anyone had been out to see the issues for themselves.

“I think Mr Pearson was surprised about how much traffic uses the road and he said he felt highways perhaps could do more than they have been doing.

“It was a very positive meeting and I feel more hopeful now that we may be getting somewhere and may get something done.”

Mrs Adams says Mr Pearson has promised to look at three possible courses of action which could see an end to the traffic dangers posed on the blind bend which is currently without a footpath.

These include reassessing how high a priority it is to provide a new footpath and the possibility of new traffic calming measures, such as speed limits painted on the road or interactive speed warning signs.

He has also promised to look into whether or not there was a condition imposed on the developer who built Mrs Adams’ and neighbours’ homes to provide a footpath that may never have been enforced.

If so, it could mean the developer would have to provide funding towards the project which would boost the chances of it getting done.

Mr Pearson said: “It was a positive meeting and I am now looking at what we can do and hope to get back to Mrs Adams with some positive news in a couple of weeks.”

ONE of nine councillors to quit Holbeach Parish Council has warned that more could follow suit.

Six members handed in their resignations at a “farcical” meeting last week, followed by chairman Rita Rudkin, Coun Martin Howard and vice chairman Graham Warrender.

But Mr Warrender has said he felt he had to quit because of the added workload and pressure the remaining councillors faced, and feared more resignations could follow.

He said: “The mass resignation was not really unexpected but it is rather sad.

“Council duties have taken up so much of my time in the past two and half years, so on reflection after the meeting I felt that the resignations will mean a lot of extra pressure on those who are left and with the best will in the world, to play an active role in the council was going to demand an awful lot more time.

“I’m 73 and quite honestly, I can’t hack it. I resigned with regret. I have been involved with the council for more than 20 years and it will leave a hole in my life but with the number of resignations it is going to be difficult to move forward.”

Other councillors who resigned are: Michael Barter, Carol Johnson, Carol Rudkin, Val Gemmell and Yvonne Jones.

Mr Warrender added: “Knowing the people who are left and the time they are able to commit they are facing an uphill struggle and more could resign before it’s over.”

Mr Warrender now plans to concentrate on the other boards and organisations he is involved with.

AN ARGUMENT over borrowing money led to a teenager threatening his stepfather with an iron and a knife.

David Shooter was forced to flee his home in Gedney and run “some distance” down the street away from Ryan Hill (18) after the incident.

Spalding Magistrates’ Court heard last Thursday how the dispute started with the pair struggling at the kitchen door when Mr Shooter told Hill he could not borrow £10 at about 6.45pm on November 8.

Jill Darby, prosecuting, said Hill picked up an iron and moved towards Mr Shooter. She said Mr Shooter pushed the iron away and the pair fell to the floor before Mr Shooter’s wife and Hill’s mother, Yvonne, intervened.

Mrs Darby said Hill then went to the cutlery drawer and pulled out a knife.

“Mr Shooter feared for his safety,” she said. “He confirmed his wife was shouting ‘no, Ryan, no’.”

Mrs Darby said Hill was finally “apprehended” by three other people when he followed Mr Shooter down the street as he attempted to run away.

Hill pleaded guilty to one charge of assault and one charge of criminal damage to a kitchen door during the hearing.

Chris Pye-Smith, mitigating, said the relationship between Hill and Mr Shooter had deteriorated over the last four years but they had lived together since Hill was two.

He told the court Hill, of Stanhope Gardens, Boston, is now living with his biological father, who had attended court to show his support.

Mr Pye-Smith said: “I think as unfortunate as this incident is and unpleasant as it was, it has worked out well. This relationship has finished and he has moved on.”

Presiding magistrate Robert Chapman ordered Hill to complete a 12-month community order with 100 hours’ unpaid work.

An existing conditional discharge, which had already been imposed on Hill from a separate, earlier offence, will also continue to run.

A restraining order for 12 months has also been imposed. Hill must not contact Mr and Mrs Shooter or visit St Mary’s Meadows, Gedney.

Mr Chapman told Hill: “We would like to see that relationship with your mother back.”

THE punishment for a man who beat and strangled his partner until she lost consciousness was deemed too serious for magistrates.

Alens Vejkrigers (39) launched the attack on Elina Sperberga as she slept in bed at their home in Riverside Park, Spalding, after he wrongly accused her of having an affair.

Spalding Magistrates’ Court was told that he had just returned from having drinks with friends on January 28 when it happened.

Jill Darby, prosecuting, said Miss Sperberga was awoken by the defendant holding her by the hair.

She said: “He started to pull her by the hair and she did not know what was happening.

“She heard her phone ringing but she was not sure who was calling so she did not answer. The defendant accused her of having a relationship with someone else.”

Mrs Darby said the phone call was from a friend. However, she went on to describe the attack which followed, where Vejkrigers slapped Miss Sperberga around the face and her reporting remembering “very little” else apart from “being beaten and beaten”.

Miss Sperberga suffered swelling and bruising to her face, ribs and throat as a result of the attack.

Mrs Darby said a medical statement from a hospital doctor confirmed marks on Miss Sperberga’s neck were consistent with strangulation.

Vejkrigers pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm at the hearing last Thursday.

Vejkrigers, who was unrepresented, told the court: “I have nothing to say. I accept the events as put by the prosecution.”

A date will now be set for him to appear at Lincoln Crown Court for sentencing.

Presiding magistrate Robert Chapman told Vejkrigers: “The offence is so serious that you need greater punishment than we can give.”

BOOKWORMS in Sutton Bridge are now spoilt for choice about what to read, thanks to a new volunteer-run library.

The library in the Curlew Centre became the first facility of its kind in Lincolnshire as it was officially opened for the community on Wednesday.

It marks years of hard work and preparation from volunteers hoping to get a permanent library back in the village after the Lincolnshire County Council-run service closed a number of years ago in favour of a mobile van.

Coun Chris Brewis said: “When we opened we had 69 people in and 50 joined up. It was a very encouraging first day. There was an amazing amount of people getting it ready and it looks smashing.”

A space for the library was earmarked in the plans for the recently-opened Curlew Centre and it’s stock has come from a core of books donated by Lincolnshire County Council’s library service and donations from the public.

Two computers for the public are expected to be installed within the next few weeks.

Coun Brewis added: “I would like to thank the team who have done the library. It’s been six weeks pretty hard work covering the books, doing the tickets and getting it up and running.”

Kay Jenkinson, who was the last person to run the old library in Sutton Bridge before it closed, was asked to cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the new venture.

She said: “It was a special morning because it marked the result of years of planning and months of work to achieve the aim of a new community library for Sutton Bridge.

“This is the first community library in Lincolnshire and I am sure they will be receiving visitors from other counties just to see how this one works.”

Until Friday, April 6, the library will be open Monday to Friday from 10am-6pm and Saturday from 9am-1pm.

After then, it will open its doors Monday and Tuesday from 10am-2pm, Wednesday and Friday from 2-6pm and Saturday 9am-1pm.

The library is free to join.

Readers’ questions answered by South Holland District Council leader Coun Gary Porter

Why don’t the police seem to act on street drinking and anti-social behaviour in the town and why are the town centre drinking laws not being enforced? There are cameras all around town, plus the acts are there for all to see.

Richard Martin

GP: I cannot answer for the police, but I have arranged to have a meeting with the new Inspector to talk through several issues that seem to be bubbling up.

I also think that when we have an elected police commissioner in November, we will see these types of complaint moving up the agenda.

What are you doing to do to stop the new wave of Croatians coming to our area when they join the EU this year, and for the Turkish to be admitted to EU in 2015? So many of our local people are having to move out of the area because they can’t get work or housing.

Jackie Tolson

GP: The council is unable to stop EU citizens from coming to Spalding, only national governments can do this. The Labour government could have done this (as France and Germany did) with the last EU expansion. As for the comments about Turkey, I wouldn’t have thought that France would let them in and given the state of the EU economy compared with the Turkish economy I doubt very much they would want to come in at the moment.

What plans do the council have for clearing litter grot spots? Would they be willing to provide equipment for a clean up day, with people volunteering?

Aston Perrin

GP: Where the “grot spots” are on public land we do try to deal with as many as we can. We cannot lawfully deal with those that are on private land without going through a lengthy bureaucratic procedure. As Mr Perrin’s group (Spalding Immigration Issues) knows I have offered through the Lincolnshire Free Press to organise a litter pick session for his members and mine where all of the necessary equipment will be provided by the council.

You’ve got a couple of thousand people signed up to your cost of fuel lowering exercise. That’s great and I think you’re doing a great service for the people of South Holland, but Which? has some 60,000. So my question is: Who is likely to get the better deal from any utility company?

Nigel Wickenden

GP: Thanks for the kind words. I am really pleased that Which? has followed us with this. I am on a joint ministerial panel with a number of groups dealing with this where we all share ideas. The good news is the deal that we are doing will be made even better if Which? is able to help drive down the average price. People should sign up to both and take the deal that is best for them. Wherever people choose to buy from so long as they get the cheapest deal, that would be good for South Holland and that’s all I care about

There’s been a lot of discussion about “development” at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field. With shops empty in the town centre and ever more people buying online, what’s the point of more shops on what is supposed to be a field in perpetuity?

Nigel Wickenden

GP: I agree that more and more is being bought online and that successful shops are those that sell from “bricks and clicks” but businesses still feel that there is unmet demand for more and more varied shops. If the things that are being talked about for the proposed redevelopment do truly give a chance for undoing the past mistakes, I am happy to look at them. If we are able to provide a centrally located public park (that is a traditional public park, not a restricted access green space like we have at present) then I will be happy to recommend it. This could be a great opportunity to undo past mistakes and stimulate the town for the future; we would be failing the people of South Holland if we did not play an active part in looking at the possibilities.

“STOP the press!” are words Ray Blackburn won’t quickly forget from the time it was he who had blundered and realised the pages of the Lincolnshire Free Press were being printed in the wrong sequence.

In fact Ray (86), of Park Road, Spalding, has forgotten very little of his 51 years in the newspaper print industry, starting as an errand boy aged 14.

He can describe in great detail the old method of relief printing or hot metal printing, when the print industry was littered with enchanting words, such as “nuts and muttons” to refer to the spaces between words compiled in metal letters in a printer’s stick.

Learning to set type was the first thing Ray did when he joined the jobbing department at the Free Press “works”, or the place where the old presses were operated off Gore Lane, although he was actually employed as a compositor machine monitor.

His first job at the Free Press in 1939 could be described as lowly, with the promise of a job as errand boy once he left school at 14 providing he worked after school and on Saturdays in the meantime.

“They wanted someone to start right away because the boy who was doing the job was going into the boys’ section of the Royal Navy on HMS Ganges,” explained Ray, who is married to Mary.

“I didn’t fancy being an errand boy but in those days you did what your parents told you.

“They said at the end of 12 months as an errand boy I would be offered an apprenticeship as a printer in the works.”

In those days the Free Press had a shop in Hall Place selling national newspapers and magazines and stationery as well as the local newspaper.

It was Ray’s job to go to the shop manager’s house first thing to collect the shop keys.

He would then cycle to the railway station to collect the daily newspapers, which be brought back to the shop before leaving for his paper round.

After 12 months Ray was offered a five-year apprenticeship in the “works”, a place he can remember in detail, from the “stoke hole”, or the big furnace fired by coke and used for heating and hot water, to the enormous wheel used to drive the print machinery in the works.

There were two presses, the Hoe rotary press used for the three editions of the Free Press that were printed on Monday afternoons, and the other press for commercial jobs, such as leaflets for the Regent Cinema in Spalding.

Ray still has the fist lino type bearing his name that he made to learn how to set type, and points to the way the letters read back to front in the old relief print method.

“You always read the print upside down and the printers got so used to it you could only read upside down,” says Ray, who was involved in printing envelopes, letter headings and even over-printing cheques with companies’ details.

Again, a mistake could be costly as each cheque cost 2d so errors had to be reported to the bank and the cheque cancelled.

Ray spent a total of 35 years at the Free Press in Spalding – apart from a spell in the RAF – before transferring to Peterborough with the paper’s then owner, Emap.

However, in 1940 Ray joined the Auxiliary Fire Service and it was while he was on duty that Spalding was bombed and much of the town was set alight.

Ray has memories of pumping water at High Bridge and going down the Crescent to the Liberal Club, formerly in the Free Press building, and seeing flames coming through the eaves.

He went down Gore Lane and discovered the works and warehouse were on fire.

In Hall Place, Penningtons was ablaze and Ray helped a policeman throw sandbags on to incendiaries that had fallen in the street.

“As a young boy, you don’t realise the danger,” confesses Ray.

“I walked further through the town and Woolworths was ablaze.

“I was just about to go over when all of a sudden there was a whistle and the fireman dropped to the ground because incendiaries were flying all over the place.”

Later, there was more whistling and five bombs were dropped between Stonegate and Welland Road, causing widespread destruction and a number of deaths. Ray knows he was lucky to escape with his life that night, and to be able to continue his career in the relative safety of the the nuts and muttons of the print industry.

THE owner of a Spalding takeaway, Reload, is to appeal against a licensing panel decision to remove the premises licence from his establishment in Westlode Street.

Muhammad Saeed’s application is due to be listed at Spalding Magistrates’ Court on April 11.

Jo Furner, for the council, told magistrates on Wednesday the April hearing date is for legal directions.

The premises licence was revoked by councillors on South Holland’s licensing panel on November 24 following police complaints about food allegedly being served after 3am.

Mr Saeed’s barrister, Harjinder Johal, told the licensing panel at the time that the police did not give Mr Saeed an early warning or opportunity to make changes.

POLICE are warning women to be on their guard after four purses were stolen in a week from shoppers in Spalding’s town centre and Holland Market stores.

PC Paul Smith said officers believe gangs from the south are moving up to this area after concerted police operations have driven them out of London.

He advises women to keep their handbags zipped and to pick up free purse bells – which ring when anyone attempts to grab the purse – or purse security chains from Spalding Police Station.

MEMBERS of troubled Holbeach Parish Council have spoken out over issues surrounding their appointment of a new clerk.

The matter was on the agenda for the March meeting when six councillors quit their posts.

At that meeting, the councillors who resigned wanted the discussion to be held in public, while other members of the council said they had been advised to discuss the matter “in committee”.

The council, which has since seen a further three members quit, has released a statement saying: “In selecting and appointing a new clerk, the full council was asked to consider and approve the choice made by the selection panel, which gave all members of the council an opportunity to investigate the candidate’s merits.

“As this would involve examining personal data such as qualifications and work history, the council has a statutory duty to ensure that any such debate is conducted in closed session, and the applicant’s personal details are not exposed to public scrutiny.

“Some members of the council were not happy at having to comply with this legal obligation, however they would have breached the candidate’s statutory rights had they debated this in open forum.

“Had that happened the council would have been at risk of being fined by the Office of the Information Commissioner had a complaint been made.

“In the event the council did comply with its legal obligations and all members of the council were given an opportunity to discuss the matter in closed session.”

The council held an extraordinary meeting on Monday night when Couns Peter Savory and Terry Harrington were elected as chairman and vice-chairman respectively. They will hold the positions until the annual meeting on the parish council in May.

The new clerk, Teresa Daisley, takes up her role on Monday.

Following the resignations there are now ten vacancies on the parish council.

AWARDS for “vigilance and public spiritedness” have been handed to two men who intervened when they stumbled across a man being beaten up in the middle of the road in Spalding.

Paramedic Scott Scoot and Sainsbury’s worker Stuart Boswell were each given £250 after being commended for their actions by the Recorder of Lincoln, Judge Sean Morris.

Mr Scoot, who was off-duty but still in his uniform, attempted to calm down Matthew McKay as he launched a drunken attack on security guard Isaac Okojie in Winfrey Avenue in September.

But instead of walking away, McKay turned on Mr Scoot and fractured his jaw in three places with a single punch.

Passer-by Mr Boswell then apprehended McKay as he tried to run away. He was bitten on his shoulder in the process.

Matthew McKay, of Station Road, Long Sutton, was sent to a young offenders’ institution for 21 months as a result of the attacks.

Mr Scoot and Mr Boswell received their cash at a ceremony with Judge Morris on Tuesday, and collected a framed reward order from the High Sheriff of Lincolnshire, Robin Battle.

Mr Scoot said: “I did wonder if I would be the guy that would intervene if I saw something happening and I am pleased that I am.”

He said the incident has opened his eyes to attacks on emergency service personnel.

He added: “My intention was to calm things down and treat the security guard. Unfortunately I became the victim too.

“This isn’t all that unusual really and I suppose it’s a comment on the fall in standards and the increasingly violent society which we live in.

“This is noticeable in my daytime job with East Midlands Ambulance Service where sadly the number of cases is increasing year-on-year.”

MAGISTRATES have been given an apology by a driver who was caught speeding through Whaplode.

Wieslaw Solinski (45), of Boston Road South, Holbeach, pleaded guilty to driving at 37mph in the 30mph zone on August 19 when he appeared before Spalding Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

He was handed a £75 fine, and ordered to pay £43 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

The court also endorsed Solinski’s licence with three penalty points.

A FLEET Hargate pensioner has accused the local authority of “elder abuse” after coming across a form she now needs to complete before getting her bus pass renewed.

Joan Woolard (74), of Eastgate, says she was horrified to see the forms when she went into the offices at South Holland District Council on other business.

She said: “To my horror I saw the form on the desk. I had no idea I had to fill one of these out.

“For the past ten years, since it started, I have received my bus pass automatically in the post from the district council.

“Now pensioners living out of town have to spend money to get to the council building in Spalding to pick up a form, get a passport photo, which is another expense – mine cost £5 – get copies of ID, another trek to somewhere that has a photocopier and more money, and then post all the information off to Lincolnshire County Council.

“I was totally unaware of this – I think it’s just a ploy by the council to discourage pensioners from getting them. It’s elder abuse.”

Mrs Woolard (pictured), who is a Fleet Hargate parish councillor and in February led a campaign to get a bigger bus shelter in Holbeach, said: “The bus passes are a boon for people living in the villages.

“I use mine every day instead of my car. Some pensioners would not be able to get out and about without them.

“There are more old people in the county. They have worked all their lives and paid their taxes. They deserve better.”

Lincolnshire County Council’s public transportation manager Anita Ruffle said: “Concessionary bus pass applications, renewals and replacements is something that the county council was required to take on from district councils in April last year.

“We publicised it widely in the media, our newspaper that goes to every home, and we left leaflets in public places like libraries and post offices. We did this again in December.

“It is something that will actually speed up the process for many people who will often get their new pass more quickly than under the old system. Although applications are dealt with by post, we are developing an online system too. People will also be pleased to know that we’re continuing funding to allow Lincolnshire pass holders free travel at any time within the county.

“Call us on 01522 782070 for a form to be posted to you.”

A PUB landlady has been allowed to keep her personal licence after being caught serving two underage teenagers in a sting operation.

Magistrates in Spalding said Royal Mail Cart landlady Sue Stoker would not have her licence forfeited or suspended due to her lack of previous convictions.

Stoker (60) was summoned to court to face two charges of selling alcohol to someone under 18, despite already having her premises licence revoked by South Holland District Council’s licensing panel earlier this year.

Edward Johnson, prosecuting, described on Tuesday how police had received intelligence from the father of underage children, who was concerned they had been sold alcohol in the Pinchbeck Road pub.

He said a letter was sent to the pub warning test purchase operations may be carried out.

Mr Johnson told the court further complaints were made later in the year and last April, officers were called out to a drunk underage female who had collapsed outside the venue.

The intelligence resulted in a test purchase exercise.

He said: “A 15-year-old and a 16-year-old went into the premises. There were a number of police officers and local authority staff. The drinks were sold to the volunteers, despite them being underage. They were not challenged as to their ages.

“Following the purchases the officers identified themselves to the lady and she was interviewed at the police station.”

He added: “She accepted she was wrong and did express remorse.”

The pub has since ceased trading.

Stoker, who was unrepresented, handed a statement to be read by the court.

In it, she described how she “did not give it a thought” when the teens went into the pub because she was on her own and very busy. She said she had been a landlady for more than 20 years and she had learnt her lesson.

Stoker also told the court how the young girl who collapsed outside the pub was believed to have been drinking outside the pub, as half a bottle of vodka had been removed from her bag. She said the girl was left with a trained first aider.

Stoker said: “I do care, I care about young people and I want the court to know I would never leave a young lady on her own.”

She said she had “lost everything” and did not want to lose her personal licence.

She added: “I have made a mistake and I have admitted my mistake. I am truly sorry for what I have done.”

Magistrates fined Stoker, of Percheron Drive, Spalding, £75 for each of the two charges and ordered her to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.