THE future of Spalding Golf club looks to be in safe hands after four of their top young talents shone on county duty.

Young guns Oliver Mitchell (3 handicap), Harry Hunt (6), Hugo Kedzlie (6) and Archie Davies (13) were part of a 12-man under-16 Lincolnshire team who held a strong Nottinghamshire side to a draw in a fourball/betterball clash at a very windy Canwick Park (Lincoln).

Having a quartet of golfers selected for the county at any level is a first for the club.

But the fantastic foursomes’ call-up is particularly pleasing for everyone involved with Spalding, as the boys started playing golf as part of the popular Saturday morning junior coaching sessions at the Surfleet course, before beginning their climb up the county system.

• SPALDING’S top team were knocked out at the quarter final stage of the Elsham county foursomes competition.

They were beaten 5 down at a very strong Belton Park team, which saw James Crampton and Mark Mitchell (5 down) and Simon Richardson and Oliver Mitchell (2 down) both defeated.

The only success for Spalding came from Steve Wade and Andy Grimwood, who were never behind in a tight game and won 2up.

• SPALDING’S mixed team lost their first social match of the season 6-3 at Kings Lynn.

Their winning pairs were Max Ellis and Elaine Hancock (5&4), Phil Thorold and Paula Brown (3&2) and Peter Gooderson and Angela Hunt (1up). Chris Hancock and Millie Thorold halved their game.

• CLUB member Peter Williams won the Northampton County Golf Club senior open day competition, held at their prestigious and challenging Church Brampton course.

He was among a field of more than 100 entries and won the competition, scoring 36 Stableford points.

• SPALDING’S 3rd team saw their winning run came to an end as they went down 4-2 in their latest social at Boston West.

Bob Sutton and Robin Roffe (2&1) and Alan Jackson and Richard Woods (1up) were the only winners.

• Ladies’ section: SPALDING’S League A team secured a resounding victory against Woodhall Spa Ladies in windy conditions.

Wins came from Pat West and Elizabeth Holbrook (5&4), Lesley Williams and Angela Roper (6&4), Paula Brown and Ruth Atkins (1up) and Anita Cross and Avril Norton (1up) were all winners.

• THE Grannies Cup Stableford competition match was won by Mags McArdle with 36 points. She was followed by Maureen Orwell (35 points) and Elaine Harrison (34 points) in second and third places respectively.

• SHOCKING weather couldn’t stop the ladies’ Classic Cup medal competition from taking place, with Paula Brown the eventual winner of the silver division on a score of 76.

Chris Vickers bagged 77 points to take top spot in the bronze division, while Sue Mathews beat six other players on countback to achieve third place with 78 points.

• Seniors’ section: THE Spalding senior ‘Invitation Day’ competition was won by Ray Harrison and his playing partner Richard Geddes, of Greetham Valley, with a score of 41 points.

Their brilliant back nine return of 22 points secured the victory.

In second place were Ron Sudbury and Mike Chapman (Burghley Park) with 41 points, ahead of Peter Bridge and David Lawman (King’s Lynn) in third on 40 points.

• THE July Medal was won by Trevor Overson, who will be entered into the national Hall of Fame competition as Spalding’s representative.

He won the first division, with Wayne Wallace (second) David Tasker (third) and John Goode (fourth) hot on his heels.

The second division was won by Geoff Cosby, with John Douglas, Barrie Hutson and John Chamberlain in second, third and fourth respectively.

• SPALDING won their home match against Sleaford was by five games to three.

The winning pairs for Spalding were captain Colin Inkley and Ray Harrison, Dave McDermott and Geoff Camm, Wayne Wallace and Peter Bridge, Cliff Edmondson and Brian Stuckey and John Reynolds and Malcolm Hole.

r HOSTS Burghley Park handed Spalding a 6-2 defeat, with their only victorious pairs being captain Colin Inkley and Geoff Camm and Howard Greaves and Barrie Hutson.

• VICTORY was Spalding’s in their home match against King’s Lynn.

They prevailed 5-3, with Rod Hunt and Ron Rolfe, John Walker and Mike Browning, Cliff Edmondson and Cliff McCall and John Stanford and Pete Amess all winners.

Dave McDermott and Bernard Herbert and Pete Williams and John Tilling halved their games.

• STOKE Rochford beat Spalding 7-1, with only Colin Inkley and John Goode winners.

• SPALDING suffered a surpise 5-3 home loss to Royal Cromer. Dave McDermott and Geoff Camm and Rod Hunt and John Tilling won, with Colin Inkley and Pete Williams and Jim Robertson and Phil Thorold halving.

A PRE-SCHOOL could have done more to let people know about their plans for a move to a purpose-built annexe at a village primary school.

At a meeting of Moulton Parish Council on Tuesday members came under fire for their stance at a previous meeting at which they decided to object to the move over fears Moulton Village Hall would fall into disrepair if the pre-school was to move out.

Plans have been submitted to South Holland District Council for an annexe at Moulton’s John Harrox School, which would provide breakfast, after-school and holiday clubs for primary school children as well as pre-school sessions from 9am to 3pm for under fours.

But chairman Andrew Woolf said the objections were made before the council received full information from the pre-school about its reasons for needing to move.

He said: “We did not have the level of detail we should have.

“The day after the meeting we received a letter from the pre-school explaining what their needs are.

“It may not have changed our stance, but it puts a different light on it.

“We have said all along we fully support the need for breakfast and after-school clubs, but as a parish council it is down to us to protect the interests of the village hall.”

A DRIVER will live with the impact of causing the death of a well-known town “character” for the rest of his life, a court has heard

Shaun Savage failed to leave enough room for cyclist Terence Shaw as he overtook him on Bridge Road, Little Sutton, on a windy day last September.

As he passed the 69-year-old, the wing mirror of Savage’s car hit Mr Shaw, throwing him up in the air.

Although he was conscious immediately after the accident, Mr Shaw of Sutton Bridge, underwent an operation later that day from which he never recovered.

Spalding Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday was told that the accident had had a devastating impact on Savage’s life, as well as that of Mr Shaw’s family.

But in a letter to the court, Mr Shaw’s sister said it was a tragic accident and that she felt sorry for Savage for having to live with causing the death of her brother for the rest of his life.

Savage (40), of Barholm Avenue, Lutton, admitted causing death by careless/inconsiderate driving.

Paul Wood, prosecuting, described how he had been driving his Vauxhall Frontera 4x4 towing a trailer when the accident happened.

He and Mr Shaw were travelling in the same direction, but witnesses said Savage failed to pull out far enough to overtake him safely, with one of them saying to himself: “You are going to hit him” as he overtook.

Mr Wood described Mr Shaw as a “local character” often seen on his bike in Long Sutton and Little Sutton, often with his dog in a basket or running alongside him.

He was disabled, with one leg shorter than the other, after a previous cycling accident in the 1960s, which meant the manner in which he rode his bike was known to sometimes be “erractic”.

A couple who had seen Mr Shaw prior to the crash had suggested he did not ought to be riding because he appeared “wobbly” in the high winds, but he said he had to be getting on.

Forensic investigations of the crash scene suggested the cause for the accident was a combination of the high cross winds and Savage failing to cross over the white line to give Mr Shaw enough space.

In mitigation, Anita Toal said Savage had had a momentary lapse of judgement as he believed he had left enough room.

He had called 999 after the crash and insisted Mr Shaw went to hospital, despite his protest.

When an officer visited him later to say Mr Shaw had died he was clearly “devastated” and offered his sincere sympathies to the family.

Magistrates adjourned the case until July 31 for reports to be prepared ahead of sentencing and Savage was given a six-month interim driving ban.

FIVE police officers struggled to subdue a drug user who came at them “like a bull” after an argument with his girlfriend.

Two officers went to the home of Ben Stimpson after his girlfriend called police to report he had become violent towards her after taking cocaine.

Spalding magistrates on Tuesday heard when they arrived Stimpson (33), of Coriander Drive, Bourne, had barricaded himself into the en-suite bathroom.

He refused to come out and was clearly under the influence of drugs.

Officers called for back-up from a Taser trained officer and when he arrived the three officers forced their way into the bathroom, but Stimpson charged at them and ran down stairs.

During the officers’ attempts to subdue him he was Tasered several times, but Stimpson continued to resist and was aggressive, including kicking one PC in the head four times and injuring another’s wrist.

Prosecuting, Rebecca Ritson said: “One of the officers later said he had never encountered anyone who was so resistant to pain and of such great physical strength.

“Another officer, who had been involved in policing the London riots last year, said he had never come across anyone with Stimpson’s levels of resistance and aggression.

“It took five officers with three sets of handcuffs and wrist restraints to control him.

“Officers called for a van and Stimpson continued to resist for a further half an hour while they waited for it to arrive.”

Stimpson admitted two charges of resisting a constable in the execution of his duty and possessing a Class A drug, namely cocaine.

Magistrates were told Stimpson has sought help for his cocaine addiction.

In his defence, Stuart Wild said: “This was a wake-up call for him and he hasn’t touched cocaine since.”

He was sentenced to a 12-month community order to include 180 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to the officer he kicked in the head and £50 to the officer whose wrist was injured, as well as £85 costs.

EBA Section Four (Spalding area) Club Championship: THEY took their time, but Spalding Town B’s two teams have finally broken their ducks for the season.

In Group B Town’s fours side ended a streak of six back-to-back defeats by beating Holbeach USC A 8-2, while in Triples B a 10-0 whitewash over Moulton Harrox B was enough to lift the team off the bottom.

Two rink wins were enough for Spalding in Group B, with G Theed, M Taylor, T Belson and K Woods (20-9) the most impressive on show.

For the Triples team all three sets raised their game to secure the spoils, but a narrow 17-16 triumph from A Nichols, A Seadle and B Wheatly was perhaps the most hard-fought.

Elsewhere, Carter’s Park continue to top Group A following an 8-2 return from their home clash with Spalding Town A.

A big 27-9 victory from Ron Flowers, C Chamberlain, G Palmer and J Forrest helped the Holbeach side on their way – and they’re now four points ahead of Royal Mail Cart A.

That’s because the second-placed side were made to battle for their 6-4 success at Consti.

The hosts picked up two of the three rinks, but were blown away by a handsome 35-5 win from G Walkley, N Baker, B Wilson and M Spencer that tipped the aggregate score heavily in Mail Cart’s favour.

There was no such trouble for Donington, who were kings in their Castle clash.

The third-placed side, who have a game in hand on the leading duo, moved within five points of the summit with a maximum ten-point haul.

In a largely one-side affair, J Potter, M Laidler, D Slaughter and D Bristow caught the eye with a fine 28-7 victory.

In Group B, Whaplode Drove extended their winning streak to six games to ensure their 100 per cent record remained intact.

Royal Mail Cart B were their victims, as all three sets amassed 23 shots or more.

Leading the way with 29 shots were Tim Tomizzi, T Parkin, R Grounds and I Lawson.

Drove stay two points ahead of Billingborough, who also registered a maximum win.

Boro, who have played a game more than their chief title rivals, dispatched Long Sutton with N Wand, I Spencer, J Jones and S Long top scoring 23-9.

Meanwhile, Bourne Town lost ground on the leading duo after suffering a 8-2 derby defeat to Deepings.

In a low-scoring clash, a 13-12 triumph from D Cox, G Stone, R Hurst and B Wheatley was pivotal.

Bourne’s side were in much better form in Triples A, though.

They took the lion’s share of the spoils in the big game at the bottom, edging out Long Sutton 6-4 to move five points clear of the bottom two.

A whopping 29-8 rink romp from H Thompson, A Brooks and P Dimbleby was enough to negate Sutton’s success in the other two sets.

SOUTH Lincs Competitive Swimming Club members impressed at a Level Two meet in the Saxon pool at Biggleswade.

In what was the last chance for the Spalding club’s swimmers to achieve Midland qualifying times (MQT) for the upcoming BAGCAT event, they managed 15 personal bests (PB) and five super wins.

Luke Elliott just missed his MQT by 0.01 of a second, but he still came away with six bronze medals.In the 200m breaststroke, there was a nail-biting race between Elliot and Calvin Wilson in their heat.

Rebecca McKenzie swam six impressive races, gaining a fantastic 5.90sec PB in the 400m free, while Eleanor Templer improved her 200IM and 200m backstroke MQT, but was 0.01 of a second off her 100m back MQT.

Tom Mitchell achieved new MQT’s in the 200m and 400m freestyle, while also getting an amazing 6.28sec PB in the 400m backstroke. Calvin Wilson also achieved an amazing 12.05sec PB in the 400m IM and achieved MQT’s in both the 200m IM and 400m IM. Emily McCann got new 200m freestyle and 100m freestyle MQT’s, while Spencer Turner just missed out by coming fourth in the open 50m breaststroke.

It was double delight for Jordan Templer, who won the 100m and 200m back, with Cheryl Wilson also first in the 100m back.

LOYAL Will Kirkham has been named as the new manager of Long Sutton Athletic Reserves.

Having been associated with the Magpies for more ten years, Kirkham is delighted to be given the chance to boss the Peterborough and District League side.

He said: “I am very pleased to have been given the opportunity at this great club, which I have been associated with for over ten years.

“Everything about Long Sutton as a football club shows progression with ambition and I wanted to be a part of that.”

Anybody interested in joining Kirkham’s charges can go down to training on Tuesday and Thursday nights (7pm) at their London Road ground.

• DEEPING Rangers Reserves have named Simon Benton as their new chief after previous boss Andy Bailey resigned due to work commitments.

THE Royal Air Force Wyton Area Voluntary Band will be performing a Concert at Gedney Church on Saturday at 7.30pm.

This will be their second visit to the Church having performed there two years ago when the event was extremely popular. Funds from the concert will go towards the Church. To reserve tickets priced at £8 or more details contact 01406 363673.

SOUTH Holland Post 16 Centre talent Ben Peppercorn clinched a fine third place at the Lincolnshire Schools Golf Championship.

The stern par-72 South Kyme Golf Club course, which measures 6,566 yards from the white tees, played host to the event – with Peppercorn playing in his first major golf tournament.

Showing nerves of steel in the under-19 event, he hit his first drive straight down the fairway on the par 4 first – which proved the catalyst for a super start.

His good play was rewarded as he found himself two-under-par to his handicap after his first six holes.

Then, on the 479-yard par five seventh, the South Holland star kick-started his round.

Peppercorn found the front greenside bunker in three shots, before miraculously holing the bunker shot for an unlikely birdie four.

This catapulted his score to five-under-par to his handicap putting him right in contention.

Nett pars on the next two holes left him in contention at five under par at the turn.

Peppercorn picked up where he left off on the back nine. After finding the rough off the tee on the tenth, he hit a towering nine iron to within five feet of the hole. The teen duly holed to propel his score to seven-under.

Two more ‘nett’ birdies were to come on the 14th and 15th holes, which made Peppercorn the man to catch at nine-under par to his handicap.

Unfortunately, his good work was then undone by a couple of slack holes, as his stellar play did not hold up for the entire round.

That saw Peppercorn finished with a total of three dropped shots in the last three holes – meaning he carded a gross 94; six-under to his handicap of 28.

This won him third place on countback and earned him a trophy.

Frustratingly for the South Holland youngster, the eventual winner finished on seven under par to their handicap – some two shots less than the tally he had before the 16th hole.

GOALS from Jonny Allen and George Leatherland secured Holbeach United a 2-2 draw at Louth Town in their pre-season opener on Tuesday night.

Having fallen 2-0 down inside 12 minutes courtesy of strikes from Dan Pawson and Carl Martin, the Tigers battled back to earn a share of the spoils.

Holbeach’s next pre-season match is at UCL Division side Eynesbury Rovers this coming Tuesday (7.45pm).

More in Thursday’s Spalding Guardian.

NEXT year’s Spalding Flower Parade looks likely to be the last one in the event’s long history.

Although a 2013 parade is almost a certainty, its long-term future looks bleak after the county council confirmed it will be cutting its contribution.

Lincolnshire County councillor Eddy Poll says he is “90 per cent sure” there will be a 55th parade next year, but added: “I am more certain it will be the last one.

“It will be a shame for South Holland and I think the residents and businesses won’t realise what they have got until it’s gone.

“Flower parade day is a big pay day for the churches and lots of other businesses. They all benefit to a greater or lesser degree, and it will be noticed if it stops.”

Coun Poll believed that budget restrictions would mean the end of Spalding Flower Parade after 2013.

South Holland District Council – which has contributed £40,000 a year towards the parade for the last three years – has indicated it will do so again in 2013.

Nick Worth, portfolio holder for community development for South Holland District Council, said: “We will renegotiate what we are going to do depending on what our finances are. That’s not saying we are not going to do it, that’s the reality of where we are.

“We are very supportive of it. Councillors who went to the parade this year all said it was really good so with that in mind it would be surprising if we didn’t support it.”

Kenyon Communications was appointed by the main funders, the county council, to organise the parade for the past couple of years and has been asked to bring in more sponsors to make the event more self-sustaining.

Coun Worth said it would not be known what the district council was being asked to pay until a meeting between the two councils and Kenyon. He added: “There is a ground swell of support so unless we get hammered by the government we are supportive of it, but we won’t know that until October or November.

“We’ll make an “in principle” decision in three weeks’ time based on what we know of the budget now and once we know what the budget details are we can confirm it then. I think at this stage it’s positive.”

BOSSES have vigourously denied accusations they have deliberately “run down” one of the area’s top tourist attractions to ease the way for new homes on the site.

The accusation towards directors of Long Sutton’s Butterfly and Wildlife Park was levelled during a recent meeting of residents opposed to a £12million development of 87 homes, 14 wind turbines and allotments.

The plans have been put forward following the announcement that the park will close its gates for the final time at the end of the 2012 season.

But park owner Peter Smeaton, who is one of those behind the plans, has been horrified by what was said. He claims he and other directors poured more than £300,000 of their own money into keeping the park open and improving it.

About £100,000 from the solar park development was also invested in 2011, with a further £85,000 expected to be ploughed in this season.

He said the investment resulted in the park being named Visitor Attraction of the Year.

He said: “The truth is, without the support and money we have pumped into the park, it would have closed four years ago.

“We have effectively propped it up, but it is no longer commercially viable.

“Fundamentally, the issue is straightforward. We are in a period of economic recession. As a result our visitor numbers have fallen from 50,000 five years ago to 25,000 and people have less money in their pocket to spend.

“The recession has killed us – that and the terrible weather.

“We have done our best to make it viable, but it just hasn’t been enough.”

Mr Smeaton now intends to submit an auditor’s report to South Holland District Council ahead of its consideration of the eco-homes plan, to show that the park has become unviable.

SCHOOLS issued more than 20 fixed-term exclusions last year after incidents of racism.

And it is feared the figures represent just the tip of the iceberg as many incidents go unreported or are dealt with in different ways.

The majority of the incidents happened in the area’s secondary schools, but one involved a primary school pupil.

There are no details of the individual incidents, but many are believed to have been directed at Eastern European youngsters.

Jill Chandler-Nair, Lincolnshire County Council’s inclusion attendance team manager, said Lincolnshire has a relatively low level of racism, but admits there is work still to do and it is probably a problem that will never totally go away.

She says racism in schools is a reflection of problems in the wider community and says youngsters learn much of their attitude to others from their parents.

She said: “Some of these incidents could be comments relating to migrant workers taking local jobs or just along the lines of ‘you don’t belong here’.

“We need to look at changing those attitudes and that is likely to take some time.

“If you look at the 1950s, when there was a huge influx of black Caribbeans, we are still seeing some issues. I don’t think it ever goes away but you have to go through a stage of readjustment.

“We don’t want the Eastern European migrants to lose their culture and identity to blend in – we need to change people’s views.”

And that work needs to extend beyond the classroom, according to Mrs Chandler-Nair.

She claims anecdotal evidence suggests many incidents of racism are still not reported as parents are reluctant to come foward to say their child is a victim of racist bullying.

She said: “We can’t rest on our laurels.

“There is already a lot of work being done in schools with programmes such as Show Racism the Red Card and multicultural events in primary schools, but we need to reach the parents and give them the confidence to report racism if it’s happening to them or their children.

“On the whole I think Eastern European children have been welcomed in our schools. They are well-liked and integrated. But there is still a small percentage that aren’t accepted.”

FIXED term exclusions by school:

• Spalding Grammar (5)

• Robert Manning College (5)

• George Farmer Technology College (2)

• Gleed Girls’ Technology College (2)

• Peele Community College (2)

• Bourne Academy (2)

• Kirton Middlecott (1)

• The Deepings School (1)

• St Guthlac School (1)

• Whaplode Primary School (1)

The figures may not present an accurate picture of racism at individual schools as each has its own way of dealing with incidents, including some who operate zero-tolerance.

A CARE home closed its doors for the final time after its last resident moved out.

Janet Erwood (84) was the last to leave the Maria-Helena Care Home in Dawsmere on Monday after her family struggled to find her a home near to where they live in Cheshire.

The tragedy-hit home was due to shut on Sunday, just a few weeks after residents and their families were informed by a letter from its owners Isabel and Jaswant Beeharry.

A few hours after penning the letter the couple were found dead in their car in what is believed to be a double suicide.

Following its closure, Lincolnshire County Council has praised staff for their professionalism.

Glen Garrod, assistant director for adult social care said: “Credit should be paid to all staff at the home for the work they have done over the past month, in what has been very difficult circumstances.

“The team we dedicated to Maria Helena also deserve recognition for their work with staff to ensure residents continued to be cared for while alternative arrangements were made and for arranging the transfer of 23 residents so quickly, with full consideration of each person’s needs.

“It’s very sad to see the home close after all the hard work that has been put in by staff. The full support and co-operation of all involved has ensured that everyone affected has been supported to settle into their new environments with the minimum of disruption.”

DRIVERS are clogging up the centre of Holbeach to avoid major roadworks to repair potholes on the A17.

One motorist said he queued on the A17 for half-an-hour on Monday evening as works confined traffic to a single lane.

Yesterday traffic was queuing in both directions on the A17 as workmen focussed on a stretch of road outside The Anglia Motel, at Fleet, but many drivers were opting to divert through Holbeach to avoid the snarl-up.

District councillor Nick Worth urged drivers to be patient because the roadworks are essential to make the A17 safer.

He said: “You have got to do the roadworks to keep the surface in good condition.

“I would ask people to be patient and stay on the A17. The traffic is clogging up the centre of Holbeach but the lights are coping.

“People don’t like to sit still for five minutes. It doesn’t help when lorry drivers think it will be a bit quicker to go through the centre of Holbeach – it probably takes longer than staying on the A17.”

A17 “frequent flyer” Chris Brewis – county, district and parish councillor for Sutton Bridge – said: “There’s an awful lot of people complaining about it but it’s for road safety.”

Lincolnshire County Council says work will go on over this weekend so the road returns to normal by Friday, July 20.

l Major roadworks at the junction of Pinchbeck Road and West Elloe Avenue in Spalding began on Monday, making West Marsh Road, Wardentree Lane and the A16 busier than usual.

The county council says work is on target to finish at the end of September and it has not seen a “significant increase in traffic”.

A TERRIFIED teenager was threatened and assaulted after being taken on a 20-mile journey.

Vytautas Zickus (19) was driven from his home in Boston to Moulton Seas End where he was subjected to an attack by three men.

The dispute was over a £200 debt he owed to Martyna Kubeckas after the two men swapped cars.

Kubeckas made a number of unsuccessful attempts to recover the money and eventually turned up with three other men and took Mr Zickus back to Moulton Seas End.

Phil Howes, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court: “He was subjected to threats, intimidation and violence in order to make him arrange for the money to be forthcoming.”

Mr Zickus was punched and then threatened with a baseball bat.

At one point he was ordered to start digging a hole in the yard after being told that two bodies were already buried under the ground.

During the incident he was plied with alcohol in an attempt to get him so drunk he would not remember what had happened.

He made phone calls to friends to try and raise the cash without success and was then driven back to Boston where he was further assaulted.

Mr Zickus eventually managed to flee and raise the alarm after his attackers were distracted by the sound of a police siren.

He made his way to Boston Police Station to get help. He was left with two black eyes as well as multiple cuts and bruises.

Martynas Kubeckas (29) and his brother Zigmas Kubeckas (20), both of Hall Lane, Moulton Seas End; and Roman Belousov (31), of no fixed address, each admitted charges of false imprisonment and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Martynas Kubeckas was jailed for 45 months, Zigmas Kubeckas for 38 months and Belousov for 34 months.

Michael Proctor, for Martynas Kubeckas, said he apologised for the incident, adding: “He bitterly regrets his behaviour and does not offer any explanation for it. He is very sorry for the effect on the victim. He was enforcing a legitimate debt but clearly in a way he should not have done.”

He said Kubeckas had worked in the UK for eight years without incident and his jail sentence would have a shattering effect on his family.

David Eager, for Zigmas Kubeckas, said he had only been in this country for a couple of weeks and simply joined in to support his elder brother.

Alison Summers, for Belousov, said he was a hard worker who acted out of character.

She said: “This should be seen as a one-off act of gross stupidity. It was an ill-conceived plan which went too far.”

FOR a fantastic weekend of live music and entertainment go along to the Beer Fest Weekend at The Ship, Pinchbeck.

With over 15 beers including Barn Ale and Piston Bob from Tydd Steam, Tydd St Giles the event starts tomorrow (Friday) at 5.30pm with live music from Retrolux, Saturday sees a an undercover barbeque and Pogues tribute The Dead Rabbits.

Sunday sees a Tug of War starting at 2pm along with face painting, bouncy castle and lots more.

A REVAMPED Spalding Sunday Football League will see 13 teams compete in one solitary division next season.

After having just four teams in Division One last season, the change from a two tier format is not unexpected.

The new-look division sees newcomers Holbeach Unted Sunday, Pinchbeck United Sunday and Spalding Wanderers join champions Magnet Tavern, Fenway, Gosberton, Hole In The Wall, Jubilee, Lutton, Murrow Bell, Punchbowl, Sutton Bridge and Sutton St James. League matches will commence on Sunday, September 2.

These changes were revealed at the league’s annual meeting, which also saw award winners honoured.

Magnet’s Mark Lovelace and Cowbit’s Jake Mason shared the Division One top scorer award, with Lee Still of Sutton Bridge the second tier’s leading marksman.

The fair play award went to Hole In The Wall, while Jonathan Fowler was named referee of the year.

Jubilee’s Paul Rudkin claimed the overall secretary of the year accolade, after also winning the Division Two gong. The top flight’s recipient was Marcus Judd of Magnet Tavern.

Also picking up a trophy was Fenway’s Andy Murray. He was chosen as the club assistant referee of the year

All league officers were re-elected at the Tulips Social Club meet.

EBF Spalding & District League: CASTLE B are sitting pretty in Division Four after dispatching nearest rivals Long Sutton B 5-1.

Three of their four rinks won with 20-shot hauls or better, sending the Spalding side a whopping 15.5 points clear after only nine games.

Top scoring for Castle were S Godding, H Wilson and D Newby (27-12).

It was a good week for struggling Holbeach USC B too, as they moved off the foot of the basement tier with a 4-2 triumph over Moulton Harrox C.

They racked up 94 shots en route to only a second success of the season, with A Emmitt, R Huddlestone and J Neaves (33-12) the stand-out performers.

In Division One, Royal Mail Cart A chalked off another win. It’s now a perfect nine victories from nine, with a 5-1 haul against Carter’s Park A their latest success.

The leaders amassed 91 shots, with 31 of those notched by Noel Baker, Peter Horsfield and Martin Simpson.

However, Donington and Whaplode Drove A are still hot on their heels after notching wins of their own.

Donington have fallen 3.5 points off top spot following their 4-2 victory over Billingborough, but remain very well placed.

In what was a tight tussle, important rink returns from R Slaughter, D Slaughter and J Needham (24-13) and D Bristow, M Laidler and D Woods (20-16) proved key.

Third-placed Whaplode were much more emphatic, seeing off Moulton Harrox A 5-1. They fell eight shots shy of a century, with M Orritt, P Holmes and J Ivatt (32-15) the chief contributors.

Meanwhile, Division Two pacesetters Castle A enjoyed a week to remember. They demolished Spalding Town B 6-0, bagging an incredible 112 shots in the process.

Naturally there was a few high-scoring rinks, but the star turn proved to be terrific trio Jenny Collins, Tony Markie and Peter Banks, who registered a handsome 39-6 victory.

That moves them two points ahead of Carter’s Park B, who themselves swept Sutton Bridge A aside 5-1.

Kath Crane, C Chamberlain and D Hibbins were the only set to reach 30 shots.

Another side going supremely well are Whaplode Drove B. They made it an incredible eight Division Three wins on the bounce by knocking off Bourne B 4.5-1.5 – although it was a tight contest. With the aggregate spoils finishing 94-85 in Whaplode’s favour, a 27-14 triumph from J Riley, B Jones and M Gavaghan was key.

BEN Wilson moved up to fourth place in the British Supersport championship standings after a pair of top finishes at Oulton Park over the weekend.

Although the Gearlink Kawasaki rider is still seeking an elusive first race win of the season, he came pretty close with a second place in Saturday’s sprint race and fourth in the feature on Sunday.

With Cheshire’s Oulton Park circuit one of the Kirton ace’s more favoured circuits, the team hoped it’d be the perfect place to seal a maiden success.

The meet began on Friday, with free practice curtailed down to just one session due to heavy and persistent rain that made conditions incredibly tricky.

But by Saturday morning the rain had gone and Wilson was able to post some quick lap times in qualifying, meaning he was able to start the ten-lap sprint race later in the day from the head of the second row.

As the race got under way Wilson was third into Old Hall Bend, but was pushed back to finish the lap in fourth position. He dropped back to sixth on lap four, but soon recovered to take up fourth place once again and looked set to finish the race in that position.

However, things took a dramatic turn on the final corner of the last lap when the two leading riders, Glen Richards and Jack Kennedy, collided and crashed out of the race – which was subsequently won by Billy McConnell, with Wilson finishing in second place.

Although admitting finishing second in such circumstances wasn’t ideal, the extra points came in very handy for Wilson.

The weather remained fine and dry for the feature race on Sunday – and once again Wilson set off from a second row grid position.

This time he didn’t get the start he wanted and found himself boxed in at the first corner down in sixth place. But he remained in touch with the leading five riders and eventually made his way past Richard Cooper into fifth position on lap four of 15.

The top five riders began to pull clear of the pursuing pack and when Luke Mossey made a mistake at Deer Leap, Wilson pounced and moved ahead.

Mossey retook the position and the pair battled throughout the remainder of the race, while the top three riders pulled well clear.

That left the pair squabbling over fourth place as they rounded Lodge for the last time – and it was Wilson who had his wheel ahead as he held off the challenge on the drag to the flag to take the chequered flag in fourth place.

Wilson said: “I am disappointed I couldn’t make it onto the podium this time.

“But on saying that, the points accrued take me back up into fourth place in the overall championship and I have closed the gap between myself and the top three.”

The next round is at Brands Hatch over the weekend of July 20-22, when Wilson will be seeking some top results to move closer to the leading riders.

• Rider standings: 1st J Kennedy (Mar-Train Racing Yamaha) 198.5pts; 2nd G Richards (Smiths Gloucester) 189pts; 3rd B Mcconnell (Smiths Gloucester) 174pts; 4th B Wilson (Gearlink Kawasaki) 154pts.