Lincolnshire Police has again upped the number of arrests made during an illegal rave in woods near Corby Glen over the weekend.

A spokesman has confirmed that 43 arrests were made during the course of the incident, which began at 11pm on Saturday and was closed down by officers at 9.15pm yesterday (Sunday).

Of the 43 arrested, 24 have either been bailed, charged or cautioned and released. The remaining 19 remain in custody and will be processed today.

Officers will remain at the site today, and further details of arrests and charges are expected to be released tomorrow.

**For coverage of the incident as events unfolded over the weekend, click on the links below.

{http://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/news/local/police-officers-and-dog-injured-in-attack-by-ravers-at-twyford-woods-near-corby-glen-1-6760991|Police officers and dog injured in “attack” by ravers at Twyford Woods near Corby Glen;}

{http://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/news/local/update-officers-came-under-attack-from-200-people-at-illegal-rave-in-twyford-woods-1-6761052|Officers came under attack from 200 people at illegal rave in Twyford Woods;}

{http://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/news/local/update-police-officer-seriously-injured-at-illegal-rave-at-twyford-wood-was-hit-by-a-car-1-6761160| Police officer seriously injured at illegal rave at Twyford Wood was hit by a car;}

{http://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/news/local/update-further-18-officers-report-injuries-sustained-in-operation-to-shut-down-illegal-rave-at-twyford-wood-1-6761264| Further 18 officers report injuries sustained in operation to shut down illegal rave at Twyford Wood;}

{http://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/news/local/more-arrests-made-as-illegal-rave-in-twyford-wood-is-finally-shut-down-by-police-1-6761551| More arrests made as illegal rave in Twyford Wood is finally shut down by police.}

A convicted rapist groomed a 15-year-old girl before arranging to meet her, Lincoln Crown Court was told.

Pensioner Alan Grant, who was on parole after being released from a life term of imprisonment, befriended the youngster and persuaded her to give him her mobile number claiming that he might be able to find work for her.

Caroline Bradley, prosecuting, said Grant later rang the girl and arranged to meet her at a Spar Shop in Boston before driving her to his caravan.

Grant started talking to her about how he used prostitutes and how another teenage girl had cleaned for him in return for sexual favours.

He then offered to give the 15-year-old £40 just for visiting his caravan but she rejected his money.

The girl, who had no idea of his background, later made a complaint to teachers after Grant turned up at her school to meet her.

Grant, 70, of Spice Avenue, Wyberton, denied charges of meeting a child following sexual grooming and travelling to meet a child after grooming as a result of the incidents in June 2014. He was found guilty by a jury and jailed for two-and-a-half years.

The court was told that Grant was convicted of rape in 1983 when he was jailed for four years and two years later he was given a life jail sentence for three attempted rapes. He served 20 years in prison before being released on parole. He has since been recalled to jail for breach of his parole.

Judge John Pini QC, passing sentence, on Friday told him: “It is quite clear that you were testing the boundaries as to how far you could go with this 15-year-old girl. She was uncomfortable but she would have been considerably more uncomfortable if she had known of your past.

“It clearly was your intent to commit sexual offences against her.”

Gaps are opening up in all three divisions of the South Lincolnshire & Border League with the leaders in each still unbeaten.

Boston have a 24-point advantage over Bourne 2nd in the Premier Division following their eight-wicket win against Woodhall Spa 2nd.

Market Deeping 2nd lead by 37 in Division One where second-placed Freiston have a game in hand.

Deeping won a high-scoring game against Lindum 3rd with Ryan Bainborough making the day’s only century with 109.

Deeping racked up a total of 243-4 but were unable to bowl out their opponents who finished on 216-7.

Two teams are dominating Division Two – Claypole have 95 points from five matches while Baston have 74 from four.

Baston proved too strong for Burgh & District, bowling them out for 66 and going on to win by eight wickets.

Elsewhere in the Premier Division, Long Sutton were unable to match Bourne 2nd’s total of 154, being bowled out for 118.

Billingborough stay fourth despite going down to Lindum Ramblers with Shaun Brown making 55.

Ansar Hussain hit 95 of Spalding 2nd’s total of 205 to which Moulton Harrox replied with 131-6.

The tightest game of the day was in Division One where Long Sutton 2nd ended just 10 runs short of Heckington’s 145-9.

Tom Poole made 76 and Mick Troops 56 as Boston 2nd finished on 224 all out against Billingborough 2nd who were then bowled out for 68.

In Division Two, Graves Park fought out a high-scoring game with Spalding 3rd as the league newcomers got 256-6.

In reply, Spalding reached 211 before the final wicket fell, Jordan Butcher making 82 and Harry De Camos 58.

It’s been 30 years since they were last together – but that’s all set to change next month when students who left Spalding’s Gleed Girls’ School in 1985 reunite for the first time.

Although many have kept in touch since their school days, while the internet and Facebook has made keeping up even easier, the class of 1985 has never had a proper reunion.

With 2015 marking the 30th anniversary of their last day together, a group of six former pupils decided it was time this was put right and have arranged a get together at Spalding Rugby Club on Saturday, June 27.

“We started talking about it last summer, and one or two other people were thinking about it too, so we formed a little committee, and it was discussed on Facebook,” 
explained Michelle Smith, of the organising group.

“Thanks to the internet, it’s been easier to track people down and we’ve had a good 
response from the 153 names on our original list, but there are still more people we’d like to contact.”

Former staff who taught at the school between 1980 and 1985 are also invited to attend the reunion, which will be raising funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

As well as reminiscing about their time at the school, former pupils will also be able view some old memorabilia including photographs and enjoy some 80s music and a buffet.

“We’ve had some Class of ’85 memory books made, which we’ll be selling on the night and some pens, plus there’ll be a raffle , which will be in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust.

“We chose the Trust 
because we were all teenagers in the 80s, and of course 
because so many people’s lives are touched by this disease,” added Michelle.

“It should be a really good night, catching up with everyone and what they’ve been up to since they left school.

“Obviously there are some who are overseas now, and won’t be able to make it, but we’d love to see as many old girls there as possible.”

nReunion tickets are £2 each and are available through the Gleed School Class of 1985 Facebook Page.

The event at Spalding Rugby Club, St Thomas’ Road is for pupils and staff – no partners – and starts at 7pm.

Everyone is asked to bring a tray for the buffet table.

People in Bourne and the Deepings are urged to take unwanted electrical items to be recycled or arrange for them to be collected.

The advice comes from South Kesteven District Council in a bid to avoid TVs, DVDs and other items being left on pavements and treated as flytipping.

Such items need to be taken to Bourne Household Waste and Recycling Centre on Pinfold Lane Industrial Estate between 9am and 4pm, Friday to Monday.

They can also be collected by the council’s home collection service after calling 01476 406080, costing £12 for the first item and £6 for each additional item.

The council’s executive manager for the environment Ian Yates said: “We know transporting items to our Household Waste and Recycling Centre in Bourne isn’t always possible for all residents.

“Therefore the home collection service is here to help you dispose of goods in the correct manner.

“But if you leave them on the pavement or street outside your home, it leaves you open to the risk of potential prosecution.

“We would advise residents to ring and arrange a collection and we can then take away all your unwanted electrical items and household furniture so that you can do your part to help keep your street and neighbourhood clean and tidy.”

Fridges and freezers are charged at £12 each, due to disposal costs, but radiators, bricks, concrete, paving slabs, garden furniture and similar items can’t be collected by the council.

However, the district council is unable to collect radiators, builder’s rubble, bricks, concrete, paving slabs and garden furniture.

Working for the NHS in Lincolnshire is one of the best jobs to do, according to organisers of a prestigious national awards ceremony.

Both Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT), the county’s mental health, learning disability and social care trust, and Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS), the county’s largest provider of community healthcare, have been shortlisted in the Health Service Journal’s and Nursing Times’ Top 100 Best Places To Work 2015.

The awards do is a celebration of the UK’s highest quality public sector healthcare employers. An A-list is compiled from results of trust staff surveys – the annual employee satisfaction questionnaire.

Five award categories are up for grabs, with LPFT and LCHS hoping to triumph in Best Mental Health Trust and Best Community Trust.

The national charity Rethink Mental Illness is launching a support group next month for people affected by self-harm in Spalding.

The group, which launches with an information day on June 3, will bring together different organisations across Spalding to provide support for people who self-harm, as well as their friends and families.

The groups are peer support groups, run by people with personal experience of mental illness, or by their families and friends.

The group will meet on every first Wednesday of the month between 2pm and 3.30pm at Johnson Community Hospital. For more information, email lauren.bate@rethink.org or call 07436 562335.

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.

Boston Magistrates’ Court

April 27

Benjamin Cox (36), of Cornfields, Holbeach. Failing to give a specimen of breath (Boston). £500 fine, £50 v/s, £500 costs, disqualified from driving for 2 years. No separate penalty for driving without due care and attention (Spalding).

April 29

Daivaras Sarkauskis (21), of Meadowgate Lane, Spalding. Drink-driving (Spalding). £220 fine, £22 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Leigh Kemp (52), of Campains Lane, Deeping St Nicholas. Drink-driving (Deeping St Nicholas). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Vilius Poskys (21), of Alford Terrace, Haven Village, Boston. Possession of a weapon designed or adapted for the discharge of an electrical charge (Spalding). £250 fine, £25 v/s £85 costs, taser weapon to be forfeited and destroyed.

Andrew Ashton (65), of Fleet Road, Holbeach. VAT offence (Spalding). Two years conditional discharge, £720 compensation.

Sandeep Arora (40), of Market Place, Boston. Driving while disqualified from driving (Spalding). Community order with 250 hours unpaid work, £60 v/s, £620 costs, disqualified from driving for 10 months. No separate penalty for no insurance.

Stephen Morton (56), of Joys Bank, Holbeach St Johns. Drink-driving (Holbeach Drove) and failing to surrender to custody. Community order with alcohol treatment requirement, £60 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 36 months.

April 30

Anthony Cole (52), of Nutts Lane, Holbeach St Johns. Failing to give driver ID (Nettleham). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

Simon Eady (44), of Stephensons Way, Bourne. Assault (Boston). Restraining order, £85 fine, £20 v/s, £120 costs.

Paul Taylor (47), of South Eau Bank, Gedney Hill. Assault (Gedney Hill). £300 fine, £30 v/s, £180 costs.

Grantham Magistrates’ Court

April 20

Graham Sanderson (60), of Magellan Way, Spalding. Speeding (Scampton). £135 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Antanas Baranauskas (38), of High Street, Newmarket. Speeding (Spalding). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Robert Carter-Surridge (28), of St Mary’s Drive, Sutterton. Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence (Kirton). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs. No MOT. £200 fine.

Kia Fenner (25), of Severn Road, Spalding. Speeding (Scampton 15.10.14). £135 fine, 3pts. Speeding (Scampton 8.10.14). £135 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts. No separate penalty for speeding (Atterby 8.10.14).

Carlos Jarvis (19), of Market Rasen Way, Holbeach. No insurance (Holbeach). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts. No separate penalty for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and no MOT.

Andrew Pinkerton (42), of Roman Road, Corby. Speeding (Spalding). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Martin Rowett (34), of Bourne Road, Spalding. Driving without due care and attention (Boston). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Martin Rowett (34), of Vikings Way, Spalding. Speeding (Great Ponton). £400 fine, 4pts.

April 21

Michal Bina (30), of Quadring Road, Donington. Failing to give driver ID (Nettleham). £600 fine, £60 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 6 months.

Simon Pitts (46), of London Road, Spalding. Speeding (North Kyme). £115 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, disqualified from driving for 21 days.

April 22

Ilyas Aygun (45), of Bridge Street, Fakenham. Speeding (Whaplode). £120 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 5pts.

Robert Bailey (39), of High Street, Duddington. Driving while using a hand-held mobile phone (Market Deeping). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £350 costs, 3pts.

Maurice Atkin (57), of The Green, Kirkby Underwood. Speeding (Tattershall). £195 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Tony Fielding (68), of Great North Road, Doncaster. Speeding (Swineshead Bridge). £80 fine, £20 v/s, 3pts.

Alex Platts (47), of Hatt Close, Moulton. Failing to give driver ID (Nettleham). £340 fine, £15 v/s, £200 costs, 6pts.

Kevin O’Connor (50), of Wharfdale Avenue, Billingham. Speeding (Whaplode). £115 fine, £20 v/s, £40 costs, 3pts.

George Shahani (24), of Endery Road, Leicester. Speeding (Whaplode). £70 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 6pts.

April 23

Michael Lovett, of High Street, Market Deeping. Contravened section 11 of the Housing Act 2004 and failed to comply with improvement notice. £1,000 fine, £200 v/s, £500 costs.

Michael O’Connor (29), of Holland Road, Spalding. Driving while using a hand-held mobile phone (Surfleet).£135 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

April 28

Dean Johnston (24), of Bowness, Scotland. Failed to stop after an accident (Spalding). £360 fine, £36 v/s, £85 cost, 7pts. No separate penalty for failing to report an accident and driving without due care and attention.

Juozas Jonika (45), of Hereward Road, Spalding. Speeding (Barrowby Thorns). £100 fine, £20 v/s, 3pts.

Claire Rickerby (34), of Potters Close, Bourne. No insurance (Bourne). £160 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 7pts. No separate penalty for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

Rachael Goor (25), of Gleed Avenue, Spalding. Speeding (Boston). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Dale Hawkings (41), of Great Northern Gardens, Bourne. Speeding. £100 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

Tamdor Sultan (46), of Upper Mosscar Street, Bradford. Speeding (Swineshead Bridge). £200 fine, £20 v/s, £85 costs, 3pts.

There are no major delays on road or rail reported across Lincolnshire this morning.

Traffic is expected to build up on the A46 around Lincoln as rush hour approaches and through the Cannick Road roadworks.

Heading further afield? There are delays on the A1 in Cambridgeshire between the A1 at Alconbury and Fenstanton.

Seen a delay? Get in touch.

{mailto:paul.fisher@jpress.co.uk|Email paul.fisher@jpress.co.uk|email us}​ or let us know via {https://twitter.com/PaulFisheredit​|​Twitter ​​@PaulFisheredit​|Go to Twitter.com}

Local neighbourhood police are an “endangered species” the chairman of the Police Federation has said.

Speaking at the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) annual conference Steve White said: “We are down to the bone and having to decide - neighbourhood policing or 999 calls?

“Neighbourhood policing is the foundation of local confidence, trust and reassurance in communities that the police are there, that we will be there when needed, policing with their consent.

“And now neighbourhood policing is just one of the endangered species in the new, streamlined, barren policing landscape.

“A generation of young people is growing up never seeing their local police unless they are unfortunate enough to experience a serious crime. Is that the type of remote, faceless police service the public deserves?”

But home secretary Theresa May as responded angrily, accusing the Police Federation of “Crying Wolf.”

She said: “Claims of scaremongering and of officers being demoralised; this crying ‘wolf’ has to stop.”

Mr White responded by saying: “The reason that the things we said haven’t happened is nothing to do with Government policy. It is about the fact officers have made it work, officers have worked hard and we officers are ‘can-do’ people.

“Despite all of the cuts and change, officers responded and have kept the public safe. This isn’t about scaremongering or crying wolf.”

Theresa May added: “If we had not reformed police pay and pensions, chief constables would have had little choice but to cut more police officers and staff.”

But, Mr White said this was “nothing short of blackmail to say that officers have to take a pay cut or more of their colleagues will have to go.”

Firecrews from Holbeach and Spalding attended a collision at Gedney Drove End yesterday afternoon (Monday) where four people were injured.

The single vehicle incident was reported just after 3pm on Main Road in the village, said a police spokeswoman.

It involved a white Ford Focus driven by a 25-year-old man from the Holbeach area, who along with a male passenger (age not confirmed) was taken to hospital in Kings Lynn with fractures and cuts.

Another passenger, a 17 year-old man, went to Addenbrookes Hospital with fractures and a non-life threatening head injury,” said the spokeswoman. A fourth casualty was also treated at the scene by ambulance and firecrews..

The road was reopened around 9pm.

○ Another firecrew from Spalding also attended a corrugated shed on fire on Horseshoe Road in the town yesterday.

The blaze, called in at 3.16pm, was extinguished by firefighters using two hosereel jets.

The 2015 Winkworth Cup final will go down as one of the most exciting in the history of the Readers Lincolnshire ECB Premier League T20 competition.

With 471 runs coming off just 38.2 overs, it was also one of the highest scoring.

At the close, Bourne had claimed the trophy by 11 runs from Lindum in a match that brought a quick-fire century in each innings and a six wicket haul that turned the game.

Bourne got through to the final at the expense of Grantham after Pete Morgan and Carl Wilson had taken their side to 211 for four, Morgan hitting 111 off 54 balls and Wilson an unbeaten 69 off 50. Grantham were unable to match that run rate, finishing on 141 for nine, David Whapplington making 60.

In the other semi-final, Skegness made 137 for seven, a score Lindum matched almost ball for ball over the first 10 overs. But then Will Wright and Charlie Tomlinson set about the bowling and knocked off the remaining runs in just five overs, ending 64 and 41 not out respectively.

In the final, Bourne won the toss and elected to bat first, opening with Morgan and Conrad Louth who suffered a first ball duck in the semi-final. This time, Louth wasn’t going to make the same mistake and after five overs, Bourne were 57 for one, Morgan having gone for 33.

Louth and Jack Berry (25) added 83 over the next five overs and when Berry’s dismissal brought Carl Wilson to the crease, there was no let up in the attack.

Louth made 125 off 56 balls with seven fours and 11 sixes and Wilson had 25 when the 20 overs ended on 241 for two.

Lindum got off to a disastrous start, losing two wickets for just seven runs, leaving the large crowd of spectators believing it was all over. But Luke Robinson who, like Louth, was out for a duck in the first semi-final, had other ideas.

Once again, it was Tomlinson at the other end and these two brought Lindum’s 50 up in the fourth over, with Robinson reaching his individual 50 in the next.

After 10 overs, Lindum were 127 for two and in the 11th over Robinson celebrated his century as the onslaught continued.

Then skipper Morgan made an inspired change in Bourne’s bowling attack, bringing on Ben Stroud. This brought the dismissal of Tomlinson for 50, leaving Lindum 161 for three. Joe Peatman’s run out made it 167 for four but Robinson batted on to take the total to 213 before Stroud claimed this most valuable of scalps.

Robinson had made 143 off 50 balls with 18 fours and nine sixes and taken his side within sight of victory.

With three overs to go, Lindum needed 24 to win but Stroud put paid to their hopes, going on to take six wickets off the 20 balls he bowled, the final one falling on 230.

Robinson’s innings earned him the man of the match award that was presented by Martin Thompson of sponsors Winkworth but it is Bourne who will progress to the ECB Area Finals on August 2 for the second time in three years.

The finals are expected to be played in the Yorkshire area, probably Bradford.

Thirteen people have been charged with various offences relating to an illegal rave at Twyford Wood, near Corby Glen, at the weekend.

Lincolnshire Police, assisted by officers from forces across the East Midlands, policed the rave from when it began at around 11pm on Saturday. Officers closed the event down at around 9.15pm Sunday over safety concerns.

Those arrested are:

* Chelsea Rianne Harvey, 20, of Dereham, Norfolk, charged with dangerous driving and failing to stop

* Henry Spencer, 20, of Beccles, Suffolk, charged with possession of class B drugs

* Joe Vincent, 30, of Woodbridge, Suffolk, charged with driving offences and possession of drugs

* Daniel Richards, 24, of no fixed abode, charged with possession of class B drugs

* Max Peter Bennett, 20, of Lowestoft, Suffolk, charged with possession of drugs

* Jerone Kuiken, 40, of Milton Keynes, charged with possession of class A and B drugs

* Kevin Anthony Sparkes, 33, of Kennilworth, Warwickshire, charged with possession of class A and B drugs

* Robert Barrell, 34, of Bristol, charged with drink driving

* Nathan Ford, 30, of Bristol, charged with possession of class A drugs

* James Patrick Morgan, 21, of Bath, charged with possession of drugs with intent to supply

* Johan Rom, 34, of no fixed abode, charged with failure to comply

* Dimitri Jean Marie Menard, 37, of Hackney, London, charged with failure to comply with a direction to proceed

* Steven Vine, 34, of Aylesbury, Bucks, charged with making threats to commit criminal damage. He was remanded to court today (Tuesday).

A further six people aged between 16 and 27 years old were cautioned for possession of drugs, while 26 people were released on police bail to return to police stations across the county when further enquiries have been carried out. The offences under investigation include possession of drugs, organising a rave, failing to comply with a direction to proceed, violent disorder, driving offences, possession of an offensive weapon and assault.

Three people were released without charge and no further action will be taken against them.

A convicted sex offender went on the run from North Sea Camp jail claiming he was bullied by other inmates, Lincoln Crown Court was told today, Tuesday May 26

Jonathan Todd, who was serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection, was moved to the open prison near Boston in April ahead of a parole board hearing later this year to consider whether he should be released.

Julia King, prosecuting, said that Todd was found to be missing when a check was carried out on inmates at midday on 13 Masy.

He was reported as an escaper and arrested later the same day 16 miles away at Donington near Spalding.

Miss King said “He said he walked out at 9 am and he left for no other reason than he was feeling stressed because he was detained at the prison.

“He said he was eventually going to report his escape himself to the police.”

Todd, 26, of no fixed address, admitted escape from lawful custody on 3 May. He was given a 16 week jail sentence concurrent with the indeterminate sentence he continues to serve. He was also ordered to pay a £900 criminal costs order and a victim surcharge of £80.

The court was told that he had 46 previous convictions dating back to 2001 and in April 2010 was given an indeterminate sentence at Newcastle Crown Court for sexual offences.

Andrea Clarke, defending, said “He had been the target of bullying at North Sea Camp and felt extremely stressed. He took the opportunity to leave and walked to Spalding.

“He says he was going to turn himself in.

“He understands that this in itself will no doubt be brought up before the Parole Board and there will be consequences in relation to his potential release date.”

A seven-year-old boy sustained serious head injuries when he was knocked off his bicycle at Bicker.

The incident happened in Broad Lane around 4.30pm on Friday, May 22. The child was involved in a collision with a Ford Transit van.

The child suffered a serious head injury and was initially taken to Boston Pilgrim hospital, before being transferred to the Queens Medical Centre, in Nottingham. His condition is described as serious but stable.

Any witnesses to the collision, who have not already spoken with police, should call 101, quoting the incident number 307 of 22 May 2015

A Bourne man who groomed a vulnerable 14-year-old girl over the internet before meeting her has been jailed at Lincoln Crown Court.

Darren Hadman made contact with the girl through a chat room and she initially thought he was a 16-year-old boy called Tom.

Esther Harrison, prosecuting, said the girl later learned he was in his 30s but remained in contact with him.

She sent him explicit photographs of herself after he encouraged her. They also exchanged explicit messages.

The pair met up in a car park in Sleaford in March 2013 when Hadman kissed the teenager and groped her.

Police were contacted after the girl’s mother discovered text messages on her daughter’s phone.

Miss Harrison said: “The girl was vulnerable. She came from a rather sheltered background and her parents were very protective of her.

“The evidence is that the defendant had a sexual interest in young girls that led to him possessing indecent images and grooming the girl to send him naked pictures of herself. He then met up and engaged in sexual activity with her.”

Hadman, 40, Wetherby Close, Bourne, pleaded guilty to a charge of meeting a child following grooming between February 1 and March 28, 2013.

Hadman also admitted sexual activity with the girl and a charge of inciting the same girl to engage in sexual activity.

He also pleaded guilty to distributing indecent photographs of a child, possession of 318 indecent photographs of children and five charges of making an indecent image of a child.

Hadman was jailed for a total of three years and three months. He was also given a restraining order banning him from contacting his victim for 10 years.

Michael Cranmer-Brown, defending, challenged the suggestion that the victim was the vulnerable and innocent teenager as portrayed by the prosecution.

He said: “What you have here is a man in his mid 30s who was going through a difficult time in his own relationship.

“He went on the internet and began to chat to, as it turned out, an underage girl. He wasn’t seeking out such a person.”

Passing sentence Judge John Pini QC said: “She was a vulnerable girl. This girl was young for her age and very naïve. She had never had a boyfriend. It was easy for a scheming paedophile to take advantage of her. Children like that need protecting from themselves and they need protecting from people like you.

“Throughout all of this you were the adult and you were the one who should have 
said no.

“I utterly reject your suggestion that the girl was in any way at fault.”

The new chairman of Holbeach Parish Council has set out to promote the town and what it has to offer better over the coming year.

Coun Isobel Hutchinson also pledged to try and bring new cash into Holbeach for improvements and to help reduce the amount of council tax paid by residents across the parish.

Coun Hutchinson was elected chairman at May’s parish council meeting, a role she took over on an interim basis in February after the resignation of Coun John Spencer over his role in the running of the former Holbeach United Sports and Social Club.

“This year, we are trying to make the most of the facilities we already have in the town and, wherever we can, to promote the town as much as we can,” Coun Hutchinson said.

“We are also trying to get any funding in we can to do new works, as well as trying to stimulate the parish council’s activities so we can get the precept down to a lesser amount than this year.”

The May 7 parish elections saw one new member, Kay Piccaver, and two former members rejoining the council in Val Gemmell and Rita Rudkin.

They replace former chairmen Terry Harrington and Peter Savory, along with Jenny Worth who all stepped down before the elections.

Coun Hutchinson said: “Holbeach has some very good facilities and it’s something that we need to promote as much as possible.”

Holbeach Cemetery Chapels was one of the “facilities” Coun Hutchinson mentioned whilst defending a Transported arts event held there on May 16 which one resident branded “distasteful and disrespectful”.

Coun Hutchinson said: “The whole aim of the event was to promote Transported and the Holbeach Cemetery Chapels project that’s been going on for the last four years.

“It was nice to see as many people as there were down there at what was a good event, done very tastefully and very well.

“The more profile we can get for the chapels, the better.”

Long Sutton Primary School could have its first dinners cooked on site in years following a planning application for a new kitchen.

Lincolnshire County Council is seeking consent for a “hub kitchen”, to serve the primary school and two other schools within ten miles of the town.

The county council also wants to build a new dining area at the school, but that work will be completed in a future phase.

A statement in support of the planning application to South Holland District Council says: “The existing school does not have a kitchen facility and all meals for children are provided by an external provider who delivers food to and from the site on a daily basis.”

Planning consent is being sought for 43 new homes on a narrow strip of agricultural land at Holbeach.

Benchmark Properties wants to develop the site, between the A17 and Low Lane, with one, two and three-bedroom houses to address housing need and “the difficulties facing first time buyers and young families by providing modern, stylish, energy efficient homes at a price local people can afford”.

The plan includes 14 affordable homes.

The company has submitted a planning application to South Holland District Council via its agent, Studio 11 Architecture, of Wisbech.

A statement in support of the application says: “The proposed development will make a useful contribution towards meeting the housing need in the local area. The need is immediate as there is not currently a five year housing supply in South Holland district.

“It would also help to meet a longer-term strategic need for housing in Holbeach, identified in the emerging South East Lincolnshire Local Plan.

“The site is also sustainably located within walking distance of a range of shops, services, employment opportunities and public transport.”

The company says the land is “immediately adjacent the edge of the settlement”.

TRISH TAKES FIVE: By blogger Trish Burgess

A pink triangle is the symbol for what feature on an Ordnance Survey map?

This was one of the questions posed during the ‘Are you smarter than a 10 year old?’ round at Long Sutton Cricket Club’s quiz night. Unfortunately our answer of ‘a campsite’ proved that 10 year olds have the better of us. It was also testimony to that old rule of quizzing: don’t change the answer you first thought of. I had correctly guessed at a youth hostel but then convinced myself they were red triangles (maybe they were, long ago when I studied geography?)

I had gone along to the quiz night with my husband Dougie and two friends, Jutta and Cameron. Our brains were taxed even before the quiz began, trying to come up with a name and we eventually plumped for Foreheads (four heads?).

The quizmaster, Jake Burton, had compiled an excellent set of questions, based on TV quizzes such as ‘Pointless’, ‘Never Mind the Buzzcocks’ and ‘A Question of Sport’. In the first half we were pretty slow off the mark, mainly due to our pitiful recall of modern song lyrics, although Cameron rescued us with his knowledge of Kylie and Robbie Williams songs. I surprised the team with my familiarity with children’s TV: a point for ‘In the Night Garden’ due to my recognition of Iggle Piggle.

Jutta and I caught up on our gossip during the Pointless sports round, allowing the boys to weigh up the public’s knowledge of Paralympic gold medals and American sports teams. We also let them continue guessing which actors had starred in which movies in a very clever round based loosely on ‘Deal or No Deal’. As a team we had the most disagreements during ‘Play Your Cards Right’, where we had to guess whether each answer was higher or lower than the preceding one. We were stymied right from the beginning because we argued about the age of Taylor Swift and couldn’t decide how many miles from Earth the Hubble Space Telescope was orbiting.

With the teams very close throughout the proceedings, it was the final round, ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’, which separated out the winners and losers. The team with the best name, ‘I’ve forgotten my whites’, had been leading for most of the night but were unfortunate to be undone by St George’s Day. This left us and the Four Beards to fight to the finish.

With the Four Beards already one point ahead at the beginning of the round, it was Question 8 which proved to be the decider. “Alex Turner is the lead singer in which British group?” Both teams guessed this incorrectly (it was the Arctic Monkeys) so the Four Beards took the prize.

A big thank you to everyone at Long Sutton Cricket Club for a great night: to Jake for being a calm and organised quiz master and to Lisa for providing the food which I suspect is what gave us the extra brain power in the second half.