There has been cause for celebration at a Scunthorpe care home, as a World War Two veteran staying there turned 100 years old.

William Greaves, known as Bill, celebrated his century on Earth on May 12, with his family, friends and carers at Edmund House Bupa Care Home in Scunthorpe.

Bill was born in 1922 and was one of seven children. His father fought in the First World War while Bill helped his mother raise his siblings.

He then left school at 12 to work on Amcotts Farm in Scunthorpe, before moving to Manchester aged 18 and meeting his wife, May.

Bill and May Greaves got married as teenagers, falling in love at the drop of a hat. | Photo: Bupa Care Homes

The pair were married on June 7, 1941, both aged 19, and Bill says they used to enjoy dancing, holidaying in their caravan and walking in Mablethorpe.

Bill and May went on to have one son called Stuart and a daughter called Christene, and they are now proud grandparents of six and great grandparents of seven children.

Upon the breakout of the Second World War, Bill enlisted in the army and toured Italy, Egypt and Belgium during his time – receiving medals for his campaigns.

He demobbed in 1947 and settled down in a career of steam railways and steelworks until retirement, moving into Edmund House in 2015.

To mark his special day, a congratulatory card was sent to him by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and he had all his loved ones there with him on his 100th birthday.

Bill’s family joined him for a centurion celebration. | Photo: Bupa Care Homes

Bill said: “I don’t feel like I am 100 years old. I feel very lucky to have celebrated my special day surrounded by my lovely family and friends. My carers did a great job decorating the lounge and arranging for my favourite musicians to pay a visit to help me mark the special occasion.”

When asked if he has any advice for the younger generations, Bill said: “My motto is not to stress too much, you will only look back when you get older and wonder what all the stress was about. Also, you are never too old to admit when you are wrong and say that you are sorry.”

A 70-year-old man from Bourne has been sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for one year after being prosecuted for an “appalling” case of fly-tipping from five years ago.

Dovel Taylor, of South Fen Road, dumped controlled waste on land at Meadow Drove, Dyke, and then twice on land at Cherry Holt Road in Bourne, all without a permit and contravening the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

An inspection of the dumped waste and further investigation by South Kesteven District Council tracked back to two people who had paid Taylor to take their rubbish away. This, in turn, led to the defendant.

He dumped controlled waste on two occasions on Cherry Holt Road in Bourne. | Photo: SKDC

To determine the sentence, the judge acknowledged that although Dovel had initially denied the offences he pleaded guilty at the first opportunity in court.

Enforcement officers from the council worked alongside its legal team to successfully prosecute the fly-tipper.

Taylor pleaded guilty at Lincoln Crown Court court to three charges of fly-tipping before being given a suspended sentence. In the prosecution brought by the district council, the offences were described in court as a commercial and deliberate operation, and having a significant impact on the environment.

The judge also considered Dovel’s age and health, and that the offences took place in 2017.

The court was told he had no finances, no assets and was on benefits.

The offences were described in court as a commercial and deliberate operation. | Photo: SKDC

Councillor Annie Mason, SKDC’s cabinet member for people and safer communities, said: “Anyone seeing these images will be in no doubt what happened here was appalling. It is great news to secure a successful prosecution sending a stern message to others.

“Illegal dumping of waste is a significant blight on the community and our environment, a potential danger to public health, a source of pollution and a potential danger to wildlife. It is also a crime, costing the taxpayers of South Kesteven thousands of pounds each year to clear up.

“It should not be left to the local council to remove fly-tipped waste and clean up the area; we take fly-tipping very seriously and we will take action whenever possible.

“However, we need the public’s continued support to ensure these criminal actions are brought to justice. Please be vigilant. If you see something suspicious, then report it or we could see more of the same.”

He also dumped controlled waste at Meadow Drove, Dyke. | Photo: SKDC

The council said incidents of fly-tipping should be reported on 01476 406080 or online here.

It is also urging anyone using a waste carrier to check they are legal and registered online here or by calling the Environment Agency on 03708 506506

Social isolation left one in eight Lincolnshire people feeling lonely most of the time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A government study found anxiety also increased as the country was forced to lockdown, particularly among people who were shielding or lived alone.

South Holland and West Lindsey were the parts of Lincolnshire where people were left feeling most isolated.

Around 13% of people reported feeling lonely ‘a lot’ or ‘all of the time’ in these districts between October 2020 and February 2021, according to the Office of National Statistics.

However, social cohesion was less of a problem in North Kesteven, where only 1.7% said they were seriously affected by loneliness during that period.

Urban areas and places where there was a high concentration of young or unemployed people were most prone to feeling lonely, the national study found.

A public health report on the issue will go before Lincolnshire County Council’s Adult and Community Wellbeing Committee next week, looking at the increasing impact and how people can become less isolated.

Loneliness can affect people of all ages | Photo: Adobe Stock

“There is a growing recognition that loneliness has far reaching implications for individuals and also for communities,” the report says.

“Whilst in the past loneliness was sometimes viewed as a trivial or individual personal matter, it is now known to have a wide range of negative effects on both physical and mental health, including depression and suicide, cardiovascular disease and stroke and increased stress levels.”

It says some of the places which glued communities together have disappeared during the pandemic and the proceeding years.

“Many places, particularly in rural and coastal areas, have lost pubs, community centres and neighbourhood shops: the places where people connect, make friends, build relationships, and cultivate a sense of neighbourliness.

“This is not limited to the poorest neighbourhoods, but the impact is often most obvious in communities that have also suffered economic decline. This may be exacerbated in a reduction of business and public sector service provision due to the COVID pandemic.”

The council says it aims to help communities be self-sufficient and thriving in order to reduce loneliness, and improve access to local health and care.

Lloyds Banking Group will close 28 branches across the country this year, including the only bank left in Bourne.

The group, which owns Lloyds and Halifax, has blamed failing customer numbers on the closures, which will take place between August and November this year.

20 Lloyds Bank and eight Halifax branches will close nationally across this time period, with Bourne being the only Lincolnshire area to be affected.

Bourne’s Lloyds Bank branch closes on November 21, and it is a bitter blow to the market town as it will now be left without a central bank, meaning residents will have to travel elsewhere.

However, Lloyds Banking Group has said that all affected places have a free cash machine or Post Office within a mile, allowing customers access to limited banking services in their towns or villages.

You cannot open a bank account at these sites, or sort issues with an existing account, but some services can be accessed via free cash machines or Post Office branches if need be – such as withdrawing and depositing cash or cheques if you are a Lloyds customer.

It is the latest in a long line of closures for the group, as the shift towards online and mobile banking continues to gather momentum in the modern age.

These 28 branch closures will bring the total figure of shut down Lloyds Banking Group sites to 88 by the end of 2022.