Police search for wanted Lincoln man

A man in his 40s was injured after an industrial incident in Holbeach on Wednesday morning.

Emergency services, along with an air ambulance, attended the scene of the incident on Park Road, which was reported to police at 10.47am on January 20.

The road was closed just after 11.30am.

Emergency services and an air ambulance attended the scene. | Photo: Dennis Vink

Police said the man’s injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

No arrests have been made and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has been notified.

Six in ten new COVID cases in Lincolnshire were with the new, more infectious variant in the first week of 2021.

The county council’s public health team said that by January 8, 59.2% of tests contained a variant of the virus — up from 36% in the last two weeks of 2020.

North East Lincolnshire’s latest epidemiology report says 50% of positive COVID tests contained the new variant in the first two weeks of January, up from 40% at the end of December.

The new strains of COVID-19 are believed to be up to 70% more transmissible than the first circulating form of the virus.

Professor Derek Ward, Lincolnshire County Council’s director for public health, said he expected the new variants to “push the old one out”.

“At some point in the future 100% or 98% of our cases will be the new variants,” he said.

“The key point is the new variants are out there in South Africa and Brazil, but the key messages stay the same.

“It is a stay at home lockdown and it doesn’t matter which one it is, you’re not going to get it if you don’t go out the door, and, if you are going to have to go outdoors then remember hands, face, space.”

Pfizer said that their vaccine is effective against one key mutation, called N501Y, found in both of the new variants spreading in Britain and South Africa.

Meanwhile, under 70s could begin receiving the vaccine this week, as more than 4 million doses have been administered, the government said.

Tributes have been paid to a “real gentleman” after Skegness Town councillor and former mayor Jim Carpenter sadly died over the weekend.

Skegness Town Council was informed of the 71-year-old’s death on Monday, January 18. It is understood that Jim had also contracted coronavirus prior to his death.

Jim, who lived in Skegness and served the St Clements Ward, had been on the town council since May 2007.

He became mayor in 2013 and at the time of his death he held the position of deputy. He had been due to become mayor again in May 2021.

Jim Carpenter, as deputy mayor, was invited to officially open ‘Winnies’, the new Community Lounge in the Old Methodist Church in Winthorpe. | Photo: Skegness Town Council

Jim was also on the interview panel when town clerk Steve Larner was appointed in his role in 2011.

Steve told The Lincolnite: “I always found that he was a real gentleman in terms of the time he gave to everybody.

“He was just a really nice person and I never heard anybody say a bad word about him. He was liked by everyone he came into contact with.

“He was very generous with his time and I worked with him when he was mayor and he did an excellent job.”

Former mayor, councillor Jim Carpenter (left) with current mayor, councillor Mark Dannatt. | Photo: Skegness Town Council

Mark Dannatt, the current mayor of Skegness, said: “Councillor Carpenter’s death has come as a great shock to councillors and staff alike.

“Our memories are of a true gentleman who gave his time generously and worked hard for his family and the community.

“My thoughts and those of all my colleagues on the council go out to Jim’s family and friends at this sad and difficult time.”

The mayor is also likely to say a few words at a management committee meeting on Wednesday night.

Any plans of remembrance or tributes for Jim will be discussed at the next full town council meeting on February 3.