Lincoln Castle to close for three months ahead of big reveal

Lincolnshire “will be one of the last, if not the last” place in the Midlands to go into higher tier lockdown, health bosses said based on current guidance.

North and North East Lincolnshire (Northern Lincolnshire) will go into the “high” tier 2 lockdown from 0.01am on Saturday as part of tougher measures across the Yorkshire and Humber region from Saturday.

It follows a steep rise in cases, including areas of Grimsby with some of the highest infection rates in Greater Lincolnshire.

The tougher restrictions cover the areas surrounding Brigg, Scunthorpe, Grimsby and Cleethorpes.

Bosses at Lincolnshire County Council earlier this week advised public and health officials that there was no need to go into higher tier at this time.

Lincolnshire County Council’s director of public health Professor Derek Ward on Friday confirmed that advice had not yet changed.

He said there was a “significant difference” between the two areas, with North East Lincolnshire at 368 cases per 100,000 of the population, 196 in North Lincolnshire, and Lincolnshire as a county at 160.

Lincolnshire’s cases up to October 29.

A chart showing how case numbers in North Lincolnshire have changed up to October 29.

A chart showing how case numbers in North East Lincolnshire have changed up to October 29.

Mr McGinty said looking at the broader view, the county was continuing to watch the data and the rest of the region, and whether the benchmarks change.

“We’re in the positive because of the way people in Lincolnshire have behaved.

“We’re starting from a lower base than other places and everywhere seems to be increasing at the same rate.

“If you’re starting from further back, you’re always going to stay the same distance behind everybody else.

“If the government continues to change the benchmarks, I don’t know whether we’ll ever go up a tier, or, if the government keeps the benchmarks where they are, everywhere will end up in in a higher tea for the next couple of months.

“But, I think Lincolnshire will be one of, if not the, last places to go into a higher tier in the Midlands, and then we’ll see places in the south east start to go.”

Lincolnshire County Council’s Director of Public Health Professor Derek Ward. | Photo: Lincolnshire County Council

However, there is nothing to stop the government coming to Lincolnshire to start discussions if they felt it was necessary.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under increasing pressure to put a national “circuit breaker” lockdown in place.

Professor Ward said there was always a balance because that would have a “significant impact” on business and would only delay the increase.

Though he added: “That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s good because obviously we’ve got to keep an eye on our NHS.

“In Lincolnshire at the moment we’re okay but if you look at Nottinghamshire and parts of Derbyshire they are struggling.”

Lincolnshire is tier 1 – medium – lockdown.

He said there was “no golden bullet” for dealing with COVID-19 right now and moved to reassure the public that his team were constantly discussing the latest data.

“I certainly won’t hesitate to speak truth to power and give our politicians my view,” he said.

He urged people on border areas such as Gainsborough, Market Rasen, Louth and Mablethorpe, to learn the restrictions and not to travel across borders if unnecessary.

See more advice about travel and restrictions between tier 1, 2 and 3 areas.

Police are still looking for a man wearing a tophat who allegedly sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl in Lincoln city centre last month.

The man touched the victim’s thigh and lifted her skirt in the incident, which happened on Sincil Street, near the archway that leads to the multi-storey car park, between 1pm and 3pm on September 18.

He was wearing a long leather coat and a tophat, police said.

The man is believed to be in his 50s, between five foot six and six foot tall and with a short grey beard.

Over a month later the man hasn’t been found.

Lincolnshire Police confirmed on Friday, October 30 that investigations are ongoing and there is no update with the investigation.

Anyone who saw someone matching the description of the offender near the location on September 18 should contact police on 101 quoting incident 372 of October 1.

Alternatively, it can be reported through the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A man was injured after an alleged burglary in Lincoln on Thursday.

Two men entered a property on Whitehall Terrace off Newland, and assaulted the male occupant at around 12.30am on Thursday, October 29, causing minor injury.

The men then made off with cash and a third male is suspected to have been waiting nearby in a vehicle.

One male was described as black with shaved hair to the sides and a top knot.

Lincolnshire Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage to contact them.

The force also believes there was an individual on a push bike cycling past at the time of the offence.

They also believe there was a couple walking from Whitehall Grove onto Whitehall Terrace at the time of the offence and they are keen to speak to these individuals.

Anyone with information should contact Lincolnshire Police on 101 quoting incident 16 of October 29.

The US Election, COVID-19 and antisemitism were on the agenda when Question Time came to Lincoln virtually on Thursday night, with Lincolnites asking the panel their burning questions.

The political show aired on BBC One on Thursday night, with a panel featuring Donald Trump’s former adviser Anthony Scaramucci, Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds, minister for immigration Chris Phlip, American-British playwright Bonnie Greer, and Marie van der Zyl of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

It had a virtual audience of people from Lincoln on a Zoom call, asking questions of the panel throughout the show.

At the top of the agenda were the findings of the Equality Human Rights Commission’s report on anti-semitism in the Labour Party, which resulted in Jeremy Corbyn’s suspension.

Conservative MP Chris Phlip began by demanding that Labour leader Keir Starmer apologises personally and permanently kicks Corbyn out of the party, with the whole panel unanimously agreeing it was a “damning and shameful” report.

Labour MP Nick Thomas-Symonds said that his party would have to act on the recommendations of the report, before acknowledging that the previous leadership was a failure.

Nick Thomas-Symonds MP said it was a “shameful day” for the Labour Party amid the anti-semitism row. | Photo: BBC Question Time

Bonnie Greer voiced her support for the Labour Party, but said these allegations made her “sick” and suggested that the “trauma” of something such as anti-semitism is handed down through generations.

The next question was about the upcoming US Election, with audience member Helen suggesting that the vote was a matter of choosing the “least worst”.

Anthony Scaramucci served as the White House Director of Communications under Donald Trump for just 11 days in 2017, but has since spent his time condemning the President and endorsing Joe Biden’s campaign.

Anthony Scaramucci said Trump made himself “impossible to support”. | Photo: BBC Question Time

He described Trump as “the most insecure person you could ever meet” and took accountability for “normalising” him when he didn’t actually believe in the President’s policies.

Finally, when discussing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, calls for leadership were at the forefront of the panel and audience’s minds.

Karl, who is currently working as a contact tracer in Lincolnshire, suggested that the UK looks at “other alternatives” to a national lockdown and recommended the Swedish model of COVID-19 response, something which Bonnie Greer described as “herd immunity”.

Karl suggested to the panel that lockdown is proven not to work. | Photo: BBC Question Time

Speaking on behalf of the current Conservative government, Chris Phlip backed the regional tier system, suggesting that all regions have different scenarios with cases of the virus.

In response, Nick Thomas-Symonds, who is an MP in Wales which is currently on a circuit breaker lockdown, said that the “diligent, cautious approach” was the right one rather than what the current government are doing in England.

Paul from Lincoln spoke passionately about the virus to close the show, calling for another lockdown immediately to prevent any more families suffering heartache.

Paul said the government’s decision not to lockdown the country is “appalling”. | Photo: BBC Question Time

You can catch up on the whole show on BBC iPlayer.