Around 10% of Lincolnshire children miss out on first choice of secondary school

Volunteers have again been cleaning up the Sincil Bank area of Lincoln, collecting car tyres, a road sign, shopping trolleys and even a used needle in a bid to make the streets tidier.

The cleanup was organised by volunteers at Sincil Bank Lincoln RiverCare and Litter Pick Group, as an army of people armed with litter picking devices took to the streets of Lincoln on Saturday, October 23.

The litter picks take place monthly, and despite having reduced numbers this time around, the group managed to collect a large hoard of rubbish.

The cleanup team were hard at work again in the Lincoln area. | Photo: Nick Rawsthorne

Volunteers took to the Hermit Street and Portland Street areas first, where numerous empty cans of beer and broken glass bottles had to be cleared from what looked like a party aftermath.

Drug paraphernalia was also found in the area in the form of a used needle, which was safely disposed of due to the health risks that come with potentially coming into contact with used syringes.

What appears to be a party aftermath in the Hermit Street/Portland Street zone. | Photo: Nick Rawsthorne

The items collected include a bike frame pulled from a drain, a games console, two shopping trolleys, two car tyres, a bag of clothes and a television without a screen.

Volunteers meet monthly for the litter pick. | Photo: Nick Rawsthorne

The cleanup operation takes place around the Sincil Bank area of the city. | Photo: Nick Rawsthorne

As well as this, the volunteers collected 45 face masks, 155 cans, 65 glass bottles, 55 plastic bottle containers and 20 bags.

The volunteers were fishing items out of the river. | Photo: Nick Rawsthorne

Perhaps the most bizarre find was a box full of mounted pike heads, which were described as “macabre” upon discovery.

A pretty harrowing find on a litter pick. | Photo: Nick Rawsthorne

Nick Rawsthorne said of the pike heads: “We know Halloween is now very close, but to find a box full of mounted pike heads was totally unexpected. A rather bizarre find and a sad reflection on how some treat local wildlife.”

All smiles for October’s litter pick. | Photo: Nick Rawsthorne

The next litter pick from the group will be on November 20, and to check out more of the great work done by Sincil Bank Lincoln RiverCare and Litter Pick Group, check out their Facebook page.

Teams were leaving no stone unturned. | Photo: Nick Rawsthorne

Another successful meet-up for the volunteers. | Photo: Nick Rawsthorne

A Lincolnshire woman has been cleared of sexually assaulting a man after the Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence against her.

Cheryl Howarth, 45, of Timms Drove, Low Grounds, near Swineshead, had denied a single charge of sexual assault on a male aged over 16-years-old. The offence was alleged to have occured on August 30, 2019.

Howarth appeared at Lincoln Crown Court on Monday where her case was listed as a ‘backer’ trial. However her trial could not be heard due to other court work.

Andrew Fitch-Holland, prosecuting, said the Crown Prosecution Service had decided to drop the case and offer no evidence on the charge after speaking to the complainant about the further delay.

Recorder Simon King directed a not guilty verdict to be entered against Howarth and told her she was free to leave court.

COVID-19 infection rates in Greater Lincolnshire continue to rise week on week, however, the latest figures suggest the region is slowing down compared to other areas.

As of Monday night’s government figures, the area has an average infection rate of 507.7 per 100,000 population, above the England average of 488.5. However, four of the nine district and unitary councils covering the area have shown an overall decrease in the latest seven-day figures.

West Lindsey District Council, for instance, has seen its rate fall from 743.4 to 698.6 and its position in the national rankings drop from fifth highest to 45th. North and South Kesteven District Councils are the only other two to currently sit within the 100 highest infection rates nationally.

In fact, just two councils have moved up the table with the majority seeing lower rates when compared to elsewhere in the country. North Kesteven moved from 126th highest to 49th, with its infection rate leaping from 492.6 to 694, while Lincoln has again started climbing from 266th to 254th with a rate increase from 362.8 to 423.8.

The majority of districts currently sit between 200th and 300th highest, suggesting their rate is either decreasing, or increasing at a slower pace than the majority of the 380 councils recorded in the government figures.

There were 5,405 cases of coronavirus last week in Greater Lincolnshire, just down on the 5,589 (about -3.29%) cases the previous week – despite a record breaking day last Wednesday with 965 cases.

Lincolnshire’s infection rates from October 4 to October 26 | Table: Daniel Jaines, Data: Gov.UK

The latest COVID stats for Lincolnshire are:

• 563 new cases of coronavirus in Greater Lincolnshire with 428 in Lincolnshire, 64 in North East Lincolnshire and 71 in North Lincolnshire
• No further deaths were recorded in the government figures
• However, five further deaths were recorded in Greater Lincolnshire Hospitals since Friday with all of them at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust.