South Holland and the Deepings MP John Hayes calls on PM to cut stakes for fixed odds betting terminals

Over 40s can book now book booster jabs after three months — as the NHS celebrates one year of the vaccination programme.

The online booking system for vaccines was updated this morning to also include the most vulnerable and details will be updated on the system throughout the day.

People in those groups no longer have to wait six months after their second dose to top up their protection.

Margaret Keenan, 91, was the initial vaccine recipient last year and has urged people to have the jab adding “it’ll save your life and the life of your friends and family – and the NHS as well of course”.

So far nationally, there have been 42,900,000 first doses, 36,100,000 second and 17,500,000 top-ups.

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “The biggest and most successful vaccination drive in health service history is entering its most complex phase and is continuing at speed in the run-up to Christmas.

“NHS staff continue to work flat out to protect their communities and are now once again working to expand the programme at scale.”

Greater Lincolnshire has seen its coronavirus infection rates bounce up again as government bosses come under pressure around a leaked Christmas party at Downing Street.

Greater Lincolnshire continues to sit below the national average in terms of infection rates for the past seven days, with a figure of 474.6 per 100,000. The England national rate is 483.7.

Health bosses nationally are trying to celebrate one year of COVID jabs, however, ministers are being dogged over whether government leaders and staff complied with COVID rules just days after restrictions were brought in last year.

The latest COVID stats for Greater Lincolnshire on Tuesday are:

• 673 new cases of coronavirus with 473 in Lincolnshire, 102 in North East Lincolnshire and 98 in North Lincolnshire.
• Five further deaths were recorded in the government figures including four Lincolnshire residents and one North East Lincolnshire resident
• Three hospital deaths were recorded in the latest figures with one patient at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust and two at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Trust.

The daily figure is 9.08% higher than last Tuesday’s 673 cases. Nationally, 45,691 new COVID cases were confirmed while 180 deaths were also reported.

Greater Lincolnshire continues to sit below the national average for infection rates in the past seven days, with a figure of 474.6 per 100,000. The England national rate is 483.7.

The highest infected age group in Lincolnshire are 10-14-year-olds with an average rate of 1,400.7, however in both North and North East Lincolnshire it is the 5-9-year-olds with rates of 981.3 and 1,323.8 respectively.

North East Lincolnshire is currently the highest ranking authority in the region, sitting 81st nationally with a rating of 623.1 per 100,000 population. It is followed by North and South Kesteven with rates of 533.2 and 518.1 respectively.

Out of all the Lower Tier Local Authorities, only two have seen decreases in their infection rates in the past week – South Kesteven and Lincoln City. The latter sitting 225th highest nationally with a rate of 442.8.

Both Lincoln and SKDC are also two of four authorities to move down the national rankings, with the rest climbing the table and indicating, with rising numbers, that they are seeing increases in cases at higher rates than elsewhere in the county.

The other two authorities to move down the table are North Lincolnshire (423.2) and South Holland District Council (398.5) – but both also saw an increase in their rates.

Greater Lincolnshire’s latest infection rates up to December 7. | Data: gov.uk

On Tuesday, the first case of Omicron in Lincolnshire was confirmed, with health bosses saying the Lincolnshire resident was one of two people working in a Boston location to have had it. UK Health Security Agency was investigating.

Since then no further cases have been confirmed in the county, but bosses expect the variant to spread quickly among the populace.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust has confirmed it currently has 39 patients with COVID-19 in our hospitals, including nine in ICU. However, it could not say if any were the new variant.

But government bosses, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, will today face questions over whether a Downing Street Christmas Party took place in December 2020.

It follows leaks, including a video of then press secretary Allegra Stratton joking about the party, in the national media.

Downing Street continues to insist no party took place, however, pressure and anger is growing and this morning a number of ministers pulled out of interviews and others denying knowledge of the events.

A man drowned in the estate lake at one of the UK’s most beautiful Elizabethan halls after consuming “significant” amounts of booze and cocaine while on his stag party with friends.

An inquest heard Shailesh Ishwar Chauhan, 32, had spoken to his fiancee on the phone at 9am on June 12 this year when he said he was near a lake – and she believed he was “heavily intoxicated”.

Mr Chauhan, from Chelmsford, Essex, was later seen swimming in the water at Doddington Hall, near Lincoln.

Staff went to check on their guest but there was no sign of him.

His friends reported him as missing and police divers found his body on June 13.

A post mortem examination found the cause of death was drowning as a result of cocaine use and “high alcohol intake”.

Acting senior coroner for Lincolnshire Paul Smith recorded a conclusion that market researcher Mr Chauhan’s death was misadventure.

Mr Smith said: “Shailesh Ishwar Chauhan was confirmed dead on June 13, 2021 at Doddington Hall, Doddington, Lincoln as a consequence of drowning on a background of alcohol use and the ingestion of cocaine.

“He had travelled to Doddington Hall on June 11 with a group of friends for his stag weekend.

“On the evening on June 11 he and his friends had a party, during which he consumed a significant quantity of alcohol and ingested a significant quantity of cocaine.

“He was last seen by his friends at breakfast time on June 12, at which time he was intoxicated and under the influence of cocaine.

“He spoke on the telephone to his fiancee until approximately 9am when he described being near a lake.

“She formed the view that he was heavily intoxicated.

“He was later seen by passers-by near to the water’s edge and subsequently to be swimming in the lake, although he did not appear to be in any distress.

“When staff visited the lake to check up on him he was not visible and could not be found within a search of the surrounding area.

“He was reported missing by his friends later that day.

“On June 13 an underwater search of the lake located his body.”

Mr Smith, who held the inquest at the Myle Cross Centre, in Lincoln, added: “On balance of probabilities, whilst intoxicated and under the influence of drugs he made the conscious decision to swim in the lake where, as a consequence of his condition, he drowned.”

The owner of Doddington Hall in Lincoln was appointed as the new High Sheriff of Lincolnshire in April.

Claire Birch, who has lived at Doddington Hall with her husband James since 2006, made her declaration in a small turnover ceremony in the gardens of the hall.

Built between 1593 and 1600, Doddington Hall and Gardens are open to the public, with facilities for private tours and school visits. Summer concerts and occasional exhibitions are held in the Long Gallery. Other businesses have been developed on the estate such as the sale of Christmas trees, weddings, a Cycle shop with cafe and a farm shop selling local produce.

In 2020 the Hall was featured on an episode of “An American Aristocrat’s Guide to Great Estates” on the Smithsonian Channel and Amazon Prime.