Single contactless card payments will rise from £45 to £100 this year, after the coronavirus pandemic prompted a further move away from cash.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the move during his budget for 2021 on Wednesday afternoon in the House of Commons.

It is believed that the limit increase on a single payment with a contactless card will encourage shoppers to go cashless for public health reasons.

The £100 limit can be introduced as early as Wednesday, though businesses can choose to accept or reject it, and systems will have to be updated to incorporate it, so customers may not be able to use it right away.

It is the second time during the COVID-19 pandemic that contactless limits have gone up, first rising from £30 to £45 in April 2020.

Mr Sunak said: “As we begin to open the UK economy and people return to the high street, the contactless limit increase will make it easier than ever before for people to pay for their shopping, providing a welcome boost to retail that will protect jobs and drive growth.”

The Treasury claimed that this change in limits was only possible due to Brexit, as the UK no longer needs to abide by a £45 limit set by the EU, where most countries have unlimited contactless thresholds, but have to input the PIN for transactions over the limit.

Apple and Google Pay secured contactless transactions do not have a limit.

There are fears that the new higher limits may see an increase in fraud and other debit or credit card-related crimes.

Two teenagers who were involved in a county lines drug operation have been given suspended jail sentences at Lincoln Crown Court on Wednesday.

Officers stopped and arrested two men at Lincoln railway station in April 2019, and the subsequent inquiry led officers to a property in the Monks Road area of the city which was being used as a base for selling ecstasy.

Lisa Hardy, prosecuting, said that drugs were being brought from outside of the city to the ground floor flat in Cannon Street.

The 18-year-old living at the flat was not in when police arrived in April 2019 but his then teenage partner was there and was arrested.

Officers found a bag containing 67 ecstasy tablets and a notebook which appeared to contain a list of drug debts.

An iPhone found in the flat contained messages indicating that the user was involved in supplying drugs.

Both the occupier Leon Leivers and his then partner Shannon McParland were arrested.

Mrs Hardy told the court that the two men stopped at the railway station gave the Cannon Street flat as their address but neither actually lived there.

She said: “It does seem that these men were operating across the county coming from Nottingham to Lincoln and it seems they used a number of addresses.”

Shannon McParland, 19, admitted charges of supplying drugs between January 1 and April 8, 2019 and possession with intent to supply on April 1, 2019.

Leon Leivers, 20, of Cannon Street, Lincoln, admitted being concerned in the supply of drugs.

McParland was given 20 months custody, suspended for two years, with 80 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Leivers was given 18 months custody, suspended for two years, with 120 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Recorder Charles Falk, passing sentence, told them: “The police, having arrested two criminals undoubtedly involved in a county lines operation, then had cause to enter and search the flat in Cannon Street.”

The Recorder described both defendants as vulnerable and said that the mitigations presented on their behalf allowed him to suspend the custodial sentences.

Michael Cranmer-Brown, for McParland, said she was only 17 at the time of the offences and it was clear pressure had been applied by others to allow use of the premises.

“She has mental health problems. She has autism and is highly suggestible. She is a vulnerable woman who was put under pressure.”

He said McParland, who now has a one-year-old son, is no longer in a relationship with Leivers.

John McNally, for Leivers, said he was immature and easily influenced by others. He said Leivers helps look after his mother who suffers from chronic illness.

Five Lincolnshire towns and Lincoln city will get more than £131.1 million towards priority projects as part of the government’s budget this year.

Lincoln, Boston, Skegness and Mablethorpe will all take a share of £175 million allocated to the East Midlands as part of the Towns Fund project.

Meanwhile Grimsby and Scunthorpe will also share in £199 million of funding spread across Yorkshire and the Humber.

The Towns Fund deals are a series of projects aimed at “levelling up” areas.

Here’s a breakdown of how much will be received by each town:

• Lincoln – £19 million
• Skegness – £24.5 million
• Mablethorpe – £23.9 million
• Boston – £21.9 million
• Scunthorpe – £20.9 million
• Grimsby – £20.9

Region’s leaders react

East Lindsey District Council leader Craig Leyland said: “We are delighted to have secured a Town Deal for both [Mablethorpe and Skegness]. This helps us secure more investment in the future.”

Meanwhile, Lincoln MP Karl McCartney said: “As a Towns’ Fund Board, we ranked the projects in order of what we believed was in the best interests of our beautiful city. I am pleased to see a number of them that I particularly supported have been granted funding.”

Jo Walker, Assistant Director for Growth at City of Lincoln Council, said: “It’s fantastic news that Lincoln will receive £19m of Town Deal funding.

“This money, and the projects it will fund, will help make a significant difference in the city as we come out of lockdown and begin our recovery from the pandemic.

“We now await the full detail on which of our projects have been approved. We will then put the wheels in motion to ensure these projects are delivered for the benefit of the people of Lincoln and to help consolidate our position as a leading visitor destination.”

Councillor Rob Waltham, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “These plans have always been about investing in a better future for the people of Scunthorpe and North Lincolnshire.

“These very serious plans for investment across the next five years will create jobs, they will create even better conditions for growth and make the area a more attractive environment for businesses to invest.

“The end result be more highly-skilled, well-paid, sustainable jobs in Scunthorpe for the people who live here.”

Councillor Philip Jackson, Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, which has not had its funding confirmed yet, said: “I’m delighted to hear that our Town Deal plans have been recognised in today’s budget.

“There’s real optimism for Grimsby’s future, and having a vibrant and enriched town centre that can serve the whole community is significantly important.

“There are many opportunities ahead for us, not least the prominence of our role to the UK’s green agenda, and the additional announcement in the Budget about the Humber bid for Freeport status being approved will only benefit the local area further in terms of local jobs and further investment in the area.”

The projects getting funded

Lincoln

In Lincolnshire’s capital, a £31 million wishlist of 14 projects include revamps of the Drill Hall, as well as the Barbican Hotel.

Regeneration of the Central Market in the Cornhill Quarter also features highly on the priority list of projects.

Money is also planned to go towards a new Hospitality Events and Tourism Institute and work in the Sincil Bank Area.

Plans also included the regeneration of a site on Tentercroft Street as well as transformation of Wigford Way through the centre of the city.

Skegness

Projects planned for Skegness include further improvements to the resort’s foreshore, as well as establishing a new further education facility.

Renovations of the railway station and further transformation projects in the town centre are also a priority, as well as a new multi-user trail, a police training centre, a YMCA and development of the Skegness Gateway to the south of the town.

Mablethorpe

A new £12 million leisure centre is planned to receive some of the money from the Towns Fund.

This money could also go to a new transport hub and works on the colonnade at Sutton on Sea.

A new medical and innovation hub is hoped to focus on attracting healthcare professionals and research.

Money will also go towards the Seal Sanctuary and the National Trust at Sandilands.

Boston

In Boston, the projects include the development of a local radio station and media outlet “championing Boston” and broadcasting information about the town in a bid to “boost” its image.

It also has plans to transform the town centre and key gateway through funding public realm and green space improvements. Money could also go towards investing in “smart home” solutions as well as the conservation of St Botolph’s Church and Library.

Investment in the Trinity Centre will see the building refurbished for better use by church and community groups, while a new Centre for Food and Fresh Produce Logistics is planned.

All of this is on top of regeneration plans across the PE21 postcode and investments in Blenkin Memorial Hall, Shodfriars and Boston Train Station.

Scunthorpe

North Lincolnshire leaders are focusing their investments on creating an advanced manufacturing park with 4 million sq ft of space which is hoped to attract world-class engineering firms to the area.

Further development will include the town’s cultural quarter in and around Church Square and progressing work on a health and emergency services hub.

The development of around 500 new homes in the town and a skills development programme will be designed to ensure local people are best placed to take advantage of all the new opportunities.

Grimsby

The Greater Grimsby Board’s list of priority projects include the development of a new public square at Riverhead Square – the first phase of which has already started – along with better pedestrian and cycle loops connecting the town to Alexandra Dockside.

The Towns Fund could also go towards the next phase of a new major residential waterfront community off Garth Lane, as well as refurbishment of the Central Library and the development of Victoria Mill Quarter.

The board would also like to complete further regeneration of St James’ Quarter in the town.