RAF Waddington could be the new base of the Red Arrows once their home at RAF Scampton is closed by 2022.
Tobias Ellwood, the Minister for Defence, confirmed in a letter to Lincoln MP Karen Lee that RAF Waddington is one of the three suitable locations where the Red Arrows could be relocated.
Alongside Waddington, RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire and RAF Wittering near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, are the two other possible locations.
The minister said detailed studies for suitability of each base will now be carried out.
Lincoln MP Karen Lee said: “Whilst I am disappointed that the Ministry of Defence is to close RAF Scampton and relocate the Red Arrows, I am pleased with today’s news that RAF Waddington is being considered as a potential new home for the Red Arrows.
“Bomber County has a rich RAF history, and we are proud that our county has been the home of the Red Arrows since 2000. Seeing the Red Arrows fly above Lincoln Cathedral has been an exciting sight. One which the people of Lincoln should continue to see for many years to come.
“As Lincoln’s MP, I have worked hard to keep the Red Arrows in Lincolnshire. My petition calling for this was signed over 5,000 times, and I have made the opinion of people in Lincoln clear to the Ministry of Defence Minister, Tobias Ellwood MP. Lincoln has the facility, the heritage and the people to rightfully justify keeping the Red Arrows in Lincolnshire.
“Lincoln has spoken and now we must wait to see whether the government listens,” she added.
The petition you need to sign to keep the Red Arrows in Lincolnshire
Visit Lincoln and The Lincolnite have been running an official petition to keep the Red Arrows in Lincolnshire once RAF Scampton closes. The petition has over 3,400 signatures.
Lydia Rusling, Chief Executive of Visit Lincoln, said: “As the organisation responsible for tourism in Lincolnshire we are very encouraged to hear that the Red Arrows may stay in the county.
“We have been working alongside The Lincolnite and partners to show our county’s passion and pride in the Red Arrows to keep them in Lincolnshire.
“Our rich aviation heritage attracts people from all over the world, and seeing the Red Arrows regularly in the Lincolnshire skies ensures our connection remains a delight for both residents and visitors.”
Seven E-3D Sentry surveillance aircraft are based at RAF Waddington, where they are operated by Nos 8 and 23 Squadrons as the UK’s contribution to the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force. Photo: Cpl Paul Saxby/MoD
RAF Waddington is one of the RAF’s busiest stations as the hub of UK Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) and the main operating base for airborne intelligence aircraft and systems like the E-3D Sentry AEW1, as well as the control centre for Reaper drones in Afghanistan.
Approximately 3,500 Service personnel, civil servants and contractors work at RAF Waddington.
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A group of young people threw fireworks and food during a disturbance in Market Deeping and police are now looking to reduce anti-social behaviour with a dispersal order in the market town.
Fireworks were thrown at a takeaway shop and at other vehicles during the incident, which happened on the High Street at around 10.30pm on Saturday, May 1.
Officers managed to deal with the group who were believed to be drunk and are acting to avoid a repeat of the anti-social behaviour this weekend.
As a result, the local policing team has put a dispersal order in place in the town centre during the night of Friday and Saturday, May 7 and 8.
This will give officers the power to arrest anyone who doesn’t leave the scene if asked to do so.
Inspector Gary Stewart said: “We will have additional officers on duty this weekend which will help us to engage with pubs and those out to enjoy the night-time economy, and hopefully this will help us to prevent any incidents from occurring.
“Licensees must ensure that they are not serving people who are already drunk. This is illegal and doing so can create significant problems like we saw last weekend.
“We also ask that customers looking to enjoy a few drinks in the town this weekend do so sensibly. We would rather these people go home happy than end up in a custody suite.”
Nearly a third of Lincolnshire residents have received their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, but the number of jabs being given out dropped by 17% last week, according to the latest figures.
Data released on Thursday shows altogether 634,706 jabs have taken place in the county between December 8 and May 2 — a further 38,553 in the last week, and down on the 46,631 jabs given the week before.
The latest figures show that some 443,360 Lincolnshire residents have received their first vaccine dose (70%) and 191,346 have been given their second (30%).
Of those over the age of 45, a total of 365,828 have received their first vaccination and another 168,943 have had their second.
Some 77,532 people aged under 45 received their first dose, with a further 22,403 receiving a second jab so far. This includes those aged between 16 to 64 who are clinically vulnerable and at more risk of serious symptoms of coronavirus.
Office for National Statistics estimates put the total adult (16+) Lincolnshire population at 629,926, meaning that around 70.38% of residents have now received their first jab and 30.37% their second.
In North Lincolnshire, a total of 143,459 (47,259 second doses) vaccines have been distributed and 117,722 (33,302 second doses) have received a jab in North East Lincolnshire.
On Wednesday, the first hospital death in 17 days was recorded in Lincolnshire, while in Northern Lincs there have been no hospital deaths recorded in more than three weeks. There were 17 hospital patients across the entire region with COVID-19. Low hospitalisations and death figures are a major factor in how the vaccine’s success is recorded.
New figures from the Office for National Statistics have revealed that vaccine take up in the Over-50s is lower among ethnic minorities, those living in deprived areas, the disabled and those who did not speak English well or at all.
The full list of sites operating as vaccination hubs in Lincolnshire so far:
Hospital Hubs
United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust
Lincoln County Hospital
Boston Pilgrim Hospital
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust
A Lincoln man who returned to selling cannabis by post has been given a last chance to avoid going back to prison.
George Holmes, 48, was jailed for two years in 2016 after he was caught despatching vacuum sealed bags from post offices in North Hykeham and the south of Lincoln.
Holmes, who was then living at an address in Victoria Street, Bracebridge, was traced after sending out packages from Swanpool post office and then being spotted using a nearby cash machine.
Lincoln Crown Court heard at that time Holmes was such a prolific customer at a post office in Hykeham that staff openly referred to him as “the cannabis man” as they could smell the contents of his parcels.
Subsequent investigations revealed that customers were making regular payments directly into his bank account and concealing the transaction under the heading of computer repairs.
Holmes was jailed for 24 months for the drugs offences in March 2016 but again came to the attention of the authorities in the Summer of 2019.
Caroline Bradley, prosecuting, said: “On July 19, 2019 the post office reported to the police that they had intercepted 18 packages which they suspected to contain cannabis.”
Miss Bradley told the court eleven packages containing cannabis were recovered during the investigation and police searched Holmes’ flat.
“There was some organisation in this case,” Miss Bradley added.
During his police interview Holmes denied supplying drugs and claimed that no-one else had been in his flat for several months.
However Holmes, now of St Rumbold Street, Lincoln, later pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis.
The court heard Holmes was now free of his previous heroin addiction and had been making great progress for four months since moving to a settled address at the YMCA.
Neil Sands, mitigating, told the court: “They regard him as a model tenant.”
Recorder Michael Auty QC told Holmes: “You were going back to what you did in 2016.”
The Recorder agreed to defer sentence on Holmes for six months but warned him that he would return to jail if he did not stay clean or committed any other offences.
Recorder Auty added: “You have been to jail, and jail did not cure you.”
Holmes agreed to sentence being deferred for six months. Mr Sands added: “He would like the chance to prove he can be a model citizen.”
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