High water levels near Brayford Pool in Lincoln. Photo: Joseph Verney for Lincolnshire Reporter
Lincolnshire motorists are being warned to expect icy roads as road closures and flood warnings continue to cause havoc in the county.
As previously reported, nearly 50 flood warnings and alerts are in place, cars have been getting stuck, there are delays to public transport and some schools have closed due to the flooding.
Following the recent heavy rain, temperatures are expected to plummet on Friday evening. This could lead to icy roads across the county.
Lincolnshire’s gritters are now on-call 24/7 until April, keeping the county moving during the winter.
The team will be monitoring the weather around the clock, with the gritters ready to hit the road whenever needed. Keep up-to-date with the latest news from the gritting team by following @lincscc_roads on Twitter.
Darrell Redford, network resilience manager at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “There’s a lot of water on the roads at the moment so when the temperatures drop tonight we’re likely to have a lot of ice about.
“To give you an idea of the scale of what we’re dealing with, the team had around 40 flood-related issues to deal with last night (November 7), and many of them will be out again this evening on gritter duty.
“As usual, we’ll be treating every A and B road in the county – that’s nearly 2,000 miles of highway. We’ll also ensure that, where possible, there’s a treated link to all the main villages, schools and hospitals.
“While it’s impossible for us to grit every road, we aim to provide a safe route to and from every town and village. However, please remember that even treated roads can be hazardous, so do take care and drive to the conditions.”
Lincolnshire County Council is also using a new weather forecasting service to provide a more detailed picture of what’s happening across the county, helping them respond more effectively.
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A 24-year-old man has been jailed after a routine stop for no seat belt turned into a short pursuit in Gainsborough.
James Smith was driving a silver Subaru Impreza when he failed to stop for police on June 30 last year.
He was followed along Lea Road in Gainsborough, where he caused vehicles to take avoiding action. However, he also collided with two cars before turning into Foxby Hill.
James Smith was sentenced to 15 months in prison. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
On Foxby Hill, the car then collided with another vehicle before leaving the road to the nearside. Three men were seen to run from the vehicle.
Lincolnshire Police ARV Unit said: “Luckily for the driver his running skills were better than his driving. Plenty of clues left behind though.”
Items left behind included a mobile phone, a baseball cap and a set of house keys.
Subsequent investigations revealed that Smith was the driver and he was charged with dangerous driving.
On April 7, Smith was sentenced to 15 months in prison at HMP Oakwood in Staffordshire. He was also disqualified from driving for seven years and nine months.
He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £156.
Update: The driver did indeed leave some clues behind and was put before the courts. Result: 15 months Custodial and a 7 year 9 month driving disqualification https://t.co/Kyo8D55aqspic.twitter.com/Eqynm0zEbK
— Lincolnshire Police ARV Unit (@LincsARV) April 15, 2021
A 34-year-old man has died after a crash involving two motorcycles near Gainsborough.
The collision happened at around 4.30pm on Wednesday, April 14, on Kirton Road, Blyton near to Blyton Park Driving Centre.
The man who lost his life in the collision was riding a silver Wuyang motorcycle.
The second motorcycle was a blue Suzuki being ridden by a man in his 30s, who was taken to hospital with suspected serious injuries.
The road was closed at the time of the collision and reopened at 3.15 am on Thursday, April 15.
Lincolnshire Police said in a statement: “Our officers completed a thorough investigation of the scene and their inquiries are ongoing to establish the cause of the collision.
“We have spoken to some witnesses already and are appealing for anyone else who saw the collision or either motorcycle travelling prior to the collision and for anyone who has dashcam footage of the motorcycles or the collision to contact us.”
Anyone with information can contact police on 101 quoting incident 308 of April 14.
The incident marked the second fatality on a road in the county within just a few hours.
There have been 63 new coronavirus cases and one COVID-related death in Greater Lincolnshire on Thursday, compared to 93 cases and no deaths this time last week.
The government’s COVID-19 dashboard recorded 40 new cases in Lincolnshire, 13 in North Lincolnshire and 10 in North East Lincolnshire.
On Thursday, one death was registered in North Lincolnshire, none in North East Lincolnshire but -1 in Lincolnshire. Fluctuations in data can occur for a variety of reasons including corrected data, misdiagnoses or wrong addresses. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.
NHS England has reported no new local hospital deaths on Thursday, the second day in a row this week.
National cases increased by 2,672 to 4,380,976, while deaths rose by 30 to 127,191.
In local news, more than 500,000 COVID-19 vaccinations have now been administered in Lincolnshire, of which over 425,000 were first doses.
The weekly data released on Thursday shows altogether 508,280 jabs have taken place between December 8 and April 11 — a further 39,915 in the last week, but an increase on the 32,282 jabs given the week before.
A 16-year-old girl from Bourne who works in a local care home has become one of the youngest people in the country to receive both doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
Ellie Goldsmith, who works at Yew Tree Residential in Dowsby, Bourne, has had both doses of the Pfizer vaccine, most recently in Grantham on Friday, April 9.
Boston’s large COVID-19 vaccination centre will be hosting European days over the next two weekends to encourage more communities to have their first dose.
Held at the Princess Royal Sports Arena (PRSA) in Boston on Sunday, April 18 (10am-2pm) and Sunday, April 25 (10am-4pm), the days will offer a chance to be given a walk-in vaccine appointment without the need to book.
Here’s Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rate up to April 14:
Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates from Apr 7 to Apr 14. | Data: Gov UK / Table: James Mayer for The Lincolnite
In national news, introducing COVID status certificates to help reopen society risks discriminating against some groups, the UK equality watchdog has warned.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission says certificates to prove who is vaccinated could help to ease restrictions “in principle”.
But they could create a “two-tier society whereby only certain groups are able to fully enjoy their rights”.
Fighting airborne transmission is key to any future attempts to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, a BMJ editorial has said.
The editorial looked at how a cloud of exhaled smoke behaves to suggest people are most likely to get the virus when they are standing within one metre of someone who has it.
Lincolnshire’s COVID cases up to April 15.
Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Thursday, April 15
Greater Lincolnshire includes Lincolnshire and the unitary authorities of North and North East (Northern) Lincolnshire.
58,876 cases (up 63)
40,996 in Lincolnshire (up 40)
9,267 in North Lincolnshire (up 13)
8,613 in North East Lincolnshire (up 10)
2,182 deaths (up one)
1,610 from Lincolnshire (down one)
304 from North Lincolnshire (up one)
268 from North East Lincolnshire (no change)
of which 1,302 hospital deaths (no change)
810 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)
41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
450 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)
4,380,976 UK cases, 127,191 deaths
DATA SOURCE — FIGURES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF THE LATEST UPDATE. POSTCODE DATA INCLUDES DEATHS NOT IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES OR IN HOSPITALS OUTSIDE AUTHORITY BOUNDARIES.
A teenager from Lincoln will embark on a marathon run to raise money for a charity set up after her childhood best friend died of cancer.
Jamie Elsom lost his life on April 22, 2019 after a battle with Ewings Sarcoma, a form of cancer, at just 12-years-old.
It started when Jamie had a fall playing football as a 10-year-old, which initially looked fine but eventually developed into finding a tumour on his tibia.
Jamie Elsom devastatingly lost his battle with cancer at just 12-years-old. | Photo: Lynsay Mountain
After two years of tireless battles and endless treatment, Jamie tragically died in hospital, “leaving a gap which will never be filled”, according to his mum Donna Elsom.
One of Jamie’s best friends, Laurel-Ashleigh Mountain, 14, is currently fundraising for Jamie-Forever12, a charity set up in his memory.
Laurel will be running the equivalent of a marathon on Saturday, June 5 in memory of her friend, and has raised £590 by the time of publication.
The charity aims to give seriously ill under-16s a present each Christmas, something which was very close to Jamie’s heart.
Laurel’s mum Lynsay Mountain explained just how strong her daughter’s bond with Jamie was.
She told The Lincolnite: “They had been friends since preschool, becoming closer and closer as they grew up. They even called themselves brother and sister.
“Jamie and Laurel confided in each other and chatted every day, hanging out in the village when Jamie was well enough.
“When Jamie passed away, Laurel said it was like her heart had been shattered into a million pieces, it affected her both mentally and physically. It was awful.”
Laurel has been training hard to make Jamie proud. | Photo: George Holman-Brown
Laurel has suffered a lot with anxieties and insecurities since Jamie’s death, but she hopes this running challenge will be just the motivation she needs.
“Running the equivalent of a marathon will be a challenge, I’m a bit nervous but I know Jamie will be with me and be proud that I am stepping out of my comfort zone.
“For Jamie I would do anything. He’s my brother and I’ll miss him every single day of my life.”
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