These were among some of the top stories on The Lincolnite in 2019.
Whether it has been breaking news, major developments, events, or enriching community stories, The Lincolnite has always been here to keep you informed throughout 2019.
We have taken a look back at some of the most read stories of the year:
Flooding at Brayford Pool. Photo: Joseph Verney for The Lincolnite
In November, people in and around Lincoln woke to submerged roads and flooded properties after relentless rain battered the city for over 24 hours.
Some homes in the Cherry Willingham area flooded overnight, as well as other locations around the county, and many paths and areas surrounding the Brayford Pool and River Witham were under water.
The Barlings Eau, 5 miles east of Lincoln, was breached & flooded land around Short Ferry. Photo: TheDroneMan.net
Six huge piles of dead chickens were found directly outside the farm. Photo: Connor Creaghan for The Lincolnite
The Lincolnite revealed in July that thousands of dead chickens were dumped outside of an intensive poultry farm on the outskirts of the city. The story went around the globe, being covered in several national and international media.
Workers from Moy Park chicken farm of the A57 near Newton on Trent piled the carcasses immediately outside their buildings.
The company is a major supplier of retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Co-op and high-end supermarket Ocado, according to Animal Equality UK. Co-op told The Lincolnite that Moy Park is not one of its suppliers.
At the time, a spokesperson for Moy Park said: “The recent high temperatures have been very challenging for many in the farming and poultry industries. We are working closely with our farming partners to monitor the situation and have implemented procedures to help protect our birds against the extreme heat.”
Red Tractor previously said that it found “breaches of standards” at some of Moy Park’s farms during recent routine inspections, but insisted that it was working with the farm.
Fireman Sam has been axed by Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue in its publicity materials.
In another story that went national, we revealed that Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue will no longer use Fireman Sam to promote the service after local residents complained that he was not “inclusive” enough.
An email seen by The Lincolnite revealed how Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue received negative feedback on their station open day posters and advertising material.
Jeremy Flashman was jailed for 10 weeks after nasty abusive calls and emails to Lincolnshire’s fire chief. Photo: Stephen Daniels
Telecoms engineer Jeremy Flashman, who sent abusive emails to Lincolnshire’s Chief Fire Officer in response to the service axing Fireman Sam, was jailed for 10 weeks in November.
Conservative Karl McCartney made a comeback after two years and snatched the Lincoln MP seat back from Labour’s Karen Lee.
It was a tight race, with 3,514 votes between the two as Lincoln voters made a 67.74% turnout – a total of 50,763 overall.
Labour’s Karen Lee finished with 20,753 votes. Her result was a -6.16 swing for the party. Liberal Democrats’ Caroline Kenyon came a distant third with 2,422 votes.
Imps manager Danny Cowley and assistant manager Nicky Cowley.
Lincoln City’s ex-management duo Danny and Nicky Cowley wrote an open letter to fans after agreeing to join Huddersfield, which they said was “without doubt, the hardest decision of [their] lives”.
Huddersfield triggered a release clause in the contracts of the brothers, enabling them to discuss and ultimately accept new positions with the Championship side in September 2019.
The pair, who were appointed at Sincil Bank in May 2016, left Lincoln having won two promotions and two league titles, as well as enjoying Wembley success in the Checkatrade Trophy and a magic FA Cup run.
Michael Appleton. Photo: West Bromwich Albion Football Club
Visual of Lincoln City’s new stadium as part of the Western Growth Corridor plan.
Designs were revealed for the brand new Lincoln City football stadium and homes as part of the multi-million pound, 3,200-home Western Growth Corridor project.
City of Lincoln Council formally submitted a planning application for the scheme which council leader Ric Metcalfe described as a “huge opportunity” for the city.
The project will include a new stadium for the Imps, who secured promotion to League One last season, as well as sport and leisure facilities.
Teenage girl dies after tragic North Hykeham crash
People left tributes for Naiomi Edwards.
A 15-year-old girl died after a crash involving a lorry and two teens on a bike in North Hykeham on October 9.
The girl, who was later named as Naiomi Edwards, was pronounced dead at the scene and a 14-year-old boy was taken to hospital with serious injuries, which police said at the time were not believed to be life-threatening.
Over £4,000 was raised towards the funeral costs of the teenage girl, who attended North Kesteven Academy. More than £1,000 was also raised towards a memorial bench for her.
Photo: Daniel Jaines for The Lincolnite
Flowers and cards were left for the teenager as colourful tributes lined Station Road filled with messages of sympathy and heartbreak from school friends, families and neighbours in the Hykeham area. Nearby schools also offered support and counselling to young pupils affected by the incident.
Lincoln businesses down a notorious alleyway have called for it to be gated off because they are sick of seeing people use it to defecate, take drugs and even have sex.
St Peters At Arches, just off the High Street, is a hotspot for antisocial behaviour over the years, but businesses based down the alley claim it has worsened in recent months.
When The Lincolnite sent a reporter to the alleyway, a man decided that it was acceptable to start urinating, but quickly finished up when he saw cameras.
The families of Premm Monti and Robert Tully have released this photograph of the couple. Photo: Lincolnshire Police
A 22-year-old man accused of the murders of his mother and her partner at a bungalow in Branston was further remanded in custody after a hearing at Lincoln Crown Court in September.
Andrei-Mihai Simion-Munteanu of Lincoln Road, Branston, was charged with the murders of Premm Leela Monti, 51, originally from Romania, and Robert Tully, 71, originally from the United States.
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Simion-Munteanu, a Romanian national, appeared by video link and spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and nationality during the ten-minute hearing. No charges were put to him and there was no application for bail.
His trial is scheduled to begin on February 3, 2020.
It was put up for sale earlier this year and closed on September 17. It re-opened on September 16 until at least October 28, but its future was in question. A buyer was later found, meaning the popular pub would definitely be staying open for another 12 months.
Widow Cullen’s Well is now back open.
Steep Hill pub Widow Cullen’s Well also made a comeback. The pub, which is part of the Yorkshire-based Samuel Smith’s Brewery chain, closed in December 2018. It re-opened again on October 8 with new tenants.
The Imp & Angel at 417 High Street in Lincoln. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The city’s only micropub on the lower High Street was formerly known as Hop and Barley until it closed down in March 2019 after just under three years in business. It was given a new lease of life as The Imp & Angel by new co-owners Lee Lucas and Louise Mobbs in July 2019.
A sign in the window at The Dandy Lion Alehouse which appears to have closed down suddenly. Photo: Joseph Verney for The Lincolnite
A Lincoln pub, which became the fourth business to occupy a unit on Newland in over six years, shut down suddenly this summer.
The Dandy Lion Alehouse opened in May 2018, but 15 months later a sign in the window appeared stating it had been secured by VPS, who offer empty property protection, management and security services for vacant properties.
The Tap & Spile pub. Photo: Joseph Verney for The Lincolnite
Owner Adam Kay, also took over the reigns at The Tap & Spile with his brother Matthew in February. When The Dandy Lion closed, it was confirmed that the Tap & Spile would remain open for business under the same ownership.
However, in October 2019 the pub popular for its live music shared a post from the pub’s manager Harry Blackadder on its Facebook page confirming its closure.
Fox and Hounds on Station Road in Reepham has closed with immediate effect. Photo: Fox and Hounds Reepham Facebook page
The three suspects in the assault sought by Lincolnshire Police.
Two men were charged after a sexual assault and violent attack on Lincoln High Street left a woman feeling unsafe on the city’s streets. One of the men has since been released with no further action.
The attack happened at around 5am on Monday, December 2.
Lincolnshire Police arrested three men – aged 42, 35 and 19, after a woman was sexually touched from behind. Her friend, a 29-year-old man, tried to intervene but he was knocked to the floor and the men kicked him in the face and stomped on his head, causing serious facial injuries. He is now recovering.
Alin-Ionut Apostu, 19, of Hood Street in Lincoln, was charged with GBH with intent, two counts of assault and a sexual assault on a woman. Alexandru Mocanu, 35, of Gibbeson Street in Lincoln, was charged with GBH with intent and sexual assault on a woman.
Both men appeared before Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on Friday, December 6. After the hearing they were remanded in custody and will appear at Lincoln Crown Court on January 6.
The 42-year-old man, who was arrested, has been released with no further action.
A Steep Hill pub would not allow people dressed in Steampunk attire in the premises, according to Lincoln locals.
Widow Cullen’s Well, which is part of the Yorkshire-based Samuel Smith’s Brewery chain, closed in December 2018. It re-opened nearly 10 months later on October 8 with new tenants.
It is cash only and has a three strike rule for things including swearing and electronic devices inside the pub.
It is also understood the Samuel Smith’s brewery contract stipulates that steampunk clothes are no longer allowed inside.
Photo: Facebook
When contacted by The Lincolnite at the time the brewery would neither confirm or deny this and instead chose to make “no comment” on the issue.
An outdoor floating inflatable Aqua Park opened in Lincoln this summer. Photo: Lincoln Water Park
An outdoor floating inflatable aqua park caused a lot of excitement when it opened on Moor Lane in Thorpe on the Hill in May 2019.
The water park features a Sky Rocket swing, massive slides, climbing frames, monkey bars, blast bags and a sprung trampoline. There is also plenty of green space around, ideal for picnics.
Each Aqua Park session runs for an hour – 50 minutes on water and 10 minutes safety briefing and getting on and off the park – click here for more information.
Chancellor Dr Paul Overend stepped down after 14 months.
The chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral denied an alleged historical indecent assault on a female student when he appeared at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court.
The Reverend Dr Paul Overend, 53, of Vicars Court in Lincoln, is accused of grabbing a woman and kissing her at a party while he was chaplain at Cardiff University in 1997.
Neil Evans, defending, told the court that Overend denied the charge. He was granted bail and will appear at Cardiff Crown Court on January 2.
Overend was appointed as Canon Chancellor at Lincoln Cathedral in November 2017 to lead the cathedral’s work of public theology and Christian education. He stepped down 14 months later when he was charged by South Wales Police.
Lincoln Cathedral previously said: “The Chancellor, the Revd Dr Paul Overend has been charged with indecent assault by the police. As this is a judicial process we are unable to comment on this matter. Our prayers are with all those affected by this news.”
The colour of Donna Crichton’s hair caused controversy at work.
A midwife who risked losing her job ‘over the colour of her hair’ made the decision to resign from United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust and as a midwife.
Donna Cricthon, who had over 30 years of experience working in the NHS, told The Lincolnite that her position within the trust became “untenable”.
Donna handed in her resignation on March 1, 2019. She said her direct manager contacted her the following week to confirm receipt of it and to say she was “devastated she was leaving”.
She previously claimed she was told that the trust was investigating her for sharing a confidential document with the press with other names visible (outcome of her original grievance).
Donna had red hair when she was first employed at ULHT in February 2011. She claimed this had never been an issue previously and, even after the uniform policy was updated in November 2017, nothing was flagged up about it until June 2018. In June 2018 she was spoken to by a deputy chief nurse.
She lodged a grievance with ULHT before later being sent home at the start of a shift in July. She was told she wasn’t being suspended and instead she was being sent home on unpaid leave to address the issue.
In December 2018 the Lincoln and Sleaford midwife found out she had lost her appeal over her grievance. At the time, she said she was “very disappointed” and would be “challenging” the trust’s decision to reject her appeal. She later resigned.
ULHT previously said it cannot comment on individual cases which are the subject of the Trust’s employee policies and procedures.
The fast food chain outlet on the city’s Cornhill Quarter will move into the current HMV store on the High Street. HMV is moving around the corner in the Cornhill area.
In its plans, McDonald’s confirmed that all 83 staff members will be moved to the new location and the restaurant will retain its 24-hour opening times.
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The other five from the list, Mark Gibbins, Stephen Pickering, Abdul Bakhtar, Marius Dumitru and Kyle O’Conner, are still on the run from officers.
They have been joined by five new cases, for charges including knife possession, domestic assault and a sexual offence.
Andy Cox, detective chief superintendent of Lincolnshire Police, told The Lincolnite: “We maintain our relentless day and night 24/7 approach to locate our most wanted suspects.
“We recognise that every day these people remain at large is a day which leaves them able to commit more crime and impact on victims and more broadly the community.
“We ask the public who have information which may assist our efforts to share this information with us.
“We also encourage anybody who features on our most wanted list to immediately hand themselves in.”
The outstanding suspects are:
Mark Gibbins, 53
Mark Gibbins is wanted by police. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Mark Gibbins is still wanted by police in connection with a sexual offences inquiry in the Boston area in July.
Officers think he may be using different names and using homeless hostels to stay hidden.
Incident reference: 20000002978
Stephen Pickering, 45
Have you seen Stephen Pickering? | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Also known as Stephen Drury, Pickering is wanted for failing to appear in court in relation to drugs possession and traffic offences.
It is believed that Stephen could be in the Spalding area, but police have been unable to track him down for almost six months.
Incident reference: 20000391592
Abdul Bakhtar, 38
Abdul Bakhtar, 38, is wanted by police after an assault on Lincoln High Street. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Bakhtar is wanted in connection with an assault on Lincoln High Street, in which a man suffered serious injuries, on November 27.
Incident reference: 20000629395
Marius Dumitru, 23
Marius Dumitru, 23, is wanted for breaching bail. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
The 23-year-old is still on the run from officers and is wanted in connection with breaching bail offences.
Incident reference: 18000548488
Sebastian Joaoa (Lucas), 34
Sebastian Joaoa is wanted in Skegness. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Sebastian is wanted in connection with an assault in Skegness in December.
Incident reference: 20000635835
Dominykas Vaisvilla, 33
Dominykas Vaisvilla is wanted in Boston. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
The 33-year-old is wanted in connection with a sexual offence in the Boston area.
Incident reference: 2000364720
Idris Williams, 43
Have you seen Idris Williams, 43, in Gainsborough? | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Williams is wanted by officers after a domestic assault and criminal damage in Gainsborough.
Incident reference: 2000423885
Cameron Hoyle, 37
Cameron Hoyle is wanted for knife possession in Lincoln. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Police are on the lookout for Cameron Hoyle in connection with possession of a knife in Lincoln.
Incident reference: 21000032698
Hamza El Haddad (Milo), 24
Have you seen Hamza El Haddad? | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Wanted for breaching bail conditions which relate to possession of Class B drugs.
Incident reference: 20000686888
Kyle O’Conner, 28
Kyle O’Connor, 28, wanted in Grantham. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Kyle, the fifth person to reappear on the list, is wanted in connection with a theft offence from December.
Incident reference: 20000687536
If you know the whereabouts of any of these men, officers are urging you to contact them by calling 101 or emailing [email protected], quoting the relevant incident number.
With literally hundreds of restaurants offering takeaway in Lincoln, it can always be difficult to find the ideal place for a tasty meal delivered to your door during lockdown.
Pizza or burger? Chinese or Indian? McDonalds or KFC? These are the questions we all so often ask when pondering what to eat during an evening.
The Lincolnite has done the research for you, looking at food delivery services in the area to find out where customers enjoy ordering from the most in the city, based on reviews and ratings across Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Just Eat and Facebook.
Here are some of the top rated restaurants in Lincoln, in no particular order.
Cafe Shanti
One of Cafe Shanti’s many great options on the menu. | Photo: Cafe Shanti
Lincoln’s only vegan restaurant is in a league of its own on Uber Eats, as it is the only business in the city to have a maximum 5/5 rating from customers.
76 people have left a review on the Nepalese restaurant’s Uber Eats page, with perfect scores all round, and it also scored 4.5/5 from 321 Trip Advisor reviews.
As for hygiene, Cafe Shanti was last inspected on January 14, 2020, and scored a perfect five out of five for the third consecutive inspection.
Wagamama
Wagamama’s Chicken Katsu Curry.
Undeniably one of Lincoln’s most beloved eateries, Wagamama has proven to be a hit both for eat-in and takeaway since it arrived on Brayford Wharf North.
The restaurant, known for delicious Asian cuisine, has ranked as the co-leader for Deliveroo ratings, scoring 4.5/5 from over 500 customer reviews and their Katsu Chicken has been one of the most ordered items in the city.
As well as this, it has a solid 4/5 rating from 583 reviews on Trip Advisor, and three consecutive five star hygiene ratings.
Spielburger
Spielburger has seen great success since it launched. | Photo: Everyman Cinema Lincoln
Joining Wagamama on a near perfect Deliveroo score is Spielburger, from Everyman Cinema on Lincoln’s Cornhill Quarter.
Spielburger has a total score of 4.5 from over 500 Deliveroo reviews thanks to its American style cuisine, even if the price is a bit steeper than other competitors.
It also has another 4.5 rating, this time from 50 Restaurant Near Me reviews, plus a five star hygiene rating from its debut inspection in October 2020.
Burton Road Chippy
World famous fish and chips in Lincoln. | Photo: Burton Road Chippy
A much hailed and respected fish and chip shop, Burton Road Chippy is widely recognised as one of the best chip shops in the whole country.
It was forced to close due to coronavirus in 2020 but reopened with a click and collect service at a new location on Burton Road, though it hasn’t affected their rating much – scoring 4.5/5 from almost 450 Trip Advisor reviews.
As well as this, it has another 4.5/5 on Deliveroo, this time from over 500 customer ratings, and a maximum 5/5 for hygiene from a November 2020 inspection.
Tatiana’s Cake
The options are plentiful at Tatiana’s Cake.
Labelling itself as a brunch restaurant, Tatiana’s Cake on Carholme Road offers a variety of breakfast and lunch meals at a great price.
Not only does it have a huge 5.5/6 rating on JustEat from 472 reviews, it also has 4.5/5 on Deliveroo from over 500 customer scores.
Despite trading under previous names for the last three hygiene inspections, one thing has remained constant, a maximum five star score.
Bistro Polonia
Tasty European cuisine at Bistro Polonia.
Eastern European restaurant Bistro Polonia has the best of both worlds, with fast food options complimenting special gourmet recipes on their menu.
On Just Eat, it has a 5.5/6 rating from a total of 369 reviews, and it scored 4.5/5 on Trip Advisor as well, clearly striking a chord with the majority of customers.
A hygiene inspection from July 2018 shows Bistro Polonia to score five stars, an increase from three stars from 2017.
Wildwood
One of Wildwood’s famously delicious pizzas. | Photo: Wildwood Lincoln
The Italian restaurant that tells you to “look no further”, Wildwood has received rave reviews ever since it opened in Lincoln back in 2016.
It has an impressive 5.5/6 on Just Eat from 45 reviews, as well as a 4.4/5 on Deliveroo from over 500 ratings,
Wildwood has a perfect record in hygiene inspections, scoring five out of five both times it has been examined by health inspectors.
Ocean Palace Restaurant / China Garden
A tantalising seafood platter. | Photo: Ocean Palace Restaurant
The place that appears to be Lincoln’s favourite Chinese restaurant, Ocean Palace on the High Street has stellar reviews across the board.
It recovered from a poor hygiene rating in January 2018 when called Man-Ho House, and has since scored five stars in November 2018.
Ocean Palace Restaurant also has 5/6 from 118 Just Eat reviews and 4.5/5 from 305 Deliveroo reviews.
Three times as many Lincolnshire businesses fear future COVID lockdown measures more than the impact of Brexit, according to new research by a local law firm.
Lincoln-based Langleys Solicitors conducted the research of 250 UK business owners and directors for its ‘Back to Business’ report that will be published this month.
With the nation currently in lockdown due to coronavirus, survey participants were asked to score a variety of business challenges from one to 10 (lowest to highest concern).
Business in Lincolnshire scored the future threat of pandemic measures at 7.2 out of 10 compared to 6.9 for Brexit.
Concern for future pandemic restrictions was scored 10 by twice as many business owners and directors than Brexit – 18.2% compared to 9.1% – despite support measures such as the extended furlough scheme.
Senior leaders felt that the coronavirus crisis presented a bigger task in the next five years of business than increased regulation (6.6), the challenge of exporting (5.9) and increased competition (6.2).
Some 64% of respondents in Lincolnshire said that a prolonged second and third wave, and subsequent lockdown, is a larger risk to their businesses than Brexit in the next 12 months.
Some 41% of the survey respondents in the area are considering redundancies, while 27% now have fewer staff than pre-lockdown.
The research also found that 55% of businesses in the area have experienced decreased customer demand due to coronavirus and lockdown restrictions.
It is therefore unsurprisingly to see that 68% of businesses in the county have had to change their business model as a result of the pandemic and lockdown restrictions. This is higher than the national average of 58%.
Nationally, 20% of businesses reported future pandemic measures as their biggest challenge rather than 7% who said Brexit.
Tim Cross, managing partner at Langleys Solicitors said: “Brexit and coronavirus made 2020 a very difficult year for businesses and their owners and, as lockdowns continue to tighten, businesses under tier 3 and 4 regulations could be facing their worst fears once again.
“Business owners and leaders in Lincolnshire have reported disproportional troubles, with more businesses in the area facing decreased customer demands and business models changes than the national average.
“Sadly, 41% of our survey respondents in the area are considering redundancies and the news of a new virus strain and the introduction of stricter tiered measures are likely to turn these considerations into difficult decisions for business owners.”