The vicious attack sent shockwaves of anger across the country. Within a week, over 100,000 people demanded justice for Bella, and over £3,000 has been donated to aid her recovery. This outpour of kindness is incredible – no animal should ever have to suffer from such a horrific act of cruelty. But, as people call for justice for Bella, they likely don’t give any consideration to their own contribution to animal suffering.
Right now, in Lincolnshire alone, over 12 million animals are confined in barren barns or cages, suffering from overcrowding, and unable to express their natural behaviors. Soon, they’ll be tightly packed into lorries and transported to a slaughterhouse, where they’ll be gassed to death, or their throats will be slit. And it’s all perfectly legal.
Extreme cases of deliberate animal cruelty have also been documented time and time again on farms and in slaughterhouses. Just some of the cases that made headlines in Lincolnshire recently include “pigs jabbed with pitchforks” and “chickens left to rot” – and these are just the incidents caught on camera.
We are an animal-loving nation, as the compassion for Bella shows. But despite this, the UK sends over one billion land animals to their deaths every year. The majority of these animals endure short, miserable lives in factory farms where profit is prioritised above all else, yet each animal is an individual, capable of feeling fear and pain — just like Bella.
So, why do we believe that it’s OK to confine and kill certain animals, but not others? If millions of dogs were being sent to their deaths, there would be uproar and opposition, but when it comes to cows, pigs, chickens, and other animals deemed as “food”, there is deathly silence. We give the animal agriculture industry a pass to commit atrocious acts on animals, all because it is considered acceptable. A “cultural” norm.
In parts of Asia, eating cats and dogs can be considered part of their culture. And yet, across the UK, we condemn the Yulin dog meat festival every year, all while sending our own animals to their deaths, also under the guise of “culture” and “tradition”.
Many of us do not commit animal cruelty intentionally: we are often led to believe that meat and dairy comes from happy animals, who enjoyed a long life of freedom and a pain-free death. But the reality is far from that. There are now 1,674 intensive factory farms in the UK, including 789 megafarms or concentrated animal feeding operations. And regardless of the life they’ve lived, they still have to endure a terrifying end.
I’ve seen animals enter the slaughterhouse, their eyes wide with fear, their nostrils flaring – they know what’s coming. As the gates open and the lorry pulls into the slaughterhouse, there is no one to jump in and save them.
As we ensure that Bella gets the justice she so desperately deserves, we should also take a moment to pause and contemplate how we can reduce the suffering of all animals, not just those we share our homes with.
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Amy Jones is a Lincoln resident and co-founded the global animal rights photojournalism group Moving Animals in 2018. Since, she's been working on the ground to document everything from slaughter auctions in the UK, to elephant performances in Thailand.
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Food delivery company Deliveroo will launch in Grimsby in February after a rise in a demand to have the service in the Lincolnshire coastal town.
Deliveroo is looking to employ new delivery drivers and riders in Grimsby. It has seen rider demand soar this year and now works with 50,000 across the UK.
The restaurants and takeaways in Grimsby who have already signed up have not yet been publicly revealed.
Local businesses are still being signed up. Restaurants, takeaways and grocery retailers can apply to become a Deliveroo partner here.
Harrison Foster, Deliveroo’s UK Regional Director, said: “We’ve seen a huge demand for Deliveroo in Grimsby and we’re excited to be launching next month. We’re really excited to be creating new work opportunities for local people.
“The team is looking for people with passion, drive and great customer service who are seeking the added benefit of flexible work amongst other perks. Anyone who’s interested should head over to our website to sign up.”
Lincoln and Scunthorpe are already covered by Deliveroo.
A violent criminal dubbed ‘The Running Man’ evaded police for nearly 13 years, but is now behind bars after a major breakthrough in the case led to his capture near Boston.
Ambrose Nicholas O’Neill, who is now 42, threatened to kill a 67-year-old male antiques dealer in Seagrave in Leicestershire on February 10, 2007.
He knocked on the victim’s door posing as a pizza delivery man before pushing him over and punching him in the face. He demanded the victim opened his safe, but left empty-handed.
O’Neill was arrested and attended the first day of his trial at Leicester Crown Court in July 2008, but then failed to turn up for the rest of the case
This prompted the national media to give him ‘The Running Man’ nickname due to his ability to evade capture.
He was sentenced in his absence to eight years in prison in December 2008, but has not served any time until now.
Leicestershire Police launched a manhunt to find him while colleagues at Nottinghamshire Police carried out extensive enquiries as his last known address was in Arnold.
After detectives had exhausted all lines of enquiry the trail went cold. However, PC James Gill and an intelligence officer took it upon themselves to launch ‘Operation Gladiolus’ in December 2020.
There was a major breakthrough in the case when an anonymous tip-off through Crimestoppers suggested Ambrose may be living with a woman in the Wyberton area near Boston.
No exact address was given, but officers developed the intelligence and used a number of tactics to pinpoint his home to Causeway, Wyberton.
Response officers from Gedling helped carry out the arrest, with support from Lincolnshire Police, before O’Neill was taken straight to prison to start his eight-year sentence.
O’Neill will appear before Leicester Crown Court on a date yet to be announced when his sentence could be extended.
Officers also arrested a 41-year-old woman on suspicion of assisting an offender.
PC Gill, who works on the ‘wanted squad’ at Nottinghamshire Police to track down outstanding offenders, said: “He is known as ‘The Running Man’. We knew he had changed his appearance and lived in an area where people do not know him and he had an assumed identity.
“He was laughing at the police, so we were determined to do everything to find him.
“It has taken an incredible amount of work to find him. It’s making these people know their time on the run is over.”
Lincoln’s Abbey Medical Practice has been given the go ahead for major expansion plans.
The Monks Road GPs told the City of Lincoln Council it needed to be upgraded to create additional capacity, a more welcoming patient environment, and greater accessibility for disabled patients and staff.
The proposals will see a number of first floor residential flats converted while a two storey rear extension, including a new secure car park, will be built.
The result will be four new consulting rooms, two treatment rooms and further associated facilities, as well as lift and stair access to all levels.
In the face of COVID-19, documents before the authority also explained how separate entrances and dedicated room allocated as “red zones” will be created to prevent cross-contamination.
They said: “The proposed scheme will connect seamlessly with its surroundings and architecture with careful detailing complimenting but not replicating the local area and appearance.
An artist’s impression of the GP medical practice’s extension and secure car park.
“[It] provides a design solution that takes into account the sensitive nature of the site.
“Whilst three small residential units are lost through this redevelopments, these are of low quality and it is necessary to facilitate the scheme.
“The client would not be able to deliver the additional facilities without this loss.”
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