Public health bosses in Lincolnshire remain on the fence about whether or not people should wear face masks in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Tony McGinty, assistant director of public health at Lincolnshire County Council, said he would be led by the science but still had concern over people disposing of masks properly.
The government is expected to review evidence about masks today (April 21) before making a recommendation of whether or not the public should wear them.
Mr McGinty said he was “on the fence” about whether or not masks should be recommended to wear.
Tony McGinty, assistant director of public health at Lincolnshire County Council. Photo: The Lincolnite
“It will be interesting to see what the scientific evidence is,” he said.
“If the scientists come out and suggest wearing face masks then I will change my mind. But I am still on the fence about it.”
He added that he was concerned about the proper disposal of masks across the country.
In Lincolnshire, shoppers and relatives of workers have aired fears that supermarket staff were being put at risk by lacking personal protective equipment (PPE).
The masks are worn to catch virus particles and prevent them from spreading. But they must be disposed of properly in order to prevent any further infection when handled.
“You cannot wear each other’s masks for one thing,” he said. “There has to be good disposal in the household.”
The government will review the evidence on the use of masks in the fight against coronavirus. Image: Stock.
The government currently does not recommend use of face masks in public. But officials will review evidence today and the World Health Organisation is expected to issue fresh guidance.
It comes as ministers have been warned by NHS bosses that advising people to wear masks could affect critical supplies in the health service.
Chris Hopson, chief executive of hospitals group NHS Providers, called on the government to “fully assess” the impact of any guidance on supplies.
Scientists have encouraged the government to recommend the use of homemade masks in order to slow the spread of the virus.
But concern has been raised that any advice would see people buy medical masks and risk NHS supply.
Meanwhile, the WHO is expected to update its advice and say that masks could be used to tackle COVID-19 and allow people to leave their homes.
However, it will stop short of urging people to wear them and instead offer guidance.
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A former Lincolnshire lorry driver has been jailed for 12 months for sexual offences against children in the 1970s.
Lawrence Burman, 75, of Beck Side, Hibaldstow, pleaded guilty to four counts of gross indecency against a child and two counts of indecent assault against a child, St Albans Crown Court heard.
The offences relate to three children, aged between eight and 13 at the time they were abused by Burman.
The court heard how Burman used to work as a lorry driver for a firm in Hemel Hempstead. In 1970, he carried out a sexual act in the presence of one victim while they both sat inside his cab.
Burman then went on to commit several offences near Berkhamsted between 1972 and 1978. One offence was also committed in Lincolnshire.
Detective Constable Laura Chillingworth, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s historic child abuse investigation team, said: “Burman arrogantly believed he would get away with his actions, thinking his victims would never reveal what happened to them. However, their courage in coming forward meant he did have to face the consequences of what he did all those years ago.
“On arrest, he denied the allegations and claimed his victims were lying, but later pleaded guilty to all charges.
“Child victims of sexual abuse never forget what happened to them. They have to learn to live with it, but understandably it often has a hugely negative impact on their self-esteem and their mental health.
“I hope the conclusion of this investigation and its outcome finally gives all three of them a sense of closure on the past.”
Burman will be on licence on his release from prison.
Three-quarters of the 600 complaints over the past six years about an “horrendous stench” from a Skellingthorpe factory were sent to North Kesteven District Council in 2021, a Freedom of Information request by The Lincolnite has revealed.
It comes as residents continue to demand action about the problem plaguing the village, particularly on Jerusalem Road, where people have had to endure smell and noise coming from the near by A Hughes & Son rendering plant for several years.
Residents have been raising the issue for years, with The Lincolnite repeatedly pressing the council and the factory for answers. Two residents recently said the smell did improve for a while, but the problem certainly hasn’t gone away.
A Freedom of Information request sent to the district council, asked for the number of complaints between the start of 2015 and August, 9 2021. Data between August 9 and September 15 was later provided by the council.
There have been a total of 600 complaints between the start of 2015 and September 15. Of these, 452 were during 2021, which represents 75.3%.
The original data showed 353 complaints were received between the start of 2015 and August 9 this year. The figure then shot up by 192 in the short space of time between August 9 and August 17, and up another 55 by September 15.
A map created by a resident, with responses from more than 70 people, to visualise the spread of the smell.
The Lincolnite also asked, via the Freedom of Information request, what action has been taken by the council against site owners Leo Group, and A Hughes & Son, during this time, including any fines and written warnings.
No action has been taken against Leo Group, while environmental permit holder A Hughes & Son got a formal written warning in relation to odour emission on August 3 this year. On the same date, a formal written warning in relation to particulate emission was issued to the company.
Then on August 20, a Request for Information Notice was issued. The council says the company has supplied the detailed information required by the council and within the prescribed timescale.
The factory is located on Jerusalem Road in Skellingthorpe. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The council said: “Given the substantial volume of information submitted, this needs to be reviewed which will take some time. The aim of the exercise is to fully understand the procedures in place on site and assess these in accordance with industry guidance.”
The Lincolnite contacted A Hughes & Son for a comment, but there was no response at the time of publication.
One resident said black smoke can be seen every day in Jerusalem Road.
Resident Joff Burr said: “We had weeks with no smell, even recently when we had all that sun, but this week it is back. It felt like since the last Lincolnite story the smell went away, but now it is back again. They [the factory] must have some sort of control over it.”
Fellow Skellingthorpe resident David Crockatt said: “It has been better recently. We had last weekend when it was bad for a few hours, then it improved slightly, but we are still trying to put more pressure on the district council about this issue.”
Meanwhile, a resident, who wished to remain anonymous, created a map from more than 70 responses, to visualise the spread of the smell the factory produces, saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” – view the map here.
The rendering plant is located on Jerusalem Road in Skellingthorpe. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
In February this year, plans were unanimously approved to demolish the existing animal by-products processing plant and build a new processing plant at the farm.
Meanwhile, we reported in May Lincolnshire County Council will consider a re-submitted application for a controversial animal rendering plant in nearby Norton Disney.
Lincoln Proteins Ltd resubmitted its planning application for the facility at Villa Farm in Folly Lane after it was previously refused in February 2020 amid concerns over heritage and location. Previous plans also prompted protests by residents who campaigned to “say no to the stink”.
Tries from Grant Cowe, Harry Marks and Owen Mitchinson saw Lincoln’s 1st XV push Leicester Forest all the way in their Midlands Intermediate Cup tie, but their comeback came too late in a narrow 21-17 defeat.
The hosts never really got going in the first half and found themselves 21-0 down at half-time and with a mountain to climb.
Instead of letting their heads drop, Lincoln refused to give up and clawed their way back to within four points of the visitors.
Lincoln’s Josh White running at the Leicester Forest defence. | Photo: Mike Lincoln
Grant Cowe putting the ball down for a try in Lincoln’s cup tie against Leicester Forest. | Photo: Mike Lincoln
Cowe broke the defensive line and managed to roll to score a try with three defenders in tow, with Louie Cooke adding the conversion.
A bounce to the short side then caught the Leicester Forest defence short on numbers and Harry Marks crossed for a try in the corner.
Harry Marks scoring a try for Lincoln. | Photo: Mike Lincoln
Lincoln youngster Ben Crowe running at the Leicester Forest defence. | Photo: Brian Penney
Lincoln ended the game in the ascendency and had it gone on longer they maybe could’ve snatched a result, but unfortunately the comeback came too little too late.
The hosts reduced the gap in the score further in the final minute of the match. A quickly taken tap penalty after a well-worked break saw Owen Mitchinson, who had a superb game at Number Eight, dot the ball down for a great score.
Lincoln will return to action with their first league game of the season at home against arch rival Market Rasen & Louth on Saturday, September 25.
Lincoln’s Jim Calveley leaping to win a lineout against Leicester Forest. | Photo: Brian Penney
Adam Phillips and Andy Pierce scored the tries as Lincoln’s 3rd XV battled bravely throughout in a 52-10 defeat away against Bourne.
After the match, captain Adam Kelleher gave special mentions to man-of-the-match Phillips, and Pierce who put in a “cracking farewell performance” in his last game for the club.
Other Results
In the Midlands Premier, Ben Hyde and Rory Rendell-Tyrell crossed for a try apiece as fourth-placed Scunthorpe made it two wins in three games with a 15-8 victory at Doncaster Phoenix.
Scunthorpe’s 2nd XV – the Stags – were also victorious as they beat Selby in a friendly.
Scunthorpe’s 2nd XV – the Stags – were on a high after their win against Selby. | Photo: Bill Rhoades
Market Rasen & Louth’s 1st XV squad.
Tries from captain George Grant, Lloyd Buck, Tom Stephens and Mike Starling, who also added three conversions, were not enough to stop Market Rasen & Louth from falling to a 46-26 defeat away against Stamford.
Spalding progressed through to the next round of the Midlands Senior Vase after a 20-5 home victory against Boston.
New captain Luke Turner and Gav Sharman scored the tries for Spalding, with Conall Mason adding two conversions and two penalties. Boston’s only try came from Josh Cook.
Spalding’s 1st XV beat Boston in the Midlands Senior Vase.
Grimsby’s 1st XV were not in action at the weekend, but their second team recorded an emphatic 117-15 victory in a pre-season friendly against Dronfield’s 2nd XV.
John Mansfield and Matt Stringer each crossed for four tries, while Baden Kerr grabbed two.
Luke Chaplin, Dough Clough, Chris Moore, Kieran Dinnes, Miles Anderson, Mike Porter and Stu Saunders all scored one try apiece. Jess Matthews successfully converted 16 of the 17 tries.
In Midlands Four East (North), North Hykeham’s home game against Cleethorpes was postponed.
The league and cup double header between Skegness and Sleaford was also postponed.
Sleaford’s 2nd XV were still in action though and claimed a 61-19 victory against Boston thanks to a hat-trick of tries from Sean Bishop.
Ian Bishop crossed for two tries, while Kieron Trollope, Andy Ford and Tom Mason scored a try apiece. Ali Hurley scored his first try for the club, while Dan Mackie and Sean Bishop kicked over five and three conversions respectively.
George Sharp, Kaylan Hannay and Sam Forrest scored Boston’s tries, with Bruno Antunes adding two conversions.
Two tries from Will Pirali helped Stamford College Old Boys to a 24-5 win against Ayletone Athletic in a pre-season friendly.
Oli Sherwin and Haydn Johns each crossed for one try and Carl Brierley-Lewis added two conversions.
Gainsborough start first Ladies team
Gainsborough Ladies RUFC are on the look out for new players.
Gainsborough’s first ever ladies rugby team are looking to welcome new players.
The team had their first ever training session in September last year and are now looking forward to getting some matches under their belts as full contact rugby has been allowed to return again.
Everyone is welcome no matter what their age or ability, with training at Roses Sports Field on Warren Road in Gainsborough at 12.30pm on a Sunday and at 6pm on Wednesdays.
The club also host a free boot camp fitness session at 6pm on a Thursday for any new players wanting to give it a try.
Two men have been charged after a police officer and a woman were seriously injured on Friday night in the village of Welton near Lincoln.
It happened at around 8pm when Lincolnshire Police were called to the Black Bull pub after a drunken man allegedly assaulted a woman, injuring her face.
The suspect and another man left the pub and caused disorder at the Welton Social Club shortly afterwards, police said.
When officers arrived, a struggle reportedly ensued and a male police officer was assaulted, causing serious head injuries.
He was taken to hospital, where he remains for treatment.
The two men aged 24 and 32 were eventually arrested and on Saturday night Lincolnshire Police named and charged them.
Daniel Plackett, 32, of Scothern Lane in Dunholme, has been charged with three offences:
Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm (AOABH)
Assault on Emergency Worker
Resisting Arrest
Steven Rogers, 24, also of Scothern Lane in Dunholme, has been charged with one count of Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH).
They both remain in police custody to appear before Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on Monday, September 20.
Superintendent Lee Pache said: “There are many words I could use to describe this incident and the people who have assaulted our officer and the female member of public, but not one of them could adequately describe my anger, disgust, and shock at what has taken place.
“Today we have a member of the public who will be in considerable discomfort and will undoubtedly be shaken up, to her we say we are doing all we can to make sure those responsible are held to account. And we have a police officer who is lying in a hospital bed, seriously injured.
“This incident has sent shock waves through our force because we’re a tight-knit one and the friends and colleagues of our officer are not only worried about him but are saddened and go out to work today with heavy hearts. Every day they put themselves in danger, usually in defence of complete strangers, and should never have to pay this price as a result.
“We are working hard to establish exactly what has happened and to anyone we might not have spoken to, or is anyone has any footage of either incident, we’d be grateful to hear from you.”
Visit Lincoln will undergo a rebrand to incorporate the whole of Greater Lincolnshire, expanding the organisation’s geographical footprint.
Visit Lincoln’s new name will be Destination Lincolnshire and will be business focused, to build an engaged tourism, hospitality, leisure and retail community across Greater Lincolnshire.
The award-winning destination management organisation formed in 2012 and has supported a visitor economy growth of 30% to the city of Lincoln since it formed.
The transition to Destination Lincolnshire will be led by businesses, with representation from local authorities involved in the Towns Fund initiative as well as other schemes in Lincolnshire.
There will still be a commitment to Lincoln, as a continued investment in Visit Lincoln allows it to remain an internationally recognised brand.
All marketing activity including the website and social media will remain as Visit Lincoln, along with consumer facing brands such as Taste Lincolnshire and Cycle Lincolnshire.
The organisation’s evolution has been backed by councils across Lincolnshire, and has also developed a partnership with the University of Lincoln’s tourism research observatory which champions research and a data-led approach in the tourism sector.
Speaking about Destination Lincolnshire, Kate Ellis, strategic director for major developments at City of Lincoln Council, said: “Over the last 10 years Visit Lincoln has played a critical role in transforming the city’s tourism offer and international profile.
“Given the impact of COVID we need a much more collaborative approach to rebuilding the visitor economy led by the private sector. By working together we’ll be championing the recovery of the sector much more effectively then if we do it alone.”
Charlotte Goy is the Visit Lincoln CEO. | Photo: VL CIC
Charlotte Goy, chief executive at Visit Lincoln, explains: “Destination Lincolnshire will focus on building an engaged and resilient visitor economy across Greater Lincolnshire.
“Tourism, incorporating retail, leisure and hospitality has been most affected by the pandemic; and Destination Lincolnshire brings forward a new structure which is business led and across a wider geographical footprint.
“Our growth is supported by businesses and operator within the sector who want to see a joined-up approach, and together we’ll champion new packages, digital innovation and collaborations that have not been possible before.
“Destination Lincolnshire will also deliver against the Government’s key visitor economy priorities which include sustainability, skills, inclusive tourism and the levelling up agenda which include the multi-million-pound Town Deals across Lincolnshire.
“We’re at the beginning of this journey, and we will be asking people to help us shape Destination Lincolnshire into an organisation that can support all levels of the visitor economy, from sole traders right the way through to the local enterprise partnership.”
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