Five Lincolnshire KFCs open for delivery and drive-thru now

With February half-term imminent, a series of pop-up free-to-all activities have been organised across Lincoln city centre to keep the family entertained during time off school.

Running every day from February 12 to 20, the activities will be situated across various locations in Lincoln, including the Waterside Shopping Centre and the Cornhill Quarter.

The activities have been organised by Lincoln Business Improvement Group, and are funded through the European Regional Development Fund and the Welcome Back Fund.

Arts and crafts workshops will be up around Lincoln this half-term. | Photo: Lincoln BIG

The money has been allocated to Lincoln by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lincoln BIG says it wanted to bring something “exciting and new” to the city, while also encouraging people to get out the house as coronavirus restrictions are gradually lifted.

Various street performances will be held in the city centre. | Photo: Lincoln BIG

All activities will be free of charge and all families are welcome to take part in the fun.

The full activities list is:

• Arts and crafts workshops, such as hula hooping and making balloon animals
• Makendoo workshops for painting and making both spring and space themed things (rockets, stars, flowers, butterfly masks etc)
• Street performances and characters, including puppetry walkabout, Granny Turismo, speed painter Jon Hicks, physical comedian Ian Marchant and a cookery demonstration like no other from Lee Whittingstall and Hugh Fearn
• Circus acts offering acrobatics, stilt walking, hula hooping etc
• Sports such as tennis and giant cricket
• Experiencing Godzilla Town, which invites people to make a mask and enter the city

The article will be updated with the exact dates and times for the various activities when they are released in the coming days.

Bringing a splash of colour and vibrancy to Lincoln city centre this February. | Photo: Lincoln BIG

The mother of a man who was allegedly stabbed to death by his partner told a jury the couple would “bicker a lot”

Charlie Stevenson, 21, is alleged to have deliberately stabbed Christopher Higgs, also 21, with a kitchen knife at her home in Portland Street, Boston.

Mr Higgs, from Spalding, was found with a single stab wound to his heart after Ms Stevenson called the ambulance service to her property on July 14.

His mother, Jody Manchester, today (Tuesday) gave evidence from the witness box at Lincoln Crown Court.

Police investigating an alleged murder at the property on Portland Street, Boston. | Photo: David Dawson

She told the jury Christopher had an older brother called Charlie, and two sisters called Paris and Paige.

He grew up in Surrey, and was diagnosed with ADHD and then autism when he was 12.

“He relied very heavily on routine, things could not change,” Ms Manchester added. “He was also fussy about clothes and food.”

The jury heard Christopher was taken into care at the age of 12, but still had regular contact with his mother, seeing her six times a year.

Mr Higgs later decided to return to his family, and undertook a carpentry course, before meeting Ms Stevenson in 2018.

Officers in boiler suits at the scene of the incident. | Photo: David Dawson

Ms Manchester said: “Sometimes they were alright, but they did bicker a lot.”

Asked by prosecution barrister Christopher Donnellan QC, if she saw injuries to Christopher during his time with Charlie, Ms Manchester replied: “Yes.”

When asked by Mr Donnellan what the injuries were, Ms Manchester stated: “Black eyes, scratches down his neck, and a lot of the time his clothes were ripped.”

Ms Manchester said she had regular conversations with the couple on Facetime after they had a baby.

But Ms Manchester told the jury she did witness one incident at her home in Surrey where Ms Stevenson punched Christopher who responded by pulling her hair.

Ms Manchester said she told Christopher “to let go”, and Ms Stevenson picked up a kitchen dish which was taken off her by one of Christopher’s sisters.

The jury heard Mr Higgs was moving backwards and forwards from Surrey to his brother’s home in Spalding, while Ms Stevenson and their child were living in Boston.

Ms Manchester admitted she was aware Christopher should not have been staying at the house in Portland Street because of a bail condition from an incident involving Ms Stevenson.

The defence argue Mr Higgs could also be violent towards Ms Stevenson.

Under cross-examination from James Newtown-Price QC, defending Ms Stevenson, Ms Manchester replied: “I have never seen it, but it is possible.”

Ms Manchester admitted she was aware of occasions where Mr Higgs was alleged to have assaulted Ms Stevenson.

She accepted there was also one occasion where she had to call the police after Mr Higgs became violent towards her partner.

When asked about the level of violence between the couple, Ms Manchester replied: “It was equal.”

She also accepted Mr Higgs would regularly use cannabis.

Charlie Stevenson, 21, of Portland Street, Boston, denies murder on July 14, 2021. The trial continues.

Read more from the trial:

• Boston mum accused of murder tells jury her partner ‘stabbed himself’
• Lincolnshire man, 21, died after girlfriend ‘stabbed him in the heart’ with kitchen knife
• Trial set for woman accused of stabbing ex to death

A double murder suspect tried to get in a farm manager’s car and asked police to shoot him after assaulting an off-duty police officer, a jury heard on Tuesday.

Daniel Boulton, 30, was seen at Hallington House Farm, near Louth, just before midday on June 1.

A jury at Lincoln Crown Court heard Boulton had run away from PC Stephen Dennis who had tried to detain him while walking his dog near Hubbard’s Hills in Louth.

The site of Daniel Boulton’s arrest at Hubbard’s Hills in Louth. | Photo: Jon Aron

Boulton had spent the night in a nearby cottage after brutally stabbing to death his former partner Bethany Vincent, and her nine-year-old son Darren Henson, it is alleged.

The jury heard farm manager Greta Roberts was driving through the property when she noticed a man with a blue rope around his neck run out from the side of the silage store.

Mrs Roberts said she realised the man was probably the suspect wanted by police and instinctively locked her vehicle as he came towards her car and tried the door handle.

Double murder suspect Daniel Boulton resisted arrest following a manhunt in Louth | Photo: BBC

“I put my foot down and drove away,” Mrs Roberts said in her statement which was read out in court.

The jury heard Boulton encouraged armed officers who arrived at the scene to shoot him but he was tasered and held on the ground.

A silver kitchen knife was taken from him, and he was also found to have two skateboard type pads on his knees.

Flowers, candles and photographs were laid by a tree as a vigil was held in memory of alleged Louth murder victims Bethany Vincent and her nine-year-old son Darren Henson. | Photo: Graeme Whitworth

Boulton made no comment when he was arrested on suspicion of the two murders and assaulting PC Dennis.

The court heard Boulton was transported to Skegness Police Station and taken into custody where he made several comments to an officer observing him.

Boulton asked the officer: “Does this happen often, when people kill their girlfriend?”

He also told the officer he had a baby.

A GoFundMe page was set up to raise money towards the funerals of Louth stabbing victims Bethany Vincent and Darren Henson.

Boulton, 30, of Alexandra Road, Skegness, admits the manslaughter of his former girlfriend Bethany Vincent and her nine-year-old Darren Henson, but denies their murder.

Ms Vincent and Darren, known to his family as DJ, were both found stabbed to death at their home in High Holme Road, Louth, shortly after 8pm on May 31.

Read more from the trial:

• Mum and son stabbed in heart by Louth murder accused, court hears
• Louth boy enjoyed bedtime chat with grandma before being stabbed to death
• Daniel Boulton’s 28 mile trek before alleged murder of ex-partner and her son, 9
• Daniel Boulton admits manslaughter in Louth mum and son murder trial
• Louth double murder suspect stabbed off-duty policeman after killings
• Jury sworn in for Louth double murder trial