Lincoln Cathedral to reopen for private prayer

Grantham-born musician Holly Humberstone has released a new song detailing her loneliness after leaving her family home in Lincolnshire to move to London.

The 21-year-old was born in Grantham but made the move to the capital before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as her music career started to take off.

Her latest single, London Is Lonely, examines her emotions during and after that move, describing a disconnect she felt with her new surroundings after leaving Lincolnshire behind.

It was released on Thursday, January 20, with BBC Radio 1 announcing it as their Hottest Record in the process.

London Is Lonely was BBC Radio 1’s Hottest Record on Clara Amfo’s Future Sounds show. | Photo: BBC Radio 1

Humberstone said of the song: “I wrote London Is Lonely back in February 2020 right before the pandemic hit here in the UK. I had just moved out of my childhood home down to London and had spent the past few months feeling really trapped and alone in my tiny flat with strangers.

“London felt so intense and although there were so many people around me, I felt even more isolated and like I didn’t belong. I kind of lost myself in the city.

“It’s funny now listening to the song almost two years on, post-pandemic and feeling like nothing much has changed at all.

“I’m still trying to find my place here and make it my home and so it felt right to put this song out into the world right now, when so many other people are probably feeling lost right now too.”

It is believed that Holly’s debut studio album will be released this year, off the back of the critical and commercial success of her two EPs, 2020’s Falling Asleep At The Wheel, and 2021’s The Walls Are Way Too Thin.

A very proud Holly Humberstone posing with her BRIT Award. | Photo: Holly Humberstone via Instagram

Holly has also recently been named as the BRIT Awards Rising Star winner, becoming the first person from Lincolnshire to ever be nominated for the prize, let alone winning it.

She will also be heading to America in April and May to support Grammy nominated megastar Olivia Rodrigo on her Sour tour.

A car has been clocked driving 151mph by one of the 37 speed cameras in Lincolnshire, which is among the fastest across the whole country, according to a study.

Research by vehicle insurance provider Go Shorty found Lincolnshire has 37 speed cameras installed over its area of 5,921km2.

The information was gathered via a series of Freedom of Information requests to police forces across the UK, finding out how many speed cameras are in operation in each region, as well as which cameras have clocked the most offences.

The A1 southbound between Grantham and Stamford. | Photo: R.S. Mortiss

In Lincolnshire, the A1 at Grantham is the area that recorded the most speeding offences between 2018 and 2020, and the highest recorded speed in the county clocked in at an unbelievable 151mph, more than 80mph quicker than the speed limit.

Comparatively, the Humberside force saw a highest recorded speed of 163mph, which is the second highest in the country, behind the 191mph reported by Nottinghamshire Police.

Lincolnshire ranked in 7th place for the highest speed recorded, but was in 17th place for the number of cameras currently installed on its roads, with Greater London unsurprisingly leading the way with 995.

Lincolnshire Police have issued 983 coronavirus-related fines during the pandemic while forces in England and Wales had processed a total of 118,963 fixed penalty notices by December 19 last year.

The latest data was released by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) this month and covers the period between March 27, 2020 and December 19, 2021.

Coronavirus-related fines issued by Lincolnshire Police have included 10 to a group who gathered in an abandoned building near Louth, and eight given out after three house parties in the Ermine area of Lincoln.

The data for the number of fines issued by Lincolnshire Police is broken down as follows:

• Breach of first and second, and local lockdown regulations – 237
• Local COVID-19 alert levels – 2
• Hold a gathering of more than 30 people – 3
• Breach of national lockdown regulations – 88
• All tiers – 578
• Steps (relating to gatherings, participation in gatherings and business closures) – 23
• Face coverings regulations (public transport and relevant place) – 32
• International travel regulations – 13
• Business regulations  – 5
• Self-isolation regulations – 2

Back in January 2021 it was revealed Lincolnshire Police had issued 576 fines, meaning in the months that followed the figure rose by another 407. The initial figure of 576 fines released by Lincolnshire Police was prior to any review by the force. After being reviewed 86 fines were withdrawn, including one of £10,000 issued to a student for allegedly organising a party of up to 100 people.

Jemma Peacock, communications and media advisor at Lincolnshire Police, said: “The numbers of fines issued now are extremely low and this reflects the national legislation around COVID and the expectation of policing to enforce only when necessary, and we’re happy to report that the numbers of people breaching any existing COVID regulations for which they could be fined are very low.”

During the same period (March 27, 2020 to December 19, 2021) Humberside Police gave out 655 coronavirus fines. The force said it sends reports of allegations of breaches of COVID legislation to ACRO (Criminal Records Office) which administers and despatches the fixed penalties.

The force previously issued statements when earlier data was released, but when asked by The Lincolnite for a response to the most recent figures on coronavirus fines they declined the opportunity to give one.

Meanwhile, as part of the same data the NPCC revealed a January 10, 2022 snapshot of UK officer and staff absence rate. The national absence rate for officers and all staff, across all of UK policing, stands at 9.4%. However, the NPCC does not provide force level breakdowns of this data.