June 15, 2020 12.46 pm
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One jailed but two not locked up over toxic bombs found in Lincolnshire
Military memorabilia hunters sparked a major environmental alert when they dumped Second World War mustard gas canisters in a Lincolnshire lake, a court heard. The trio discovered the lethal canisters in an old store building while searching the site of a former military base at Roughton Woods, near Woodhall Spa, looking for items. They removed…
Martyn and Michaela Tasker (left) and Stuart Holmes (right) at Lincoln Crown Court. Photo: DANPICS
Military memorabilia hunters sparked a major environmental alert when they dumped Second World War mustard gas canisters in a Lincolnshire lake, a court heard.
The trio discovered the lethal canisters in an old store building while searching the site of a former military base at Roughton Woods, near Woodhall Spa, looking for items.
They removed 16 of the canisters and emptied three of them onto the ground.
Nottingham Crown Court heard that initially the trio were not sure what the canisters contained, but after seeking advice from fellow military enthusiast Paul Spence it was identified as mustard gas and they were told “leave them alone and never go back there”.
They were advised either to dig a hole and bury the canisters or call out the explosives ordnance disposal team.
Instead they dumped the canisters in Stixwould Lake which is part of the local watercourse and resulted in the potential devastation of waterways in the area.
The matter only came to light a few days later when Martyn Tasker sought hospital treatment for blisters on his arm.
The following day his wife Michaela collapsed while waiting to see her doctor for a respiratory problem which was linked to her exposure to the chemicals.
Police became involved but initially they did not reveal they had dumped the canisters in the lake.
The subsequent investigation led to a £300,000 clean-up operation involving 20 different agencies after police declared a major incident. A total of 150 mustard gas canisters were found on the site.
The scene above the lake at Stixwood. Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Specialists from Porton Down were brought in by the Ministry of Defence and the entire area was sealed off for a fortnight.
As part of their investigation police later searched the home of Martyn Tasker and discovered two Bren light machine guns under a bed. 10 rounds of ammunition were found in a bedside cabinet.
Martyn Tasker, 40, his wife Michaela Tasker, 32, both of Longdales Road, Lincoln, and Stuart Holmes, 51, of Witham Road, Woodhall Spa, each admitted breach of the Chemical Weapons Act by possessing mustard gas canisters between September 27 and October 1 2017.
The three also admitted breaching environmental protection laws by causing the discharge of mustard gas into Stixwould Lake near Woodhall Spa, on September 30 2017.
Holmes further admitted disposing of mustard gas in a manner likely to cause pollution to the environment or harm to public health between September 28 and October 1 2017.
In addition Martyn Tasker admitted two charges of possession of a Bren light machine gun and a further charge of possession of 10 rounds of ammunition without a firearms certificate on October 4 2017.
Specialists disposing of the canisters from Stixwould Lake.
Martyn Tasker, described by the judge as the prime mover, was today jailed for five years. Michaela Tasker and Stuart Holmes were each given a 12 month jail sentence suspended for two years.
Mr Justice Jeremy Baker, passing sentence, told them “The potential of harm from the mustard gas was of a very high order.
“Paul Spence told you to either dig a hole or call the explosives ordnance disposal team because it was not worth risking your lives. The three of you decided to do otherwise.
“With your knowledge of the extremely hazardous nature of the contents of the canisters I am satisfied that the decision to dispose of the canisters in this manner was designed to cover up the fact that the three of you were in unlawful possession of them.”
The judge added that the machine guns were both capable of being fired and were held in an insecure place. He added “They could so easily have fallen into the hands of organised crime.”
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Two years after a visit from the Prime Minister, plans have been unveiled for the new multi-million pound emergency department at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston.
The plans outline how the department will more than double in size with more training rooms for staff, have a much bigger resuscitation zone and more cubicles to treat patients in, as well as having a separate area for emergency care of young patients.
Funding comes directly from government, with some 20 UK hospitals sharing £850 million over a five-year period, as part of a £1.8 billion pledge for the NHS.
The detailed ideas will be submitted to Boston Borough Council as part of the planning process in the coming weeks.
Once planning permission is granted, the hospital will look to get final approval from the Department of Health and Social Care to get the go-ahead for works to begin.
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust Chief Executive, Andrew Morgan, said: “This is a major milestone in the transformation of the emergency department at Pilgrim hospital.
“It has taken us a while to finalise the plans, but this is because we understand how important it is that we get it right for our patients, their families and our staff.
“We have spoken to all of our colleagues, partner organisations, local groups and our patients as part of this process. This is not only about the care that we provide today, but also for future generations.
“I am assured that this design is going to deliver everything that we need it to and will give our patients and staff the first class environment that they need and deserve.”
The third phase of a 200-home development in Boston has been submitted for final approval by the council.
Chestnut Homes has asked Boston Borough Council to give the go ahead to a further 70 homes off Wyberton Low Road. If they are successful, it will leave only 22 homes to go to finish the major development project known as Heron Park.
The development will see a mixture of one-three bedroom homes with the majority being two storey homes, but some bungalows also placed next to neighbouring properties in the north eastern corner. A third of the site will be public open space.
In documents submitted to Boston Borough Council, the applicant said: “The proposals follow the principles of the approved masterplan… will create a strong sense of place, and will deliver a locally inspired housing development where people will want to live.”
The site will be accessed from a road created in the first phase of the development.
The Heron Park masterplan was approved at outline stage in 2018 with 71 homes in the first phase given permission to go ahead.
How the third phase of the development would be laid out.
Phase two, for 32 homes on the site has also since been given the go ahead and a further application for five homes is being considered.
So far, 103 out of 120 homes requested to be classed as “affordable” have been provided within the development and Chestnut Homes says that if they cannot find suitable Registered Providers in this phase the next 22-home plan will still be able to meet the last 17 homes asked for in the Section 106 agreement.
Petrol prices have reached the highest levels in almost a decade, with most fuel stations in Lincoln charging over 140p a litre.
The UK’s average petrol price soared to 142.94p a litre on Sunday, October 24, which is the highest it has been since April 2012, according to RAC Fuel Watch data.
The price has spiked by 28p a litre in just one year, driven primarily by the rising oil prices, as well as September’s switch to the greener E10 petrol, which has a greater ethanol percentage than the previous E5.
Ethanol is more expensive than petrol, so the introduction of a greater ethanol percentage means an increase in cost to produce the E10 compared to E5.
It isn’t believed to be connected to the fuel frenzy earlier this year, which saw drivers across the country scramble to fill up their cars amid rumours of a shortage.
The petrol station on Newark Road in Lincoln. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
PetrolPrices.com update the cost of unleaded and diesel at fuel stations across the country on a weekly basis, and in the Lincoln area the cheapest petrol you can get is 138.9p a litre, as of Wednesday, October 26.
Here are the cheapest places to get fuel in Lincoln:
Gulf Co-op winning post service station, Carholme Road – 138.9p for both unleaded and diesel
The RAC is now calling on government to introduce a temporary VAT reduction for big retailers, in order to bring prices back to pre-pandemic levels.
RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “This is truly a dark day for drivers, and one which we hoped we wouldn’t see again after the high prices of April 2012. This will hurt many household budgets and no doubt have knock-on implications for the wider economy.
“The big question now is: where will it stop and what price will petrol hit? If oil gets to $100 a barrel, we could very easily see the average price climb to 150p a litre.”
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