Lincolnshire this week.

It’s a case of as you were in Lincolnshire this week with Lincolnshire Police once again in the spotlight this time over a new custody suite at the Nettleham headquarters. The police want to close their West Parade station which is too large and, they say, not fit for pupose. They would like a smaller city centre presence and to build cells at Nettleham. A meeting was held at Nettleham village hall which had been requisitioned by the Parish Council for their regular meeting as their usual venue would not hold the amount of residents who were expected. Sure enough around 100 villagers turned out anxious at the prospect of released lags trampling all over their well manicured lawns.


Chief Constable Neil Rhodes said: "This is not a done deal, but further development on our headquarters site is a strong option."

"We've got a tired old police station at Lincoln which needs replacement and we've also had almost 20% of our budget - in one of the leanest police forces in the country - slashed recently.

"Quite frankly we have to build a new police station. It has to be built somewhere."

Lincolns High Street level crossing is also still in the news as Network Rail is to hold consultation sessions about proposals to alleviate the delays caused by ever increasing traffic on the rails. The consultation will be at St Marks and the Waterside centre, appropriately enough as the two nearby sites are frequently many minutes apart given the amount of time the barriers are down. It’s no secret Network Rail would like to see the crossing closed altogether although a bridge or underpass for traffic as well as pedestrians is nigh on impossible, so we are told. The authority have helpfully released a picture of a pedestrian making a run for it as the barriers are coming down to underline their point.

Phil Verster, route managing director for Network Rail, said: "We regularly see people rushing across the level crossings at Lincoln High Street and Brayford Wharf once the warnings have started.

"We even have instances of people lifting the barriers. Clearly this behaviour is highly reckless and dangerous."

A trustee at the troubled school group, Priory Academy has paid the price for perceived failings of supervision at the educational giant. Christine Talbot, who represented Lincolnshire County Council on the board, resigned as a trustee, saying: "We've all failed.

"The trustees have to recognise that they've failed - they have to come to terms with that and look at their own consciences as to whether they should resign."

The trust chairman expressed regret that Mrs Talbot had resigned, Terry Coffey said: "This action plan will deliver best practice across the trust and allow the public to see how their money is being spent.

"The federation did make mistakes in the past and we again apologise unreservedly for that."

Lincoln Lady Imps defender Casey Stoney has been made England football captain for the forthcoming fixture against the Netherlands on 17 June. She said:-

"It's an absolute honour, the biggest privilege I've ever been given,

"At the time I was actually thinking of giving up on international football. I'm so glad I stuck with it."

Stoney replaces Arsenal’s Faye White who has retired from international duty.

The battle for recognition for the Lincolnshire sausage has not ended yet, according to local band the Ruffs. The Lincolnshire Sausage Association is considering an appeal and the Ruffs have come up with a protest song to express their outrage at vested interests being preferred to local ones. Suppose we ought to be used to it by now.

That’s it for now, a lighter breakfast in preference to the full English by the look of the weekend weather, just this once. Have a good one.