» NewsThe NHS in Lincolnshire is urgently appealing to residents to come forward for their flu jab.
Misuse of Drugs Act Warrant completed this morning on the Sidney Sussex Ward which was completed due to intelligence received from the local community.
Quantity of controlled substances recovered and enquiries are still ongoing.
Tables were laid, teapots were brewing and a warm welcome awaited guests as free Christmas community meals returned to Wainfleet Methodist Church this week.
The Leader of Lincolnshire County Council has cautiously welcomed news that the authority will receive a boost to fund vital local services from the Government but says it does not go far enough.
Extra police patrols will be rolled out across Lincolnshire as officers prepare for a busy festive period in town and city centres throughout Christmas and New Year.
Plans to scrap Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) in England and Wales and merge police forces together will create a “democratic deficit”, officials have warned.
Hundreds of toys have been donated to Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital to help spread some festive cheer among young patients this Christmas.
Shoppers visiting town centres across North Lincolnshire saved an estimated £2.2 million in the last year thanks to the council’s free parking policy – almost £100 per family.
New figures for the 2025 calendar year show more than 1.2m parking sessions were completely free, with fewer than one in seven drivers actually paying to park.
The average saving per visit was around £1.80. For a typical family making one trip a week to a town centre, that adds up to around £95 a year saved – simply by parking for free.
Cllr Rob Waltham, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “This is real, practical help for local people at a time when every pound matters – and it’s a promise we made and have kept for more than a decade.
“Free parking keeps money in residents’ pockets and helps our town centres compete. While other councils have pushed charges up, we’ve stuck to our commitment to back shoppers, workers and local businesses.”
In the last year, only 197,000 parking sessions were paid for, compared to over 1.24m free stays, meaning around 86 per cent of all town centre parking was free.
Cllr John Davison, cabinet member for safer, stronger communities (urban), said: “We recognised early on that parking charges can put people off visiting town centres.
“That’s why we took the decision to remove them – and the numbers show it’s working. More people coming into our towns means more footfall for shops, cafés and markets.”
The council introduced its two-hour free parking policy more than a decade ago and later extended free parking to all day on Saturdays and Sundays.
Cllr Waltham added: “This isn’t about theory – it’s about consistently delivering what matters to local people and backing our high streets for the long term.”
The post Shoppers save up £2.2m in a year thanks to free parking pledge appeared first on North Lincolnshire Council.
If you want to fight crime, there’s a new career you can go into. Be a shopkeeper, says comedian and writer Steve N Allen.
Enjoy in North Lincolnshire!
50+ venues signed the Safety Charter
Staff trained in Ask Angela & more
Look for neon signs & branded staff
Download the free WalkSafe app for venue info & SOS help points.
Feel unsafe? Just Ask for Angela – staff are ready to help.
