A burglar from Lincoln with numerous burglary and theft convictions has been handed a jail sentence in court.
On March 19, Mark Paterson (35) was sentenced to four years and six months in prison for his crimes.
During the trial, Lincoln Crown Court heard about an incident involving Paterson relating to a burglary on Burton Road in Lincoln in October 2013, in which he pleaded not guilty.
During the incident, Paterson stole a number of items such as jewellery, which he was later seen attempting to sell around Lincoln.
He was found and arrested by officers, then charged the following day, with the jewellery still in his possession.
DCI Nicky Mayo said: “This case is a credit to the force and the efforts of those involved.
“It was both the quick arrest, followed by the diligent investigation which led to the guilty verdict.
“The hard work put into this case means a prolific burglar is off the streets for a significant time.
“It goes to show that if you see something suspicious, you should report it as it could help us to apprehend an offender.”
Lincolnshire Police are asking for help to find who may have obscenely graffitied a Lincoln building earlier this month.
The incident happened on March 4 between 10.30pm and 11.30pm at Grafton House on Newland, Lincoln.
Three men were seen spray painting the words “nonce”, “paedos” and “marxis die” [sic] on the side of the building, which is used by the Lincoln Labour Club.
The men were then seen running from the premises towards Lucy Tower car park.
Anyone who has any information in relation to this incident should call Lincolnshire Police on 101, asking for PC 416 Mark Loughton.
Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Police are searching for the owner and the dog which injured a woman and her dog at the Birchwood Nature Park in Lincoln on Sunday, March 23.
A 62-year-old woman, who has not been named, was walking her dog through the nature reserve at around 10.30am when a white Bull Terrier-type dog approached her without a collar.
The dog turned on the woman and her pet. She suffered injuries to her hand and her dog had injuries to its face and was taken to the vet.
People nearby came to help her and the Bull Terrier-type dog was last seen to run into the woods.
The dog and its owner are yet to be traced.
Anyone who knows of a similar dog that frequents the area of the nature reserve is being asked to contact Lincolnshire Police on the 101 number quoting reference number 215 of March 23.
The incident comes weeks after two women were attacked by dogs in Lincoln.
As previously reported, a Lincoln woman suffered life-changing injuries to her face when a Pitbull-type dog attacked her.
Some 12 hours after this, another woman suffered a suspected broken arm when she was bitten by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Around 70 foot of copper piping has been stolen from the sports pavilion on the West Common in Lincoln.
The theft happened on the common off Carholme Road at around 9.45am on March 23.
It is believed men broke in through a small window and ripped the piping off the walls without the water being switched off. Fittings and other piping was also taken.
Lincolnshire Police are keen to find the offenders as part of Operation Brompton.
Anyone with any information or may have spotted someone acting suspiciously around the time should contact Lincolnshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 132 of 23/03/2014, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.The pavilion next to the tennis courts on the West Common in Lincoln. Map: Google
Operation Brompton was set up in 2011 to tackle the rise of metal theft in the county.
The operation aims to reduce metal theft crime; to identify, arrest and prosecute offenders involved; reduce the opportunity to commit the crime by target hardening and disrupting disposal routes; ensure legislative compliance by Scrap Metal Dealers; and increase intelligence.
Police are searching for a man who was seen acting inappropriately towards three women in Lincoln.
The first incident was reported to police on Thursday, March 20 at around 1.25pm.
A woman reported being followed by a man on a pushbike on the riverbank near the bridge at the end of Russell Street.
He allegedly cycled past her a number of times with his hand down his trousers and was moving his hand up and down as if masturbating, before cycling off towards The Plough pub.
A second incident was also reported on Thursday, March 20 just before 1.30pm.
A woman had entered Boultham Park through the Rookery Lane entrance opposite Blackbourn Road with her young daughter and puppy.
She walked towards a wooded area in the direction of the riverbank and was followed by a man on a pushbike. He cycled past her four or five times with his hand down his trousers as in the earlier incident, police said.
In both incidents the man is described as wearing chef-style checked trousers, either blue or black checks, with a black jacket.
He is though to be in his 20s, and is described as between 5ft 9in and 5ft 11in, of average build, with short light brown/blonde hair.
He was riding a pale green coloured mountain bike.
A third incident was reported around 1.30pm on Monday, March 24 in the area of Russell Street.
A woman reported seeing a male urinating on the river footpath near to the bridge at the end of Russell Street.
He is described as wearing a green Adidas hooded top with red stripes, around 5ft 9in, and riding a pale green coloured bike which had a fishing rod attached.
Anyone with any information concerning the incidents or who may have seen a man matching that description or behaving suspiciously, is asked to contact Lincolnshire Police on 101 quoting incidents 208 or 209 of March 2o or incident number 307 of March 24.
Alternatively contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
An operation to educate and prevent doorstep crime in Lincolnshire has received funding from Lincolnshire Police and Lincolnshire Trading Standards, continuing until April 2015.
The force held a Doorstep Crime Awareness Conference on March 25 at the police headquarters in Nettleham, where it highlighted the outcomes of Operation REPEAT (Reinforcing Elderly Persons Education at All Times).
Lincolnshire Police Chief Constable Neil Rhodes said: “In Lincolnshire, the problem of doorstep crime has long been recognised, especially for the more rurally isolated older people.
“Doorstep crime includes distraction burglary, bogus callers, unscrupulous sales people and scammers.
“The offences are often perpetrated on older people, or more vulnerable members of our community.
“Operation REPEAT is a really successful partnership between Lincolnshire Police, Lincolnshire Trading Standards and Community Lincs.
“The vast majority of the people who are vulnerable in our communities are actually receiving care at home, care from healthcare professionals, and social care staff.
“They are in constant contact with vulnerable people, so if we are able to deliver training to those individuals, then they can really make a difference.
“It’s a really promising approach, because those health and social care professionals are some of the best placed people to monitor those at risk of this type of crime, and nearly 80% of victims already receive those services, so this is a good opportunity.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.At the Doorstep Crime Awareness conference at Lincolnshire Police HQ in Nettleham on March 25, 2014. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Sergeant Caroline Broughton deals with community safety and criminal justice for Lincolnshire Police, working on Operation REPEAT with Trading Standards Principal Officer Lisa Foster and retired Constable Reg Burrell, now of Community Lincs.
Together, in the past 15 months, they delivered training to 360 people in Lincolnshire who are taking care of over 4,200 elderly or vulnerable people across the county weekly.
Sergeant Caroline Broughton said: “In the past, police have normally done crime prevention and maybe target the people that need to know with leaflets.
“Operation REPEAT has gone completely against that way of thinking. We’re actually training the people, professionals, carers and volunteers going into our elderly and vulnerable people’s homes daily or weekly.
“We’re training them in doorstep crime awareness, and they can constantly be drip-feeding the crime prevention messages and hopefully they can be our eyes and ears.
“The professional criminals target the elderly and vulnerable for many reasons.
“Quite often some of them are still in the mindset of doing business on the doorstep, coming from a generation that obviously dealt with callers at the doorstep and dealt in cash.
“These are just callous professional criminals targeting these people because they are an easy source and easy to pray on.
“Research from Age UK shows that only 10% of such offences are ever reported to police, so it’s a huge issue.
“The reasons why it’s not reported is because quite a lot of the elderly fear the perpetrators might be coming back, they might feel intimidated and one of the big fears is what relatives and friends would say.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Superintendent Mark Housley is also an Assistant Director at Lincolnshire County Council. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Superintendent Mark Housley is also an Assistant Director at Lincolnshire County Council, dealing with youth offending, trading standards and safer communities.
Addressing the conference, he said: “As a police officer, I want to catch these people, I want to convict them and put them away in prison,” but this could be difficult.
He said perpetrators usually target people in their home, looking for clues the person is vulnerable, like an untidy front garden or old-fashioned curtains.
The emphasis should be clearly on prevention, on stopping victims becoming victims, he added.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Brian Steele, a former West Yorkshire Police Detective Chief Superintendent. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Brian Steele, a former West Yorkshire Police Detective Chief Superintendent, has worked for the past 13 years to better prevent doorstep crime.
He said: “In the past I did research to look at how best to detect and prevent doorstep crime against older people.
“Everybody is aware that the most victimised persons as far as distraction burglary goes are the white 78-81-year old females who live alone.
“When we have such specific information, it’s important that all agencies work together to make it a safer place for older vulnerable people.
“That very much involved giving older people the necessary doorstep skills to enable them to protect themselves and live safely in the community.”
— Cordelia Hookings (11) has been found safe and well in Lincoln at 10.25 on March 26, Lincolnshire Police said.
Police are searching for an 11-year-old missing Lincoln girl.
Officers are looking for Cordelia Hookings (nicknamed “Cordy”), who has been missing from her home on Jellicoe Avenue in Lincoln since around 8pm on March 25
The last definite sighting of the young girl was at 11pm on March 25 at Tesco on Wragby Road.
After an overnight helicopter search, police are continuing their ground search for the girl this morning.
The helicopter was deployed overnight around the Carlton Centre, Wragby Road and Tesco supermarket area of the city.
Cordy has brown eyes, brown hair which was tied up, and was last wearing a black coat and her black school shoes and a grey hoodie.
Cordy has never been reported missing before. She is a student at Priory City of Lincoln Academy.
Lincolnshire Police are urging residents in the area to check their outbuildings this morning, and if they believe they may have seen the girl, contact police on 999 or 101.
A man was hit in the head in broad daylight over the weekend while walking on a busy road in Lincoln.
The incident happened on Newark Road in Lincoln at around 2.40pm on March 22, near the Esso petrol station.
According to officers, the 68-year-old victim was hit in the head with an “unknown weapon” as he passed an alleyway that leads onto Fountain Court.
He stated he did not see or hear anyone leading up to the incident.
The victim returned home but then called for an ambulance as he felt unwell.
He required five stitches for a deep cut on the top of his head.
Police are asking for any witnesses or anyone who may have any information relating to the offence to contact PC 461 Gareth Ramsey on 101, quoting incident 264 of 22/03/2014.
Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Lincolnshire Police are appealing for information after a number of attempted robberies in Lincoln.
All of the incidents happened in the early evening of March 24, near to the city centre.
The first happened at around 5.45pm on Dixon Street, where a woman was approached by a man on a pushbike, demanding money. She did not hand over anything and was helped by staff at a car wash.
The suspect rode off towards the High Street.
The next incident happened at around 5.50pm on Firth Road.
A man was walking over the bridge by the riverbank, heading to Boultham Avenue when he was approached by a man on a pushbike, thought to have been a black BMX. The man demanded money, but was refused. The suspect then punched the man.
The third incident took place around the same time as the other two, along the riverbank path near the J Arthur Bowers factory.
A man was approached by a man on a pushbike, who again demanded money and the victim’s food shopping. Again, the victim was punched in the face when he refused.
However in this incident when the victim tried to walk away, he was grabbed by the suspect, but managed to get free.
The offender then rode his bike in the direction towards town.
In all the incidents, the man is described as white, around 6 foot 2, in his mid 20s, of stocky build, clean shaven with short fair hair, and wearing a light grey coloured hooded top with similar coloured jogging bottoms, or blue jeans.
Anyone who may have seen the suspect around this time or may have witnessed the incidents should contact PC 963 Caroline Lazenby on 101, quoting incidents 346 or 347 of 24/03/2014, or incident 65 of 26/03/2014.
Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Officers from neighbourhood policing teams in the south of Lincoln will host several cycle marking and security events next month.
Police will be available at four locations in the south of the city, offering free advice, and Secured by Design (SBD) products available to purchase.
You can find the teams at:
Valentine Retail Park, Tritton Road – April 5, 11am – 3pm
Birchwood Shopping Centre – April 9, 11am – 3pm
Sainsbury’s, Tritton Road – April 11, 11am – 3pm
St Columba’s Church Centre, Chiltern Road – April 15, 11am – 3pm
PCSO 2299 David Freeman said: “Cycle crime in the county is on the increase and the number of high value cycles being stolen as a result of burglary is on the increase.
“We hope to promote security awareness and assist with crime reduction in our communities. Our vision is to promote cycle security and property marking.
“Our latest addition will be new cycle marking kits (from Bike Register), that will be available at the events, to work in support of our on-going commitment to immobitag system currently being used.”
Damian Green, the Minister of State for Police and Criminal Justice, has praised Lincolnshire Police and the work done in Lincoln to tackle anti-social behaviour.
He was invited to Lincoln by city MP Karl McCartney, and visited the Ermine and Moorland areas, finishing his visit at The Showroom activities centre off Tritton Road.
Damian Green said: “I’m really impressed with the work [The Showroom] do here and the sheer range of activities available.
“Even more importantly, it’s plugged into the local community — they’ve got links to local schools, so a lot of the kids from these schools will come here.
“I think it’s really important to give kids something to do and a sense of structure — that they know that people out there care about them.
“I’m particularly impressed with the PCSOs in areas of Lincoln traditionally regarded as difficult.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Minister of State for Police and Criminal Justice Damian Green speaking with The Lincolnite. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
“I think that’s a message others can take from Lincoln – that the people responsible for law enforcement are actually doing a lot of prevention of criminal activity by getting involved at an early stage and by giving young people useful things to do.
“Prevention is better than cure, and there seems to be a lot of good preventative projects happening in Lincoln.
“All forces are under financial pressure at the minute. I think the Lincolnshire force has coped very well and is continuing to cope well.
“I think the way they are doing it is innovative — they signed the 10-year deal with G4S, and I looked around a control room where not only are they able to do it within their spending cuts but also in a way that the response time for 999 calls is better than it used to be.
“The collaboration with other forces in the Midlands I think is very much they way forward,” the minister added.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Lincolnshire Police Chief Constable Neil Rhodes speaking with the minister and Lincoln MP. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Lincolnshire Police Chief Constable Neil Rhodes said: “Anti-social behaviour is a really important crime for us to address because it’s important to the community.
“What we’ve been able to do today is let the Police Minister meet with some of our Lincolnshire communities and the officers and PCSOs who work with them, and see some of the initiatives that take place.
“He’s seen a deprived area of the Ermine estate and he’s also come down to Moorland to see some exciting initiatives that are taking place in The Showroom.
“We understand that the overall policing pot will probably reduce in years to come. What’s most important for us is that Lincolnshire gets its fair share of funding available.
“We’ve been talking to the minister today about the work that we do, the number of police officers we have, and the appropriate level of funding for Lincolnshire that sees us able to remain at the cost of being in business.
“Perhaps it’s unrealistic to expect an increase in funding, but what we’re trying to do is avoid future decreases.
“We have a budget that is around £5 million a year lower than it would be if we hadn’t taken a private sector partner on board [G4S]. It operates in the background, it operates quietly, and so far it’s operated successfully.
“Lincolnshire residents should have seen no difference in service, and even on occasion seen a better quality in service because we’re able to keep more officers on the front line that we wouldn’t have been able to.
“It’s on our agenda to make sure operational officers have as much capacity as they can have. I don’t want officers having to return to the station to type information to computers – they should be able to go into someone’s home, take a report, type it into a modern device and that should update our central systems immediately.
“They should be able then to stay out on patrol. That’s the work that we’re doing, and the partner that provides our IT systems is already doing some of that work on our behalf. It’s a police initiative to keep police officers on patrol.
“We recently launched the East Midlands Operational Support Service. Four forces across the East Midlands – Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire – will be working together on policing, dogs and specialist search to make the most of expertise we have together.
“What it offers for Lincolnshire is real resilience, because if we have a big incident to deal with, we can draw on officers from across the four forces.
“There aren’t a lot of savings in it for us, but it was never about savings — but if the other counties can get their costs down to the same level as Lincolnshire’s they see some real bonuses come through.”
A woman in a wheelchair had her phone stolen in Lincoln.
The incident happened on March 19 at around 1.10pm outside the Prezzo restaurant on the Brayford waterfront.
She was sending a text on her iPhone 5S when she was approached by a man, who then snatched the phone from her hand.
The incident has left the 22-year-old victim shocked and upset.
The officer dealing with case, PC Chris Forsdyke said: “This is clearly a despicable offence against a vulnerable young lady and I’m hoping if the offender’s associates find out about it they may call in.”
The offender is described as white, of slim build, about 6 foot and in his late teens to early twenties. He was wearing a dark hooded top and trousers with a scarf across his face.
The phone is an iPhone 5S in gold, and a Ted Baker cover that’s pink with green and beige flowers on it.
Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or seen a man fitting the description should contact PC 851 Chris Forsdyke, quoting incident 202 of 19/03/2014 on 101.
Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A 64-year-old man from Bracebridge Heath in Lincoln has died in hospital after he was hit by a car.
The incident was reported at 8.30pm on Monday, April 7, on the A607 Grantham Road in Bracebridge Heath, somewhere between the Tesco and Lincolnshire Co-op stores on opposite sides of the road.
A blue Honda Civic car driven by a 41-year-old Lincoln man was in collision with the 64-year-old pedestrian.
The man was taken to Lincoln County Hospital with a serious head injury.
He died from his injuries earlier on Tuesday, April 8.
— Later update: The man was named as Neil Blanchard (64) of Red Hall Drive in Bracebridge Heath, Lincoln.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.The A607 Grantham Road in Bracebridge Heath, Lincoln. Photo: Google Street View
The driver of the Honda was not injured.
Collision Investigator Nigel Gasgoine is appealing for witnesses to the incident or anyone who saw the Honda on the road prior to it to contact him via the Collision Witness Hotline 01522 558855.
This is the sixth fatality on the roads of Lincolnshire in 2014 compared with 12 over the similar period in 2013.
A Lincoln shop owner who was found to sell fake and illegal cigarettes has been prosecuted by Lincolnshire Trading Standards.
Foods 4 You on Portland Street was raided on July 2013, when 3,920 cigarettes and 29 packets of tobacco were seized.
Shop owner Sherko Saeed (31) appeared at Lincoln Magistrates Court on March 27, pleading guilty to all charges.
He was handed a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for nine months and ordered to pay legal costs of £1,078, plus a victim surcharge of £80.
As previously reported, tobacco detection dog Indie and officers found the cigarettes in a “secret wall” and concealed under the counter.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Indie the sniffer dog, a key member of the Lincolnshire Trading Standards team. Photo: Lincolnshire Trading Standards
Emma Milligan, senior Trading Standards officer, said: “Shops that sell fake cigarettes are conning consumers and taking money away from local businesses that do trade legitimately.
“It isn’t fair that they should lose out because they cannot compete with the cheap prices of illegal items.
“A pack of counterfeit cigarettes will not comply with important safety legislation and are totally unregulated so it can be a lottery as to what they really contain.”
If you have spotted or believe a trader in Lincoln is supplying illegal, fake or duty free goods such as cigarettes, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A 37-year-old man has been treated for stab wounds to his abdomen after he was found collapsed on the street in Lincoln.
— Updated at 5.15pm
Police arrested a 35-year-old local woman. She was released from custody without charge on Wednesday afternoon.
Lincolnshire Police officers found the man while on a routine patrol at around 1am on Wednesday, April 9.
Police now believe that the man’s injuries were self-inflicted, and therefore say no crime has been committed.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Police attending the incident in the early hours of April 9, 2014. Photo: Steve Smailes
The incident happened somewhere between the High Street and Tentercroft Street.
The area was closed for investigations for both vehicles and pedestrians. The road reopened just before 11am.
Officers discovered the collapsed victim with stab wounds to the abdomen, believed to have been caused by a knife.
He was taken to Lincoln County Hospital for treatment and has been discharged later in the morning.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Lincoln High Street closed for police investigations on April 9, 2014.
A statement from Lincolnshire Police said: “We would like to apologise for any inconvenience and thank the public for their cooperation and patience.”
Inspector James Trafford is leading the investigation. Lincolnshire Police appealed for anyone with information to call 101 quoting incident 15 of April 9.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Police investigations closed a part of the High Street. Photo: Chris Brandrick
Police are warning Lincoln residents to be careful when using cash machines in the city, after two were found to have been tampered with in one day.
The incidents were discovered on April 10 at Morrisons supermarket on Tritton Road and Tesco Express on lower High Street.
The offenders attached a device to where cash is dispensed, meaning when a customer uses the machine the cash does not come out.
Once the customer has left, the offenders return to take the money stuck near the opening, police said.
Officers are asking residents to be vigilant and report any cashpoint or ATM they feel may have been tampered with.
Additionally, if you are suspicious, do not try to use the machine and if possible tell store management.
Anyone who feels they may have been a victim of a similar offence should call Lincolnshire Police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
