Police are warning residents in the south of Lincoln to be vigilant following a number of burglaries in area.

Lincolnshire Police also arrested four men over a series of burglaries, and three of them are still in custody.

In a number of incidents reported in the area recently, doors and windows were left unlocked or not secure, allowing offenders to enter properties. In some cases, offenders forced their way in.

On occasions burglars were not disturbed, various items have been stolen, such as electrical goods and car keys.

One example happened in the early hours on April 21 on Westwick Drive, Lincoln.

Entry was gained via the kitchen and living room, then a handbag, a Toshiba laptop and camcorder were stolen.

Car keys were also taken and offenders tried to move a silver Toyota, but left it at an angle in the road.

Inspector Mark Hillson, from Lincoln South Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Please don’t leave doors and windows open or unlocked.

“As the weather improves, it’s tempting to leave doors and windows open especially on warm nights, or if you’re out in the garden.

“Recent examples show that an open window or an insecure door makes you a target for the opportunist criminal.”

Men arrested for burglaries

Detective Inspector Suzanne Davies from Lincoln CID added: “We currently have three men in custody for dwelling burglaries overnight in Lincoln.

“Last week my staff arrested four men for burglary offences and recovered a car which was stolen during one of the incidents.

“We have seized a substantial amount of property which we believe is stolen and have managed to reunite some of these items with their owners.

“We still have some small electrical items which we cannot find owners for so I would encourage you to check your home and vehicle, and if you have been the victim of a crime and have not reported it to the police, please contact us with full details so that we can return your property to you.”

She added: “There is a large market for stolen goods and people seem willing to buy items such as iPads and mobile phones without asking questions.

“Remember it’s an offence to handle stolen goods and if you’re offered electrical items at a good price then they are likely to be stolen.

“If this happens to you, please ring the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or ring me direct by calling 101. Also, if you have any information about any of the burglaries, please call 101.”

A Lincoln electronics shop has been damaged after a fire was started outside the Lincoln High Street premises on April 23.

The incident happened outside CEX at St Peter at Arches, High Street, at around 4.30am.

Men set fire to a pile of rubbish outside the shop, but was put out by Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue.

No-one was hurt in the incident but the fire has caused damage to the front of the shop.

Police believe three men are involved in the incident, and one is described as wearing a red tracksuit top.

On the same night, an hour beforehand, rubbish was set on fire outside Sugarcubes on Corporation Street. Officers believe this is the same people.

Police are now looking for any witnesses to either of this fires to get in touch by contacting PC Tom Richardson at Lincolnshire Police on 101, quoting incident 36 of 23rd April 2014.

Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Lincolnshire Police have formally named the man who was found dead at a house in Hermit Street, Lincoln on Easter Sunday.

He was Scott Spry (25) of Drake Street, Lincoln.

As previously reported, Scott Spry was found dead at his home in Hermit Street at around 11pm on Sunday, April 20.

A post mortem examination is due to be carried out on April 23 but it is expected that results will not be available until a later date.

A 29-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman were questioned in relation to the death.

Each were released on bail on April 22 and are to return to the police station when further enquiries have been concluded.

Lincolnshire Police have charged a man with grievous bodily harm (GBH) after a stabbing in Lincoln.

The incident happened at around 2am on April 15, when police attended an address on Keats Close, Lincoln, after reports of a stabbing.

A 28-year-old local man was found injured and treated by paramedics at the scene, before being taken to Lincoln County Hospital.

David O’Connor (36) of Keats Close, Lincoln was charged with GBH on April 23 and will appear at Lincoln Magistrates Court on April 24.

Officers are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the incident or information relating to it to contact police on 101, quoting incident 19 of April 15 2014.

Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The City of Lincoln Council is investigating after a number of trees on the West Common were illegally cut.

Around 19 trees have been cut down along the north side of the common, off Long Leys Road.

The City Council, which manages Lincoln’s common land, is looking into the incident after complaints from several local residents.

Members of the Long Leys Residents Association first noticed the trees being cut around April 5.

After being reported to the council, an open spaces officer and a senior officer visited the site, and launched a two-week investigation into the issue.

The council could potentially take legal action over matters of criminal damage, dependent on the outcome of its enquiries.

Other local residents are currently helping the council with its enquiries over why the trees were removed.

Caroline Bird, Community Services Manager at the City of Lincoln Council said: “The removal of these trees is a serious matter and the council’s investigation into the incident is ongoing.”

A Lincoln teenager has been charged with three burglaries in the city.

Lincolnshire Police charged Adam Bellamy, 18, of Carholme Road with three offences of burglary.

He was charged by detectives on April 24 in relation to incidents on Carholme Road in March and April this year.

He was remanded in custody and is due to appear at Lincoln Magistrates Court later on Friday.

Police in Lincoln received a number of complaints regarding cars being spray painted overnight in Birchwood.

Officers received a number of calls relating to residents on Hazelwood Avenue, Larchwood Crescent and Clematis Approach having their cars vandalised with graffiti.

Some also had their sheds and garages damaged.

Overall, eight cars are confirmed to have been spray painted with black paint, all thought to have happened overnight between April 24 and 25.

Inspector Mark Hillson said: “These are strange and unusual incidents which appear to be a one-off.

“We appreciate the inconvenience and frustration people must have felt waking up this morning to find that their cars and some property had been criminally damaged, but we also hope that officers carrying out visits in the area can reassure others living around there that this seems to have been an isolated instance.

“It seems that one individual or a small group of individuals have carried this out in these streets, which are all very close to each other, and we are asking people who may have seen or heard anything around the area to contact us so that we can find those responsible.”

Anyone with any information should contact Lincolnshire Police on the 101 non-emergency number, quoting incident 44 of April 25, 2014.

Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Police are appealing for information after an air rifle, camping knife, drill and caravan stabilising leg were stolen from a parked car in Lincoln.

The items were stolen from a motor vehicle at some point overnight on April 18/19 at the Hartsholme Country Park caravan site.

Police say several thefts from cars have occurred in the Lincoln area where owners have left their cars unlocked.

They are reminding vehicle owners to lock their cars, and not leave items inside and particularly not on display.

Anyone who has knowledge of the whereabouts of the items, or information on those responsible for the theft should contact Lincolnshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 108 of April 19.

Police in Lincoln are asking drivers in Bracebridge Heath and Witham St Hughs to be vigilant due to thieves operating in the areas.

There have been a number of thefts from cars in the two south Lincoln villages in recent weeks.

On April 21 alone, police received five reports of thefts from vehicles in Bracebridge Heath.

Three of these happened on Salisbury Drive, with one on Canterbury Road and another on Wells Drive.

On April 24, three more incidents were reported in Bracebridge Heath, with two on Gloucester Close and one on Carlisle Way.

Two incidents were reported in Witham St Hughs on Greenfinch Crescent and Moorhen Close on March 31 too.

Items stolen include sat navs, electronics and cash.

Police are reminding residents not to leave valuables in the car when unattended, and asking anyone who saw any suspicious activity on these dates in the area to call on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Lincolnshire Police are analysing images and CCTV footage from an aggressive pitch invasion at the Lincoln City vs Barnet match on Saturday, April 26.

Watch the footage above of the pitch invasion, curtesy of The News Hound Ltd agency.

With only a few minutes to go before the final whistle, a group of around 100 Lincoln City supporters stormed onto the pitch to contest a disallowed goal.

It is an offence to enter the field of play and police are working to identify the culprits.

The club said in a statement on its website: “Lincoln City Football Club, in the strongest possible terms, condemns the pitch incursions from some of the so called home fans during the climax to last Saturday’s fixture against Barnet.

“Apart from potentially costing the club two points in the game we are now facing a large fine for not only the pitch transgressions, but also for previous incidents involving flares thrown by our supporters on to pitches at away grounds.

“In future anyone involved in those or similar incidents will be banned from our stadium for a lengthy period of time.

“The behaviour at the Barnet fixture was absolutely inexcusable, and with a number of seats also being damaged in the Co-op Stand, the Club will be working with the authorities to take the strongest possible action against those involved.”

The Football Association are also investigating the incident.

A charity box was taken from a gift shop in uphill Lincoln.

The incident happened on Bailgate on April 22 at around 1.45pm.

A man visited the Look No Further shop and demanded the the Help For Heroes collection box on display. It was given to him, and then he fled.

He is described as a white man with olive skin, around 5 foot 6 in height and of slim build and with short, very dark brown or black hair.

He was wearing a grey hooded jacket and dark blue jeans.

Police are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed this incident, and are also trying to find a man who was in the shop at the time.

He is described as an elderly man, around 80-years-old, and using a walking stick.

Anyone with information should contact PC Atkin at Lincolnshire Police, quoting incident 220 of April 22 2014 on 01522 885237.

Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Police are appealing for information after a teenager was struck in the face with a sharp instrument on Newark Road in North Hykeham.

The 17-year-old victim was walking with a group of around nine other people between The Forum and Asda supermarket at around 10.30pm on Friday, April 11.

They were approached by a man on a mountain bike who was cycling in the opposite direction.

He confronted the group before attacking the 17-year-old, striking him in the face with a sharp instrument. He then rode off towards The Forum.

The victim was left needing surgery on his left cheek in what police said was an unprovoked attack.

The man suspected of carrying out the attack is described as white, around 6ft tall, of skinny build, aged in his mid-20s to early 30s. He is believed to have been wearing a dark jacket and trousers.

He was seen entering the Tesco Express store on The Forum, North Hykeham, at 10.45pm on that night.

If anyone knows a person matching this description, or saw or heard anything suspicious in the area around 10.30pm on April 11th, they are asked to contact Lincolnshire Police on 101 quoting incident 493.

Alternatively contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

— Update at 9pm: An earlier version of this story featured CCTV images released by Lincolnshire Police of a man they wanted to speak to in connection with the incident. Since, the man in the images has contacted police and has been identified and eliminated from the enquiry. He was not involved in the incident he did not witness it. The images were replaced as soon as we were notified.

Police are dealing with a suspicious incident in which a man was left injured at a Lincoln premises.

On April 29 on Princess Street, police were called to an incident after reports of a man being injured at an address there.

He was taken to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield for treatment, with his condition is described by police as “quite serious”.

Three men have been arrested by officers in connection with the incident.

DI Suzanne Davies said: “Police were called to an address in Princess Street today and a man has subsequently been taken to hospital in Sheffield for quite serious injuries.

“Three men have been arrested in connection with the incident and are currently helping police with enquiries.

“We are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious in the area of Princess Street around late morning today, or anything that may have happened in the locality in the last week.”

Anyone with any information should contact Lincolnshire Police on 101, quoting incident 190 of April 29, 2014.

Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A police investigation continues into a “suspicious” incident at a home on Princess Street in Lincoln after a man was found with a serious head injury.

The investigation is ongoing and officers are expected to remain at the scene for the rest of the day.

Police said they are still treating the incident as suspicious.

As previously reported, officers were called to the property on Tuesday, April 29, following reports of a man found injured at the address.

The man was taken to Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, where he remains for treatment for a serious head injury.

Three men have been arrested in connection with the incident and are currently assisting police with their enquiries.

Police are still appealing for witnesses who may have seen or heard anything suspicious in the Princess Street area to contact the force on 101, quoting incident 190 of April 29.

Alternatively, contact anonymously the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

British Transport Police (BTP) are appealing for help to identify a man they would like to speak to in connection with the theft of suitcase from a Lincoln train.

Officers released CCTV images of a man who they believe can assist the investigation into the theft, which took place on Monday, April 21, on board the 10.15am Lincoln to Newark service.

The victim, a 36-year-old woman from Brighton, boarded the train at Lincoln. On arrival at Newark she discovered her bag was missing and she alerted train staff.

After speaking to the barrier staff at the station they reported a man passing through the barriers a short while earlier with a case matching the victims description, black with red ribbing around it.

Police Constable Jackie Wadey, the Investigating Officer, said: “The victim and member of staff searched around the station and a man was discovered rifling through her open bag outside.

“Upon challenging the man he fled, closely followed by the member of rail staff, but managed to escape. Whilst fleeing, the man dropped his mobile phone which was recovered and is currently being examined by officers.

PC Wadey added: “If you recognise the man pictured then please contact us”.

Anyone with information is asked to call British Transport Police on Freefone 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016.

Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.

In all calls, please quote incident reference PSUB/B7 of 30/04/14.

City residents have been asked to remain vigilant and remember to secure their homes after a recent spate of burglaries in Lincoln.

Lincolnshire Police recently urged people to pay extra attention to security at their properties following a recent number of incidents in areas south of the city.

This message has now been extended to the whole of Lincoln city, as a large number of incidents were reported to police in recent weeks.

Residents are reminded to close and lock doors and windows, particularly in the warmer weather when it is easy to forget to secure them.

Offenders have been reported to have walked into homes even when householders are in.

In some cases cash was taken, or items such as handbags, and tobacco.

On almost every occasion, either front or rear doors were left unlocked or ground floor windows were left open, which enabled offenders to enter properties easily.

In some cases, offenders forced their way in – although some were disturbed and failed to get into properties.

On other occasions, entry was gained and various items were stolen, including electrical goods and car keys. These keys were then used to steal or attempt to steal cars.

DS Jen Waddington, of Lincoln CID, said: “What we are seeing is a number of burglaries that have been opportunistic.

“Offenders are taking advantage of the fact that many people are, in some cases, welcoming the nicer weather and simply not being as vigilant as they normally would about shutting and locking doors and windows.

“We appreciate that it is very easy, for example, to come home from work, open the back door or window to let some fresh air in on a nice day, and then simply not secure it.

“Please remember to keep your homes secure and don’t give burglars the chance to even get close to finding their way in.”

Detective Inspector Suzanne Davies from Lincoln CID, who is leading the investigations into the burglaries, said a substantial amount of property which is believed to have been stolen has been reunited with owners.

Householders have been encouraged to check their homes and vehicles because some small electrical items are still outstanding for which the owners could not be found.

Detective Inspector Suzanne Davies added: “There is a large market for stolen goods and people seem willing to buy items such as Ipads and mobile phones without asking questions.

“Remember it’s an offence to handle stolen goods and if you’re offered electrical items at a good price then they are likely to be stolen.”

If you have any information, or would like to report an incident, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or call 101.

Lincolnshire Police now have more than 500 volunteers, as the force has two more years to reach the 1,000 volunteers target set by the Police and Crime Commissioner.

In the past year, 233 volunteers have been recruited, including Special Constables, Volunteer Police Cadets, Police Support Volunteers, and a first for the UK, Volunteer Police Community Support Officers (VPCSO).

The force now has 505 volunteers who put in more than 68,000 hours in the past year. The plan is to reach 1,000 volunteers over the next two years.

The Police Support Volunteers are non-uniformed adult volunteers who provide additional services in support of front-line policing teams.

Special Constables, as part of the Special Constabulary in Lincolnshire, have their own rank structure aligned to the police force. They take part in all shifts and provide added support at busy times.

Specials can bee seen routinely policing at night time in the city centre, and also help Trading Standards, the Border Agency, enforcing street drinking bans, or respond to illegal raves.

A volunteer role which Lincolnshire Police has uniquely created is the Volunteer Police Community Support Officers (VPCSO), a complement to the Existing PCSOs role in the same way as Special Constables are to regular officers, but a change in the law is required in order to allow the Chief Constable to delegate powers to volunteers.

Keith Smy, Deputy Chief Constable, said: “A lot of what PCSOs actually do in communities doesn’t require them to actually use their powers. But we do know that occasionally they have to.

“A VPCSO would probably be able to do 85% of what our employed PCSOs can do without powers, and actually make a real significant contribution in the way that our employed PCSOs do to community cohesion and reassurance, problem solving, etc.

“I think the concept for us is to continue to develop the VPSCO in the way it works for Lincolnshire Police and continue the debate at a national level.

“There’s unlikely to be any major legislation change ahead of the next general election, so the likelihood that anything significant will change is remote.

“We may be able to negotiate permission to trial and extend the pilot ahead of formal legislation. Somebody has to test the concept.

“We offered up and some of our colleagues in surrounding forces in the East Midlands would very much like to pioneer this on behalf of the country.”

The Deputy Chief Constable is set to meet with the Home Office next week to further discussions on this topic.

“I think the tide is in our favour, it’s just whether or not timing is right for our particular project,” he added.

Currently 11 VPSCOs are patrolling across the county with their mentors, and a further 13 are in training and set to start later in May.

Jackie Rowe, Volunteer Coordinator at Lincolnshire Police, said: “The volunteers provide extra services that ordinarily we wouldn’t be able to provide.

She said reaching the 1,000 target “is not just a numbers game. It’s about providing real quality services.”

Lincolnshire Police stressed that volunteers will not be used to replace paid staff or undermine their pay or conditions of service.

The force estimates that for ever £1 invested in volunteering, it has gained an equivalent monetary value of £4.

The majority of people begging on streets in Lincoln have a home, say Lincolnshire Police as it launches a new crackdown campaign.

People found street drinking or begging in Lincoln will now be met with a ‘zero tolerance approach’ as officers embark on a new anti-social behaviour movement.

Operation Applaud, which launched on May 1, will allow police to follow a five-step process for dealing with begging offences and drinking in the city centre.

By working in partnership with other agencies, Operation Applaud will engage, educate and safeguard those affected by alcohol consumption and address the vulnerabilities of people who commit the offence of begging.

Street begging is illegal under the Vagrancy Act 1824, and last year there were 170 begging incidents reported in Lincoln.

Inspector Pat Coates, who heads up local policing of the city centre, said: ”Generally we see an increase in the summer of both begging and street drinking which is why we chose May as a starting point to address the issues before the summer arrives.

“Street drinking has become more of an issue over recent years I think. It’s definitely more visible than what it used to be but I wouldn’t say that begging is any worse than it has always been.

“One of the biggest things that we try to get across to people is that most of the people begging in Lincoln actually have a place of residence and they are receiving the same benefits as everybody else.”

First patrol

The Lincolnite joined Lincoln City Centre Neiboroughood Sergeant Paula Gowler and PCSO Bob Kerbey as they conducted their first patrol through the city centre.

Paula Gowler said: “A difficult public view that we have to tackle is that anti-social behaviour is directly linked to an influx of EU migrants. Most of our regular begging offenders are local people and we see them time and time again.

“The problem with begging is that it can be quite problematic to prove sometimes. The reason you see people begging in subways and alleys is because they can’t be seen by CCTV cameras.

“This is why we are asking for the cooperation of the public and for people to report incidents to us. We would then ask them to provide a statement.

“We also have our limitations when it comes to street drinking as we can only attempt to move people on.

“One of the most important parts of the operation is the collaboration with groups like Framework who deal with homelessness and Addaction who help people with drugs and alcohol addiction and recovery.”

Bob Kerbey is one of Lincolnshire Police’s longest serving PCSOs. He said: “We will now have people patrolling begging hotspots daily.

“The biggest problems I’ve had to deal with usually come from general members of the public.

“All we can do is try to move people on when they have had too much to drink and people think we are being heavy handed and nasty.

“In general I am on first name terms with most of the beggars so if we do find CCTV footage its quite quick to identify them.”

If you have any concerns about street drinking or begging in your area, speak to your local policing team, or call 101.

Lincolnshire Police thanking people in the county after a great response to their knitted bear appeal.

As previously reported, police were asking residents to donate the little bears for consoling children at the scene of incidents.

If a child is involved in a road traffic collision, they would be given a free kitted bear to help keep them calm in a frightening experience.

This then helps police and other emergency services deal with the accident.

However, the charity which used to knit and provide the bears — known as Angel Bears — is no longer in existence.

Police asked residents to provide just 500 of the bears — but the knitting community has so far sent in over 5,100.

The bears have been placed in police vehicles to allow officers to distribute them.

They have been also been issued at the Spring Lodge support centre and will also be issued in the Junior Police Cadet School Officer scheme from September.

As Lincolnshire Police have enough bears, they are asking people to stop sending any more in for the time being.

However, they are considering starting the scheme again in October 2014.

As the scheme was so popular, it may also become an annual initiative between October and March.

Other emergency services are now also considering using the scheme for other kinds of incidents where a child or vulnerable person might be involved too.

In a statement, Lincolnshire Police said: “The bears have been so gratefully received and this has only been possible with your support and help. Thank you again.

“Many good stories have been highlighted as the wider benefits of knitting the bears such as ‘having a purpose to my life when stuck indoors in the winter and it is dark outside’, ‘I have now stopped smoking as I cannot knit and smoke at the same time!’ and ‘I have a link to the police service now and feel safer as part of that scheme’.”