Staff at a Lincoln homelessness charity say they are devastated after a van was stolen following a break-in at their warehouse on Monks Way in the city.

Lincolnshire YMCA and the Nomad Trust reported the theft of the 3.5 tonne blue Renault Master van in the early hours of Thursday, February 12.

The van was used to collect and deliver items to the Nomad Trust charity shop on Sincil Street in Lincoln.

“It’s a great shame that we have been compromised in such a dreadful way,” said Malcolm Barham, Chief Executive of Lincolnshire YMCA.

“Clearly this setback is going to have a great impact on the operation of the charity shop which contributes to our fundraising efforts and the support that we provide to members of our local community.”

The furniture and electronics units at the charity’s warehouse, where the keys to the van were kept, were raided.

The van, which has a white Nomad Trust logo and large white text, was driven through the metal shutters, causing hundreds of pounds’ worth of damage as a result.

Malcolm Barham added: “Because of recent cuts to our funding it will be a struggle for us to replace the van and repair the damage to the warehouse shutter. We need the support of the public to help us find our van, and to consider supporting us with donations to get us back on our feet.”

Lincolnshire Police have launched an investigation and are trying to track down the stolen vehicle.

If you have any information in relation to the stolen van please call the police on 101 quoting incident number 53 of February 12 2015.

Donations can be made via the Lincolnshire YMCA and Nomad Trust JustGiving page, or dropped off at the charity shop on Sincil Street.

Three men convicted of raping a 23-year-old woman at a flat in Lincoln have all been jailed for six years, despite the judge attempting to stop the trial.

Michael Armitage, 44, from Oldham, Pawel Chudzicki, 49, and Rafal Segiet, 40, both from Lincoln, were sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday, February 13, after the jury found them guilty of rape earlier this week.

Their trial had been initially halted as the judge believed there was not enough evidence for a conviction.

But in a rare move, Judge John Pini QC’s decision to withdraw the case was challenged by the prosecution and the Court of Appeal eventually overturned his ruling.

Lincoln Crown Court heard that on the evening of Saturday, October 27 2012, the woman had been out drinking in a Lincoln bar with friends.

As she was leaving in the early hours of October 28, she was introduced to the three defendants and went back to a nearby flat with them where a party was taking place. It was there that she was raped by all three men.

Judge Pini told the defendants it would have been clear to them that the victim was heavily intoxicated, and therefore unable to consent to any sexual activity.

He said: “All three of you had sex with her when she was so intoxicated she was helpless and therefore vulnerable.”

The victim in the case, who cannot be named for legal reasons, released the following statement: “This has taken a long time – two years and three months from when this happened to the conclusion of the court case.

“I would like to say thank you to the teams who helped me – the police, GPs, health professionals and counsellors, among others. Not one person has made a judgement and they have been incredibly supportive.

“After this happened I went on anti-depressants, I got panic attacks, I didn’t have a relationship for over a year because I had trouble with trust and intimacy. It was all very stressful, as was the court case.

“The sentence for each of these men is a good one, I am pleased with it, and it’s a bit more than I thought they might get.

“I’ll never forget what happened but I will move on. I’m now in a steady and happy relationship and looking to the future. I wouldn’t have got through any of this without the help, love and support of my family and friends.

“I’d like to say to everyone that if you ever find yourself in the position that the men involved in this did that you should really think about what you’re doing and make sure you know the person you’re with is fully aware of what they are doing. Being drunk is not an excuse.

“To any girl who has been in my situation – if something has happened and you think that something isn’t right then talk to people, the authorities or family and friends and hopefully they can help.”

Speaking after the culmination of the case, Lincolnshire Police’s Detective Inspector Simon Lovett said: “We are pleased with the sentence both because it hopefully offers the victim some comfort and closure after more than two years of waiting for the conclusion of this case, but also because it sends a very strong message about offences of this type.

“Capacity and consent have been at the very heart of this case. The victim was in no way able to consent to engaging in any kind of sexual activity with these men, she was vulnerable and incapable of giving any kind of consent.

“We hope this serves as a warning and reminder to everyone that before engaging in any kind of sexual activity you must be absolutely sure that the other person has the capacity to fully consent and does so.

“I would like to pay tribute to the victim in this case. She has shown immense courage; from giving live evidence in court to seeing this case through to the end. We are grateful to her for her help and hope today’s sentences offer some closure so that she can really begin rebuilding her life.

“The Crown Prosecution Service worked very hard and closely with police in what has been a very difficult and complex case for all concerned.

“In addition, I would like to highlight the work that one of our officers, Detective Constable Jackie Crozier, has done. She has worked tirelessly throughout this investigation to see that justice was done.”

Lincolnshire Police are appealing for witnesses and information after two incidents of disorder broke out in St Giles in Lincoln on Thursday night and in the early hours of Friday.

The first incident happened at around 10pm in Swift Gardens on Thursday, February 12, then another at around 3am on Friday morning.

Nobody was seriously hurt in the incidents, police say.

Investigating officers are working to establish the exact circumstances involved and would like to hear from anyone who may have any information relating to the incidents.

If you were in the area at the time of the incident and have any information that you think might be relevant, contact Lincolnshire Police on the non-emergency number 101 quoting incident 24 of 13/02/2015 or 444 of 12/02/15.

Police are appealing for any witnesses to come forward after a Lincoln man was assaulted with a baseball bat.

A 22-year-old man was walking along Boultham Park Road at around 2.30am on Friday, February 13, when he was approached by a person, described as around 5ft 10in in height and wearing a balaclava and dark clothing.

The person is alleged to have hit the man around the head with what is thought to have been a gold coloured baseball bat.

The victim was taken to Lincoln County Hospital for treatment and was released a short time later. He was not seriously injured.

Investigating officers would like to hear from anyone who may have seen or heard anything unusual in the area at the time, or anyone who may have seen a person matching the description.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Lincolnshire Police on 101 quoting incident 30 of 13/02/2015.

Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A 42-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after blackmailing a member of staff and robbing a shop in Lincoln.

On August 20, 2014, at around 8.20am, Michael John Williams, from Skegness, entered Premier Food on St Swithins Square where he threatened the lone shop assistant with being beaten by a gang unless he gave him money from the till.

Lincolnshire Police reported that after the shop assistant refused, Williams grabbed a pouch of tobacco, a lighter and papers from the counter before leaving the store.

Council CCTV operators identified Williams on CCTV and police officers quickly arrested him at Lincoln Central train station.

Williams was charged with robbery that day and remanded in custody until he appeared in Lincoln Crown Court on Monday, February 16.

He pleaded guilty to blackmail, having earlier pleaded guilty to theft, and was sentenced him to 15 months in prison.

Lincolnshire Police have issued a warning after three instances of cold callers claiming to be police officers to gain bank details.

Officers received three reports, including one in Lincoln, on Monday, February 16 of people claiming to be police.

The first, reported from a call on Friday, was to a woman in Lincoln. The caller claimed to be from the local Crime Prevention team and invited the purchase of advertising in a police publication.

There were then two instances reported in the Skegness area on the same day.

In one call a man claiming to be a Detective Chief Inspector from Hammersmith said a man being held in custody had admitted to ripping off the person. He then asked for her bank details.

In the third instance, a man claiming to be a police officer told a story about a bank card being scammed for £1.500 he then asked for bank details and for the person to call him back on 999.

Lincolnshire Police say no advantage was gained by any of the callers but police are repeating their warning to members of the public taking cold calls not to part with any personal information, especially bank details.

Lincolnshire Police are appealing for information and witnesses after a white Ford transit van was stolen in Lincoln and crashed in a nearby village.

Officers received a report on February 13 that, at around 1.30am on Newark Road in Lincoln, the owner of the vehicle stopped to ask for directions.

It was then that the van was reportedly stolen, however officers say it is unclear how it was taken.

The van was later found crashed on Eagle Road in Whisby.

Anyone with any information, or anyone who may have seen the van, is asked to contact Lincolnshire Police on 101 quoting incident 21 of February 13.

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

A group of nine men have been handed fines and football banning orders after disorder at a Lincoln City home game against Doncaster last year.

The group appeared at Lincoln Magistrates Court on Tuesday, February 18, and all pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour during Lincoln City’s home game against Doncaster on Saturday, July 12.

The court heard how the men had gestured and shouted at Doncaster fans before, during and after the pre-season friendly in the area of Portland Street and the rail crossing in Lincoln.

A number of Lincolnshire Police officers, including the Dog Section and local officers, along with British Transport Police, were on patrol in the centre of Lincoln and the vicinity at the time.

Receiving a fine and a five-year banning order was:

• Calum Nesbitt, 22, of Quorn Drive in Lincoln
• Davy Nesbitt, 21, of Dixon Street in Lincoln
• Samuel Sellers, 21, of Lichfield Road in Bracebridge Heath – He was also sentenced for breach of an existing football banning order and given a 14 day Community Order.

Receiving a fine and three-year banning order was:

• Jordan Munks, 20, of Princess Square in Billinghay
• Simon Purdy, 36, of Harris Road in Lincoln
• Aaron Bee, 22, of Lamb Gardens in Lincoln
• Patrick Cassidy, 29, of Ellison Street in Lincoln
• Edward Wilson, 18, of Roman Pavement in Lincoln

A 16-year-old youth from Woodhall Spa, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was given a three-month referral order.

A further 23-year-old Lincoln man, who was also charged, failed to appear in court and will be dealt with at a later stage.

DC Tom Robertson, the Senior Investigating Officer in the case, said: “The defendants in this case were given really quite severe sentences, which adequately reflect the seriousness of their behaviour.

“Football matches should be an opportunity for genuine fans to enjoy watching and supporting their teams free of intimidation or harassment, and should not cause any trouble to the wider public.

“I hope the severity of these sentences serves as a stark warning to anyone who may go into football matches with any kind of intention to act in this manner – the consequences of acting like this are serious and have long-lasting effects.”

Lincolnshire Police have issued an appeal to find 24-year-old Vytautas Baltrukonis, who has been missing for almost a week.

Baltrukonis was last seen when he attended Lincoln County Hospital for an appointment on the evening of Friday, February 13. Staff at the hospital later reported him missing.

It is believed he may still be in Lincoln.

Officers say they are concerned for his welfare and would like to hear from anyone who may have seen him.

He was last seen wearing a white booble hat that has a red band with white ear flaps and tassles, a green zipped hooded coat, a blue fleece, grey gloves, dark grey trousers, black shoes, and a white or beige coloured scarf. He is around 5ft 7in in height and of slim build.

Anyone who has seen Mr Baltrukonis or knows of his whereabouts should contact Lincolnshire Police on 101.

The owner of a red Hyundai i20 in Lincoln has found their vehicle stripped of paint for the third time in less than four months.

The car, parked on Manrico Drive, was first targeted with criminal damage on November 30, 2014, when it was drenched with a corrosive substance – believed to be paint stripper.

After the victim had the paintwork repaired, the car was once again stripped of paint on December 1, 2014.

Sometime overnight on Tuesday, February 17 the car, on Manrico Drive, was targeted once again.

An offender or offenders have poured a corrosive substance over the vehicle.

Anyone who has information regarding the incident should contact Lincolnshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 310 of February 18.

A horse and donkey welfare charity near Lincoln has issued an appeal after three horses were stolen from their fields in Bransby.

Three male cobs were stolen from the Lincolnshire rescue site during the early hours of Friday, February 20.

The Bransby Horses charity say that the padlock to the field they were housed in had been cut, and they were transported from the site.

A charity spokesperson said: “The three horses came to the centre at the request of the RSPCA in November after their needs were not met.

“They are currently under veterinary care for various problems including a worm burden and lice treatment. The 2 coloured stallions are aged between 6/7 and the black gelding is aged 8 years old.

“The horses are all well-handled, have recently had the farrier and at healthy weights. Staff are extremely concerned and are appealing for their safe return.”

Lincolnshire Police are dealing with the theft and are asking anyone who knows the whereabouts of the horses, or witnessed suspicious behaviour, to call 101 quoting incident number 86 of February 20.

People can also contact the charity on 01427 787369.

A group of unauthorised campers have been served a notice to vacate a Lincoln playing field.

After spending a night and a day at the Morrisons supermarket on Tritton Road in Lincoln, the group moved to King George’s Field off Macaulay Drive on the evening of Thursday, February 19.

During the morning of Friday, February 20, Lincolnshire Police officers attended the site where eight vehicles were located.

The group has been served a notice by the City of Lincoln Council to vacate by 2pm on Monday, February 23.

Steve Bird, Assistant Director for Communities and Street Scene at City of Lincoln Council said: “The council has today (Friday, February 20) served a notice on travellers who have set up an unauthorised encampment in the car park of King George V Playing Field.

“This notice gives the travellers, who arrived in eight vehicles on February 19, until 2pm on Monday, February 23 to vacate the site before we will seek an order from the Lincoln Magistrates’ Court to take steps to evict them under the Criminal Justice & Public Order Act 1994.

“We are continuing to work with the police and Lincolnshire County Council in accordance with the Joint Protocol on Unauthorised Encampments in Lincolnshire and will continue to monitor the situation.”

Lincolnshire has the third highest murder and manslaughter rate in England and Wales, according to the latest data published by the Office for National Statistics.

The county had a homicide rate per million people of 16.6 in 2013/2014, with 12 murders recorded by Lincolnshire Police.

Only Bedfordshire (18.9 people per million) and South Yorkshire (16.9 people per million) had higher murder rates.

In total, 526 people were murdered in England and Wales last year, the lowest number since 1989.

According to the statistics, Wiltshire and Norfolk are the safest parts of the country, with homicide rates of 1.4 and 2.3 per million people.

The police term homicide covers murder and other types of killing including manslaughter and the killing of children under one, known as infanticide.

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police said: “Obviously each and every case of murder is utterly tragic. 12 victims lost their lives in 2013/14 and that is 12 too many.

“However, the difference of one or two incidents can make a big difference to the percentage rate.

“We have also seen increases in our population figures which are not taken into account and this can skew the results.”

The City of Lincoln Council will pursue legal action after an unauthorised encampment of caravans failed to leave a Lincoln playing field.

The group of eight caravans were served a notice on Friday, February 20 to vacate King George V Playing Field off Macaulay Drive by 2pm on Monday, February 23.

Prior to the notice to vacate, the encampment spent a night and a day parked on the Morrisons supermarket car park on Tritton Road in Lincoln.

Lincolnshire Police officers and local councils previously attended the site where the vehicles were located, before seeking an order from the Lincoln magistrates’ Court to evict them.

Steve Bird, Assistant Director for Communities and Street Scene at City of Lincoln Council said: “We are aware the travellers are still on the car park at the King George V Playing Field and we are continuing to monitor the situation, working with the police and Lincolnshire County Council.

“We served a notice last week giving the travellers until 2pm yesterday to vacate the site before we seek an order from Lincoln Magistrates’ Court to take steps to evict them under the Criminal Justice & Public Order Act 1994.

“We are now progressing with legal action.”

A 24-year-old man reported missing by staff at Lincoln County Hospital has been found safe and well.

Vytautas Baltrukonis was last seen when he attended the hospital for an appointment on the evening of Friday, February 13.

Staff at the hospital later reported him missing.

Mr Baltrukonis had been missing for 11 days before he was found on February 24 in Nottinghamshire.

Lincoln has made history by becoming the first city in the UK to ban the consumption of ‘legal highs’ and alcohol in public spaces.

The decision was approved unanimously at a City of Lincoln Council meeting on Tuesday, February 24.

The new Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) is coming into force in the city centre from April 1, 2015.

The ban, which applies to the city centre, is worded: “Persons within this area will not ingest, inhale, inject, smoke or otherwise use intoxicating substances.”

Intoxicating substances is given the following definition (which includes alcohol): “Substances with the capacity to stimulate or depress the central nervous system”.

Anyone who breaches the order will be committing a criminal offence and could receive a Fixed Penalty Notice or a fine in court.

Police and council enforcement officers will be given powers under the amended order to take legal highs off public consumers and issue fines.

The ban comes after the City Council conducted a four-week consultation, which revealed 97% of respondents supported the move.

Cllr Fay Smith says members must be well aware there is an increasing problem with anti-social behaviour caused by people taking legal highs

— Lincoln Council (@lincolncouncil) February 24, 2015

A recent study by the think tank Centre for Social Justice identified Lincolnshire as having the highest level of incidents involving new psychoactive substances (NPS), or legal highs than any other force in the country.

The number of incidents recorded under the term ‘legal high’ in the city rose to 820 in 2014.

Council leader Ric Metcalfe said: “Working with Lincolnshire Police, we are proud to be taking this proactive approach to tackle this emerging problem, protect Lincoln’s reputation and prevent further problems developing.

“We want our city centre to be a safe and welcoming place for residents and visitors alike.”

Sam Barstow, Service Manager for Public Protection and Anti-Social Behaviour at the City Council, added: ” This new power gives the police and council the ability to deal with issues associated with on-street consumption of these so-called ‘legal highs’, and we will be working with Lincolnshire Police to protect an enforcement plan to support the order.

Lincolnshire Police’s Lincoln Centre Inspector Pat Coates said: “The ban gives us powers under a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to take legal highs off individuals. It won’t give us the power to search but, if necessary, we can use the Misuse of Drugs Act powers to search individuals because we never know what the substance is and what it might contain.

“The PSPO will give us a stronger power to take legal highs off people and also gives us the power to issue a fine through a Fixed Penalty Notice to the person using them.

“We are keen to make sure that anyone using these substances is given the help and assistance they might need so we will have in place an arrangement with a local treatment agency. That means that in the first instance any individual found using legal highs will be referred for treatment and if they take that up the Fixed Penalty Notice will be waived.

“We would very much like to see a change in law regarding legal highs and especially how we deal with people selling them. At the moment the legislation that we are using is not designed to deal with legal highs; we use Anti Social Behaviour legislation or general Public Safety Regulations that Trading Standards use so it is very difficult to deal with the sellers.

“A change in legislation will enable us to tackle the sale of legal highs as well as dealing with the people who are causing ASB or disorder as an effect of taking them. Ideally, we would like to deal with the sellers of the product rather than the people who are using them.

“This is also a timely opportunity to remind people about the dangers of legal highs – they are untested and unregulated and we do not yet know the longer term effects they can have both on mental and physical health.”

Police are appealing for information to trace a Lincoln burglar who has not been seen since the start of February.

Danny Carey, from Lincoln, is on licence for burglary and has ignored terms of his probation. He has not been seen since February 3.

Carey is now wanted on recall to HM Prison Lincoln. Lincolnshire Police say numerous unsuccessful arrest attempts have been made at locations Carey is known to visit frequently.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101.

A child from Lincolnshire was the youngest person in the country to have a Taser used on them in 2012-2013, new Home Office statistics have revealed.

A Lincolnshire Police officer red dotted the 10-year-old in June 2012, meaning that the officer pointed the Taser at the child but did not fire it – which is qualified as using the device.

The data was the result of a Freedom of Information request on use of Tasers by police forces, which includes the device being drawn, aimed, arced, red dotted, drive stunned, angle drive stunned and fired.

Tasers are gunlike devices that use propelled wires or direct contact to electrically stun and incapacitate a person temporarily.

At the opposite end of the data, a Taser was also fired at a 78 year old man in a Louth care home in October 2013.

This makes him the second oldest person in England and Wales to have had a Taser fired on them in 2012 and 2013.

Other incidents of Taser use by the force in this period include drawing or red dotting two 13-year-olds, a 14-year-old, two 15-year-olds and five 17-year-olds.

A Taser was fired by officers on one 15-year-old and on one 17-year-old, both in 2012.

Inspector Mark Garthwaite of Lincolnshire Police said: “The 10-year-old child had a history of violent behaviour that we were aware of and was throwing large lumps of glass out of a window in Bourne at the police and passers-by.

“It’s also important to note that the Taser was not fired – pointing it at him was enough to quickly and calmly resolve the situation so that no one was hurt.

“With the 78-year-old, he was smashing up a care home with a fire extinguisher and threatening people. We also had reason to believe he was in possession of a knife. The officer used the Taser for only two seconds on him, shorter than the average five second cycle.

“Most of Taser training revolves around the thought process and assessment of the situation before actually pulling the Taser out of the holster – for this we follow the National Decision Model which is guidance from the College of Policing.”

Inspector Garthwaite added that any use of a Taser by officers is scrutinised to check that it was lawful and justifiable.

The Home Office, who supplied the data, said the information held on the Taser database comes from individual police records sent to the Home Office each time a Taser is used and that some of the ages listed may be estimates.

The cost of clearing up a Lincoln playing field where a group of travellers set up an unauthorised camp was as much as £400, the City of Lincoln Council has revealed.

The travellers pitched up on King George V playing field in the north-east of the city on Thursday February 19, staying for six days.

Lincolnshire Police visited the site off Macaulay Drive the following morning and the group was served a notice by the City of Lincoln Council the same day to vacate by 2pm on Monday, February 23.

However, the travellers ignored this order, remaining on the field until Wednesday afternoon.

The city council progressed with legal action to evict the travellers, but no legal costs were incurred when the group moved on.

The group had previously taken up a large section of the Morrisons car park on Tritton Road before being asked to leave by the supermarket.

Dave Charysz, Open Spaces Officer at City of Lincoln Council said: “We can confirm the travellers who set up an unauthorised encampment at the King George V Playing Field have now left the site.

“A clean up of the site has now been completed. Working with the police and Lincolnshire County Council, we are satisfied we took all action available to us to resolve the situation as swiftly as possible and followed the guidance set out in the Joint Protocol on Unauthorised Encampments in Lincolnshire.”

Three horses that were stolen from their rescue home paddocks near Lincoln have been recovered, and their care transferred to another organisation.

The Bransby Horses rescue and welfare organisation, which is one of the UK’s largest equine welfare charities, reported the theft of three cobs from its Lincolnshire site on Friday, February 20.

The padlock on the field that the horses were being housed in had been cut overnight on February 20. The charity reported they had been crammed into a small cattle trailer, followed closely by a car.

The charity posted appeals on social media and said the three horses were found on Thursday, February 24 after a caller recognised them from appeals when walking her dog. They were located on land in Little Hale, Seaford.

The location of the horses has not been disclosed, and no arrests have been reported.

Bransby Horses External Welfare Manager Ryan Rouse said: “Bransby Horses are pleased to announce that the three horses stolen from the Lincolnshire site last Friday have been identified and transported to a safe environment to continue their veterinary care.

“A huge thank you to everyone who shared our post and remained vigilant over the last week, the support has been overwhelming.

“All three horses appear unscathed from their recent ordeal and are settled into their new environment. Due to recent events the charity felt unable to house them, but do hope to have regular updates from their new care provider.

“A caller has been listening to the radio and recognised the horses from the description when walking her dog. We hope to receive regular updates on all three horses that we will be sharing with all that have been so kind to help find.”