UKIP has announced Victoria Ayling as their candidate for the Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner elections in May.

Victoria currently represents the Spilsby Fen ward for UKIP on Lincolnshire County Council.

A trained barrister, she has worked for a blue chip company and family businesses.

She has three boys, all educated in Lincolnshire, one in the military, one at university and the youngest at school in Horncastle.

Victoria stood in the 2015 general election in the Great Grimsby, coming in third place behind Labour’s Melanie Onn and the Conservative candidate Marc Jones, who is also standing to become Lincolnshire’s PCC.

She stood in the same constituency in the 2010 election as the Conservative candidate, coming within 800 votes of the successful candidate, Labour’s Austin Mitchell.

However, she defected to UKIP in March 2013, criticising Prime Minister David Cameron for not doing enough to tackle immigration.

On announcing her candidacy, Victoria said: “My legal and business background will make me ideal for the job to ensure best policing for Lincolnshire residents and best value for money.

“Currently I believe Lincolnshire residents deserve better from their police. I am not blaming the officers but the systems they have to work within. For example, an obsession with targets means red tape is preventing bobbies being on the beat.

“Meanwhile many residents feel it is becoming pointless calling the police if they are a victim of some crime, other than to get a crime number for insurance purposes.

“Residents not only need to be safe but need to feel safe, therefore, visible policing is essential. The most reassuring sight for many people is a police car or a bobby on the beat which in turn, is the best deterrent for many wrongdoers.

“One way is to use PCSOs more. Giving them more powers and additional training to assist with evidence gathering at a burglary would be one such example. This ensures that members of the public would actually get a response to such a crime and potential evidence is not lost!

“I am also concerned about the government direct entry scheme. This allows for some graduates to enter the police service at superintendent level after approximately 18 months of training.

“The most effective police officers are clearly those that have risen through the ranks with beat level experience. Furthermore, this is extremely insulting to lower ranks with more policing experience, thereby reducing their opportunity for promotion and will most likely act negatively upon the morale of the service.

“I am concerned that only lip service is being paid to residents’ concerns. A recent survey only had yes or no for answers and nothing for residents to provide other views.

“I really think it is important to listen and ensure that any surveys exist to improve the quality of the police service to the community as a whole.

“The Tories are just concentrating on balancing the books, which is all well and good but it is their colleagues in government who have set the budget for Lincolnshire and are still insisting on targets which eat up money better spent on frontline policing.”

Her deputy will be Jonathan Ferrari, a Horncastle town councillor and business owner.

Jonathan was previously a police officer for both the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police.

Conservative Councillor Marc Jones is currently the Executive member for Finance on Lincolnshire County Council and represents Lincoln Bracebridge. He is the only other candidate to stand in the PCC elections in May so far.

Alan Hardwick, a former TV and radio presenter, and also former Police and Crime Panel spokesperson, became Lincolnshire’s first ever PCC in 2012, a position he has held since then.

However, it is unclear at this stage whether he intends to seek re-election.

The PCC election takes place on Thursday, May 5, 2016.

A van driver is in hospital with serious injuries after his vehicle left the road and crashed into a tree.

The incident happened at around 6.40pm on Tuesday, January 19, on the B1398 at Ingham crossroads.

A blue Renault van left the road and collided with a tree.

The man driving the van is believed to be in his thirties and from the Peterborough area.

The driver was trapped for a short while. He was then taken to Lincoln County Hospital and later transferred to Queen’s Medical Centre at Nottingham with serious injuries.

The road will remain closed overnight whilst investigations and removal of the vehicle take place.

Police are appealing for anyone who saw the blue Renault van before the collision or saw it leave the road to contact the witness hotline on 01522 558855.

A road to the north of Lincoln has been closed for the second time in less than a day after a truck veered into a ditch. The driver has been taken to hospital.

The B1398 is closed in both directions between Fillingham and Ingham following the crash at just after 9.30am on Wednesday, January 20.

The driver, a 51-year-old Lincoln man, and the only occupant of the vehicle, has been taken to Lincoln County Hospital for treatment.

The incident happened near to the junction with the A631 involving a white Isuzu Tipper.

A number of witnesses at the scene were said to have come to the aid of the driver involved.

Police are still conducting investigations at the scene.

Vehicle veered off road on B1398 after suspected heart attack. Other drivers stopped to give CPR until help arrived pic.twitter.com/CWmADiaXSX

— Simon Spark (@SimonSpark1) January 20, 2016

Lincolnshire Police have said that the road is expected to be re-opened by midday.

Anyone who witnessed the incident should contact Lincolnshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 75 of January 20.

This incident is the second in less than 24 hours on the same stretch of road.

As previously reported, a van driver was taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham after his vehicle left the road and crashed into a tree at Ingham crossroads over night on January 19.

A 44% increase in sexual offences has been reported in Lincolnshire in just one year, according to the latest annual data released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS)

The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), published on Thursday, January 21, 2016 revealed the number of crimes reported by police forces in the country in the year ending September 2015, compared with the previous year.

While overall crime in Lincolnshire had dropped by 1%, reflecting a 21% fall since 2010, positive trends were marred by the steep rise in sex crimes.

Lincolnshire has marked reductions in the number of thefts, burglaries and drug offences, however they were almost completely balanced out by rises in other areas.

Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Gibson, Head of Crime Support at Lincolnshire Police, said: “We are pleased that overall recorded crime in Lincolnshire continues to fall (down by 1% in the year to September 2015) which bucks the general national trend of increases.

“Our countywide Operation Nova (say NO to Violence and Abuse) is specifically targeting violent crime and we are confident that our multi-agency efforts in this area will result in returning to a reducing trend for the next period of reporting from the 9% increase reported today. However, it is important to emphasise that Lincolnshire has one of the lowest recorded rates of violent crime in the Country.

“Like most forces we are experiencing an increase in reported sexual offences. A large proportion of this is as a result of the widespread and national publicity about historical sex abuse which is encouraging people to report such crimes more readily than they would have done before.

“We have already made announcements that we are changing our policing model to put more resources into protecting vulnerable people, which includes further investment in child sexual exploitation, on-line grooming, cyber-crime and other emerging crime areas.

“There are also welcome reductions in theft and house burglary which have contributed to the overall reduction in recorded crime in Lincolnshire.”

Sexual offences recorded by the police rose across England and Wales with the latest figures up 36% on the previous year; equivalent to an additional 26,606 offences.

The report noted:

“The numbers of rapes (33,431) and other sexual offences (66,178) were at the highest level since the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in the year ending March 2003.

“As well as improvements in recording, this is also thought to reflect a greater willingness of victims to come forward to report such crimes.”

Conservative candidate for Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Marc Jones, has welcomed news that crime has fallen by more than a quarter since 2010.

He said in a statement: “In Lincolnshire crime recorded by the police has fallen by 21%. This is good news for Lincolnshire making it a safer place to live, work and raise a family.

“These figures show that cutting crime is not about more money, it is about improving our police. That is why we need a PCC who will make every penny of taxpayers’ money count – to reform the police and to make our community safer.”

Update 10.45am: The male pedestrian, who is said to have life-threatening injuries, was taken to hospital for treatment. The road was reopened at around midday. 

A section of the A46 at Dunholme is closed this morning after a pedestrian was hit by a car.

The crash happened at about 7.19am at the junction with Ashing Lane and is believed to have involved a car and a male pedestrian.

The pedestrian has been taken to hospital for treatment and police say details are still being gathered in relation to his condition.

Emergency services including an air ambulance attended the scene.

The A46 and a number of surrounding areas will be closed and road users are being asked to avoid the area if possible, especially during rush hour traffic.

Anyone who witnessed the collision should contact the witness collision hotline 01522 558855 or the non-emergency number 101 quoting incident 53 ofJanuary 22.

Lincolnshire Police have issued CCTV footage of a man wanted in connection with a hate crime in November, which saw the victim repeatedly attacked.

As previously reported, a Lincoln man was left with severe facial injuries after an unprovoked and prolonged assault in the early hours of Sunday, November 1.

The 56-year-old victim who is believed to have been wearing a skirt at the time of the attack, was walking up Friars Lane towards the top of Monks Road at around 2.15am when he was assaulted.

Police believe that the attack happened around the junction of the two streets and that a total of four male offenders could have been involved.

The victim sustained fractures to his jaw and cheek, a serious nose injury and severe cuts and bruising to his face.

Lincolnshire Police initially appealed for witnesses at the time and have said that they are grateful for information that was called in.

The force would now like to trace the man pictured to see if he has any information that can assist their investigation.

Anyone who knows the man or has any information that might help trace him should contact Lincolnshire Police on the non-emergency number 101 quoting incident 79 of November 1.

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

Police are continuing to search for a 36-year-old man who is wanted for questioning in connection with an assault in Skegness last November.

Darren Byrne is thought to be in the Birchwood area of Lincoln and has been wanted by police since their original appeal December 10.

Anyone with information concerning Byrne’s current whereabouts is asked to contact PC Kate Woods, at Skegness CID, by dialling 101.

A Lincoln school pupil has said that he is “devastated” after thieves stole a bike bought as a reward for him signing up to take part in a cancer fundraising mission.

Baily Speed, a Year 11 student at Lincoln Christ’s Hospital School, raised over £300 for Cancer Research UK following a six and half-hour bike ride from Lincoln to Hull in June 2015.

The Carrera Virtuoso bike was purchased by Baily’s dad a few months before the ride to act as motivation for him.

However, while Baily’s house on the St Giles estate was unoccupied, thieves broke into the shed and stole the bike.

Baily, 16, said: “I’m just devastated really – I haven’t even had the bike for a year and my dad bought it for me as a reward.

“They just basically tore the locks down, trashed the shed, and made off with the bike. To be honest, it’s disgraceful that some people have done this.”

The bike, valued at around £380, was the only item stolen during the break-in.

Baily and his dad believe that the intruders broke in at some point between 8.30am and 12.30pm on Monday, January 25.

Anyone with information on the theft should contact Lincolnshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 247 of January 25.

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

Lincolnshire Police have confirmed that an investigation is underway after shocking pictures appearing to show a man removing the teeth from the carcass of a dead whale on Skegness Beach were revealed.

Huge crowds have gone to see the 45ft sperm whales found on the Lincolnshire coast, and marine biologists have been busy conducting autopsies on the carcasses.

Hundreds of pictures of the whales have been shared online, with one particular photograph allegedly showing a trophy hunter ripping the teeth out of one of the carcasses, drawing the most attention.

Sperm whales are a species protected under The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010.

The regulations state that being in possession of any part of the animal, alive or dead, or selling or exchanging any such part, is an offence punishable by six months in prison and/or an unlimited fine.

Force lead for rural crime, Chief Inspector Jim Tyner said: “It is not surprising that the sad deaths of these animals has generated considerable fascination and large numbers of people have been coming to Skegness to look at them.

“However, people need to be aware that touching the creatures is a risk to health and taking ‘trophies’ is against the law. Anyone removing teeth or other parts of the whales may be committing a serious offence, the penalty for which can be quite significant”.

Police added that they are aware of the photographs, which will form part of an ongoing investigation.

Anyone with further information on the picture should contact Lincolnshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 368 of January 23.

The number of police officers and PCSOs employed by Lincolnshire Police will be maintained for the next year according to the Police and Crime Commissioner’s budget proposals.

The proposals, submitted on Wednesday, January 27, also recommend a rise in the force’s council tax precept.

In a video message to the Lincolnshire public, Alan Hardwick confirmed that his budget for 2016-17 would allow Chief Constable Neil Rhodes to maintain the current levels of policing.

Around 1,100 police officers and 149 PCSOs work for the force at present.

The PCC has recommended a council tax precept increase of 1.96% to pay for the staffing levels, and will draw on reserves to balance the budget.

As previously reported, Lincolnshire Police will receive a total grant of £65,561,535 for the 2016-17 financial year.

The settlement uses the old funding formula, as plans for a new way of allocating money to forces was put on hold due to a “statistical error” made by the Home Office.

According to Lincolnshire Police, the new funding formula would have given the force approximately £8m extra for policing.

The Police and Crime Panel is required to consider the commissioner’s proposed council tax precept at its meeting on February 5.

The commissioner is required to set his final precept by the end of February and issue the police and crime plan by the end of March.

Alan Hardwick said: “This has been a challenging budget to set. Lincolnshire remains one of the lowest cost Forces per head of population in England and Wales, yet we continue to deliver performance that is as good as and, in many cases, better than more well-funded police areas.

“Since 2010-11, government grant for policing in Lincolnshire has reduced by 22%, equivalent to some £16m per year. That includes this year’s reduction of a further £337,000.

“More significantly, the county council is considering the withdrawal of the funding contribution it previously made to our PCSOs, a loss of £1.2m.

“Having consulted with the public and the Chief Constable I have therefore taken the difficult decision to recommend a precept rise to the Police and Crime Panel.

“I will also, for the first time, be drawing on reserves to balance the budget for 2016-17.

“The Chief Constable assures me these prudent measures will allow him to maintain Lincolnshire Police’s current performance and the safety of our communities.”

Lincolnshire Police are appealing for information after an Asian man was assaulted in front of his family inside a Lincoln health surgery.

The victim, a man in his 30s, was in the Newland Health Centre between 5.15pm and 5.30pm on Friday, January 22 when he was assaulted by another man inside the lift and on the ground floor.

Police are treating the incident as a hate crime as they “believe that the victim was targeted because of his appearance”.

The man did not sustain serious injuries in the attack.

One person has been arrested on suspicion of assault but the force is appealing for anyone inside the centre at the time to contact PC Graham Lawrence, who is investigating the case.

Inspector Suzanne Davies, of Lincolnshire Police, said: “Hate crime will not be tolerated by Lincolnshire Police and we are working closely with the victim and the community to provide reassurance and bring the offenders to justice.

“If you or anyone you know has been a victim of hate crime, please have the confidence, as this gentleman has, to report it to us.

“You can either contact Lincolnshire Police direct on the non-emergency number 101 quoting incident 353 of January 22, or Stop Hate UK on 0800 138 1625.”

Lincolnshire Police are appealing for information after thieves broke into a North Hykeham sports and social club, making off with 16 air weapons.

Lincoln Moorlands and Railway Sports and Social Club, Newark Road was broken into between 9pm on Monday, January 25 and 7.25pm on Tuesday, January 26.

Considerable damage was caused when the offenders smashed through the wall of the shooting range which is in the grounds of the club.

Some 12 air rifles and four air pistol were stolen.

They also damaged and entered a portable cabin owned by the football club.

Anyone with any information about the burglaries or the current whereabouts of the air weapons should call the 101 non-emergency number.

Alternatively they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111, quoting incident number 394 of January 26.

Emergency services are dealing with a collision in Lincolnshire, after which a male motorcyclist has been seriously injured.

The crash on the A1 at Colsterworth happened just before 12.30pm on Thursday, January 28 close to the flyover on the A1 near to Colsterworth services, where it meets the A151.

Police say the incident involved just one vehicle, a motorbike. The male rider of the bike has been seriously injured.

The road has been closed to allow for access for emergency services vehicles and for recovery work to be carried out.

Motorists are asked to avoid the area and seek alternative routes if possible.

Anyone who witnessed the incident should contact the Lincolnshire Police collision witness hotline on 01522 558855 or the non-emergency number 101 quoting incident 146 of January 28.

A 22-year-old man has died following a serious motorcycle crash in Lincolnshire earlier today.

As previously reported, the collision happened on the A1 at Colsterworth just before 12.30pm.

The rider of the motorbike, from the Grantham area, crashed at the Colsterworth flyover over the A1 where it joins the A151.

No other vehicles were involved.

Lincolnshire Police say his next of kin have been informed and formal identification has yet to be carried out.

Anyone who witnessed the collision should contact our witness collision hotline on 01522 558855 or the non-emergency number 101 quoting incident 146 of January 28.

Nine in 10 burglaries across Lincolnshire were not solved by police, according to figures published in a new report.

Lincolnshire was named as the 10th worst police force authority for solving burglaries in the country in the survey carried out by Churchill Home Insurance.

The report claimed that police in England and Wales solved 12.2% of burglaries in the 12 months to March 2014.

In Wiltshire, just 8.3 in every 100 burglary crimes was solved, meaning the perpetrator was caught and a formal punishment such as being charged, fined, or cautioned was issued.

This makes it the police force authority with the lowest rate of solved burglaries over that period.

By contrast, more than three times that proportion (28.7%) of burglary crimes were solved in Dyfed-Powys police authority, which has the highest solved rate across England and Wales.

Martin Scott, head of Churchill Home Insurance, said: “It’s important that householders are aware of the potential threats to their home, which vary significantly depending on where you live.

“There also appears to be quite a contrast between the highest and lowest authorities in terms of police officer cover, with some areas having more than double the number of full-time officers per head of the population than others.

“Victims of burglary don’t just suffer from financial loss but also emotional trauma, with many subsequently feeling insecure in their own home.

“While some items like electrical goods are easily replaced, others with sentimental value are often lost forever once stolen.”

Lincolnshire Police Press Officer Dick Holmes said: “The statistics on which this report are based cover 2013-14 and are therefore somewhat out of date.

“The latest figures show that Lincolnshire Police is performing in line with the national average which is currently shows the solved crime rate at around 12%.

“Together with our partners in the East Midlands police area and with the assistance of the public we constantly strive to bring more offenders to justice.

“We prioritise offences of violent crime and house burglaries which most of the public of Lincolnshire feel are amongst the most serious and distressing crimes.

“Lincolnshire remains one of the safest places to live and visit in the country.”

Lincolnshire Police are appealing for witnesses to a crash in which a BMW collided with a female pedestrian.

The crash involved a green BMW coupe which collided with a pedestrian, who was walking on the pavement just outside the Boundary Stores on Brant Road at approximately 9.40pm on Thursday, January 28.

The woman received minor injuries and was taken to Lincoln County Hospital for treatment.

Police understand that the BMW was travelling behind another BMW vehicle and the force is asking anyone who may have seen the collision or the two BMW’s immediately prior to the incident to contact them.

The investigating officer is PC Rich Precious based at Lincoln.

Anyone with any information is asked to ring 101 and quote incident number 400 of January 28.

Lincolnshire Police have issued a warning to users of dating sites after three women were scammed when meeting a man online.

Women from Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire were all separately contacted by a man via dating websites such as Fab Swingers and Plenty Of Fish before meeting up in person during January to September last year.

The women each had money or property stolen from them. An investigation into each of these incidents is ongoing.

A Lincolnshire Police spokesperson said: “We would like to remind anyone using these dating sites that a small minority of people using them may not be who they claim to be, and to never give personal financial details to anyone or send cash.

“If you have been a victim of a crime like this please contact us on our non-emergency number 101 quoting 1500094126.”

Lincolnshire Police have officially named the motorcyclist who died in a crash in the south of the county on Thursday, January 28, as David Thorp.

David, 22, from Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, was sadly killed following the collision at the Colsterworth flyover over the A1 where it joins the A151 just before 12.30pm.

No other vehicles were involved.

Anyone who witnessed the collision should contact Lincolnshire Police’s witness collision hotline on 01522 558855 or the non-emergency number 101 quoting incident 146 of January 28.

An army of volunteers tasked with fighting rural crime has been proposed by a candidate standing to become the next Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner.

Conservative county councillor Marc Jones has said that if elected he would appoint so-called ‘parish constables’ in communities across the county.

The new roles would mirror those of special constables who work on a voluntary basis, but who wear uniform and still hold the same powers as regular officers.

A “recruitment blitz” of parish constables would take place in villages across Lincolnshire, and the volunteers would be given full training before joining the beat.

Parish constables would be permanently based in their communities with flexible hours to work around their other responsibilities.

Marc Jones said: “If elected in May I will launch a recruitment blitz for a new team of parish constables who will be fully trained and sourced from our close-knit communities.

“Lots of reliable people volunteer for their community, take school governors for example, and becoming a parish constable would be no different.

“The benefits will be two-fold with not only increased police accessibility but a bigger presence too to make people feel safer and ward off criminals.”

Peter Moulds, who runs Grange Farm in Torksey, met with Councillor Jones and fellow Lincolnshire County councillor, Stuart Kinch, to share his experiences of rural crime.

He said: “Rural crime might not always grab the headlines but it is a persistent problem which can have devastating consequences for businesses and the local economy.

“I have spoken to Marc and I believe his idea of recruiting of local volunteers to help police the countryside is something very worthwhile and could make a real difference.”

A man in his 30s was taken to hospital by air ambulance after a crash in the south of the county on February 1.

The collision off the A6121 between Carlby and Greatford involved just a single vehicle, and was reported to Lincolnshire Police at 7.16am.

The road was closed following the incident to allow access for emergency services and for recovery work to be carried out.

Anyone who witnessed the collision and has not yet spoken to police, is urged to call 101 with incident reference 43 of February 1.