British Transport Police have launched a CCTV appeal after a group of football fans engaged in racist chanting on a packed Lincoln-bound train.

Officers are searching for the man captured on CCTV, who they believe can help with investigations.

British Transport Police are searching for the man pictured, who they believe can help with their investigations.

The incident occurred on Saturday, March 5 shortly after 8pm as the train, packed with families, was travelling between Woodhouse, Sheffield and Retford.

Investigating officer PC Dermott Carlin said: “A group of around five football fans, believed to be Sheffield Wednesday supporters, were travelling on the 7.49pm Northern Rail service from Sheffield to Lincoln and chanting racist songs to the obvious distress of fellow passengers.

“We are keen to hear from anyone who might have witnessed this anti-social and racist display.

“Loutish and racist behaviour like this has no place on the rail network and will not be tolerated.”

“I believe this man (pictured) will have vital information which could greatly assist our investigation. Who is he?”

Anyone with information is asked to contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40, or text 61016, quoting reference 241 of March 15.

Information can also be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Lincolnshire Police have issued a reminder to cyclists after a number of pedestrians complained of frights and collisions on Lincoln pathways.

Reports came from people primarily in the Glebe Park area of the city and related mostly to adult cyclists who have been riding on the pavement.

Officers say complaints ranged from cyclists scaring pedestrians by approaching from behind to actual crashes with people walking on the path and verbal abuse.

PCSO Guy McCusker, of the Glebe Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “I would like to remind members of the public that riding a bicycle on a pavement/footpath designated for pedestrians is an offence under the Highways Act 1835, Section 72. This offence attracts a fixed penalty notice (FPN) of £50.00.

“These rules are in place for the safety of cyclists, pedestrians and drivers and where safe we expect people not to be riding on the pavement.

“If you do have to ride on a pavement that is not a designated cycle path, please be courteous to pedestrians, let them know you are there, allow plenty of space to pass, even consider dismounting especially at busy junctions.

“As the weather is starting to brighten we expect to see more people out and about on bikes and we ask you to remember that cycling on the pavement is an offence and you could find yourself fined £50 if caught doing so.”

A Lincolnshire Police dog which it is claimed inflicted fatal injuries on a Yorkshire Terrier in a vicious attack has been accused of biting a member of the public just 48 hours earlier.

As reported in February, three-year-old Barbie was mauled on a private road near Fishtoft at around 10.35pm on Monday, February 29.

However, it has now emerged that the dog at the centre of the row, a black German Shepherd named Falco, may have also bitten a person in the Moulton Marsh area of Lincolnshire on February 27.

Lincolnshire Police have referred both cases to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

A spokesperson for the IPCC said: “The IPCC is investigating two complaints relating to the same Lincolnshire Police dog.

“The IPCC received two complaint referrals from the force, one relating to the dog biting a member of the public in the Moulton Marsh area on February 27, and another incident where it is alleged to have bitten another dog near Fishtoft on February 29.”

Lincolnshire’s outgoing Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Hardwick has expressed ‘disappointment’ that the county’s new devolution deal will not change existing structures of local government.

As reported previously, Greater Lincolnshire partners won a bid to see powers and funding devolved from central government, overseen by a new directly elected mayor.

Chancellor George Osborne’s budget announcement on Wednesday, March 17 confirmed a new ‘combined authority’ made up of 10 Lincolnshire authorities and partners would receive £15 million a year for the next 30 years.

The funding would be allocated for new infrastructure projects to boost economic growth.

Among other responsibilities, the new mayor and combined authority will work closely with government and local criminal justice partners such as PCCs, local prison governors and Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRC).

Following the announcement, Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Hardwick welcomed opportunities for investment and growth, however questioned the implementation of the new authority in relation to existing structures.

He said: “The proposed devolution agreement for Greater Lincolnshire offers a real opportunity to boost investment and growth, and deliver improved public services for all those who live within the historic boundaries of the County of Lincolnshire.

“Clearly the detail now needs to be worked through. Lincolnshire’s newly elected PCC must have a view about the proposals around public protection given the statutory responsibilities PCCs have not just for policing, but across the criminal justice system.

“It is disappointing that the agreement suggests that the existing structures of local government should remain, in essence creating an additional layer of bureaucracy.

“The true transformation and leadership we require can only come through fundamental change to the existing council structures. However, the spirit of the agreement, in terms of the outcomes it aims to achieve, is one I whole-heartedly support.

“A directly elected mayor, with powers currently held by both government and existing local authorities, can and will deliver a real visionary future for the County and place it firmly in the vanguard.”

Leaders from across Lincolnshire have been giving their reactions to the announcement. Read more here.

To find out all the need-to-know information on Lincolnshire’s devolution deal, click here. 

Eighteen people have admitted charges of violent disorder following incidents at an illegal rave at Twyford Woods in South Lincolnshire.

The defendants were among 27 people who appeared before Lincoln Crown Court on the afternoon of Thursday, March 17, accused of offences arising out of the rave near Colsterworth, on Sunday, May 24, 2015.

Police carried out an operation to close down the event which led to 21 officers and a police dog suffering injuries.

The defendants who admitted violent disorder were:

• Benjamin Moore, 20, of Lowestoft, Suffolk
• Joseph Collins, 27, of Lowestoft, Suffolk
• Ross Porter, 29, of Blackwater, Camberley
• Robert Cooper, 20, of Finchampstead, Berks
• Thomas Carling, 18, of Corsham, Wilts
• Anthony Davies, 30, of Tonypandy, South Wales
• Richard Higgs, 21, of Headingley, Leeds
• Chris Willis, 24, of Dunstable, Beds
• Maggie-Mae Cross, 20, of Carbrooke, Norfolk
• Ashleigh Davies, 34, of Tonypandy, South Wales
• Adam Sheen, 30, of Newport, Gwent
• Joshua Colman, 21, of Narborough, Norfolk
• Scott Lamond, 28, of Roath, Cardiff
• Anthony Owens, 19, of Southmead, Bristol
• Zachary King, 20, of Lakenheath, Suffolk
• James Long, 22, of Ampthill, Beds;
• Dale Waring, 20, of Outwell, Norfolk
• Dale Hopcroft, 22, of The Maltings, Norfolk.

Owens also admitted two charges of supplying drugs, a further charge of possession of cannabis with intent to supply and also illegal possession of ketamine.

Fabian Gibertoni, 19, of Sheffield, admitted possession of ketamine with intent to supply.

Kirsty Wiggins, 24, of Cirencester, also admitted possession of ketamine with intent to supply.

They will be sentenced in July along with three other men who admitted violent disorder at an earlier hearing.

They are: Oliver Rickman-Williams, 23, of Stroud, Gloucs; Michael Carden, 22, of Brimscombe, Gloucs; and Kieran Wilson, 23, of Hoveton, Norfolk.

Three other defendants face trial after denying charges.

Alan Brown, 31, of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, denied an offence of public nuisance by providing a generator for use at the rave.

Jonathan Lawson, 25, of Norwich, denied two charges of possession of drugs with intent to supply; Stephen Kelly, 26, of Bristol, denied possession of MDMA with intent to supply.

No pleas were taken from four other defendants. Glen More, 23, of Stroud, Gloucs; Benjamin Richardson, 18, of Millfield Road, Metheringham, Lincs; Shea Bruce-Watson, 19, of Glastonbury. Somerset; are all accused of violent disorder.

Samuel Stevens, 20, of Chipping Norton, is accused of possessing drugs with intent to supply.

A warrant was issued for the arrest of Alfie Clutterham ,18, of Ashley, Cambs, who failed to appear at court to answer a charge of violent disorder.

The Islamic Association of Lincoln has expressed ‘great disappointment’ after ‘hurtful’ anti-Islam posters were put up at the site of the ongoing Lincoln mosque build.

The posters were put up outside the site of the Lincoln Mosque

The Lincolnshire division of the English Defence League has claimed responsibility for the posters, which were attached to the gates of the site overnight on Thursday, March 17.

EDL members posted the images on the gates to the mosque.

EDL member Paul Whiteside told The Lincolnite: “The media aren’t telling you what’s really going off, grooming gangs all over the UK, terrorists storing weapons in mosques all over Europe.

“We are afraid that this is coming to Lincoln. The people of Lincoln should be aware of what’s happening around the UK.

“Rotherham, Rochdale, Oxford, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, Sheffield (grooming).”

Lincolnshire Police confirmed that they were investigating the incident and that officers had been to visit the site on the morning of Friday, March 18.

A spokesperson from the force said: “The posters were taken down by staff upon discovery.

“Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 101 or contact Inspector Suzanne Davies, Community Policing Inspector for Lincoln South West Policing area directly.”

‘They will not divide us’

Chairman of the Islamic Association of Lincoln Tanweer Ahmed at the launch of the Lincoln Mosque build. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Chairman of the Islamic Association of Lincoln Tanweer Ahmed said: “I am greatly disappointed that posters were displayed outside the mosque construction site.

“We have been working closely with Boultham Park Road residents and people of Lincoln, who have always been very supportive of mosque construction.

“While these types of acts are hurtful, Lincoln Muslims know that they do not represent the views of people of Lincoln or the vast majority of our fellow British citizens.

“Community cohesion is our top priority and we will continue to work closely with people of Lincoln to remove misunderstanding if they have any by having an open door policy.

“Posters or anti-mosque protests will not divide people of Lincoln.

“I urge to local residents to remain vigilant and to immediately report suspicious behaviour to the police.”

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

As previously reported, Lincoln’s first purpose-built mosque is expected to be completed by November 2016.

Police are appealing for witnesses after an armed robbery at the Branston Co-op store on Friday night.

The incident happened shortly after 9pm on March 18 at the food store on Station Road.

The suspect is described as being a male wearing a balaclava, blue parka jacket and light blue jeans.

He entered the shop and left on foot in the direction of the Lincoln Road traffic lights, police said.

No persons have been harmed during this incident, according to PCSO Sarah Bell.

Police didn’t say if any money was taken or what weapon was used in the robbery.

They are asking for anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious or have any information that may help them with enquiries, to call on 101 and refer to incident 445 of 18/03/2016.

This is the fourth armed robbery at a Lincoln convenience store in a week.

Police are also investigating three knife-point robberies that took place in Lincoln last weekend.

The first robbery was at the Co-op on Skellingthorpe Road, then shortly later at Sainsbury’s on Carholme Road, with the third at the Co-op store on Queen Elizabeth Road.

In all three cases, a man with a balaclava and/or a hoodie was described by witnesses.

However, it is unclear at this stage whether these incidents are related.

A three-car crash on one of Lincolnshire’s busiest roads has seen two people rushed to hospital in Nottingham.

Emergency services were called to the A52, Holland Road, near Threekingham at about 8.45pm on Sunday, March 20 after a Ford Fiesta, a Vauxhall and a Ford Focus had collided.

The drivers of the Vauxhall and the Focus were seriously injured and taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre for treatment.

Lincolnshire Police have now said that their injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

Anyone who was in the area and saw the collision is asked to contact the witness hotline on 01511 558855 or 101 and quote incident number 350 of March 20.

Police investigating the fourth knife-point robbery at a Lincoln convenience store in a week have said they do not believe the incidents are linked, but could “simply be a coincidence”.

An armed robbery at the Branston Co-op store on Friday, March 18 was the fourth to have taken place in and around the city since Saturday, March 12.

The Lincolnshire Co-op store on Station Road in Branston. Photo: Google Street View

The suspect entered the shop and threatened a female shop assistant with a knife before grabbing a bag containing takings. (incident 445 of March 18)

The incident came after three knife-point robberies that took place during the previous weekend.

All the incidents involved a robbery where the offender was carrying a knife but no physical violence was used.

Investigating officers don’t believe they are linked, despite all occurring under similar circumstances.

DI Pete Grayson, from Lincoln CID, said:

“I appreciate that a flurry of these offences in a short space of time and in a fairly concentrated area may well cause people to think that there is one or more people going around and committing these robberies but we do not actually think they are linked and could simply be coincidence.

“We believe this for a number of reasons, some of which I can’t go into because they are part of sensitive enquiries, but I can say that extensive work has been carried out looking at CCTV and interviewing the victims involved and each of these robberies actually have very different characteristics. We believe each on its own is isolated and not linked to the other.

“Our investigation is very much continuing and we have a number of lines of enquiry to follow up.

“I know many people may be feeling anxious and I would like to make clear how rare these types of things are and to ask people to remember their security procedures if at work, and for anyone who may see any suspicious activity or people to ring as us soon as possible.”

CCTV images from the incidents have not been made publicly available so far.

Anyone with information relating to any of the incidents is being asked to call 101 quoting the relevant incident numbers.

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

Previous incidents:

• The first robbery took place at the Co-op on Skellingthorpe Road on Saturday, March 12 and saw man wielding a knife at a member of staff before demanding she had money over from the till. (incident 440 of March 12)
• The second robbery took place around four hours later outside the cashpoint at Sainsbury’s on Carholme Road. A woman using the cashpoint was approached by a man again carrying a knife, who demanded money from her. (incident 21 of March 13)
• A third robbery was reported to police on Sunday, March 13, involving two men armed with knives entering the Co-op store on Queen Elizabeth Road, and demanding cash from the male member of staff. (incident 383 of March 13)

A Lincolnshire Police dog accused of mauling a Yorkshire Terrier to death and attacking a member of the public within the space of 48 hours has been put down.

As reported in February, three-year-old Barbie was mauled on a private road near Fishtoft at around 10.35pm on Monday, February 29.

The police dog, a German Shepherd named Falco, was suspended from operational duty while an investigation was underway.

Lincolnshire Police referred themselves to the Independent Police Complaints Commission after it emerged that Falco may have also bitten a person in the Moulton Marsh area of Lincolnshire on February 27.

Photo: Lincolnshire Police

Deputy Chief Constable Heather Roach said: “This was an incredibly tough decision to make given the nature of the circumstances and the fact that our dog handlers care a great deal about their dogs, as we do as a force.

“As difficult as it was to take this action, which was carried out with very heavy hearts, it was decided that the best course was to euthanise Falco to ensure this type of incident never happens again.

“An IPCC investigation is still underway so we are limited in what we can say in relation to the exact circumstances until those enquiries have been completed.”

The recent spate of knife-point robberies in and around Lincoln has shocked everyone in the city, not least me: one of the crimes, at the Sainsbury’s Local on Carholme Road, was just a few minutes’ walk from where I live.

As we know, the police are currently undertaking investigations into the robberies. At the time of writing, they believe that the crimes are not linked and that they could simply be ‘just coincidence’.

But whatever the circumstances or reasons for a crime, it’s always unnerving to know that a crime has taken place just a stone’s throw away from your door. It’s certainly given me pause for thought when I nip to my local shop.

According to 2015 figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), incidents involving knives and other sharp weapons across the whole of the UK have risen by 2%. Some people have put this down to changes in the way that crime is recorded but ONS officials have pointed to the rise being part of a trend.

Lincolnshire is a relatively safe place to live and work. Clearly, one of the reasons for this is the work of our police force in keeping us safe. Whether it’s PCSOs patrolling our streets or their investigations after a crime has taken place, our police work hard to fight crime.

But if nothing else, the recent robberies have shown that we cannot be complacent: it’s important that we have a fully funded, well resourced police force.

There must be no more cuts to police in Lincolnshire. We need a fairer funding formula for our county so that our officers are given the best possible training and resources to fight crime. Everyone deserves to feel safe and secure in the streets around their homes.

Our police can make that happen but they need the financial support to allow them to do their jobs. We need to cut crime, not police.

A man has sadly died after he was hit by a car in Lincolnshire overnight.

Emergency services were called to the crash on the A15 Bourne Road, Thurlby just after 8pm on Monday, March 21 where a gold Ford Mondeo had collided with a pedestrian.

A local woman, aged 39, who was driving the car was taken to hospital with shock but not physically injured.

The male pedestrian, who has not yet been identified, was given first aid at the scene but pronounced dead a short time later.

Officers said they are attempting to contact relatives but “he is believed to be Spanish and this could take some time”.

The road was closed until about 9.15pm to allow the investigation to take place.

Police are asking anyone who was in the area of Bourne Road, Thurlby, last evening around 8pm and saw the gold Ford Mondeo before it collided with the pedestrian or who saw the collision itself to call the witness hotline on 01522 558855 or 101.

The incident brings the number of people killed on Lincolnshire’s roads to 15, compared with five at the same time last year.

As previously reported, the county’s roads claimed more lives in the first two months of 2016 than figures seen in a decade.

A police helicopter was used to track down a vulnerable 21-year-old Lincoln man who went missing in the city.

Lincolnshire Police first received reports about the missing man at about 5.50pm on Monday, March 21, and began searching for him in and around the city.

The force called in support from the National Police Air Service and a helicopter was used to locate the man.

Residents told The Lincolnite that the helicopter was circling Outer Circle Road, and was over Greetwell Road and the quarry at various times between 8pm and 10pm.

The man was found safe and well in the Lincoln area shortly after at 10.10pm.

An East Midlands MEP currently in Brussels has described her shock at the terrorist attacks that have struck the Belgian capital.

Three explosions on the morning of Tuesday, March 22 have rocked the city, with reports of dozens of fatalities and many more casualties.

Photo: Reuters

Thirteen people have been reportedly killed in two blasts in the departure lounge at the Zaventem airport shortly after 8am this morning, which were believed to have been carried out by a suicide bomber.

A third explosion on the Metro near the European Union headquarters an hour later has killed a further 15 people, according to The Metro operator La Stib.

Photo: Reuters

The cause of the explosions has not yet been confirmed but the attacks come four days after Salah Abdeslam, the main fugitive in the Paris attacks, was seized in Brussels.

Extra officers are to be stationed at key locations in the UK following the attacks, with an increased police presence visible at Heathrow and other major airports.

MEP Emma McClarkin

In response to the attacks, Emma McClarkin, a Conservative MEP representing the East Midlands, who is inside the European Parliament building, said: “I have been shocked and stunned by the events here in Brussels this morning. I completely condemn these cowardly acts of terrorism.

“My thoughts are with those who have been caught up in these attacks, and with the families of those who have been killed.

“We cannot allow terrorism to win, and the security forces must redouble their efforts to prevent attacks and keep innocent people safe from those who want to remove our freedom and destroy our way of life.”

Lincolnshire Police are investigating three overnight ram raids which are believed to be connected.

The ram raids all occurred overnight on March 21 and 22 in Tealby, Horncastle and Hainton.

The first offence took place at 11.10pm when a vehicle appears to have ploughed into the shop and reception area at a garage on Rasen Road in Tealby.

Police do not know at this stage what was stolen but have said that “substantial damage” was caused to the premises.

A second ram raid was reported to the force at 1.49am, this time at an agricultural machinery and equipment dealership on West Street in Horncastle.

Damage was caused to the building but it is not thought that anything was stolen.

A similar ram raid to gain entry to a farm building on Torrington Road in Hainton took place at 5.54am, just over four hours after the second offence.

Again, nothing is believed to have been stolen in the raid.

Police suspect that a white Ford Ranger pick-up truck stolen from Little Cawthorpe on the March 1 or 2 may be involved in the raids.

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The force is still investigating a bungled ram raid at Skellingthorpe near Lincoln over a month ago.

Inspector Richard Myszczyszyn of Louth Police said: “We suspect that these offences are connected and that the same vehicle was involved in all three.

“We ask that anyone who saw the offences take place or who saw anything suspicious in the vicinity of the three premises in the days leading up to the crimes get in touch.

“We are also keen to know where the stolen pick-up is now and where it may have been since it was stolen.

“If you have any information please call the 101 non-emergency number or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.”

Anyone with information should quote the following incident numbers:

• Incident 442 of March 21 – Tealby
• Incident 17 of March 22 – Horncastle
• Incident 32 of March 22 – Hainton

A Lincolnshire man who claimed he lost contact with the probation service after he was locked in a room by his own mother to stop him taking “legal highs” was sentenced to a 20 day curfew.

Owen Lindop, 20, admitted failing to attend three supervision appointments in January after he was released from prison for shop thefts.

Lincoln Magistrates Court heard Lindop had attended a number of post setence supervision appointments following his release from jail and his attitude was “very good” until earlier this year.

Lindop, of Middlefield Lane, Gainsborough, admitted failing to comply with his post sentence supervision on January 7, 19 and 27.

He also pleaded guilty to the theft of four beef joints valued at £24 from the Co-op in Market Rasen on May 1, 2015.

The court heard Lindop left the store without paying after placing the meat in his bag.

Tony Cunningham, mitigating, told the court Lindop got in with the wrong crowd on his release from prison.

Mr Cunningham said: “He started taking some legal highs. This upset his family and upset his mother.

“His mother locked him in a room for a number of weeks. This is when he failed to attend his post sentence supervision.”

Lindop was fined £100 for the shop theft but it was deemed paid because he had spent a night in custody.

He was sentenced to a 20 day curfew between 7pm and 7am for the probation breach.

Passing sentence, deputy district judge David Gostling told Lindop: “It is a great shame they use the phrase legal highs, the amount of time it is seen in this court.”

Lincolnshire Police’s counter-terrorism team has issued a statement of reassurance and support following bombings in Brussels, which have claimed the lives of at 34 least people.

Two blasts took place at Brussels Airport and one on a rush-hour Metro train in the Belgian capital on the morning of Tuesday, March 22.

Photo: Reuters

East Midlands MEP Emma McClarkin, who was at the European Parliament building in Brussels at the time of the attacks, previously spoke of her shock, stating, “I completely condemn these cowardly acts of terrorism.”

Photo: Reuters

The attacks have triggered security alerts across Europe, bringing some cross-border traffic to a halt.

Lincolnshire Police say they are ‘continuing to monitor the local impact’, and have confirmed that no individuals from Lincolnshire are known to have been involved in the attacks.

The Prevent team, which is responsible for preventing terrorism and violent extremism, issued the following statement: “Following the attacks in Brussels this morning the Lincolnshire Police Prevent Team would like to offer support and reassurance to all local communities.

“We will continue to monitor the local impact, along with national and international events.

“If anyone has concerns regarding these incidents please contact the police on 101 quoting incident 156 of March 22.

“If you have family/friends currently travelling in Europe you can contact the Foreign Office on 0207 008 0000.”

A man will be sentenced in April after he admitted a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent following an incident at a Lincolnshire paintball centre.

Nathan Joseph, 22, pleaded guilty to the charge when he appeared at Lincoln Crown Court on Tuesday, March 22.

Joseph, of no fixed address, denied the more serious offence of attempted murder.

The pleas were accepted by the prosecution.

A 30-year-old man sustained head injuries following the incident at Ancaster Karting and Paintball, near Sleaford, on February 6.

Judge Michael Heath adjourned sentence for four weeks and remanded Joseph in to custody.

Lincolnshire has been named as one of the top 10 counties in England and Wales for animal cruelty by the RSPCA, who have released harrowing images of the aftermath of vicious dog fights in the region.

A total of 3,264 cases of animal cruelty in Lincolnshire were recorded by the charity in 2015, with dogs accounting for 1,953 of those investigations.

Photo: RSPCA

Nearly 800 complaints over cruelty to cats were received and there were 515 investigations into abuse of other animals in the county.

A particularly distressing case highlighted by the RSPCA involved two dogs and a ferret being used for animal fighting in Lincolnshire.

Bull-lurcher Jazz. Photo: RSPCA

Terrier-type ‘Pip’ and bull-lurcher type ‘Jazz’ were covered in old and new wounds which a vet concluded were most likely caused by another animal when they were found in their owner’s vehicle parked on a farm track.

The owner, a 25-year-old man, was arrested by a Humberside Police wildlife crime officer who called the RSPCA.

Footage on the owner’s mobile phone showed an especially traumatic fight between a third dog and ferret.

RSPCA special operations unit inspector Cliff Harrison said: “The footage is very distressing. It shows the ferret lifted from a cage, which contains several ferrets, and put in front of the waiting dog.

“It was a fight to the death for the ferret. The footage has sound and you can hear the ferret squealing in agony.

“The owner can be heard encouraging the dog, saying ‘kill him’, and when the ferret finally expires, three minutes later, saying ‘good lad’.

“That some people get enjoyment out of something like this, and would inflict this kind of suffering on an animal for fun, even capturing it on camera so that they can re-live it, is abhorrent.”

Pip the Terrier. Photo: RSPCA

The owner was jailed for four months and disqualified from keeping animals for life after admitting four offences relating to animal fighting under the Animal Welfare Act at Scunthorpe Magistrates’ Court in September 2015.

The body of a 22-year old man has been found in a wooded area off Fenside Road in Boston at around midday on Saturday.

A post mortem examination has been carried out, but the death will continue to be treated as unexplained until all forensic tests are completed, officers said.

Formal identification of the body has yet to take place, but police believe he is a 22 year-old man who lived locally.

The area around Fenside Road in Boston