VILLAGE GREEN BID

Scunthorpe Telegraph, Monday 27th August 2007

A Parish council is hoping to be successful in its endeavour to have an area classified as a village green.

Currently, what is known as the 'village green' at Town End in Winteringham, is owned by North Lincolnshire Homes.But Winteringham Parish Council has applied to North Lincolnshire Council to have the area listed as a village green.

This would prevent anyone in the future from building on the land, or fencing it in.

The application is being dealt with by the environment team at North Lincolnshire Council and a decision will be made in the coming weeks.

HOPING VENTURE WILL SCORE IN US

Scunthorpe Telegraph, Tuesday 21st August 2007

Owen Underwood is hoping his new business will eventually take him across the world.

Owen (19), of School Road, Winteringham, has launched Best Soccer Coaching School and would eventually like to offer his skills in the USA.Owen, who has been helped by the Prince's Trust, studied leisure, recreation and coaching at John Leggott College, Scunthorpe, and has done an FA coaching course with the Lincolnshire FA.

He also holds a Red Cross first aid qualification.

He is now running coaching sessions and summer schools for young people for the local authority.

Although Owen specialises in football, he is also offering courses and sessions in other sports including cricket, basketball and athletics.

Now he plans to take further FA coaching courses and this could eventually lead to him working part of his time in the USA. He said: "I'm enjoying it and I'm getting plenty of work."

A friend suggested he contact The Prince's Trust and Owen said business manager Steve Greenfield has helped on marketing. Owen has also been given a loan to buy the necessary equipment.

He said: "Steve has been very helpful."

Owen can be contacted on (01724) 733880 or email owenunderwood@tiscali.co.uk

BUS STOP TO BE CHANGED

Scunthorpe Telegraph, Tuesday 21st August 2007

Proposals have been made to move a village bus stop used by schoolchildren.

Currently, children catching the school bus in Winteringham have been collected from a bus stop by the village hall.The arrangement was put in place on a trial basis, and following discussions at a parish council meeting, it has been suggested the bus stop be moved.

The trial period for the bus stop ended at the end of the summer school term, and the parish council has now written to the bus service provider to request, from the autumn term, children are collected and dropped off from the existing bus stop on Silver Street in the village.

Councillors have promised to report back on the issue at the next parish council meeting.

POLICE WARNING OVER BURGLARS POSING AS OFFICIALS

Scunthorpe Telegraph, Tuesday 21st August 2007

Two youths pretending to be doing a summer project stole a credit card after being invited into a house.

The youngsters took the card from a house on Enderby Road, Scunthorpe, on Thursday, August 16, when they were invited into the property.They had claimed to be part of the Humberside Police Lifestyle project, where young people carry out tasks to help in the community.

Another crime on the same day featured bogus water board workers who conned their way into the home of an elderly woman on Harrowdyke, Barton-Upon-Humber and stole money from her purse.

Eight homes have been targeted within the last week in distraction burglaries by thieves posing as water board officials, drainage workers.

All the thefts, between August 9 and 17, targeted elderly people, and in the most recent incident it is claimed a large amount of cash was taken from the home of an elderly man.

Warnings about bogus officials have now been issued by the police.

Crime reduction officer Jamie Allen said the thefts were being treated very seriously.

"Recently, we've had a number of reported distraction type burglaries which have seen elderly residents targeted; this is totally unacceptable and we're treating them very seriously," he said.

"We would urge anyone with elderly friends or relatives to make sure they are not an easy target.

"If someone is at your door posing as an official and can't provide you with their details or ID then the message is a simple one: don't let them in and report it to the police."

The spate of distraction burglaries started on Thursday, August 9, when thieves tricked their way into homes on Frost Close, Winteringham, Blackthorn Close, Scunthorpe and Kirton Road, Scawby, by posing as workers for a drain clearing company.

On Monday, August 13, two homes on Ville Road and Bellingham Road, Scunthorpe were targeted by men claiming to be from the water board.

And on Friday the home of an elderly man on Tomlinson Avenue, Scunthorpe, was targeted and it is claimed a large amount of cash was taken.

Ian Beaumont, who manages crime-watching website Safelinks, said in distraction burglaries work the suspects would try and get into a home by posing as an official.

He also said no real Anglian Water employee would claim to be from the water board, as they stopped using the term a number of years ago.

He added: "As a precaution, police are asking all local residents to be cautious when answering the door to anyone posing as an official to reduce the risk of becoming the victim of a distraction burglary," Mr Beaumont said.

For further information, visit www.safelinks.info or www.humberside.police.uk

'DEVASTATED' BY ARSON ON STABLES

Scunthorpe Telegraph, Wednesday 15th August 2007

An Arson attack victim has appealed for help to track down the firebugs who burned down her new stables, causing £15,000-worth of damage.

Joanne Corney (38), from Winteringham, said she was 'devastated' after arsonists broke into the building in a field off Marsh Lane she had spent four years saving for and set it alight.

Work on the structure had been completed by late evening on Friday, and by Sunday it had been destroyed.

"The one good thing is my horses weren't inside at the time, so it could have been worse but we're still devastated; it feels like someone was waiting for it to be finished," Joanne said.

"We bought the field where the ponies live about four years ago and when we had enough money, we decided to build the stables.

"We did everything properly and all together they cost about £15,000 - the worst part is I hadn't organised the insurance in time so that money is just lost."

Joanne and her husband Alan and their two children Sophie (11), and Jamie (seven), have three ponies which they regularly show, but because of fresh creosote in the stables, all three had been sent away for the night.

Joanne said: "The ponies were all staying with my dad at the time; they never even spent a night in those stables."

"With Winteringham being a small village I just didn't think something like this could happen.

"Now we have to start all over again and we have nowhere to keep the ponies during the winter. I can't believe someone would do this for no reason."

Because the Marsh Lane field where Joanne's ponies live is a short distance from her home, she did not realise the stables were burning until it was too late.

A family friend was returning from the pub on Sunday night when he spotted flames and called both Joanne and the fire brigade.

Police confirmed they were investigating the fire.

Humberside Police spokesman James Cartwright said: "Police received a call at around 1am on Monday reporting there was a fire at the stables on Marsh Lane, Winteringham.

"Fortunately, no-one was injured and there were no horses in the stables at the time of the incident.

"Police are treating this as suspicious and will be investigating so if anyone has information or witnessed anything suspicious around the time of the incident, please contact us."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police on 0845 60 60 222 quoting log number 46 of 130807.

Alternatively, speak anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Advice on crime prevention is available at www.humberside.police.uk

FOIE GRAS STILL TO BE DISHED UP

Scunthorpe Telegraph, Saturday 11th August 2007

Animal rights activists have failed to get a £30-a-time dish removed from the menu at North Lincolnshire's top restaurant, Winteringham Fields.

Currently the restaurant, frequented by famous faces including Sir Elton John, serves up around 6,000 helpings of foie gras a year.Colin McGurran, who paid more than £1-million for the business two years ago, insists he will not be following the example of some of the UK's leading stores in banning the pate.

Foie gras - French for fat liver - is the liver of a duck or a goose which has been specially fattened by forced feeding.

It is one of the most popular delicacies in French cuisine and its flavour is described as rich, buttery, and delicate, unlike that of a regular duck or goose liver.

However, the delicacy is considered controversial because the duck or goose is force-fed a controlled amount of corn mash through a tube placed in the animal's oesophagus.

Due to this force-feeding procedure, and the possible health consequences of an enlarged liver, animal rights and welfare organisations and activists regard foie gras production methods as cruel to animals.

"Foie gras is a delicacy and is part of a fine dining experience," Mr McGurran pointed out.

"It is also a perfect accompaniment to the wines and meats we serve here at Winteringham Fields."

Among the UK retailers which have outlawed the sale of the pate following an outcry over the force-feeding of geese are Harvey Nichols, House of Fraser, Jenners and Makro.

Mr McGurran said he too had received letters of protests asking for the foie gras imported from France to be taken off his menu.

"But we believe in giving our customers freedom of choice," he said.

"There is less cruelty in the foie gras industry than there used to be and the geese are killed far more quickly.

"Other animals which are eaten for their meat are killed far more cruelly."

Mr McGurran said the foie gras at Winteringham Fields sold at £30 for a two ounce portion - working out at £240 a pound.

More than 75 per cent of the world's foie gras is produced in France following a ban on production in the UK.

The charity People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) claims the French farmers rely on cruelty to the geese by swelling their livers up to 10 times their normal size through a process of force-feeding known as gavage.

Activists favour ethical foie gras produced from Spanish geese which naturally over-eat before their winter migration and do not need to be force-fed.

For more information on the restaurant, visit www.winteringhamfields.com
 
 

TRACTOR FANS HELP AIR AMBULANCE

Scunthorpe Telegraph, Thursday 2nd August 2007

The funds of the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance have been given a £1,500 boost thanks to the efforts of a tractor owners and drivers within the area.

For the fourth year, members of the North Lincolnshire branch of Friends of Ferguson turned out for their annual tractor road-run, in a bid to raise money for the air ambulance.The event saw them travelling through several rural villages including Coleby, Winterton, Winteringham and Burton-Upon-Stather before ending up at West Halton playing field.

Friends of Ferguson treasurer Alan Holmes said they would like thank the landowners in the area and all of the sponsors for supporting the tractor road-run.

The group chose to present the proceeds of the event at the Broughton Show and pictured here, sheltering from the rain is Trevor Cherry (third from left) representing the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance. He is receiving the £1,500 from Alan Holmes, watched by members of the Friends of Ferguson and other tractor enthusiasts.