Skegness troubles: the latest news....

[Sickbag]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-li ... e-29479913

A pregnant cow is said to be "moving on" from the ordeal of getting her head trapped in a wall for several hours.

[ocelot]

Now whales: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35395369

[Sickbag]

Whale penis alert.

[Verbal]

Man accused of paedophilia on holiday in Skegness says allegations have ‘wrecked his life’

'Since the incident took place, I’ve only really left the house at night. Even then, I’m looking left and right to see if anyone is photographing me'

Ali Bronson, a kebab shop owner from Coventry, was the subject of a social media post - which was viewed more than 30,000 times before being removed - accusing him of taking photos of children.

The 26-year-old is “struggling to eat and sleep” in the wake of the incident and he has vowed never to visit Skegness again, according to Lincolnshire Live.

"It is affecting my life really badly," Mr Ali said. "I need to get back out there, I have to clear my name.

“There is no evidence – I could do the same, I could just go to the seaside and take a picture and ruin someone’s life."

When the post - a photo of him at the seaside - first went up on Facebook on Tuesday, Mr Ali was not sure if it was merely intended as a joke.

But as vitriolic abuse streamed in from online commentators, he soon realised the seriousness of the accusation.

Mr Ali contacted West Midlands police about the post - and it has since been removed from social media.

Speaking to The Independent, Mr Ali said that he “hadn’t even been planning” to visit Skegness before the incident but he decided to visit the town as part of a family day out.

Mr Ali said his kebab shop is also struggling as a result of the accusation.

He told The Independent: “Since the incident took place, I’ve only really left the house at night.

“Even then, I’m looking left and right to see if anyone is photographing me.”

The incident has also prompted Mr Ali to plan a visit to his local GP, he said, in an attempt to manage the stress it has caused him.

Mr Ali told The Independent that he is also planning legal action against his accuser for the damage caused.

West Midlands Police confirmed that Mr Ali made a complaint about the Facebook post to the force on Thursday.

A spokesperson said: "The incident is being treated as a malicious communications offence.

"As the alleged victim believes there is a racial element to the post, the matter has been recorded as a hate crime."

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/h ... 90061.html

[Verbal]

Family who have operated donkeys on Skegness Beach for generations could be forced to quit

Coronavirus is putting the tradition of riding donkeys at the seaside under threat

A man whose family have operated donkeys on Skegness Beach for three generations says the coronavirus pandemic could put him out of business.

John Nuttall says the Covid-19 outbreak and subsequent social distancing measures mean that he is unable to take the donkeys out for work on the Lincolnshire coast.

In normal times the donkeys are regular sight on the beach, where visitors and their children often pay for rides along the seafront.

However, Mr Nuttall says this could change as he is weighing up whether or not to close down his business for good in face of the financial pressures he is facing amid the pandemic.

In a post on Facebook, Mr Nuttall said he could be forced to make a decision as soon as next month as to whether he return to beaches in Ingoldmells, Skegness and Cleethorpes.

“One more month to go and then I will decide on whether or not I carry three generations of donkey work on,” he wrote.

“It’s been a tough time for us and everyone else, I can’t get help from the council or government.

“The council’s still sending me invoices for this year’s beach rent and threatened to issue summons, although after a phone call they have put it on hold, but it still looks like we have to pay even with no venue to work.”

Mr Nuttall said he cannot afford to keep the animals if no one is paying for his services and he is not the only donkey operator in this difficult situation.

“I will have to decide soon whether or not I have this winters feed done, because I just cannot afford to keep animals without them earning,” he wrote

“I know from talking to operators around the UK it is hard for us all - when or if Covid-19 has gone there won’t be a lot of operators renewing their licenses.

“I can assure you the council wants their money - and it’s not hundreds, it’s thousands, along with public liability insurance, trucks insurance and tax. It amounts to a lot of money.”

He added that it would be a difficult decision to make if he was to close his business, but the circumstances have put it into his mind.

“It’s going to be a very hard decision for me to either pack up and sell my beloved asses or try and carry on,” he wrote.

“I’ve been grateful to my winter homes, people that have kept my donkeys up until now, but I still have many at home, plus I have to rent 25 acres to keep them all, not to mention the hours put in clipping and feet trimming and paying staff to help me.

“I just don’t know. A lot of people are opening up but at the moment I cannot find a way for us to open, it’s just not feasible, I’ve ordered PPE for the staff just in case but if the death rate rises and another lockdown happens that will finish me.

“Sad times but let’s hope it doesn’t come to me having to pack up. Stay safe everyone.”

Following the news supporters have set up a gofundme page to raise money to help him keep his donkeys.

https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news ... us-4199986

[J]

I would like to thank all, and especially Verbal, for keeping us up to date on the latest Skegness news. Although i have never visited the Lincolnshire coast, i feel a special affinity for the trials of these brave folk.

[Not_Karl]

Family who have operated donkeys on Skegness Beach for generations could be forced to quit

[Verbal]

"It's harder to find a road without potholes": Frustration over 'crumbling' Skegness roads left to fall into disrepair

One councillor reported over 20 potholes in a single day

By Emily White

Officials in Skegness have voiced their frustration with the state of the roads in Skegness and the surrounding areas - after one councillor ended up reporting over 20 potholes in a single day.

Skegness Urban District Society (SUDS) councillor Billy Brookes said he had been 'inundated' with reports of potholes from local residents and decided to head out on Monday, February 15, to investigate the problem.

He says he found and reported over 20 potholes in the local area, with the worst of the potholes found in Scarborough Avenue and at the Beresford Avenue junction.

He says that the roads in Skegness have been left to fall into disrepair and wants more to be done to address the problem.

"Potholes are always a massive issue," said Billy.

"I've had residents tell me that the potholes are so bad on their street, they can feel the vibrations of the lorries hit them in their homes.

"It's not just in Skegness, it's a problem in places like Burgh-Le-Marsh, Wainfleet, and Chapel St Leonards.

"Essentially all along the coast, the roads are bad.

"It's harder to find a piece of road without a pothole.

"I know we've had recent cold weather, but if this is what happens after some cold weather then they can't have been in good shape in the first place."

Fellow SUDS councillor Adrian Findley has also been out attempting to tackle the issue of potholes in roads along the east coast head-on.

On a recent trip from Skegness to Spilsby, Cllr Findley says he discovered 'hundreds' of potholes which he photographed and reported to Lincolnshire County Council through the Fix My Street app.

He says Skegness and the east coast need new roads and is calling for more investment.

He said: "The roads are damaging cars and causing accidents.

"Driving along the rural roads, you can spot hundreds, if not thousands of potholes.

"In a 100 metre stretch of road in Scarborough Avenue, there were 59 potholes, although most have been filled in now.

"Some of the roads are in an unbelievable state. Some of the roadsides are crumbling away.

"It's frustrating for us because when you head over to Lincoln, you see lovely roads with fresh tarmac.

"It's also frustrating that we only seem to see work done every four years, around election time when the county council needs residents on side.

"We can't keep just patching them up, we need new roads."

Lincolnshire County Council has confirmed repairs are due at the Beresford Avenue junction next week.

Cllr Richard Davies, executive member for highways at Lincolnshire County Council, said: "The very wet and then very cold weather we have had will cause potholes to form more quickly on the roads.

"Please keep letting us know about them through our website and we'll get them repaired as soon as we can.

"The council hates potholes just as much as drivers do, and every month we fix thousands of them on our network, as well as redressing and resurfacing roads to stop them forming in the first place.

"The AA ranks Lincolnshire as one of the top-performing councils in the country when it comes to repairing roads, as we carrying out more repairs than almost any other local authority.

"We have teams out in all districts every day. We prioritise repairs on the busiest routes, as faults there carry the most risk to road users. It'll take us longer to get to residential roads and less-used routes, but report issues to us, and they will be repaired."

Earlier this month, the Conservative-led Lincolnshire County Council confirmed an extra £10 million for road maintenance in Lincolnshire is proposed in the county council's budget for 2021/22.

The money will be spent on fixing potholes and other road repairs as well as maintaining bridges, safety fencing, street lighting, signs and lines, and traffic signals.

Lincolnshire County Council's has a £49 million budget for this work in the current financial year 2020/21.

https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news ... ut-5013669

[Sickbag]

https://thelincolnite.co.uk/2021/07/ext ... -skegness/

Extinction Rebellion Lincolnshire will host a Samba band parade in Skegness to raise awareness about the ‘threat we all face from climate change’.

The family fun event will take place at the Clock Tower at 11.30am on Sunday, August 1 to celebrate the natural world, using costumes and props.

People are being encouraged to join in with the parade and to turn up dressed as their favourite wild animal.

Squid or Donkey? That's the question....