‘Rottweiler clamped his jaws around my dog for 10 minutes’.

A vicious rottweiler attack near a Lincoln school left another dog fighting for its life.

David Johnson was walking his six-month-old cocker spaniel on a grassy area near Mount Street Infant And Nursery School when the attack took place.

“Basically this great, big rottweiler clamped his jaws around my dog, Toby,” explained Mr Johnson, a 50-year-old graphic designer from the Newport area of Lincoln.

“This dog had its jaws around my dog’s face for at least 10 minutes. I was hitting it and fighting it, trying to get it to let go.

“A woman who lived nearby came to help and we even tried throwing a bucket of water over it to set Toby free.

“The girl with the dog obviously wasn’t in control of it. It should have been muzzled.

“My dog was screaming and yelping and I felt like I was watching him die before my eyes.

“I eventually managed to get him free and rushed him to the vet.

“He stayed overnight. I didn’t expect him to make it, but he’s recovering now and getting better by the day.

“It could just have easily have happened to a toddler.”

“Dogs who aren’t being controlled properly are a danger – especially close to schools.

“Toby barely managed to survive, and I doubt a young child would have fared any better.”

Superintendent Keith Owen, of the Operations Support Department of Lincolnshire Police, said that dog owners should be responsible and keep control of their dogs in all circumstances.

He said: “Owners should know whether their dogs are prone to biting or fighting, and if so, muzzle them.

“Only a minority of dogs are troublesome and some owners need to be aware of the effect their dogs have on other people and take sensible precautions.

"This will minimise the potential for dogs to cause alarm or harm to members of the public and other animals.”

It is a criminal offence, under the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991, to allow any dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place.

A dog is regarded as dangerously out of control under the Act if there are grounds for suspecting that it will injure a person, whether or not it actually does so.

Under the Freedom of Information Act, the Echo asked Lincolnshire Police for the number of dogs seized under the Act, however, the police responded saying it did not hold this information.

Anyone with information on the dog attack should call Lincolnshire Police on (01522) 882222.

The Collective @ Kind.

I know I tend to go on about it a lot, but The Collective really is continuing to go from strength to strength, and is undoubtedly the beating heart of Lincolnshire’s local music scene.

For those who don’t know by now, The Collective is held at Kind bar in Lincoln every Tuesday evening, and features local, like-minded musicians performing to an audience of like-minded fans.

Unfortunately, I missed opening act Mute, and arrived part-way through singer Stefanie-Kate Bennett.

Bennett got behind the keys early on in the night, showcasing her impressive vocal range alongside some delicate arrangements, altogether delivering a tenderly impassioned performance which prompted a gentleman from the audience to give her a tenner for some reason.

Acoustic-folk outfit His FLying Machine were up next, led by principal songwriter Rich Whiston. On record, His Flying Machine have a fullness which doesn’t quite translate as well to the stage. However, the delicacy of the arrangements still shone through, wearing their apparent influences from Americana bands such as Calexico and The Decemberists on their sleeves.

Every week, we seem to get a surprisingly impressive set from an artist blatantly inspired by former Million Dead singer Frank Turner – this week, that accolade went to acoustic guitarist Adam Jewitt, who played a mix of original material and ironically structured covers. There’s something familiar about Jewitt’s vocals and arrangements respectively, but, much to his credit, it’s hard to place. Instead, the audience were welcomed in to Jewitt’s world with an affirming and refreshing comfort.

Headlining The Collective on this occasion was local classical-guitar wonder-kid Elliott Morris.

Shut your eyes, and you’ll mistakenly believe you’re listening to a full, four-piece band. Morris has that Newton Falkner gimmick going on... you know, when you use the whole guitar to create sound slapping different parts of the neck to introduce rhythm. Morris has crafted a selection of enjoyable pop songs, even if they do seem slightly rehearsed and adolescent at times. Unfortunately, towards the end of his set he invited a backing singer to the stage, and all of a sudden things became a little too juvenile, and childish on-stage antics ruined an otherwise sterling performance.

By George - chameleon of a pop star is set to wow town's fans.

One of the most colourful and controversial singers of the 1980s is to perform in Lincoln.

Boy George, best known as a member of 1980s band Culture Club, will take to the stage at the Theatre Royal.

The pop star may not have produced a hit for years, but a DJing career and scrapes with the law have kept him in the public eye.

He will perform in Lincoln on April 25 as part of a whistle-stop tour of the country.

The tour, dubbed Up Close And Personal: Live In Concert, will also see the singer play dates in London, Manchester and Brighton.

There will even be time for a performance at The Embassy in Skegness on April 23.

George’s publicists say he will be singing live, acoustic and unplugged, playing sets featuring solo material, Culture Club tracks, as well as new songs and cover versions.

Boy George’s performance at the Theatre Royal is part of the theatre’s spring and summer programme.

Verity Walker, a spokesman for the pop star, said that Boy George was excited to be getting back out on the road again.

“George has been preparing for this tour and is looking forward to getting back in front of a live audience,” she said.

“This is a singer who needs little introduction.

“He was the front man of one of the country’s biggest exports in recent years.

“He has constantly reinvented himself and remains one of the world’s most recognisable iconic figures.”

Joseph Merriman, a 23-year-old student from Lincoln who is a big Boy George fan, cannot wait to see the singer in the flesh later in the year.

“I can’t believe Boy George is going to be playing in Lincoln,” he said.

“I’m a big fan of the 1980s new romantic movement and Boy George with Culture Club was a big part of that.

“He’s responsible for some timeless classics such as Karma Chameleon and Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?

“He’s not had the easiest of careers, but it’s good to see he’s back out touring again.”

The tour will be to promote George’s latest single, Amazing Grace, which is released on Monday, March 22 by label Mn2S.

A spokesman for the label said: “It’s really great to be releasing music from such a seminal and iconic artist.

“We’ve never experienced such a buzz on a single before.”

To date, Boy George has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide and has had top ten hits in every continent.

For ticket information, call the Theatre Royal box office on (01522) 519999.

Why using social networking sites to vent anger about your partner might bring the relationship to a swift end.

Betrayal has taken on a new face as couples in Lincolnshire turn to social networking sites to vent frustrations about their relationships.

Local relationship counsellor Denise Pickup says more and more people are turning to electronic platforms to give voice to their relationship problems and is urging couples across the county to be thoughtful about what they write.

“Facebook and social networking have become the modern face of betrayal,” she explained.

“The thing with Facebook, Internet chat rooms and things like that, is that whatever you write down is permanent and can cause an awful lot of hurt.

“It is particularly insidious in that it is so public. The betrayal of trust and intimacy is in black and white for the whole world to see, as if the person’s social life is more important than their inner life.

“Generally, couples betray each other because of something they might not even be aware of. They might have felt let down, left out, or second best.

“Sometimes, coming back with an attack, like addressing the problem on a social networking site, can be an attempt to address the balance.

“I know social networking can be fast, furious and instant, but sometimes people just need to sit down and think carefully about what’s going on.

“If you are hurt in any way, it’s better to say so, rather than putting an attack on a website. Address any problems you may have, as relationships are about feelings, not fact.

“Facebook is a way to give a quick slap and it’s a bit like putting people in the stocks. It’s very public, whereas relationships are about being one-to-one.”

Despite this, the problem has not yet led to divorce.

Chrystal Theofanous, of Lincoln-based Sills and Betteridge Solicitors, said the firm had clients complaining of problems arising from social networking sites but th had not yet been the sole reason for a divorce or a domestic split.

“Social networking sites have become a factor and we have had some legal disputes rising out of them,” she said.

“However, I don’t think they have yet become a major factor in domestic or cohabitation disputes.”

Sharp rise in addict babies.

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of drug-addicted babies being born at Lincoln County Hospital, the Echo can reveal.

A total of 35 newborns were transferred to a drug treatment programme after being born to substance-abusing mothers at Lincoln County Hospital last year.

This compares with 20 babies in 2008 and is an increase of 75 per cent.

However, the figures, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, did not reveal which drugs the mothers were addicted to, nor for how long.

Hazel Harrison, head of midwifery at the hospital, explained that the statistics were in-keeping with the national average and growth in population.

“Nationally, the birth rate has risen and we have seen the local rate increase too,” she said.

“This means that there is more potential for babies to be born to drug-dependent mums.

“Over the last year we have seen more mums who tell us about their drug use, as they have more confidence in the service we provide. They trust us to help them and their babies if they are honest with us from the start.”

SEE PAGE 2.

35 babies born with mum’s drug addiction.

The number of Lincolnshire babies born as drug addicts has almost doubled in a year.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show last year there were 86 mothers who said “yes” to a history of drug abuse when booking in to give birth at Lincoln County Hospital.

Of those 86 mothers with reported drug dependency, 35 babies were born with their mother’s addiction, as the habit was passed on while the baby was still in the womb.

This figure is a 75 per cent increase on 2008 figures, when 20 newborns required treatment for drug withdrawal. The symptoms associated with babies who are addicted to drugs upon birth are a loud, high-pitched crying, sweating and stomach upsets.

These babies often need specialised care in hospital before they are allowed home.

A number of development problems can arise for children born to substance-abusing mothers.

For example, if a baby has been exposed to cocaine while in the uterus, then birth defects such as cerebral palsy and blindness are more likely. Heroin use can lead to premature delivery, low birth weight and stillbirth.

Head of midwifery at Lincoln County Hospital, Hazel Harrison, attributed the increase in the number of babies born to drug dependent mothers to the national growth in population.

“We have transitional care teams who go out and help mums and babies in the community as well as our midwives and doctors here at the hospitals, so there is a lot more help available today to any family with drug problems,” said Ms Harrison.

“Normally, if we know a new mum has been taking drugs then we keep the baby in hospital for at least five days to check for signs of withdrawal and then administer appropriate treatment.

“If mums have told us about their drug habit then we can treat them and the babies can go home fairly quickly.”

Manager of Lincolnshire Drug And Alcohol Action Team Andrew Cos said that there was an effective treatment system in place for anyone suffering from substance misuse problems.

He said: “In particularly complex cases, such as this where a mum-to-be is experiencing drug related problems, a referral to specialist clinical nurses within the Lincolnshire Drug And Alcohol Service would be made, who would work to ensure that both the mother and child’s needs are met.

“Within our future plans to develop all drug services, we aim to look at new initiatives to focus on midwifery-specific treatment services within the next year.”

Child sex crime stats ‘only tip of iceberg’.

More than 200 sexual offences against young people were reported in Lincolnshire last year, but officials say this is shows only a fraction of the true picture.

The statistics were obtained from Lincolnshire police under the Freedom Of Information Act and show there were 250 known sex offences against young people in 2008-09.

Of these cases, 36 involved children aged nine or younger.

Examples of sex crimes reported include rape, gross indecency and incest.

The NSPCC’s ChildLine service manager for the Midlands, Jan Chown, said that the figures did not show the true extent of the problem, as most child abuse goes unreported.

“These figures are only the tip of the iceberg,” she said.

“We find many children do not speak out about the sexual abuse they have suffered, because they are scared no one will believe them.

“Four out of five sexual offences are committed by somebody known to the child, including members of the family.

“If this is the case, children may be fooled into believing what is happening is normal and not report the offence on those grounds.

“The best thing for a child to do if they feel they are a victim of sexual abuse is to talk to someone they trust. If an adult has any concern, it is important they speak out as well. They can talk to an NSPCC advisor about their concerns.”

Lincolnshire Police Detective Superintendent Guy Collings said that the force took allegations of sexual abuse against children very seriously.

“Obviously, we thoroughly investigate every complaint we receive,” he said.

“In the past year, we have significantly boosted the capacity of our public protection unit.

“That has included increasing the number of child protection officers and doubling the amount of risk management officers who monitor convicted sex offenders in the community.

“Very few instances of sex crimes against children involve strangers – the vast majority involve an offender known to the child, or within the child’s family. We urge vigilance. If a report is made, we offer full assurance of a very high level of support.”

ChildLine is a free confidential 24-hour service provided by the NSPCC.
Children and young people can call 0800 1111 or visit www.childline.org.uk for help.

Adults can call the NSPCC on 0808 8005000 or e-mail help@nspcc.org.uk if they have any concerns for a child’s welfare.

Delve into shadows with graphic debut.

A FEMALE detective will risk life and limb as she searches across the city for a man missing in deeply suspicious circumstances.

This is the plot for the debut graphic novel, titled Shadowraith, from University of Lincoln graduate Nicholas Dishington.

Mr Dishington, 23, of Lincoln, began work on the graphic novel in his third year of university when studying contemporary lens media.

It has now been picked up by publishers and will go on sale on January 31.

Priced £3.10, the graphic novel is made up of 36 pages of black and white photographs, shot in a film noir style.

Shadowraith uses photographs instead of conventional illustrations, combined with a film noir style.

Nicholas said: “It started as a university project in my third year and went from there.

“Most of the shots were done in central Lincoln and a lot of them were done around the Brayford area, although the story is supposed to be set in London.

“My main inspiration came from Sin City and films such as Iron Man and Spiderman.

“Film is bridging the gap with comics and I wanted to bridge the gap the other way and make comics more realistic by using photographs.”

The lead character in Shadowraith is played by local model Alivya V Free, with other characters being played by friends of Mr Dishington.

The graphic novel will be published by The House Of Murky Depths. It will be available online on sites such as Amazon and will also be stocked by comic shop Comic Worlds in Lincoln’s West Parade.

Mark Brunton, who has owned Comic Worlds for 17 years, says Shadowraith has the potential to be a big success in the comic book industry.

He said: “Shadowraith is quite unique and looks very impressive.

“It’s not just someone who’s gone out and taken some photographs. You have to look twice to realise it’s not actually artwork.

“There’s not a lot of photographic comics on the market at the moment, so it has the potential to do quite well on a national level, if it gets across the shops and conventions.”

For more information on Shadowraith, visit www.shadowraith.co.uk

Bookworms rejoicing as popular festival is saved.

Bookworms across the county can rejoice as the annual Lincoln Book Festival is saved – thanks to intervention from the Echo.

The future of the festival, which attracts about 7,000 visitors a year, had been thrown into doubt following a review of the City of Lincoln Council’s tourism, marketing and arts services.

However, it has now been announced that the festival will go ahead thanks to negotiations between the city council, the Echo, Visit Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire County Council and other partners.

The festival’s programme will once again see writers from across the globe descend on Lincoln, celebrating both historical and contemporary works spanning from Lincolnshire’s past with the Magna Carta and Tennyson, to new writing.

Lincolnshire Echo editor Jon Grubb said he was “delighted” the book festival had been saved.

He said: “The next stage is for local residents to put the date in their diary and support the festival.

“It will bring an array of talents to Lincoln, from award-winning journalists and authors, to comics and playwrights.”

Councillor Keith Weaver, portfolio holder for health and recreational services at the City of Lincoln Council, explained that the festival was nearly axed in a bid to cut back on spending.

“The Book Festival is an important part of the city’s calendar,” he said.

“However, we reluctantly had to prioritise other services as part of our challenge to save £2.5m.

“We are still providing significant funding for this year’s event and are glad the partnership has made the festival so successful, which has resulted in it being rescued this year.”

Ongoing negotiations have been made with Arts Council England, the national development agency for the arts in England, to secure funding for festivals this and next year.

Despite the good news, artistic director for the book festival project team, Sara Bullimore, said there was still a lot of work to be done.

She said: “We are looking for sponsorship from businesses and support from the public who can join as Friends Of The Book Festival. “

The Lincoln Book Festival will take place from Wednesday, May 12, to Sunday, May 16, at various venues across Lincoln and will feature a programme of events for the whole family, including themed days, workshops, theatre, poetry and performance.

Details of authors attending the festival have yet to be confirmed. For more information, visit www.lincolnbookfestival.co.uk

Bookworms across the county can rejoice as the annual Lincoln Book Festival is saved - thanks to intervention from the Echo.

The future of the festival, which attracts around 7,000 visitors a year, had been thrown into doubt following a review of the City of Lincoln Council’s tourism, marketing and arts services.

However, it has now been announced that the festival will go ahead thanks to negotiations between the city council, the Echo, Visit Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire County Council, and other partners.

The festival’s programme will once again see writers from across the globe descend on Lincoln.

Lincolnshire Echo editor Jon Grubb said he was “delighted” the book festival had been saved.

“The next stage is for local residents to put the date in their diary and support the festival,” he said.

Councillor Keith Weaver, portfolio holder for health and recreational services at the City of Lincoln Council, explained that the festival was nearly axed in a bid to cut back on spending.

“The Book Festival is an important part of the city’s calendar,” he said.

“However, we reluctantly had to prioritise other services as part of our challenge to save £2.5million.

“We are still providing significant funding for this year’s event, and are glad the partnership has made the festival so successful resulting in it being saved for this year.”

Ongoing negotiations have been made with Arts Council England, the national development agency for the arts in England, to secure funding for the 2010 and 2011 festival.

The Lincoln Book Festival will take place from Wednesday, May 12 until Sunday, May 16 at various venues across Lincoln, and will feature a programme of events for the whole family, including themed days, workshops, theatre, poetry and performance.

Details of authors attending the festival have yet to be confirmed.

Now you can moan about your man online.

Women do not necessarily need to have a terrible boyfriend to agree that men have their fair share of irritating moments.

What is important is to get those boyfriend annoyances out of your system before they start affecting a relationship.

A new, women-only social networking site has been launched allowing women the forum to do just that.

YourBoyfriendTheBastard.com is a social networking site offering scorned girlfriends a place to let off some steam and relieve those boyfriend irritations, while remaining totally anonymous so their better, or worse, half does not find out.

The site was set up by a couple of girlfriends who came up with the idea while chatting on the phone, discussing how irritating boyfriends can be.

The girls say, however, that the arena is not a man-hating site but merely a place where women can get things off their chest in an anonymous, man-free environment.

Emily Pheby, a 19-year-old sales assistant from Lincoln, is currently in a long-term relationship but says there are a lot of things that irritate her when it comes to her boyfriend.

“There are differences between me and my boyfriend that are really annoying,” she explained.

“One thing I hate is how he’s a lot smarter than I am and how he corrects my grammar. He asks me questions I won’t know the answer to just to prove it.

“I hate having to make all the effort to see him as well. We have a long-distance relationship at the moment but he expects me to make all the arrangments to see one another.

“The worst thing is when he’s not feeling cuddly when I am – which, unfortunately, is most of the time.

“Thinking about it, why am I with him again? I guess it isn’t really anything a good old-fashioned moan can’t sort out.”

Meanwhile, 26-year-old Kat Turner, of the Bailgate area of Lincoln, has been with her boyfriend since school and says that complaining can be healthy for a relationship.

“If I didn’t have a whine about him every now and again, I don’t think it would have lasted so long,” she said.

“If I moan to my friends instead of directly at him, then it saves on having a pointless argument.

“Even after eight years, there are certain things that still annoy me.

“In the early part of the relationship, there’d be compliments all the time but now they’ve run dry and are just saved for the occasional drunken text.

“If I could change anything, it would be nice for him to treat the relationship how he did in the beginning. But I guess no-one is perfect and I’m sure he has some complaints about me.”

The 22-20s return.

Amidst the stranglehold of the New Rock Revolution, overcast in ripped leather and black denim, Sleaford-born quartet the 22-20s achieved the impossible by breaking out of rural Lincolnshire and taking their burdened brand of blues to the undeserving masses.

In 2004, the band released their eponymous debut, which raged with an unbridled intensity, deeply-rooted in a world governed by love, loyalty, attraction and betrayal. However, two years later and dissolution was imminent, with the band claiming they no longer felt comfortable in the skin they had crafted.

The 22-20s are, quite probably, the greatest band to come out of Lincolnshire and it is with both eager anticipation and baited breath that four years since their split, they announce their absolution, ushering in the new decade with resolve and a second album.

As teenagers, guitarist and singer Martin Trimble, and bass player Glen Bartup, both from Sleaford, would play blues covers at venues across the width and breadth of Lincolnshire.

They recorded a four-track demo, featuring songs such as Devil In Me and Such A Fool, which would prove to be the blueprint for their eponymous, critically-acclaimed debut album.

It would be easy to regurgitate a number of rock-review cliches when reminiscing about the 22-20s, which is surely to the credit of their classic and timeless sound.

Faceless music hacks could probably fill glossy supplement pages with something along the lines of a blue-rock explosion, channelling the spirit of Robert Johnson, possessed by the devil at the crossroads to whom he sold his soul, turned on its head and distilled through Jack White’s MXR Mico-Amplifier with the distortion thrown into overdrive.

But that would be too easy.

The 22-20s managed to create a comfortable sound, built around the juxtaposition of natural-sounding riffs and an impulsive rhythm section, augmented by the increasingly impressive vocal range of Trimble.

The blues are dangerous, promiscuous, ambiguous and amongst everything else, hopeless. But now, thanks to the 22-20s, the blues are back.

In light of the return, the band have posted two new tracks: a live recording of Ocean, and a new track, under the title Latest Heartbreak.

To have a listen, visit their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/2220s

Police shelve 1 in 6 crimes.

One in six crimes in Lincolnshire were “screened out” by police last year, it has been revealed.

Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that 7,849 crimes were not investigated by Lincolnshire Police, and instead filed as completed without the need for any further investigation.

In 2009, a total of 51,341 crimes were reported to the county’s force – meaning 15 per cent – or approximately one in six – weren’t investigated.

Lincolnshire Police’s Crime Registrar, Pete Bray, said that the term “screened out” refers to those crimes which do not need any further investigation and can be filed as completed.

“A decision is made about whether a crime is screened in or out after viewing all the information available after an initial investigation, whether it be by telephone or by physical attendance.

“We ask if further investigation is going to lead to the detection of the offence, and if it is an effective use of resources. A judgement is made on each crime based on these questions.”

When crimes have been screened out, no officer visits the scene of the crime and no attempt is made to catch the culprit.

Lincolnshire Police also said screening out was necessary in order to make best use of limited resources.

SEE PAGE 2.

Shortfall of cash means thousands are getting away with their crimes.

Under-funding has been blamed, but the fact remains that thousands of criminals in Lincolnshire are simply getting away with it.

Approximately 8,000 reported crimes were “screened out” last year – meaning no further investigations were done and no-one was arrested.

In many cases, no officer even attended the crime scene.

Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that last year, 7,849 crimes were “screened out”, due to an offence going undetected, or by being marked as an ineffective use of resources.

In 2008, 10,059 crimes out of 56,734 were “screened out”, while in 2007 the total was 9,003 out of 55,277.

Police say under-funding is to blame, but victims of crime say it is galling to know that police sometimes don’t even try to find offenders.

Lincolnshire Police’s Crime Registrar, Pete Bray, said: “A decision is made about whether a crime is screened in or out after viewing all the information available after an initial investigation, whether it be by telephone or by physical attendance.

“The issue of available evidence is important in the decision as to whether a crime should be screened in or out. A lack of evidence will make it difficult to detect an offence or secure a conviction.”

Victim of crime Gawaine Clark cor had his turbo-charged 300bhp Subaru Impreza rally car stolen from Langworth in November 2008.

Mr Clark, who owns Langworth Motors, had spent thousands of pounds on the vehicle, which was never recovered by police.

He said he finds the police method of “screening out” crimes frustrating. “I can’t say I’m surprised this is a method police use, but I can say I’m frustrated by it,” said Mr Clark, 43.

“I appreciate police have budget constraints, but I don’t trust them to follow up a crime to the extent it should be. It was important to me not only to get back a valuable piece of kit, but that the people responsible were brought to justice.

“It’s galling that some cases will not be investigated properly, meaning they are often never solved.”

Lincolnshire Police Authority member Chris Underwood-Frost, said Lincolnshire should be proud of its force, and that they were doing the best they could with the resources available from the Government.

“The delivery of a police officer’s duties in Lincolnshire stacks up,” he said. “It is deemed that Lincolnshire police officers work extremely hard, and we should be proud of our , who do face difficulties.

“We have put in robust requests to the Government for funding, and have said policing and the safety of Lincolnshire people is paramount.

“Significant issues with funding are going to happen in the next few years.

“The number of crimes is the number of crimes. Those who engage themselves with criminal activity will carry on doing whatever they will need to do.

“The issue here is that, in terms of policing, Lincolnshire has its own quirky difficulties, which may not be high on an agenda elsewhere.

“The Lincolnshire force has to police a sparsely-populated, rural area in the best possible way with the money we’ve got.

“Policing a wide area can be more costly than policing a metropolitan city – it’s hardly surprising there are concerns with how policing will go in Lincolnshire.”

Are women more selfish than their men?

Men have won a crucial round in the ongoing battle of the sexes – by proving that they take a more selfless approach to relationships than women.

A new survey has revealed that men are more likely to sacrifice their own happiness for that of their partner – whereas ladies are far more likely to put themselves first.

Women vastly outstrip men in the selfish stakes, being nearly three times as likely as men to put their belongings first, according to the survey by Legal and General.

British men also proved that they would be more prepared to undertake personal burdens and social sacrifices so their partner didn’t have to.

Nearly a quarter of British men – 24 per cent – said that they would give up chocolate to save their partner from doing so, while only one in ten women would return the favour.

Men are also the more generous sex when it comes to volunteering to be the nominated driver.

More than a quarter – 27 per cent – said they would do this, compared with just over one in 10 women – 13 per cent – who would make the same sacrifice.

Gender roles continue to be a strong part of any relationship and the survey results support the belief that men should be chivalrous and sacrifice things for their partner.

Steph Senyszyn, a 22-year-old bar manager from Lincoln, said that she has been with her boyfriend for nearly four years and is definitely the most selfish in the relationship.

“I agree that women are more selfish than men,” she said.

“My boyfriend always jokes that when he asks to borrow something from me, I always suddenly seem to need it – even if I’ve not touched it in months.

“If he asked me to give up smoking, or something like that, I doubt that I would – even though I’ve made him do similar things a million times before.

“Maybe that’s just because I’m a bad representation of my gender.”

Meanwhile, Hannah Smith, a 20-year-old student from Welton, near Lincoln, said she didn’t think a divide between the two sexes based on selflessness was true.

“My girl friends are probably going to kill me for this but I’d put my boyfriend before my favourite possession, or anything like that,” she said.

“Hopefully, he’d do the same for me. On the whole, I’m pretty sure he would.

“Obviously, I’m speaking hypothetically – if I was in the position where I had to do something like that. I’d like to avoid giving anything up in the first place.

“I’d like my boyfriend to be happy and, if it came down to it, would do anything I could to make sure it was the case.”

Warning to drivers as thieves swipe car plates and badges.

Motorists have had badges and registration plates stolen from their cars in Lincoln.

Ford transit vans have been a particular target in the north-eastern quarter of the city.

A registration plate was taken from a van on Dowding Mews between Wednesday, January 6, and Thursday, January 7, and copper piping was stolen from a van on Lamb Gardens, St Giles, between 10am and 2pm on Tuesday 12 January.

In addition, badges were taken from the bonnets of a Renault Megane and a Honda Accord on Tower Crescent overnight on Monday.

A car parked in a garage on industrial premises at Crofton Road also had its registration plate taken, which was also reported to police on Tuesday.

In light of these incidents, police are now urging motorists to be vigilant and take extra precautions when parking.

Chief Inspector Kieran English, of Lincolnshire Police, said: “As of late, police have noticed an increase in the theft of car badges and number plates.

“It is believed they may form part of an attempt to build up a collection of these items.

“We would like to remind members of the public to keep their vehicle in a garage if they have one and, if not, park in well-lit areas if possible.”

Chief Inspector English also issued a warning to the offenders, saying the crime would be taken as seriously as any other.

“To those who commit these crimes, you may face prosecution by the police and appear in court on the matter.

“The message is simple – stop it. This is a crime and you will go to court.”

The crime prevention advice was reiterated by car breakdown and insurance company, The AA. Head of road safety Andrew Howard explained hidden areas are where thieves are most likely to operate.

“The traditional car thief doesn’t like bright light, and doesn’t like being in places where people can see him,” he said.

“One of the most important things to do is to park somewhere well-lit, with optimum visibility.

“The more hidden your car is, the more likely a thief is to operate.

“Motorists should go for areas where things are likely to be seen.

“It should also be reminded that motorists should report stolen licence plates as soon as possible.

“If your plates are stolen, you could be getting bailiffs round for any number of offences attributed to your plates, from parking fines to speeding tickets.”

Anyone who heard or saw any activity in relation to these incidents, should call Police on (01522) 532222.

Fake roadies dupe man after swiping kit from Noah And The Whale.

They are best known as the indie-folk band with the catchy hit Five Years Time.

However, following a bizarre series of events, Noah And The Whale have found themselves embroiled in an investigation resulting in thousands of pounds worth of equipment being stolen from a property in Lincolnshire.

Peter Thompson, a retired businessman, was visiting his wife at her home in Eagle, near Lincoln.

He was approached by two men, claiming to be members of Noah And The Whale’s road crew, who were experiencing difficulties with their van whilst en route to the next date of a European tour.

Mr Thompson agreed to let the men store the gear in a shed on his wife’s property.

When they returned several days later, Mr Thompson gave them the keys so they could re-load the van themselves.

They promptly returned the keys and paid Mr Thompson £50 for his trouble.

When he returned to the shed a couple of weeks later, however, he found the men had left behind their original gear, and had stolen 27 man-powered hydrofoils, worth a total of £16,060.

Mr Thompson is a distributor for Pumpabike Europe, who supply the water-crafts throughout the continent.

Upon further investigation, Mr Thompson found that the equipment originally stored in the shed had been stolen from the band following a gig in Manchester on September 30.

“The situation is that bizarre, it has to be true,” said Mr Thompson.

“At least the crooks gave me £50, which I spent down the boozer.”

Bass player for Noah And The Whale, Matt Owens, said that Christmas came early for the band when they were reunited with their instruments.

He said: “Through a bizarre list of incredulous events, the thieves had asked to store the gear in Peter Thompson’s shed, claiming their van had broken down.

“We would like to offer enormous thanks to Peter Thompson for reuniting us with our gear.”

Detective Sergeant Simon Akker, of Salford CID, said: “The instruments stolen from the band were of huge sentimental value, and if it had not been for the vigilance and honesty of the man who discovered them they may never have been returned.

“Special thanks must go to him for the efforts he put in to returning the stolen property to its rightful owner.

“This is an ongoing inquiry and we are determined to convict whoever is responsible.”

Band raid.

A retired businessman has had thousands of pounds worth of equipment stolen by thieves posing as roadies for a band.

Peter Thompson was visiting his wife’s house in Eagle, near Lincoln, when he was approached by two men in a white transit van.

The men claimed they were members of indie-rock band Noah and the Whale’s road crew, and were experiencing difficulties with their van while en route to the next date of a European tour.

Mr Thompson allowed the men to store the musical equipment in a shed on his wife’s property while they repaired the van.

The gear included flight cases full of instruments featuring Noah and the Whale branding.

“When the men returned several days later, I gave them the keys so they could load up the van themselves,” explained Mr Thompson.

“They paid me £50 and that was the last I saw of them.

“When I next went to the shed, I found their gear was still there and thousands of pounds worth of my stuff was missing.”

The men had stolen 27 hydrofoils worth a total of £16,060.

Mr Thompson later discovered that the musical equipment had been stolen from the band on Wednesday, September 30, following a gig in Manchester.

SEE PAGE 2.

Big Gig: Battle of the Bands.

The battle lines have been drawn for the annual Battle Of The Bands competition, which will see musicians and artists from across Lincolnshire taking part in two months of fierce competition.

Almost 40 bands and artists will fight it out for a place in the final, taking place on Saturday, March 27.

This year, the acts are fighting to win a grand prize of £500.

Second place will receive two days’ recording and one day of mixing at Lincoln’s Brick Beat Studios, along with practice time at Playing Aloud studios.

Heat one takes place this weekend, at the Duke of Wellington in Lincoln, and features a line-up including Bootleg Sunday, Bruce Tality, Reasons For Rumours, An Ocean Apart, Lipz and Prisms.

“The calibre of the bands is higher than ever before,” says competition organiser Dawn Stephenson.

“The competition is great for the bands, and shows everyone in the local music scene working together. I’m really looking forward to it.”

An Ocean Apart are one of the bands hoping to move on to the next round of the competition this weekend.

Formed six months ago, An Ocean Apart have a hardcore-metal style, drawing on influences including Converge, Parkway Drive, Born Of Osiris, and Suicide Silence.

Three of the band’s members met at college, while another two members played together in a previous band. They decided to form An Ocean Apart after a fateful, drunken night and haven’t looked back since.

The band are currently recording a five-track EP and are preparing for a self-promoted tour to take place later in the year.

Three songs are currently available on their MySpace page, including The Heath Ledger Ho-Down and Princess Diana’s Minefield.

Drummer Pete Coppin says they are excited to be a part of the competition, which showcases the best of the local music scene.

“We’ve been in this Battle Of The Bands competition before and are very excited to be a part of it again,” said Pete.

“It always packs out and the judging has always been fair.

“There’ll be lots of people dancing and having a good time, and a great atmosphere.

“Anyone thinking about going along should expect lots of good, loud music – especially from us. We’re the only metal band in this heat.

“People should expect quite a loud atmosphere when we play.

“I’ve heard all of the bands we’re up against and they’re all really good. But I think we stand a good chance of going through to the semi-finals.”

In the summer, the band will join Silver Medal Massacre and Vision Armada on the JS Records Tour, which will see them return to the Duke Of Wellington on June 2.

For more information on the band, or to preview some of their songs, visit their website at www.myspace.com/

In the know.
where: The Duke of Wellington, Broadgate, Lincoln.
when: Heat one takes place on Saturday, from 7pm.
tickets: £3 on the door before 7.30pm with a valid student card, or £5 otherwise.
booking: On the door.

Eight-week-old Bess saved by a whisker thanks to pub landlord.

A black cat crossing your path is usually a sign of good luck.

But the shoe was on the other paw for a black-and-white kitten rescued in Swinderby at the start of the year.

The eight-week-old female feline was found dumped in a carrier bag at the side of the road by a man out walking his dog.

The villager took the dying kitten to a nearby vet, who told if she could not be rehomed, she would have to be put down.

Word spread and the kitten, now christened Bess, has found a new home at The Bugle Horn Inn in Bassingham.

The owners of the pub, who trade under the name The Black Cat Real Pub Company, have adopted Bess as their new mascot, and she can often be found at the bar drinking milk alongside the regulars.

Company director Matthew Walsh said Bess was now fit and healthy, and had settled in to her new home.

“She’d made herself comfortable within half an hour of arriving here,” he said.

“We already have a black cat named Stumpy, who’s 22 years old, and they get on well.

“Bess has already used up two of her nine lives, but she’s settled in now. She quickly got her paws under the bar and she’s ready to make her debut with the customers.

“On a serious note, we were appalled at the cruelty shown to such a defenceless animal and we can only hope that people will stop and think about their actions before abandoning helpless animals in the future.

“If people find themselves with animals they are unable to cope with, a simple internet search will identify charities and organisations able to help.”

The old adage goes that a pet is for life and not just for Christmas.
However, cat carer and chairman for the RSPCA Lincolnshire branch, Karen Ansell, said that the Christmas period is undoubtedly her busiest time of year.

She said: “The number of cats I’ve adopted continues to go up over Christmas. Since the beginning of December, I’ve personally taken in 17 cats. The average for a month is usually around four or five.

“We always say to pet owners that if circumstances change, such as working longer hours or not having as much money to look after a pet, there are always charities and organisations who will take a pet in.

“If you’ve adopted from RSPCA, we will always take an animal back.

“There’s simply no need to dump a poor kitten at the side of the road. It’s ridiculous.”

Best food forward to beat cancer.

Echo readers are being urged to help beat cancer by getting involved with a 24-hour relay event.

Relay For Life will feature teams of eight people taking it in turns to walk around a track for 24 hours.

It will take place at Waddington Village Hall on Saturday, July 24.

Katie Parkin, a 41-year-old nursery worker, is helping to organise the event in memory of her five-year-old daughter Emma, who died of a brain tumour in 2001.

Mrs Parkin said: “In 2000, we received a lot of support from generous Echo readers, who read about Emma and sent in quite a bit of money.

“Thanks to readers, we were able to treat her and take her on holiday before she died.

“We want to give something back to the local community, who did so much for us.

“Anyone can join a team or get involved with Relay For Life.

“But we’re not just looking for people to join the relay teams. We’re also looking for entertainment of all different types, from live music to gymnastic acts.”

Phil Greenwood, 52, is also a helping organise Relay For Life. He said it was an opportunity for the community to get involved in helping a worthy cause.

“It’s an event to help celebrate life, and the lives of all of those affected by cancer,” he said.

“It’s a great way for the local community to get involved with raising money for a worthwhile cause, while having fun at the same time.”

This is the first time a Relay For Life event will be held in Lincoln.

Fundraising activities will also take place on the day, and donations can be made at any time.

Sue Medcalf, Cancer Research UK’s Relay For Life Development Executive for Lincolnshire said: “It’s a great way to spend time with your friends, family or work-mates.

“One-in-three people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some stage in their lives. Taking part in Relay for Life is about being part of your local community united in the belief that it can make a difference and help beat cancer.”

For more information, e-mail relayforlifelincoln@.com, or call Phil Greenwood on 07774 096883.