FATAL UPDATE: Was car shunted into path of train...?

A woman died this morning when her car collided with a train at South Drove Level Crossing in West Road South Drove, near Spalding just before nine this morning.

It is not believed there are any other casualties on the train. The road - and the Peterborough-Spalding line has been closed.

UPDATE: The Peterborough Evening Telegraph reports that the car may have been 'shunted' into the path of the train by a Transit van. It is not known whether this morning's icy conditions were a factor.

UPDATE 2: The BBC quote police at the scene saying that it appears the woman, believed to be 30, was frantically trying to get her car off the tracks when it was split in two by the train. Parts of the car were pushed a quarter of a mile down the track.

UPDATE 3: Sky now has a map of the exact location - and a harrowing photo of the car. The question the investigation will no doubt concentrate on is how long elapsed between the barriers lowering and the arrival of the train. It is reported to have been 'very, very quick'.

UPDATE 4: Tuesday's Independent newspaper says the young woman who died was a school teacher - and the train that hit her car was running two minutes early.

Quote of the Day...

If every time the IRA killed a British soldier, 100 Catholics were killed on the Falls Road, people would think it was outrageous.

Martin Linton MP, commenting on BBC TV on news that 400 Palestinians were killed in hostilities in the past week, compared to just four Israelis who died during the same period.

Meanwhile, Palestinian civilians continue to suffer most in what is now all-out war. After a week of Israeli air-strikes, some 50 Palestinians were reported killed today in the first day of the Israeli ground offensive, including five people apparently bombed in an Israeli attack on a market area in Gaza's shopping precinct.

UPDATE: from the American newswire Associated Press

Questions about Israeli utube propaganda strike...

The chilling utube video I just posted HERE is one you may have seen on television a few days ago. It was released by the Israeli propaganda machine which claimed it showed 'rockets being loaded onto a Hamas truck' .

The Israelis vapourised the truck - and all those around it - with one of their ‘precision’ missiles.

But guess what?

Now the BBC website is reporting on new evidence that suggests the ‘rockets’ may have been nothing more than oxygen tanks, and that this one Israeli attack may have killed eight Palestinian civilians.

A Gaza trucker has now apparently produced the charred oxygen tanks which he says he and his family were moving after his neighbour’s had been bombed by the Israelis.

The Israelis exploited their apparent propaganda coup by putting the video of their handiwork on u-tube, attracting more than a quarter of a million hits so far.

Let me be clear: I don’t know whether the Israelis destroyed Hamas rockets or innocent oxygen tanks.

And I don’t expect the Israelis will be impressed with the alternative view of their air-strike…

But I do wonder how many of the world’s media which lapped up the Israeli video will now revisit the story...in the interests of balance, you understand.

The truth is that few broadcasters will want to admit that they may have been sucked in by the Israeli propaganda machine. It's on the BBC website, but not sure if even the BBC have actually broadcast an update in view of the new claims from Gaza.

So don’t hold your breath…

Apologies for posting my comments separate from the video - for some reason, the ability to post comments with the video has been removed.

I can't think why, can you?

Is this Israeli utube attack on rockets or, er, oxygen tubes

BREAKING NEWS: Israeli ground troops attack Gaza

After killing 400 Palestinians in the past week - and suffering just four Israeli deaths in the same period of hostilities - in the past few minutes, Israel has confirmed that its ground forces has crossed the border into the Gaza strip...defying calls from around the world for a cease-fire.

Lincoln Theatre reluctant to admit the truth about Jade Goody

Bosses at Lincoln Theatre Royal reacted angrily to the Sunday People story that ex-Big Brother star Jade Goody was too ill to return as the Wicked Witch in their Snow White panto...

Oh yes she is coming back, they confidently told the Lincolnshire Echo rubbishing The People - despite reports that panto-fans felt short-changed.

No doubt with an eye on ticket sales, following the People's story at the weekend, Theatre manager Chris Moreno was quick to assure the Echo earlier this week:

Of course she'll be back. It's total rubbish and all they have done is made up nonsense. No-one has spoken to us at all. The People has just made this up.

Strong words.

And in an update as late as this morning, the Echo reported the less than forthcoming Mr Moreno as saying:

I don't appreciate being constantly intruded on like this.

The truth is that Jade, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer in the summer, is in the Royal Marsden Hospital for an operation to unblock a kidney.

Finally and rather belatedly, Mr Moreno admitted later today that oh no, she's not coming back.

But tonight, the Theatre Royal is still touting this sales poster advertising Jade's starring role. And the ticket sales hype still says 'Jade WILL appear...'

To use your words Mr Moreno: That's nonsense. And you know it's nonsense.

Neither Big Brother nor Gobby Jade are my cuppa - and I would rather watch grass grow than see her on stage (even if she does appear to have more than just health problems).

But I do hope 27-year-old Jade makes a full recovery soon.

And I hope the Theatre Royal stops playing silly games.

Lincs feels the chill as jobs under threat

Up to 400 jobs could be lost in the South Lincs food industry as an Icelandic owned company feels the chill of the economic downturn...

Vote Labour or the fox gets it...

As the Government's focuses on helping people get through the world economic downturn, it appears that Her Majesty's Opposition have a rather different priority...changing the law to legalise hunting animals with dogs!

I notice that the advert next to the coverage of the local Boxing Day gathering of horse and hound in my local evening paper the Peterborough Evening Telegraph has this link which leads to an appeal to stop cruelty to animals before it occurs.

Not sure whether it’s clever advertising or merely a happy juxtaposition, but good to see the RSPCA which campaigned to get hunting with dogs outlawed remains one step ahead!

Tory moves to bring back hunting with dogs reminds me of a now classic leaflet produced in the parliamentary by-election in Eddisbury in the late 1990s, when fox-hunting became a dominant issue.

Sadly, I no longer seem to have a copy, but well remember the headline:

Vote Labour or the fox gets it!

Award for our MP...

Congratulations to MP John Hayes who has been named Parliamentary Disability Charity Champion for his work to support brain-injured people and their carers.

John, MP for South Holland and The Deepings, was presented with the Disability Champion Award by Esther Rantzen at a ceremony at the Epolitix Charity Awards.

He suffered a serious head injury himself when he was in his early 20s and made an excellent recovery. Now, as an MP, he holds regular fund-raising events including an annual parliamentary cricket match, to help raise the profile of the Headway charity.

Police hunt hare coursers

Pleased to see Lincolnshire Police making arrests of lawbreakers who descend on our county at this time of the year for illegal hare-coursing. Lincs Free Press

Lucky escape for Deeping family...

Stamford Mercury.

Government Boost for Lincs Fire Service

BBC

Gentleman of Deepings surfs on...

Sad to pass on Christmas Day news of the death of gentleman John Hollman, father of Deepings Olympic athlete Julie.

The family have been neighbours here in Church Street, Deeping St James for a quarter of a century and I had the privilege of knowing John. A couple of years ago he was clearing out his garage and flogged me an old windsurfer, complete with sail which he said was clogging up his garage.

Now it's clogging up my garage! In the unlikely event that I ever make it on the water, I'll be thinking of John.

Sadly, John was not well enough to travel to Beijing as planned earlier this year to see his daughter take part in the Olympics in the heptathlon - but I know that seeing TV coverage of her competing on the world stage must have given him great comfort.

Thoughts with John's wife Carole and all the family.

(Photo: Peterborough Evening Telegraph).

A family's tragedy at Christmas...

A terrible loss for a 14-year-old to die at any time of the year, but this in Christmas week seems even more tragic.

Touching words from Chris Beckett, Head Teacher at Deepings School, commenting on the death of Danielle Beaver in a road accident earlier this week.

Danielle is the fourth Deepings student to die on the roads in the past two years.

I'm sure that our thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones, particularly in such tragic circumstances.

Why Cameron's team are revolting...

...And why they have so little to say on the current economic downturn (for the rest of us).

Anyway, it's in the FT.

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