INQUEST OPENS INTO MARCH WOMAN S DEATH MARCH: An inquest has opened into the death of a woman whose body was recovered from the River Nene in March on Saturday, after it was spotted by passing members of the public The inquest into the death of Lin

INQUEST OPENS INTO MARCH WOMAN'S DEATH

MARCH: An inquest has opened into the death of a woman whose body was recovered from the River Nene in March on Saturday, after it was spotted by passing members of the public

The inquest into the death of Linda Sutcliffe, 63, of Creek Road, March, was opened and adjourned by Fenland coroner William Morris on Wednesday. Drowning was given as her cause of death.

Police were called to the River, near North Drive recreation field, at 4.10pm on Saturday after Mrs Sutcliffe's body was spotted.

The area was cordoned off while the body was recovered by specialist teams. The force helicopter also attended.

A police spokesman confirmed the death was not suspicious.

FENMARC AXE JOBS AT THEIR WELSH FACTORY

MARCH: Vegetable preparation specialist Fenmarc is axing jobs at its food plant in North Wales.

Managers at Wrexham announced this week that 64 jobs would be lost in total, 16 salaried and 48 workers on hourly pay.

Wrexham's Pann Krisp company was taken over by LifeCrown of which Fenmarc is a subsidiary two years ago in a deal which it hoped would secure its future.

Mark Harrod, the company chairman, said at the time that the combined business would employ nearly 1,000 people, with a £130 million turnover, and Asda accounting for 95 per cent of it.

JAIL FOR MAN WITH NO JOB, NO INCOME

WISBECH: A Lithuanian man with no job, no income and just a derelict building for a home was jailed for two months when he admitted a fifth shop lifting offence.

Genrikas Dulko, 42, admitted stealing a bottle of whisky and some cooked chicken from the Asda store in Wisbech on Monday, claiming he had been drunk at the time of the offence.

"When he is not working, these offences come up with frightening regularity," solicitor Anita Waterman told Fenland magistrates. "He feels that custody is inevitable."

The court revoked previous sentences for theft, and gave him a two month concurrent sentence for all offences.

HOSPITAL TO GET BOOST FROM MARATHON

FENLAND: Stuart Sewell is running the London Marathon on Sunday to raise money for the hospital which has cared so well for his father.

Mr Sewell, 37, will be raising money for Papworth Hospital where his father Trevor has undergone two heart by-pass operations.

The yard foreman at Edwards Buildbase in Station Road, March, lives in Leverington and has been running with Fenland Running and Athletic Club for more than two years.

His aim is to secure a time of under four and a half hours and more than £400 has already been pledged by customers, family and friends.

TWO INVOLVED IN FIGHT ARE SENTENCED

CHATTERIS: Two men involved in a fight in Chatteris High Street were both given community sentences this week, after admitting affray.

Levi Richards, who head butted a man in full view of the police during the fracas, was given a two month curfew order, keeping him indoors between 9pm and 7am, and he was ordered to pay his victim Alan Newman £100 compensation.

Richards,18, of High Street, Chatteris, who also admitted two charges of assault, must also take part in a "Think First" programme.

Gavin Barker, 21, of Neils Way, Chatteris, who threw punches after getting involved in the scuffle, was told he must take part in aggression replacement training.

Both men will be supervised by the probation service for the next 18 months, and must pay £60 costs.

JAIL FOR BREACH OF SUSPENDED SENTENCE

MARCH: Natasha Brady was jailed for 21 days, after admitting a second breach of her suspended sentence.

Brady, 20, was originally given an eight-week suspended sentence for possessing cannabis with intent to supply, back in August of last year

On Tuesday Fenland magistrates were told that Brady, of Burrowmoor Road, had missed appointments with the probation service on March 10 and 19.

She had completed 99 of the 140 unpaid work hours she was ordered to carry out, and had complied with supervision for nine months.

OLD FRIENDS COME TOGETHER FOR PARTY

WISBECH: Old friends Alice Pond and Lily Walsh will be celebrating Alice's 100th birthday tomorrow.

The pair moved from their Essex homes in to a bungalow in Stow Road, Wisbech about 10 years ago after their husbands died.

They became friends nearly 30 years ago through their husbands.

Mrs Walsh, 87, said: "I decided to move to Wisbech to be closer to my family and didn't want Alice to be left on her own so asked to come with me.

"We get on well together. I've taken her away on holidays and we've always been able to have a laugh.

"Alice has been a good girl. She eats well and she doesn't drink or swear.

"I hope we will be celebrating another one of her birthdays in 10 years' time."

MASSIVE CONTRACT FOR DONARBON

CAMBS: A £730 million contract that will see thousands of tonnes of Cambridgeshire waste composted or recycled was officially signed this week.

Cambridgeshire County Council and local company Donarbon Waste Management Limited signed the 28-year contract, at the special event.

The new contract will see the most modern recycling facilities in the eastern region built at Waterbeach to help reduce the waste from Cambridgeshire's growing population.

The council has been successful in attracting £35 million in Government PFI credits to help pay for the scheme.

The centrepiece of the plans is a state of the art Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) plant which sorts "black bag rubbish", removing material for recycling before producing a compost-like material. But waste chiefs made it clear that this technology should not be seen as an alternative to using existing kerbside recycling services as kerbside sorting results in higher quality materials for recycling. It is instead a way of capturing materials that are harder to separate at the kerbside.

The Waste PFI Project is a long-term Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract that includes the design, build and management of new facilities to collect waste from householders in Cambridgeshire.

The scheme will also include a visitor centre where people, including local children, will be able to learn more about recycling and find out about the MBT plant, which uses environmentally friendly methods to treat waste. Additional facilities for the composting of kerbside collected kitchen and garden waste will also be provided under the new contract.