MP Hayes praises community and police response to '˜dreadful tragedy'

John Hayes, MP for South Holland and the Deepings, described the fatal shootings of Lance Hart, his wife Claire and student daughter Charlotte as a “dreadful business”.

In addition, Mr Hayes praised the “profssionalism and efficiency” of the emergency services who responded to the unprecedented incident in Spalding, near Castle Swimming Pool, Pinchbeck Road, at about 9am yesterday (Tuesday).

Mr Hayes said: “We know that this was a contained incident, essentially a domestic matter between people who were well-known to each other as family members.

“We also know that this was not related to community tension issues or any other things people might have been worried about, including organised crime and terrorism.

“It’s clearly a tragedy for which the police response was immediate and in significant numbers.

“The ambulance response was efficient as well, a response which was with speed and care.”

Mr Hayes took time to condemn the reported remarks of Lincolnshire County Council member for Spilsby Fen, Coun Victoria Ayling, who stood for UKIP in the recent election for a Police and Crime Commissioner in the county.

Coun Ayling was reported, by a national newspaper, as saying that “gang warfare” was taking place in Lincolnshire which she blamed on migrants from eastern European countries caught up in a “vicious war in price-cutting and who’s going to do what jobs”.

Mr Hayes said: “There are those who will disgracefully attempt to use this tragedy to justify all kinds of arguments about community cohesion or the lack of it.

“If anything, the response from the community of Spalding shows just how responsible and decent people from this area are.

“Everyone, from the local British Red Cross to the staff at Morrison’s (in Pinchbeck) and countless numbers of the community, as well as our local emergency services, have behaved with professionalism, care and concern for our town, our district and its people.

“I’m proud of local people here and I’m certainly not going to tear or run them down as some others care to do.”

Also responding to Coun Ayling’s commments, Holbeach parish and district Coun Paul Foyster of UKIP said: “I am sorry that Victoria’s remarks have been twisted for the Express headline that resulted from her statement.

“I have asked her not to comment on South Holland matters without talking to our branch first because although we may share some of Boston’s problems, we are not the same place.”

Continuing with his own tribute to Lance Hart, Coun Foyster said: “As it happens, I am a frequent customer of the firm where Mr Hart worked and knew him well enough to be deeply shocked as to his alleged actions.

“Lance was always a friendly, polite and pleasant man and his remaining family and friends must be devastated.”