A 34-YEAR-old Immingham lorry driver caught up in the M180 chaos on Tuesday was taken by air ambulance to Hull Royal Infirmary hospital.

The driver, whose condition was described by police yesterday as "improved", was trapped in his cab after hitting the rear of a white articulated lorry.

The collision between the two lorries resulted in the entire three lanes of the motorway being blocked.

This incident was part of a series of collisions on the M180 in North Lincolnshire to which police are appealing for witnesses.

The collisions occurred at 3.15pm involving traffic caught in a tailback following an earlier incident involving an overturned caravan on the eastbound carriageway between Junction 4 and Junction 5.

The caravan was being towed by an Alfa Romeo when it became detached from the car and overturned.

Police attended the scene and lanes one and two were closed to allow recovery of the caravan.

As tailbacks grew, a silver Fiat Punto then collided with the rear of a blue Mercedes car and the rear of a blue articulated lorry.

The Punto driver, a 19-year-old Scunthorpe woman, sustained minor injuries and a 25-year-old Scunthorpe woman, travelling in the rear of the Punto, was described as being in a critical condition.

Witnesses are asked to call 101 quoting log 433 of July 16, 2013.

MANY hands make light work – no matter how big or small they are.

Grimsby gardening group Big Hands Little Hands are sprucing up Hainton Avenue with their green-fingered efforts – be it growing fresh vegetables or styling a stunning hanging basket.

Based at the community- minded Yes Chef Café in the Avenue, it is the brainchild of co-owner Penny Thompson, 43, who hopes it will help promote healthy eating and happy customers outside of her kitchen.

She said: "We have always grown our own herbs and lettuces for the kitchen, then we started growing strawberries and tomatoes and helping customers to do the same, and it went from there.

"Now it is starting to change the environmental aesthetics of the area, people are buying and hanging out our baskets, which make people happy. I like to think of it as an everlasting legacy. It doesn't need to be much, it just has to have a positive impact on the community."

There are currently 72 members of the group, who in ten months have transformed the small corridor-shaped garden of the café into a colourful haven.

Chairman Rob Thompson said: "It is about getting people interested in healthy eating and living and to encourage the community to get together and enjoy gardening.

"The café garden is looking really nice."

They are supported by Hainton Neighbourhood Forum, Grimsby's Howard Grove Gardening Club, conservationist, Ernie Brown and Green Futures in Bradley.

Councillor Carl Wilson (Heneage, Lab), is thrilled with the progress of the club.

He said: "This is all about people helping themselves to make the community better. It raises other people's aspirations in the area and it isn't about having acres and acres of garden, it can be the smallest space but as long as it is used well it makes a huge difference."

Member Ken Smith, 40, of Hainton Avenue, said: "We have great camaraderie and banter and when I look at what we have achieved I feel proud. This area doesn't have much but we are putting back into it."

Big Hands Little Hands is holding a Connect Four Championship throughout the six-week holiday.

If you want to become a member, pop into Yes Chef Café. Membership costs £1 a year and includes discounts off workshops and day trips.

A VIOLENT confrontation escalated when a man angrily bit into the cheek of his girlfriend's father and threatened him with a broken bottle, Grimsby Crown Court heard.

Daniel Kirk, 25, of Garibaldi House, Albion Street, Grimsby, admitted affray on September 9.

James Byatt, prosecuting, said Kirk became involved in a confrontation with his ex-girlfriend, Charlotte Smith, and her father, Geoffrey.

Kirk knocked Mr Smith's glasses off, there was a violent struggle and both men threw punches.

Kirk pulled 63-year-old Mr Smith's head towards him and bit him on the cheek, biting into the flesh and causing "unreal" pain.

Kirk broke a bottle on a paving slab and lunged with it towards Mr Smith, who was "frightened to death" and feared he would be "stabbed to death".

Mr Smith had been a prison warder during the Strangeways riot in Manchester and later said it was the "scariest experience he had ever faced".

Simon Hirst, mitigating, said it was a disgraceful incident but there had been no further problems.

Kirk was in well-paid work. The relationship with mother-of-two Charlotte Smith was at an end.

Kirk was given a one-year suspended prison sentence and a one-year restraining order banning him from contacting the Smiths or going to their home in Ladysmith Road, Grimsby.

He was ordered to pay £400 compensation and a Government-imposed £100 victims' surcharge.

As people across North East Lincolnshire digest the news that their NHS Trust is now in special measures, bosses at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals explain what it all means as health reporter Katie Blackburn hears from the public.

"THOSE who have made this hospital what it is today should hang their heads in shame, I do wonder how they sleep at night. Resign now, no golden handshakes for the board either."

That's the opinion of a Grimsby Telegraph reader following Tuesday's damning Keogh Review report into services at Grimsby's Diana, Princess Of Wales Hospital.

Following the report – which unveiled a catalogue at failures at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – it was placed into special measures and will be twinned with another NHS organisation to offer help and support.

Dr Liz Scott, medical director at the Trust, which runs Grimsby's Diana, Princess Of Wales Hospital, said being in special measures meant more intense scrutiny to ensure 18 action points set out by the head of NHS England, Sir Bruce Keogh, will be met.

"As part of this we will be offered a lot of support by working closely with another NHS organisation, hopefully similar to our own which operates over lots of different sites and are small," she said.

"As yet we do not know which organisation we will be linking with."

As people across the borough digest the news, many have turned to www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk to express how they feel.

Some have called for Trust bosses to resign.

A comment from Xyz-123 said: "Those who have made this hospital what it is today should hang their heads in shame, I do wonder how they sleep at night. Resign now, no golden handshakes for the board either."

Gaz1966 said: "They should scrap all the directors and ward managers and stop this selfish gain attitude and employ people who WANT to NURSE and WANT to CARE.

H_Newton left an online comment which stated: "The Chief Executive and the Medical Director are quite clearly unable to manage their procedures and staff levels appropriately.

"They should both resign immediately."

In response to this, Dr Scott was asked if any of the management team would step down.

She said: "Absolutely not, all of us are committed to improving the Trust.

"The report has made uncomfortable reading, but actions have already been taking place before this review came out to improve things."

The action points include:

The Trust should minimise patient transfers. A move needs to be discussed with clinicians to agree the impact that it would have on clinical care.

Review medical cover out of hours and provide more senior cover to ensure safe standards.

The Trust needs to work with the Clinical Commissioning Group to urgently address the provision of stroke services out of hours.

Ensure that staffing levels and levels of training on wards are sufficient to provide appropriate levels of basic care to patients.

MEP Godfrey Bloom is glad that special measures are now in place for 11 trusts, including North Lincolnshire.

He said: "Confidence in the NHS has been very badly shaken by incidents including the Staffordshire Hospital scandal, and patients need to feel safe when they are at their most vulnerable.

"There must be urgent changes to ensure patient safety is, as it obviously should always be, the priority."

An online poll on www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk asking people if they think hospital services need to improve, showed 88 per cent thought it did, with 12 per cent saying it did not.

TRAVELLERS remain in Laceby and rumours are circulating around the village that they have been given permission to stay.

An anonymous caller told the Telegraph that the chairman of Laceby Parish Council, Dave Marshall, had told travellers – who have settled in a field of Butt Lane – that they could stay there for two weeks.

However, Mr Marshall said the suggestion was "pure rumour and speculation".

He said: "I went down there to talk to them and they were perfectly respectful but the council can not, has not, and will not, give permission to stay.

"We sympathise with anyone who needs somewhere to go, but the land is not owned by the parish council, so the decision is not in our hands."

A BRAVE pensioner valiantly fought back when a brazen burglar suddenly walked into his home, grabbed a television and violently pushed him away in a desperate bid to flee.

But the plucky have-a-go householder was determined not to let him escape and repeatedly grabbed hold of the intruder to stop him escaping, a court heard.

Kye Evans, 24, of Langton Drive, Grimsby, admitted burglary, criminal damage and obstructing police on June 1.

Jeremy Evans, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that Thomas Devaney, 68, was watching television at his home in the early hours when an intruder walked in to the lounge, sat down next to him and started watching the television without saying a word.

Without warning, he said: "I'm taking the telly" but Mr Devaney bravely tried to stop him doing so.

Evans pushed him against the settee, causing him to lose his footing, and he grabbed the television. He headed towards the door of the house in Crowle Drive, Grimsby, but Mr Devaney grabbed him around the waist to stop him moving. Evans broke free but Mr Devaney grabbed him and both men lost their balance.

Evans dropped the TV, picked up a glass candle and warned the pensioner: "If you get back up, I'm going to glass you with this."

Mr Devaney was determined that Evans "would not get away with it" and showed "quite remarkable presence of mind".

He locked both the front door and the back door from the outside with Evans inside and alerted a neighbour, who raised the alarm.

Evans smashed his way out of a kitchen window, injuring himself and leaving himself with a bloody face. He was found outside.

The neighbour stopped him leaving but Evans, in a "spiteful and deliberate" act of revenge, stood on the television and smashed it.

Evans was treated in hospital for a head wound and tried to run away.

He was arrested and a police officer suffered injuries during a confrontation.

Richard Hackfath, mitigating, said Evans "felt very bad" about the burglary, acted out of character and had later expressed concern for the pensioner.

"He considers he has gone beyond the pale on this occasion," said Mr Hackfath.

"He wasn't out to burgle or pick upon a vulnerable member of society."

Evans claimed he "didn't know what he was doing" because he had been drinking and taking MCat. He was "guilt-ridden" and very remorseful and had been out of trouble for about three years.

Judge David Tremberg told Evans that most burglars avoided confrontations with householders but he continued to stay there and later used and threatened violence.

He caused "gratuitous" damage to the pensioner's television "just out of spite".

Evans, who had convictions for 36 previous offences, was jailed for two years and eight months.

JUST because it's the close season, that doesn't mean we can't enjoy some more Mariners Memories!

Over the following weeks, I will be going back to when the Mariners beat all the current Premier League sides.

We have already re-visited famous victories over Liverpool, Everton and Newcastle.

Today we're going back nearly 22 years to when Town beat Sunderland at their old Roker Park stadium.

The season 1991/92 saw both teams in Division Two – today's championship – with Town enjoying a reasonable start; winning three, drawing two and losing two of their opening seven games to leave them in 12th – just in the top half of the table.

Town fielded a side depleted by injuries to Neil Woods, John Cockerill and Kevin Jobling.

However, skipper Shaun Cunnington was making his first start of the season after being out with an infection.

In goal was the famous Steve Sherwood of Watford fame, and the back four consisted John McDermott, Paul Agnew, Marc Lever and Paul Futcher.

Midfield consisted of Jim Dobbin alongside Cunnington with Gary Childs and Dave Gilbert operating as wing-halves.

Sunderland notably included Tony Norman in goal, Paul Bracewell, Peter Davenport, Kevin Ball, Gordon Armstrong and Marco Gabbiadini.

In front of 16,535 fans (including yours truly) a windy Saturday afternoon saw Town make a promising start.

On eight minutes, Town's first corner, taken by Gilbert, was swung in to the far post and Jones got in with a stooping header which was saved by the outstretched hand of the keeper.

However, it wasn't long before the home fans would be in for a shock as centre back Bennett slipped, allowing Mark Smith to break clear.

The Town striker could have gone all the way but he unselfishly slipped the ball to Dobbin, who unleashed a super shot into the bottom right-hand corner to record his first league goal as a Mariner.

Sunderland came back at Town and on 22 minutes the visitors had a let-off when Childs lost possession to Davenport, who sped down the left before slipping the ball inside to Colin Pascoe.

He laid the ball off to the advancing John Kay, but with only Sherwood to beat, the full-back sliced the ball wide.

The home side were coming into the game more and more and were screaming for a penalty minutes later after Gabbiadini was felled inside the box by Futcher, however, their appeals were waived away by referee John Key.

The half didn't end without further drama as, in the 41st-minute, Town were nearly gifted a second goal when Bracewell chipped the ball back to keeper Norman, only for the ball to go over his head and clip the bar.

Gabbiadini was replaced by German Thomas Hauser at the break as Sunderland looked to go for a more direct approach.

And it worked – Hauser had two good chances with headers – the first going wide and the second saved point-blank by Sherwood.

Town survived the first 20 minutes well but Sunderland were still dangerous on the break.

That paid off in the 81st minute when, following a corner from the right, Hauser headed down at the far post, with the ball falling to Pascoe who scooped the ball over Sherwood into the top corner.

Would Town cave in? Not a chance!

A couple of minutes later, the visitors worked the ball well down the left and it was fed into Cunnington who unleashed a fierce left foot shot.

In fairness, there was a slight deflection off Gordon Armstrong, which wrong-footed the keeper as the ball flew past him into the net.

Town's travelling fans weren't bothered in the least – their side had scored what proved to be the winner!

Town went on to complete the double over the Rokerites that season with a 2-0 victory at Blundell Park the following April.

But this was to be the last time that Town beat Sunderland away from home. Since their move to the Stadium of Light in 1997, the Mariners have only played there twice – once in the league and once in the Worthington Cup – and lost on both occasions.

At the end of the 91/92 season, both teams finished on 53 points – just avoiding relegation.

Graham Precious, the Mariners Trust

A FACEBOOK user who stirred up "appalling, racist and anti-religious" hatred about burning down a Grimsby mosque has been jailed for eight weeks.

His remarks were "beyond the pale" and could easily have fanned the flames of more racial and religious hatred, Grimsby Magistrates' Court heard.

Terence Baker, 25, of Columbia Road, Grimsby, admitted sending an offensive or menacing message on May 24.

Brendan Woodward, prosecuting, said Baker posted messages on his Facebook site after the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich.

He made comments about the Grimsby mosque being burned down.

"The comments were quite inflammatory in nature, particularly in the context of what was occurring at that time," said Mr Woodward.

"He was asked about their extreme nature in relation to burning the mosque down but he declined to comment."

Gemma Greetham, mitigating, said Baker no longer had his Facebook account.

"He foolishly put these comments on Facebook but realised what he had done the following day, deleted the comments and deactivated his Facebook account.

"He has no desire to reactivate that account."

Baker had been working sporadically doing garden clearance work for a friend two or three days a week.

District judge Daniel Curtis told Baker: "I am quite sure there wasn't a single person in this country who wasn't shocked and appalled by the atrocious murder of Lee Rigby in Woolwich some time ago.

"The majority of the population have responded to that awful offence with dignity in an appropriate way with remorse and compassion.

"You did not fall in to that category. Your response to that, and an attack in this town on a local mosque, was frankly beyond the pale.

"Your remarks are appalling, racist and anti-religious in relation to a religion you clearly do not understand.

"Your remarks could have stirred up even further racial hatred and religious hatred.

"I have to make it clear to people who want to stir up this sort of religious hatred that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated."

ROB Scott has challenged his Grimsby Town players to step it up a gear with higher calibre opposition now on the horizon.

After wins over Cleethorpes Town, Winterton Rangers and Brigg Town, the Mariners face a Lincolnshire Senior Cup tie against Scunthorpe United on Saturday, followed by clashes with Bradford and Hull.

THE woman who was seriously injured in a collision on the M180 on Tuesday afternoon remains in a critical condition in intensive care at Hull Royal Infirmary today.
Danielle Thompson, 25-years-old, of Scunthorpe, was travelling as a rear seat passenger in a silver coloured Fiat Punto when it was in collision with a blue Mercedes car and subsequently the rear of a blue articulated lorry.
She was flown by air ambulance to hospital and is being treated for head injuries.
The collision was one of a number that happened in tailbacks on the motorway following an earlier incident involving an overturned caravan.
The family of Danielle Thompson are obviously very concerned about her condition and wish to be given privacy at this time.
Meanwhile investigations into the incident are ongoing and anyone who has information but has not yet spoken to police is asked to contact the non emergency number 101 referring to log 433 of 16 July 2013.

A WOMAN has been arrested in Skegness following an incident which prompted a police firearms response.

At 12.39pm on Wednesday, police were contacted by staff at Seathorne Primary School, in Skegness, reporting that the occupant of a house in Spirewic Avenue, whose garden backs on to the school grounds, was firing pellets into the school, possibly from a BB gun.

The children had been moved inside the school straight away and police swiftly attended the scene immediately.

A 34 year-old woman from Wainfleet has been arrested at the address on suspicion of possesion of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of harm. She is currently being interviewed at Skegness Police Station whilst officer continue to search the house.

Staff at the school are liaising with parents to inform them of the incident and a number of Neighbourhood Policng Team officer are providing reassurance in the school and the wider community.

Humberside Police are investigating the incident, which happened in the early hours of Wednesday morning on Alexandra Road.

At the time of going to press, six remained in police custody while one was receiving treatment at Grimsby's Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital.

It is understood police were seen rooting through waste bins in the area.

A Humberside Police spokesperson said it would take time for the full facts of what has happened to become clear.

She said:"The investigation is in the very early stages and the exact circumstances of the incident are still to be established."