GET your dancing shoes at the ready and enter a Strictly Come Dancing inspired competition!

Prepare to get those two left feet dancing like you have never seen before at a free dance lesson with Cliftons Dance Academy – all by answering a simple question.

Dance teacher Keith Clifton is the father of Kevin, who is appearing in the popular BBC television show as a partner to celebrity presenter Susanna Reid.

To celebrate his son's success, Keith is offering a free dance class to anyone who enters the competition.

And it gets better ... the overall winner will be given a year's worth of free lessons!

Cliftons Dance Academy has launched new Strictly-inspired adults-only classes in ballroom and Latin every Thursday at Tollbar Business And Enterprise College from 8.30pm to 9.30pm.

Keith said: "People will get the chance to learn all the basic dance steps on Strictly.

"It will be great by the time it gets to Christmas because you will know how to dance at parties.

"We teach the basic steps of waltz, quickstep, tango, cha cha, salsa and rumba.

"We will also offer ballroom and Latin for children, depending if people want it."

Keith, from Waltham, said he enjoys ballroom and Latin the most because it is something he has done all his life, being a former world champion with his wife Judy.

He said: "It's a pastime for adults they can do together, rather than a separate hobby.

"Anyone is welcome, even if you have two left feet! We also take single people and we can find them a partner to dance with."

Keith said he is immensely proud of his son making it on Strictly.

He said: "This is the biggest Saturday night BBC show and just to think that 10-million viewers will be watching and talking about Kevin is brilliant.

"I am more than proud of him, he's done really well to join his fiance Karen on the show.

"He's a kind, normal guy who is very hard-working."

As reported, Kevin is appearing on the show with his fiancee, Karen Hauer. She's been teamed up with Hairy Biker Dave Myers.

RESIDENTS are reminded to not make unnecessary 999 calls as firefighters go on a four-hour strike today.

Humberside Fire and Rescue Service will be providing a reduced emergency response service today between noon and 4pm – and is asking for help from the local community.

As reported, the industrial action is being taken over a pensions dispute with the Government.

There will be no assistance available from Ministry of Defence sources in respect of staff or equipment.

However, not all firefighters will take part in the action as not all are members of The Fire Brigades' Union (FBU). The strike will also not include control staff.

Today, Richard Hannigan, Chief Fire Officer for Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, said: "While the industrial action is taking place we will still respond to 999 calls.

"A basic level of service is in place but we are asking people to only call 999 if they really do need a fire engine. Our priority will be to respond to those calls where lives are at risk."

A non-emergency call could be to someone who is locked outside their house or where debris has fallen in the road. There are other agencies and organisations that can help in this instance.

Mr Hannigan said: "We do find ourselves in an unusual situation where we must prioritise our calls for those who are most in need of our assistance.

"However, I must emphasise that you should still call 999 in an emergency so that an experienced control room operator can deal with your situation. You must not try and call your local fire station directly."

Mr Hannigan has previously expressed disappointment at the FBU's decision.

"We understand how important pensions are to our staff, however the safety of our communities must come first and I am disappointed that members of the union have chosen to take this route," he said.

"I fully appreciate the concerns the union has over the proposed changes to pensions and hope that it is able to come to a satisfactory agreement through further discussions with government.

"We have confidence in our robust plans that will enable us to provide an emergency response service."

PHOTOGRAPHS showing a council employee's pet dog frolicking on the desks at work have sparked anger from residents.

The images were posted on the Facebook page of Lynsey Regler, who works in North East Lincolnshire Council's call centre.

Appearing under the heading "Berts first day at work!" the pictures showed the pet pooch romping around on the desk, apparently chewing a phone cable and having headphones put on it by a member of staff.

The photos prompted several light-hearted responses on Facebook.

One person posted: "Omg that's adorable"; while another wrote, "I thought most of the council operators sounded like dogs lol."

But others failed to see the funny side. One angry resident e-mailed the Grimsby Telegraph describing the photographs as "disgusting" and "proof that the council has gone to the dogs".

Meanwhile, Grimsby man Mike Clipson fired off an e-mail of complaint to council chief executive Tony Hunter.

In response, Mr Hunter said there were "specific circumstances" for the dog being allowed in to work, but accepted the Facebook pictures were "less appropriate" and wouldn't happen again.

The offending photographs were promptly removed from the page.

In his e-mail, Mr Clipson, 66 of Lambert Road, Grimsby, wrote: "There have been a good many occasions when I have rung your main line and had a great deal of difficulty getting through, while I had assumed this would be because lines were busy, I am now left with the question that possibly I was interrupting 'play time'."

In an open response copied to the Grimsby Telegraph, Mr Hunter replied: "The call centre manager Mary Vessey and I have spoken about this matter and while it would not be appropriate to share details, I would ask you to accept that there were specific circumstances which Mary took into account in allowing the puppy to be in the work environment on this occasion.

"She and I however do accept that the Facebook content was less appropriate and this won't happen again."

After being pressed by Mr Clipson to elaborate on the "specific circumstances", Mr Hunter said he was "not prepared to discuss internal matters further".

Speaking to the Grimsby Telegraph, Mr Clipson said: "There simply is no reason at all 'specific' or otherwise why this dog was at the call centre – that's a ridiculous statement for Mr Hunter to make, and I do think that this should allow the public to take their animals into the council offices.

"It may seem like an insignificant matter but it's an indication of how some council employees conduct themselves when out of the public gaze, and they do so because they feel safe to do so.

"It also demonstrates a disregard for the workplace and the property within it, which let's be fair all has to be paid for. The council are answerable to us, but they seem to forget this or even disregard this – either way it's not acceptable.

"The call centre routes calls that could be important or urgent and while someone might be urgently trying to get through, the staff were clearly not getting on the with job that they are paid to do."

Another resident said: "While the council bleat about lack of funds, their employees enjoy being paid to behave like school kids.

"This was also loaded onto Facebook while these people were at work – ie while we were paying their wages. This little dog is running about on desks. Yes, he's mega cute, but he belongs in the house not at work. The computer screens are visible while the dog frolics on the desk. Disgusting."

PAUL Hurst declared last night's performance in the 5-2 victory over Dartford as Grimsby Town's best this season – but now they have to repeat the trick.

The boss was delighted with his side's display as Town ran out convincing winners over Tony Burman's side, who had taken a shock first-half lead.

But the Mariners hit back in style with goals from Paddy McLaughlin, Shaun Pearson, Lenell John-Lewis, Scott Kerr and a fifth late on from Craig Disley.

Even Lee Noble's goal – from a hotly disputed free-kick – could not dampen the mood on a positive night at Blundell Park.

After the game, Hurst declared that Town have now 'set their standard' and insists the challenge is to replicate that showing in as many games as possible.

He said: "Without a doubt, that was our best display of the season. The lads looked confident and they gave me the fast start I wanted.

"We started the game well. Dartford did quite well on the ball as well and took the lead but I'm delighted with the response of our players.

"They've taken a bit of stick from some quarters and there's no getting away from the fact that some of it was warranted, but I keep saying that they're a good group of players and they showed signs last night of how we can play.

"We had lots of attempts at goal and lots of good forward play and we kept the ball about as well as I've seen since joining the football club.

"That's what I've been trying to get across and it all came together last night. On other days it won't – that's football.

"We've set our standard and now the task is to replicate that as many times as possible this season."

He added: "I'm not going to come out and say everything is rosy after a good win, in the same way that I'm not going to say everything is over when things aren't going for us.

"I feel that we've got a good group of players that, if we can get to those levels on a consistent basis, will give us a great chance and it will take a good team to beat us."

A MOTHER sitting outside a school drinking from a can of lager while waiting to pick up her child has caused outrage.

The unidentified parent was photographed at shortly after 3pm drinking outside Macaulay Primary Academy.

The woman, who was also smoking, was pictured sitting on railings opposite a man who was in charge of a pram in Macaulay Street, Grimsby.

It is understood they were waiting to pick up their child.

Another parent took the photo and sent it in to the Grimsby Telegraph.

They said: "I am disgusted to see a parent drinking while collecting a child outside school gates. Children being exposed to this kind of behaviour will start to believe it is acceptable if something isn't done to stop this in the future.

"Isn't it an offence to drink in public at this time?"

The woman's actions have been condemned by Macaulay Primary Academy headteacher Julie Saunders.

She said: "Clearly this is not the sort of thing we want to see outside the school; it is not a good example.

"It is the first time this has happened. I have spoken to the parents about it and have had a positive response.

"If there are any more reports like this, I shall be speaking to the PCSOs for the area."

Mrs Saunders highlighted the rules for parents dropping off and collecting children from the school.

She explained: "I do not allow smoking on our site and I have a code of conduct for parents because they come into the school. There is a level of behaviour which is not accepted.

"We do not allow smoking and there is no shouting or swearing or physical abuse and parents are not allowed to come in under the influence of drink or drugs."

North East Lincolnshire Council's portfolio holder for education, Councillor Ian Lindley, who is also a West Marsh councillor, said: "We don't like to dictate to parents about smoking and drinking, but they have to be reasonable where they do it. We are always trying to promote healthy lifestyles, particularly with children.

"Drinking in public, which we see a lot of on the West Marsh, is a difficult issue. All we can do is try to discourage people because it sends out the wrong message to young people that it is somehow socially acceptable."

The incident came as the Association of Police Chiefs launched a campaign against drinking in public and antisocial behaviour.

They claimed about half of alcohol-related incidents resulted in violence.

Humberside Police said they are carrying out increased patrols and intended naming and shaming people as part of the campaign.

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside, Matthew Grove, said: "The clear message has to be that those who drink too much need to take responsibility for their own actions and this is something I will be working to address.

"In the cold light of day, many of the people I have seen behaving badly because of drink should feel embarrassed by their actions, and we must find ways to ensure the embarrassment lasts longer than the hangover."

Only people over the age of 18 can drink in public, except in areas of towns where a designated public place order is in place.

If an area has an order, police officers have special powers to order a person to stop drinking alcohol in public and confiscate it.

Police can take away alcohol or move on under-18s if they have been drinking anywhere.

More than one in ten deaths of people in their 40s are from liver disease, most are from alcoholic liver disease.

For alcohol-related advice and information, visit www.thinkb4udrink.org

GRIMSBY Town put in a five-star performance to dispense with Dartford in convincing fashion at Blundell Park last night.

After Tony Burman's side had taken an unlikely lead, goals from Paddy McLaughlin, Shaun Pearson, Lenell John-Lewis, Scott Kerr and a late fifth for captain Craig Disley sealed an uplifting win for Paul Hurst's side.

The Town boss made one, enforced change to the team that started the draw at Chester on Saturday, with Scott Neilson coming in for the suspended Joe Colbeck.

Dartford, meanwhile, could only name four substitutes on their bench as they looked for a repeat of last season's victory at Blundell Park.

But it was their hosts who got off to the brighter start, with Ross Hannah's deep reverse cross almost finding John-Lewis at the far post.

At the other end however, Adam Birchall offered an early signal of his side's intent with a speculative 18-yard blast that sailed wide of James McKeown's right-hand post.

Neilson had looked lively in the opening exchanges, and it was his clever, first-time pass that almost set McLaughlin in on goal.

But when that push was cleared for a throw, Town worked a deep far-post cross from which John-Lewis nodded wide, following that wayward effort up with a low drive that Alan Julian claimed easily.

It was almost third time lucky for John-Lewis on 20 minutes, when the former Bury man fired inches wide of Julian's post with a well-struck effort.

Dartford had struggled to get a foothold in the game for most of the opening 25 minutes but, from nowhere, it was they who took the lead against the run of play.

A clever ball in behind Paul Bignot set Danny Harris racing through and, as the Town full-back tried to recover, the winger calmly slipped the ball past McKeown to give his side an unlikely lead, with their first shot on target.

Town nearly provided an almost instant riposte to going behind when McLaughlin's sharp, left-footed volley from the edge of the box brought the best out of Julian, who kept the ball out down low to his right.

But the hosts could have found themselves even further behind, had it not been McKeown's superb point-blank save from Ken Clark's volley.

But directly from that stop, the Mariners went back up the other end and got back on terms – in spectacular style.

The ball was worked up to Hannah, who turned and found McLaughlin, who unleashed an unstoppable 25-yard effort that arrowed into Julian's top corner – surely an early contender for goal of the season.

In truth, Town did not deserve to fall behind in the first place, and they were ahead ten minutes before the break.

When another Town foray was hastily cleared behind for a corner, Shaun Pearson was the man to meet McLaughlin's in-swinger, and the centre half nodded down and past Julian to cap a stunning eleven-minute comeback.

Hurst's rampant Mariners almost added another when John-Lewis twisted and turned in the Dartford box, but after working a yard of space, the striker badly skewed his effort high and wide.

But he was not to be denied, when yet another Town corner was cleared to the edge of the box, Neilson helped the ball back into the frontman, whose backwards header looped into the top corner with Julian rooted to his spot in the away goal.

Remarkably, Hannah almost made it four seconds later when he struck a drive that whistled past the top corner, before Town were applauded off as they made their in for the break after an engaging half of football.

The 15-minute break did nothing to quell Town's momentum and they could have gone further in front three minutes after the restart when a short corner fell to Kerr, whose side-footed effort beat everyone but Elliot Bradbrook, who cleared off the line.

Jones followed that up with a bursting run and strike from the edge of the box that Julian struggled to handle with the off-side John-Lewis looking to pounce.

Town had looked largely untroubled after coming out, but, when Dartford were gifted a free-kick on the edge of the box for what looked to be a fair challenge, the referee allowed Lee Noble to take it quickly and, with McKeown still lining up his wall, the substitute curled into the unguarded side to halve the deficit.

With that, Town appeared to lose some of the verve and intensity that had seen them dominate much of the first half.

Craig Disley replaced Jones, who looked to be in some discomfort, while Liam Hearn followed minutes later, as Hurst looked to freshen up his side.

And the latter almost had the desired impact when, after a spell of patient passing, the ball was worked to Hearn who showed a sharp turn past his marker before firing at Julian, who turned his effort around the post.

Kerr called Julian into action again with eight minutes to go as the Darts stopper sprung to keep out his dipping volley, but from the resulting corner, the former York man restored his side's two goal advantage.

From a short corner, the midfielder was allowed to advance into the box before firing a low drive that, this time, the away stopper could do absolutely nothing about.

And even after the fourth official had signalled three minutes of injury time, there was still time for Town to make it five.

Hearn looked to turn home Aswad Thomas' low cross but when that rebounded back of the post, Disley had the simplest of tasks to tap home from yards out and seal an impressive win for the Mariners.

A WINTERINGHAM man has died after falling his bicycle near Caistor on Tuesday afternoon.

Ian Cox, 48, of Western Green, fell from his bike on Bigby Hill at around 2.45pm and was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary by the air ambulance.

But Lincolnshire Police have this morning confirmed that he sadly died from his injuries.

Emergency services were scrambled to the scene and part of the A1084 was closed with traffic being diverted through Somerby for several hours.The road eventually reopened at around 7pm.

Anyone who saw the cyclist on Bigby Hill or who saw the collision is asked to contact Lincolnshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 252 of September 24.

Keep checking www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk for updates.

THE Blues were not about to let a poor all-round display stop them recording a 15-10 victory over Skegness.

The Grimsby pack continued their dominance of the opposition in the scrum from the previous week with another strong display. However, the rest of their game was far below par.

After a sluggish start, the visitors started to find their feet in the forwards with some strong runs from Luke Chaplin and Jason Stead gaining ground, but slow ball to the backs saw many passes rushed and hit the floor.

Grimsby finally strung some plays together and – with some fast rucking from Neil Corry and Mike Newman – set up a pick and go for Jordan Smith and Stead to force their way to the line, with Adam Waterman picking up to touch down for the first try of the game. The conversion was missed by Brad Watson.

As the first half continued, Grimsby's forward dominance started to show, with multiple scrums opted for from penalties in Skegness' 22.

The Blues were disappointed not to be awarded a penalty try after numerous resets before Skegness managed to clear their lines.

They started the second half well, forcing penalties early on and landing a penalty to ease some fraying nerves.

However, Grimsby sat back and Skegness took the attack to them, with impressive runs from the inside centre and some quick footwork from the wing forcing covering tackles to be made.

After 55 minutes, Skegness were camped in Grimsby's 22, and the added pressure in defence led to Grimsby conceding penalties.

Skegness opted for the tap and go from every one and eventually forced their way over for the lead with only 20 minutes to go.

The Blues stepped up the pace with fast looping rucks leading to Skegness conceding penalties close to their line.

The away side put the pressure on in a series of reset scrums before a penalty try was awarded, which was duly converted by Brad Watson, to give them a 10-15 lead.

With the final whistle closing in, Skegness attacked and broke the line but good covering from Stuart Saunders and Ryan Carr saw the visitors hold out.

Grimsby's game this weekend is at home to Leicester Vipers in the National Cup.

HAVING struggled earlier in their Premier Division season, SW Steelers appear to have turned a corner.

On Sunday, they followed-up last week's first win of the season against Wheatsheaf with an impressive 4-0 win over much fancied GTF Seas.

Steelers' player of the season last campaign – Kyle Bensley – rejoined the club on the day before the game and it was he who opened the scoring when he out-paced the defender and slotted past Seas stopper Ben Hammond.

Seas were enjoying plenty of possession, but Steelers were holding firm with centre-halves Gaz Deakins and Mark Linford both having great games.

And Steelers doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time when Seas were caught cold by a quickly-taken free-kick to Bensley, who squared the ball to Josh Braid, who knocked home.

The next goal was always going to be crucial and it was Steelers who grabbed a third when substitute Alex Webster charged down a back pass and tapped into an empty net.

Steelers keeper Jim Fenty made a couple of decent saves from long range efforts but the icing on the cake came two minutes into stoppage time when Bensley found himself in on goal again and slotted the ball home.

Steelers secretary Les Brechin said: "This weekend, we will pay our first ever visit to Barretts to take on Empire United, who have been scoring for fun recently.

"But we will go into the game with renewed confidence after the last two games."

Elsewhere in the Premier Division, Pattesons won 2-0 away to reigning champions Humberston thanks to goals from Pete Fuller and Josh Baines.

Crows Nest got their own back on Wheatsheaf when they beat them 4-0 and are sitting comfortably in second place .

Lee McFarland grabbed a hat-trick with Ryan Kelsey bagging the other for Crows.

Meanwhile, Cromwell registered their first victory when they won 1-0 against Immingham Town with a goal from Jamie Witts.

In Division One, newly-promoted Deportivo Empire beat Humberston Grosvenor 3-2 to continue their good start to the season.

Deportivo manager Richard Wood said: "It was a scrappy game and we had a few players out.

"They came at us and went 1-0 up but we turned around level and then got two quick goals early in the second half.

"Although Grosvenor are near the bottom, they worked hard and we did not cope as well as we usually do.

"On Sunday, we take on Millfields who are currently bottom – but do not read too much into that.

"We'll have prolific scorer Simon Ballard back and, with a few other changes, we should be able to put in a solid performance."

Jason Chisnall came back to haunt BBS Couriers as he scored four for league leaders AFC Wybers against his former club.

Stefan Melin grabbed the other goal in a comfortable 5-1 win. Ryan Shawcroft was on target for Couriers.

Brothers Dan and Ben Freeman were both on the scoresheet for Healing as the villagers beat Millfields (Callum Robinson) 4-1.

Andy Julian and Richard Simpson were also on target for Healing.

Finally, Cleethorpes United ran out convincing 10-1 winners over Tap and Spile.

United put in a fantastic team performance with stand-in skipper Gareth Flint grabbing four goals with Chris Harmer, Paul Horsefall and Marcus Mason all notching braces.

GREAT Coates continued their perfect start to their Division Two campaign when they won 3-2 against Olivers Wine Bar.

Jack Bradbury, Harvey Shaw and Matthew Perry were all on the scoresheet for the winners.

Crows Nest 2nds (Ben Cousins, Luke Hill, James Petronzio, Louie Schofield, Scott Hamilton, Marc Musgrove, Luke Shipp) won 7-1 away to Clee Community ESL (George Farr), while Cleethorpes Motors beat East Marsh Empire (Garry Spurr) 3-1.

Luke Martin scored a hat-trick for DD Fish Supplies as they drew 4-4 with West Marsh Old Boys (Ian Taylor, Chad Taylor, Nathan Ellis, Nathan Green).

Gary Kirwin grabbed the other for Supplies, while, in a similarly entertaining game, Caistor Rovers (Ryan Farrow, Chris Jefferson, Michael Flower) drew 3-3 with Bridge (Scott Indian 2, James Allen).

P&P Plumbing & Heating hit top gear in Division Three as a hat-trick from Olly Hamilton, braces from Jamie Smith and Lloyd Munson, goals from Steve Davis, Liam Morton and an own goal, saw them to an 11-0 victory over RER Haulage.

Elsewhere, Old Lloyds (Lee Williams 3, Ben Simpson 2, Brett Williams) won 6-1 against Grimsby Pelham (Bradley Stringfellow).

The other two games resulted in 2-2 draws with Blossom Way County (Daniel Brown, Dan Neve) sharing the spoils with Cromwell Rovers (Jake Morley, Ross Rodger), while Redstar Old Boys (James Gibbs) drew with TR Carpets (Matthew Carmichael, Scott Davidson).

Winns beat SK Smugglers AFC 7-1 in Division Four after manager Nigel Winn decided to keep faith with the side who did so well in the cup game last week.

And that decision paid off as Tim Dales opened the scoring in a first half that Winns dominated.

In the second-half, Smugglers were soon on level terms when a defensive error allowed Jarrett Rose in to equalise.

This was the kick-start Winns needed, and, within a minute, they equalised through Mikey Burton – expertly fed by Danny Wood.

Winns made it 3-1 when Jordan Graves crossed for Rouse, whose shot was blocked only for defender Lee Howard to grab his first of the season.

Rouse and Wood then scored goals four and five respectively – both with the help of deflections – before Burton bagged his second.

Jordan Graves capped a confident start to his time with Winns by slotting home his free-kick, albeit with the help of a deflection.

In the league's other results, Healing 2nds (Sam Hall, Craig Thornton) won 2-0 away to AA Property New Waltham, while AFC Corporation won 4-0 against Rose & Crown.

A hat-trick from Carl Carroll and an own goal from Luke Jebson saw Ace Homecare to a 5-2 win at Crows Nest 3rds, while Advance Alarms (Gareth Beecham, Nathan Coulam, Daniel Sayers) beat Grimsby Rovers (Lee Chisnall, Reece Clarke).

In Division Five, Laceby Acres United won 5-4 against Winns 2nds, while Abatis Athletic (Rob Bradbeer, Sam Hunter, Nick Lacey, Steven Stuart) won 4-2 against AFC Grange (John Higton, Leeroy Metcalfe).

EAG FC (Kyle French 2, Daniel Miall, Mark Palmer, Rhys Young) beat Pelham 1878 5-0, and Grainthorpe (Conner Watson 2, Ashley Leggett, Daniel Marshall, Jack Potter) beat Newtons RVH (Joe Burns 4, Liam Wilkinson) 8-5.

Elsewhere, Athletico Rangers (Scott Downey, Shane Elliot, Jordan Newton) won 3-1 against Laceby Wanderers (Karl Dixon).

Lincolnshire Colts beat BBS Couriers 2nds (Damien Zarzyna 2) 5-2 in Division Six, while The Farmhouse (Gary Cross 2, Danny Peterson 2) won 4-1 against Waltham United (Nicholas Brown).

Andrew Moverley and Matthew Jagger both scored two as Grimsby Galaxy won 4-1 against FC Ntex (Marvin Carrington).

And finally, in the Junior Challenge Cup, Seachill (Waldemar Porada) drew 1-1 with Grimsby Cars (Connor Hudson), but went on to win on penalties.

UKIP councillors in North East Lincolnshire say the party's former MEP Godfrey Bloom will remain "a positive voice for reason in our country".

They also claimed that Mr Bloom's use of the word "slut" had been taken out of context, and that the media frenzy which led to his resignation had been unjustified.

Mr Bloom announced on Tuesday that he would not be seeking re-election as MEP for Yorkshire and Humber next year, and would serve out the rest of his term as an independent.

He had already been suspended from the party and had the party whip withdrawn after joking that women he was addressing during a party event were "all sluts" because they didn't clean behind the fridge.

However, he said he would remain a member of the party.

A statement released by the local UKIP group said: "Although Godfrey has said things that have been near the mark in his political career, it is sad that one word taken completely out of context has had such a disastrous result.

"The dictionary definition of the word 'slut' clearly indicates a word with a double meaning, and identifies a word that Godfrey was perfectly entitled to use, in a light-hearted exchange about the merits of not cleaning, behind a fridge.

"Did this really deserve such media frenzy, or was it deliberately orchestrated to deflect attention away from a very successful UKIP Conference in London?

"Is it not also true that all parties need a big-hitter? Thank goodness that we do live in a world that political correctness has outlawed comments of a derogatory nature about race, colour, religion and many other subjects, and that any form of bullying is frowned upon.

"But does this mean that our politicians have to hide their god given character to satisfy the blandness of the political theatre?

"Godfrey has moved on because he will not dispense with his cavalier approach to political correctness, that is his decision, but he remains a staunch supporter of UKIP.

"When Godfrey speaks, people listen and it is to be hoped that this intelligent and kind-hearted patriot remains a positive voice for reason in our country."

The political battlefield is in full swing as the major parties host their conferences. But what do their promises mean for business? David Torrance, the Grimsby Telegraph's parliamentary correspondent, reports from the Labour Party conference ...

LABOUR leader Ed Miliband is a keen student of US politics, although he's found unlikely inspiration for his next general election campaign: the former (Republican) president Ronald Reagan.

During the 1980 race for the White House he asked over and over again – "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?"

So in his keynote speech at the Labour Party conference in Brighton, the influence was clear when the Labour leader asked rhetorically: "At the general election in 2015, you should ask yourself: am I better off now than I was five years ago? You've made the sacrifices, but you've not got the rewards."

And it's a message – built around the "cost of living" theme – the Labour leader hopes will resonate particularly strongly in parts of the country like Grimsby and North East Lincolnshire.

And while recent signs of economic recovery might make that a harder message to sell, Labour MPs and strategists believe it will make it even more pertinent.

Small businesses are also in the party's sights, with Ed Miliband pledging to cut planned business rate rises for small firms if it wins power at the 2015 general election, something it will fund by suspending George Osborne's planned reduction in corporation tax, a clear sign a Labour government would prioritise local businesses over larger, international firms.

This commitment won strong support from Great Grimsby MP Austin Mitchell.

"The plight of businesses on the High Street is difficult because of increased competition," he said, "so we need to encourage small businesses and making sure they don't pay more in business rates is a good way of doing that."

Mr Mitchell was also pleased that Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls appeared to distance the Labour Party – ever so slightly – from supporting a high-speed railway line from London to northern England (HS2).

"The question is not just whether the HS2 line is a good idea or a bad idea," Mr Balls said earlier this week, "but whether it is the best way to spend £50 billion from the future."

The Shadow Chancellor went even further at a conference fringe event.

"To use an economics word, money is fungible," he said.

"What that means is every billion pounds we spend on HS2 is a billion pounds we won't spend on roads or cross-country train links or building new homes, schools or hospitals."

A better approach, added Mr Balls, would be to commit unequivocally only if the likely "costs are properly under control".

"I'm a Leeds-Wakefield MP," he said.

"You can see the economic benefits for northern cities, but I don't think that the case has been unambiguously made yet."

This was music to Mr Mitchell's rather skeptical ears, for he's long been on the record as an opponent of HS2 as well as cynical about its likely effect on the northern economy.

"It would be far better to modernise the East and West Coast Main Lines than build a very expensive HS2," he said.

"It's getting to the point where it would be cheaper to physically move Birmingham 20 minutes closer to London."

The veteran Labour MP was also critical of his leader's pledge to build 200,000 homes by 2020. "200,000 houses a year is too low an aspiration," he tweeted. "We need that number of public houses for rent alone. That's the key need."

Finally, Mr Mitchell dismissed as a "gimmick" Ed Balls' promise to submit Labour's spending plans to the independent Office of Budget Responsibility ahead of the next election.

"He's trying to be respectable," he said. Indeed, Mr Balls' speech was clearly a pitch for economic credibility; something the party badly needs given the Shadow Chancellor's close association with Gordon Brown's tenure as Treasury chief and therefore the economic crash of 2008.

Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers called this an "attempt to overcome the obvious fears of the electorate that the next Labour government will be another tax-and-spend administration with little regard for what Gordon Brown used to call 'economic prudence'".

But Mr Vickers, a Conservative MP, also acknowledges that the "cost of living" will be a key electoral battleground in 2015.

He said: "What's important is that the Government makes sure lower and middle-income households get the first benefits from the economy as it enters recovery and growth."

In that respect Ed Miliband has now set out his stall, what Mr Mitchell describes as "a sufficient mixture of policies we can sell on the doorstep and an attempt to tackle the more fundamental problems of the economy".

The Labour Party has about 18 months to turn that mixture into an election-winning campaign.

ON THE WEB: What do you think? Visit www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk to have your say.

YOU can quiz five local decision-makers about what's happening in North East Lincolnshire at a special event in Grimsby.

The third annual Eng-Age Question Time will take place at Tukes, in Brighowgate, on Friday, October 4, from 7pm to 9pm.

The experts answering questions will be Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Grove; Grimsby Telegraph editor Michelle Lalor; northern director of Stagecoach Gary Nolan; Labour Councillor Peter Wheatley, who is portfolio holder for health, wellbeing and social care; and Conservative Councillor Peter Mills, who is also chairman of Tukes.

Organiser George Baker, chairman of the Eng-Age transport committee, said: "This is the third time we've held this event and it's proved very popular so far.

"We've had MPs on the panel in the past but we felt it was too political so this year we've got a completely new set of panelists.

"We hope people will find it an informative evening and take the opportunity to quiz the panel about issues that affect them."

Answering questions on the role of the Telegraph in promoting issues affecting older people will be editor, Michelle Lalor.

She said: "As a local newspaper editor, it is really important that I listen to the news and views of people in the community and these Question Time events are a great way of doing that and of finding out just what the issues are that need addressing and how the Telegraph can help.

"I am really looking forward to getting involved in the debates that arise and hearing the views of the rest of the panel."

Responding to queries about bus transport will be regional director, Gary Nolan.

He added: "Each year around 8.5 million people travel on our services across North East Lincolnshire and our buses cover 2.8 million miles in the area.

"Over the next few years regeneration in North East Lincolnshire will be the catalyst to some significant changes, which will include the construction of a new bus terminus building in Grimsby, along with the introduction of real time bus information through on street displays and mobile phone technology.

"The Question Time event is a great chance to discuss the future of public transport in the region and listen to the views of local people."

Although Eng-Age represents over 50s, people of all ages are welcome to attend the event and grill the panel.

Parking, entry and refreshments will all be free.

There will also be a number of stands giving information on local agencies, such as the Cancer Collaborative.

To ask a question on the night, you must e-mail it to George beforehand on george.baker43@ntlworld.com

FURIOUS taxi drivers in Grimsby have claimed a victory after staging a noisy 5mph "go-slow" protest against changes which they say are preventing them from earning a living.

Drivers are angry about North East Lincolnshire Council's decision to close their rank on Victoria Street West and Town Hall Street as part of a long-term revamp of the town centre.

They claim the planned new ranks on Victoria Street South are too far from the town centre and yesterday morning, about 10 drivers launched the slow moving protest near the town hall beeping their horns before more drivers joined in, eventually bringing traffic to a standstill.

The protest came to a head when a handful of the drivers were invited into the council offices for a hastily arranged meeting, which saw the council agree to temporarily restore Town Hall Street as a taxi rank and to erect signs to point the public towards pick-up points.

Susan Barss, a taxi driver of over 30 years, said it was "bad enough trying to making a living as it is".

Fellow driver Colin Wilson claimed the driver at the front of the rank on Town Hall Street yesterday had been sat there for two hours without a fare.

"Nobody is going to be able to earn money and I can see the town centre grinding to a halt," he said.

"The taxi ranks are constantly full and nobody can move.

"It's going to have a drastic effect on us drivers, even if we do get fares the roadworks make it so difficult to get in and out of town.

"It's a total waste of money what is happening here."

One driver claimed the council had taken away some 20 taxi spaces in recent weeks. Councillor Andrew De Freitas (Lib – Park Ward), who watched some of the protest from the Town Hall steps, said he had sympathy for the drivers.

"The issue really needs to be dealt with immediately," he said.

"You can't have these people struggling to make a living.

"I have a lot of sympathy for these guys."

Marcus Asquith, head of highways at NELC, said: "The relocation of taxi ranks is part of the major Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) developments taking place across Grimsby town centre.

"From the start of this project we have worked closely with all stakeholders to communicate the changes and wherever possible address the concerns they raise.

"The problems which led to today's protest by the taxi drivers occurred as a new phase of the LSTF project started. Following a meeting on site, the problems have now been addressed and we have made a commitment to work closely with them to continue to keep them informed of our intentions.

"As with any project of this size, there are bound to be times of change and inconvenience and we will try to minimise disruption wherever we can.

"We will continue to work with the taxi drivers and businesses in the town centre to keep them informed of progress. And I would like to thank them, and the public, for their patience during these essential improvement works."

Mrs Barss said the drivers had agreed to set up a new organisation which will have regular meetings for drivers to discuss concerns.

ON THE WEB: Do you agree with the protest? Have your say online at www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk

A FILM-MAKER brought up in Cleethorpes has hit the big time after a Hollywood film company acquired the rights to make a movie out of his short film.

Writer, director and visual effects artist Rob McLellan earlier this year took his short film, ABE, to Los Angeles and pitched it to all the major studios.

And it was soon picked up as a feature by MGM, with 34-year-old Rob attached to write and direct.

Now based in London, Rob has made numerous short films and won a competition called Enter The Pitch; his first prize was a £25,000 production budget.

He then made a short film called Rahab, which led Rob to start thinking about feature films, and this is where ABE began.

A sci-fi short, ABE explores the complex relationship between love and obsession through the eyes of a murderous robot.

"The idea for ABE came from another short I did called Love … And All That, which was made for the Colchester 48-Hour Film Challenge," explained Rob.

"I was challenged to create a film with that title in two days and not being a fan of romantic films, I decided to turn the title on its head and try to approach it differently than was I expected to.

"The story originally started off as a basic serial killer story, about a man who, in his own twisted way, just wanted to be loved.

"As the idea evolved, the sci-fi geek in me kicked in and I thought, 'why not make him a robot'?

"Strangely, I found this would be a more effective and chilling way to explore the nature of obsession and love ... and because robots are cool!

"Almost by accident, I had created a great character that had a much larger story to tell.

"Some of that story was explored in the short, but only enough to tease at something bigger, which is something you will see in the feature film."

Growing up in Poplar Road, in Cleethorpes, Rob would make short films with his dad's VHS camera using his Star Wars toys.

As time went on, he persuaded friends to act in short films for him.

The former St Peter's Primary and Matthew Humberstone School student said: "Both my dad and my step-dad were heavily into film – it was a massive part of my childhood.

"But the biggest influence was probably my mum, who worked at the ABC Cinema, in Freeman Street.

"As a kid I would go there at least three times a week and just watch whatever was on. It was the 1980s, so it was during the rise of the summer blockbusters.

"Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Back To The Future are ones that come to mind. It was a great time to be a kid at the cinema.

"The first film I saw at the cinema was Return Of The Jedi and I've been a sci-fi geek ever since.

"As a kid, my love came from the adventure and escapism of it all, but as an adult it's definitely because of the possibilities it opens up to tell very human stories and to explore what it is that makes us human.

"When I was young, mum explained to me that films were actually made and created by other people and I was bewitched by the idea that I could create these things that I loved so much myself.

"But the reality of just how impossible that ambition could be didn't really sink in until I was a teenager, and the world of film-making seemed so far away.

"Today it's a lot easier but back then it was just next to impossible.

"I'd actually began to move in the direction of graphic design because it seemed a more reachable career, when I discovered that the Grimsby Institute ran film-making diplomas.

"That was the first move in the right direction, as suddenly I had the means, the equipment and the mentoring to actually learn how to do it professionally."

Abe is currently in the writing stage and once that's complete, production will go ahead – keep reading your Grimsby Telegraph for updates.

BUSINESS has enjoyed a massive turn-a-round for an auctioneer who was left destitute after an arson attack at his premises.

Now, five months on, the Tetney Beam Station Auction has risen from the ashes and is thriving.

Owner Deighton Royle has expanded the business and opened a new auction in Brigg.

Tomorrow, in Tetney, he has a children's merry-go-round and swing boats similar to the ones which entertained generations of children on Cleethorpes beach up for grabs.

Mr Royle said: "They are just like the ones on the beach at Cleethorpes. The trouble is I can remember being on them. People always remember the swing boats."

The rides and the merry-go-round and other children's amusements are among the 1,000 lots going under the hammer at the Beam Station from 2pm tomorrow.

It was gutted by fire along with neighbouring businesses.

The arsonists struck shortly after midnight on Good Friday and caused thousands of pounds of damage to businesses on The Beam Station industrial estate, off the A1031, near Tetney.

A neighbouring joinery businesses was left looking like a war zone and the owners have had to move to nearby premises.

And the adjoining koi carp dealer, Dock Koi had to move more than 1,000 fish to ensure their survival.

Lincolnshire Police investigated the arson attack but no arrests have been made.

Mr Royle said: "It was a disaster, but people have been brilliant and supported the business and we are getting more and more lots and plenty of interest, sometimes as far as Nottingham, Liverpool and Sheffield."

He added: "There is a lot of interest in collectables and we have everything. We sold a 1956 Standard 10 motor car recently and also have a Ferguson tractor with its bucket in the auction tomorrow."

Also going under the hammer is a three-year-old Arctic Cat quad bike, a Range Rover and an Abbey caravan.

Scores of bicycles will also be sold, along with equestrian equipment.

Among the collectables are toy Tri-ang trains, record players and a high-powered Meade telescope.

"You can see the tracks on the moon with it," he joked.

FIREFIGHTERS in North East Lincolnshire have called on the government to get back to the negotiating table after holding an afternoon of strike action.

Many Fire Brigade Union members at Grimsby's Peaks Lane and Cromwell Road stations, as well as Immingham East, took to the picket lines yesterday to battle proposed changes to their pension schemes which could see firefighters working until the age of 60.

There are fears those not up to the task in their late 50s could be victims of "mass sackings".

Graham Quickfall, watch manager at Peaks Lane, was one of those who downed tools yesterday.

"The last thing we wanted to do was to go on strike but we have not been listened to by the government," he said.

"We are very concerned that the public are going to be faced with an ageing fire service and that many firefighters could be finished on the grounds of capability.

"Every firefighter has said they do not want to go on strike but we have been left with no alternative."

Mr Quickfall said fire crews were being forced to pay 13 per cent of their wages into their pension pots.

Across the country, retained fire crews and non-unionised staff responded to emergency calls while the strikes took place.

Striking firefighters insisted that they would return to work if any major incidents occurred both in Humberside and Lincolnshire.

Andy Waters, acting watch manager at the Cromwell Road station, said the rise in retirement age would be "unsafe for the public".

"It's unfair that we are being put in the firing line," he said.

"It is so frustrating because when we all started we signed contracts and now the government sees fit to change them.

"Our pensions were already changed in 2006 and now they are coming back for more, it's a real kick in the teeth.

"It's not nice to be going on strike as we want to be there serving the community that pays our wages, but we need to get the government back around the table."

Jason Smith, a firefighter at the Cromwell Road station, was on the picket line with his eight-month-old daughter Saiyuri.

He said: "We have all got families to look after and we need to be providing for them, but the government is taking what money it can.

"Even the new pension scheme has changed to benefit the government and it is still being made worse."

Fire Minister Brandon Lewis said: "The government has listened to union concerns – firefighters will still get one of the most generous pension schemes in the public sector.

"A firefighter who earns £29,000, and retires after a full career aged 60, will get a £19,000 a year pension and £26,000 with the state pension."

Cromwell Road Fire Station is hosting a Macmillan coffee morning tomorrow from 10am to 1pm.