FORMER Grimsby Town joint boss Rob Scott has taken an astonishing swipe at the Mariners – and boss Paul Hurst - following last night's disappointing defeat to Southport.

Following the full-time whistle at Blundell Park, Scott took to Twitter to post 'Ouch GTFC, that's gotta hurt losing to Southport and Brodie scoring the winner.'

That sparked a flurry of responses from Town fans, who grilled the former boss about his time at Town.

Most eye-catching however was his one-word response to one fan's message, who asked if current boss Paul Hurst 'had the ability to turn it around'

Scott's reply was simply; 'No'.

He went on to say that he'd 'use the term pal' to describe Hurst 'very loosely' adding that 'he wouldn't want him in the trenches' with him.

As reported, Scott was sacked by Town at the beginning of last season, leaving Hurst in sole charge.

THIEVES have stolen overhead copper power cabling from Firebeacon Lane in the Wragholme and Fulstow area.

It is believed the incident took place around 2.20am on September 24, when power was affected there.

There have been a spate of thefts of copper power cabling in rural areas, and police are encouraging residents to report any suspicious activity or sudden loss of power.

Police officers will be able to patrol relevant areas and attempt to prevent further thefts.

Anyone with any information in relation to this crime should contact Lincolnshire Police on the non-emergency number 101 and quote incident number 31 of September 24.

TV licencing chiefs have warned those living in Grimsby, Cleethorpes and Immingham who fail to buy a licence that they will be caught.

The warning came as more North East Lincolnshire residents were fined by Grimsby Magistrates after being caught without licences.

Nationally, inquiry officers catch an average of almost 1,000 evaders every day.

Among the latest are:

Charlene Kershaw, 25, of Jackson Street, Grimsby, fined £200 with £90 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Karol Kieres, 38, of Arthur Street, Grimsby, fined £300 with £90 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Katy Leech, 22, of Finkle Lane, Barton, fined £40 with £90 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Melanie McIver, 33, of Beelby Road, Grimsby, fined £200 with £90 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Andrew Michaelson, 25, of Joseph Street, Grimsby, fined £60 with £90 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

David morris, 46, of Tintern Walk, Grimsby, fined £200 with £90 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Holly Murray, 27, of Burns Grove, Grimsby, fined £200 with £90 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Sophie Neve, 21, of Macaulay Street, Grimsby, fined £55 with £120 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Jamie Osborne, 24, of Columbia Road, Grimsby, fined £200 with £90 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

James Payne, 26, of Maple Avenue, Keelby, fined £200 with £90 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Jason Robinson, 23, of Hadleigh Road, Immingham, fined £200 with £90 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Jane Sampson, 43, of Wroxham Avenue, Grimsby fined £55 with £120 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

A colour TV Licence currently costs £145.50 and is needed by anyone watching or recording TV programmes as they are shown on TV, whether they are using a TV set, computer, or any other equipment.

Anyone watching TV illegally risks prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.

To buy a TV Licence, or find out more information about licensing requirements, visit tvlicensing.co.uk

Black Pepper Ale from Lincolnshire family brewer Batemans has won a gold at the World Beer Awards.

The global ceremony aims to recognise the best international beer styles; winners being chosen through blind judging with regional style heats held around the world.

Black Pepper Ale was also recognised as one of the Best Herb and Spice beers in the flavoured beer category, this comes after winning awards at the International Beer Challenge 2014 and the Beer Bottlers Institute competition.

Stuart Bateman, Managing Director of Batemans Brewery, said: "I'm absolutely thrilled that our Black Pepper Ale has received Gold at the World Beer Awards – we were previously awarded Silver for our Mocha beer and it's been a target of mine to strike Gold.

"Black Pepper Ale is possibly the best speciality beer we've ever produced and I've been blown away by its success; it clearly demonstrates the value of listening to your staff and encouraging them to make suggestions about your product. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the beer is the drinking experience itself – it's all in the 'pepperation'!"

FORMER Grimsby Town joint-boss Rob Scott has labelled Grimsby Town's owner as a 'clown' during a Twitter tirade.

As reported, Scott was involved in a lengthy discussion with Town fans following the club's disappointing 1-0 defeat to Southport last night and appeared to take a swipe at director John Fenty, the club's former chairman.

Scott was suspended after just six games of last season before eventually being sacked with a club statement citing "circumstances relating to gross misconduct".

Seemingly commenting on his departure, Scott posted: "Chairmen don't like honesty, they think they can fool the fans.

Asked by one supporter for the full story behind his exit, he replied: "Unfortunately I can't, but believe me it's not half as interesting as some of the rumours I've heard.

Another of Scott's tweet read: "Wouldn't go back to the clown who owns the club, that's the problem for GTFC."

The creator of the controversial film Grimsby, Sacha Baron Cohen, is reportedly to become a father for the third time.

It's been reported that his wife of four years, actress Isla Fisher, who also stars in the film with him, is pregnant.

The couple already have daughters Olive, aged six, and Elula, aged four.

Australian star Isla - whose movie breakthrough came when she played Vince Vaughn's feisty lover in 2005's Wedding Crashers - has reportedly cleared her schedule for the pregnancy.

'She pulled out of Now You See Me 2,' a source told American magazine UsWeekly. 'Production starts in November and she knew she wouldn't be able to do it.'

Sacha's next big-screen outing is Alice In Wonderland: Through The Looking Glass with Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and Michael Sheen. This sequel, which will come out in May 2016, is being directed by James Bobin and shot in Surrey.

If you go shopping in Grimsby or Cleethorpes Tesco stores in the next few months, you could be in for a big surprise.Chief executive Dave Lewis and more than 4,000 head office and corporate staff will be stacking shelves and manning the tills at stores around the country as part of the new initiative.

Tesco said the scheme was designed to help its office staff to understand its customers 'even better'

Staff have been told they must spend every other Thursday or Friday in a store between now and Christmas.

The 'Feet On The Floor' initiative follows a similar scheme that had been running for years at the retailer called 'Helping Hands', in which head office workers all worked in a branch of Tesco for two days in the run up to Christmas.

The presence of these employees in Tesco stores is not being seen as having a cost-saving effect and will not have an impact on the extra hours being allocated in the run-up to the festive period.

A Tesco spokesperson said: 'Understanding customers even better is critical to our future success and there is no better opportunity for office colleagues than by supporting our stores in the run-up to Christmas.'

Time is slowly running out but you can still see American band Wheatus in concert later this month.

The musicians, who had a smash hit with Teenage Dirtbag in 2000, are from Northport, New York, and formed in 1995.

It has been an incredible journey for Wheatus, currently unmanaged and unsigned, escaping the pre-internet music industry Dark Ages and re-emerging fifteen years later with six studio albums and thousands of tour dates under their belt.

Frontman Brendan B Brown said: "A very important record executive lost his cool with me in a meeting and threatened to drop us… I took him up on it.

"It also might have something to do with caring more about making records than about label politics and whatnot."

Do not miss your chance to see them as they tour the UK and Ireland.

The band will play The Beachcomber in Cleethorpes on Friday, October 17.

Doors open at 7pm and the show, with support acts, starts at 7.30pm; tickets are priced at £16.50 and available from www.seetickets.com.

Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult; refunds will not be issued to under 18s who are not accompanied by an adult.

For more coverage on Wheatus, see Friday's Grimsby Telegraph.

VETERAN Grimsby MP Austin Mitchell has vowed to use "every available weapon" to oppose the demolition of the town's iconic tower blocks – including taking it to the House of Commons.

Last week, social housing provider Shoreline announced that it intends to push ahead with plans to demolish the buildings following a consultation with residents and other interested parties.

But today, Labour's Mr Mitchell said the decision would create a great hole in housing provision, strike a blow to trade in Freeman Street, destroy a happy community of pensioners in Nelson House and move a lot of people out of the area where they want to live.

And Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers is backing him all the way.

It comes after Melanie Onn, Labour's prospective candidate for Mr Mitchell's Great Grimsby seat, shared concerns about the effect of the decision on some residents – particularly the elderly in Nelson House.

Following the public consultation – which ran from May 28 to August 1 – it was revealed that 52 per cent of respondents were in favour of demolition, with 42 per cent against.

About 650 people will now be moved to new homes from the six high-rise blocks in Grimsby and the Comber Place maisonettes and up to 40 posts could be made redundant.

Mr Mitchell said: "Shoreline's consultation showed overwhelming opposition to demolition in Nelson House and a slight majority for it in the other towers where short-term tenants voting to get compensation money may have outweighed the votes of long-term tenants. Yet Shoreline has a responsibility to reconsider. It should look at partial demolition rather than creating a black hole in East Marsh.

"Little has been done to improve the tower blocks since Shoreline took them over. Some are still not up to decent homes standard, the lifts have been patched up not replaced, the concierges have been fired and Shoreline has done all too little to make them an attractive place to live in the way other authorities have in Leeds, Calderdale and London."

As reported, after listening to the concerns raised by many older residents – particularly those in Nelson House – Shoreline has committed to carrying out a detailed study by April, to find out if it is affordable and viable to provide suitable alternative older persons' accommodation within the East Marsh and/or other neighbourhoods.

Mr Mitchell added that he intends to propose the issue for debate in the House of Commons, and has also requested a meeting with Ministers and the Homes and Communities Agency, as well as Shoreline chief executive Tony Bramley.

He said: "This makes it legitimate to use every means available to persuade them to think again. I've put in for a debate in the Commons, requested a meeting with Ministers and the Homes and Communities Agency, to seek extra help I am taking legal advice.

"I'm also asking the council to live up to its responsibilities as Housing Authority for the area and review the decision. They must ask Shoreline to look at its plans again. The residents deserve better, so does the East Marsh."

Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers said he will happily support Mr Mitchell.

"There's not much I can add to Austin's comments", he said. "His views basically reflect mine.

"I am very happy to give him my full support. Although there have been problems there, I'm not sure if demolition is the right way of going around things.

"It will cause a big hole in the already stuttering economy of Freeman Street, and Austin is right – it will strike a blow."

Shoreline chief executive Tony Bramley said: "I did meet with Austin on Monday and we explored his concerns. One of the main things he focused on was the idea of knocking down just three of the tower blocks, which is actually one of the options we have already explored – which we found was just not financially viable.

"Another thing he mentioned was the loss of housing supply of affordable, quality housing. But we will actually put some demand back into the system.

"We started our face-to-face meetings at Freeman Street Market on Tuesday, which have been going really well indeed.

"We have had a big turnout and a lot of success already. We have only just got the ball rolling but we have had a number of positive discussions already.

"We fully understand and appreciate Austin's comments and as part of his role as a Member of Parliament he has his constituents' concerns to take into account, and we are here to give honest answers. And those conversations will continue."

GRIMSBY Town boss Paul Hurst is in no doubt that recalling Lenell John-Lewis for the defeat to Southport was the right thing to do.

The inclusion of the frontman was the only change Hurst made to his starting XI from the 3-0 victory over Chester in the previous game.

Yet in the aftermath of that disappointing 1-0 loss to the Sandgrounders, Hurst came under fire by some sections of supporters for changing that winning side.

But speaking to the Telegraph, Hurst was defiant in his belief that bringing back John-Lewis – at the expense of teenage striker Rhys Oates – was the correct decision.

"Against Chester, Lenny came on and looked really good and strong," he explained. "Added to that, Rhys Oates had run himself into the ground and almost came to a halt.

"With him being a young lad, I just wasn't sure what he'd have in the tank if I started him against Southport.

"Lenny enjoys playing with Ross and has a good partnership with him and I thought that was the best way to go.

"Lenny has done extremely well over a period of time for me and is a real handful.

"He more than warranted a place in the team against Southport and I had no qualms about bringing him back in.

"I've faced questions about changing one player but if I'd have changed three or four, I might still have got the same result from them and I'd be even more scrutinised for making even more changes to a winning team."

Having questioned his players' energy levels during the clash with Southport – who had gone over a year without an away victory – Hurst hinted that he may be forced to shuffle his pack more often for midweek matches.

He added: "You get performances that were good and you get performances that were bad.

"Southport was a bad night for us but the game before, against Chester, was a good day for us.

"So I'm not sure you can learn too much from just one game.

"However, the reality is that with these midweek games after a Saturday game, I might have consider making more changes."

RESIDENTS living in the doomed tower blocks in Albion Street, Grimsby, have given mixed reactions to plans to demolish their homes.

They were described as "vertical streets" where everyone looks out for one another and Arctic blizzards leave residents untouched and smiling.

Grimsby MP Austin Mitchell will hear the views of residents at a meeting to be held in The Crow's Nest room at one of the blocks, Nelson House, from 2pm today.

He said the demolition plan was "a crime".

He was supported by disabled Rose Selway, a resident of Garibaldi House for 20 years.

She said in tears: "I am so upset. I just want to be left alone. It is not fair to have to go through all this upheaval. Where am I going to go?

"Shoreline do not have any houses built for us to move in to.

"The caretakers here have been very nice to me with my disability. What is going to happen to them?

"It is good Austin Mitchell is taking a lead and Councillor Steve Beasant has joined in as well.

"David Cameron has sold us down the Swannee with the bedroom tax. I pay full rent for my two-bedroom flat."

She added: "It does not make sense after they spent so much doing up Nelson House and Shoreline gave me a new kitchen last year. I got new cupboards, flooring and they redecorated and I have a wet room."

She told how she never misses her £84 per week rent.

Rose said Sheffield had retained some of its tower blocks and urged Shoreline to retain some in Grimsby.

Nelson House resident Roland Knight said: "If there was a way they could keep some of the tower blocks I would be all in favour.

"They are like vertical streets. These are people's homes. They feel secure and everyone knows everyone else. Some have lived here for 40 years. It is a pity to kick them out. It will look weird without them."

But resident of 25 years, Jean Smith, 85 said: "I think Austin Mitchell is crackers if he wants to keep these tower blocks.

"I shall be glad to get out. I am trapped here unless my daughter comes and takes me out. All I want is the chance to go and sit in a garden. All I see here is out of the window.

"They have to come down because they are in a terrible state of repair. They used to be beautiful, but that was 25 years ago. They have had their day."

Another residents said: "People here love it when everyone else is snowed in because they go up and down the block like sandboys unaffected by the weather. It is a real community. It is a shame they are coming down."

Lincolnshire Police have confirmed that a 30-year-old lorry driver who was involved in a crash on the A16 this morning has emerged uninjured by the collision.

Motorists, together with buses, were being diverted through North Thoresby to avoid congestion caused by the crash near Grainsby and the road was closed shortly after 9am - reopened around 1.15pm.

At around 7.30am, this morning, the yellow articulated lorry collided with, and damaged, a lamppost before rolling to the side of the road; the lorry was recovered but many drivers and those on public transport had to contend with lengthy delays.

During a traffic jam, one frustrated motorist said: "Tetney is rammed; it's gridlocked mayhem madness."

The lorry belongs to a company in Peterborough and is said to have been carrying 44 tonnes of metal parts, which needed to be unloaded before the vehicle was fully recovered.

Police have confirmed that a fourth person has been arrested in connection with a disturbance at Hadleigh Road in Immingham at the weekend.

A spokesman for Humberside Police said: "A 17-year-old boy from Grimsby was arrested early this morning at an address in Grimsby and is now in custody at Grimsby Police Station to be interviewed by detectives today.

"The three other men previously arrested in connection with the incident are currently on police bail pending further inquiries."

Police are investigating a reported assault that took place outside of The Lighthouse pub on Sea Lane in Cleethorpes on Sunday, September 28.

The incident is said to have happen between 2.40am and 3am, as a man attempted to get into a taxi.

A spokesman for Humberside Police said: "The taxi in question stopped to let three men get out as another enquired if the taxi was free.

"One of the three men is reported to have assaulted the man hoping to get into the taxi causing him to fall to the floor banging his head.

"The man attended hospital but was not detained."

If you witnessed the incident or can provide any information call the police on 101 quoting log number 128 of Sunday 28 September.

A top chart band from the 1980s will perform at Barton's Ropery Hall on Friday night.

Following a successful UK tour last year, the Merseyside group are set to release their first album of new material for two decades..

The visit to Barton by China Crisis is to promote their new album Autumn in the Neighbourhood.

The band, formed in 1979 by Eddie Lundon and Gary Daly, had five top 40 singles and three top 40 albums in the 80s.

Red Arrow and new dad Martin Pert came face to face with his newborn daughter for the first time after touching down at RAF Scampton, near Lincoln.

Both the Flight Lieutenant and the little one's faces said it all!

STOP, right now! The songs that Grimsby's Strictly stars will be performing to this weekend have been revealed.

Grimsby's very own Kevin Clifton along with his partner and Frankie Bridge from the Saturdays will be performing the Charleston to the Happy Days Theme while his fiancée Karen Hauer will be taking to the floor with The Only Way is Essex Star, Mark Wright performing the American Smooth to 'I'm Yours' by Jason Mraz.

Kevin's sister Joanne, who is making her debut on the BBC One show will performing the Tango with Radio One DJ, Scott Mills to the popular Spice Girls song 'Stop!' 

The rest of the dancers will be performing to the following: 

Alison and Aljaz will be performing the Foxtrot to 'I Just Wanna Make Love To You' by Etta James.

Caroline and Pasha will be performing the Tango to 'Blame' by Calvin Harris and John Newman.

Gregg and Aliona will be performing the Charleston to 'Hey Good Looking' by Ray Charles.

Jake and Janette will be performing the Salsa to 'Mambo No 5' by Lou Bega.

Jennifer and Tristan will be performing the Waltz to 'Natural Woman' by Aretha Franklin.

Judy and Anton will be perfoming the Cha Cha to 'She's a Lady' by Tom Jones.

Pixie and Trent will be performing the Waltz to 'Come Away With Me' by Norah Jones.

Simon and Kristina will be performing the Tango to 'Sing' by Ed Sheeran.

Steve and Ola will be performing the Cha Cha to 'Treasure' by Bruno Mars.

Sunetra and Brendan will be performing the Cha Cha to "Million Dollar Bill" by Whitney Houston.

Thom and Iveta will be performing the Salsa to 'Hot Hot Hot' by Arrow.

Tim and Natalie will performing the Waltz to 'When You Wish Upon a Star'.