Animal, vegetable or something from Doctor Who?

Can you identify this strange object that a reader spotted whilst walking in Cleethorpes.

"I've never seen anything like it before, and have walked the route through to Cleethorpes Country Park for many years," she said.

"This is the first time I have spotted them and I would love to know what they are.

"There was a nut growing in each one - and the nut looked very much like a hazelnut but when I searched images on the internet the leaves and clusters of hazelnuts looked different - they were much softer and leaf-life, not as spiky as these in Cleethorpes.

"Unless of course they have mutated!"

if you have any suggestions, answer below ... or if you have any other such mystery objects, send them to newsdesk@grimsbytelegraph.co.uk and we will see if readers can help you out!

Grimsby joiner Dan Davidson has gone from being nicknamed 'the fat one' to posing in his pants David Beckham-style after losing four stone in one year.

The 26-year-old joiner would easily guzzle 6,000 calories in a day eating nothing but fast food and his weight shot up to 17st.

He knew things had to change when he went on holiday to Majorca he was too embarrassed to take off his top when he went swimming.

He changed his diet - ditching his favourite Coco Pops and takeaways for a high protein diet of grilled chicken and fish.

He also started taking Forza T5s - the supplements which helped Made In Chelsea star Spencer Matthews lose two stone in record time to get in shape for his Men's Health magazine cover. 

And, within a year, former party-lover Dan's body fat ratio went down from 30 per cent to just six per cent.

See tomorrow's Grimsby Telegraph for more details - and pictures.

GRIMSBY Town midfielder Craig Clay faces a race against time to be fit for Saturday's trip to Dartford.

The midfielder has been suffering with a sickness bug and did not train with his team-mates this morning.

However, speaking today, boss Paul Hurst is hopeful the 22-year-old will be able to re-join the squad tomorrow, in time for Saturday's clash with the Darts.

See tomorrow's Grimsby Telegraph for a full interview with the midfielder, who reflects on his time since joining the Mariners in the summer.

Three pubs in Cleethorpes will launch a one month pilot scheme tomorrow (Friday) which will see bar staff giving free soft drinks to customers in need of non-alcoholic refreshment. 

Take a Break is aimed at slowing alcohol intake in the resort on Friday and Saturday nights, promoting sensible drinking habits, improving health over the long term and helping drinkers to suffer less the morning after.

The North East Lincolnshire Safer and Stronger Communities Partnership is initially providing the soft drinks to the premises involved (The Fiddler in Cleethorpes Market Place, and both Harveys and Gypsy Tears in Cleethorpes High Street). Customers who receive a free drink will be determined by bar and door staff.

Spencer Hunt, service manager for Safer Communities said: "Most drinkers in Cleethorpes on a weekend drink responsibly, but the health and crime impacts of too much alcohol are well known, and we often see that playing out in the early hours at a weekend. 

"The introduction of this scheme, which we hope to extend to other pubs over the Christmas period, will support our aims of keeping people healthy and safe in their drinking habits.

"We want people to keep partying and enjoying the Cleethorpes nightlife, but many of us have woken up with either regrets or a headache the morning after. 

"Taking a break from drinking does not spoil the night, it may actually mean that you can party for longer and will wake up feeling a bit better in the morning."

Councillor Peter Wheatley, portfolio holder for health and housing and chair of the health and well-being board said: "Too many people aged under 44 are exceeding safe alcohol drinking levels, eight units for men and six units for women, on a single day.

"This is bad for health and more and more younger people are being admitted to hospital with alcohol related conditions. This promotion aims to encourage drinkers to take a break during the evening, and ultimately change their drinking habits, opting out of a round occasionally or saying no and opting for a soft drink. 

"Alcohol is dehydrating, so having a couple of glasses of water or soft drinks during the evening can make a big difference."

Andy Parsons, Night Time Economy and Licensing Inspector said: "Humberside Police welcome this initiative in the hope that it will cause people to slow their intake of alcohol and assist in minimising the harm that excessive drinking does, not just to themselves but to others and the community at large.

"We encourage people to take up this opportunity and adopt the consumption of soft drinks as being part of their night out in North East Lincolnshire"

Paul Money, chair of Grimsby and Cleethorpes Pubwatch said: "The Grimsby and Cleethorpes Pubwatch, alongside the police and the councils, is working to make the area safer place for people to come out for a good night out. 

"When customers feels that they want to slow down we will be pleased to offer them a free soft drink so they can carry on the evening with their friends safely".

If the scheme proves successful it is expected to be rolled out into more premises in a repeat scheme over Christmas 2014. 

Trading Standards officers are warning householders in North East Lincolnshire to be extra wary if cold callers offer a new boiler for free under the Government's Green Deal scheme.

The Green Deal is a genuine scheme, but some companies are asking customers for an upfront fee of up to £300.

Householders have reported to Trading Standards that they never actually get the boiler and instead have paid for an expensive assessment that is given for free by other providers.

If you would like to know more about the official range of support available for home heating and insulation, please contact the Home Energy team on 01472 324782, email energy@nelincs.gov.uk or visit www.nelincs.gov.uk/energyadvice.

Neil Clark, community protection manager responsible for Trading Standards at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: "If you are contacted and asked for a fee in relation to the Green Deal scheme, simply say no.

"Our advice is straightforward - never do business with cold callers.

"Never hand over payment to traders contacting you out of the blue and never pass on personal or financial details to such people."

And he warned: "Do not do business on the doorstep without checking first with a family member or official body that they are a legitimate company and can actually provide what they are verbally offering."

For advice on any other consumer-related query, contact trading standards through the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 040506

With known cases of Ebola surfacing in the US, the Western world can no longer consider itself totally immune to the potentially fatal disease - that was first identified in Africa in the mid-1970s.

According to the NHS there are no licensed treatments or vaccines for the disease that by August 13 had killed more than 1,000 people across Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

In August this year, a British nurse who was treating patients in Sierra Leone contracted the Ebola virus and was flown back to the UK for treatment in a London hospital; experts maintain that the virus is very unlikely to spread within the UK.

A spokesman for Humberside Airport said: "Like all ports, such as shipping ports and airports, we follow advice from Public Health England and have protocols to follow.

"But at Humberside Airport we do not have direct links with Africa there are also strict procedures in place at Amsterdam Airport - Schiphol - in the event of an emergency but it is not likely it will come to that.

"If a passenger fell and we have systems in place to deal with any potential situation accordingly."

The potentially, albeit slight, threat of the virus has not affected travel from the aiport - there are currently no restrictions in place.

SHAUN Pearson's header against Chester ended Grimsby Town's long wait to score from a corner – and no-one was more delighted than boss Paul Hurst.

The centre-half's towering 18th-minute header set the Mariners on their way to a 3-0 victory and ended their growing hoodoo, having previously not scored from a corner all season.

In the subsequent defeat to Southport in midweek, Town twice went close from set-pieces with Toto Nsiala having headers cleared off the line.

And Hurst will be hoping that Town have finally solved their problems with the dead-ball, admitting that deliveries so far this season have been 'mixed'.

He said: "Looking back at it, in a couple of games they (set-pieces) haven't great, but in between that, we haven't been too bad and obviously scored from one against Chester.

"We all know they can do it, it's just about doing it on the day when it's those important moments.

"At Kidderminster, we put in a great ball and Toto hit the bar, but at other times, we've been frustrating.

"Set-pieces are one of the biggest things in football – at any level and I find it hard to understand how players struggle.

"When you see a poor set-play it's like letting the air out of a balloon – whether it hits the first man or goes sailing over the bar – it can't be that difficult!

"When you're stood on the training ground, it seems to come easily but there is absolutely no pressure on you in that scenario – no-one's going to shout when you're doing it wrong."

NATHAN Arnold's ongoing injury problems won't cut short his season-long loan with Grimsby Town.

That's according to Paul Hurst, who admits it's 'frustrating for everyone' that a calf complaint continues to blight the Cambridge winger's spell at Blundell Park.

However, the boss insists the 27-year-old will definitely stay with the Mariners until the end of the campaign – regardless of how long it takes for him to fully recover.

"Nathan is still sore," he said.

"There's no major set-back, it's just a case of him and (physio) Dave Moore getting together and seeing how far he can push it without making it worse.

"He trained Monday but didn't look like he was flat-out, although players can be like that at times.

"It wasn't obvious until the next day that he was unavailable to me, which is frustrating for everybody.

"He's had a scan on it and there are signs of damage in there, but there's not a new set-back of anything like that.

"He's had a couple of scans this week, and it's a relief.

"It's frustrating for myself, for the player, the rest of the squad and the fans, who want to see him in a Grimsby Town shirt, trying to excite us and give us that spark."

Asked if the injury could cut short his spell, Hurst replied: "No. He'll be with us for the long-term."

As well as Arnold, Aswad Thomas and Jon-Paul Pittman will also definitely miss tomorrow's clash at Dartford as the pair continue their comeback from lengthy injuries.

Craig Clay was kept away from the rest of the squad yesterday as he is currently suffering with a sickness bug, however Hurst is hopeful he'll be part of the squad to face the Darts.

He continued: "Nathan's not available and JP has joined in some training but also won't available, and Craig's ill.

"In terms of fresh injuries, we're okay – it's just that slight concern with Clay.

"Maybe that illness was starting to set in when he played on Tuesday night. He has done great for us, but he just looked like he was lacking a little bit of that drive in his play.

"Normally he is non-stop, so that perhaps just explains that slight drop from him.

"He's suffering from sickness and diarrhoea. He was struggling with it on Wednesday and the last thing we want is for that to spread through the squad.

"So he'll re-join us today and hopefully be in a position where he is okay to be part of the squad, at an absolute minimum.

"JP is going to be out longer than that initial prognosis but there is an end point – we think.

"He could be the same – he could come back and then break down.

"The frustration is that it's nothing really major, but it's just taking a lot longer to heal than we first envisaged."

DARTFORD boss Tony Burman is relishing another battle with Grimsby Town tomorrow.

The head-to-head record between the two clubs couldn't be more even, with both having two wins each from their four Conference meetings to date.

And Burman, right, is looking forward to another even encounter at Princes Park tomorrow.

Burman told Kent Online: "We've got a tough game again tomorrow against Grimsby at home.

"It's relentless, but at the moment, the guys are starting to get things right. They're starting to believe and the work rate is there.

"This is where we want to be, it's why we wanted to stay in this league.

"We've had some great battles with Grimsby over the last couple of years and it is going to be another great experience.

"I'm in a more positive mood now than what I've been in for a long time, simply because the players are reacting. Slowly but surely, they're getting into the routine.

"They know what's wanted from them and they're having a good go at making things right."

"I CAME from nowhere and Grimsby Town took a chance on me – I'll never forget that and won't stop working to repay that faith."

Those are the words of Craig Clay, who is rapidly becoming one of the first names on Paul Hurst's team-sheet having only signed following a trial at the start of the season.

Despite being under the weather with a sickness bug this week, Clay is hopeful of being available for Saturday's trip to Dartford – and continuing his impressive start to life with the Mariners.

Without a club following stints with Worksop and Halifax following his release by York City, the 22-year-old midfielder admitted that the summer was a 'scary' experience.

But after being handed a one-year deal by Hurst and assistant boss Chris Doig, the Nottinghamshire lad has been working to repay them for that second chance ever since.

Like many of his team-mates, Clay wasn't at his best in the dismal defeat to Southport in midweek, but prior to that, the former Chesterfield trainee had been in fine form, scoring a brace in the 7-0 hammering of Alfreton – another of his former clubs.

"When I first signed, I was nervous every time I was going out because I was playing for a contract and I wasn't fully myself," he said.

"I've got to be honest, it was scary in the summer, but the lads here made me feel welcome and thankfully I did enough to impress.

"The move was just what I needed – it's helped me to get my drive back for the game. When I left York, I lost my head and went to Halifax and my confidence took a knock – me and football had a difficult few months to be honest.

"But now I'm here, I'm playing, feeling confident and it's been great for me – it's everything I've hoped for.

"The gaffer and Doigy have shown a lot of faith in me by giving me that contract and ever since then, I've just been working to repay that.

"I know they took a chance on me at the start of the season – I came from nowhere but they saw enough in me to offer me a deal and I won't forget that."

Since his arrival, Clay has played a part in all of the Mariners' 13 games so far this season and Clay puts his form down to that consistent run of games.

He continued: "Like every player, if you're playing week-in week-out, you've achieved your main aim so of course I'm enjoying it at the minute it's given me the chance to play games consistently for the first time in years.

"I think that's the key for me, like every one really. If you come in for a couple of games and then go out again, you lose your momentum and fall out of your rhythm – I think that's what's cost me before in my career.

"This is by far the longest run I've had in a team for years and I'd hope that's showing in my performances.

"At my previous clubs, I've been in for a couple of games and then out again, so to get a good run of games is fantastic for me as a player.

"But here I'm feeling fit and more confident than I have done for a long, long time and hopefully that's showing on the pitch.

"The fans have been very good to me since I joined and that's been great. I've read one or two nice things that's been written about me and that means a lot – of course it's going to make you feel good about yourself."

Clay admits the defeat against Southport was tough to take and says it's imperative that they bounce back against Dartford – a team he freely admits he knows little about.

"We've had a few bad results – like the one in midweek – but overall, I think we've played some good football and picked up some decent results," he said.

"Tuesday was obviously disappointing but before that, the Kidderminster and Chester results were good and the first-half performance against Halifax was as good as we've played I think.

"We know we've got to bounce back from the result against Southport against Dartford tomorrow.

"I don't know too much about them, but coming into it with fresh eyes isn't necessarily a bad thing.

"You don't want to be worrying about other players and other teams – all that you need to be focusing on is your own game and how your team performs."

Payday lenders Wonga have written off the debts of 330,000 customers after announcing new affordability checks.

Wonga Group have brought about significant changes to its UK consumer loans business, Wonga.com, that will see a strengthening of the lending criteria - to address issues of affordability and repeat borrowing.

In addition to a major customer forbearance programme, Wonga will also move to a new lending decision engine to ensure they lend sustainably and delivers appropriate outcomes for customers.

The announcement follows discussions between Andy Haste, the new Group Chairman, and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). 

So now approximately 330,000 customers who are in arrears of 30 days plus as of Thursday, October 2, Wonga has agreed to write off all outstanding debt.

A further 45,000 customers who are in arrears of up to 29 days as of Thursday, October 2, will be asked to repay their debt without interest and charges

They will be given an option of paying off their debt over an extended period of four months and all customers included in the forbearance programme will be contacted by Friday, October 10.

Mr Haste joined the company in July and promised a review of the customer base and the existing lending criteria to ensure Wonga provides short-term lending to the right customers in a responsible, transparent and sustainable way.

He said: "When I joined Wonga I was made aware of concerns the FCA had already expressed around affordable lending, concerns which I shared. I committed to ensuring our lending is conducted in a responsible and transparent manner, delivering the best outcomes for our customers.

"I also said this would lead to a tightening of Wonga's lending criteria and we will now be accepting far fewer applications from new and existing customers.

"We want to ensure we only lend to those who can reasonably afford the loan in question and during my review, it became clear to me that this has unfortunately not always been the case. I agreed with the concerns expressed by the FCA and as a consequence of our discussions we have committed to taking these actions.

"It's clear to me that the need for change at Wonga is real and urgent. Our regulator is determined to improve standards in consumer credit and I share that determination. There is much to do in order to make Wonga a sustainable and accepted business, and today's announcement is a significant step forward in that process."

Wonga will now work with a third party, appointed in conjunction with the FCA and responsible for reviewing the implementation of the new lending decision engine to ensure it is delivering appropriate outcomes for customers.

The company said the implementation of new lending criteria meant it would be accepting significantly fewer loan applications and that it expected some existing customers would no longer be able to use the service.

Have you been a Wonga customer? What has your experience been?