THE 2014 BBC Sports Personality of the Year was named as Lewis Hamilton tonight.

The Formula One World Champion took the top accolade ahead of golfer Rory McIlroy (runner-up) and athlete Jo Pavey (third) following a public vote.

The Team of the Year award was won by the England women's rugby union team.

Overseas Sports Personality of the year winner was Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cyclist Sir Chris Hoy was handed the Lifetime Achievement honour.

A FURIOUS "road rage" confrontation turned nasty when a driver suddenly squirted spray in another motorist's eyes – temporarily blinding him and causing burns.

The attacker grabbed some car cleaning spray from his vehicle before angrily squirting it in the victim's face, a court heard.

Sam Johnson, 22, of Humberville Road, Immingham, admitted assaulting Terence McAllister, causing actual bodily harm, on October 26 and assaulting Constance Hinz on June 27.

Grimsby Magistrates' Court heard that Johnson had an argument at an Immingham petrol station after he walked in front of Mr McAllister's car.

Mr McAllister shouted at him to move out of the way. Words were exchanged.

Mr McAllister drove off in his car but Johnson followed him and pulled his car in front of him. He got out, approached the other car and shouted threats.

He went back to his car, grabbed a car spray and squirted it in Mr McAllister's eyes, temporarily blinding him.

His eyes had since fully recovered but he had suffered headaches, the court heard.

In the other incident, Johnson made threats to a security guard at Immingham Jobcentre about herself and her son. He tried to spit at her and actually did spit shortly afterwards.

Ghaff Khan, mitigating, said the car spray caused burns but the other man had since recovered. Johnson realised he needed to calm his temper down. He used cannabis as medication.

Johnson was jailed for 16 weeks.

TRIBUTES have been paid to a former Grimsby fishermen who worked with producers of TV series Skint.

Graham Pullen, 62, died halfway through the broadcast of the programme series – the final episode of which will be screened tonight – in which he was filmed alongside other fishermen.

Graham, or "Twiggy" as he was known, had 40 years experience at sea and was described as having "a heart of gold".

Graham, of The Square, off Weelsby Street, Grimsby was a devoted father and grandfather who escaped the perils of the sea in his long career as a deep sea fisherman.

He was approached by the producers of Channel 4's Skint as one of the town's characters affected by the loss of the fishing industry.

Known to many as "Twiggy" or "Sam", Graham was one of nine children of Aggie and Ralph Pullen, of Cleethorpes.

He was one of six brothers along with Billy, John, Jeffery, Martin and Jimmy and he had two sisters, Jane and Diane.

When Graham left school he wanted to go straight to sea and joined up as a deckie learner.

He went from deep sea trawler fishing to the large freezer trawlers, away for many months at a time.

He also served on beamers, and the seine netters on the inshore boats.

Later he fished around African shores for tuna taking the haul in to the Canaries.

Over his 40 years in the business, he suffered some near misses, one in particular involving a cable snapping and whiplashing into his face.

It smashed his cheekbone to pieces and led to him having to wear a cage on his head for many weeks.

He has also fallen in the docks and overboard at sea, clocking up more lives than the proverbial cat.

Graham often enjoyed himself in many of the 35 pub up and down Freeman Street and the surrounding area.

A year after Graham met his partner Diane in 1983, the couple had a baby son also called Graham.

His son said that when his dad was home the family would enjoy days out to Meggies or Scarborough for the weekend and the odd camping trip to Whitby.

He recalled a family holiday to Benidorm and other trips to the Canaries.

His dad took him to Disneyland in America.

Graham said: "Anytime dad was home he would take me away on holiday somewhere or another, sometimes on the ferry to Bruges, or down to London and many times abroad.

"He was a very generous man and was always doing his best for the family whenever he could.

"He also had a hobby in making large model ships out of matchsticks, which used to consume him for hours.

"Now and again he would throw it across the room if it wasn't going right."

Graham added: "He looked after the family well."

When he moved into the Square he was renowned for taking his stereo outside and playing music, including his favourite, Cher.

In 2007 he moved into the Square, a fishing community and group of dwellings owned by the Grimsby Sailors Fishing Charity.

He enjoyed reminiscing with fellow fishermen.

The son told how his dad doted over his only granddaughter, Ellie May and thought the world of her, having her pictures dotted around the home.

A funeral service will be held from 2.20pm on Tuesday at Grimsby Crematorium.

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EVEN an unfashionably late arrival couldn't prevent Grimsby Town from easing past ten-man Nuneaton in the FA Trophy First Round.

The Mariners, who were delayed by traffic en route to Liberty Way, returned home with a 2-0 victory and a deserved place in the next round.

Goals from Jon-Paul Pittman and Jack Mackreth were enough for the visitors, against their struggling Warwickshire hosts.

In their first game since November 30, boss Paul Hurst made one change with Toto Nsiala replaced by Danny Parslow at centre-back.

It meant there was no place in the starting XI for Scott Neilson, with Mackreth and Nathan Arnold again preferred on the Town flanks.

Despite the 75-minute delay, it was the Mariners who settled first – and Hurst's men controlled the match from start to finish.

Pittman hit the crossbar in the opening minute, with a curling effort, as the visitors seemed eager to vent their pre-match frustrations.

Mackreth, too, was lively from the outset – outpacing his marker on two occasions as Town continued to pile on the pressure.

And then came the first real chance of the match.

John-Lewis found space in the box, but his first-time shot was well saved by Christian Dibble in the home goal.

Moments later, the Mariners' top scorer had another good opportunity to break the deadlock.

However, his toe-poke – after a threaded pass from Scott Brown – narrowly evaded the far post.

On a rare charge into the Town box, Simonas Stankevicius highlighted his ability, only to be thwarted by the impressive Aswad Thomas.

Nuneaton's threat proved to be brief, though, as the visitors broke quickly and took a well-earned lead on 26 minutes.

As play spread from left to right, Carl Magnay then found Pittman – and the frontman did the rest.

Pittman turned his marker with ease, before firing an unstoppable left-footed strike into the back of the net.

Mariners' boss Hurst said afterwards: "You will have to ask JP whether he totally intended the touch inside!

"But we felt that anytime the front two could get hold of the ball, we would cause problems for Nuneaton.

"At times it came off – and for his goal, JP came inside the defender and left him for dead.

"When he hits them, they stay hit, and I was very pleased for JP to get his name on the scoresheet again."

Pittman's opener was no more than Town had deserved, and it could have been even better minutes later when Brown dragged wide from 20 yards.

Chances were few and far between for the rest of the half, but John-Lewis was again denied following Thomas' fine cross.

Hurst's men were quick out of the blocks after the break, and Magnay should have probably headed them further in front on 47 minutes.

Rising high to meet Arnold's corner, the former Chelsea man connected well – but he could only watch as his effort powered wide.

Pittman continued to test the Nuneaton backline, and the 28-year-old earned Town their second corner of the game.

But yet another tempting delivery from Arnold was headed off target, this time by John-Lewis.

Although they had dominated the tie, right from the start, Hurst's side were in need of a second goal.

And they were handed a double slice of luck on 65 minutes.

John-Lewis beat his man to the ball, and with only the keeper in sight he was brought down by Gareth Dean.

Coming back from another suspension, the Nuneaton skipper was shown a red card – and there was worse to come for the hosts.

Thomas hit the target from the resulting free-kick, but Dibble crashed into the post and was in no position to continue.

With no goalkeeper on the bench, midfielder James Armson pulled on the number one shirt for the final 25 minutes.

And the deputy could only watch as John-Lewis struck a quality half-volley towards the target soon after.

Thankfully for Armson, the crossbar came to his rescue!

But the Nuneaton 'stopper' has no such fortune on 76 minutes, as Town doubled the advantage and sealed their place in the next round.

Mackreth was sent racing clear by Pittman, and the speedy winger made no mistake – rounding Armson to notch his second goal of the season.

Hurst added: "I think Lenny will be disappointed that he didn't get on the scoresheet, but he hit the crossbar twice.

"It was pleasing to get the second when we did, because it allowed me to make a couple of substitutions.

"One, it gave a couple of lads a few minutes on the pitch, and it meant others could take a breather."

James McKeown – who had been a spectator for the majority of the contest – was only called into action late on.

And the Mariners' number one was on red alert to deny home striker Onome Sodje, as the full-time whistle approached.

Town will discover their second round opponents today.

But while the first step on the road to Wembley has been taken, attentions have already turned to Forest Green – and the hectic festive schedule.

A RAPIST has been jailed for 12 years after being branded a "dangerous offender" who posed a serious risk of committing other sexual offences.

He twice raped a woman in a "sustained attack" on the same day and also grabbed another woman intimately, a court heard.

Both women suffered medical or health problems at the time and their attacker had already served prison sentences of five years and three years for other sexual offences.

Daryl Tovey, 41, of St Augustine Avenue, Grimsby, denied two offences of rape and another of sexual assault between June and July. He was convicted by a jury at Grimsby Crown Court after a trial.

He admitted breaching the terms of a sexual offences prevention order made in 2011 by travelling to Bulgaria without telling the police.

He stayed there for at least seven days and took out two credit cards without notifying the police.

Tovey was arrested on June 18 when he returned to Gatwick airport.

He asked for an offence of possessing 179 images of extreme pornography on July 4 to be considered.

Judge Mark Bury told a sentencing hearing at Hull Crown Court that one of the victims said that the offences left her feeling "traumatised and degraded" and she still felt vulnerable. The other woman had suffered anxiety problems.

"These two offences of rape are very serious," said Judge Bury. "This was a sustained attack."

Tovey was "too big and powerful" for the victim to be able to push him off her, even though she tried, and she was left "extremely distressed".

The sexual assault on the other woman took place a few days later and was another "offence of seriousness", especially as the victim was in ill-health.

Judge Bury told Tovey: "You are a dangerous offender. You pose a serious risk of harm through committing sexual offences in the future."

Tovey had previous convictions for sexual offences, including rape and separate matters of sexually assaulting a child and sexual activity in the presence of a child.

He had received prison sentences of five years in 2002 for the rape matters and three years in May 2011 for the child sexual offences.

Andrew Bailey, mitigating, said that Tovey still "maintained his denials" about the most recent offences.

"These matters are very serious," said Mr Bailey. They were made more serious by Tovey's previous convictions for sexual offences.

"There was some planning but it wasn't significant planning," added Mr Bailey. "This was not a sinister type of set-up situation but it was one where he had set out his intention."

Tovey was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and will be on extended licence of four years after his release from prison.

NUNEATON manager Liam Daish admits Grimsby Town had "too much in tank" for his strugglers in the FA Trophy.

Goals from Jon-Paul Pittman and Jack Mackreth earned the Mariners a 2-0 victory at Liberty Way on Saturday.

Having gone into the clash on the back of three straight December losses, the former Coventry man expected a tough afternoon.

And so it proved as Paul Hurst's men dominated from start to finish.

Daish told the Telegraph: "It was a difficult day for us, especially with the late kick-off.

"I can't fault my lads for their efforts, but we just didn't have enough in the tank to cope with Grimsby.

"We kept trying and kept working hard.

"My lads all carried out their roles in the team as best as they could, but it's always difficult against a side like Grimsby."

On the delayed start, Daish added: "My lads were here at just after 1pm.

"And then we didn't start until 4.15pm – so that meant three hours hanging around, burning nervous energy.

"But it meant their preparation wasn't the best, either, and it's not the visitors' fault of course.

"Grimsby came off the coach and the pressure was off them a little bit.

"But they were fit, organised and started well.

"If we had taken the lead it might have given our lads confidence, but it didn't go that way for us.

"It's just one of those things that you can't legislate for."

Town are joined in today's second round draw by Conference rivals Torquay, Woking and Altrincham.

But leaders Barnet and Friday's opponents Forest Green were forced into replays by Concord Rangers and Didcot Town respectively.

For Daish and his Nuneaton side, attentions turn back to their ongoing battle to avoid relegation.

It won't be an easy task, though, especially after captain Gareth Dean was shown a red card on Saturday.

However, Daish remains in a positive mood.

He continued: "Hopefully a little bit more quality will come with confidence.

"At least we gave it a go against them, and showed a competitiveness to our play.

"We sit and try and concentrate on our shape in preparation for games, with people in certain roles."

MARINERS boss Paul Hurst praised his side's attitude as they booked their place in today's FA Trophy Second Round draw.

Goals from Jon-Paul Pittman and Jack Mackreth were enough to earn a 2-0 win over ten-man Nuneaton on Saturday.

It wasn't all straightforward for Hurst's men, though, as heavy traffic delays forced the kick-off back to 4.15pm.

But ahead of today's draw, the boss was delighted to overcome those problems and ignite Town's Trophy charge.

Hurst said: "It was a difficult start, after a long lay-off since our last game.

"I think we were worthy winners and, at times, we played some really good football.

"I've seen the results, and some clubs that would have been favourites for the cup have fallen at the first hurdle.

"Of course, some have different priorities in terms of whether they want to be in the competition or not.

"I've already stated that I do, and Nuneaton could have been a tricky tie – so I'm delighted to get through."

On the Mariners' delayed arrival at Liberty Way, Hurst added: "We got caught up in traffic, because of an incident.

"We changed routes, and thought we would just be 30 minutes later than scheduled. It would have seen us there with plenty of time before kick-off.

"But a second incident caused us further delays.

"In the end, it's far from ideal, but we had to then turn up and be professional."

While their pre-match preparations were hampered, Town settled quickly and took charge from the first whistle.

Lenell John-Lewis missed two early chances, before striker partner Pittman put the Mariners in front on 26 minutes.

Nuneaton captain Gareth Dean saw red for a professional foul, as Mackreth's late strike confirmed Town's place in the second round.

Hurst continued: "We could have had quite a few more goals.

"I felt we were relatively comfortable, but at 1-0 you never know.

"With their keeper going off and the red card, it was about seeing the game out – but we then sealed it with the second goal."

A TOP Gear-style race across Grimsby by three Grimsby Telegraph reporters has gone across the pond to America.

In October 2013 reporters James Dunn, Simon Faulkner and Sam Kinnaird raced from Cleethorpe Road to the commuter hub that is Grimsby Town train station to find out which is quicker – bike, car, or bus.

It was during roadworks around the town centre which motorists said was causing misery for weeks on end.

Now the story has been picked up by BBC America as part of a feature on the show.

You can read the original story and see a video of the race by clicking here.

A two-year-old boy has died after a car overturned on the M180 on Saturday morning. 

Humberside Police are now appealing for witnesses following the fatal road traffic collision, which took place on the M180 westbound between junction 3 and 4 at 8.44am.

A black Vauxhall Meriva left the carriageway and mounted the embankment before rolling over and coming to a rest on the nearside hard shoulder.

A two-year-old boy, who was a rear seat passenger in the car, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. 

The driver of the car, a 28-year-old man, the front seat passenger, a 22-year-old woman, and a second back seat passenger, a three-year-old boy, were all taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Any witnesses to the road traffic collision are urged to call police on 101, quoting log number 186 of Saturday, December 13.

Police and firefighters were called to a rush hour collision on the A18 at Riby this morning.

Lincolnshire Police said it involved a Ford Fiesta and a motorhome but added that there were not thought to have been any injuries. The incident happened around 9.30am at Riby Crossroads with the A1173 junction. A nearby resident said the junction is often the location of bad crashes. He said: "I heard a clatter but I just thought it was a lorry making a turn, as we often hear that. We do hear a lot of noise here. "We see a lot of near misses at that junction as well, you get crashes all the time. "I have been living here for 12 years and in that time we have had two major accidents, a death and many minors as well. So it's fair to say we've had a lot of trouble. "Drivers don't realise that 60mph is probably 10mph too fast for this road."

A former Grimsby paramedic who repeatedly molested a young boy has been booted out of the profession.

Shane Snell, 37, was earlier this year convicted of 14 sexual offences against the lad including five of indecent assault and one of attempted rape.

He was jailed for 11 years at Grimsby Crown Court.

Snell was in regular contact with the boy and spent a lot of time with him in Grimsby, the Health Care and Professions Council heard.

The offences only came to light when the boy had a conversation with his mother over Facebook.

Striking father-of-four Snell off, the HCPC announced: "As previously noted, the registrant has failed to demonstrate insight into his behaviour.

"Further, there is no evidence of any expression of remorse or apology."

Read more in Tuesday's Grimsby Telegraph.