GRIMSBY Town welcome promotion rivals Forest Green Rovers to Blundell Park tonight and will be keen to go into their festive fixtures on a high.

The Mariners were last in league action on November 29 - when they drew 1-1 at AFC Telford - and have been forced to watch on as their fellow challengers played catch-up in the meantime.

Now sitting fifth in the table, Paul Hurst's side find themselves with ground to make up, having now played a game less than the four teams above them.

Tonight's visitors will pose a stern test, however, having been among the pre-season favourites to lift the Conference title.

Don't worry if you can't make it to Blundell Park tonight, you can follow the action with our live and interactive Big Match Live service from 7.45pm.

Humberston Road in Cleethorpes has now reopened, following a fatal collision which happened this morning.

As reported, police and ambulance crews were called to the scene at 11.49am after a green Peugeot car left the road and crashed into a hedge at the junction with Denby Drive, near Hewitts Circus.

The driver of the vehicle, an 83-year-old local man, was taken to hospital but sadly died.

Road closures were in place from the junction with Brian Avenue down to the Hewitts Circus roundabout with traffic being diverted down Brian Avenue and Taylors Avenue.

These have now been removed.

Officers investigating the incident are appealing for any witnesses to call Humberside Police on 101, quoting log 229 of 19/12/14.

A teenager is still missing, almost a week after she disappeared in Cleethorpes.

As reported, Katie Free,19, had been in the care of a treatment centre in Grimsby, but disappeared during a visit to the resort at around 12.45pm on Saturday and has not been seen since.

Police are concerned for her welfare, due to her existing medical condition.

She is described as white and of pale complexion with blue eyes and red hair often worn in a ponytail. She is 5ft 7in tall, of thin build and wears glasses.

When last seen she was wearing black leggings with a burgundy hooded jacket with a white logo on the front. She was said to be carrying a black tote bag and wearing burgundy shoes.

Police say she is believed to be in the company of her boyfriend Will Gilligan, pictured with Katie above, who is from the Darlington area.

Katie or anyone with information as to her whereabouts is asked to call Humberside Police on 101, quoting log number 358 of 13 December 2014.

The draw has been made for tonight's Euromillions lottery.

Check your tickets now to find out if you have won the jackpot of around £11million.

Here are the winning numbers from tonight's draw in ascending order:

23, 29, 31, 39, 44

Lucky Stars: 5, 8

GRIMSBY Town won 2-1 against Forest Green Rovers in an entertaining clash at Blundell Park tonight.

It was an encouraging start to the festive run of Conference Premier fixtures that may well make or break their season.

A crowd of 3,204 – which included 14 away fans – watched the clash.

After an even opening 20 minutes, Town had the first real chance when Jon-Paul Pittman played in Lenell John-Lewis – and the big striker had a decent effort tipped away by the keeper.

But John-Lewis was not to be denied – he guided home in the 23rd minute after a good ball in by Carl Magnay.

Although there were few chances, the Mariners went in at the break a goal up and in control.

Town continued to hold the slight edge in the second half – and Pittman was denied a goal thanks to a superb save from the Forest Green keeper.

The visitors got back on level terms when Chris Stokes volleyed home in the 62nd minute.

But Craig Disley then popped up with a captain's goal ten minutes later to restore Town's lead.

The closing stages were tense for the Mariners and the home fans – but they held on to grab the three points.

Town: McKeown, Parslow, Nsiala, Pearson, Magnay, Mackreth, Disley, Brown, Arnold, Pittman, John-Lewis. Subs: Bignot, Hannah, Neilson, Clay Watson.

Pick up a copy of tomorrow's paper for full match report, action pictures, player ratings, stats and manager reaction.

CHILDREN from North East Lincolnshire schools said "Willkommen" to the German Saint Nicholas as he begun his annual tour of the town.

The annual visit could herald more school exchanges between Cleethorpes' German twin town of Konigswinter.

He was cheered as he visited Springfield Primary School where he was welcomed by the Deputy Mayor of North East Lincolnshire Cliff Barber.

Councillor Barber said he hopes to organise a school exchange with the German town.

He said: "It would be good to bond the children of Konigswinter with those of North East Lincolnshire. They could come here and we could do it vice versa."

St Nicholas said he was thrilled with pupils who said "Vielen Dank" for the chocolates he presented to every pupil.

He also presented staff with lebkuchen and German wine produced in Konigwinter.

Headteacher Andy Willett said: "It is fantastic to be part of that long-standing tradition."

Nine-year-old Katie Mawer said: "It has been a happy visit from St Nicholas. He looks quite nice. They are wishing everybody a merry Christmas."

The tour by St Nicholas and his helpers started at the Fishing Heritage Centre on Thursday. Ulrich Berres, a council worker of Cleethorpes' twin town Konigswinter, will visit schools and other organisations before leaving tomorrow.

It is part of his traditional visit before Christmas, which has been happening for the last 20 years

"It's always good to come here," Ulrich said. "I enjoy it every time.

"I have a lot of friends here and the people are so friendly and kind. I say it every year, but it almost feels as though I am coming home."

He was welcomed by the Mayor of North East Lincolnshire, Councillor Alex Baxter, before visiting local primary schools as well as St Andrew's Hospice.

Sue Marshall, operations manager of Grimsby Heritage Centre, said: "We thought it would be a good way for him to start his tour of the town.

"He's got plenty of visits after this so we also thought we'd provide him with some lunch to give him some energy!

"It's a pleasure to have him here."

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THE Enrolled Freemen of Grimsby have scooped a prestigious national award in recognition of their environmentally friendly regeneration of Freeman Street Market.

They were named gold winners in the building and construction (regeneration) category of the 2014 Green Apple Awards during a ceremony at the House of Commons.

It follows their success in being highly commended in the Lincolnshire Energy Champion Awards in June, where they were recognised as leaders in renewable energy.

Established in 1994, the Green Apple Awards are held to recognise, reward and promote environmental best practice around the world.

Competition for a Green Apple Gold is extremely high and 2014 was no exception, with well-known supermarket chains, industrial giants, councils and multi-million pound utilities all among the contenders.

The award recognises the Freemen's pioneering work in regenerating Freeman Street Market to its high Eco standard.

Since 2008, the Freemen have installed an air to water heat pump, low energy lighting, a pilot rainwater harvesting system and solar panels in a bid to reduce energy costs.

A new recycling system has also been introduced to reduce waste and recycle most of the packaging generated by market trading.

Now the Freemen are in the planning phase of implementing a "communal energy system", in which excess energy generated by the solar panels could be distributed among local partners for the benefit of the Freeman Street and East Marsh area.

This work has been carried out alongside an extensive refurbishment of the market, and the creation of the £1.4 billion Business And Digital Hub, which houses office spaces, workshops, training, and meeting rooms.

Stephen White, chairman of the Enrolled Freemen of Grimsby, said: "We had no idea back in 2008, when we took the conscious decision to try and stem the decline and regenerate the local area by starting with the market building, that we would end up with such an excellent building with a "B" energy rating which has now won two Eco awards and has regained its place as the community hub for the East Marsh.

"The roof mounted solar PV system has already reduced our CO2 output by over 60 tonnes, an amazing figure for three years.

"Against the Government's 20/20 CO2 reduction target, (20 per cent reduction before 2020), we are already saving 15 per cent on the market and are about to double our solar output to generate 150,000kwh which should help us to over achieve the target."

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TRIBUTES have been paid to a much-loved former head teacher of a Barton school.

Ray Smithson passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 9, at Eaton Court Care Home in Grimsby after suffering a series of strokes.

He was aged 86.

Born in Hull in 1928, Ray began his career as a biology teacher in 1951 at Barton Grammar School.

He moved away to teach in both Nottinghamshire and West Yorkshire, before returning to Barton where he was made deputy head teacher of Beretun Secondary School in 1966.

He was then given the headship four years later, before becoming the first head teacher of Baysgarth Comprehensive School – an amalgamation of Barton Grammar School and Beretun Secondary School.

He married Shirley in March 1953, with whom he had three children – Tim, Julie and Sally, who all followed in his footsteps and went on to work in education.

Ray and Shirley celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary in March 2013.

His daughter, Julie Hallam, 58, said: "He was a wonderful family man. He particularly enjoyed family gatherings, parties and spending time with his grandchildren and great grandchildren.

"Shirley and Ray spent many wonderful holidays in Europe and particularly enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Austria and Italy and cruising around the Mediterranean with friends."

She added: "There were so many facets to dad's role as a father and it is very difficult to sum up the wonderful contribution he has made to our lives.

"Whatever each of us wanted to do, whether it concerned our careers, hobbies or whether advice was needed on family matters, dad would be extremely supportive without being judgemental.

"Dad was a most loving, caring and dedicated gentleman who would stick up for his beliefs. Yet at the same time, he possessed a very dry sense of humour. He was an outstanding role model for us all and he will be forever in our hearts."

Ray's main interests were theatre, plays and music and he was a "wonderful" singer, his family said.

He first organised a show at the age of ten in Driffield, and he also started organising charity events at the age of 13. Since then, he had organised many charity concerts, shows and events.

He was also a founder member of the Barton Operatics Society alongside Alan Wright, where he produced many musicals such as Oliver, The Sound Of Music and White Horse Inn.

Ray's grandson, Matthew, aged 33, said: "Grandad was a wonderful man, an inspiration and a role model to us all.

"He was a dedicated family man who would do anything to help anyone.

"He will always be in our hearts and in our thoughts."

Baysgarth School also paid tribute to its former head teacher.

Mr Smithson was the first headteacher of the Barton comprehensive school and took over under reorganisation in 1975 to set up the new school.

A statement from the school said: "We were very sad to hear about the passing of the former head teacher Ray Smithson.

"He was a much-loved member of the community who is fondly remembered by former students, many of whom continue to be associated with the school as staff or parents/grandparents.

"Our thoughts are with his family."

The funeral will be held at Grimsby Crematorium on Monday, December 22, at 1pm, for close family and friends. There will also be a celebration of his life at St Mary's Church in Barton at 2.30pm.

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THE following people have been fined by Grimsby and Cleethorpes Magistrates for failing to purchase a TV licence:

Craig Knibbs, 40, of High Street, Kirmington, fined £200 with £120 costs and a £20 victims' surcharge.

Kyle Maitre, 21, of Digby Gardens, Grimsby, fined £200 with £120 costs and a £20 victims' surcharge.

Leon Love, 24, of Bursar Street, Cleethorpes, fined £200 with £120 costs and a £20 victims' surcharge.

Arek Majsterek, 32, of Alexandra Road, Grimsby, fined £150 with £120 costs and a £20 victims' surcharge.

Jennifer Marshman, 25, of Lord Street, Grimsby, fined £40 with £120 costs and a £20 victims' surcharge.

Lewis McLaughlin, 21, of Willingham Street, Grimsby, fined £200 with £120 costs and a £20 victims' surcharge.

Jade McQuillan, 24, of Lambert Road, Grimsby, fined £200 with £120 costs and a £20 victims' surcharge.

Kirsty McQuillan, 30, of Lambert Road, Grimsby, fined £200 with £120 costs and a £20 victims' surcharge.

Anthony Nevet, 43, of Uppleby Court, Barton, fined £135 with £120 costs and a £20 victims' surcharge.

Nicholas Nickson, 46, of Copse Close, Immingham, fined £200 with £120 costs and a £20 victims' surcharge.

Victoria Olufowobi, 29, of Larch Crescent, Grimsby, fined £100 with £80 costs and a £20 victims' surcharge.

Neil Ramsbottom, 66, of Hildyard Street, Grimsby, fined £90 with £100 costs and a £20 victims' surcharge.

Lauren Riley, 24, of Grimsby Road, Cleethorpes, fined £200 with £120 costs and a £20 victims' surcharge.

Kallum Robinson, 21, of Washdyke Lane, Immingham, fined £40 with £120 costs and a £20 victims' surcharge.

Kelly Rowbotham, 36, of Magnolia Street, Grimsby, fined £200 with £120 costs and a £20 victims' surcharge.

Katie Salter, 21, of Ladysmith Road, Grimsby, fined £40 with £120 costs and a £20 victims' surcharge.

Lee Sanderson, 41, of Princess Drive, Barton, fined £300 with £120 costs and a £30 victims' surcharge.

Wendy Smith, 50, of Willingham Street, Grimsby, fined £40 with £40 costs and a £20 victims' surcharge.

Samantha Swinscoe, 24, of Castle Street, Grimsby, fined £200 with £120 costs and a £20 victims' surcharge.

A MENTAL health nurse who turned up for work drunk has been struck off for misconduct.

Angela Booth, who worked at the Nettleton Manor Care Home near Caistor for over ten years, has seen her details removed from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register following a hearing of the NMC panel in London.

The hearing was told Booth, a mental health nurse since 1984, attended work under the influence of alcohol on July 27 last year.

The charge, which was proved, was that Booth turned up late for a night shift and told a colleague she had had "a few alcoholic drinks" that night.

A colleague said she could perceive a "strong smell of alcohol" on Booth's breath and that she was slurring her words.

A witness told the panel that she found it strange that Booth believed she would be able to care for residents with high dependent nursing needs in a drunken state.

Other charges proved included Booth leaving the medication trolley unlocked and unattended, failing to check she had the correct patient name, drug and dose on the medication box before preparing to administer medication, and failing to respect the dignity of a resident while changing them.

She had been employed at Nettleton for around 11 years in various roles.

The charges against Booth, who was neither present nor represented at the hearing, were found proved.

The panel was told there was a "public interest" in the "expeditious disposal of the case" despite Booth's non-attendance.

The panel was also told that Booth would have been the only registered nurse on duty on the night of July 27 and that, as the most senior member of staff on duty, would have been in charge of the shift.

It was said that witnesses' "dismay at what they witnessed Mrs Booth doing was clear".

The panel said: "However, it was also obvious to the panel that they had not reported what they considered to be Mrs Booth's poor and unacceptable practice because of any ill feeling towards her but as a result of their sincere concern for the safety and wellbeing of the vulnerable residents at the home.

"When asked, the witnesses described Mrs Booth as a pleasant lady."

The verdict read: "Mrs Booth repeatedly put vulnerable residents at risk of serious harm through unsafe practice in terms of medication errors; non-compliance with the policies and practices established by her employer designed to ensure the health and wellbeing of those in her care; inappropriate handling, not respecting the dignity of the residents, and by attending work when under the influence of alcohol.

"Mrs Booth's misconduct was not an isolated incident but was repeated and it continued despite supervision and support, which included advice as to the need to practice safely."

It added that she had "not engaged with the NMC process in a meaningful way" and that "the aggravating features of this case far outweigh the extremely limited mitigating features".

In mitigation, it was said that Booth, looking back to the time of her employment at the home, believes that she was "preoccupied with some considerable pain" and that this affected her concentration.

Booth's name was removed from the NMC Register. She may not apply for restoration for five years and was also handed an 18-month interim suspension order.

Nettleton Manor declined to comment when contacted by the Grimsby Telegraph.

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A SCARTHO man accused of battering his ex-wife to death admitted today that he lied about his movements on the day she lost her life but told a jury he did not kill her.

Wai Hong Tsang is alleged to have driven to Lincoln and then cycled into the Sincil Bank area of the city where he then murdered Mingzi Yang inside her terraced home.

Defence barrister Timothy Spencer QC asked Tsang at the start of his evidence: "Did you kill Mingzi Yang?"

Tsang replied: "No I did not kill Mingzi Yang."

Mr Spencer then asked him: "Did you want her dead?"

Tsang responded: "No Sir".

Tsang denied a prosecution suggestion that he had invented an alibi to put himself in the clear.

But he admitted to the jury at Lincoln Crown Court that he lied to police when he initially told them that on the day of the murder he drove directly from his home to Sherwood Forest where he went mountain biking.

Tsang agreed that he "deliberately" missed out the fact that on the way to Sherwood Forest he stopped off for more than two hours in a layby alongside the A57 near to Lincoln.

When asked by Mr Spencer what he now thought about the fact he had lied, Tsang told the jury: "I think I'm an idiot. I think it was an extremely foolish thing to do."

He said that he did not want his current partner Lisa Gillbanks to think he was lazy for having stopped off en route.

The prosecution claim that Tsang was caught on CCTV cameras across the city as he cycled towards the Sincil Bank area from the A57 but he denied he was the cyclist.

He admitted he had previously owned a red Giant mountain bike of a similar type to the one used by the cyclist.

But he said he bought a new cycle a month before the murder and at that time the Giant bike was taken to the waste tip in Grimsby.

Mr Spencer, in his opening speech to the jury, urged them to keep an open mind about the case and asked them to look at it afresh.

The prosecution claim the cyclist was the murderer and Tsang was the cyclist but Mr Spencer told them: "You should dispel any pre-conceptions that the cyclist must be the killer and look at other realistic possible candidates as well. There are many, many candidates for the killer of Mingzi Yang."

Wai Hong Tsang, 33, of Bluebell Road, Scartho, Grimsby, denies the murder of Mingzi Yang on June 17 this year.

The trial continues on Monday.

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A SEX offender ignored an order banning him from living in the same house as children, a court heard.

Ian Ashton, 28, of Cleethorpe Road, Grimsby, admitted breaching the terms of the requirements imposed on him to register his details between June 30 and October 31.

Jeremy Evans, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that conditions had been imposed on Ashton when he appeared before Hull Crown Court for sexual offences in February 2011.

He lived in the same house as children for about four months without telling the police but there were no untoward incidents.

He also failed to register a new bank card and keep a police appointment for an annual assessment.

Robert Underwood, mitigating, said Ashton had completed a sex offender treatment programme and had responded well. He realised he should have notified the authorities about the matters.

He had never had proper employment.

Ashton was given a six-month suspended prison sentence and a six-month 8pm to 8am curfew.

Melanie Onn's biggest critic is Melanie Onn. When, on Saturday, July 26, the Great Grimsby Labour Party selected her to stand as the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate in next year's General Election she didn't celebrate in any obvious sense of the word. Yes, she was happy, but mostly she was relieved after all the work she had put in. That initial moment of muted euphoria soon passed, however, as our former Parliamentary Correspondent, Soraya Kishtwari discovered.

"After the selection, I spent a good three weeks where all I could think about was the things I wish I had done better during the campaign and kicking myself for failing to achieve more, even though I had won," says Melanie Onn.

"I always feel like I have to prove myself and I put oodles of pressure on myself to get things done.

"But then women are constantly pulling themselves apart thinking I should have been better."

Nevertheless, winning the selection ranks among one of her greatest achievements and while the perfectionist in her will always find a flaw of one sort or another, she knows where her strengths lie.

She enjoyed the selection process "because it's a combination of developing and running a campaign; defining your message".

The mother-of-one, more generally accustomed to being "in the background", has had to adjust to taking centre stage – not something her upbringing naturally predisposes her for.

Melanie's early childhood was spent on Grimsby's Grange estate and later the Nunsthorpe estate.

Her mother was "a bit of a hippy; a transient searching for inner peace". That search would eventually take mum and four-year-old Melanie to the capital.

Her experience was more Mean Streets than Sesame Street.

"It was tough. I went to a rough school and it was littered with racial tensions, we were all really well versed in a lot of swear words, even at that age."

When, at six, the opportunity came up for her to return to Grimsby and move in with her great-aunt in Healing village, on the outskirts of town, she did.

As for her father, Melanie never got to meet him, "although I read in the Grimsby Telegraph recently that he died. I think he did – there was an obit".

Despite no father figure and later being separated from her mother – not to mention several moves – she describes her early years as "a wonderful upbringing".

"We had a garden and stability and the local school was just behind my aunt's council house. It was green and safe and I felt very loved and I was delighted to be there."

But then she hit her teens and hit a brick wall. It was during this time that things began to unravel, and when the absence of her mum and the generational gap between her and her great-aunt (who was significantly older) was most keenly felt.

"I was lovely. Then I hit my teens and that's when I became horrible," she says.

She particularly struggled when her aunt's stroke-afflicted Polish lodger required round-the-clock care, a task she reluctantly pitched in with.

"My great aunt became his carer; it meant that he couldn't feed himself, wash himself, get himself to the bathroom, and it was very difficult for me to accept that I had to be involved in it.

"I'd be getting ready for my GCSEs and getting up in the middle of the night to change the bed sheets.

"I remember thinking 'I can't do this', which is really selfish, actually, but then teenagers are, aren't they?"

Soon after leaving school, she decided to leave the house she shared with her aunt after their relationship "broke down".

Thanks to local charity Doorstep, which provides housing support to young people, Melanie soon had a roof over her head.

"My partner now calls it a house for delinquent girls, but we weren't really," she jokes.

"We just had troubled family relationships, but they put me there and that was it then – I was on my own from 17."

It was during this time, while she was studying English, politics and law for her A-Levels, that she found her campaigning voice on a number of issues, from animal rights to calling for girls to be able to wear trousers at college.

"They weren't able to at the time, which seems ridiculous today," she says.

"I also had a thing about abortion," she adds, and for women to have the right to determine what to do with their own bodies.

She went onto read Politics, Philosophy and International Studies at Middlesex University in North London.

"The place I was happy to escape from I went back to again," she says, spotting the irony.

Her first job out of university was working the 5am shift at Tesco. When that was over, she'd head over to South East London volunteering at Action For Blind People.

"I needed the experience of a real job, because even then having a degree wasn't enough to secure a proper job.

"They had a Remploy factory attached (for disabled workers), so I engaged very heavily with the GMB (trade union). It was a really good charity and they introduced me to that kind of political role."

By January 2001, she landed herself a job as a receptionist at the Labour Party's headquarters near Parliament.

Other than saying she was sympathetic to the party, she knew "very little" about it.

"I wasn't old enough to vote in '97 so I hadn't had the opportunity to vote for them and I had never engaged in local government elections. I was a Labour sympathiser because my nan had been a member and had done leafleting, and I knew that my great-aunt was a Labour supporter because she shouted at some Tories telling them not to bother coming up because we were Labour here."

But it's Grimsby that keeps calling her back.

Today, much of her time is spent juggling her parliamentary bid alongside her job as the Yorkshire and Humber's regional organiser for Unison, as well as looking after her son, a responsibility she shares with her ex-husband.

I ask her if there were any policy announcements from the Labour Party Conference in Manchester that triggered any alarm bells. She pauses for a moment, before citing shadow chancellor Ed Balls' plans to cap child benefit.

"That feels really uncomfortable when the thrust of Ed's speech was very much about reconnecting with people who are struggling," she says.

"I'm not sure that saying that children are not deserving of their child benefits and parents who need it are going to be happy.

"On the plus side there's a time-limit – the first two years. I don't think anyone who has a social conscience would want to see the poorest families hit with a universal benefit like child benefit being capped."

Melanie's background prompted claims that Labour have been in cahoots with the trade union to "fix" Grimsby for her, while the party's outgoing veteran MP, Austin Mitchell, questioned the wisdom of All Women Shortlists, under which she was elected.

Labour have repeatedly rejected the charge, not least because they say it does not accurately reflect the way the AWS process works.

But Mr Mitchell's typically colourful words were not exactly what Melanie's election team had bargained for.

For her part, she has maintained a dignified silence since Mr Mitchell's controversial op-ed in one of the nationals.

The only thing she will venture is: "Austin is his entitled to his own opinion. There is nothing that anybody can do to stop Austin sharing his view or his opinions, so what benefit would there have been for me to go and say that it wasn't that way and that it was hard-fought and that the rest of the candidates were fantastic, but I'm really proud to have won? It would have back-fired and I would have looked churlish."

From friendly-fire to enemy attacks, Melanie's sights are firmly set on retaining the seat for Labour – no mean feat given the party's majority was eroded to just 714 at the last election.

It is this, along with a number of economic factors including a collapsed fishing industry, a large under-employed working-age population and many retired voters, that all make Great Grimsby rich pickings for UKIP.

Says Melanie: "From my perspective, the messages that Ukip are peddling are incredibly difficult to counter, because they're not based on reality or any basis of fact in Grimsby. It's more about a fear of what might happen, perception is massive."

She recognises, however, the need for the local Labour Party "to take a different approach".

She tells me: "If people say they are concerned about immigration, what we don't do is say 'no, you can't be concerned about immigration', that is not the way to go about it."

In many cases, she finds people's fears of immigrants – about them taking jobs, undercutting local workers and putting pressure on public services – are based on what they've heard from others, rather than first-hand experience.

She accepts that wages being driven down, as employers look to make savings by exploiting migrant workers, is "a flashpoint and an understandable one".

But despite claiming to be scared by "everything", Melanie's a fighter, you sense.

And underneath that small frame lies enough grit and resolve to give Ukip a run for their money – even if she does beat herself up in the process.

Look out for features on the area's other prospective candidates in the coming weeks.

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GRIMSBY Town gave the Blundell Park faithful an early Christmas present with last night's fine 2-1 victory over promotion rivals Forest Green Rovers.

The Mariners stretched the gap between them and the Gloucestershire outfit to six points thanks to goals from Lenell John-Lewis and Craig Disley.

Chris Stokes had equalised for Ady Pennock's men but it wasn't enough, as Town signed off for Christmas in style.

After a largely forgettable opening ten minutes – with the only talking point being whether Sam Russell had handled outside his area – Marcus Kelly drilled a poor free-kick into the Town wall after a foul on the edge of the box.

Only an excellent stretching header from Shaun Pearson prevented James Norwood from getting on the end of Chris Stokes' fine, cross-field ball and Norwood's theatrical dive then won a free-kick that he deflected off the wall and into the path of Jon Parkin, who flicked over from ten yards.

At the other end, good work from John-Lewis forced Luke Oliver to concede a deep throw that was worked to Carl Magnay, who twisted and turned before delivering a fine ball into Jon-Paul Pittman, but he lifted his header on to the roof of Russell's goal.

Parslow set the US-born striker loose the touchline, and he shrugged off the challenge of Luke Oliver before squaring to John-Lewis, who saw his close-range shot blocked while, minutes later, Russell spilled behind the frontman's well-struck effort.

After the resulting corner was cleared, John-Lewis and Russell went head-to-head again – and this time, it was the Town man who won out.

After intercepting the ball, Magnay used the outside of his right boot to carve a superb ball into the box, and with Russell hesitating, John-Lewis went in bravely to dink the ball over the keeper for his 14th of the season.

Looking for another, Pittman again showed his marker a clean pair of heels before seeing his shot from the angle charged down after cutting into the box from the flank.

Town were firmly on top, but when a long ball evaded Magnay, Parkin cleverly laid back into the path of the onrushing Norwood but, one-on-one, he couldn't find a way past James McKeown, who produced a fine save.

On the stroke of half-time, the Rovers' forward pulled the ball out of the air superbly, just inside the box, but the quality of his shot didn't match the quality of his first-touch, as he carved a poor effort past the right-hand post.

John-Lewis' impressive burst earned Town a corner just before the break, but when that came to nothing, referee Darren England promptly sent the two sides in at the break.

Rovers started brightly and it was only a slack touch that prevented Kurtis Guthrie from getting an early sight of goal, while at the other end, Brown's cute ball into the box found Pittman, who drew a stunning, low save from Russell down to his right.

Parkin steered a tame effort on goal seven minutes after of the break and a minute later, Ady Pennock's men won another free-kick that Guthrie flicked into the arms of McKeown.

Rovers' bright spell owed much to the fact that Town were gifting the ball back to them with over-cooked balls in the swirling wind.

But when Town did keep it on the deck, Brown found himself space and advanced on goal.

After spying Mackreth bursting up on his right, he paused before feeding his fellow Scouser, who saw his one-on-one effort kicked away by Russell.

Brown was next to try his luck when he scuffed an effort at goal after Coles' shoddy clearance.

And the hosts were made to pay for their missed opportunities when, just after the hour mark, the visitors drew level.

Parkin picked up the ball on the edge of the box and with Town appealing for offside, he fed Norwood into the channel, whose shot was deflected up and into the air. A poor headed clearance fell to Stokes who steadied himself before volleying past McKeown.

Rovers were getting on top, with Parkin becoming more and more of a presence. The man nicknamed the Beast used all of his experience to draw another foul from Pearson, but ballooned over the resulting free-kick.

Hurst responded by bringing on Craig Clay for Scott Brown and immediately from that restart, Town retook the lead in fine style.

John-Lewis picked up the 25 yards out, turned and clipped an impudent ball over the back-four and into the path of Disley, who poked past Russell to put his side back into the lead.

Stung by falling behind after enjoying their best spell of the game, Rovers looked for an instant response as Guthrie saw his shot blocked superbly by Nsiala before McKeown palmed over Norwood's stinger seconds later.

Scott Neilson replaced the tiring Pittman, with Arnold going up top with John-Lewis while Lee Hughes replaced Norwood.

With less than five minutes to go, another Rovers player took a tumble and the referee blew up for another free-kick and somehow, Marcus Kelly's free-kick went all the way through the box and Blundell Park drew a collective sigh of relief.

The fourth official indicated four minutes of stoppage time to be played but that looked certain to be added to when Magnay went down with a nasty-looking head injury. Dazed, but on his feet, the Geordie trudged off and was replaced by Bignot for the final seconds.

When it came, the referee's whistle – his last of the night – received a much warmer reception than it had previously, as he called time on a fine victory for the Mariners.

VIEW PICTURE GALLERIES www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/pictures

SHOULD babies and toddlers be banned from attending their older siblings' school play?

That's the question we are asking today after a row broke out between parents and the head of a Grimsby school who said under threes were not welcome at the Christmas concert this year.

Parents say they had already been left upset when they discovered only children in years 1 and 2 and not the older children would be involved in a Christmas play at Strand Primary Academy this year.

They were also sent a letter asking to make "alternative arrangements" for any younger children if parents were planning to attend.

Laura Barnsley, who has four children at the school, said parents wanted to meet with the principal Jenny Morrell to discuss the issues.

The 32-year-old said: "I was not able to find anyone to look after my baby, so I went to see the head and asked if I could stand near the door and leave if he made a noise – but she said no.

"She made the decision not to allow any under threes, and she would not go back on that. I spoke to my son who was in the play and he was quite upset by this. He had been rehearsing his lines and was looking forward to me coming to see him perform.

"But he wasn't interested in doing it if I couldn't come to see him, so I decided to keep him at home until the play was over. When I informed the principal of this, her response was just that it would be recorded as an unauthorised absence."

She also claimed that several parents who arrived at the school to watch the play with their under threes had been turned away.

She added: "As a past pupil of Strand, I have been left very disappointed.

"I have lots of fond memories of my time and hoped that my children would be able to enjoy attending too.

"We have always been able to bring children before and it has never been a problem."

Parents received a letter from the school on December 1, inviting them to the nativity performances.

The letter advised the parents that due to limited space, only two tickets would be available per family at a cost of £1 each.

The mum also claimed that she and others parents have been blocked from posting on the school's official Facebook page, having bombarded the site with questions about the issue. It is understood the settings have been changed so that the page is no longer accessible to the general public.

Ms Morrell said: "Our young children have very quiet softly spoken voices and it is difficult to hear them in the hall.

"We provided a calm atmosphere for them to focus on performing their part with clarity and developing fluency.

"The play was a success and the children performed well."

She did not address the issue of older children not being involved or the Facebook page.

ON THE WEB: Are the parents right? Or should young children be banned from school plays? Have your say online at www.grimsby telegraph.co.uk

PAUL Hurst hailed last night's win over Forest Green Rovers as a 'big three points' – and a great way to kick-off Grimsby Town's festive schedule.

The Mariners beat their fellow promotion hopefuls 2-1 on a bitterly cold evening at Blundell Park.

Lenell John-Lewis opened the scoring with his 14th of the season before Hurst's men were pegged back by Chris Stokes' 62-minute equaliser.

But John-Lewis turned provider with just under 20 minutes to go as his deft chip over the visitors' back four allowed Craig Disley to turn home the winner and ensure Town fans will go into Christmas on a high.

Afterwards, Hurst couldn't hide his delight at the victory, which stretched the gap between Town and Rovers to six points.

"We said there are some big games coming up, so it was a great way to start that run," he said.

"Forest Green have been in good form – it would be no surprise to see them up there at the end of the season – so it was a big three points for us last night and a big win.

"I'm really pleased to get those points – particularly after the break we've had and the run that we're about to go into over Christmas – it's a great start.

"We scored goals at good times – the second one in particular. I thought we were the better team in the first-half and deservedly led at the break.

"We had another really good chance in the second half, from which their keeper made a good save, then they went up the other end and scored.

"But then we won it with a goal of real quality."

THE family of an 83-year-old motorist who veered across a busy Cleethorpes road to avoid oncoming cars when he apparently fell ill at the wheel have said how "proud" they are of him.

Peugeot driver Arthur Wardle was pronounced dead at the Diana, Princess Of Wales Hospital, Grimsby, after his car crossed over Humberston Road and collided with a hedgerow yesterday.

As reported on www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk, the crash happened at shortly before midday yesterday on the busy road close to the junction with Denby Drive.

The former dockworker is understood to have become ill suddenly and is thought to have steered his car to avoid other motorists and prevent further tragedy which could have claimed more lives, an eyewitness said.

Sandra Holt posted a message on the Grimsby Telegraph's Facebook page urging the family of the driver to be proud of him because of his "selfless" actions in steering away from other cars.

She also praised those who gave first aid at the scene before the arrival of paramedics.

She said: "We were in the car behind him. The old chap's family want to be proud of him. He swerved into the hedgerow so as not to go into oncoming traffic. So sad but the emergency services did a fantastic job and the operator talked through everything. Special mention to the motorist who was constantly helping the chap and also to Lives in coming in minutes."

Mr Wardle's family today said they were "proud" of his apparent actions in trying to steer his car to avoid danger to other road users. His daughter, Lisa Mitchell, of Cleethorpes, said the comment on Facebook was a "really nice touch" that had helped make the family feel better. "We are proud of him," she said. "He was lovely. He would do anything for anyone." A full tribute from the family will appear in the Grimsby Telegraph on Monday. Mr Wardle's green Peugeot was travelling along Humberston Road from Hewitt's Circus and crossed over the eastbound carriageway and over a pavement into a hedge.

It was close to a private road used by residents in Denby Drive.

Paramedics from East Midlands Ambulance Service battled to save the man's life.

Humberside Police closed the road as an investigation began into the cause of the collision.

Following the single-vehicle collision, Humberside Police closed Humberston Road at the junction with Hewitt's Circus and a diversion was set up at Brian Avenue.

Sergeant Chris Wright appealed for any witnesses who saw the green Peugeot prior to the crash, to contact Humberside Police by calling 101 and quoting incident number 229.