WORK to construct a new hospice in the heart of Grimsby is continuing at speed.

As reported, the £6.5 million project to rebuild St Andrew's Hospice – which provides free care for adults and children with life-limiting illnesses in North East Lincolnshire and the wider region – began in April.

The Grimsby Telegraph has got behind the campaign to raise £2.5 million towards that figure by naming the hospice as its charity of the year for 2014.

Patients, volunteers and staff are expected to move into the new building by the end of February, with a four-week handover period.

This signifies the end of the first phase of the redevelopment. The second, to create a health and wellbeing centre, will go ahead later next year.

As part of the redevelopment, the Building On Care campaign was launched to ask for the public's help in raising £2.5 million of the overall total, £4 million of which has been funded by the hospice.

It costs £3.7 million a year to cover running costs alone, and only 12 per cent of this comes from statutory funding. Care is free, so the hospice relies greatly on volunteers and donations.

Alison Carlisle, the hospice's chief executive, said: "The Building On Care appeal is going well but there is still a long way to go. However, we are confident in the generosity of the people of Lincolnshire.

"Phase one will provide additional adult bedrooms, more consulting rooms and a community area.

"This means day patients and their families have more flexibility about when they come to the hospice and the way in which their care is delivered.

"We will also be able to provide more flexible care to suit the age and needs of each individual, whatever their diagnosis.

"Part of this will see a transition service from children's to adult services developed. Two adolescent rooms will ease the process for the young patient who, used to the children's hospice, could find an adult environment daunting.

"Phase two will establish a health and wellbeing centre, which will provide more space to offer patients and carers with treatment rooms, a resistance pool and exercise and physiotherapy space in a spa-like environment."

Meanwhile, funds from the local community, organisations and businesses continue to be donated.

One of the largest donations has been made by Henderson Insurance Broking Group, based at Humberside Airport. It raised £20,000 after a year-long series of events, including a charity golf tournament.

Danielle Roe, marketing and communications manager at Henderson Insurance Broking Group, said: "The money was raised through a series of events we have held with our customers over the past year.

"We are glad to offer the hospice one of its biggest donations and we hope that this money can go a long way to helping them achieve their long-term goals.

"Their staff do an incredible job and the hospice is a real asset to the wider community."

There are many ways you can get involved in supporting the redevelopment, including the Buy A Brick appeal.

Log on to www.standrewshospice.com to find out more.

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THERE was plenty of festive cheer for Cleethorpes Town as they hammered Armthorpe Welfare on Saturday.

Brody Robertson netted a fine hat-trick at Bradley Community Stadium, setting them on their way after 18 minutes.

Ex-Grimsby Town man Kirk Wheeler added the second with half an hour gone, before Robertson made it three just before the break.

Johnathan Ogelsby scored the fourth early in the second half, and Robertson completed his hat-trick three minutes later.

Clee's sixth, and final, goal was grabbed by Lawrence Heward.

Marcus Newell's Owls, who have taken 42 points from 21 games, are now fifth in the Northern Counties Premier Division.

They are currently 13 points behind the leaders, but just three adrift of Worksop Town in second place.

In Division One, both Grimsby Borough and Louth Town were without a game at the weekend – due to the weather.

Pick up tomorrow's paper for a full Cleethorpes Town report.

LOCAL authorities in Lincolnshire are being urged to ban the release of "flying bonfires" – before somebody gets hurt.

Nottinghamshire, Norfolk and Warwick- shire County Councils have recently implemented bans on releasing lanterns from council owned land.

Now the CLA, the membership organisation for owners of land, property and businesses in rural England and Wales, is calling on others to follow suit. And with an upsurge in use expected on New Year's Eve, the CLA fears that it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident.

CLA East Regional Surveyor Tim Woodward said: "Sky lanterns are no more than flying bonfires. They are serious fire hazards and also endanger the lives of grazing livestock as well as other wildlife, and create unnecessary litter.

"Those releasing lanterns have no idea of the hazard they pose, nor do they consider the implications of releasing a naked flame with absolutely no control over where it will land.

"They have been reported as sparking RNLI searches for red flares off the coast of Skegness, while a car parked in a residential area in Scunthorpe caught fire when one landed on its windscreen last New Year's Day.

"Lanterns that land in fields can get chopped up when farmers mow for silage or hay, resulting in fragments of wire in the forage.

Cows, which naturally tend to chew things to check them out, get the wire trapped in their gut, resulting in a slow, agonising death."

Anyone with evidence of damage caused by sky lanterns is asked to contact CLA East on 01638 590429 or e-mail east@cla.org.uk

A POLISH man left a housemate in hospital after attacking him following a row over meat, a court heard.

Grzegorz Kasprzyk, 29, of David Street, Grimsby, pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm after the attack on Pawel Rall at their shared home in Grimsby's Welholme Road on April 26.

Grimsby Crown Court heard Kasprzyk and Rall had become embroiled in an argument after a piece of meat was discovered lying on the kitchen floor.

Craig Lowe, prosecuting, said another housemate, a Mr Sibsebski, had returned from work to find the defendant and others had been drinking.

He said: "There was an argument between the complainant and the defendant and others and Mr Sibsebski attempted to calm the argument down.

"The defendant yelled at the complainant who was verbally defending himself.

"A little later there was a further argument and at one point the defendant stormed into the communal room and started to punch him."

He said Kasprzyk hit the man four or five times to his head, causing him to drop to the floor.

"The defendant attempted to carry on the assault but Mr Sibsebski intervened and grabbed him and pulled him away," he added.

He described how Kasprzyk continued to try to kick the injured man who was laid on the floor in "excruciating pain".

Mr Lowe said: "When police attended having been called by Mr Sibsebski there was some agreement that the injuries had been caused by falling down the stairs, but Mr Sibsebski was not happy with that."

Mr Rall suffered a dislocated and fractured right ankle and required emergency surgery to fit a plate and screws.

He was unable to work until November, losing thousands of pounds in income, the court heard.

A victim impact statement told how his usual earnings of £260 per week had reduced to £80 a week while he was off sick.

But the statement added: "Even though I've done nothing wrong I don't want the defendant to go to prison for what he has done."

Mitigating, Richard Hackfath said Kasprzyk accepted full responsibility for the attack which was "out of character".

He said: "It's a nasty injury but it seems as though he (Mr Rall) is going to make a full recovery."

He added: "This defendant is a man of good character and has never been convicted in this country. He's never been in trouble in Poland either.

"He's genuinely a hard worker who lives a law abiding life. The defendant bitterly regrets this incident. It's something from which he has learned a very hard lesson."

Kasprzyk, who earns £400 per week, had saved £500 towards a compensation payment to the victim, Mr Lowe said.

Kasprzyk's family had travelled from Poland to Grimsby to be present at the hearing.

They watched on from the public gallery as Recorder Jeremy Hill-Baker handed down a 14-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, as well as a £2,000 compensation order and 150 hours of unpaid work.

The Recorder said: "You lost your self control and punched and kicked Mr Rall. It's fortunate both for him and for you that he's expected to make a full recovery.

"It's also fortunate that he appears to bear no ill feeling and does not want you to go to prison."

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NORTH East Lincolnshire's mobile phone hotspots and 'not-spots' have been revealed.

Consumer group Which? has worked with OpenSignal to produce a map of the UK's mobile coverage for each of the major four mobile phone network providers, and found a large variation in signal.

Analysis of the networks in our part of the country found a variation of up to 47 per cent between the top and bottom 3G provider, this fell to 20.8 per cent when looking at 4G providers.

The only network currently providing a major 4G mobile connection in North East Lincolnshire is EE, whose 4G network can be picked up across Grimsby and Cleethorpes.

The map showed Three to have a small amount of 4G connectivity, around the western edge of Grimsby.

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd, said: "We've looked at consumers' real-life experiences and found big differences in service between mobile phone providers.

"We want providers to publish the reliability and speeds their networks actually achieve so people can make an informed choice before signing on the dotted line. We also support the Government's action on mobile roaming to rid the country of unnecessary 'not spots', so that a lost mobile phone signal becomes a thing of the past."

Head of marketing at OpenSignal, Samuel Johnston, said: "We hope this report can draw better attention to the current state of mobile network coverage, and help consumers better understand how the networks differ in terms of speed and real-world coverage.

"We encourage everyone to download the free OpenSignal app to help contribute to our impartial coverage maps; so that no one will have to rely on guesswork when it comes to getting the best signal in their area."

Ofcom found that demand on mobile networks is on the up.

The average mobile owner's data usage has increased by 55 per cent since last year, to around 1.5 GB per month. It is forecast to increase four-fold between 2013 and 2018, driven by consumers using devices such as tablets, e-readers and mobile phones on developing 4G networks.

Meanwhile three quarters of the UK's motorways are now covered by a 4G signal.

The report showed that EE, which launched 4G services in October 2012, currently has the highest coverage of the four national 4G networks (70 per centof premises). O2 and Vodafone launched their 4G services after Ofcom completed its spectrum auction in February 2013, and both now cover 51 per cent of premises.

Ed Richards, Ofcom Chief Executive, said: "Improving mobile quality of service is an important area of Ofcom's work. Our research both incentivises mobile providers to offer a higher quality of service, while helping consumers choose a mobile package that best suits their needs."

Ofcom said it is making progress on its plan to support improved mobile coverage in the UK and provide consumers with reliable information on mobile quality of service.

The body is also supporting the Government's £150 million mobile infrastructure project, which is funding mobile phone masts in uncovered areas.

Ofcom is also providing technical support to the Department for Transport and Network Rail on improving mobile services on railways.

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IT WAS a "positive" start to the post-Christmas sales according to independent retailers in North East Lincolnshire.

On a festive weekend that brought with it heavy snow in other parts of the country as well as more localised rainfall, shoppers were still determined to grab themselves a bargain or two in the traditional sales.

It would appear that customers were not hampered by any lasting effects of a Christmas hangover as they took to Sea View Street in Cleethorpes.

The Pretty Woman lingerie store credited social media in successfully promoting its offers. The specialist fitters said they had experienced a busy pre and post-Christmas period.

The store's current sale, like many, will run until the end of January.

Owner Julie Sutton said: "Most of our autumn and winter lines have gone into the sale and we've been very busy.

"Because we fit as well, people come here because they want to get the right size and people shop for bras all year round.

"Last year at this time was good, too, but we're up on 12 months ago.

"We're getting more and more younger styles in and lingerie for woman who are larger in the bust, too, that are not just frumpy so we seem popular and the experience is more personal than going to a larger store."

With winter essentials in the sale at La Flotte, staff members Abbie Cheater and Amanda Constable were pleased with their initial takings.

Abbie said: "With the weather, I think it has been as busy as we could've hoped for.

"Lots of people are coming to the smaller independent stores nowadays as opposed to just shopping in town. Very often they say they prefer it.

"Most of our winter collection is in the sale before we start our new stock in March, we've actually been left with less stock to put in the sale which shows how successful the recent period has been."

Despite not staging a specific seasonal sale, it was all systems go for staff at bespoke jewellery boutique Daniella Draper.

A spokesperson for the jewellery maker, which has received several celebrity endorsements, said: "We've had an amazing Christmas period, it's been really busy with an overwhelming response online, too. It seems non-stop.

"Local sales have gone really well, with people enjoying the experience of coming into store and the word of mouth seems to be spreading, which is great."

Claire Stead, a sales assistant at Adore, said she hadn't noticed a customer slump despite weather conditions not being ideal.

She said: "It was very busy in the build-up to Christmas and we'll be having a New Year sale very soon. I think people like the fact that we have so many individual pieces and a real mixture of stock."

Business was booming down Abbeygate, in Grimsby, for one retailer in particular.

Jazz Clothing owner Darren Spencer said he had people waiting outside his clothing boutique before opening up time on Saturday.

He said: "It's been manic but that's to be expected after Boxing Day, we've had a great reaction – it's been very positive.

"We've got a sale across the board pretty much on until the end of January. It's been a good flow of customers.

"You get a different type of customer during the sales, you have regulars, too, but you have sales-specific shoppers who are determined to find a bargain.

"Retail is still tough but we had an exceptional week when it was Black Friday, we then paid for it a bit straight after but then everything grew back into place.

"I would say we are on par with last year."

One fellow Abbeygate business, who perhaps were feeling the effects of the weather, was Minithreadz.

Owner Melanie Ewing said: "We moved over from Louth in August and this is our first Christmas here in town. I would have to say that the post-Christmas sales have been quiet and disappointing.

"That is probably been down to the weather because it hasn't been nice.

"Maybe people only have a little extra cash at this time of year and it may have already been spent."

The kids clothing store did experience a buoyant November in the build up to Christmas and regularly puts offers on Facebook to draw shoppers into the store. Shoppers also visited Freshney Place Shopping Centre in their droves.

Centre director Amanda Austin said: "The post-Christmas sales are hugely important to our retailers and people were queuing from 6am on Boxing Day to take advantage of some huge savings.

"Retailers have enjoyed a busy run-up to Christmas and this is continuing now we're full flow into the sales period."

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TRIBUTES have been paid to a pensioner who died almost three weeks after being involved in a collision with a car on Grimsby's Nunsthorpe Estate.

The 68-year-old had been receiving treatment in hospital after the collision which took place on the evening of December 8.

But police yesterday announced that the injured man, who has not been named, sadly died on Saturday.

Nunsthorpe resident John Stockton said: "I'm deeply shocked and sorry, he was full of high hopes."

The man was treated at Grimsby's Diana, Princess Of Wales Hospital after receiving injuries to his head, face and leg following the collision on the junction of Sutcliffe Avenue and Burwell Drive.

Mr Stockton, a Ukip councillor for the Heneage ward, said: "My sincerest condolences go out to his family. We used to chat in the paper shop and he always struck me as a nice chap, respected within the community.

"Any time he needed any advice from me in my position as a councillor, I was happy to give it.

"Our last conversation was about getting his computer up and running, he was very excited about it and I helped him with a particular program he wanted.

"It is a real tragedy and obviously, it will be bad for his family. I know where they are coming from and they will feel shattered by this news."

The family of the man who died were unavailable for comment last night.

Councillor Jane Bramley, who also lives on the Nunsthorpe estate, said: "It's not nice when you hear about somebody being in an accident and I remember when the incident took place and police cordoned off the road that evening.

"My thoughts go out to his family,. It's very tragic and this community look out for each other so I'm sure everyone will want to pass on messages of sympathy to the family – especially at this time of year.

"Friends and local residents will also be shocked and upset by the news. You just hope the family have the support they need at this difficult time."

Labour councillor Norma Lincoln said she heard people in the community centre talk about the incident, and said that some people she knew saw the aftermath.

She added: "I have been working in this community for 20 years and I'm sure I would know the man. My condolences go to the family. I really feel for them right now."

As reported at the time, residents of the Nunsthorpe estate were left in shock after the pensioner was injured.

The collision happened just yards from the row of stores in Sutcliffe Avenue and business owners were left reeling by what happened.

The driver of the Nissan involved in the collision, a 51-year-old man from Grimsby, suffered from shock at the time of the incident – Humberside Police said.

Any witnesses to the collision are asked to contact Humberside Police on the non-emergency 101 number, referring to log 597 of December 8.

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A PUBLIC consultation on the future of garden waste collections in North East Lincolnshire has been labelled a "joke" by the leader of the opposition Conservative group.

A questionnaire on the council's website is asking residents if they would prefer to pay a charge for kerbside collections or see the service scrapped altogether.

As previously reported, the authority is proposing to charge residents £40 a year to have their brown bins emptied, saying it can no longer afford to provide the service for free.

The four-week consultation runs from December 15 to January 12.

And Councillor Philip Jackson (Con, Waltham) has criticised the council for holding it during the Christmas period, when he says people are focusing on the festivities, and not completing questionnaires.

He also claims that the questionnaire offers no credible alternatives, giving residents a stark choice between paying for the service or losing it.

He said: "Issues around the cost of collecting garden waste have been known for a long time; why could the consultation not have been started much earlier?

"This would have given everyone more time to consider potential alternatives.

"There is no option around maintaining a free service while making savings or increasing income elsewhere. This is not a fair or credible consultation; it's rushed and is clearly not intended to prompt any new thinking or consideration of alternatives."

But Labour council leader Councillor Chris Shaw hit back at Mr Jackson's comments, which he described as "petty political point scoring".

He said: "As Councillor Jackson should be fully aware, the consultation could not start until the report had been discussed and approved by Cabinet. That meeting took place on December 10 and the consultation started as soon as was practicable after that.

"And if he'd bothered to read the document properly, he would also know the questionnaire does have a specific section asking for people's views about the service.

"That section is clearly highlighted in the introduction to the document, with the following: 'As with all open consultation, we have provided part of the survey (Section 9) for other suggestions you may have about the service'.

"The public now have the opportunity to give their opinions about the future of the kerbside garden waste collection service.

"No decisions have been made and the residents' views will influence the final outcome. The closing date for comments has also been extended until January 12 in an attempt to gather as many suggestions as possible.

"We know people value the green waste collection service, but in the face of government imposed cuts of £76 million it's a service we can no longer afford to subsidise."

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GRIMSBY Town suffered a 3-1 derby defeat as Lincoln City did the double over their fierce county rivals.

After their 3-2 victory in September, the Imps ensured they made it six points from six against the Mariners this season thanks to goals from Charlee Adams, Alan Power and ex-Mariner Marcus Marshall.

It had looked promising for the hosts after Craig Disley had headed them into a 21st-minute lead, but two Lincoln goals in the final five minutes of the first-half changed the entire complexion of the derby.

Paul Hurst made three changes to the side that started the Boxing Day win at Macclesfield with Carl Magnay replacing the suspended Toto Nsiala.

Jack Mackreth – the match-winner at Moss Rose – dropped to the bench along with Scott Brown, with the Scouse duo being replaced by Scott Neilson and Craig Clay respectively.

After a well-observed silence in memory of former chairman Peter Furneaux, the game started at a frantic pace in front of a bumper crowd.

Lenell John-Lewis saw faint penalty appeals turned down before Marshall went on an early dart down the left with less than two minutes on the clock.

Two minutes later, and Paul Farman had to be quick off his line to head off Nathan Arnold after a clever pass saw him break into the box, but the visitors were giving as good as they got amid an end-to-end opening.

Hamza Bencherif was the first to test either keeper after a free-kick fell to him at the far post, but James McKeown provided the answer with a decent stop.

Neilson the hosts' first shot in anger seconds later, with a dipping volleyed effort from 25-yards that Farman watched bounce past his left-hand post.

With little over ten minutes on the clock, John-Lewis was bundled to the turf and Shaun Pearson headed Neilson's in-swinging set-piece from the left as the game began to settle down a touch, allowing fans and players a chance to catch their breath.

But it wasn't long before the home faithful were on their feet as Town made the break-through thanks to captain Disley.

Neilson was fouled on the edge of the box, but referee Rushton allowed play to go on and Danny Parslow slid in Jon-Paul Pittman, who turned and lifted in a fine ball which the skipper had timed his run perfectly to meet.

His header was a formality and Disley – a regular scorer in the fixture – duly nodded past a helpless Farman to light the touch paper once again.

In the aftermath of the goal, a flare was let-off in the Osmond End while Disley, with adrenaline coursing through his veins, bundled over Marshall and received the game's first booking.

Five minutes short of the half-hour, Neilson was finally forced off with the knock he picked up in the build-up to Town's opener and was replaced by Mackreth.

And the winger could have been the man to double Town's advantage minutes after his introduction.

Disley's superb tackle allowed his side to break down the left through Pittman, but his pull-back to an unmarked Mackreth was a couple of yards too high.

The pair were at it again ten minutes before the break with Pittman again the provider. This time, Mackreth climbed to meet the centre well, but lifted his header over, with Disley flagged offside minutes later as the hosts kept their foot on the gas.

Sean Newton forced McKeown into a magnificent, one-handed save to push away his fine first-time volley, but the Town stopper could do nothing about the strike that drew the Imps level just before the break.

From the resulting corner, the ball fell to Lincoln's Birmingham City loanee Adam, who produced a stunning long-range effort that arrowed into the Pontoon goal's top corner – sparking wild celebrations – and another flare – in the away end.

And after seeing their side under the cosh for much of the opening 45, they were on their feet again in the first minute of stoppage time.

Marshall ran at the Town defence once again and worked the overlap with Caprice, who whipped in a low cross to the back post that Alan Power slid in to meet and leave his side up at the break and the home faithful stunned.

Paul Bignot replaced Magnay at the break, with Town needing a quick response to the end of the first-half.

But it was Lincoln who had the ball in the net five minutes after the restart when, after McKeown's abysmal clearance, Marshall squared into the box for the unmarked Delano Sam-Yorke, who was flagged offside as he rifled home regardless from 15 yards.

Arnold drove straight at Farman before John-Lewis went on an encouraging burst before seeing his attempted ball to Pittman cut out.

Mackreth then skipped in from the left and had the Imps' stopper at full-stretch to tip over his pile-driver, with Arnold dropping the resulting corner onto his crossbar.

The visiting fans were enjoying their afternoon much more than their hosts as Town pressed for an equaliser without much joy as the hour was marked with Pittman being foiled by the legs of Farman after making room for himself in the box.

In fact, it was Lincoln who should have extended their lead when Tomlinson crashed a superb effort off the frame of McKeown's goal, with Marshall turning over the rebound.

But with 20 minutes to go, the energetic visitors did get a third when Town were robbed of possession on the left hand side and Sam-Yorke squared for Mashall who was first in the queue to bundle home.

That silenced and already quiet home crowd as the visiting fans behind the goal took delight in the misery around Blundell Park.

Danny Parslow had the chance to set-up a grand-stand finish but saw his scrambled effort inside the box kept out by Farman, who frustrated Pittman again minutes later afterhis dazzling run through the box.

As the game entered its final ten minutes, Pittman and then John- Lewis – twice – saw close-range efforts turned away as the disappointing hosts looked for an unlikely route back into the game.

Sam-Yorke had a chance to add extra gloss – and inflict more misery – after Lincoln broke from another disappointing corner from Town, but dragged his shot wide.

It mattered little in the end as Lincoln held on to do the double over their fierce rivals and leave Town fans with little festive cheer.

A BANNED driver was chased by the police as he hurtled through the streets at high speed after a heavy drinking session, a court heard.

He twice collided with the pursuing police vehicle while trying to escape and seemed to ram it deliberately during the hair-raising escapade, the court was told.

Jamie Kiss, 28, of Wroxham Avenue, Grimsby, admitted dangerous driving, drink-driving, driving while banned, failing to stop for police and having no insurance on November 12.

He also admitted failing to comply with registration requirements as a sex offender in April and November.

Jeremy Evans, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that Kiss drove a Ford Ka through three sets of red traffic lights after 12.30am before continuing at high speed while being pursued by the police.

The bad driving happened in the areas of Bargate, Welholme Road, Dudley Street, Pyewipe Road, Yarborough Road and Littlecoates Road, Grimsby.

Kiss collided twice with a pursuing police car and gave the impression that one of them was almost a deliberate ram, said Mr Evans. Speeds reached during the incident were 50 to 60mph in 30mph limits. Kiss later tried to run off but was caught within seconds. He had a female passenger with him during the chase.

A breath test revealed he had 100mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

Kiss was a registered sex offender and had been released from prison on April 7. He did not register his address to the police and gave a false name.

Richard Hackfath, mitigating, said Kiss claimed he did not deliberately ram the police car and that the two vehicles "came together".

It would not have happened if it had not been for his bad driving.

There was very little traffic on the roads but it was a built-up area. The episode lasted for just over two minutes. Kiss made the "stupid decision" after a drinking session to go and look for somebody who had stolen his off-road motorcycle from his front yard.

"It was an impulsive act to get in the vehicle," said Mr Hackfath.

Recorder David Dixon told Kiss: "Your driving was appalling."

Kiss was jailed for 17 months and was banned from driving for three years.

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GRIMSBY Town boss Paul Hurst insists no-one could fault his players' effort, despite them suffering a second derby defeat of the season to Lincoln City yesterday.

The Mariners, who went ahead through Craig Disley's 21st-minute header, lost 3-1 at Blundell Park after goals from Charlee Adams, Alan Power and former Town loanee Marcus Marshall.

It was the second derby defeat for Town this season, after also losing to their county rivals back in September.

But afterwards, Hurst refused to be critical of his side and was adamant they had played better than in their Boxing Day win over Macclesfield.

He said: "Result-wise, it was a disappointing day, but not when it comes to our performance.

"We played a lot better than we did on Boxing Day, but we didn't get the result. We know it's a results business, but I'm certainly not going to be too harsh on the players.

"They gave me everything and that's all I can ask of them. If we play that well in other games, then we'll win more than we lose – that's for sure."

Despite a decent first-half display, the Mariners trailed at the break after their lively visitors scored two in the final five minutes of the half, before Marshall put the result beyond doubt with 20 minutes to go.

"The two goals before the break did kill us to an extent, and it set it up well for them.

"They were always going to hit us on the counter after that.

"Credit to Lincoln, they took advantage, but we had a lot of chances as well and played some good stuff so there is a lot to positive about.

"I know people will look at the odd result, but results elsewhere were not too unkind to us.

"I know the disappointment is compounded by the fact that they're our local rivals, but you have to be dignified in defeat.

"My players can look at themselves and be proud of their performance, but we are all disappointed by the result."

A JEALOUS boyfriend kept his 15-year-old partner prisoner for five hours while he repeatedly attacked her.

Joshua Burns, 19, hit, bit and knifed Raemarie Thornton, who later crawled out from behind a fridge when her mum and sister forced their way into the flat.

The victim was left "wondering what was going to happen to her next and whether she would ever get out", Grimsby Crown Court heard.

It was said that Burns, of Bodiam Way, Grimsby, was a controlling boyfriend who previously spat at and poured a drink over the girl.

He pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Prosecuting, Craig Lowe said Burns had been in a relationship with Miss Thornton since she was 14. She was 15 at the time of the attack on June 12, 2014, and turned 16 nine days later.

Mr Lowe said the victim had gone to Burns' flat and was greeted with accusations of "seeing another boy".

He told how Burns had been seen by the victim to lock the door behind her as she came in, and throw the keys.

He said Burns slapped his girlfriend, causing a nose bleed, before slapping her again across her nose, and "jabbing" her in the head.

Burns then "smacked" her across the face with a small cordial bottle.

The prosecutor said Burns punched his victim and "pulled her around the flat by her hair", adding: "She made reference of going to the bathroom and on one occasion the defendant dragged her back."

He said the attack went on for some five hours.

A Mr Denford arrived, and Miss Thornton was told to hide her face from him. She was later bitten four times.

Mr Lowe said: "The defendant went on to make threats including that he was going to stab her mother."

He told how he had brandished a kitchen knife which he pushed into the victim's right knee, thankfully causing only minor injury.

He said: "She said she was pleading with the defendant to stop and leave her alone."

Later her mum and sister arrived and forced their way in, with Miss Thornton emerging from behind a fridge where she was hidden.

Burns had told her: "If you think about shouting for your mother I will stab you and I will stab your mother," but she called out because she "had nothing to lose".

Burns, who was later arrested, tried to blame Mr Denford for the injuries.

Miss Thornton told police she felt "betrayed" by Burns while the defendant initially denied causing the injuries.

He later pleaded guilty and a restraining order was put in place to ensure there was no contact between the two parties, both of whom now attend Grimsby Institute.

Defending, Jayne Bryan said of Burns: "He's found it very difficult to come to terms with the fact that he behaved as he did on that day. He is genuinely remorseful to the point where he took an overdose, he was so racked with guilt."

Burns had previous convictions including for street violence, the court heard.

Mrs Bryan told how Burns had endured domestic violence from a young age but had began to turn things round, and was studying a part-time patisserie course.

She added: "He has the motivation to change."

Recorder Jeremy Hill-Baker said the victim "must have been terrified" by the ordeal, telling Burns: "It's plain that you were jealous and aggressive towards her over a period of time. This is not to be regarded as an isolated incident."

Burns was jailed for 14 months and a restraining order for five years was put in place.

No reporting restrictions were imposed by the court to prevent the victim being identified.

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

WITH the icy conditions on the roads today and snow blanketing other parts of the country, balmy summer temperatures seem like a distant memory.

But while wintry weather grips the country, forecasters have revealed that 2014 is set to be the warmest year in history.

Records dating back to the 17th century indicate that, so far, Britain has been a tenth of a degree hotter this year than in any other for more than 400 hundred years.

The Met Office has attributed the change to global warming.

Official confirmation of the record cannot be given until the end of the year.

While no one month has seen a record temperature, a slight increase on average throughout the year has contributed to the data.

A Met Office statement said: "One warm year does not necessarily say anything about long-term climate change. Trends need to be looked at over longer timescales of several decades.

"But new research techniques allow for assessment of how human influence might have affected the chances of breaking temperature records.

"This technique, known as an attribution study, uses climate models and observations to see how likely an event would be in the real world and in a world without human greenhouse gas emissions – enabling assessment of how human influence has altered the chances of an event."

DRIVERS and railway passengers are being warned to prepare for a frosty start this morning.

Met Office forecasters predicted Sunday night would be one of the coldest nights of the festive season after issuing a weather warning on Friday evening and police are urging motorists to take sensible steps before hitting the roads on Monday morning. 

Council gritting crews covered the main routes overnight, but many minor roads in the county remain untreated - particularly in the Lincolnshire Wolds and in rural areas.

"Due to the freezing temperatures, there are still large amounts of ice on Lincolnshire's roads," Lincolnshire Police's roads policing unit has tweeted.

"So please reduce your speed, drive according to the conditions - and stay on the road."

Meanwhile, rail passengers heading out of North East Lincolnshire towards London are being advised by East Coast Trains to check timetables following the chaos yesterday at Kings Cross and Finsbury Park caused by over-running engineering work.

East Coast Trains are running some services into the capital today, but they could be delayed.

WE'VE all seen Facebooks new 'Year in Review' feature giving us the chance to relive some of the many memories we've made over the past year. 

For many of us this is the opportunity to look back on the happier events of the year but not everyone has had such a happy year. 

Social media giant Facebook has been forced to apologise after confronting many of its users with images of dead children, grandparents and family pets. 

One user in the US highlighted the issue after coming face to face with images of his six-year-old daughter who died earlier in the year. 

Unleashed just before Christmas, Facebook's Year In Review feature sorts photos automatically from users' profiles, selecting those which had provoked the most responses as 'highlights' using a computer algorithm. 

Two prisoners, including a man from the Grimsby area, have been found after going on the run from HMP North Sea Camp open jail near Boston.

Andrew Chamberlain, who originates from the Grimsby area, was arrested by Nottinghamshire Police on Christmas Eve, Lincolnshire Police said.

Another man, Sean Sissons, handed himself in at Chesterfield Police Station on Boxing Day.

WALTHAM swimmer Nathan Wells is celebrating after an outstanding performance at the Amateur Swimming Association North East Region Winter Shortcourse Championships.

Held at Sunderland Aquatic Centre earlier in the month, the 15-year-old swam his way to first place in six events.

Wells reigned supreme in the 50m, 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle and 100m and 200m backstroke, setting a personal best of 25.24 seconds in the 50m freestyle, 53.81 seconds in the 100m freestyle and 4minutes 6.45 seconds in the 400m freestyle.

He also came home with two more personal bests in 50m backstroke (28.53secs) and 50m butterfly (27.86) where he achieved second place in both events.

A pupil of Tollbar Academy, New Waltham, Wells joined CADS in February 2011 when he was 11-years-old and progressed to the CADS elite National squad in summer 2012.

His love of swimming, which started at when he was just four-months-old, now sees him training for 18 hours a week at Whitgift and Havelock pools.

Wells had his first taste at a National level event in 2013 then again in 2014 when he entered eight events and reached four finals.

The talented youngster has already set three swimming times for entry into the British Championships, due to be held at London Aquatics Centre 2015.

A QUARTER of a century has flown by for the charity-conscious owners of New Waltham newsagents Today's Local.

Neil and Patricia Hirst – who have both raised thousands for good causes – are on the cusp of racking up 25 years at the Peaks Lane outlet.

And the jolly duo would like to thank customers for making their impressive tenure such a joy.

Patricia said: "We've had many really nice people over the years, with some becoming firm friends. New Waltham is a very friendly village. It's a really nice place to come and work."

Neil said: "The area has changed a lot in our time here. We've had some fantastic paperboys and girls, but I have to say that the 20 or so we have now are among the most polite and respectful we've ever had.

"They do a fantastic job."

Neil says the newsagents is changing with the times as the surrounding area grows and the couple "shall be serving the village for quite some time yet".

He also reiterated his wife's sentiments, saying: "We've had some lovely people through these doors. The customers make our job a joy."

Neil and Patricia have raised thousands for mainly kids' charities through the years through sponsored walks and even scaling Ben Nevis.

The couple took over the village newsagents in 1990.

In that time it has been named Youngs, Hirst's Newsflash and News Shop before becoming Today's Local around 18 months ago.

NEIL and Patricia Hirst have worked tirelessly for charity over the years and would like to thank customers for their support.

Here's just a few organisations they have helped:

Peach – an autism charity which provides information and support for parents of children with autism. www.peach.org.uk

The Cystinosis Foundation UK – aims to provide support to all diagnosed with cystinosis, their families and relatives.

Cystinosis is a genetic metabolic disease that causes an amino acid, cystine, to accumulate in various organs of the body. www.cystinosis.org.uk

Starfish – The Starfish Project – non-profit making project for training people who stammer (stutter) to both improve control and gain confidence. www.starfishproject.co.uk

Diabetes UK – www.diabetes.org.uk

A DRINK in the upstairs lounge of The Smokers' Arms, in Albion Street, Grimsby, started a long and happy life together for diamond couple Vera and Derek Wilkinson.

Vera had knocked on the door of her friend Rennie to ask her if she was going out for a drink and, having returned from his National Service in Egypt, Derek opened the door to Vera.

On their diamond wedding anniversary at their home in Stallingborough, Vera said: "I clicked straight away with him."

Vera, 82, and Derek, 80, of Pinfold Lane, married at St Luke's Church, in Heneage Road, Grimsby, 60 years ago.

It has since been demolished to make way for flats, but their love has blossomed.

After their first date they regularly went out to the cinema or dancing at The Gaiety, in Wintringham Road, Grimsby.

Vera was 21 when they met and after a year the couple married.

She worked in Clover dairy in Victoria Street, Grimsby, and also as an usherette in The Tower cinema in Kent Street.

The couple have four children, Susan, Carol, Patrick and Gary, as well as eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

They met at the family home in Stallingborough for a gathering.

Vera said she hoped the two of them could go for a coach holiday to Edinburgh to celebrate their anniversary.

Vera said the secret to their marriage was "give and take".

She said: "Everyone has their arguments but you get that, and making up is nice."

Derek recalled: "The day I came home she knocked on the door. I thought how pleasant she was."

Having demobbed, Derek worked at Fieldhouse wood merchants, in Hope Street, Grimsby, along with his dad and brothers. He said the secret to a happy marriage is "forgetting arguments before you go to bed".

ON THE WEB: Read other family celebrations by logging on to www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk

COUNCILLORS have criticised a decision to cut Louth Town Partnership funding – and have demanded those responsible explain their decision.

Louth Town Council voted at its latest meeting to ask Councillor Craig Leyland, East Lindsey District Council's portfolio holder for economic regeneration, to attend a meeting and give answers for the decision.

The partnership, set up to boost business and tourism in the town, had £45,000 of vital funding cut – which has put future events in the town into doubt and cost two jobs.

East Lindsey said that key objectives set to secure future funding had not been met.

The Mayor of Louth, Councillor Andrew Leonard, said: "We are devastated to think it might collapse. I do think a little touch of jealously might have come into play.

"When East Lindsey try to make it into a commercial operation, that's not how you deal with it.

"It's about tourism in Louth and not about how much revenue you get in a year."

Fellow town councillor George Horton said: "It's very strange and very sad that East Lindsey has taken this decision. Over the past ten months a lot of pressure has been put on the town partnership.

"There was no guidance from East Lindsey to what they really expected."

Louth Town Partnership published a Love Louth promotional magazine and helped promote local businesses, as well as organising several events in the town, including the Victorian Fayre, Louth Food Festival and the Christmas lights switch-on.

Mr Horton added: "Each year these events have got bigger and better and greater. Louth Town Partnership really had progressed."

In a previous statement Councillor Leyland had said: "In 2013, the district council agreed to support the partnership with two additional years of funding at £45,000 per year, which would be released to the partnership based on agreed key objectives being achieved.

"Unfortunately, the partnership has not been able to show any evidence of progress in achieving those key objectives and therefore is not sustainable. As a result of this, the district council will not release any further funding to the partnership, other than to cover existing commitments."