LOCAL singing stars Ella Henderson and Micky Parsons have once again proved their talent by performing live on the X Factor tonight.
The show's theme was Love and Heartbreak. Ella was fourth to sing, appearing in a beautiful floor-length gown. She sang Lovin' You, originally recorded by Minnie Riperton, which is notoriously difficult among singers because of its range and an incredibly high F sharp.
She hit every note, despite admitting being "terrified" all week and having a bad dress rehearsal earlier in the day.
Gary Barlow told her: "You really nailed it. What a risk to take. It paid off."
Nicole Scherzinger said Ella was a "timeless goddess". "No matter what's trendy or going on in the industry," she said, "your talent, your voice and your beauty is standalone."
Louis Walsh said: "It's hard to believe you are 16. You are a world-class recording artist."
But he was the recipient of mentor Tulisa's wrath, when he criticised Ella's style as being too like chart-topping singer Adele.
Angry Tulisa told Louis that Ella styles herself, and went on to praise the youngster's stage presence.
And it prompted Adele herself to tweet a good luck message to Ella, which was read out on air.
District3 - featuring Micky, who grew up in Cleethorpes - were up seventh, and sang I Swear, originally by Boyz II Men.
They admitted being "worried" about the song choice, and if it would appear dated, but said it grew on them.
Tulisa praised their harmonies, saying: "I understand why Louis picked this song for you because your strong point are your harmonies, and it really showed off how good at it you are.
"You need to up your game and work harder. You have the strongest harmonies in the competition."
Gary was very critical, claiming the band was flat.
"I'm very disappointed for you," he said. "In the battle of the boybands, I'm afraid Union J have taken it."
Louis retorted: "Gary, I think you're going deaf. This is a world-class boyband."
And Nicole prompted fans to scream when she suggested the boys need to be covered in baby oil and "sing like you mean it".
Tonight, the judges were much more relaxed following last Sunday's tense live show.
As reported, there was controversy when Louis couldn't make up his mind on who to keep, and took the show to deadlock. Carolynne Poole was sent home after the sing-off against Rylan Clark, in a public vote, and Gary walked off set in disgust.
Will tomorrow's decider be as tense? Check back here.
Share your thoughts by commenting on this article - and send your messages of support to Ella and Micky.
In Monday's Grimsby Telegraph - our reporter Lucy Greensmith has a chat with Ella, who is delighted she has Grimsby's backing.
To vote to keep our local stars in the show, phone 09020505104 for Ella and 09020505107 for District3, or by clicking here.
Catch up with all the X Factor local news by saving www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/xfactor in your favourites. You can also download a poster to show your support.

CONCERN has been raised about the number of repeat victims of domestic violence in North East Lincolnshire.

Figures show that the amount of repeat victims, as a percentage of overall cases, after the first five months of the financial year was 24 per cent – up on last year's overall figure of 22 per cent and above this year's target of 20 per cent.

Councillor Iain Colquhoun (Con, Waltham) described the increase as "very disappointing".

Speaking at a meeting of the council's safer and stronger communities scrutiny panel, he said: "I suppose one could argue that there's a limited amount of things we can do about a first time offender, but these figures record the repeat victims and to find that on the increase is very disappointing."

Spencer Hunt, the council's safer and stronger communities service manager, said the rise was not totally unexpected.

He explained that a number of victims had been unwilling to take up the support offered to them, and that 16-18 year-olds were now included in the figures.

Mr Hunt, who was presenting statistics from the Safer And Stronger Communities performance report, said that overall, the partnership was on target to meet its target of reducing crime by 4 per cent.

Up to August 31, the number of reported crimes in the borough was 6,099 – 23 more (0.4 per cent) than the target.

Mr Hunt said: "We had a good performance year last year and we wonder how long we can maintain that positive performance, particularly in the current economic climate.

"We are 0.4 per cent behind target at the end of August, but that's not statistically significant. It is not something we are concerned about."

Mr Hunt said two areas of concern were violent crime and shop theft, adding: "We are taking this very seriously and what we are trying to do now is to try to combat these two crime areas."

Chairman of the panel, Councillor Jon-Paul Howarth (Lab, East Marsh) said that more emphasis should be placed on encouraging victims of violent crime to press charges to prevent attackers "getting away with it".

Mr Hunt replied: "That's one of the things the violent crime team is going to be looking at specifically."

Mr Hunt revealed that two PCSOs would be added to the Grimsby Town Centre team at the end of the month in a bid to clamp down on shop thefts.

He added that a Youth Cafe would be set up in Freshney Place in the run-up to Christmas to reduce thefts during Thursday-night shopping, which he described as a "magnet" for young people.

"They come no matter what we do, so this year we are going to try a different approach in terms of engaging them."

Meanwhile criminal damage, and household and non-dwelling burglaries are all on the decrease.

Mr Hunt said the reduction in burglaries was down to the "integrated offender management" which had enabled police to keep track of the most prolific burglars.

A MUSICIAN'S dying wish to hold a concert in aid of the charity that treated him "like a king" is being fulfilled by his old band.

Keyboard player John Hall, a much-loved member of the Capitol Jazz Band, passed away in St Andrew's Hospice earlier this year.

Before he died, he asked dear friend Fred Wood – who visited him every day during the five final weeks of his life – if the band would hold a concert to raise money for the hospice.

His friends have now organised a posthumous tribute to John at the Beachcomber this month, and all St Andrew's staff and volunteers are invited to come along for free.

The organisers will also donate all of the proceeds from the concert to the hospice.

Mr Wood said: "John was really grateful for all the care he got there and the day before he died, he made me promise that we would hold a concert for them.

"He said to me 'they have treated me like a king – make sure you look after them as well as they looked after me'."

St Andrew's is a charity that has touched the lives of many people in the Capitol band.

Vocalist Bernard Kendall said: "So many of us have relatives and friends whose final moments were made much more comfortable by the hospice.

"That is why so many of us wanted to get involved in the concert – to give something back."

The MEDC Orchestra and the Capitol Jazz Band will be providing the music with vocalists Kim Gee, Bernard Kendall and Danielle Jade.

As well as the music, illusionist Dave Burns will boggle your mind with his magic and you can feast your eyes on the incredible moves of dance act The Inspirations.

Mr Kendall added: "It's going to be a massive show and there really is something to suit all tastes from jazz to pop tracks."

Lynn Lemon, a fundraiser for the hospice, said: "I've sat in on some of the rehearsals and they really are very good – I'm looking forward to the show.

"We really appreciate what they and so many other people are doing to support the hospice. In these tough times, it is harder and harder to raise funds and there is an ever increasing number of people who need care.

"We are grateful for every penny that people can raise."

The event takes place at 7.30pm on Saturday at Starlight Hall, the Beachcomber, in Humberston. Tickets cost £7 but entrance is free for St Andrew's staff.

For more information, or to buy a ticket, call the Beachcomber on 01472 812666 or the hospice on 01472 359525.

CLEETHORPES Academy pupils were treated to an inspiring masterclass from former multiple World Thai-Boxing champion Rachael Mackenzie.

The big-hitting star visited the secondary school, in Grainsby Avenue, to explain the determination and resilience she had to summon to reach the top of her sport.

Rachael, originally from Bradford, started Thai-boxing in 2000, at a club where the coach didn't believe women should be involved in the sport.

But within six years, she had landed two British titles, a European accolade and two world championship belts.

Pupils at the Academy were gripped by Mackenzie's story and enjoyed the opportunity to try out some combat moves of their own.

"Sport can teach you about mental toughness and the importance of not giving up," said Harrogate-based Rachael, a Sky Sports Living For Sport athlete mentor.

"Martial arts is also about putting yourself in control of your own fate, and not letting anyone else take control of what you can achieve.

"The difference for me was when I could look in the mirror at the end of every fight and every training session, and say that there was nothing more I could have done.

"If kids can do that at the end of every day, they will achieve more than you expect.

"The (Living For Sport) project is looking at the benefits of what sport can give you as an athlete, to inspire the kids to go out and be as good as they can be.

"The young people I meet are so inspiring for me. It is amazing to see so much enthusiasm and desire to achieve."

Rachael, 32, was the first UK woman to fight under full Muay-Thai rules, and won a world bare-knuckle title in Thailand in 2005 – she was the only western competitor that took part.

Cleethorpes Academy pupils were put through their paces with some pad-work and fitness exercises by Rachael, who retired from competitive Thai-boxing last year.

"Just by participating in martial arts, many children might be going out of their comfort zone," she said. "It's often more physically demanding than anything they've done before.

"Many youngsters don't think they can do it, and then they go away feeling like a champion.

"The most difficult thing is often just walking through the doors for the first time – don't write anything off until you've given it a good go.

"Everyone can find a sport that really suits them; you just have to be prepared to try."

Women's boxing was included in the Olympics for the first time at London this summer, and Britain's Nicola Adams, from Leeds, scooped gold in impressive style.

Rachael added: "It was a huge boost for women's sport and I hope it will encourage girls to try combat sports."

Look out for more on MacKenzie's visit to Cleethorpes Academy in your sports pages soon.

CHARITABLE volunteers are getting into the festive spirit by appealing to organisers of Christmas fairs to house their stall.

Fundraisers of the Grimsby and Cleethorpes Marie Curie group – which has been running for just over a year – want to raise even more awareness about the work their nurses do for terminally-ill patients.

Since the group was established in September last year, it has already raised £17,000 for the charity.

Now, for the first time ever, members are seeking to attend Christmas fairs and are asking organisers of such events if they have space for them to set up a stall.

Their idea is to bring along Marie Curie merchandise ready to sell, aiming to grow upon the success of their fundraising pot.

Marie Curie nurses are a lifeline for many families, providing flexible day and night care during the last six months of a patient's life.

There are currently 22 nurses in North East Lincolnshire who ease the strain at the most difficult of times.

Half of the funding which allows them to continue their work comes from the NHS and the rest from the public.

Ann Walker, of Humberston, knows all too well the good work they do, after nurses cared for her late husband during the last few months of his life.

Now a community ambassador for the charity, the 56-year-old said: "Many people only realised just what Marie Curie nurses do when they actually needed their help.

"We are constantly trying to change this by raising more awareness and that is where the idea of attending Christmas fairs came from.

"It is something completely new to us but we hope if organisers have space for our stall, then we can reach out to people who would never normally associate themselves with the charity."

Merchandise, such as note pads, garden aprons, garden kneeling pads, pens, broaches and mini Morris Minor sets, are just a few items which the charity hope to sell.

Ann said: "This is one of the easiest ways for us to raise some extra cash by attending events arranged through others.

"We are looking to attend as many Christmas fairs as possible – the more the merrier as we have plenty of volunteers ready to help out."

Marie Curie spends more than 70p of every £1 raised directly on patients care and research.

The remainder is spent funding all the fundraising and support activities.

Ann said: "I wanted to become a volunteer for the charity to give something back to the nurses who helped my husband.

"They would come and look after him from 10pm to 7am. This gave me the chance to have some sleep and time to myself.

"Without them, I would have found things very difficult."

Any organisers of Christmas fairs who have space available for a Marie Curie stall, can call chairman Julie Saunders on 07535 257762.

CELEBRATE being British by lining the streets of Grimsby in tribute to the man without whom "we would all be speaking French".

That man is, of course, Admiral Lord Nelson, who led the 27 ships of the Royal Navy to victory against the combined Spanish and French fleets in the Battle of Trafalgar, 1805, confirming Britain's worldwide naval supremacy.

He lost his life in the process, becoming one of Britain's greatest war heroes and from then on, the nation has celebrated him and the iconic battle every October 21 – Trafalgar Day.

This year, Grimsby will host a special parade to commemorate the event, during which the Grimsby and Cleethorpes Sea Cadets Corps will march through the streets.

Lieutenant Eddie Spencer said: "The Battle of Trafalgar was one of the single most important events in our nation's history which set us up to rule the seas for 200 years after it.

"Without that victory and the efforts of Lord Admiral Nelson, we would probably all be speaking French right now.

"Grimsby has a strong naval tradition so I am very proud to hold the parade here. Hopefully, everyone will show their support."

Grimsby is the first of five towns in the Sea Cadets Lincolnshire region – created this year – to host the event, which will be held in a different town every year and is unlikely to return to this area until 2017.

More than 150 cadets will march on Sunday, October 21, and representatives from the Royal Naval Association and Merchant Navy Association have also been invited.

This year is the 207th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar but also marks the 70th anniversary of the Sea Cadets being recognised officially by the Royal Navy.

The Grimsby and Cleethorpes Sea Cadets Corps was one of the 200 original branches that were recognised.

The parade will begin at Grimsby's Riverhead at about 2pm and travel past the Town Hall towards St James' Square, where a service will be held in the Minster.

Cadet Kayleigh Guest, 15, said: "It is a massive parade and everyone is involved so it will be worth coming out to. Marching makes me proud to be a Sea Cadet."

And Rebecca Hutton, 13, added: "My friends always come down to see me marching but there are a lot of people who come and cheer as well."

YOU would be forgiven for thinking you'd stumbled onto a film set in Grimsby town centre ... as a plague of zombies took to the streets.

Victoria Street turned into ghoul central as about 100 zombies stumbled and groaned their way through Saturday afternoon – but it was all a bit of "armless" fun to mark World Zombie Day.

The fake blood-soaked brain-dead enthusiasts put the grim back into Grimsby by parading through Freshney Place shopping centre, causing shoppers to stop in shock and awe.

Head zombie Jamie Hill, who organised the walk, led the chant: "What do we want?", for his followers to reply in unison: "Brains!"

That was followed by: "When do we want them?" and the united chorus was: "Now!"

Jamie, who will soon be one of the extras in rock star Alice Cooper's concert in London, arrived at zombie HQ, better known as The Barge, in a hearse complete with skeleton.

Jamie, giving a quick instruction on how to walk like a zombie, said: "Freshney Place is the obvious venue because zombies love precincts. They are always in the movies."

The eerie entourage, some of whom had spent hours preparing with special make-up effects, passed Grimsby Minster and posed for photographs before heading to a number of town centre pubs.

Jamie explained: "It all started with an invitation on Facebook and friends told friends, and here we are with more than 100 zombies.

"We want to make this an annual event and maybe do it more regularly for charity."

Jamie, an Immingham-based loading shovel operator, said he had drawn inspiration from cult movies such as Dawn Of The Dead, Dead Snow and 28 Days Later.

The event attracted people of all ages and all walks of life.

Garry Croft, who works as a haulier in Immingham, said: "The shock value was amazing. It was great to see the look on the Freshney Place security guards' faces. We are just testing the water with it and hope we can do it more often."

Phil Paterson, 29, a computer scientist at the University Of Hull, disguised himself as a policeman and pretended to gnaw the right arm of his zombie friend Neil Stead, 36, who works for CPL coal products firm, of Immingham.

He used a pig's trotter as his arm to achieve the effect.

He said: "Everyone seems to like my stump. We saw the event advertised on Facebook and thought we would join in."

Bar staff at The Barge, Kate Collins, Zoe Cunningham and Jess Dunlop, were in high spirits and dressed up as ghouls. And regular Jade Johnston, 24, was joined by her mother Jaqui, 58, who declared: "We love zombies!"

They were joined by friends Tim Charlton, 22, Laura Smy, 23, and Mick Waine, 26, who said he used Wayne Rooney as his zombie inspiration.

And four-year-old Mackenzie Tinmurth and his brother Reece, 9, dressed up as ghouls along with Portia Parker, 9, and her brother Daniel, 11.

Reece said it had taken more than two hours to get them dressed up, using old T-shirts and fake blood with the help of their parents.

He said: "It is a bit scary – but a lot of fun."

View a video of the zombie walk on www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk

BAKING duo Diane and David Tovey are riding on the crest of a wave thanks to their latest fundraising efforts.

Since 2005, the pair have been raising money for the local lifeboat crew by baking cakes and selling them from their home on the Humberston Fitties – and this year their tasty treats have raised a total of £1,096.

The couple, who have lived on the site for seven years, set up a stall outside their chalet during bank holiday weekends over the summer, and over two days they raised £189 during the August Bank Holiday.

Top baker, Diane, started baking at the age of 10 with the inspiration from her grandmother Lillian Smith.

She said: "My grandmother started me off with the baking bug by creating a classic; the Victoria sponge cake.

"I created a green one, with green icing and grapes on top – I was worried what she would think of it, but she loved it and it meant the world to me.

"I bake at least once a weekend and I have a huge cook book full of my recipes.

"I like to experiment and my banana and honey cakes are popular, as well as the chocolate fudge cake.

"I am diabetic, so I keep making cakes with no sugar in, and I make other diet-conscious cakes for coeliacs."

Diane said the reason why they "give something back" is because she had a near-death experience about ten years ago.

"I had a heart attack which led to major heart surgery – and after that we decided to raise money for worthy charities," she explained.

"And the RNLI do such a fantastic job saving people's lives – their equipment is so expensive. For example, it costs £1,000 just to kit someone out with the clothing."

Altogether the couple have raised £5,243 and every time they send in proceeds, they receive a certificate – and over the years they have filled a folder.

David said: "We don't do this to be recognised, we raise money to help others – even though it is nice to be appreciated.

"We want to let the public know where their money goes when they spend it on Diane's delicious cakes – people on the Fitties know about her cooking skills and always ask if there are any left.

"We also want to thank everyone who has supported us and Jake Speight, who has paid for our insurance which has enabled us to do this.

"It's amazing how something so simple can raise so much for a good cause!"

POLICE are carrying out an investigation after a businessman was contacted by a woman from Grimsby selling sex online.

Officers have today issued advice to users of social networking sites to be cautious about what they post, and the Facebook page in question has been taken down.

Andy Carr, 34, of Glebe Road, Humberston, says he was sent a message by a Facebook user claiming to be from Grimsby and selling sexual acts.

He said: "It started when I got a notification saying I was friends with her, but I didn't actually know the user or try to get in contact with her.

"I sent her a message saying that I didn't know her and that I didn't mean to add her if that is what I did.

"She replied, asking if I would be interested in having sex with her.

"I politely declined the offer and told her I was happily married.

"After this, I looked through her profile and was shocked by what I found. There was a list of sex acts and how much they cost.

"There were also a number of other people asking her if they knew her.

"Her profile was filled with vile language. There was also evidence of her trying to arrange meetings at the train station.

"I called the police because there were a lot of younger people listed as her friends.

"I wrote a Facebook status warning people about this person and I was contacted by parents saying their teenagers were friends with her on the site.

"This was genuinely worrying and some people might see the funny side, but if you look closer, young people could be exposed to it."

Facebook is self-regulating, and users can report content that they find questionable or offensive.

A Humberside Police spokesman said: "We have received a complaint relating to an inappropriate page hosted within a popular social media website from a concerned member of public.

"Inquiries are being made to try to establish the validity and source of the information which was posted on the site in order to take appropriate action if required.

"It is worth remembering that, once posted, information on social networking sites can potentially be viewed and passed on to hundreds if not thousands of users and anything posted either as a hoax or as a joke can get out of hand very quickly with often serious and sometimes damaging consequences, resulting in police investigations and, on occasion, criminal charges to those responsible, so please think twice before posting."

A Facebook spokesman said users and material on the site can be removed for a variety of reasons, including:

The account is registered under a fake name or false identity, which is in violation of our real name requirement.

Improper collection of personal information.

Issues which Facebook determines violate community standards such as bullying.

Infringement of intellectual property rights.

Something flagged by one of its automated systems for preventing spam and other such behaviour.

JOINT boss Rob Scott believes the feel-good factor is finally starting to come back at Grimsby Town.

After their 2-1 victory over AFC Telford on Saturday, the Mariners currently sit fourth in the Blue Square Bet Premier, on a record-breaking 14-game unbeaten run away from home and having only lost twice in their 15 games so far this season.

And while no-one at Blundell Park is getting complacent, Scott said that everyone is reaping the benefits of a more positive atmosphere.

Speaking after Saturday's win, Scott said: "It's great to come back and start another good week in training on the back of another a good result – it's a nice feeling.

"Myself and Paul (Hurst) are well aware of how much this club was in the doldrums.

"I say 'was' in the past tense because we now feel that there is a mood of optimism about the place and it's our job to harness that in the players.

"The fans are entitled to get excited and a little bit carried away with things, because it's their club and it always will be their club.

"But we have to keep that optimism in check by keeping a lid on it and using it in the right way.

"The feel-good factor is coming back. We knew that the only way to get that back into the club was to win games, like we did on Saturday."

Scott also paid tribute to the travelling army of Mariners fans who made the long journey to Shropshire on Saturday, saying their support had played a big part in yet another impressive Town performance on the road.

"We had a fantastic backing at Telford," he added.

"They made it a proper football match – they were vocal and they got behind their team and it was superb.

"They really lifted us and have done throughout this season. To bring as many fans away from home as we have been doing is fantastic.

"There's nothing better than walking off as we did on Saturday with them applauding us off because we'd won another game.

"It's great to manage a football club that has a following like that – there's a great mood around the place and long may it continue."

The joint boss also added he believed Saturday's victory over the Bucks showed just how far their Grimsby Town side had come, after a resolute and mature performance ensured Town drove back up to North East Lincolnshire with all three points.

"A couple of seasons ago, we wouldn't have won the game against Telford but on Saturday, although we soaked up a bit of pressure second half, I didn't think we were going to concede.

"The squad has matured in terms of that they know what we now expect of them and they are putting that into practice.

"We're quite robust and organised in everything we do now which is very pleasing.

"We will always ask a lot of our players and sometimes they may think that we're tough on them – but it's only tough for a reason and that is to pick up the results that we have been doing. It's a means to an end in that it's getting us to where we want to be.

"We're very pleased at the minute, but we know that round the corner from every pat on the back is a kick up the backside so we need to keep on it," he added.

MICHAEL Laverty will be thankful to see the back of MCE Insurance British Superbike rival Alex Lowes after an exciting and bruising contest between the pair at Brands Hatch.

The 31-year-old, who rides for the Louth-based Samsung Honda team, was mathematically in with a shout of finishing the season as British champion – but that was always an unlikely scenario.

Laverty diced with Lowes throughout the weekend in Kent.

In race one, which saw Lowes tumble out after 14 laps, Laverty was tenth. In race two, he tussled with the WFR Honda rider for third spot, before eventually sealing it as his rival pulled into the pits.

In race three, both were pushing each other for third again.

Lowes clipped the kerb on the first bend of the final lap and also took out Laverty.

That meant Laverty finished fifth overall in the championship standings, just three points behind Lowes in fourth.

Shane Byrne sealed his third British title in style with three wins.

After finishing third in race two, Laverty said: "I struggled to make passes and I got stuck behind Alex for quite a while.

"I could tell he was struggling but I couldn't make the pass stick. I tried a couple of times but he closed the door. The same thing happened in race one and I was getting a bit frustrated.

"But then I settled down after the second safety car and we were running at a reasonable pace, but Shane seemed to have us all covered.

"He is good around Brands Hatch and he has that extra speed advantage – fair play to him he is doing a top job, but it is pretty frustrating whenever you are down on him.

"It is hard work and there is only so much you can make up on the brakes. I was working hard, we had the set-up quite good and it would have been nice to get a win."

Laverty's Samsung Honda team-mate Jon Kirkham recorded three top-ten finishes at Brands Hatch – ninth in race one and eighth in races two and three.

Kirkham finished 12th overall with 122 points and he believes it could have been a completely different story had he not suffered concussion at round three at Oulton Park in May.

"I was unfortunate this season I think because of my crash earlier in the year and that really hampered my progress overall," said Kirkham.

"If I'm honest, I didn't come back as strongly as I would've liked, so next year I've got a bit of a point to prove, we'll just have to see where I end up.

"I've not got any plans for next year yet – anything could happen. I think everything will be worked out in the next few weeks."

British Eurosport is the Home of Motorbikes, showing all British Superbike races live on Sky and Virgin Media and now available in stunning HD on Sky

LOUTH'S Peter Hickman was left with a feeling of déjà vu as his bad luck continued at the MCE Insurance British Superbike season finale at Brands Hatch.

Hickman travelled to Kent in good spirits after working with his Buildbase BMW team to improve his starts, which both he and team-mate Barry Burrell had struggled with in the last three rounds.

But, while Burrell went on to record a career-best fourth in race two, Hickman's weekend went in the opposite direction after a crashing out the first race of the weekend on Saturday afternoon.

Yesterday brought no better luck and he spent much of the first race stuck behind slower bikes before crossing the line in tenth. In the final race of the season, he was seventh.

While the 25-year-old would be forgiven for thinking the BSB gods were against him, Hickman was determined to retain a sense of perspective about his 2012 season.

"We made a bit of a modification after Silverstone and the start was a lot better so that wasn't really a problem at all," said Hickman – who finished 17th overall with 65 points.

"The problem was the crash on Saturday put me further back on the grid than I should have been. Barry was on the front row and I think I could have been up there with him had things gone a little better but it wasn't to be.

"I'm delighted for Barry, but gutted he couldn't get on the podium. I was hoping he would have done it, but it's still the best result of his career, so well done to him.

"It shows you where I could have been as well if things hadn't gone badly, but that's how it goes. It's been a season of frustration but it could have gone a lot worse I suppose so I'm not going to get too disheartened by it all, it's just not gone my way."

Hickman's team had been threatening to post a strong result all season and he admits it all came together too late for him to make a real impact on a race day.

"It's frustrating because we've been working on this for a while and I guess we've just run out of races as it was coming together," he added.

"I had nothing to lose at Brands and I gave it my all. I wasn't too disappointed with my results in races two and three, but I'm not kidding myself, it could have been a lot better".

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A HEALTH and social care service is having a brush with art to help promote its services.

As reported, the site of the old Strand Infant School, in Albion Street – which closed more than three years ago – will be used for a new Open Door centre.

The diggers and bulldozers have now finished demolishing the former school and building work is expect to start in the next few weeks.

However, members of Open Door have decided to decorate the wooden panelling that surrounds the site with images of what the service will be providing in the future.

Open Door centre manager Rob Baty said: "The site is ready to be built on and work should start in the next few weeks.

"We are hoping to be up and running in the summer next year.

"Open Door will be providing health and social care for the East Marsh.

"There will be a range of support and counselling groups when the building is up and running.

"We decided to come and paint the wooden panels to brighten up the area as they are going to be up for a number of months.

"The images are showing what kinds of support will be held at the new centre.

"It is a huge project and we can't wait to see it up and running."

The new building will house five medical rooms, four counselling rooms, and three activity spaces, as well as space for therapy and a cafe.

Volunteer Jane Mouncey, from The Sewing Club based at Open Door, said: "We have come down to help others at Open Door decorate the site.

"Open Door is vital to the community and helps people develop their skills.

"We want to inspire people to do something positive in their lives.

"I think painting the walls is a great idea because it brightens the area while the work is going on and shows what we do."

Once the centre is up and running it will be open from Monday to Friday from 8am to 6.30pm.

ON YOUR bike!

Former Caistor Grammar School student Chris Barrow hopes to have raised more than £2,000 for cancer charities, thanks to a cross Channel cycle ride between two of Europe's most iconic structures.

Chris was brought up in Navigation Lane, Caistor, before moving abroad and now works in France.

The ride took him from the Marble Arch, in London, to l'Arc de Triomphe, in Paris, where he finished his ride exhausted but very proud, the next day.

Chris rode with friend Mark Ayshford, from Somerset.

Chris said: "The initial challenge was from Marble Arch to the Arc de Triomphe over three days, which is the usual charity run. But after a good training session I suggested to Mark that we should do it over just two days.

"After some hesitation we went for it – and did it," he said.

"Cycling completely independently, with no back-up van or supplies, was a little unnerving, especially in some of the less desirable areas, but I am ecstatic to have succeeded in my challenge."

The end of the ride in Paris was the high spot.

"After frantic pedalling, involving some quite hairy dual carriageways, especially at night, we made it to l'Arc de Triomphe by 11pm and it was seriously exhilarating to see Paris by night. We were greeted by two gendarmes telling us that we couldn't park our bikes there.

"After a quick exchange, I finally convinced them to give us a break, seeing as we had just cycled from London, and he took our picture!

"So we did it, 477km in 20 hours, an average speed of 23km an hour, four meals a day including hearty fish and chips on the ferry, ten litres of drink per day and a considerable number of energy bars.

"So far in France we have raised more than 1,000 euro for La Ligue contre le Cancer and together in the UK more than a £1,000 in aid of Cancer Research UK.

The cycle mad duo still hope to get in some more sponsorship.

To make a donation, visit Chris and Mark's fundraising webpage at www.justgiving.com/markayshford

SUPERMARKET staff are riding high in their efforts to raise money for a good cause close to their manager's heart.

Gavin Mears has undertaken a three-day cycle ride, from Grimsby to Nottinghamshire, to raise money for breast cancer.

He jumped on the saddle at Asda, in Holles Street, Grimsby, where he is a manager, and started the first leg, a 30-mile journey to the Scunthorpe branch.

He said: "It is a cause that is close to my heart as my mum suffered from breast cancer and is now in remission.

"I'm quite a keen rider and I cycled 200 miles for breast cancer last year, so I'm hoping I can hold my own."

Joining him as support rider was Peter Dunford, who works in the chilled section at the supermarket, and was travelling on a specially-painted hot pink bike.

Peter said: "It's a really good cause and I always like to help charities where possible so I signed up straight away – and here I am.

"I've done sponsored bike rides before, but that was nine years ago."

The Asda South Yorkshire and Humber area set a target to raise £1,000 during the relay ride, which went to stores, from Hull to Grimsby, then Scunthorpe, Sheffield, and to Arnold, in Nottinghamshire.

Pete hitched a lift back with a colleague in Scunthorpe who used to work in Grimsby – but Gavin's journey continued all the way to Arnold, a total of 150 miles over three days.

And the local area's challenge was part of a wider effort.

The Asda Tickled Pink Campaign £100k Sponsored Bike Ride is travelling the length and breadth of the country.

However, the riders ran into problems before they arrived in Grimsby, requiring assistance when they got lost at Bradley.

Community champion Claire Tilby said: "I had to go out and try and find them so I could get them back on track – but they got here eventually."

Gavin was due to finish the ride yesterday.

Check your Grimsby Telegraph for an update on how much they raised.

ALTHOUGH he has sympathy for his injured team-mate, Ian Miller admits that Shaun Pearson's absence presents him with a great opportunity to stake his claim in the Grimsby Town team.

With Pearson ruled out, the 28-year-old was recalled to the Town side for the game against AFC Telford on Saturday.

And he took full advantage by putting in a composed performance alongside Nathan Pond and scoring the winning goal on his first appearance in a black and white shirt this season.

And now that he's in the side, he's set his sights on staying there after a frustrating start to his season.

"It was great to get back playing again" he said. "I'd be lying if I didn't say that it has been massively frustrating not playing. I became a professional footballer to be playing week-in week-out and it's difficult when you're not.

"But I know that there is only one person who can sort that so I know that I needed to get my head down and work hard and making sure that when the opportunity came, I took it.

"With Shaun being out, it's definitely an opportunity for me to stake my claim. His partnership with (Nathan Pond) Pondy has been exceptional but, them playing week-in week-out isn't going to pay my mortgage, as ruthless as it sounds.

"I'm good mates with both of them and I wouldn't wish anything on either of them but I just want to play football and if that means that my opportunity to do that comes because of Shaun's injury then it's down to me to come in and do my best and see what happens from there."

Miller's goal, and the three points that it won, moved the Mariners up to fourth in the Blue Square Bet Premier, six points off leaders Newport.

And while he was naturally pleased with his first goal – only his second ever for Town – he was happier to see his side climb the table as a result of the victory.

He said: "Considering that I've only played one reserve game all season, I think I did okay against Telford.

"You don't see both centre-halves scoring that often but we did on Saturday.

"I've never been a prolific centre-half but it is nice when they drop to you like they did on Saturday. I don't score many with my feet but I have to say it was cultured!" he joked.

"At the end of the day, I know it's a cliché but the main thing is that we got the win.

"Telford are a good side and they could have gone level with us if they'd had won so it was good to put a bit of daylight between us and the teams that were in and around us."

GRIMSBY Town fans are getting used to seeing one of their centre-halves on the scoresheet this season – but both hitting the back of the net in the same game is a little unusual.

While Nathan Pond is no stranger to being among the goals, his fellow defender Ian Miller would be the first to admit that he's not exactly prolific.

But it was his strike – only his second ever for Town – that proved to be the winner, as the Mariners picked up another three priceless points on the road at AFC Telford on Saturday.

The former Darlington skipper, brought in to replace the injured Shaun Pearson, partnered Pond at the heart of the Mariners' back four for the game in Shropshire.

It was the first time this season that Town bosses Rob Scott and Paul Hurst had been forced to break up the pairing of Pearson and Pond; a centre-half partnership that has helped the team earn the best defensive record in the Blue Square Bet Premier so far this season.

Simon Ford, who had been set for a short-term loan deal out of the club on Friday before Pearson's injury, took Miller's place on the bench, in what was an otherwise unchanged squad of 16 that won at Alfreton last Tuesday night.

Town were looking for their second three-point haul in the space of four days but it was the home side that started the brighter. Richard Davies fired a warning shot from 20 yards as the Mariners took a while to get the long journey to Shropshire out of their legs.

And when Telford won a free-kick 25 yards from goal, they nearly made Town pay as Steven Leslie fired low over the wall to bring out the best from goalkeeper James McKeown, who pulled off a fine one-handed save to tip wide.

After the resulting corner was cleared, Town broke and won a free-kick after an untidy tangle between Ross Hannah, Kris Taylor and the nearby linesman, who bore the full brunt of the clash.

Once he'd picked himself up, Joe Colbeck whipped in a delivery and Craig Disley volleyed straight at Ryan Young as Town looked for a foothold in the game.

And they had it when Aswad Thomas' burst down the left flank was brought to an abrupt end by Luke Hubbins, giving Town another set-piece, yards from the by-line.

And, after Ross Hannah had pulled level with him as the club's top scorer in midweek, Pond wrestled that title back when he rose highest to nod home Colbeck's superb delivery at the back post for his fourth of the season.

Town's travelling support were nearly brought to their feet again minutes later when Disley fed Scott Neilson, eager to add to his first goal for Town against Alfreton.

But, after skipping the challenges of two defenders, the 25-year-old, on loan from Crawley, could only lift over from 12 yards after the despairing dive of a third.

The home side were rocking, but that wasted chance proved to be costly as when Hubbins was given too much on the right and his low cross found Steve Jones, who showed his experience to calmly sweep past McKeown and draw The Bucks level.

After what had been an otherwise impressive spell, the equaliser, and perhaps the manner in which it had been conceded, briefly unsettled Town.

But the visitors continued to press and Neilson had the goal in his sights again when his diving header flew just wide at the back post, but the assistant had flagged for offside.

The tricky winger had been by far the Mariners' best player in the first half – his clever turn and drive from 25 yards on the half-hour showed that he was certainly in the mood.

But it was perhaps one of the more unlikely goalscorers that finally put the Mariners ahead again before the break.

Bradley Wood's free-kick fell to Colbeck, whose deflected volley fell to Miller – the defender swung his right boot and lashed the ball into the bottom corner.

Nathan Rooney came on for Davies at half-time as former Spurs midfielder Andy Sinton looked to give his Bucks team some some much needed steel in the middle.

Disley was booked for a challenge in the middle of the park with the hour approaching and, from the resulting free-kick, Leslie fired a volley straight down McKeown's throat as the hosts pushed for another equaliser.

Town worked hard to get out of their half, with Elding, Neilson and Colbeck combining to create a decent opening, but Elding could only fire over after the latter's clever scooped pass into the area.

Town were not keeping the ball as well as they had in the first half and when it found its way to Hubbard, he skipped passed Thomas and whipped in an inviting ball that Jones headed wide, just beyond the imposing figure of Kieron St Aime.

With over 30 minutes gone in what was becoming a tense and tight second half, Scott and Hurst brought on Andy Cook for Hannah, who, without seeing much of the ball, had put in a shift for his side.

Minutes later, centre-half Jordan Rose launched a crashing drive from 25 yards that flew just over McKeown's goal. But at the other end, the Mariners were almost gifted a chance when an undercooked back-pass to the keeper nearly opened the door for Elding, but the former Leeds United man couldn't reach it on the stretch.

Elding was replaced by Southwell and Artus was also thrown on in place of the tiring Neilson as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes.

But as the fourth official signalled for four minutes of stoppage time, Telford had their best chance to deny Town three points.

Miller misjudged a header and the ball ran through to second-half sub James Spray, but, to the relief of all connected with Town, he could only lift onto the roof of the net.

It was to be the last meaningful action of a game that the Mariners had shown character to see out.

When it finally came, referee Kavanagh's full-time whistle was greeted by the away fans as emphatically as either of their centre-halves' goals. It was a great three points to take back to North East Lincolnshire, and the travelling black and white army knew it.