A vagrant cyclist who stole from churches in Burton Agnes and Harpham now has 12 police authorities who want to question him.

Christopher Coulthard, 50, targeted only cash in church safes and collection boxes to fuel his round Britain trip by cycle.

Living rough, and unable to claim benefit, he cycled from the Lake District to East Yorkshire targeting the Sunday collection plates and safes.

He appeared via video link from Hull Prison at Hull Crown Court on Monday 22 April for sentence having admitted more than 20 burglaries – 11 in East Yorkshire.

Crown barrister Wendy Foster said the case could not go ahead for sentence as there were 12 other police authorities wanting to ask Mr Coulthard about his offending.

Defence barrister Richard Thompson said Mr Coulthard was keen to know his fate.

Recorder Julian Smith said he would not sentence at the moment. He adjourned until Wednesday 24 April.

Mr Coulthard was arrested Sunday 24 February after a vigilant worshipper from St Andrew’s Church, Ulrome, near Hornsea, noticed a man acting suspiciously inside the church.

Although nothing appeared to be missing from St Andrew’s Church, the witness contacted Humberside Police, providing a description.

Humberside officers already knew they were trying to locate a 50-year-old Warwickshire man on prison recall who they believed could assist them with 15 burglary investigations which had occurred over the span of one week.

Officers based at Hornsea Police Station immediately drove to Ulrome and other officers checked nearby churches. As one patrol car approached the church in Skipsea a man fitting the description was arrested.

A check against the police national database said he was wanted by the police in Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Cumbria, Lancashire, Warwickshire and North Yorkshire.

Primary schools at risk of being axed came one step closer to closure this week following a council meeting.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council cabinet members voted on Tuesday 23 April to approve publication of the plans to shut Langtoft, Gembling and Dunswell Primary Schools.

A six week review period will now run until a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 25 June when the fate of the schools will be decided.

The decision has been met with disappointment from head teachers and parents who have campaigned to halt proposals to close the schools.

Jane Moat, head teacher at Gembling Primary School, said: “Today’s decision by the Cabinet to uphold the proposed closure of Gembling school albeit with a further period of representation leaves me with very mixed emotions.

“Mixed because within the sadness with the loss of the school and everything that it means to the pupils, staff, parents, governors and community there is also disillusionment at the factual and fiscal led process in which there is neither care nor empathy for those involved - both qualities that are part of the daily bread of what we do in every school.

“I would like to thank Councillors Evison and Owen for reflecting the depth of feeling that our local community have shown and their support for the future of these schools.”

Should the Cabinet decide to close the schools at the June meeting, Langtoft and Gembling Primary Schools will close by August 2013, with pupils placed in neighbouring schools.

Councillor Julie Abraham portfolio holder for children, young people and local authority schools at East Riding Council thanked parents and teachers for sending their letters and emails promoting the voice of the children from the schools.

She acknowledged the value of the primary schools to the community, but in the case of all three backed the officer’s recommendation to close the schools.

“Modern times bring modern problems and non more so than the requirement to introduce the Government’s local funding formula with its restrictive number of allowable factors set against the background of being the third worst funded local authority in the country,” said Coun Abraham at the meeting on Tuesday.

Gembling Primary School currently has 26 pupils and Langtoft has 16. Langtoft costs the cash-strapped East Riding Council £14,475 per pupil - four times the amount spent on pupils elsewhere in the county.

Jo Richardson, a driving member of the Save Langtoft School Committee, said: “The questions that followed the statement from Councillor Abraham from cabinet members saw both Coun Jonathan Owen and Coun Jane Evison saying there was more support for Langtoft School than Coun Evison had seen anywhere else.

“There were documents missing out of the report from members of our committee. We will just be asking people to resend anything that has already been sent along with further information.

“We were very disappointed at the news but there was a lot of support in the room for us which gave us a bit of hope.

“We can’t say this is the end because we have got the six weeks consultation period.”

The group have recently petitioned against the closure and gathered 928 signatures against closing the school from members of the public.

Coun Abraham asked the public to resend their comments for the second stage of the consultation process if they feel their views were not considered at Tuesday’s meeting.

A woman has told a court that she drove a van without due care and attention because she was running late for an appointment.

Vanessa Clare Barker, 37, of Wansford Road, Driffield was stopped by police while driving along the B1249 at Kilham on December 17 last year.

Prosecutor Andrew Vaughan told the court that the officer became aware of a white van which had pulled out and started to overtake a car on a hill.

Mr Vaughan said the officer thought the van driver was going to try and overtake a car and a HGV

“The defendant thought better of it and pulled back in but then swerved over some broken hatch markings and started to overtake a HGV on the approach to a junction. There wasn’t a clear view of the junction. If the lorry had turned right there could have been a collision,” Mr Vaughan said.

The officer followed the white van towards Kilham when it pulled onto the opposite lane of the carriageway, where it remained while travelling around a left hand bend, to overtake a blue Transit van which was travelling at around 40 to 50 mph.

The court heard that the officer had to drive at between 80 and 90 mph to catch up with the white van.

Barker pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle on a road without due care and attention when she appeared at Bridlington Magistrates Court. In her own mitigation Barker said: “I was very late for an appointment. I don’t think I was doing 80 to 90 mph because it was a van. Overtaking near the bend was stupid. I don’t normally drive like that, I was rushing. There’s no excuse, I shouldn’t have done it.” Barker was fined £100, her driving licence was endorsed with three penalty points. She was ordered to pay court costs of £85 and £20 victim surcharge.

Electricity was yesterday turned off in West Lutton for essential work to take place on the supply.

Lutton Community Primary School however remained open, using a generator and held an open event in its school hall for local residents.

A young man was killed in a head-on collision with a car while out riding his motorbike along the A164.

Kieran Steven Lovell, of Cranswick Close, Leconfield died at the scene of the crash, near the Leconfield Defence School of Transport (DST) on Saturday 20 April.

Those who knew the 20-year-old have left flowers and tributes along the side of the road where he died.

Mr Lovell worked for Sodexo within the DST Normandy Barracks but had left at the end of January this year to begin another job.

Commandant Colonel Rob Peacock at DST, said: “I was deeply saddened to hear the news of the accident. As a father and someone who lives so close to where this happened I cannot begin to imagine how difficult this must be for his family.

“Kieran was a part of our community and well known to many here – he worked inside DST, was part of a family which has lived and worked in DST and we all feel the loss so much more personally.

“We will do all we can to offer support to the family at this difficult time.”

Gwenyth Southall, who was Mr Lovell’s Year Leader at Longcroft School during his time there from year seven to year 11 remembered him to the Driffield Times and Post as a student who “always had a smile on his face.”

She said: “He was very popular in his year, he had lots of friends and he never took umbrage with anything - you could tell him off and it didn’t affect your relationship with him.

“He did enjoy playing sport and football was what he enjoyed the most.

“I was his RE teacher and he enjoyed discussion in class. He was always punctual, always smart and his attendance was superb.”

The crash happened between a 25-year-old driver of a silver Citroen Saxo which was travelling in the opposite direction to Mr Lovell, who was heading towards Beverley on his orange Superbike RM125 at around 8.40pm.

The car driver suffered a head injury and was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary where he stayed over night for observations.

The road was closed until 4.15am on Sunday 21 April to allow emergency services to carry out their work at the scene.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the collision and anyone with information is asked to contact Humberside Police on the non-emergency number 101 referring to log 801 of 20 April 2013.

Two dedicated fund raisers completed the London Marathon and have raised £3,000 in aid of Martin House Children’s Hospice.

David and Ben Pudsey took part in the event on Sunday 21 April, despite the attack on the Boston Marathon the previous Monday, to generate funds for the Hospice, which cared for David’s daughter and Ben’s sister, Hannah Pudsey.

Hannah, who was born with two holes in her heart and a faulty valve, died in February last year aged 24 after her heart stopping beating. The run was completed in her memory.

David, who finished the course despite injuring his back the week before, said: “It was a bit of hard work, I had to walk for 11 miles at the end but it wasn’t at the time it was about getting round.

“In one or two places along the course I felt a bit emotional. There were bands playing right the way round and if they were playing a tune, it would always cause a bit of emotion.

“It was surprising how much we raise - people we didn’t even know donated money. My wife was so pleased to see me at the end because she was more worried about getting round than I was.”

David, 55, ran the first 15 miles of the course, and finished in six hours 11 minutes, while Ben, 29, completed the run in five hours and eight minutes.

Ben and David were supported on the day by Ros Pudsey, David’s wife and mother to Ben, and family friends.

Further fund raising events have been completed including a quiz night at Nafferton Village Hall on Friday 12 April, which raised £446.

A charity fashion show will be staged at M&Co in Driffield on Wednesday 15 May, with tickets priced at £5 and available from Ros on 01377 257159.

The school’s Twilight Bus Service (TBS) recently received a boost from Bridlington Town Council, which has made a generous donation of £500 towards the running costs.

The town’s Mayor, Councillor Michael Charlesworth and deputy mayor, Councillor Terry Dixon, visited the school to present a cheque to Headteacher, Simon Jones, and students Amy Charlton, Paul Brooke and Lucy Booth who regularly use the Bridlington Twilight Bus.

The TBS supports students who stay for after school activities by offering them a free bus home at 5pm on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings. The service has been operated by the school for the past nine years and is supported by many of the town and parish councils in the Driffield catchment area.

Bridlington Town Council agreed to help fund the TBS to support children from the Bridlington area who attend Driffield School and Sixth Form.

Community engagement manager, Elaine Collinson, said: “We currently have over 100 students at school who live in Bridlington and a very large proportion of them regularly use the TBS to travel home after staying for after school activities such as sports, performing arts, homework, course work and catch up clubs.

“Our monitoring shows that the TBS orange route to Bridlington was the most used service last year with over 500 journeys being made.

“The cost of providing the transport increases every year, so we are very grateful to Bridlington Town Council, and all the parish and town councils who recognise the importance of this service to children living in their areas, for their generous financial support.”

The fifth Personal Learning and Thinking Skills Day was held at Driffield School for year seven students.

On Friday 19 April the students completed a day of themed events examining the early footage of man’s first attempts at flight before creating mobiles and kites to test ideas behind flight.

The day was run and organised by the Design Technology and Science departments and focused on how science can aid the design process and how design can be inspired by nature.

Students started off the day with an inspirational opportunity to come face to face with birds from Park Rose Birds of Prey and Animal Park, Bridlington.

A visiting demonstrator brought a Barn Owl and Indian Eagle Owl and Harris Hawk into the assembly to surprise the students before taking the students outside for the birds to do a flight display and perform some tricks including flying through a tunnel of students.

Students and staff thoroughly enjoyed the day and really appreciated the opportunity to come face to face with these amazing birds.

We are three year nine boys who have been enjoying making monster/alien cushions in our Y9 textiles lessons with some help from our teacher Mrs Davey.

The lessons have been really good fun and we’ve learned all sorts of new skills and techniques such as appliqué, reverse appliqué and blending fabric crayons together to make different colours.

We also made 3D objects like arms, legs and even heads to go onto our monsters.

We started off at the beginning of term by just doing some samples of appliqué and reverse appliqué.

Then we had to decide what material we wanted and before cutting it out into the shape we wanted our monster to be.

The next job was to stitch out eyes and mouth onto our monsters, then we turned it inside out so that the eyes were on the outside and finally we stuffed our monsters with wadding before hand sewing the hole up.

This was our last term in textiles because in year 10 we opt for other subjects, but we have all really enjoyed our textiles experience even if we did sometimes get a bit annoyed with the sewing machines!

Visitors from Australia paid their respects at the annual memorial service to air force personnel who died during World War Two.

Over 50 people gathered to commemorate Anzac day in Driffield’s Memorial Garden on Thursday 25 April.

The annual event remembers fallen RAF heroes from Australia who served in the 466 and 462 Squadrons based in Driffield during World War Two.

A service was conducted by the Reverend John McNaughton, and music was provided by Driffield Silver Band.

Veterans Ron Last and Joe Perkin attended the service along with visitors from Australia to remember their fallen relatives.

Tiana Adaire, from Australia, said her father was Len Walker DFC, navigator on crew 172 who was shot down over Germany in 1944.

She said: “They had a very mixed time in Driffield, they had a lot of wonderful time here and met a lot of wonderful people. But of course a lot of tragedy.”

A warning has been issued to Driffield residents following an incident caused by a wheatgerm bag which caught fire in a microwave.

On Friday 25 April at 12.25am an emergency call was placed to Humberside Fire and Rescue, from Whitelands, Driffield.

Two pumps from Driffield were used along with a third from Bridlington, however the fire was quickly contained.

A spokesperson for the fire service said this type of incident was becoming more common.

She advised residents not to exceed heating times given in the instructions, to ensure the microwave turntable is working correctly and not to reheat the bag until cooled.

Residents of Driffield are being called upon to donate blood to the NHS Blood and Transplant unit.

Anyone aged between 17 and 65, weighing more than 50kg and in good health can donate blood.

To donate attend one of the two sessions in the Methodist School Rooms, Westgate, Driffield on Tuesday 28 May,

The times are between 2.15pm until 4pm and again from 5pm until 7.30pm.

Humberside Police are investigating two separate incidents of theft in the Driffield area.

Between 3pm on Wednesday 24 April and 8.30am on Thursday 25 April a garage on High Street, Nafferton was broken into.

A police spokeswoman said: “The garage was entered via an insecure up and over door and search conducted. The only thing that appears to have been stolen is a box of electrical cables and sockets. Nothing else was stolen or damaged.”

If anyone has any information about this incident please contact the police and quote crime number 1970414.

Between Friday 19 April and Friday 26 April a set of ladders was stolen from a house on North Street, Driffield.

A police spokeswoman said: “The ladders are described as aluminium with orange plastic feet and ends. If you have any information about this crime please contact the police and quote crime reference 1970615.”

Britain’s most prolific church burglar has been jailed for four years – after being finally tracked down following a string of burglaries from Beverley to Bridlington.

Christopher Coulthard, 50, has burgled more than 540 churches including churches in Harpham and Skipsea.

He has been a thief since he was 17 spending the last 20 years targeting churches. He was jailed last Wednesday for four years after admitting four burglaries and asking for 34 church burglaries to be taken into consideration.

He was given early release from a six-year sentence in November 2012. He targeted collection boxes and antique safes.

Sentencing at Hull Crown Court Recorder Julian Smith said: “You told the probation officers the money does not belong to anyone. It is there donated and not going to affect anyone. You also commented on the poor return you are now getting compared to the good old days. It is not as you suggest because people are banking money. It is the lack of money about. The collections are diminishing. The churches you burgle are valued to their community.”

Hull Crown Court heard 12 police forces wanted to question Coulthard about burglaries. After initial visits he is now refusing to co-operate.

The alarm was raised in East Yorkshire when he burgled 15 churches in a week, never stealing crosses or artefacts.

Crown barrister Wendy Foster said he was caught after vigilant worshippers at a Sunday service in at Andrew’s Church, Ulrome, near Hornsea, noticed a man acting suspiciously inside the church. Although nothing appeared to be missing from St Andrew’s Church, the witness contacted Humberside Police and officers based at Hornsea Police Station arrested Coulthard five-miles south in Skipsea.

Churches targeted in East Yorkshire included Toll Gavel Methodist Church, Beverley, St Martin’s Church, Burton Agnes and St John’s of Beverley Church, Harpham.

Defence barrister Richard Thompson said Coulthard was released early from his prison sentence even though he did not want to be. He admitted: “There is something inherently unpleasant about burgling churches, he concedes that. He did not take anything other than cash. There was no ransacking or confrontation. There are some hints he plans a different lifestyle in the future.”

Recorder Julian Smith said: “It was clear, this was planned organised offending.”

Driffield’s MP Greg Knight has welcomed new figures pointing to a dramatic reduction metal theft across Yorkshire and the whole of Britain, following a change in the law.

Figures released by Network Rail show a 67% drop in metal theft over the past year, BT has seen a drop in metal theft of 50% and metal theft from churches in Yorkshire has also fallen sharply.

Mr Knight said: “This positive news follows the implementation of recent Government measures to tackle metal theft, by requiring all scrap metal dealers to be licensed and making it illegal for them to pay for scrap in cash.

Mr Knight added: “The disruption and loss which has been caused as a result of metal theft is unacceptable and I am pleased that this Government is successfully cracking down on it.

“The measures are working because Network Rail has reported a 54 per cent reduction in delays to passenger journeys and BT say faults are down by 24% due to falling metal theft”.

Year one pupils at Driffield Infant School have spent a swash-buckling few days learning about pirates.

The youngsters and teachers went to school dressed as pirates and spent time designing and making their own pirate ships using cardboard boxes.

The pirate day comes as part of Year one’s these for the term, ‘The seaside.’

Driffield Times & Post photographer, Pam Stanforth, went along to capture the pirate-themed fun.

If you would like to order any of these pictures please call 01377 249800.

Ofsted have judged Bishop Burton College ‘outstanding’ in all areas of a social care inspection.

The College is considered to be providing a service of exceptional quality and exceeding requirements in its outcomes for young people, the quality of provision, leadership and management and in safeguarding.

The report highlights the excellent residential and social provision for students, extra-curricular activities and sports facilities. Ofsted inspectors visited the College in order to observe life on campus as well as speak to staff and students. Praise is given to the ‘very positive atmosphere’ as well as commending specific initiatives such as the free transport for students and the schemes for volunteering within the community. Principal, Jeanette Dawson, is delighted with the rating.“I am very proud that the College has been rated outstanding.”

A couple from Brandesburton celebrated reaching their 60th wedding anniversary last Thursday.

Geoff and Joyce Broumpton, of The Paddock, Brandesburton, are both 81 and will mark the achievement with a family meal.

Daughter Maria said: “They are just so in love, and they have never had an argument.”

Changes to wheelie bin collections will take effect from next week - affecting around 10,000 residents in the Driffield area.

From Tuesday 7 May East Riding of Yorkshire Council will reduce their green bin collection service from once a week to a single collection each fortnight.

However blue recycling bins will also be emptied once every two weeks, whereas they are currently collected once a month.

On Friday 26 April Eryca and Eryc, council ‘bin bears’ took to the streets of Driffield to highlight the impending changes, while council officers answered queries from the public.

Councillor Symon Fraser, portfolio holder for environment, housing and planning, said: “It has been extensively trialled in Driffield already, and we know that it works.

“We know that it is delivering a much better recycling service for residents.

“The new collections are responding to what people want. The comments we have been getting from residents is that they haven’t got the blue bin capacity for their recycling and they need more.

“Overall each year I think it saves about £1.2 million across the whole of the East Riding. What that enables the council to do is provide repairs to the highway and other things like that.”

The new collections will also affect households in Kilham, Langtoft, Middleton on the Wolds, Nafferton, Wetwang, North Frodingham and the surrounding villages.

Coun Fraser urged large families to speak to the council if they have concerns about the new collections, and praised Driffield residents for their enthusiasm for recycling.

Contact all the recycling officers on 01482 395586 or email wastewatchers@eastriding.gov.uk.

A brand new service for lymphoedema patients, run by City Health Care Partnership CIC (CHCP CIC) will be up and running soon.

Specialist lymphoedema nurse Debbie Allanson will manage the service along with two nursing colleagues, with clinics being held at the new Elliott Chappell Health Centre on Hessle Road until the Westbourne NHS Centre is ready for them to move in. ‘Lymphoedema is a collection of lymphatic fluid that builds up in the tissues under the skin and causes swelling; it can happen anywhere in the body but mainly affects limbs,’ Debbie explained. ‘It can be due to trauma or injury, venous disease, infection, inflammation, immobility or illness such as cancer. Sometimes it’s hereditary.

‘It’s a lifelong condition and can be very debilitating; our job is to help people reduce their symptoms and give them the tools and support to continue with their own self-care. People with lymphoedema need to maintain a daily routine which may include skin care, gentle exercises, massage and wearing correct medical compression garments to keep the condition controlled.’

The new specialist lymphoedema service will take referrals from Hull GPs for people who have a non-cancer lymphoedema diagnosis. It will deliver all aspects of lymphoedema treatment to patients over 18. Andrew Burnell, Chief Executive of CHCP CIC said, ‘This new service is great news for people in Hull who suffer from this condition and we’re very proud to be one of the leaders in this area. Before this service was commissioned, non-cancer lymphoedema patients would have had to travel to Leeds for treatment so having a local specialist service will be a huge improvement for them.’