TWO motorbike enthusiasts caught racing along Wolds roads at speeds reaching 86mph and at times more have together been fined more than £1,000.

The pair were caught by video camera mounted on an un-marked police motorbike during a Humberside police clampdown on bike racers and others involved in high speed anti-social driving on East Riding roads called Operation Achilles.

At Bridlington Magistrates Court last Wednesday the bench watched the video recording of their journey from Fridaythorpe to Stamford Bridge and then on Garrowby Hill as they overtook cars, sometimes breaking the double white lines no overtaking rules.

At the hearing, Jayne Wilson, prosecuting, said they were followed by a high performance un-marked police bike fitted with a video recorder as they travelled on the road between Fridaythorpe and Stamford Bridge and then to Garrowby Hill.

“Their average speed was 86mph over a distance of 1.2 miles although it was higher than this at times.

Peter Charles Dooley, 30, of Austin Court, Loxley, Sheffield, and Charles Steven Buckley, 29, of Woodside Street, Allerton Bywater, Castleford, were each riding their own bikes.

Dooley’s Honda Bike was seen to overtake on a solid white line, Buckley’s Yamaha bike was seen to overtake vehicles in the face of on-coming traffic.

“At Fridaythorpe they left the village at speed in excess of 60mph, the speed limit, and on their journey to Garrowby Hill their speed did not drop below 85mph. As they went down Garrowby Hill they were overtaking vehicles at speed against double white line restrictions and in the face of oncoming traffic,” said Mrs Wilson.

They were eventually pulled over by police at a lay-by and shown the video of the incident.

On examining both bikes Dooley’s machine was found to have a defective silencer without baffles.

Both men pleaded guilty to charges of speeding in excess of 60mph and to driving without due care and attention. Dooley also pleaded guilty to using a vehicle with a defective exhaust.

Ed Cunnah, mitigating for the pair, said the incident was out of character for both men.

Both of them were single and employed and had just gone out for a ride. “There is no suggestion that these men have been involved in accidents, but since this incident both of them have given up their bikes saying they did not realise how significantly riding in that way could have affected their employment status,” said Mr Cunnah.

He said Dooley worked for Tata Steel at Stocksbridge, on short notice shifts.

Buckley is one of two directors in his own IT business which had been going for three years serving large employers including Plc’s spending 75% of his time in the office but the rest travelling from site to site around the country.

“Both of them are ashamed to be in court,” said Mr Cunnah.

Presiding magistrate David Smith told them: “Having seen the video it was probably more by good luck than judgement you did not cause an accident.”

Both men were fined £220 and had their licence endorsed for speeding, £250 with five points on their licence for driving without due care and attention and ordered to pay £40 court costs and £15 victim surcharge.

Dooley, who now has 11 points on his licence, was also fined £60 for having a defective exhaust and was told by Mr Smith: “You are going to have to be very careful driving in the future.”

A BUSINESSMAN took an overdose of pain killers before the 4x4 he was driving along the A614 crashed head on into an articulated lorry, an inquest has heard.

Paul Alan James Topsham, 44, of Main Street, Haisthorpe, had 60 times the normal dose of codeine in his blood stream, when he was involved in a collision with a 44 tonne HGV near Middleton-on-the-Wolds on October 3 last year.

Toxicology tests also showed that Mr Topham, who had been suffering from depression, also had a potentially fatal amount of paracetamol in his body, taken around two hours prior to the crash.

Full story and verdict in tomorrow’s Driffiled Times and Post

AN alcoholic went berserk and threatened to commit “suicide by cop” after taking a knife to see his ex-wife in the hope an armed police marksman would be called to the scene and shoot him.

Adrian Johnstone, 47, came up with the plan when he learned that his wife had found another man, Hull Crown Court heard on Monday.

He told a friend: “I am going to end it all. They will shoot me if I have a knife. I’m going to stick it to her.”

High on medication, Johnstone, of Adelphi Street, Driffield, marched around to Mrs Johnstone’s home in Mill Street on February 1, despite being warned: “If you do that, your daughters will lose their mother and father.”

Johnstone so alarmed an eye witness they called the police after he marched off in a “sleep-walking state.”

He appeared armed with a kitchen knife in the street and told Mrs Johnstone: “Call the police. They will shoot me. I don’t care if I get shot.”

Mr Johnstone told a neighbour “not to get involved.” He was about to turn violent.

The court heard that Mrs Johnstone said she had never seen him before in this sort of state and believed he had mixed his medication and was in a trance.

When the police arrived they saw the knife and ordered him to drop it. Johnstone refused, and had to be disarmed with a punch to the face. He continued to struggle, kicking a police officer on the leg, before being arrested.

He told police he was an alcoholic and was upset his wife had started a new relationship. He said he was also depressed as his stepfather was terminally ill.

The court was told Johnstone was building a string of convictions.

He was cautioned in June for being drunk and disorderedly and two months later in August 2011 was given a police penalty notice for a section four public order.

The court was told his wife was standing by him, after 21 years, describing him as normally “a lovely person.”

She felt the incident had been triggered by stress and she had been visiting him in prison where he was back on his medication.

Mrs Johnstone insisted she did not want the court to place a restraining order on him as he was a good father who needed to see his children.

After hearing the judge would not jail him, his defence barrister Steven Garth said he need not mitigate.

Judge Simon Jack told Johnstone: “Society as a whole is very concerned about people carrying knives. People can get very badly hurt. Even if your intention was to attract attention so that you could end it all. Some police officer would have to live with the fact that they had shot you. That would stay with them for the rest of their lives. That would be a terrible thing.”

Johnstone pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer, a public order offence and possession of a knife. He was given a 26-week suspended prison sentence and ordered to complete 150-hours community punishment.

A BUSINESSMAN took an overdose of pain killers before the 4x4 he was driving along the A614 crashed head on into an articulated lorry, an inquest has heard.

Paul Alan James Topham, 44, of Main Street, Haisthorpe, had 60 times the normal dose of codeine in his blood stream, when he was involved in a collision with a 44 tonne HGV near Middleton-on-the-Wolds on October 3 last year.

Toxicology tests also showed that Mr Topham, who had been suffering from depression, also had a potentially fatal amount of paracetamol in his body, taken around two hours prior to the crash.

But the inquest, held at Hull Coroners Court yesterday, February 29, was told that Mr Topham, a father of two, died as a direct result of multiple head and body injuries sustained in the collision.

The court heard that Mr Topham, who was originally from Bridlington, had suffered health problems after having a gastric band fitted to tackle his weight.

In September 2009 he went back into hospital to have the band removed.

But further complications led to him being admitted to intensive care at Castle Hill Hospital and a prolongued hospital stay.

It was 10 months before Mr Topham returned home, by which time he was suffering from depression and had been left with an open stomach wound which needed daily care.

Mr Topham’s wife, Jacqueline Dawn Topham, described him as a good husband and a good father who worked hard to provide for the family.

Mrs Topham said her husband had been a skilled buyer in the family business but his health problems meant he was having to take more and more time off work.

She said he was left feeling “very upset” after the decision was taken to remove him as one of the directors of the family business which he had run with his brothers.

Matters were made worse when Mr Topham returned to work last March only to be sent home following an incident involving an employee, and days later police were called after he went missing.

Police later found him sitting on a bench near a cliff top, crying.

The court heard that last July Mr Topham was arrested for various offences and bailed, appearing in court on September 28.

Mrs Topham told the court that the day after her husband’s court appearance he had asked her to help him end his life, which she refused and instead called the doctor.

Mr Topham’s GP referred him to the mental health service.

But on the morning of Monday October 3, the day that a mental health nurse tried telephoning Mr Topham to arrange an appointment, Mrs Topham returned home after the school run to find a note saying “sorry mum” and their blue Isuzu 4x4 missing.

At around 8.30am truck driver Ian David Underhill, of Staffordshire based hauliers Browns, was driving his HGV along the east bound carriageway of the A614.

Mr Underhill said he glanced at his speedometer and when he looked up he saw the 4x4 driving straight towards him.

“It must have been 20 to 30 yards away from me, I didn’t have much time to change my direction at all. I slammed the brakes on and tried to move to the left,” Mr Underhill said.

But just seconds later the vehicles collided creating what one witness, Linda Bouncer, described as “an enormous noise like an explosion.”

Registered nurse Nicola Alison Penn-Allison, who had been driving in a blue volvo behind the 4x4, tried to administer first aid to Mr Topham but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

“I saw the 4x4 pull out into the other carriageway towards traffic coming from the opposite direction. I observed it continue to drive in a straight line. I started to slow down because I was getting a bit concerned.

“ I kept thinking he will pull back in two or three times but I realised perhaps he wasn’t going to,” Ms Penn-Allison said.

Toxicologist Steven Morley told the court that the potentially fatal levels of codeine and paracetamol, combined with an anti-depressant, could have affected Mr Tophams cognitive behaviour, causing him to fall asleep or lose consciousness and subsequently control of the vehicle.

HM Coroner for the East Riding of Yorkshire and Hull, said that while there may have been a motive for Mr Topham to want to take his own life he had to record an open verdict as it could not be said for sure if he had deliberately intended to move into the path of the oncoming vehicle.

An unknown offender or offenders have entered a detached outbuilding in Elmswell.

The property was approached between February 24 and February 27 and physical force was used to open the door.

A search has been made of the building but it is still unknown to police what was taken.

A childs scooter was stolen from the rear garden of a house on Wykeham Close, Driffield overnight between February 25 and February 26.

The scooter is described as being black with green handlebars and wheels.

A 20 year old man was injured when a petrol tanker and van were involved in a collision near Octon yesterday, Wednesday.

The accident happened at 7.30am at the Octon Roundabout on the B1249 Staxton to Driffield Road and involved a van from the City of York council and a fuel tanker from Carlton Fuels.

Humberside Police and an ambulance were called to the scene and a police spokeswoman said the road was quickly re-opened.

As the Driffield Times and Post went to press, the extent of the man’s injuries was not known.

The 2012 exhibition of work from F.ocus Photographic group of Bridlington was formerly opened on Saturday by councillor Mrs Kay West, Madam Chairman of the East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

Harry Whitehouse, aged thirteen, who has only been a member of the group for eight months has two of his photographs in the exhibition.

He became interested in photography about three years ago and has since enjoyed much success at the Driffield show, where last year he gained two firsts, two seconds, a third and a highly commended, and also the much acclaimed auctioneer’s cup.

The exhibition features a variety of photographs from members of the group and is being held in the west wing of Sewerby Hall,

Mrs Muriel Hudson, the club secretary and main organiser of the event, said that it had taken almost three years to bring to fruition due to the high demand for this prestigious venue.

F.ocus was formed in 1999 by a small group of enthusiasts who share a passion for photography.

The members have embraced digital photography and become one of the leading photographic clubs in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

The exhibition is open between April the 1st and May the 24th from 11.00 am until 4.30 pm.

SAVE Our Swans! - that is what the Driffield Times & Post has asked a power company to do by helping to stop the majestic birds flying into and being killed by overhead cables near the town’s canal.

Our call comes after the discovery of four dead swans near Wansford Road within the past six weeks - a startling statistic which has alarmed one local ornithologist who fears for the areas’ future swan population.

The bird expert, who lives near Wansford Road, told the Driffield Times & Post: “People think that swans just swim about but they are very mobile and they do a lot of flying but they can’t always see these wires, particularly if there’s a glare.”

“They can’t sustain a death rate like this and they have all been adults and have probably been breeding pairs. They take about five years to get up to maturity, to get around to breeding, and they have enough problems with nature as it should be,” he added.

RSPB spokesman Chris Collett said swans seem to be particularly prone to hitting power cables compared to other birds, such as geese, but there are steps that power companies can take to prevent it from happening.

“We often find they happen in the same sort of area and it could be that it’s close to water or it could be on one of their flight routes.

“It’s normally swans rather than geese, swans seem to be more susceptible to it then geese, but we’re not really sure why,” Mr Collett added.

Mr Collett said the problem can be tackled by marker buoys being fitted to the power cables.

There are two types of markers - orange buoys which are more commonly found in coastal areas or on high ground, or reflective discs which make the lines more visible to the birds.

“Our experience is that power companies would be happy to do this because it’s going to help them because it’s dangerous and could cause damage to the power cables,” Mr Collett added.

With some of the overhead cables in that part of town already fitted with markers the Driffield Times & Post has asked National Powergrid to extend the scheme and fit more of the potential swan saving devices.

“We will never stop bird strikes but the vast majority can be eliminated by putting up these markers.

“This can be fixed very cheaply, very quickly and easily,” our local ornithologist added.

**Call in with National Powergrid**

Swan Factfile:

•Swans are the largest members of the duck family Anatidae, and are among the largest flying birds.

•The largest species, including the mute swan, trumpeter swan, and whooper swan, can reach lengths of over 1.5m and weigh over 15kg, while their wingspans can be almost 3m.

•Swans form socially monogamous pair bonds that last for many years, and in some cases these can last for life.

•To this day the Crown retains the right to ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water, but The Queen only exercises her ownership on certain stretches of the Thames and its surrounding tributaries.

•According to the RSPB Collision with overhead power lines is one of the main causes of swan mortality.

DRIFFIELD town council has decided not to lodge an objection against a plans to demolish the Methodist Church and replace it with a new building.

Several councillors have voiced grave concerns over the scheme as they believe the church is an iconic structure which is an integral part of the town’s history.

During a full meeting of the council on Tuesday, Coun Steve Poessl put forward a motion that the town council should object to a planning applications on the basis that the church stands within a conservation area and therefore should be regarded as a building of significant historic interest and should not be demolished.

He was seconded by Coun Tony Cooper but the motion failed by a majority vote.

Coun Poessl said he was concerned that church leaders appeared to have indicated that if planning permission was not granted they might move out of Driffield.

“It is like saying if you do not give me what I want I’m going elsewhere,” he said.

Methodist Minister the Rev Robert Amos said afterwards that while it was correct that they may look to build elsewhere should planning permission be rejected for the current site he added: “Not necessarily out of Driffield but look for another site where we could build on one level.”

The current church is regarded as no longer fit for purpose and is expensive to maintain – with heating costs alone running at £1,500 a month.

The current building designed to satisfy the needs of a congregation 131 years ago and underwent a major redevelopment in the 1960s.

Mr Amos accepted that the building could be regarded as iconic but he said it had presented problems for a number of years in terms of access for all and maintenance costs.

He said the scheme to demolish and rebuild was not something which had been “done on a whim” but had been carefully thought out, and the consensus had been that it was time to move on.

Much of the current church is no longer used.

Town councillors questioned whether the church had the money for the rebuild and although the mayor, Coun Joyce Fletcher, pointed out such questions were not a planning concern, Mr Amos explained that they were currently in the process of seeking grants and had “fingers in lots of pies” but planning permission was required to start the process.

Coun Fletcher said there were a lot of strong feelings about the Methodist Church but Coun Matt Rogers said: “There is no reason why we cannot be sentimental but it is their space and their money. If they want to knock it down and rebuild I think we should be supporting them.”

Coun Tony Cooper said that just a few weeks ago a member of the public had appealed to the council to alleviate the wanton destruction of Driffield’s old buildings and councillors had voiced concern over the loss through demolition of many historic venues.

He asked whether just a month later it would be hypocritical of them to support the Methodist Church demolition.

“It’s our heritage” he said, and he pointed out that in other parts of the world such buildings were refurbished and looked after because they were part of a town’s history.

Coun Poessl said: “I agree with what Tony said about old buildings. It may not be the prettiest of buildings but it stands out in Driffield.”

Coun Heather Venter said: “It’s a shame that if allowed to do it we are going to lose another piece of heritage of the town.”

But Coun David Credland said: “It is their building and they should be allowed to do what they want with it.”

Coun Paul Rounding said we now lived in a throw away society in which it was often cheaper to knock down and rebuild rather than to refurbish.

The final decision on planning permission will be made by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

A GYPSY has vowed to fight plans to evict him from his own plot of land in a Wolds village declaring that he does not want to cause any trouble.

And Irish traveller Anthony Quinn has strenuously denied allegations made by several villagers in Nafferton that he is using dykes near his site on Back Carr Lane to dispose of toilet waste.

He told the Driffield Times & Post he would even be willing to take a DNA test to prove any such waste found in the waterways was not his.

He has also rubbished claims that a generator he is running at the site is causing a noise disturbance, alleging that he is using a ‘super silent’ generator.

And Mr Quinn has denied that a dog allegedly howling through the night is his.

“I don’t want to cause any trouble. I have been there for four years and no-one has bothered me and I have never bothered anyone,” Mr Quinn said.

Mr Quinn has unsuccessfully appealed against East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s refusal to allow him to site a caravan permanently on his plot of land on three separate occasions.

He now faces eviction from the site, which he occupies for half the year, after his latest appeal failed eight months ago.

ERYC planners told Mr Quinn that the development would harm the appearance of the countryside and the site was unsuitable for its proposed use, while the area’s need for gypsy sites was currently low.

But earlier this year several villagers contacted Nafferton Parish Council concerned that Mr Quinn was still occupying the site in spite of the council’s decision.

The allegations about noise and the disposal of the contents of Mr Quinn’s chemical toilet were raised at the Parish Council’s January meeting.

Now Mr Quinn, who spends half the year travelling, has returned to the area where his children and partner live, determined to fight any eviction process and to clear his name amid the allegations over noise and the dumping of toilet waste.

“I’m waiting for eviction and I’m going to appeal it,” Mr Quinn said.

As previously reported the ERYC were pressing ahead with eviction plans but the process had been slowed by “human rights and legal processes.”

A spokesman for the East Riding of Yorkshire Council said this week that the Council were still working on the case.

“The Council is considering enforcement proceedings given that an appeal has already been dismissed by a government Planning Inspector and the planning and legal officers are working on the case currently,” he said.

Our gardening expert, Kev Riley, talks through a number of basic gardening tips,

In this video he gives a few tips on seed sewing.

If you have any gardening questions or any particular videos that you would like to see, email us at gardening@scarborougheveningnews.co.uk

Our gardening expert, Kev Riley, talks through a number of basic gardening tips,

In this video he gives a few tips on seed sewing.

If you have any gardening questions or any particular videos that you would like to see, email us at gardening@scarborougheveningnews.co.uk

A RECOVERING alcoholic is trying to set up a help group to fill what he perceives to be a gap in the provision of support for people battling alcoholism in the region.

And his bid to help overcome thier drink problem before it starts costing the police and NHS money has been welcomed by Humberside Police.

When Steve Keane, 61, retired from his job in a bank five years ago he openly admits to having “hit the bottle” which triggered a downward spiral of behaviour.

But Steve told the Driffield Times & Post an encounter with the police was the shock factor he needed to kick his addiction and now he wants to help others do the same.

“What people want is somebody who has been there and done it themselves,” said Steve.

Describing the provision of support for alcoholics in the East Riding as “abysmal” Steve is already helping a handful of people at weekly meetings in Beverley, and he is now on the hunt for a venue in Driffield.

The ‘SMART recovery’ meetings offer motivational guidance and support to people battling substance dependency.

Steve started up the meetings on a voluntary basis after his own quest for help several years ago left him frustrated at the limited options available.

“When I tried to beat it I thought what support is there in the East Riding? There isn’t any support really and what people need is long term help,” said Steve.

“For some people Alcoholics Anonymous is fine if it works for them, but if they don’t like that there’s nothing else,” he added.

And Steve hopes the new groups will help save the police and NHS money in the long run.

“How much does detox cost? How much does A&E cost? If we can stop six people a year from going into re-hab it’s going to save the local authorities and the NHS a fortune,” he said.

According to the Health and Social Care Information Centre the number of hospital admissions wholly attributable to alcohol rose nationally from 45,000 in 2002/3 to 68,400 in 2009/10.

In Yorkshire and Humber the number of NHS hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis wholly or partly attributable to alcohol stood at almost 20,000 in 2009/10.

And it has been estimated that the cost of alcohol harm to the NHS in England is £2.7 billion a year.

“It’s killing a lot of people. People aren’t aware of how many deaths alcohol causes,” Steve said.

The latest figures from the Office For National Statistics have shown that in 2010 there were 8,790 alcohol-related deaths in the UK, 126 more than in 2009 - of which 42 were in the East Riding.

“A lot of people when they have problems with alcohol are not binge drinkers on a Saturday night. They are people who do it behind closed doors and they are probably a bit reluctant to turn to their GP or a group,” Steve said.

“They can come to a group and draw on the strength and support of other people or they can talk to somebody over the phone, in a public place or by text message,” he added.

Inspector David Braysmith, who is in charge of Public Order and Violent Crime for the East Riding, said Humberside Police would support any scheme designed to reduce the negative impact alcohol has on individuals and communities.

“We see only too frequently the harmful effects of alcohol in relation to disorder and violence on our streets and within the home.

“Reducing alcohol related violence is a high priority for us and our partners. The benefits of achieving reductions in this area would be felt in relation to recorded crimes - meaning less victims of violence and less disorder within our communities but could also lead to reduced pressure on other emergency services and the NHS and improvements in public health.”

For more information about SMART Recovery call Steve on 07821490694.

The Rev Andrew Ison has been inducted as the new vicar of All Saints’ Church, Driffield, with St Mary’s, Little Driffield, and St Peter’s Church, Langtoft, with Foxholes, St Nicholas Butterwick, Cottam and All Saints’ Thwing.

This is a new grouping of parishes to be served by a single vicar.

Andrew was previously the Anglican chaplain of St James Voorschoten in the Netherlands for nearly five years.

The Bishop of Hull, the Right Reverend Richard Frith, supported by Rev David Butterfield, Archdeacon of the East Riding, led the induction service at All Saints’ Church, Driffield. A large congregation from Andrew’s new parishes were joined by the Mayor of Driffield, Councillor Joyce Fletcher, and representatives from a wide range of services and organisations in the community. Clergy and representatives from other churches will also be present.

PEOPLE who live in villages around Driffield are to be given the chance to voice their opinion about issues which affect their daily lives.

A series of fact finding meetings have been organiseed in rural areas across East Yorkshire - including in Kilham, Middleton and Skirlaugh.

It will give residents the chance to discuss issues such as farming, lack of internet connectivity and problems facing country businesses.

The East Riding of Yorkshire Council is working with the East Riding of Yorkshire Rural Partnership and a wide range of organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors to produce a new rural strategy for the county.

Sir Ian Macdonald, of Rudston, Chairman of the Rural Partnership, believes that the rural strategy gives us a solid foundation on which to build our collective response to the challenges facing people who live and work in the countryside.

Councillor Jane Evison, portfolio holder for rural issues, said: “The council values the views, expertise and local knowledge of parish councillors and residents and hopes that as many people as possible will attend these events in order to help us to finalise the rural strategy.”

The East Riding is a predominately rural area with communities that are facing various challenges as they strive to remain vibrant and thriving. The council’s rural policy and partnerships team works closely with rural communities to understand and respond to their changing needs. The new strategy is a key part of this response. A consultation draft of the new rural strategy is now available for comment.

The document identifies the major opportunities and challenges facing the rural East Riding and identifies actions to address them in the short to medium term. The consultation period will run from Monday, April 23 to Friday, June 8.

Six events are taking place, with drop-in sessions from 4.30pm and presentations at 6.30pm at the following venues: April 24 Holme upon Spalding Moor Village Hall; April 26 Skirlaugh Village Hall; May 1 Shores Centre, Withernsea; May 15 Kilham Village Hall; May 22 Middleton-on-the Wolds Reading Rooms; May 29 Gospel Hall, Rawcliffe.

POLICE are investigating a burglary that happened at a house on Eastgate South, Driffield between 9.55am and 12.20pm on Wednesday April 18.

Various DVDs, Playstation 2 games and gold cufflinks were among the items taken. The address was approached from the rear and entry was gained by smashing a glass door while the occupant was at work.

Anyone who saw anything suspicious or has any information about the incident is asked to contact Humberside Police on the non emergency number 101 referring to log number 231 of 18 April or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

A MAN has denied stealing more than £17,000 from a Foxholes fuel company.

Sean Perry, 29, has pleaded not guilty to taking £17,638.33 from Watson Wood Fuels and will stand trial at York Crown Court on October 15.

The offence is alleged to have taken place between January 4 and June 30 last year.

Perry, of Constable Road, Hunmanby, has entered a not guilty plea at York Crown Court during a brief hearing in which an initial three-day period was set aside for the trial.

Perry was handed bail ahead of the date, and warned not to approach the complainant in the case.

Parents and carers of children starting primary school in September have been told which school their child will be attending.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council received 3,186 applications for places at infant and primary schools, of which 98.8% (3,148) got places at one of the three schools named on their applications forms.

The 38 applicants not given places at any of their three chosen schools have been given places at alternative schools.

Alison Michalska, director of children, family and adult services at ERYC, said: “In line with local authorities across the country, the East Riding is experiencing an increase in the numbers of primary school places.

“In the East Riding, six per cent more children will be starting school in September than two years ago. Even with that increased pressure, although not all parents have got the places they really wanted, with 99 per cent getting one of their three preferences, the primary admissions round has been very successful.”

Where parents have been unsuccessful at getting places at their preferred schools, their child’s name is automatically added to a waiting list in case places are made available.

Parents can also make appeals, which are heard by an independent panel that looks at the individual circumstances of the children concerned and can award school places if they feel the circumstances justify it.

A WOMAN has died in a crash involving a Ministry of Defence goods vehicle.

Police have appealed for witnesses to the collision which happened don the A161, one mile south of Swinefleet, near Goole at 3.35pm yesterday (Thursday 26 April).

A silver Nissan Almera driven by a 51-year-old woman from Eastoft, near Scunthorpe and a white Daf 7.5 tonne Ministry of Defence goods vehicle were involved in the collision.

The Nissan was travelling south along the A161 from Swinefleet towards Eastoft and the military vehicle was travelling in the opposite direction.

The driver of the Nissan suffered fatal injuries and had to be cut from the car.

The driver of the military truck, a 54-year-old East Yorkshire man, had to be cut from the vehicle by the fire service and sustained injuries to his hand and whiplash.

Also travelling in the truck were two passengers – a 63-year-old man from Beverley who sustained whiplash injuries and a 20-year-old woman from Durham who suffered scratches to the leg and whiplash. Both passengers were able to release themselves from the vehicle.

A spokesperson for Humberside Police said that at the time of the crash the weather conditions were poor with heavy rain and hail.

Numerous emergency services attended the scene including an air ambulance, three road ambulances, a paramedic responder car, three fire appliances, a doctor along and police.

The road was closed for over six hours.

Police would now like to speak to anyone who may have witnesses the crash or any members of the public who helped at the scene but did not leave their details.

Anyone who can assist should contact Humberside Police traffic department at Driffield Police Station on telephone 101 referring to log 368 of 26 April 2012.