POLICE are continuing to hunt for a man described as a dangerous and predatory who is believed to have committed a serious sex offence while on the run.

Ivan Leach, also known as Lee Cyrus, 47, went missing from North Sea Camp open prison, Boston, Lincolnshire on Tuesday 9th October after going on day release.

Officers have warned Leach should not under any circumstances be approached as he poses a significant risk. He is believed to have carried out a very serious sexual attack in Tayside, Scotland, since he absconded on October 9th, although further details cannot be released for legal reasons.

The last confirmed sighting of Leach is on the evening of Friday 19th October in Lea, Preston but despite a nationwide appeal he remains at large.

Police are urging the public to be vigilant and to come forward with information about his possible whereabouts.

Leach was born in Preston and has connections across the city as well as in South Ribble.

He is known to be in the city on a number of occasions since he absconded, but he could be anywhere in the country. Enquiries are also ongoing in Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Tayside.

Lancashire Police are investigating reports that two schoolgirls were approached as they sat at a bus stop around 6.30pm on Lancaster Road in Preston city centre on Wednesday 17th October. The girls were approached by a man matching Leach’s description who made sexual remarks towards them and encouraged them to participate in sexual activities with him. Fortunately the girls boarded their bus and reported the incident to the police.

Leach was jailed in 2005 for robbing a 90 year old woman in her home in Ribbleton, Preston. He was given a life sentence with a minimum tariff of five years. He also has convictions for burglary and robbery and assault.

Detective Chief Inspector Ian Dawson, of Preston Police said: “Whilst Leach remains at large he continues to pose a serious threat to members of the public. He has previous convictions for burglary, sex offences against a young girl, assault and robberies in which he has targeted elderly people in their own homes. 

“We believe he could be sleeping rough and travelling extensively throughout the country, most likely on public transport.

“His appearance is likely to have changed over the past few weeks as a reflection of his current lifestyle and we believe he may have stubble or may now have grown a beard and look unkempt.

Leach is described as white; around five feet 11 inches tall, of stocky build with cropped hair and hazel eyes. His has a distinctive scar on his top lip under his nose and two distinctive tattoos, one with the name ‘Annette’ on the bicep of his left arm and a figure of a barbarian woman on the back of his right shoulder blade.

He was last seen wearing a black waterproof jacket, dark trousers and carrying a full rucksack.

DCI Dawson continued:

“He has a number of friends, family and associates in Preston and prior to his sentence lived and offended in the Preston area so it is likely that he will gravitate back to the city.

“We are liaising with a number of other forces and have a huge number of resources dedicated to tracking him down and apprehend him but we need the public’s help.

“I’d reassure people that we follow up every potential sighting of him so I’d urge people to call police on 101 if you think you see him or know of his current whereabouts.

“So far we have been very encouraged by the information provided by members of the public and have received sightings of him from around the country and a result are following up a number of new lines of enquiry.

“I would remind people that he is violent and should not be approached. We have extra patrols in the city and continue to have officers out looking for him round the clock and we are doing everything we can to find him.

Information can be passed to local police either in person or on 101 or information can be passed anonymously via Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.

Timeline:

9th October – Leach escapes from North Sea Camp open prison in Boston and has travelled back to Preston where he is believed to have stayed for a number of days.

13th – 16th October – Leach is believed to have travelled up to the Tayside area in Scotland.

17th October – Leach is believed to have been captured on CCTV in Preston city centre after approaching two schoolgirls and enticing them into sexual activity.

19th October – Last confirmed sighting. Leach was seen in Lea in Preston.

20th October – Report that he could have been in Nottingham city centre.

Notes to editors

Please see attached NEW picture of Leach, taken whilst in prison, believed to be in 2009.

Ivan Leach changed his name to Lee Cyrus in 2007 but could be using either name.

It’s probably pointless to point out... but the whole point of this pointedly pointless new book is that it’s pointless!

Christmas is coming and it’s time to start having fun, courtesy of mine hosts extraordinaire Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman, fresh from their hot seats on the hugely popular BBC 1 series Pointless.

The two funny men have downed their question sheets and put their heads together to bring us an eclectic collection of 100 irritating, infuriating, bizarre and magnificently pointless things that have been sent to try us all.

And it seems the world is full of pointlessness whether that’s rail replacement bus services, chip forks, war, wind chimes, people who put cushions on beds or people who read the bit they write about a book on Amazon.

Just what is the purpose, they ask, of toaster settings, December 27-30, being fourteen, poems that don’t rhyme, wearable blankets, disposable razor research and Baby on Board stickers.

And who hasn’t felt exasperated by the sheer pointlessness of customer feedback, the stupidity of ‘Keep Calm’ spin-offs and the futility of ‘double checking’?

As for the one penny coin, its utter, remorseless lack of usefulness gets a pasting from the dynamic duo’s own special brand of sardonic wit and wisdom. It turns out these annoying little coins are only legal tender up to 20p. ‘If you pay for something with twenty-one 1p pieces, you are contravening the Coinage Act 1971.’

We’ve all seen those ‘things hanging from rear-view mirrors’ and paused to wonder at the point of wiggly-hipped Elvises, mini boxing-gloves, furry dice, skulls and ‘red plastic things that look like chilli peppers.’

And that universal pet hate – over-complicated hotel showers – also gets the Pointless treatment. ‘I was in a hotel recently and the shower had four different dials. Four? A Challenger tank only has three!’

Armstrong and Osman can’t fail to touch our funny nerve with their irreverent and laugh-out-loud take on the pointlessness of modern life with all its excessive and over-baked triviality. And if you want to join in the entertainment, they have included a series of typically Pointless home quiz questions with the answers usefully provided at the back of the book.

The 100 Most Pointless Things in the World is the perfect Christmas gift book, ideal for loo reading, filling in aimless hours or to keep boredom at bay when pointless guests descend.

(Coronet, hardback, £14.99)

The nights are drawing in and it’s time to pick up the second hefty instalment of Follett’s epic and hugely ambitious Century trilogy.

And Winter of the World is a big read on every level... big in size (818 pages no less), epic in scope, wide-ranging in themes and seemingly bottomless in its deep well of human drama.

Follett is always at his best when he blends fact and fiction and then pastes his perfect pastiche onto a broad canvas of history, using an artist’s bold brush and a showman’s eye for stunning visual and emotional impact.

The action has moved from the early years of the 20th century to the Second World War and its menacing prelude, all seen through the eyes of a second generation of the characters first encountered in Fall of Giants.

Five families, from America, Germany, Russia and Britain, live out their disparate destinies on a hugely ambitious, brilliantly constructed and powerfully emotive world stage.

Follett has reached top gear in this second foray into one of the most tumultuous centuries of the modern age. Using a mountain of research and a wide range of pivotal events, the plot becomes a riveting history lesson, a virtual journey into a period of darkness which he brings to life in all its powerful, punishing and personal reality.

Individual experiences embody and reflect events taking place on a global level so that we are allowed a multi-faceted perspective of two decades of history – the clashes of the bitter Spanish Civil War, the brutal rise of Nazism, the conflict of loyalty facing ordinary Germans, the crucial role of Russia and the political machinations of Britain and America.

Berlin in 1933 is in upheaval and eleven-year-old Carla von Ulrich struggles to understand the tensions disrupting her family as Hitler strengthens his grip on Germany.

Into this turmoil steps her mother’s formidable friend and former British MP Ethel Leckwith and her student son Lloyd Williams who soon sees for himself the vicious truths of Nazism. He also encounters a group of Germans resolved to oppose Hitler, but would they be willing to betray their country?

These are the people being closely watched by Volodya Peshkov, a Russian with a bright future in Red Army Intelligence, and whose work will affect Europe long after the war has ended.

At Cambridge, Lloyd is irresistibly drawn to Volodya’s cousin and dazzling American socialite Daisy Peshkov, who represents everything Lloyd’s left-wing family despise. But Daisy is more interested in aristocratic Boy Fitzherbert, an amateur pilot, party lover and leading light of the British Union of Fascists.

Back in Berlin, Carla worships family friend and golden boy Werner Franck from afar but nothing will work out the way they expect as the ensuing international clash of military power and personal beliefs rages from Cable Street in London’s East End to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, from Spain to Stalingrad and from Dresden to Hiroshima.

Winter of the World, which can easily be read as a stand-alone novel, excels in its eye for detail, its superbly interwoven narratives, its effortless, elegant style and, above all, in its sheer power to entertain right through to the last page.

A big bruiser of a story from a master storyteller...

(Macmillan, hardback, £20)

MEAN-spirited moaners have forced organisers of a Popy Appeal street collection to ditch a star attraction which annually helped them to rake in hundreds of pounds for the charity.

Mr John Girling’s WW2 Anderson Shelter has been a key element of the Driffield town centre fund raising effort for more than a decade.

Each year, it occupied the same slot on the main street, serenading shoppers with 1940s music played over a Tannoy system.

The shelter also featured a display of military memorabilia, but East Riding of Yorkshire Council has told the Royal British Legion that they cannot use the highway this year because of a complaint.

The Driffield RBL branch Poppy Appeal street collection is set to take place on Friday and Saturday November 9 and 10.

Secretary Mr John Forrester said the Anderson Shelter had been the feature of the Saturday event for many years and helped them to raise hundreds of pounds.

“I am disappointed,” he said. “It’s the big money draw on the Saturday when we pick up £400 to £600. I cannot see us getting that without it.”

“A lot of people said that they enjoyed the music and it is not that loud.”

Mr Simon Skelton of the Buck Hotel has kindly stepped in to allow a display of military memorabilia to be sited outside his pub.

But Mr Forrester said this would not include the Anderson Shelter.

“We could not find somewhere else to put it.”

Pocklington Carpets on George Street have also said that organisers can mount a similar display in front of their store providing alterations currently underway are completed. This display will include an old Austin 7.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council was asked to comment on the complaint. As the Driffield Times and Post went to press, no response had been received.

READERS - tell us what you think. Send an email to editorial@driffieldtoday.co.uk, write to Times House, Mill Street, Driffield, YO25 6TN, post on the Driffield Times & Post Facebook page, Tweet us @driffieldnews, or send a text starting DTP (space) EDITOR (space) and then your comments, name and address to 61500. Texts 25p plus network charge

See also page 3 for the timetable of the Poppy Appeal events

Four hundred years after their deaths, the Pendle witches continue to fire the imagination of readers and historians all over the world.

The mystery of their alleged dark arts and deeds has spawned hundreds of books and articles ... but who were these nine Lancashire women and two men, tried and condemned as evil, supernatural murderers?

Retired lecturer Christine Middleton from Samlesbury, one of the centres of Lancashire witching folklore, has returned to the scene of the ‘crimes’ to reconstruct the lives of the leading players, deconstruct the myths that have grown around them and give the witches a human makeover.

The Witch and Her Soul, a stunning debut novel from a writer on the threshold of her 80th birthday, is a fascinating and utterly compelling fictionalised but fact-based account of the ‘witch hunt’ that gripped the county in the summer of 1612.

Middleton succeeds where many other writers have failed by humanising this group of disparate characters, putting their ‘offences’ into the context of a period of religious suspicion and turmoil, and allowing us to see them as innocents pursued by authoritarians and fanatics.

This is the tale of the Pendle witches told through the eyes of Jane Southworth, illegitimate daughter of Sir Richard Shireburn of Stonyhurst and later wife of Sir John Southworth of Samlesbury Hall.

And the result is moving, shocking and brutal... the realities of persecution, treachery and frenzied accusation are reborn in the graphically re-enacted trials and traumas of those closely involved in the terrible events that led to the gallows at Lancaster Castle.

As she sits at her dying husband’s bedside in 1612, Jane Southworth begins her extraordinary diary, her confessional into which she commits a series of raw, evocative, deeply personal writings revealing her world, her forbidden beliefs and her desires.

Around her, the pursuit of those accused of witchcraft is just beginning in a county reputed to be one of the most unruly parts of the Protestant Queen Elizabeth’s realm.

From her early years at rural Stonyhurst, Jane was surrounded by controversy. Despite being a bastard child of Sir Richard, she was brought up in the main house alongside her mother and siblings.

It was a household that courted danger by secretly keeping alive the old and forbidden Catholic faith in a country where harbouring priests could still be legally punished by being crushed beneath a wooden slab.

After a brush with two local crones, old Mother Goggins and the Demdike Elizabeth Southern, Jane is convinced she has a special ‘power.’

But when she is sent to lodge with widow farmer and philanthropist Alice Nutter at Crow Tree Farm in Roughlee, near Pendle, Jane sees another side to life and faith because principled Alice practises a secret religion called the Family of Love, ‘a litany of sweet congratulation’ totally at odds with the harsher Catholic tenets of hellfire and punishment.

Slow to judge and quick to see the good in others, Alice publicly speaks out against the mistreatment of so-called witches, declaring that they have no real power to do harm and ‘it is only ignorance and fear that lend them reputation.’

However, the whispers that Alice sees as ‘malevolent but insubstantial’ start to grow and powerful enemies from both inside and outside Lancashire are waiting for an opportunity to take terrible revenge...

Middleton’s writing is elegant and richly descriptive, enabling the past to spring to life with startling authenticity and compelling drama.

The Witch and Her Soul is about flesh-and-blood women – not witches, not murderers, not purveyors of magic and mayhem but real, complex, vulnerable characters, downtrodden, often poverty-stricken, marginalised, misguided and abused.

Seventeenth century Lancashire revisited is an eye-opening, unforgettable experience; a history lesson, a page-turning thriller and a window into the soul of an age whose queen famously declared that she had ‘no desire to make windows into men’s souls.’

(Palatine Books, paperback, £7.99)

Would be volunteers in Driffield are being asked to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in to volunteering for local children’s charity Barnardo’s.

Barnardo’s is offering volunteering opportunities at its town centre shop and in its projects supporting some of the region’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged children and young people.

Barnardo’s Yorkshire has more than 1,000 volunteers from all walks of life and is always keen to recruit more. Call 0113 239 5572 or email jo.hunt@barnardos.org.uk

A COMMUNITY road show will visit a town to promote volunteering opportunities in the area.

The Volunteering and Community Road Show comes to Tesco carpark, Driffield on Thursday 8 November from 2pm to 4pm.

The road show is run by East Riding Voluntary Action Services and East Riding of Yorkshire Council. For more information contact Anne Watkins on 01482 871077 or anne@ervas.org.uk.

The Deputy CEO at York Teaching Hospital Foundation Trust (YTHFT) has announced that there are no plans to close or run down Bridlington and District Hospital.

CEO, Mike Proctor made this announcement at a public meeting organised by Driffield-based ERYLINk service on October 23 at the Bridlington Spa.

Those who attended the meeting were happy to hear this news as the Bridlington and District Hospital has already benefitted from the acquisition of Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare Trust (SNEY) with £750,000 being spent on the refurbishment of the operating theatres to allow elective surgery to take place at Bridlington.

Other benefits include the introduction of clinics staffed by York Consultants and the introduction of mobile services.

Patient areas in the hospital have also been improved with new beds and lockers, a specialist chair to allow wheelchair users to receive dental care and improved signage as well as a new appointment booking system.

Structural repairs have been undertaken to improve the environment and reduce heating bills with repairs to the roof being finished in recent weeks.

Mr Proctor said that following years of neglect, Bridlington and Scarborough Hospitals are getting the attention they deserve but it is not affordable to undertake all of the improvements wanted immediately so they would continue on a rolling programme.

Some planned improvements at Bridlington have had to be delayed as more pressing work is needed at Scarborough Hospital, including the replacement of the pre-NHS Nightingale wards.

Mr Proctor asked that residents be patient, Bridlington has not been forgotten but work at Scarborough has been higher prioritised due to extreme need.

Following the update, delegates were given the opportunity to ask their own questions, which were answered by Mike Proctor, Liz Booth (Director of Operations at Scarborough) and Wendy Scott (Community Services Manager at York).

A number of issues were raised which the panel was unable to answer and they agreed to investigate them and feed their response through ERYLINk. If you have a question you’d like to ask Mr Proctor regarding Bridlington Hospital please contact Julia Bugg at ERYLINk on 01377 232135 or via email at julia.bugg@hwrcc.org.uk.

Mr Proctor was thanked by a member of the public for ‘Putting Bridlington back on the map’ through his hard work. The delegate added that he felt that York Hospital’s acquisition had been very positive. This comment reflected the feeling of the meeting and Mr Proctor, Ms Booth and Ms Scott were thanked for their honest and transparent responses.

VAULT shared six goals with Willaspoons in their Doncaster Sunday Alliance League Division Three clash.

Kyle Hawthorn baged a brace for the winners with Joe Byron chipping in with a goal. Niall (2) and Lee Dixon.

Balby CSV climbed into second spot on goal difference from Arksey Victoria in Division Four on the back of a 4-1 win at Warren House Warriors.

Jacob Midgley bagged a brace with Rick Watson and Chris Treen also netting.

Arksey kept in touch with the top after beating lowly Bay Horse Misfits 4-2.

Windmill Inn dropped two places to fourth after losing 8-2 at home to Leopard. Aiden Redmile and Steven Christian shared out the two Inn goals with James Cammack (4), James Connor (2), Richard James and Aaron Beach all netting for the winners.

Balby Plough continue to prop up the table without a win in ten games following their 3-0 defeat away to fellow strugglers Bentley West End Sports & Social.

How they stand:

Division Four: Cask Corner P 8 Pts 24, Balby CSV 10 21.

East Yorkshire MP Greg Knight has applauded a decision by the Royal Mail to allow people receiving benefits to purchase up to 36 first or second class stamps at Christmas 2011 prices.

Royal Mail is currently distributing vouchers to people in receipt of Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Incapacity Benefit or Unemployability Supplement. These can be redeemed from 6 November until Christmas Eve at any Post Office branch.

Contact the Elderly, the only national charity solely dedicated to tackling loneliness and isolation among older people, is launching an appeal for volunteers living in Driffield to offer a lifeline of friendship to older people in their local area.

The charity, which organises monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties for small groups of elderly people, aged 75 and above, who live alone, with the support of volunteers, is launching its appeal ahead of a predicted increase in demand for its service at this time of year.

Contact the Elderly is looking for local volunteers who are able to spare just a few hours each month to drive older guests to the monthly tea parties in Driffield - and enjoy a cuppa and a cake themselves! The charity also needs volunteer hosts who would be able to welcome a small group of older people and volunteers into their own home for tea just once or twice a year.

Contact the Elderly’s Executive Officer, North & Midlands, Mary Robinson, said: “Many people can relate to feeling a bit flat once summer’s over, but for very elderly people, the shorter days and worse weather can mean they become even more isolated, which can impact on general wellbeing and health. We find that our service becomes even more of a lifeline in the winter months, particularly as for many of our older guests, the Contact the Elderly gatherings are their only social outlet.”

Once a month, each older guest is collected from their home by a volunteer driver, and is taken to a volunteer host’s home, where they join a small group for tea, chat and companionship. The group is warmly welcomed by a different host each month, but the charity’s drivers and older guests remain the same. This ensures that over the months and years, acquaintances turn into friends and loneliness is replaced by companionship.

Mary added: “To meet the increased demand for our service in winter, we’re making an appeal for volunteers in Driffield to help older people to beat those winter blues. Anyone who can spare a couple of hours one Sunday a month, has a driving licence, a car, and a capacity for drinking tea, is eligible! Being a host requires a commitment of just a couple of hours, once or twice a year, and anyone who has a downstairs toilet and a decent sized teapot is eligible! Our volunteers genuinely get as much out of the experience as our older guests, so I’m calling for anyone who is interested in giving something back to their community to please get in touch with me as soon as possible.”

Driffield residents interested in volunteering for Contact the Elderly as a driver once a month, or as a host once or twice a year, can contact Mary Robinson, Executive Officer, North & Midlands, on 01535 632592 or mary.robinson@contact-the-elderly.org.uk

HUMBERSIDE Police have played a vital role in bringing one rogue trader to justice.

Sailey Price, 35, from South Yorkshire, was given a five year prison sentence at Sheffield Crown Court for a series of distraction burglaries.

Sailey would target the homes of vulnerable and elderly members of the community offering work.

Once inside; he would then steal various items from their homes. Some of these occurred in the East Riding as well as South Yorkshire.

An elderly vulnerable disabled East Yorkshire lady was one of Sailey Price’s victims back in September 2011 after he deceived her into thinking she needed roofing work on her semi-detached bungalow. The man stole £4000 in cash from her home.

Detectives working on the case recognised a pattern occurring across the whole of the Yorkshire and Humber region and launched a regional operation called ‘Operation Rocker’ to locate the bogus caller.

Operation Rocker was established as a result of a series of distraction and fraud type offences involving a roofing ruse to obtain significant amounts of money from a number of elderly people throughout 2011.

The offences occurred nationally, predominately within the Yorkshire and Humber region, however the offending went as a far as south of Hampshire.

The break the police got was an EVO Fit which was created using the elderly victim’s description from the Goole distraction burglary.

Once the artistic drawing was created, the similarities of the EVO Fit vs. a picture of Sailey PRICE they had obtained, was enough for officers to speak to him. As a result of Sailey PRICE’s arrest he and another man where charged with a number of bogus and fraud type offences.

Sailey Price and a co-accused appeared at Sheffield Crown Court and both were sentenced to five years imprisonment in relation to Operation Rocker offences.

Detective Sergeant Gavin Orsborne from Humberside Police’s Serious Acquisitive Crime Team (SACT) said: “As Sailey PRICE had committed offences in a number of areas, officers from the East Riding began enquiries with neighbouring forces, of which included South Yorkshire police who took the lead on the investigation. As a result of this Sailey has been brought to justice.

“The results of this investigation demonstrate the effective work Humberside police have carried out by contributing to wider enquiries. There is no doubt that our contributions have played an integral part in bringing Sailey to justice.

“Sailey preyed on vulnerable victims claiming to offer genuine services however his real intention was to steal personal possessions for his own financial gain.

“It is difficult to say the number of people we will have prevented becoming victims as a result of the prison sentence, but even if this is only one the operation has been a success.

“Humberside police have a zero tolerance on rogue traders and will continue with the hard work we have demonstrated in this investigation, in the aim of preventing this type of crime occurring in our communities.”

Humberside police would like to remind residents to report any suspicious behaviour. Chances are if it looks suspicious, it probably is. You can do this by using the Humberside police non-emergency number 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Shoppers can snap up their perfect Christmas gifts at the Driffield CE Infant School Christmas Shopping Night.

The event is being held at the Driffield CE Infant School on Thursday November 8 from 6.30pm until 9pm.

Money raised will help fund outdoor play equipment and educational trips to enhance the children’s learning. Evening shoppers will receive a complimentary glass of wine or juice and mince pie and can soak up the Christmas atmosphere at this fun event.

Tickets cost £3.

It is estimated that up to one in four people who use A&E and 999 services could have been treated more efficiently using other local services, such as pharmacies. During winter, this puts unnecessary pressure on already busy emergency services at a time when they need to be free to deal with serious conditions, such as heart attacks, strokes, serious accidents and breathing problems. With this in mind local Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) are backing this year’s Choose Well campaign, by asking the public to think twice before they dial 999.

The Choose Well campaign aims to educate and inform people about the different NHS services available to them. It promotes self-care and the use of local high-street pharmacy for common complaints such as coughs and colds, flu, stomach upsets and general aches and pains. Advice and information about a range of common winter health complaints, including how long symptoms will last and how to relieve symptoms is available from NHS Choices at www.nhs.uk You’ll find an easy to use symptom checker, can search for your local services and use the interactive First Aid toolkit.

Dr Gina Palumbo, Chair of East Riding of Yorkshire CCG, said: “We know that over the winter, the number of serious and life-threatening cases will go up if temperatures fall below 12 degrees Celsius. That’s people with breathing problems, strokes and heart-attacks caused by the cold weather. We are asking people to think carefully at such a busy time before calling 999, turning up at A&E or going to their GP when they don’t need to be there.

“It’s not just A&E and 999 teams who feel the pressure over winter. GPs and Neighbourhood Care Teams (NCTs) in the East Riding of Yorkshire are a vital part of the care needed by people who return home after having suffering a life-threatening emergency.”

Beverley Minor Injuries Unit is located at:

Beverley*

East Riding Community Hospital

Swinemoor Lane

HU17 0FA

Open 9 am – 5pm

(Monday to Friday)

01482 886600

Hull Minor Injury Units:

Bransholme Minor Injuries Unit
Bransholme Health Centre
Goodhart Road
Hull

Open Monday – Friday 9am-8pm
Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays - 9am-5pm 
Tel: (01482) 344665 

Freedom Treatment Centre              
Within the Freedom Centre
97, Preston Road
Hull

Monday – Friday 9am-5pm
Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays  - Closed 
Tel:  (01482) 344580

WINTERS seem colder as people grow older, so I’m glad I no longer have nipples, as this week they would be raw and sore.

My chest pegs turned yellow and fell off quite suddenly when I reached 40. All three of them. Apparently, this is quite paranormal during Hallowe’en and they do grow back each summer although they seem increasingly tender every season, which renders jogging while wearing a string vest a virtual impossibility except within the confines of a computer game.

Temperatures have plunged in recent days, giving everyone in Driffield something to moan about. At least 10 people have said to me: “Ooooh, nights are drawing in”, as if I hadn’t noticed and to which I replied each time: “I look forward to the time when they draw out once more.”

Granted, it does get dark earlier at this time of year, but only because the Government has been pratting about with the clocks. If they didn’t it would still be light at 4am and Nyctophobia would no longer be a problem for bed wetting adults under the mental age of six. Nyctophobia, or an abnormal fear of darkness, is a big problem in winter. Horror films seem more horrific, as do Sepulchral women. Sepulchral by the way is anything pertaining to burial – ie women without make up who look as though they have arisen from the dead or a housing estate in Hull.

A woman knocked on my door the other day and she was so scary I tried to give her some confectionery as I thought she was an early trick or treater. Turned she was collecting for charity. RSPCZ – Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Zombies.

She went berserk which is an old Norse word for crazy or deranged (that’s when someone has their arms and head in the wrong order). She faded away at the mention of sphagnum moss, an under-used defence against the dark arts – necessary as the Government has been pratting around with the clock and because winter is the devil’s season. I never understood why they call the devil the Prince of Darkness as he comes from burning hell, where the flames surely cast off quite a bit of light.

Winter prompts the use of a few marvellous words not uttered at other times of the year, such as Hallowe’en, which just wouldn’t work in August. And Thanatopsis, an ace word which comes from the Greek thantos meaning “death” and -opsis meaning “a view.” So, a thanatopsis is a written contemplation of death, often in the form of a poem. I saw you alive and now you’re dead, all that blood – did you bang your head?

Perdition is another good winter word. It is the state of final spiritual ruin where the wicked are condemned to eternal damnation. In other words, it’s a way scarier word for hell or for clothes shopping with the wife. The term is derived from the Latin perdere meaning “to lose” or “to ruin.” - ie, she has nicked my credit card again.

Waiting for the financial excesses of Christmas to pass is a time of Trepidation - the experience of fear or alarm that often results in trembling or quivering. Remember that the next time you look down at the doormat and see your gas or electricity bill staring up at you like a rabid Lycanthrope (which most people think is the posh name for a werewolf but is actually an alien spirit in the physical form of a wolf) Incidentally, there is a psychiatric condition called lycanthropy, in which a person believes that he or she is a wolf. I used to go out with one. She was way hairy where it didn’t matter. - Nafferton.

Continuing along this seasonal theme, I discovered this week that when it comes to good and evil, seven truly is the magic number. There are seven archangels, seven key names for the devil and, oddly, seven different types of ghost.

The first kind of ghosts are sad ones or wispy ones, who are working out some pre death unfinished business. They were probably accountants or estate agents.

The second kind are ghosts who might have been so material minded in their earthly life that they can’t detatch themselves from their possessions. For example, women with large collections of make up or shoes.

The third type of ghost are those which don’t yet realise they’re dead. So obviously, councillors any anyone in Government.

The fourth type of ghost are those the malicious and deceptive spirits, most likely from hell. The type you get when you mess around with a Ouija board or eat flies in the mistaken belief they are currants.

Type five ghosts are bright, happy spirits of dead friend and family who tell you via psychics and clairvoyants things they dare not say when they were alive. Such as “You were a crap cook” or “I had an affair with your dog”.

Ghost type number six might be a form of time/space instant replay. Spirits going round and round in a revolving door, like the one at The Bell Hotel.

And finally, some “apparent” ghosts might simply be astral projections of living people. So the next time you are in bed with the neighbour and his cleaner and your wife walks in, don’t worry. It’s just an apparition.

POLICE in Driffield are investigating a series of burglaries in which hundred of pounds worth of cash and goods were stolen.

Thieves escapted with money, jewellery, passports and electrical items following a break in on Manorfield Road during the day on Friday October 26.

Criminals approached the rear of the house and made a failed attempt to ‘jemmy’ the patio doors before gaining access access through the ground floor double glazed window.

A police spokeperson said: “A search of the whole property took place and it is believed various electrical items, jewellery, passports, and Euros were taken.

”Due to the size of one of the items, it is believed a vehicle would have had to be used for transport.”

Officers are also probing a house burglary at a farm near in Lissett, which took place between 6pm and 9pm on Monday October 15.

A police spokesperson said the farm was approached on foot via the side driveway of the address and a wooden window to a downstairs bathroom was forced.

“Once inside all the rooms were searched. Electrical items and a small amount of money were stolen from within.

“Forensics have taken prints and samples from the scene in order to identify the thieves.”

A garage was also burgled on Hymers Avenue, Brandesburton, Between 7am and 3pm on Tuesday October 16.

Criminals approached a semi-detached and entered a detached garage in the rear garden while the owner was out at work.

A tool safe was opened and emptied of power tools and an old vacuum cleaner were stolen.

Two cycles stolen on Skerne Road between Wednesday October 24 and Friday October 26.

A Black and White, Apollo make Mountain Bike and a white Carrera Krakn Mountain Bike had been left securely chained in a cycle rack to the rear of The Old Maltings on Skerne Road when someone entered the car park and smashed open the locks that attached the cycles to the rack.

Burglars were caught red handed with stolen goods on the evening of Friday 26th October 26 after a property on West End, Kilham, was raided. Bolt croppers were used to remove a padlock and chain from a gate. An out building used, as a garage, was then broken into and a red Honda quad bike was stolen. Police stopped a Ford transit van not long after the burglary. The stolen quad bike was found in the van. Both driver and passenger were arrested and charged.

FARMERS in the Driffield area are being urged to join an organisation designed to combat countryside crime

Police are bidding to clamp down on rural crime after a spate of incidents in village areas outside the town.

Following a rise in scrap metal prices thieves have turned their attention to any metal they can take to then sell on for profit.

Over the recent months there have been thefts of fork lift tines left in fold yards, metal field gates unhinged from posts, machinery parts ripped out of unattended equipment and jewellery taken from insecure farm houses.

Fuel theft is also becoming a real problem in boith village and town areas.

The massive price increase in Diesel and oil has made it a profitable commodity to steal.

Now police are urging land owners to farm watch scheme, which encourages everyone in the farming community to be vigilant and to report anything suspicious to the police.

It also encourages members to pool knowledge.

People who live in the farming community have a much specialised knowledge which even the police may find hard to achieve.

Farmers in the Driffield area who would like to join The Farmwatch scheme or would like more information and advice, should contact the Neighbourhood Policing Team by phoning the non emergency 101 number and asking for PCSO Sue Edmond at the Driffield Police Station.

She is the police contact for Farmwatch in this area.

RAFTEr’s greengrocer’s has celebrated it’s 15th year in the town.

Rafters, on Middle Street South, celebrated the milestone birthday on October 25.

Owners, Andy and Tracy Rafter, enjoyed the occasion with some of their 30 employees and flocks of loyal customers.

Tracy said: “It went really well, the customers were lovely and we had some really positive comments.

“One customer had read about our anniversary in the Driffield Times & Post and came along with a cake for us.”

Tracy and Andy, who spent the day with their customers and thanking them for their support, were joined by Driffield’s town crier, Brian Fairfield.

The winner of the Rafters competition from last weeks Times & Post was Eric Marshall of Taylors Field who opted for some Rafters gift vouchers as his prize.

Melina Sissons, a financial controller, and Phillip Stephenson, a roofer, were married at Sewerby Hall and Gardens, accompanied by a string quartet.

The bride wore an ivory Sophia Tolli gown and her bridesmaids were Samantha Edeson and Daisy Stephenson. The page boy was Jacob Edeson.

The best man was Andrew Dickson and the ushers were Mathew Smith, Ian Stephenson and Steve Topley.

A reception was held at the Bell Hotel, Driffield and was followed by a honeymoon in Egypt. The couple will live in Driffield.

Perfect 32 is helping to raise awareness of Mouth Cancer Awareness Week in East Yorkshire by offering free mouth cancer screening from Monday November 12 to Friday November 16, running from 8.30am each morning using an advanced oral cancer screening system called The Velscope.

The practice will also be giving away specially designed information packs highlighting the warning signs and prevention of mouth cancer.

In the UK, mouth cancer is diagnosed in more than 5,000 people annually and kills almost 2,000 people each year – that’s one death every five hours. It is now three times more prevalent than cervical cancer for which there is a government initiative.

The campaign is focused on raising public awareness of mouth cancer with the ultimate goal of saving lives through early detection. The public are urged to visit their dentist for oral screening, which is why Perfect 32’s practice manager, Nicki Rowland, feels compelled to offer free screenings for mouth cancer – for the fifth year running - at the practice in 8 Ladygate, Beverley.

Professional check-ups and regular self-examinations are the best route to early detection of mouth cancer. Early diagnosis saves lives, improving survival chances from just 50% to more than 90%.

Early warning signs include ulcers that do not heal within three weeks, red and white patches in the mouth, lumps in the neck and unusual changes in the mouth.

Perfect 32 hopes the special screening day and packs, which will be available to patients and non-patients alike, will encourage people to learn more about the disease and visit their dentist regularly for examinations.

Nicki Rowland said: “Last year we screened 54 people completely free of charge in one day. This year we are offering free screening for a full week because we want to encourage as many people as possible to be screened. We want to invite any one over the age of sixteen to come in particularly if they smoke, drink, are sexually active and have a poor diet or are exposed to any combination of these predisposing factors. Hopefully by raising awareness of this terrible disease we will encourage more people to self-check and visit their dentist for the regular examinations that could save their life.”

“We are encouraging people at our free mouth cancer screening to take a handful of our mouth cancer information packs away with them to share with their friends. The cards will also be available in reception throughout November, so please pop in and pick some up.”

Mouth Cancer Awareness Week also aims to raise awareness of a disease which has remained under-reported for too long. Prevention is key and lifestyle choices can help minimise risks.

Booking is essential for the free mouth cancer screening at Perfect 32. Please call 01482 863 667 to reserve a space. For more information on mouth cancer visit www.mouthcancerfoundation.org.