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A SIX-year-old boy is fighting for his life in hospital following a crash in East Yorkshire. Emergency services were called to the A1041 in Snaith, near Goole, after a car veered off the road and ended up in a ditch.

A three-year-old girl, believed to be the boy's sister, was also injured in the crash involving a silver Peugeot 106.

The car was travelling towards Carlton from Snaith when it left the road.

The six-year-old boy, who lives with his family in the nearby village of Camblesforth, suffered serious head injuries and was taken to Leeds General Infirmary by air ambulance.

The three-year-old girl, who sustained minor injuries, was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary.

The man driving the car, believed to be the boy's uncle, and a woman front seat passenger, believed to be the boy's mother, were also taken to Hull Royal Infirmary with minor injuries.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the crash, which happened at 5.20pm on Sunday evening.

Traffic Sergeant Pete Wood, of North Yorkshire Police's Roads Policing Group, said: "If you witnessed the collision or saw the vehicle prior to the incident, I urge you to come forward straight away, as you may have vital information that could help this investigation."

Police from Humberside and North Yorkshire rushed to the scene of the accident to help, along with Humberside Fire and Rescue Service and Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

The road was closed for several hours as an investigation into the cause of the crash began.

Anyone who can help officers to progress this enquiry should call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Stephen Earnshaw.

Alternatively, information can be emailed to stephen.earnshaw@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk with reference log number 12130199891.

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FORMER Hull City defender Scott Wiseman will be part of history tonight as he makes helps Gibraltar begin life as a fully-fledged European football nation.

After being accepted as UEFA's 54th member in May of this year, minnows Gibraltar face Slovakia tonight in their first full international friendly.

Debuting for his adopted nation will be ex-Tiger Wiseman. Qualifying through his Gibraltar-born mother, the former Malet Lambert pupil and one-time England under-20s international is in line to win his first Gibraltar cap against a Slovakia side ranked 65th in the world in Faro this evening.

Wiseman, who currently plies his trade with Championship side Barnsley, was reared up through City's youth ranks and made 19 appearances for his hometown club before leaving in 2008.

A new international chapter now beckons in Wiseman's career ahead of what could see him face some of the biggest names in world football in qualifying for Euro 2016 begins in September.

Also included in manager Allen Bula's squad is former Southampton, Sunderland and Stoke defender Danny Higginbotham, who now turns out for non-league Chester FC, but the majority of Wiseman's new team-mates are amateurs turning out in the Gibraltar Premier Division.

The British Overseas Territory attached to Spain has a population of just 30,000 – roughly the same size as Beverley – and boasts a pool of only 600 footballers.

At 2.6 square miles in size, its main 5,000 capacity stadium falls short of FIFA requirements and means tonight's fixture takes place in Faro, 150 miles away at the Estadio Algarve.

Gibraltar has become the smallest nation in the UEFA family, eclipsing even San Marino. Bookmakers have installed them as 20/1 outsiders to start life in international football with a victory over Slovakia tonight.

A FORMER city councillor has been fined £500 after pleading guilty to punching a police officer in the face. Andrew Sloan was the portfolio holder for economic regeneration in the Liberal Democrat administration which took control of the council from Labour in 2006.

Currently Guernsey's chief economist, he was arrested last week after assaulting the police officer at the British-Irish Council summit in Jersey. As well as being fined, Sloan, 44, was also sentenced to 70 hours of community service at Jersey Magistrates' Court.

The court heard he assaulted the policeman and was abusive towards him on Thursday evening at L'Horizon Hotel bar in St Brelade, Jersey.

Sloan was also ordered to pay £500 in compensation to the policeman.

Top officials from across the British Isles had been meeting to discuss ways of tackling the economy at the summit.

After asking for another drink and becoming abusive about paying the bill, Sloan was approached by a policeman who told him he was being out of order.

The court heard how, out of the blue, the economist then turned and punched the officer in the jaw.

In a statement, the police officer said it had been a painful punch, leaving him unable to chew or close his jaw properly for hours afterwards.

Immediately after the assault, Sloan was handcuffed and began swearing loudly, saying he worked for Guernsey's government while yelling abuse, the court heard.

A States of Guernsey Policy Council spokesman said it would not discuss "issues relating to individual employees".

However, he said: "The States of Guernsey takes its reputation very seriously and that includes the conduct of its staff when on States business."

Sloan's lawyer said his client was ashamed and mortified by his behaviour.

He said he was under extreme stress, was overworked and had now ruined his previous "immaculate record", having already spent three days in jail awaiting the court hearing.

Sloan claimed "someone had kept topping up his glass" at the conference.

Guernsey was represented at the summit by chief minister Peter Harwood and commerce and employment minister Kevin Stewart, while States chief executive Mike Brown and Sloan were among the delegation.

They met representatives from the UK and Irish governments, as well as officials from Scotland and Wales, the Northern Ireland Executive and the governments of the Isle of Man and Jersey.

Sloan left Hull for Guernsey three years ago

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TELEVISION presenter Jeremy Kyle will host a charity Christmas concert next week. The Christmas Countdown 6 at Hull New Theatre will showcase the depth of East Yorkshire talent.

Straight-talking Mr Kyle, who fronts his talk show on ITV, has agreed to host the concert, being held by the Local Entertainers and Performers Society (Leaps) to raise money for charities.

X Factor star Ryan Mathie has also agreed to perform and will take the stage alongside seasoned stars such as Edwina Hayes.

Leaps was formed in 2008 to raise money for charities by staging shows.

The Christmas concert on Tuesday, November 26, will be the fifth of its kind and organisers are hoping for a sellout crowd.

Mally King, Leaps chairman and organiser of Christmas Countdown 6, is delighted Mr Kyle has agreed to host the concert.

He said: "Mr Kyle spent six weeks in East Yorkshire filming at the Leconfield driving School and our secretary spoke to him about our work.

"He told us to let him know if we needed any help so we asked to take part in the concert and he agreed.

"Obviously, he is a very exciting addition to the concert but we have such a depth of local talent.

"This is the biggest show of the year that celebrates local talent."

There will be a wide variety of performers with singers, dancers and comedy acts.

Mr King said: "We have The Inflations this year, who are a musical comedy duo who rarely come back to Hull even though they are from here originally."

As well as a variety of acts, there is also a wide age range.

Mr King said: "This concert really gives youngsters a chance to perform on the big stage.

"We have performers as young as nine and ten while we also have older acts such as Alf Berry who is in his late 60s."

The concert is widely regarded as the first major festive event after Hull's lights switch-on but Mr King is keen to point out it is not all about Christmas.

He said: "It is not Christmas music all night.

"There will be festive tunes but it isn't all about that."

This year's show will take place at Hull New Theatre on Tuesday, November 26, at 7.30pm.

Money raised from this year's show will go to The Samaritans and Cystic Fibrosis charity Chief.

Leaps is managed by a small committee of unpaid volunteers.

The organisation provides a chances for youngsters at the start of their careers in showbusiness to be able to perform in large venues alongside established acts, absorbing their advice and expertise.

Several of the more experienced acts in this year's show have performed on national television while many spend time away on cruise ships touring the world.

As well as Mr Kyle, other patrons include Joe Longthorne, Mick Miller, Billy Pearce, Carlo Paul Santanna, Steve Womack and Graham "Grumbleweed" Walker.

Last year's concert, which took place at City Hall, managed to raise £3,025.

Mr King said: "Hopefully we can match and even beat last year's total as it is all for such great causes."

ABOUT 25 jobs could be at risk after a Hull recovery business closed. Willingham's Recovery Limited in Haller Street, east Hull, was established more than 50 years ago, but the future of the firm is uncertain.

Staff were reportedly called into a meeting last Wednesday and told they were being made redundant with immediate effect. However, Driffield administrator Redman Nichols Butler has since denied the company has fallen into administration.

Nichols Butler, a spokesman for Redman, said: "Willingham's Recovery Limited is not in administration. That's all I can tell you."

The gates remained locked at the Haller Street site yesterday though, casting further doubt over the firm's position. One staff member, who asked not to be named, told the Mail: "We were all called into a meeting at 11am. We were told the company was closing. It is a real shame.

"Some of the people have been there for years, so it is quite sad, although I reckon some of them saw it coming."

The worker said the staff had been told at the meeting they would have to apply to the Government for statutory redundancy pay.

He said: "They gave us all a form so we could apply to the Government for redundancy pay. From what I understand, another company was lined up to buy it, but it didn't go ahead. I hope somebody does take it over as it had some decent contracts with big companies."

The company, which is located a few hundred yards from Hull Prison, provided recovery technicians and roadside mechanics to individual customers. It also had contracts with organisations including the AA and RAC. Last year, Willingham's launched a new 24-hour MoT Supercentre.

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HE HAD promised his dad he would always try his best. Taylor Prescott, 11, kept his promise in front of thousands of mourners gathering to pay tribute to his dad, Hull FC rugby legend Steve Prescott.

Steve died on November 9 after a courageous seven-year fight with a rare form of stomach cancer. He was 39. Although he made his name as a rugby player, Steve Prescott's name became synonymous with incredible feats of courage as he battled his illness.

Taylor, who attended the funeral with his mum Linzi and little brother Koby, seven, left his seat to pay an emotional tribute to his dad.

Standing before the congregation in the packed church, Taylor said: "I just wanted to say a few words about how proud I am of what my dad has achieved. I have got lots of great memories of the times that we have had together and I will remember them forever.

"When I was five and my dad first became ill, I made him a promise to always do my best and to follow my dream of being a sportsman. I hope I make him as proud of me as I am of him. Me and Koby will miss him but we will love him forever."

As Taylor returned to be comforted by his family, spontaneous applause broke out inside and outside the church as they supported the little boy grieving for his father. Applause, too, had greeted the arrival of the hearse, from the fans, many wearing scarves and rugby tops, for the funeral in St Helens.

The church bells rang out Abide With Me as more than 1,000 people packed St Mary's Church, with more than 1,000 also gathered outside. Hull FC favourites Paul Cooke, Richard Horne and Shaun Briscoe were among those at the Requiem Mass.

During the service, Mike Denning, chairman of the Steve Prescott Foundation, described Steve as a great person who wore his heart on his sleeve. He said there were three strands to his lifelong friend: Steve Prescott as the family man; as the rugby player, friend and joker; and finally as an MBE, fundraiser, fighter and hero.

He paid tribute to the "normal guy" Steve was and gave mourners a flavour of his early life growing up in St Helens, through to his playing career and finally his epic charity challenges, as well as his love for his family.

He said: "He married Linzi, the love of his life, soulmate and rock throughout. He might not have said it openly, but his love for Linzi, not just after he got ill but in his playing days, was immense."

And telling those gathered how proud Steve was of his children, Mike turned and addressed Taylor and Koby and said: "You know how proud he was of the pair of you. You will be a credit to him."

He spoke of the devastation of Steve's diagnosis and how his fighting spirit led him to have seven further years with his family. Mike said: "He fought and fought every day of his life."

He told mourners of his charity challenges and how, typically of Steve, he wanted to give something back after his diagnosis.

"He set up the Steve Prescott Foundation and it has been great to have Steve alongside us," he said. "He came up with these ideas and we said 'Are you sure you want to do that?'

"He would never ask anyone to do anything he didn't and he was immense in all his challenges but what you didn't appreciate was how much pain he was in. Even to his close friends, he shielded it. But that was the measure of the man."

Paying his final tribute, Mike said: "We say goodbye but we won't say farewell. Steve was a close friend, a good man and an all-round good person.

"Thank you for 39 years. You leave hope and inspiration. We will make sure your name will go on and on and on and we will let everyone know you are truly one in a million."

As Steve's coffin was carried from the church, the bells began chiming with When The Saints Go Marching In, as a tribute to his playing days at St Helens. His coffin was followed out by his family. Holding their hands, mum Linzi kissed Koby and Taylor on their heads as they prepared to accompany their dad on his final journey.

• Gallery: Funeral of Steve Prescott

A NURSE was so drunk on duty, she had to be carted off to her own A&E department, a hearing has been told. Sheila Fletcher brought a box of wine to work at Hull Royal Infirmary and did not notice she had cut herself when she smashed a bottle of medicine.

She was prevented from administering drugs to unsuspecting patients at 8am after a colleague noticed she was behaving unusually.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council heard Mrs Fletcher went to work on May 15, 2011, after drinking at home.

She told the ward sister that her arm felt tingly and that her head was "not right".

An auxiliary nurse then reported that Mrs Fletcher has been seen in the toilet on her hands and knees, clearing up pink fluid and broken glass.

The panel heard that she was so drunk, she had not noticed her finger was bleeding where she had cut it.

It was only later that a nurse noticed that a diabetic man had not received any insulin and was suffering from high blood sugar levels.

When Mrs Fletcher's husband visited her later in A&E, he confirmed she had been drinking at home.

The hearing heard that, on another occasion, Mrs Fletcher had failed to give drugs to a patient.

At a disciplinary hearing in February last year, Mrs Fletcher admitted taking a box of wine to work and had a bottle of wine in her locker.

"I remember covering up the box of wine I had in my bag with my cardigan while in the lift.

Rachel O'Connell, chairing the NMC panel, said: "Having no information in relation to Mrs Fletcher's current employment or any information about her current personal circumstances, the panel could not be satisfied that she is no longer liable to put patients at unwarranted risk of harm or unlikely to act dishonestly in the future.

"Mrs Fletcher's actions and omissions represent a serious departure from the standards expected of a registered nurse.

"Her actions caused actual harm to her patients."

Ms O'Connell concluded nothing short of striking off Mrs Fletcher would maintain public confidence in the profession.

The panel found allegations that Fletcher attended work under the influence of alcohol and that she brought alcohol to work with her had been proved.

They also found the nurse guilty of failing to test the blood sugar levels of a patient, failing to provide him with insulin and failing to document her errors.

Allegations that she dishonestly forged the medication card for the patient were found not proven.

Fletcher faced further allegations relating to her conduct in November 2010 when she was accused of failing to prescribe drugs to a patient and then falsifying records the following day. The panel also found these allegations against her proved.

Fletcher, who was not present or represented at the hearing in central London, was struck off the register.

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HULL will host "the biggest party the city has ever seen" if it wins the City of Culture 2017 title. More details of the year-long programme have been revealed as Hull nervously awaits the announcement as to which city has scooped the prestigious title.

Bid adviser Andrew Dixon said Hull's programme had been received enthusiastically by the judging panel during the final "gruelling" presentation in Londonderry last week.

He said: "Hull did itself proud last week and the amount of public support behind the bid has been sensational.

"I think the judges recognised we had put together a really strong bid that was distinctly Hull and let's hope that now translates into winning the title.

"Obviously, there are three very strong other bids to take into account, but all we can do now is wait and see."

Should Hull win the competition, it will host a trio of major events including Larkin's Lamp, a musical project called Band In A Van and a massive stadium party spectacular called Sonic Lumiere, which is described as the "biggest party" ever to be staged in Hull.

Larkin's Lamp will be part of a major retrospective of the poet's work, which will shine a huge lamp on buildings in the city that inspired Philip Larkin's poetry. The project will also see a massive stage shaped like an umbrella installed at the University of Hull, where poets and local schools will stage daily performances.

The Band In A Van will see a quartet of well-known UK musicians driving across Europe from St Petersburg to Hull, picking up a leading musician at every city on the way, before staging a headlining concert on their arrival in East Yorkshire.

Finally, at the climax of the year, Hull will host the "stadium-sized" Sonic Lumiere party, which its creator, Andrew Pearson, says would be a mixture of movement, music and magic.

The event would feature a spectacular light show by Hull lighting designer Durham Marenghi, who has previously created shows for The Queen's Golden Jubilee Celebrations, The London 2012 Olympics and Pink Floyd's The Wall.

The show will also feature 500 dancers, new music from Hull's Fila Brazillia, illusionists and an "international superstar DJ".

Mr Pearson said: "The idea was to provide a really spectacular climax to a year of celebration in Hull and the biggest party Hull has ever seen."

Hull will find out if it has succeeded in its year-long campaign, overcoming competition from other finalists Dundee, Leicester and Swansea, with an official announcement from The Department for Culture, Media and Sport at 7.45am tomorrow. Members of the bidding team and those who have contributed to the programme will gather at Hull Truck to hear the decision.

Should Hull win the UK City of Culture 2017 title, it would release £12m in funding for cultural events in the city. The programme would include more than 1,500 events, including a spectacular Four Rivers opening ceremony featuring 3,000 lantern-bearing volunteers, dancing white phone boxes and elephants walking through the streets of Hull.

So far, more than 66,000 people in 143 countries have viewed the This City Belongs To Everyone video created by Hull's Nova Studios, especially for the bid presentation in Londonderry last week. Bid adviser Andrew Dixon says this has put Hull on the map.

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AS Gareth Ellis limped off the Headingley pitch back in February the sense of deflation ahead of a season of high expectation was tangible.

What followed in those opening few weeks of the 2013 campaign did little to part the gloomy clouds over the KC Stadium.

Hull FC won just two of their opening nine games and the cost was irreparable, not only to Hull's top four aspirations but also to the stability of Peter Gentle's reign.

It shouldn't have come as a surprise, though, as Hull have become perennial slow starters in recent years.

The first year of Gentle's tenure brought a solitary win in the opening three rounds, while the last season under Richard Agar in 2011 saw no points picked up in February. In fact, you have to go back to 2010 for a Sean Long-inspired win at St Helens for the last time the Black and Whites started the season with a victory.

The old adage about nothing is won and lost in February or March may be true in part, but, as last season showed, a slow start can prove costly. And in a competition as close and tough as the 2014 season is expected to be, playing catch-up on the top six could leave too sizeable a hurdle to overcome.

With a new-look squad, a new coach and new optimism, getting off to a good start would aid the settling in process for Radford. It would also build up some of the faith from fans which threatened to evaporate amid a woeful end to last season.

The arrival of Catalan Dragons to the KC Stadium on Valentine's Day provides such an opportunity.

Catalan were the last side to play at the KC in losing the play-off eliminator back in September and, having the majority of their squad involved in the World Cup with France, the Dragons are making a late return to training.

Hull will have over a month's preparation on the French side by February and with the Dragons set for a possible slow start, the Black and Whites will start as favourites to open up with a win.

Trips to St Helens and Warrington next up will provide an early barometer of Hull's credentials. If performances don't bring points a home game with Bradford and visits to Castleford and Widnes next, while difficult themselves, at least provide an opportunity to climb the ladder.

Where Hull have been fortunate is with the Easter fixtures. Thanks to the away game at Craven Park on Maundy Thursday, not only do Hull not have to travel out of the city over Easter, they play London at home on Easter Monday, but the earlier kick-off provides an extra 24 hours to rest and prepare.

A game at Wakefield the following Sunday brings another long rest and rather than three games in seven days as could have been the case, Hull play three times over a 10-day spell.

It's only a small difference, but one which can have significant repercussions in terms of players' fitness and fatigue in later weeks.

Leaving behind Summer and heading into Autumn, Hull's final three games will provide the type of test that brings that knockout rugby feeling earlier than expected.

A derby at the KC, a trip to last year's Minor Premiers Huddersfield and then the old enemy in Leeds Rhinos to bring the regular season to a close.

It's a tough run that could make Hull battle-hardened for the tests ahead in the play-offs, or break their dreams.

Once again a season of promise and expectation lies ahead. The familiar names are lying in wait and predicting results is becoming increasingly hard.

There's going to be tears of joy and despair, but for once Hull fans will hope they're not in equal measure.

ON first viewing, the 2014 fixture list looks as if it has served up a very tough start to the year for Hull KR and fans may have to be patient to see their first win.

Rovers' opening three games will see them take on two of last season's top three sides, with Leeds Rhinos kicking off the campaign at Craven Park on February 16, before a visit to table-toppers Huddersfield the following week.

Whilst the Robins will relish testing themselves against the best early on, it may be round three before they can climb the league ladder by beating Castleford in front of the Sky cameras.

With a flurry of fresh faces in the squad, it will inevitably take time for Craig Sandercock's new-look team to gel, and that could be a few weeks into the season.

Although their play-off defeat at St Helens hurt last season, there's nothing to fear when visiting Langtree Park in round four, having won there comfortably in the league last season, before the Robins travel back to Merseyside the following week for a bruising encounter against champions Wigan.

With points sure to be at a premium in the first five weeks of the campaign, the run-up to the first derby of 2014 can help KR gain some momentum with home games against Bradford and Wakefield, both of which they should win.

A visit to Warrington comes before the tough Easter period, which will be the real test for the Robins at a point where so many sides dip in form.

Playing Hull FC at Craven Park on the Thursday and travelling to the South of France for an Easter Monday clash against Catalan, the busy weekend schedule will already be a concern for Rovers.

Backing up after a derby is never easy at the best of times. Doing so against a French side which traditionally goes well on their own patch will make life doubly difficult.

When breaking the season down into chunks, the next period of games will provide a pivotal month in KR's season.

A run of games against Widnes, Salford, London and Castleford, four of 2013's bottom five, means Sandercock's side must target wins and build up momentum.

The Magic Weekend fixture sandwiched in the middle of the run will also be one the fans and players will look forward to, if only to re-ignite their derby rivalry.

Fail to pick up a significant amount of points in this spell and any aspirations the Robins have of bettering last season's seventh-place finish will look like a tall order.

Having seen a lack of consistency become a major headache for Sandercock's men during his two years in East Hull, the midway part could determine KR's season.

Come the middle of June, Rovers take on Warrington and Huddersfield at home, sandwiching an away trip to Bradford on June 19.

Typically, the Robins do not travel well to the Bulls so this must change if they want to avoid what could be a poor run of form. Especially as the clash is followed by a home test against St Helens on July 6, before a trip to face Leeds at Headingley.

KR beat Saints in both league fixtures in 2013, and Rovers showed Leeds can be beaten on their own patch last year in a gritty victory which will long live in the fans' memories. Any similar results this time around would be a welcome bonus and provide extra motivation as the onset of summer arrives.

Rovers should at least be targeting another hat-trick of victories when Salford arrive on July 20, before trips to London and Widnes. Perhaps crucially, KR could finish the year on a real run of form with a run of three 'home' games from their final four fixtures.

After facing Wigan at home on August 17, a trip across the other side of the city is followed by the visit of Catalan. They're not easy sides to face by any means, but it's a welcome change to 2013 which saw KR play two home games in their final six matches.

A short trip along the M62 to Wakefield wraps up the season and could see Rovers end on a high.

Throughout 2013, the Robins could and should have won quite a few close games, but eventually lost five matches by eight points or less.

If they learn to close out games, a target of 16 wins is reasonable and should see KR finish comfortably in the top eight with a rosy 32 points. As always, though, it's far easier said than done.