HE WAS devastated when he missed out on his chance to claim first prize in the Hull Daily Mail Christmas competition last year.

So now, Stuart Cowell, 51, has spent more than £1,000 on new festive decorations to ensure his east Hull home is adorned with a winning display as well as to delight those who visit the street to see what he has created this year.

Today, the Mail launches a competition to find East Yorkshire's best-decorated home this Christmas.

The biggest, brightest and most spectacular displays the region has to offer will be featured in the paper.

Mr Cowell is the first of many homes to be featured and he says the love of decorating his Rosemead Street house is something that has grown over the past 15 years.

He said: "It started off with just a plastic Santa on the chimney, that was it.

"But it's grown from there. It's just naturally got bigger but it's never been as big as this before. I figured I'd give it a good go this year."

Pride of place in this year's display are two Santas, shipped in from Holland, both reading books, one in an armchair and the other under a lamppost.

The Santas sit among glow- in-the-dark snowmen, flashing reindeer and a 9m gazebo dripping with lights.

And it is these touches that keep people coming from miles around.

Mr Cowell's children, Stuart, 21, and Jamie, 18, also get stuck in with the decorating and his wife, Lesley, 53, is in full support of the annual displays.

Mr Cowell said: "I told my wife that I'd seen lights on other houses and that I wanted to get some but she just said, 'Yeah, alright' as if she didn't believe me. So, she went out to get her hair done and when she came back, there was a Santa on the roof, that's how it all started."

There was a slight waver in recent years, but his neighbours encouraged him to carry on.

"About two or three years ago I was going to stop doing it," he said.

"But all my neighbours had already told their children I was putting the lights out, so I carried on for them."

It is this community feel that keeps Mr Cowell scaling his house every year to attach the decorations.

He said: "I get enjoyment from doing it and from seeing the youngsters' faces really. It brings a bit of Christmas cheer back.

"There aren't many houses that put on a big show now. It's a real shame, it brings an extra festive feel. All the neighbours come out and it's a much better atmosphere."

All the enjoyment in the world, however, does not stop the decoration being a monumental task.

Stretching across both his and his neighbour's house, this year's display took Mr Cowell, a handyman by profession, three weeks to assemble.

The time, the effort and the money has all been worth it though, he says. People come from far and wide to gawp at his garden.

"I've been planning it since October," he said.

"I love everybody getting together, I've always done a lot for Christmas. I do it to give enjoyment to other people, I enjoy doing it and they enjoy looking at it."

Surprisingly enough, electricity costs are not pushed through the roof by the decorations.

Mr Cowell, who turns the lights on each night from about 5pm until about 9pm, said each evening costs about £2.

POLICE have reassured the public as a hunt gets under way for two robbers who stabbed a man three times after stealing his mobile phone.

The 23-year-old suffered two stab wounds to his torso and a third between his shoulder blades, as well as cuts to his head after the attack.

He was treated at Hull Royal Infirmary for his injuries but was not seriously hurt.

Police are now appealing for anyone with information about the robbery to come forward.

Detective Sergeant Darren Rose, of Hull's priority crime team, said: "Thankfully, incidents of this nature are very rare.

"We have completed various lines of enquiry in relation to this isolated incident.

"I am appealing for anybody with any information to contact us.

The victim had been walking along Peel Street, west Hull, with a friend, an 18-year-old man, when they were approached by the two men.

After the 23-year-old handed over his black Vodafone flip phone, he was stabbed and both he and his friend were assaulted.

The 18-year-old man suffered bruising to his head.

A spokesman for Humberside Police said: "The victims were walking along the street when they were approached by two unknown men.

"The two unknown men demanded the first victims' black Vodafone flip mobile phone, which he handed over, before he was stabbed and assaulted.

"The second man was also assaulted."

The robbery happened at about 6.45pm on Friday. Both suspects then ran off towards Leonard Street.

The first suspect is described as a black man, 5ft 10in, of medium build and in his late 20s to early 30s.

He was wearing a dark baseball cap, light brown suede jacket and dark trousers.

The second suspect is described as mixed race, 6ft, stocky with short black hair and in his late 20s to early 30s. He was wearing circular black-rimmed spectacles.

Anyone with information should call Humberside Police on 101, quoting the log number 692.

A DEVOTED father-of-three has died of a massive heart attack after going into hospital for treatment to his foot.

Barman Antony Garth, who was just 36, suffered blood clots in his legs, which caused one of his toes to go black.

Doctors at Hull Royal Infirmary realised Antony, of North Bransholme, had suffered a mild heart attack and he was transferred to Castle Hill Hospital, where he suffered the fatal heart attack.

His brother Ian, 35, also of North Bransholme, said his sudden death has hit the family hard.

He said: "It has come as a huge shock to us. The whole family is just devastated."

Antony, known as "Garfy" to his friends, worked part-time at Skippers Tavern on the estate, while helping out at popular youth organisation Bransholme Buddies.

Ian said: "He went into hospital with his foot. One of his toes had turned black.

"Doctors said it was caused by some blood clots in his leg. They did some tests and found he'd suffered a heart attack."

Antony was transferred to Castle Hill Hospital on October 16 and was undergoing treatment for his condition when he suffered the fatal heart attack on November 18.

Ian said his brother, who was divorced from childhood sweetheart, Lynsey Irvin, was a loving father to Toby, ten, Thomas, 14, and Joshua, 17.

"Antony loved his kids and was a great dad," said Ian.

"He was still on good terms with Lynsey – they got together when they were young teenagers."

Ian said Antony was "very well known" in North Bransholme, due to his jobs.

"He was a very popular barman at Skippers," he said. "Everyone there is devastated at what has happened.

"I've heard the regulars and staff have had a collection."

Antony also enjoyed working with Bransholme Buddies, which provides a mobile youth club for the estate.

"Antony loved both his jobs," Ian said. "He was very well respected by everyone."

Janet Mageee, landlady of Skippers Tavern in Grampian Way, Bransholme, said: "Antony was a lovely lad. He was always there to help me if I ever needed him.

"It's such a sad time and he will be really missed in this place."

Janet said staff and regulars had organised a whip-round for his family.

"Antony was an avid Hull FC fan, so we have gone out and bought new shirts for his three children," she said.

"We've also got a Hull FC wreath for the funeral."

Dean Gamble, who worked with Antony at Bransholme Buddies, also paid tribute.

He said: "Antony was a colourful and cheerful character and was always laughing and joking. He was just a great person.

"The kids on the estate really respected him. It's a big loss to the team and he will be truly missed by a lot of people."

The brothers' parents, Jennifer and Mervyn Garth, are deceased.

Antony's funeral was taking place at 11.30am today in the large chapel at Chanterlands Avenue crematorium.

A collection will be held for the British Heart Foundation.

After the service, a celebration of Antony's life will be held at Skippers Tavern.

BEVERLEY Road in Hull is closed in both directions at the Endike Lane junction after a pedestrian was hit by a car.
Traffic is queuing both ways, with congestion at the A1165 Clough Road junction and the A1174 Beverley Road junction.
We'll bring you updates when we have them.

STEVE Bruce has promised his Hull City side will deliver a fitting response to their recent stumbles when title-chasing Liverpool arrive at a sold-out KC Stadium tomorrow.

Below-par performances against Southampton and Crystal Palace have brought back-to-back defeats for the Tigers heading into December, stifling much of the momentum built up during a bright opening to the campaign.

Liverpool are odds-on favourites to make it three defeats on the spin for City, but Bruce is adamant supporters will see marked improvements against Brendan Rodgers' men.

"We've done well against all the big teams away from home and there's no reason why we can't have that same attitude to come and play exactly the same way," said Bruce.

"We need to make sure we have a go at it and enjoy the challenge of playing against Liverpool. That's what it's all about.

"I'm looking forward to it because we will be better than we were last week. Whether we'll be good enough, that remains to be seen.

"But as long as we turn up and give it everything we've got on the day, that's all you can ask for."

After last weekend's defeat to a lowly Palace side, the first home loss of the campaign, Bruce has made it clear what he expects from his players.

"I did (lose my temper) because we didn't play. When there's five or six of them down, it's one of those days.

"I think the players knew. I didn't have to say much to them.

"It happens. No footballer goes out and thinks 'I'm going to play badly today' it's just unfortunate it happened.

"What better way to bounce back than playing Liverpool at home in front of the watching world?"

Liverpool's visit to the KC Stadium has inspired a first sell-out crowd this season with the gate likely to top 25,000 for the first time since the Reds' last visit on the final day of the 2009-10 campaign.

City have urged supporters to bring their own banners and flags to transform the televised fixture into a "Black and Amber Day" in front of an international audience.

The issue of banners was an emotive one last weekend when three supporters opposed to the name changes saw attempts to parade a "We are Hull City" sign in front of the East Stand, halted by the stewards.

That altercation typified a darkening mood around the KC seven days ago, but Bruce is confident supporters will give their full backing tomorrow.

"Since I've walked through the door the supporters have been nothing but fantastic towards the team and how we try to play," he added. "I know there's issues about badges and names but it's Liverpool at home, a game we've all waited for.

"Let's enjoy the occasion and the supporters can play their part. When they're behind the team, it gives us a helping hand.

"It's going to be difficult but if they play their part and forget about banners for now, let's make sure we get points instead of badges and banners."

WORK is expected to start in early 2015 on providing new school buildings for three outdated East Riding secondaries.

Hessle High School, Wolfreton School and Withernsea High School are all in line for multi-million pound developments under the Government's priority school building programme.

Separate upper and lower school sites will disappear at Hessle and Wolfreton, with each school consolidating in new buildings on a single site.

Parents at the two schools will be consulted about the moves early in the new year.

Withernsea High School is also set for major work.

Hessle High School headteacher Sarah Young said a decision will be made early next year about which of the academy's two sites will be chosen as the location for the new school.

Mrs Young said: "Plans are moving forward with the new build.

"We are pleased with the level of input on design requirements we have been afforded to ensure we deliver an outstanding learning environment for children and families in Hessle and the local area.

"The timescales are yet to be confirmed but we are joining our East Riding colleagues in looking for a completion date of 2106, with consultation processes beginning with the local community in early 2014."

Previous surveys have indicated up to £36m needed spending at Hessle, £40m at Wolfreton and £20m at Withernsea but the Government will expect lower costs.

Wolfreton School, which has sites in Willerby and Kirk Ella, is expected to be redeveloped at the lower school site in Carr Lane, Willerby.

Wolfreton headteacher Dave McCready said: "It has been a long-held ambition of the governors to move the school onto a single site and it seems this may become a reality in the not too distant future.

"We are currently working with the project team and the local authority and as we progress we will be consulting all interested parties about any proposals.

"I hope this project will be seen as an exciting opportunity to provide modern facilities for the whole of Wolfreton School for the benefit of students now and in the future."

In Withernsea, a new block will be retained but there will be significant new-builds and replacement work.

John Findlay, director of resources at Withernsea, said: "Some areas of the existing school buildings are now in dire need of repair and replacement work.

"The main areas of concern are the state of the roofs, windows and the heating and water systems."

Some £445m needs spending on bringing outdated schools into the 21st century.

East Riding councillor Julie Abraham said: "We are making huge inroads but there's still a lot to do.

"We are the third-worst funded education authority and because of the lack of funding that our schools get, they don't have the ability to put a lot of money aside for these big improvement jobs.

"If they had more general funding then they would be able to do that but to do that now would be taking money away from teaching and learning."

Multi-million-pound work under way at schools, including Beverley's Longcroft and Hornsea School, includes the replacement of leaking roofs, draughty windows and broken boilers.

Major new building work is also taking place at Goole High School, where £15m has already been invested in the academy.

A WOMAN who stole £63,000 from her elderly mother with dementia has been jailed for 18 months.

Jennifer Bailey wept as Judge Jeremy Richardson QC sent her down for her "mean, greedy and thoroughly dishonest" crime.

Bailey, 59, who was named power of attorney for her elderly mother's estate, abused her position of trust and fleeced Mabel Shaw of everything she had.

In a final callous act, she emptied the account on the day of her mum's death, taking the last £22,000 – leaving nothing to pay for her funeral.

For her brother, Nigel Shaw, 53, who started the investigation rolling after a care home bill went unpaid, the sentencing was the "saddest day of his life".

He said: "I just wanted justice for my mum and dad. They can now stop turning in their graves.

"They would have been heartbroken over this."

Prosecuting, Mark Kendall, told Hull Crown Court how Bailey and her brother had been put in charge of their mother's estate in 2005.

When Mrs Shaw went into a care home, her son, a welder, took a back seat to work full time in Hull while Bailey took care of the day-to-day finances.

Mrs Shaw's home was sold for £83,000, which was paid into the account, as was her £120-a-week pension

Over four years, Bailey frittered away the cash on children's clothes for her grandchildren, drinks at the Beverley pub where she was a barmaid and trips to Meadowhall and Whitby.

There were 194 cash withdrawals totalling £27,000 and 696 bank card transactions amounting to £35,000, including one while on holiday in Thailand.

After the care home contacted Mr Shaw, of Salthouse Lane, Hull, he made enquiries and was staggered to find out his mother's money had run out.

He thought there should have been more than enough to see her through to her final days because of the sale of her house.

Because there was no money left to pay for her mother's care, East Riding Council picked up bill, which amounted to £10,000 by the time of Mrs Shaw's death.

A fraud investigation was launched in 2009 and was completed earlier this year.

Defending Bailey, Miss Taryn Turner asked for the sentence to be suspended due to Bailey's age and because she and her 71-year-old husband were likely to lose their home to pay back the debt.

Miss Turner said: "She has a lot to live with and she does, through me, wish to apologise to her brother. She wants him to know that she is very sorry."

But Judge Richardson said: "This is a tragedy brought upon yourself by your mean, greedy and thoroughly dishonest conduct.

"It was a gross breach of trust. You stole more than £60,000 from your mother, an elderly lady with dementia, who was in a care home and particularly vulnerable. You were supposed to be taking care of her.

"This is a desperate situation for your family but one you have brought entirely on yourself."

HULL City are keeping tabs on Serbia international Filip Djordjevic as a potential answer to their goalscoring problems in the new year.

Djordjevic, 26, is known to feature prominently on manager Steve Bruce's wish-list for the January transfer market as Hull City bid to strengthen their attacking options with at least one new arrival.

The highly-regarded striker is in the final year of his contract with French club Nantes and is likely to move on in January before becoming a free agent next summer.

A cut-price deal is on the cards but Premier League rivals Crystal Palace are also reported to be showing a keen interest in Djordjevic.

Bruce was coy when asked about the Serbian yesterday but did admit an interest. "It's something we're looking at. He's someone on our list," said Bruce.

Djordjevic, a former Red Star Belgrade rookie, has been with Nantes since 2008, helping them to promotion out of Ligue 2 last season, scoring 20 goals in the process.

That form has continued in Ligue 1 this term in the wake of a rejected £3.5m offer from Lyon, while a breakthrough on the international stage has also seen him score for Serbia against Wales and Russia in recent months.

Nantes appear resigned to losing their star striker in January, but City are likely to face competition from around Europe.

The Serbian was one player discussed yesterday afternoon as Bruce met with owner Assem Allam to firm up plans for the January transfer window.

"We'll always try and improve," said Bruce. "The difference in January is can you find anybody out there who will make you significantly better?

"I think that's the key to it. It's not just about spending money, you need to find somebody who can make a difference."

HULL can play a vital role in improving business opportunities across the north of England.

That is the message from business leaders who met yesterday to debate how best to develop trade corridors, linking Hull to other major cities.

Lord John Prescott spoke at the Northern Gateways Conference at Hull Freedom Centre.

"It is essential to complete links between Hull and Liverpool and our northern cities," he said.

"The dispute is always about how much projects such as high-speed rail would cost. Instead of arguing about the cost, we should be thinking how that money can be used to increase connectivity in the north.

"Developing links between the east and the west is just as, if not more, important, than creating links with the south."

The conference focused on the need to develop and connect supply chains across the north of England and abroad.

Transport links, as well as increasing communication between local enterprise partnerships and businesses were heralded as the key to that development.

Terry Hodgkinson, former chairman of Yorkshire Forward, said: "We have a lot left to do to connect our northern cities, but together we can make it happen.

"A voice for the north is vitally important. We need to influence the decision makers in the south more.

"It is beneficial for our towns and cities to get connected to the south but it is also beneficial for businesses in the south."

Baroness Susan Williams, CEO of Atlantic Gateway, used the conference to highlight how the Port of Hull and the Humber region can play a vital part in that vision.

"We have to find ways of projecting the size of the north and Hull can play its part in that," she said.

"We have to understand how and where we can support growth and it's very important we have a better understanding of what is needed.

"In terms of logistics, distribution and connecting trade links, the Port of Hull can play a huge part.

"Developing the corridor from the west to the east is very important.

"I do think that transport is the key to growth because what we have to do is promote connectivity to secure investment.

"Hull should now be thinking how it can improve its transport links and infrastructure to fill the current gaps."

Kishor Tailor, CEO of the Humber LEP, said the Humber region needs to promote itself in order to secure future investment from national and international markets.

"People don't know where the Humber region is, what we have and what there is on offer here," he said. "We need to be telling people.

"Until you get here and understand what we have to offer, you don't appreciate it.

"It's a huge challenge for the LEPs and the economy of the north to get that recognition.

"We need to raise our game. We want to ensure this place is recognised as the energy corridor of the UK. I very much relate to a need to create a place and a brand."

HE IS the boss of a national car parking firm, netting more than £1m a year for the NHS from motorists using East Yorkshire hospitals.

But Duncan Bowins, managing director of NCP, may have bitten off more than he can chew after branding Hull a "s***hole" on his Facebook page.

His comments have led to a public dressing down from Hull City Council leader Stephen Brady.

NCP runs 900 car parks across the country, including sites at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital, which make the city's NHS trust £1m a year - and NCP a healthy but undisclosed fee.

Mr Bowins wrote: "So Hull has been named UK City of Culture 2017. That's a new spelling of s***hole."

He claims it was written in jest as he poked fun at a friend from Hull.

Stephen Brady, leader of Hull City Council and a key architect of the City of Culture 2017 bid, said Mr Bowins's comments were wrong.

He said: "It's totally unacceptable for someone in that position to be saying those sorts of things.

"It's obvious there are still ignorant people about. I just think these people are ill-informed.

"They should get on with doing their jobs properly."

Cllr Brady also said he believed the post was inappropriate coming from someone in an important position.

The post was deleted within an hour of the Mail contacting NCP.

In a statement, the company defended it as a joke taken out of context.

A spokesman said: "This is Duncan's personal Facebook page and the comments refer to a longstanding joke between his Hull-based friend and himself, as to whose home city is better.

"We apologise if this has caused any offence, it was not meant to be taken seriously.

"It was private banter between two close friends, and has been taken totally out of context."

Hull's year as UK City of Culture will be marked with a £12m programme of more than 1,500 cultural events, shows, exhibitions, gigs, concerts, festivals, artist residences and outreach activities spanning the whole of 2017.

It is estimated winning will deliver a knock-on £60m economic boost to the city, creating jobs and tourism opportunities throughout the East Riding.

The opening ceremony will be created by Tracey Seaward, who grew up in Hull and went on to produce Steven Spielberg's Warhorse and the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony.

Other major events planned for the year include "an aerial spectacular" set against the backdrop of the River Hull tidal barrier.

HULL KR prop Mick Weyman hopes to catch the top sides off guard when the Robins begin their 2014 campaign.

Roversface four of last season's top five sides in their first five matches, with Leeds arriving at Craven Park on February 16.

Huddersfield, St Helens and Wigan follow to test Rovers early, but the 29-year-old is looking forward to starting the season with a bang.

"The opening games will tell us where we are at," Weyman told the Mail.

"It'll be good to face those sides early because they might not have found their rhythm.

"Playing Leeds first is good, because they are a fantastic club.

"They have enjoyed success over the years, and it will be a tough opener for us.

"But if we work hard in pre-season like we have this week, then we should be okay."

Before Weyman and his new team take to the field for the new season, they have a gruelling pre-season to manage first.

Two weeks of training in the east Hull cold will be followed by a week in sunny Tenerife, which Rovers have done ahead of the last two seasons.

Weyman, who will wear the number 10 shirt next season, knows he and the rest of the squad will have to make the most of that warm weather training as they look to start 2014 on a winning note.

"The trip to Tenerife will be good for us all," he said.

"It will help the new players to get to know each other.

"We'll be guaranteed training sessions, which wouldn't be the case if we stayed in England.

"Those sessions will help us all get to know more about each other's games.

"I think we'll be ready for it after the first week of training we've had.

"It's been right up there with the toughest starts I've had in my career.

"The first week of pre-season is always a shock to the system, but it has to be done if we are to achieve our goals next season."

If Rovers are to be successful next season, they will need to tighten up their defence.

They had the fifth worst defence in the league, which Weyman is eager to improve next season.

"We have already done a bit of defensive work in training this week," he said.

"Defence wins you games, and if we all do what we are supposed to, we should be a lot better.

"We need to work hard to make sure we iron out the errors that crept into our game last season."

ROVERS have revealed their squad numbers for 2014, with winger Ben Cockayne donning the number two shirt on his return to KR.

Hull KR 2014 squad numbers: 1. Greg Eden, 2. Ben Cockayne, 3. Kris Welham, 4. Sean Gleeson, 5. David Hodgson, 6. Travis Burns, 7. Kris Keating, 8. Justin Poore, 9. Josh Hodgson, 10. Michael Weyman, 11. Kevin Larroyer, 12. Neville Costigan, 13. Jamie Langley, 14. Adam Walker, 15. Graeme Horne, 16. Jason Netherton, 17. Jonny Walker, 18. Liam Salter, 19. Craig Hall, 20. Jordan Cox, 21. Keal Carlile, 22. Rhys Lovegrove, 23. James Green, 24. Omari Caro, 25. Aaron Ollett, 26. Josh Guzdek, 27. Sonny Esslemont, 28. Matthew Beharrell, 29. Connor Robinson, 30. Macauley Hallett, 31. Steven Holker, 32. Enoch Maki, 33. Francis Paniu.

ASSISTANT coach Andy Last says Hull FC's players are benefiting from a variety to their training which is bringing out the best in them.

Last, who alongside new head coach Lee Radford has been putting the Black and Whites through their paces for the past month, says he's been delighted with the results.

The new coaching pair threw out the previous training regime, while also changing the club's plays and calls in an effort to stamp their own authority, bring new ideas and freshen up the approach to training.

Longer days have been introduced, but with the more hours at training has come a varied approach. Long field or video sessions have been replaced with short, sharp sessions, with variety and not overburdening the players in one area the key.

While only a month into the new regime, Last says he and Radford have been impressed with the response from the players.

"Like all pre-seasons at this stage, the strength and conditioning department dictate a little bit what you get done in the first month," Last told the Mail.

"What we have tried to do as a staff is get some variation into pre-season.

"Myself and Radders have done a lot of pre-seasons over the years as players and coaches and they can be very long and it can get tedious for the guys.

"It becomes like Groundhog Day for the players where they don't enjoy it.

"The intensity drops as a result and while you feel it's a hard pre-season, when you look back at it, it wasn't as intense as you'd hoped or imagined.

"What we have done is made the days long, but varied with all sorts of different things and every day is different for them.

"The feedback we've had from the players is great, which is good."

A LOCAL government leader has called for a new financial deal for councils such as Hull and the East Riding.

Both authorities are facing major changes to how they operate as they cope with unprecedented funding cuts from central government.

Hull City Council says it will have to make about £48m of savings over the next two years, while the East Riding is in the middle of a programme to try to save £31m.

Like all councils, they rely on an annual government grant, known as the settlement, for the majority of their funding.

But on a visit to the region, Local Government Association (LGA) chairman Sir Merrill Cockell said the current system of annual funding settlements for councils should be scrapped.

He said: "What happens at the moment is mad, completely ridiculous.

"Next week, we will have the Chancellor's Autumn statement. That should give local councils some idea of the overall amount of money being made available for local government next year.

"After that, councils have to wait until Christmas to find out what their settlement will be and then spend a frantic few weeks trying to piece together a budget for the coming year.

"What we are calling for is a five-year settlement from government. That would give councils a much better opportunity to put together a long-term budget plan in much the same way as businesses do in the private sector.

"That way, councils could prioritise their spending on services in years one and two and then see what sort of payback there is in years three and four.

"Instead, councils are currently hamstrung by this ridiculous system of annual settlements, which does not make it easy to plan for the long-term."

Sir Merrell, who is also leader of the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea, said he did not agree with claims that northern councils were being unfairly treated by the Government compared with southern authorities, in terms of funding.

"I don't really buy that argument." he said.

"All councils are different and some are able to deal with financial pressures better than others.

"I would guess that every council will tell you it could do with more government funding. It's not something you just hear from local authorities in the north.

"The East Riding, for example, has a good reputation for sound financial management and this is because the authority took an early decision – well before the last general election – to start looking seriously at how it could make services more efficient while, at the same time, improving those services to the public."

East Riding Council leader Councillor Stephen Parnaby said: "We are really pleased that the chairman of the LGA has taken such a keen interest in our work by highlighting how we are reducing expenditure while safeguarding services."