MORE than 100,000 people have watched Hull's City of Culture video.

This City Belongs To Everyone, the short film produced as part of Hull's successful campaign to be named UK City of Culture 2017, has been viewed by more than 100,000 people on video-sharing website YouTube.

Councillor Steven Bayes, Hull City Council's lead for the City of Culture preparations, said: "This film captures what is great about Hull in a truly unique way.

"We are proud of its success and that so many people have been touched by what the film had to say.

"The online audience figures for the film are another great example of the huge support for Hull and its UK City of Culture endeavours."

The video, which showcases the places and people of the city and is overlaid with the voice of Hull-born actor Sir Tom Courtenay reading extracts from Philip Larkin's poems, was viewed more than 67,000 times in the week before Hull submitted its bid.

The video has also been shown in special viewings at the city's schools and a further 20,000 people watched the four-and-a-half minute clip at a screening during the Christmas lights switch-on in Queen Victoria Square.

Alan Jones, the owner of Nova Studios, the Hull production company that made the film, said: "We're over the moon with the response to the film, not just that it helped to win the bid, but that it has touched people's hearts and crystallised the pride that people in Hull feel for the city they love.

"It's been a real honour to have been involved."

COMMUNITY first responders in Hornsea are urging the ambulance service to use them 24/7.

The responders team has to log on to the ambulance service system to be called out on jobs, but has asked to be called whether it is logged in or not.

Hornsea Inshore Rescue, whose crew also saves lives at sea, are asking to be on constant call-out, but to be contacted through their boathouse phone number or pager system.

Sue Hickson-Marsay, of the rescue team, is concerned they are missing the opportunity to be called out.

"If no one logs on, then we aren't getting the calls from the ambulance service when we could be helping," she said.

"We are offering our services to Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) 24/7, but asking them to either phone us up or page us if we can help. Currently, they are not using us as much as they could."

The concerns were raised when it was revealed the first responder group was not called when Iain and Simon Poole's dad Raymond died.

Mr Poole's sons tried desperately to resuscitate him for 30 minutes, before paramedics arrived after he had collapsed. He was later pronounced dead.

Iain said: "We have spoken to many people who didn't understand why, when we have so many valuable resources in Hornsea, none of them were called upon to support us in our time of need.

"As a family, we feel this is a positive move towards changing the way these volunteers are managed and, hopefully, saving another family from the heartache we continue to suffer at the loss of our father.

"It does beg the question that if any of these resources had been deployed to help our family, would we have had a more positive outcome?"

The YAS trains first responders in basic life-support skills, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the use of an automated external defibrillator and the administration of oxygen.

When a 999 call is received by the service, an ambulance response is dispatched.

At the same time, a community first responder on call in the area can be alerted and asked to assist, to ensure help reaches the patient as quickly as possible.

Ian Walton, associate director of resilience and special services at YAS NHS Trust, praised the role and said the Hornsea Inshore Rescue team had attended 42 incidents since April.

"Each team is assigned a call sign and needs to book on to the YAS emergency operations centre system as an available resource to attend appropriate medical emergencies in the area," he said.

"This procedure only takes a few seconds and allows us to carefully monitor the availability and whereabouts of our volunteers and is essential from a safety perspective.

"At the time of the incident involving Mr Poole, no first responders in the local area were booked on with our emergency operations centre."

WINGER Ben Cockayne admits he has rejoined a far more professional Hull KR outfit to the one he left back in 2011.

The 30-year-old has only been back at Craven Park for a couple of weeks, but has already seen big changes in the way Craig Sandercock runs his team.

And with the ink still drying on his two-year deal, settling in has been an easy process.

"It's great to be back, but it certainly feels like I've been away because of the changes I've seen so far," he told the Mail.

"The professionalism has been taken up a notch under Craig.

"He and Chris Chester are very thorough in everything they do.

"We video every training session and spend time afterwards going through each session.

"Our strength and conditioning has improved too with everything aimed at providing us with what we need to be successful.

"Coming back has been like a breath of fresh air."

After two years at Wakefield, Cockayne couldn't resist the chance to return to his spiritual home.

But he admits it's been a tough on-field return to the side he helped gain promotion to Super League in 2006.

"It's been tiring and hard work, but I'm loving every minute of it," he said.

"No matter where you are, the players and coaches gel together in training.

"I've just come in, kept my head down and got on with things. I feel very comfortable being back."

Now aged 30, Cockayne is one of Rovers' more experienced players and he is looking forward to being a mentor to the younger members of the squad.

"I feel I am a senior member of the squad," Cockayne said.

"I have a lot of experience and I'm willing to pass that on to the young players here.

"Whether I become part of the senior group here, remains to be seen.

"But I certainly feel I have a big part to play here rather than before when I was a bit-part player."

Excited to be part of Sandercock's squad for his third season in charge, the winger feels the Robins' squad is strong enough to surprise a few teams next year.

"I'm really excited about the squad we have here," Cockayne added.

"The squad I left in 2011 was vying for around eighth place.

"The players who were coming through then are now more mature and I'm really excited about what we can do next season."

Officers said the dark van was seen driving erratically between Rawlings Way and Harthill Drive at about 4.30pm on Sunday.

Hundreds of football fans would have been in the area at the time following Hull City's victory against Liverpool at the KC Stadium. Police want any fans who saw the van to come forward.

A spokesman for Humberside Police said: "The vehicle is alleged to have driven across a footpath, narrowly missing a dog walker and two children, and been seen to have been driving between trees."

The driver of the van was arrested and has been released on bail.

Anyone who saw the van should call Humberside Police on 101, extension 6995.

HOMEOWNERS have revealed how they were left in 2ft of flood water within minutes of the Humber bursting its banks.

A state of emergency was declared as East Yorkshire battled the worst flooding since 2007, which destroyed property, closed schools and caused chaos on the roads.

Last night, as flood warnings were lifted, allowing residents to begin the clean-up operation, communities were praised for their resilience during "testing times".

Worst-hit areas for flooding on Thursday night included a cluster of low-lying cul-de-sacs near Hull Marina, as well as Hessle Foreshore and the village of Paull, although the whole of East Yorkshire contended with gale-force winds.

Janet Dugdale, of Admirals Croft, off Wellington Street West, Hull city centre, said: "Within a few minutes, we were up to our knees in the North Sea.

"But it was strange – half an hour later, after high tide had passed, the water was gone."

Graham Barnfather, 32, and Christopher Dean, 25, who live a few doors away from Ms Dugdale, described the suddenness of the deluge, which happened as the pair travelled to the nearby Nuffield Health gym.

Mr Barnfather said: "It happened so quickly. I saw the water on the road, but just thought a water pipe had burst.

"Then we saw cars turning around near the Odeon. The water was getting really deep."

Mr Dean, who took a video of Thursday's carnage on his mobile phone, said: "We saw one car just die. The water was above wheel arch height."

The pair returned to their rented home to find water rushing inside.

Mr Dean said: "Literally, five to seven minutes earlier the place had been bone dry. It all happened incredibly quickly.

"The water was freezing cold. I was shaking and wet through.

"I carried Archie, my golden retriever, who was in the car, upstairs to get him out of the way and we just tried our best to save the furniture.

"We heard a loud bang and then the power went out. No one in our close had power."

Despite their best efforts, a leather sofa, white goods and a television were destroyed.

Mr Barnfather said: "If we had insurance, it would be a £10,000 claim."

A thick layer of mud and silt covered the cul-de-sac yesterday.

Mr Barnfather, who owns Hull Jetwash, spent the day hosing down his neighbours' property.

"It only took me five minutes to get rid of the mud with a machine – it would have taken them two hours by hand," he said.

"People were pretty thankful."

Dozens of homes were flooded, while at the height of the storm on Thursday evening, 6,500 households were without power.

Stuart Donald, Humberside Police's Assistant Chief Constable, said contingency plans had stood up well to the force of nature.

He said: "The region has been subject to exceptionally high tides with some levels the highest recorded in 60 years.

"Many flood defences were breached, with hundreds of people being rescued from their homes.

"At the peak, 16 severe flood warnings were issued in our area, which are only issued when flooding poses a significant threat to life.

"As the strategic commander, I was delighted with the multi-agency response in the area, who worked in difficult circumstances through the night, many in flooded areas, protecting the public and in some cases rescuing them.

"Now the emergency is over, our response is in the recovery stage with local authorities now assisting those affected by the incident.

"I would also like to thank members of the public for their co-operation and support during testing times and the local media also deserve a lot of praise for keeping the public informed of developments quickly and effectively."

Northern Power Grid said last night it expected electricity supplies to be restored to all affected properties by this morning.

A spokesman said: "We had engineers on site in all the problem areas, with 12 serious faults and dozens of smaller ones.

"The main problems were around the city centre, where the substations flooded."

A HOSPITAL in Beverley is extending its minor injuries service hours to cope with winter pressures.

The Minor Injuries Unit at East Riding Community Hospital previously opened from 9am to 5pm on weekdays, but from today, it will be open during weekends and bank holidays over winter.

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the unit and Hull Royal Infirmary, said the extra opening hours were to cope with the growing number of patients who had been attending the hospital on weekends seeking treatment and to ease pressures on the A&E department in Hull.

The hospital is run by Humber NHS Foundation Trust.

Angie Mason, Humber's deputy chief executive and director of nursing, said: "A significant number of people tend to arrive at the hospital outside of normal hours, without an appointment, expecting to find the minor injuries unit open.

"When staff with the right clinical skills have been available, the GP out-of-hours service, also based at the hospital, has been able to treat many of these 'walk-in' patients with minor injuries on a weekend, rather than redirecting people to other minor injuries units or to A&E in Hull.

"The addition of an extra advanced nurse practitioner and a support worker will help them provide a full minor injuries service, particularly over the busy winter period."

It is hoped the extended hours will avoid people making unnecessary visits to the A&E department at Hull Royal Infirmary, especially during winter.

The minor injuries unit is now open from 9am to 6pm on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays, apart from Christmas Day, for a six-month period.

Local GP and chairman of NHS East Riding CCG Dr Gina Palumbo said: "The cold weather puts increased pressure on our healthcare system, and it is vital that local services work together during this busy period.

"We hope local people will welcome the news that East Riding Community Hospital will continue to provide treatment for minor injuries from experienced clinicians during the evening, weekends and bank holidays, where there is a recognised demand for the service."

Anyone who suffers a minor injury outside of the opening hours is urged to call NHS 111 for medical advice.

For all life-threatening emergencies, call 999.

HULL: An 88-year-old man is in hospital after falling from his bike as he cycled along Willerby Road.

The man suffered a lump on his head after falling off his bike as he tried to pass between two cars.

Police said the man was cycling in Manor Road when the accident happened at 4pm on Monday.

A spokesman for Humberside Police said they wanted to speak to the drivers of the cars the man was attempting to pass between.

She said: "A black car was stationary among the queuing traffic when a small white car tried to pass the stationary traffic on the nearside, before coming to a stop next to the black car.

"The cyclist attempted to pass through the gap in between the black and white vehicles, however fell off his bike in front of the white car, hitting his head."

He was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary, pictured, where he remains.

The drivers of the cars, or anyone else who saw the man fall, should call Humberside Police on 101, quoting log number 404.

A CRIMINAL investigation into a mortuary mix-up in Hull cost more than half a million pounds, the Mail can reveal.

South Yorkshire Police spent a year and a half on the investigation to determine whether there was any misconduct in public office.

In November 2011, it was discovered that Christopher's body was still in the mortuary at Hull Royal Infirmary, 11 years after his family believed they had laid him to rest following his death in police custody in 1998.

An exhumation of his grave in Hull's Northern Cemetery last year confirmed Grace Kamara, 77, had been buried in his place.

The total cost of the investigation was £636,998.81.

In all, 31 police officers and 21 support staff were involved, although there was a core team of nine officers.

A total of 179 witnesses were spoken to, which involved officers travelling to Australia at one point.

Janet Alder, has criticised the cost to the taxpayer.

She said: "This is absolutely scandalous as we have learnt nothing more about what happened.

"I would be able to accept the cost and even the decision not to prosecute if the police had come back with something more solid about what happened.

"This investigation is something we never asked for and this waste of public money is not the families' fault.

"We just want the truth but we are still in the same position as we were on day one."

Humberside Police, who requested South Yorkshire Police to carry out the investigation, insists it was worthwhile.

Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Donald said: "This was a significant investigation, which involved a large number of resources."

Following a meeting with the investigating officers last month, Miss Alder was told there was next to no documentation about her brother's body in the Hull mortuary.

She claims the investigation has been a "total whitewash".

A 160-page report about the mix-up was handed to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) by South Yorkshire Police at the beginning of May.

The CPS concluded there was insufficient evidence to charge any individual or organisation.

Miss Alder said: "They can't tell me if it was intentional or an accident.

"They have told me they cannot find any documents relating to Christopher's time in the mortuary.

"They have no records of who was working at the time, or payroll details, and nothing relating to the times his body was moved.

"Every other body during that time seems to be well documented, but not Christopher's.

"I don't think this is good enough. It is a total whitewash."

Miss Alder is now looking at the possibility of challenging the decision by the CPS and whether to launch civil proceedings against Hull City Council, Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and funeral directors EW Brown.

In November last year, a protective claim with Central London County Court was lodged by Liberty, the human rights campaign group, on Ms Alder's behalf.

The claim allows Ms Alder to pursue possible civil proceedings against the council and the hospitals trust.

A PRIMARY school plans to remove trees over- looking its new £500,000 dining hall after one toppled in strong winds.

No one was hurt when the tree was uprooted on Thursday, causing slight damage to a van belonging to contractors putting the finishes touches to the dining facility at The Green Way Academy.

Headteacher Simon Bush stressed that the fallen tree was nowhere near the playground, but he intends to leave nothing to chance and will be arranging for other trees to be removed as a matter of urgency.

He said: "Our priority is clearly the safety of our children.

"We've also spent half a million pounds on a new dining hall, so the last thing we want is a tree landing on the roof."

Mr Bush said a tree surgeon was called in last week to inspect trees on the 21st Avenue site after a resident raised concerns.

"The tree surgeon told us a series of very tall and well- established trees – four or five of them – were safe," he said.

"Unfortunately, one of them has been brought down in strong winds, which suggests they are not as stable as we thought.

"Our plan now is to take drastic action and take down the other trees, removing the risk of the them falling either on to the new dining hall or our perimeter fencing.

"We also, of course, do not want trees damaging neighbouring properties."

The Green Way Academy, as the name suggests, prides itself on its green credentials.

But Mr Bush said there could be no compromising on safety.

He said: "We will replace the trees will small saplings.

"It's clear when we stood back and looked at the dining hall that the trees nearby are too tall."

Mr Bush said parents did not appear worried by the toppled tree, which happened as East Yorkshire was battered by 60mph gusts.

"No parents showed any concern," he said.

"It was clear no one was put in any danger."

As a precaution, Mr Bush told staff to keep pupils inside on Thursday because of the windy weather.

As previously reported in the Mail, parents have been thanked for their co-operation after the opening of the dining hall was hit by unexpected delays.

As a result, children are being asked to bring packed lunches until after Christmas.

HULL FC won't be offering a deal to Taylor Welch after the USA winger failed to show up for a two-week trial.

Welch caught the eye after impressing for the Tomahawks during the recent World Cup and FC had been happy to take a closer look at him after the Dallas-born pace ace offered to train with them.

However, with just 24 hours to go until he was due to arrive, the 24-year-old's agent contacted Hull football manager Motu Tony to tell him he would not be coming after all.

Although his non-appearance was unexpected, Black and Whites coach Lee Radford has no plans to pursue anyone else.

He told the Mail: "Obviously, we were surprised when he didn't come in the end, although we did hear from his agent to say that he'd had another last-minute offer.

"Although I'm not 100 per cent certain, I think he may have had an offer from a Queensland Cup side in Australia, so good luck to him.

"It was a no-lose situation for us really. If he came in and did well, we may have been able to offer him something, but who knows if he would have been good enough to come in and challenge for a place?

"That's open to debate, but the fact he didn't come wasn't a problem.

"I think we showed last season that the backs is a strong area for us and we're happy with what we've got there already.

"We were willing to give the guy a run and see how he did but it is not as though we don't have enough cover in those positions."

With Tom Lineham and Ben Crooks providing plenty of pace down the Hull right, and the versatile Fetuli Talanoa, 25, set to arrive to provide competition for Jason Crookes on the left, Hull will still have plenty of attacking threats out wide in 2014.

COMMUNITIES across East Yorkshire are spending the weekend mopping up after hundreds of homes and businesses suffered flood damage.

In scenes reminiscent of 2007, properties were swamped with flood water on Thursday night because of a huge tidal surge.

There had been fears of a repeat yesterday morning, but it passed without any further major flooding.

Now, the clean-up operation is under way as the full extent of the damage is assessed.

For many businesses, it could not have come at a worse time, with Christmas just a few weeks away.

Staff at the Country Park Inn on Hessle Foreshore should have been adding finishing touches to tables ahead of a busy night's dining yesterday.

Instead, mud, silt and leaves were being swept out, while the owners counted the cost, both in terms of physical damage and loss of custom.

"Every room is knackered," said Tom Medd, operations and sales manager.

"We were about fully booked as well over the Christmas period. We had BP's Christmas party and an 80th birthday party, to name but a few.

"There is mud, sludge and leaves in every room – the kitchen, in the fridge, toilets – everywhere."

Between 50 and 60 homes in Hessle were flooded, with most close to the pub, which commands scenic views out to the River Humber.

Usually, the vista is a major draw to this popular bar and restaurant.

But that same river – almost mirror-like in the bright winter sunshine yesterday – was the cause for the bar's pumps staying dry and the kitchen to remain closed.

"The water level was about a couple of feet," said Mr Medd. "One minute it was at the top of the iron railings, next it was up to the window.

"All floors, woodwork and plaster will need replacing. The electrics and phone keep going on and off.

"It will take a miracle if we are reopen before January."

Yet, amid the distressing, often chaotic, scenes caused by Thursday night's storms, which have left Christmas plans in tatters for many, are displays of community togetherness.

Julie Dyl tried in vain to fight back the flood water, which reached a few inches deep in her Rags restaurant business in Bridlington's South Pier.

Yesterday, despite suffering ground-floor flooding, the business was open, thanks to the efforts of her community.

"Staff, regulars and residents came armed with mops, buckets and brushes to help us out," she said.

"The response was overwhelming, it really was. At one point, we had about 30 people helping.

"A fitness group came to help us move the furniture and volunteers were helping lift the carpets out, with others helping to move food out of the freezers.

"It really was unbelievable. We have lost carpets, but it shouldn't impact the business.

"The kitchen is also upstairs, so wasn't affected."

It was a similar story in Paull, a small, close-knit coastal community badly hit by the flooding because of its exposed location.

Regulars of the Royal Oak spent yesterday helping landlady Laura Brown pump water out of the premises.

"Everyone has been really helpful," said Laura. "People have been coming in all day asking if there is anything they can do."

Laura chose to stay open during the height of Thursday night's storm.

"I was serving whiskey and bottled beer to people in their wellies," she said.

"Unfortunately, the compressor broke when the cellar was flooded, which meant the draught was off."

Up the road, workers at Dunston Shipbuilders continued to laugh and joke, despite the grim task of scraping up thick mud left by the receding tide.

General manager Keith Clark said the firm had lost expensive computing and welding equipment, as well as a supply of timber.

But he said his workforce had managed to save the Yorkshire Belle – the popular Bridlington day-trip cruiser.

"The priority on Thursday night was saving the Yorkshire Belle, which we managed to do," he said.

"It was in the dry dock, but water was coming up over the gate and there was a real danger, with the high tide, that it could have been bashed about."

In Hull, the Ice Arena is set to be closed for up to a week, while Nuffield Health gym will not reopen until at least Monday.

Mark Duckett, 50, who runs 13 restaurant on Hull Marina, has been hit by flooding twice now.

He formerly ran Portside Bistro in Prince's Dock Street, which was flooded when a faulty water pipe burst last December.

He said: "I feel like Noah – I can't believe it has happened again.

"Fortunately, this time we are on the first floor, but we lost electricity and had to close.

"I'm just grateful the gate at the Marina did its job – it held back the force of the sea."

The restaurant was expected to be reopened this weekend.

CITY council leader Steve Brady says lessons need to learned from this week's flooding in Hull.

In the aftermath of the flooding, the council was today continuing to asses the damage following the storm surge that saw record tidal levels of 5.8m in the city.

Cllr Brady said: "We can't just write it off as a one-off event or something that might happen every 50 or 60 years.

"What we experienced on Thursday night could happen again sooner than we think.

"What it has done is probably pinpoint where a few weaknesses might be."

It is believed Hull's tidal barrier, which opened in 1980 to protect the city from coastal flooding such as that seen in the Great Storm of 1953, prevented thousands of homes and businesses being damaged.

And Cllr Brady said making sure the city's flood defences were up to the job remained a priority.

"You only have to look at how the tidal barrier worked so well to realise how important good flood defences are," he said.

"The barrier did a fantastic job and I'm told that without it we could have been looking at 25,000 homes being flooded in the city.

"Going into the new year, we have to hammer home the message that we need the very best flood defences for Hull, particularly if we want to attract new businesses to the city.

"Seeing streets like Ferensway full of water really made you realise how close we came to a real disaster."

Cllr Brady said the response by public sector organisations to the storm surge along the Humber had been "magnificent".

"The close co-operation between ourselves, the Environment Agency and the emergency services was first-class," he said.

"We had obviously been through a similar experience in 2007 but everything worked well this time and I think the emergency services, in particular, were fantastic."

The flooding in the city centre in Castle Street and Ferensway has led some to question a proposed multi-million highway improvement scheme earmarked for exactly the same spot.

The current Highways Agency proposals involve lowering a section of Castle Street at the existing Mytongate junction under a new road linking Ferensway with Commercial Road.

Construction work on the long-awaited scheme is expected to start in early 2015 subject to a final funding go-ahead from the Government.

But Councillor Martin Mancey, the city council's cabinet member for transport, said: "I've heard some of the comments about the wisdom of lowering Castle Street but I think it's far too early to make a snap judgement based on what happened on Thursday night."

Council staff helped organise the distribution of sandbags on Victoria Dock and then co-ordinated the evacuation of elderly residents living in areas close to Ferensway, setting up a makeshift evacuation centre at Costello sports stadium as well as providing temporary accommodation at a nearby residential home and the Holiday Inn hotel in Ferensway.

The council-run Hull Arena in Kingston Street was among the buildings hit by flooding.

The ice rink is expected to be out of action for a week but the closure will not affect the Hull Stingrays, as the ice hockey team's weekend fixtures are away from Hull.

In the East Riding, council resources were split between keeping a watching brief on settlements along the Humber as well as the North Sea coast.

Nigel Leighton, director of environment and neighbourhood services at East Riding Council, said: "The council's emergency procedures were implemented and staff worked round the clock to get assistance to residents as soon as possible and deal with flooding.

"All our planning was in place but with coastal flooding you cannot predict with certainty where incidents will occur.

"Where they did occur, we worked alongside the Environment Agency on the ground to deal with any issues with sea and coastal defences."

Mr Leighton said services had been stretched across the area but had coped with the demand.

"Plans were put into place to maintain staffing and resources, including sandbags and pumping equipment, to respond as necessary yesterday," he said.

"The deployment of sandbags will continue to be targeted by operational teams to areas that are worst affected and where properties and the vulnerable are at risk. These will not be issued on a general basis."

The council's recovery team will continue to make door-to-door visits to affected areas over the weekend to provide residents with help.

IT COULD so easily have ended in tragedy, with a driver coming perilously close to being swept into the Humber at a beauty spot.

Properties were damaged and possessions were destroyed, but no lives were lost when East Yorkshire was hit by what has been described as the biggest tidal surge in 60 years.

Emergency services, council officials and neighbours worked flat-out throughout Thursday and into yesterday to ensure residents were safe.

In perhaps the most serious case, members of Humber Rescue – whose own boathouse flooded – pushed a car to safety after it was floated by the surge at Hessle Foreshore.

Mandy Ramsden, who was part of the rescue team, said: "The water on the road was about waist deep when we saw the car floating.

"The engine was keeping the front of the car down, but the water turned the car and it was heading towards the river. His life was in danger.

"Four of us grabbed hold of a wheel arch and pushed the car back against the fence. We were then able to open the door and get the man out and we tied the car to a lamppost.

"The water at this point was up to his thighs."

Hessle town councillor Phil Withers, who watched the rescue effort, said: "The car must have been about a couple of metres from floating off into the Humber before the Humber Rescue crew grabbed it and pushed it away.

"They did a tremendous job, risking their own lives. If it had floated much further, he would have been a goner."

Cllr Withers praised the "tremendous" community spirit of people in Hessle.

"One moment that will live with me is the site of a double-decker EYMS bus coming through the water to rescue people at the Country Park Inn," he said. "It looked like it was sailing on the Humber."

Up to 60 properties were flooded in the town, most of them along the foreshore.

Among those assessing the damage yesterday as the clean-up operation got under way was Jayne Stamp, a veteran of the 2007 floods when she lived in Wold Road, Hull.

"I used cushions and whatever else I could find to stop the water coming in, but it didn't work – the water came through the letterbox," she said.

"When the water suddenly started coming in, I was trying to outrun it and unplug all the electrical goods, but everything was ruined. My washing machine was smoking."

Meanwhile, a few miles east at Victoria Dock, a group of residents reflected on a narrow escape.

When dawn broke, a line of seaweed, mixed with debris from the Humber, could be seen just 6ft from homes.

Giant waves, caused by a spring tide and 90mph gusts, made easy work of flood defences along the river front.

Verity Clarkson and her fiancé Nick Adams, of Harbour Way, were alerted by a neighbour as water levels rose.

Miss Clarkson, 26, said: "One of our neighbours came from walking their dog and knocked on doors, telling people water was rising.

"It was very frightening. With each wave, the water seemed to move a foot closer to homes.

"We all came out with brooms and tried our best to sweep water away.

"It was a great show of community spirit."

Ron Guy, 46, of Axholme Close, said: "I've lived here 14 years and I've seen water splash over the wall but never like this.

"I thought it was exaggerated at first, but then I saw the water coming over. It got very close."

Rob Havell, 36, of Ha'penny Bridge Way, said: "It was surreal, standing on the front and realising you were standing on ground lower than sea level, with just a wall holding all that water back.

"I thought there was a real possibility homes would be flooded."

Derek Wade, 48, of Pilots Way, said water was "shin deep" along paths.

"Fortunately it was not going into people's houses," he said. "In 90 minutes, the water had gone."

Closer inland, dinghies were used to collect vulnerable residents from Hanover Housing.

They were taken to the Mercure Royal Hotel Hull and Holiday Inn Express in Ferensway, city centre.

Hull Mercure manager Luc Perquin said: "We lost power at the hotel about 7.15pm, which caused us a number of problems, but I was approached by a police officer who told me they needed to evacuate Hanover Court and asked me if we would be able to take in the residents and offer them a cup of tea or something. We were just glad to be able to help."

Having no electric, Mr Perquin unplugged the Christmas tree at Paragon Station, which backs on to the hotel, and used the power to plug in a spare kettle and make cups of tea and coffee for the elderly residents.

Blankets, pillows and dressing gowns were also supplied.

Mr Perquin said: "The great thing about Hull is that, when push comes to shove, everyone comes together, and that clearly happened last night. There were people in their pyjamas and with wet trousers from the flood water."

Sue Hickson-Marsay, of Hornsea Inshore Rescue, said crews deployed to Paull and Hull city centre.

She said: "We had to give vulnerable people oxygen – we are also first responders, and take some people to Hull Royal Infirmary because of the stress.

"It was so sad to see the homes flooding, especially so near Christmas."

Hull City Council's portfolio holder for emergency planning, Councillor John Hewitt, said: "The priority now is to get people back to some normality. There is still lots of work to do.

"Our staff are going around the worst-hit areas, knocking on doors to see what people require and how we can help.

"Our sweepers are also on the A63 to clear away any debris.

"There is a high tide tonight but we don't expect it to overtop the sea defences. However, we ask people to remain vigilant and keep an eye on their neighbours."

Efforts are being focussed on a model to improve flood defences, said Cllr Hewitt.

"We are working on a model to protect us from a one in 200-year flooding event," he said. "We are now just trying to sort out the costings.

"But what happened on Thursday night has shown how important this is.

"After 2007, we put in place a Gold Command system, which worked really well the other night.

"All the agencies worked incredibly well together and our staff were fantastic."

SOME of the greatest things can have the most humble beginnings.

This is certainly true of the bustling display put up by Stuart Broadley each year. His complex displays are a far cry from the simple string of fairly lights stuck to the wall with black electrical tape that he first used to decorate his east Hull home almost 20 years ago.

Mr Broadley, 47, moved into his Medina Road house when it was a council-owned property and he decorated it to cheer up the area.

He has since bought the house and has not only kept up the festive displays, but has made them bigger and brighter every time.

He said: "It all started when my two kids were little and I did it to brighten the place up a bit. One of them still lives at home and the other now has children of his own.

"I have two grandchildren, Charlie is two and Daisy is six weeks old. She is too young to notice it really but Charlie loves it. Every time he comes he just goes wild for it."

It is very much a family affair, with Mr Broadley's wife, Carol, doing her part to help.

He said: "She does all the inside. I don't touch the tree, she does that. I do all the outside.

"She sometimes will say, 'Oh, do we need any more decorations?' but if she's out and she sees something she knows I'll like, she picks it up for me. I'll make a joke like, 'Oh, I thought you said we had enough?' but I like it really, that she does that sort of thing."

With his decorations mainly consisting of lights, Mr Broadley tries to avoid looking at his electric bill for December.

"It's best not to look and then you don't realise how much it costs," he said.

It is a lot of work as well, he says, particularly getting all the wiring right and then hidden away neatly.

The cost and effort is worth it, he says, because of the happiness it brings the community.

He said: "I had a little girl come to my door last year. She knocked and said, 'I'm sorry to be cheeky, but could you put your lights on?'

"She was only about nine or ten so I said, 'Of course I can'. She came back and knocked again a few minutes later and offered me £3, asking me to put it towards the charity.

"I explained I don't do it for charity and said if she wanted to donate the money to a good cause she should but I don't want any money for it.

"Her face was completely lit up because I'd done it, she was so happy, that's why I do it."

There was one year when he decided not to put the lights up, but his neighbours rallied together, telling him he could not deprive their children and grandchildren of the annual display.

It does feel a bit like a responsibility, he said. The one thing he does wish is that other people would follow his lead and decorate their houses.

He said: "If I had a chance, I would decorate both sides of the street myself."

There is something about Christmas that appeals to Mr Broadley and its this passion for the festive season that keeps him going year after year.

He said: "I love Christmas, maybe it comes from when I had young kids, watching them and their faces when they were opening presents, I just loved it. Even though they have gotten older, I've carried on doing it. It's my favourite time of the year."

IS YOUR house a feast for festive eyes? Are your decorations attracting people from miles around? Take part in the Mail's competition to find the best-decorated home in East Yorkshire.

We will feature a selection of entries in the run-up to Christmas. A shortlist of the best homes will be drawn up and judged by staff at Coletta and Tyson and the Mail, with the winner unveiled on Christmas Eve.

To take part, email a photograph of your home, along with your name and a contact telephone number, to news@mailnewsmedianews@mailnewsmedia. co.uk. You can also contact us on our Facebook page.

THE Environment Agency has claimed Hull's tidal barrier helped save 19,000 homes in the city from flooding.

The combination of strong winds and extremely high tides caused a storm surge, which meant water in the Humber reached its highest levels since the tidal barrier was built.

Oliver Harmar, flood and coastal risk manager at the Environment Agency, said: "We operated the Hull tidal barrier on Thursday to protect properties from the worst storm and tidal surge seen on the east coast in decades.

"The tide reached the highest level ever recorded at the barrier since it was built in the 1970s.

"The water was measured at 5.8m, close to the top of the barrier at 6m.

"We are really pleased with how the barrier has performed. The barrier, together with the flood defences along the Humber, protected about 100,000 homes and businesses from flooding in Hull."

Most of Hull is at risk of flooding from the sea, as more than 90 per cent of the city is below high tide level.

The high surge tide could have cost more than £230m in direct flood damage if the barrier was not there to protect the city.

The tidal barrier is used about 12 times a year, at times when high tides are expected to funnel surges of water into the River Hull.

The massive 212-tonne barrier gate can be deployed within 30 minutes of a flood warning.

With climate change and rising sea levels it is expected that the barrier will be used more often.

The initial decision to build the Hull Tidal Barrier followed severe tidal flooding to Hull city centre in 1969.

There have been 33 severe tidal surges since the barrier was constructed.

Hull City Council's portfolio holder for emergency planning, John Hewitt, said: "Thank God for the tidal barrier.

"It really did its job this week and saved a huge part of the city from flooding."

THERE was a time, not so long ago, when Danny Graham was the goal-scoring prince of South Wales.

As the figurehead of Swansea City's attack during the 2011-12 campaign, his 14 goals fired the new kids on the Premier League block to 11th on their top-flight debut.

Graham was a match-winner against both Liverpool and Arsenal, his trademark celebration becoming synonymous with the Swans' meteoric rise to the top of the English game.

Yet when he returns to the Liberty Stadium with Hull City for the first time on Monday, the 28-year-old must wonder where it has all gone wrong.

Since leaving the Swans to sign for Sunderland in a £5.5m deal in January, Graham's fortunes have nosedived spectacularly.

After failing to score in 13 appearances for the Black Cats, the drought is still to meet its maker during another 13 games on loan with the Tigers. Graham's last goal, in fact, came in Swansea colours, all the way back on January 9. Spanning three clubs, the barren patch now stands at 30 games and counting.

A first reunion at the Liberty Stadium offers context for Graham's troubles through much of 2013.

Where Swansea fans will expect to welcome back the efficient predator that flew the nest in January, the travelling supporters have grown accustomed to seeing a number nine visibly drained of all confidence.

City boss Steve Bruce must decide whether to give Graham another chance against his former club after an ineffective performance at Arsenal on Wednesday, but warned his centre forward there is no quick fix.

"One thing that you can't deny in the Premier League is that the spotlight is always on you. For Danny going back to his old team, I'm sure that will be the case," said Bruce.

"You have to say that this year has not been the one he would have wanted. He'll know that better than anyone.

"The only person that can help him get through it is Danny and he has to stick with it mentally.

"All strikers have these spells. I can remember the greatest striker England has seen in the last few years, Alan Shearer, having a bad time before Euro 96. It can happen to the very best.

"The key is staying with it and working your way back up. That's not easy but there's no magic wand anyone can wave. The Premier League is so unforgiving it's frightening but he's done it here before."

The Liberty Stadium, home for 18 months, would be the perfect place for Graham to finally cast the monkey from his back, yet the natural end to his troubles appears further away than ever on current form.

While his opening games on loan with City saw the Gateshead-born striker causing problems for team-mates to exploit, his imprint left on recent outings has been significantly eclipsed by strike partner Yannick Sagbo. A knee injury, suffered in the 2-1 loss at Everton, hardly helped matters, but Bruce can see the toll of a long drought.

"This run he's on has affected him, I think that's there for all to see. You ask any goalscorer and they'll tell you they're at their best when they're full of confidence.

"We see Danny in training every day and he's a wonderful, naturally-good finisher. It's instinctive. He's a nice clean striker of the ball and he puts them away more often than not.

"But it's like any walk of life, you have to keep going. You pick yourself up and work hard.

"That's all he can do and hope that it turns around."

Graham's past makes his current run all the harder to fathom. At Carlisle, Watford and Swansea, he enjoyed five consecutive seasons in double figures, even proving himself at the highest level. His 12 Premier League goals made him the third highest scoring Englishman in the 2011-12 Premier League behind Wayne Rooney and Grant Holt.

If a chance does come at the Liberty Stadium on Monday, he will also have a point to prove to Swansea boss Michael Laudrup.

Graham's fall from grace coincided with Brendan Rodgers' departure in the summer of 2012, with the replacement seemingly unconvinced and holding an understandable preference for Spanish striker Michu.

Still Graham managed to score seven goals last season, including four in consecutive games around the turn of the year, before pushing for a move to Sunderland and passing up the chance to be a League Cup final winner against Bradford at Wembley.

Graham has previously insisted he has no regrets over leaving Swansea, but his return to the Liberty Stadium will clearly not be in the happy circumstances he would wish for.

"I've seen it happen to lots of players," added Bruce. "We felt bringing Danny from Sunderland to Hull might have done him the world of good and I thought he started off here very well.

"He had a few chances early on and, who knows, if he'd have stuck one away he might have gone on and scored a few.

"That can still happen. He's done it before so why can't he again?

"Swansea know all about what he can do in the Premier League. To score the goals he did there, you must have something about you. I'm sure he'll be desperate to get a goal down there."

• A1079 Beverley Road, near Mizzen Road (40mph)

• Spring Bank West (30mph)

• Clough Road (30mph)

• Stoneferry Road (30mph)

Safer Roads Humber

www.saferroadshumber.com

National speed limits

www.highwaycode.gov.uk

INCONSIDERATE drivers are causing traffic misery for commuters in Hull city centre by blocking a junction near Hull Paragon Interchange.

Bus drivers are complaining they cannot cross the eastbound carriageway of Ferensway from Brook Street to reach the station because cars are failing to keep the box junction clear.

Traffic rules state it is against the law to enter a box junction if the exit is not clear.

Peter Shipp, chairman and chief executive of EYMS, says it is increasingly becoming a problem for his drivers and he is now appealing to motorists to show consideration.

He said: "My message to motorists is please obey the rules of the road.

"Box junctions should be kept clear. If you can't clear them, you shouldn't move forward.

"It is causing some severe delays for us.

"Our buses are sitting in Brook Street and Prospect Street unable to cross Ferensway to reach the station."

As a result, some services have been 30 minutes late leaving the bus station, he said.

Mr Shipp said the reason for the delays had only recently come to light.

"We noticed some of our services have been delayed for no apparent reason," he said. "There were no accidents.

"But we have noticed the key box junction is being blocked by traffic.

"I can understand drivers may not want to let a bus cross in front of them.

"If they let one out, they might think they'll have to let out a stream of buses.

"But it's a box junction and it's there for a reason."

Many box junctions around the country, including in the capital, have cameras fitted to take evidence of the incorrect use of box junctions.

Anyone caught flouting the rules can expect a fixed penalty fine of about £100, although the amount varies.

Earlier this year, a delegation comprising Hull City Council staff and Mr Shipp travelled to Nottingham to see how its "bus friendly" infrastructure operates.

Cameras have been installed there to catch motorists who flout rules and use bus lanes illegally. If Hull adopts a similar model, Mr Shipp suggested the cameras could also be used to enforce box junctions, too.

However, in the short-term, Mr Shipp said he planned to discuss the Ferensway junction problem with Humberside Police.