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The repairs will take place between Pulman Street and Woodgate Road.

The scheme will last three weeks and involves reconstructing the carriageway beneath the Spring Bank West railway bridge, and carriageway resurfacing.

There will be a full road closure for five nights from Monday, September 1, from 7pm to 5.30am.

Diversion routes are via Calvert Lane, Anlaby Road and Walton Street.

Councillor Martin Mancey, portfolio holder for energy city and cabinet member for highways, said: "These are essential reconstruction works and, as with all such works, I have asked council officers to ensure that, working with the contractor, every effort is made to minimise disruption to motorists, local residents and businesses."

IT IS the culmination of years of hard work for thousands of pupils.

On Thursday, they will get their GCSE results and will be hoping for a bright future.

In Hull, the past few years have seen results rise far faster than the national average, as the city looked to shake off the education failings of the past.

Last year, for the first time, more than half of pupils in the city gained the benchmark of five A* to C grades including English and maths – a far cry from just 28 per cent in 2008.

It has been a steady and sustained rise in results and the hope was this would continue for years to come.

But this year, a change in the way results are to be recorded threatens to halt the rise.

Last September, Whitehall officials said they believed many pupils nationally were being speculatively entered for GCSEs too early.

They said schools were doing this to benefit their ranking in the league tables, rather than in the best interests of the pupils.

The new policy means pupils who have taken the exam more than once can keep their best grade and use it for job interviews and university applications.

Schools, however, can now only count the grade a pupil achieved in the first exam they entered.

Councillor Rosie Nicola, Hull City Council's portfolio holder with responsibility for education, says she does not see the point in the change, arguing a GCSE pass is a GCSE pass, no matter when the exam is taken.

She said: "When we passed the 50 per cent mark last year, that was really rewarding, especially as in 2008, in Hull, we were on 28 per cent. Now what has happened is they have changed the goalposts again."

The changes have proved controversial.

Those schools which use the early entry as a means of increasing achievement are either going to pay a heavy price in the league tables, or cut out the practice altogether.

Many heads are refusing to conform, believing the early entry system is a valuable tool to raise attainment.

But with league tables proving so crucial to schools, other headteachers have felt they have no option but to stop putting pupils forward for GCSEs early.

Cllr Nicola said: "Employers ask if you have a GCSE, but they don't ask if you had to resit it.

"If you have got the bit of paper, you have got the bit of paper. So there is a big dilemma now about what does that mean?

"Across the country, and in Hull, it might mean a dropping of the overall percentage and that will be a real shame, because it will look as though we are taking a step back, when that is not the case.

"With this new kink in the system I can't put a figure on the results and that is really frustrating.

"I don't think this is constructive or positive. I want kids to go on to GCSE success, to A-levels, apprenticeships and training courses feeling confident and feeling they have really proved their worth.

"I feel that sometimes, with all this stuff being changed all the time, it sends the message that the Government doesn't believe these children are doing as well as they are and that is horrible.

"There seems to be an obsession that schools are somehow going around the back to fiddle figures.

"In Hull, we have been really pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps over the past few years and then they go and change the goalposts.

"We have schools in parts of Hull that are producing results with young people that I think are gobsmacking.

"That can't be just a fiddle, that can't be the headteacher being good at massaging figures.

"These kids are getting a better start in life than in my day and what they must feel is whatever they do, it is not up to scratch."

Despite the uncertainty surrounding results this year, Cllr Nicola says she wants those pupils opening their results on Thursday to grab every opportunity they can.

"The future is looking really positive," she said. "There is going to be a lot of highly paid, skilled employment opportunities in this city in years to come. I want kids to really maximise the opportunities this city is going to offer them.

"We can't say to employers coming in 'you can only hire people from Hull'.

"What we can do is get young people seeing these opportunities and what it is they can do to get themselves on track to really make the most of these.

"We need to give children that sense of confidence and aspiration so, in the end, the people living in Hull are the ones getting those jobs because they are the best candidates."

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Ahmed Elmohamady believes another display of away-day grit can help Hull City to a first victory of the season on European soil later this week.

Buoyed by a hard-earned 1-0 opening day Premier League win at QPR, the Tigers will travel to Belgium for Thursday's Europa League clash against KSC Lokeren in great spirits.

It may have taken some steely defending and a large slice of luck to pick up three points at Loftus Road, but Elmohamady insists it has set just the right tone for the first-leg of their play-off round test against the Belgians.

He told the Mail: "When we play away we know we have to defend well as a team and defend our goal properly.

"The lads were class and we need to keep on working very, very hard.

"We worked very hard at QPR, especially in the last ten to 15 minutes, and everyone deserved the win.

"It was a difficult game, away at QPR, and the lads were class. It's a massive three points for us and a great start to the season."

Elmohamady's start to the new campaign could hardly have gone any better, having now played a key role in both of City's wins this season.

Although Tom Huddlestone's penalty miss meant the Tigers did not pick up an away win against AS Trencin on their European debut, the Egyptian flyer managed to come up with a vital header in the 2-1 home success to earn this week's trip to Belgium.

His persistence also paid off in West London at the weekend when winning the corner from which James Chester scored the match winner and the 26-year-old wing-back is eager for another taste of Europa League action.

"I'm feeling good after the two games in Europe and our third competitive game," he added. "I'm feeling very fit and ready to play again, it's no problem for me."

Hull FC captain Gareth Ellis is determined to finally fulfil his aims he set when joining the club by challenging for silverware.

The 33-year-old is keen to repay the faith shown by FC owner Adam Pearson since his arrival at the KC Stadium ahead of the 2013 campaign.

Initially tipped to be part of a Hull side challenging for honours, FC have since struggled in the 18 months the Castleford-born star has been plying his trade here.

With his side's play-off hopes all-but dead in the water, thanks to the 34-28 defeat at Bradford, Ellis is keen to place a marker down on next year as the season for success at Hull FC.

"I've failed on my assignment here to be part of the success of the club – winning silverware or putting us in a position to win silverware – and I don't think I've done that yet," he told the Mail.

"Two years ago I arrived with high expectations and looked forward to it. I spoke to the boss, and I still think he's passionate about the club going forward.

"Next year is another year and hopefully it can be a better one than this year."

Ellis has been one of the stand-out figures for Lee Radford's side this season, and displayed his value to the team when he scored twice in vain during the loss at relegated Bradford on Sunday afternoon.

Not a player to melt into obscurity when underperforming, Ellis realises neither he nor the team-mates have played to their maximum potential.

However, with three games to play, Ellis is confident he has shown progress.

"I know it's a team game and it's about what we achieve as a team, but I have been pretty pleased with how I've done this year," he said.

"Particularly off the back of the last two years with injuries and not playing much. It's been difficult.

"At that point, you're questioning your career so to come back and play some good rugby has been really pleasing for me.

"That's what gives me the desire and enthusiasm to be playing for as long as I can."

Determined to finish the season on a high note, if at all possible, Ellis wants to take a leaf out of the Bulls' book if they're to put smiles back on the fans' faces.

The Mail understands Ellis is willing to extend his stay at the club beyond 2015, with Hull also keen on a deal.

But the key for FC now, according to their captain, is to play with no expectations on their backs.

"The pressure is off. We've just got to play these next few games with no pressure," admitted Ellis.

"There's nobody within Hull FC that will be happy with our season.

"We spoke a few weeks ago saying that we had no chance of getting into the eight, but after the two wins you start to hold a glimmer of hope.

"Then for it all to fall away is where we are in terms of the season. It hurts me to say that.

"It's a very defeatist way to look at things, but we got what we deserved. I hope we can put a bit of hope back into the people of Hull."

A DISABLED father was burnt in the face when he was hit by a chemical fired from a water pistol. Richard Scerrie, 37, has been told by doctors he is lucky not to have been blinded in the attack, which happened in east Hull on Sunday.

He suffered burns to his cheeks, nose, mouth and hand when the chemical was fired from a car window.

"It was pure insanity," said Mr Scerrie.

"I had just been to the shop to get a drink because I was visiting my brother-in-law, and the next minute I was in agony."

Mr Scerrie was targeted by a gang in a car as he waited to cross the road in Southcoates Lane.

When the car pulled up, a man in the back pointed a pistol, similar to a Super Soaker, through the window and fired at Mr Scerrie.

He was left reeling from pain on the side of the road as he tried to wipe the liquid from his face.

Mr Scerrie said the gang then laughed at him before speeding off.

"I could see the group of lads in the car had been looking at me for a while as it got closer," he said.

"I then saw what looked like a pistol come out of the back window and then it soaked me.

"The taste was vile and I thought it was urine at first because of the weird taste.

"But then, almost immediately, my face and hands started to burn. I was in agony and wondered what the hell was going on.

"I am the sort of man that, if it was water or something, I would have taken the practical joke on the chin, but this was a far more malicious attack."

Mr Scerrie lives in Keyingham with his wife Carrie, 28, and two children. In recent months, he has suffered from two strokes and a heart attack, leaving him with difficulty walking.

He said: "Who in their right mind would spray something so vile in another person's face? It was completely random and I am convinced it was some form of acid.

"The pain was instant and agonising. I can't stop itching. The doctor told me if it had hit me in the eye I could have been blinded."

Police investigating the attack, which happened at around 5.15pm on Sunday, arrested a 17-year-old boy on Monday morning.

Officers are examining CCTV footage from the area as part of the inquiry.

A police statement said: "A 35-year-old man was waiting for a break in traffic to cross the road when a blue Peugeot 206 pulled up and a passenger sprayed the victim with a Super Soaker, in the face, before driving off at speed.

"The victim reported having burns to his forehead, around his eyes and fingers. He attended Hull Royal Infirmary for treatment.

"It was initially believed the water pistol contained a corrosive liquid.

"But the injuries were not consistent with the liquid being corrosive. We would best describe it as an unknown substance."

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THE father of a student mechanic killed in a motorbike crash is urging motorists to take care on the region's roads after a spike in the number of road deaths.

Nine people have already lost their lives on East Riding roads this year – one more than the total killed last year.

Adie Martin's 18-year-old son Daniel died in 2011 after a crash with a car in Runnymede Way, Kingswood.

Taxi driver Mr Martin, who hands out awareness stickers to passengers, said: "It is nine too many. To lose any life is a travesty.

"I can sympathise with what the family and friends of the nine people are going through.

"It is not just the person who has lost their life, but the impact it has on the family and friends of that person.

"My family have gone through hell in the past three years and I'm still going through hell. My son's death could have been avoided."

Four people died on East Riding roads in just over a week in April this year.

David Campbell, 64, died after he was involved in a crash on the A614 Boothferry Road at Goole on Monday.

Emily Morfitt, 19, of Beverley, died in the early hours of Mother's Day when her Ford Ka left the road near Token Spire Business Park in Woodmansey.

Father-of-one Simon Kirkman, 31, died at the scene when his blue Skoda Octavia taxi was in a collision with an HGV on the A164 in Willerby on April 1.

Adam Lavell, 25, died when his Kawasaki Ninja motorbike was involved in a crash with a Peugeot 5007 people carrier on B1230, a mile from Walkington, on April 5.

Since his son's death, Mr Martin has handed out stickers that promote the message that riders are not anonymous people hidden away under a crash helmet, but people loved by their family and friends.

He said: "I've handed out hundreds of stickers. People in the taxi ask about it and ask who Danny was.

"I just want to make car drivers aware of motorcyclists and pedal cyclists and just urge them to take more care on the roads.

"I don't think roads in the East Riding are that dangerous. People need to take more care."

Humberside Police said this year is not the highest figure to date for fatalities on East Riding roads, although it is comparatively high when set against the past two years' figures.

Last year, there were eight fatalities, while in 2012 there were 14.

Inspector Mark Hughes, of Humberside Police's roads policing team, said: "Although it is always disappointing to see a rise in the number of fatal casualties, the overall trend for road traffic collisions where people are seriously injured is positive.

"Fortunately, fatal road traffic collisions occur rarely. However, it is impossible to predict when they will occur.

"This year's fatalities do not form any pattern and on many occasions there is a fine line between whether a casualty dies or survives.

"Fortunately, the majority of them do survive and eventually recover."

Hull is on track to record a year-on-year reduction in road deaths.

So far this year, only one person has died on the city's roads, compared with seven last year.

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Police are appealing for witnesses after ten cars were damaged outside Haltemprice Leisure Centre in Willerby.

PC Andy White, of the Willerby, Kirk Ella and Anlaby neighbourhood policing team, said the vandalism caused thousands of pounds worth of damage.

He said: "It looks as though someone ran a sharp metal object across all the cars parked in that car park. It's just mindless damage.

"I'm almost certain the damage was caused by youths from the nearby skate park as all the cars that were damaged were all lined up in one place next to the park.

"Unfortunately, because of maintenance work taking place in the street, the CCTV cameras we have installed in the area did not capture the incident.

"What I am hoping is that an adult or another child will know who has done this and come forward."

The damage to the cars took place on Tuesday, August 12, between 12.30pm and 4.30pm.

Anyone who might have information about the attack should call PC White directly on 01482 307213.

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Christopher Clark, 43, of Westgate, Hornsea, was given six points on his licence for exceeding the 30mph speed limit and for failing to give information relating to the identity of the driver. He was fined £600 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

Rimas Serelis, 51, of Marshall Street, west Hull, was six points on her licence for driving without insurance and failing to comply with a traffic sign. She was also fined £600 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

Alan Stevens, 50, of Ebor Close, east Hull, was given three points on his licence for driving without due care and attention. He was also fined £200 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Cengiz Tas, 39, of Eastbourne Road, Hornsea, was given six points on his licence for driving without insurance. He was also fined £600 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Jason Wallace, 43, of Wykeham Close, Driffield, was given three points on his licence for exceeding the 30mph speed limit and failing to give information relating to the driver. He was also fined £70 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Graeme Buffrey, 32, of Oaklands, Gilberdyke, was given three points on his licence for driving without due care and attention and for failing to comply with a traffic sign. He was also fined £113 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

David Eagle, 47, of Estcourt Street, east Hull, was given six points on his licence for driving without insurance. He was also fined £110 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Ryan Gibbins, 20, of Cadeleigh Close, Bransholme, was given six points on his licence for riding an unregistered motorbike, without insurance or test certificate and without wearing a helmet. He was also fined £110 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Tammy George, 36, of Douglas Road, east Hull, was given six points on her licence for driving without insurance. She was also fined £400 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £40 victim surcharge.

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A football match has been organised in memory of murdered Steven Herbert. Friends of Mr Herbert, who was killed on New Year's Day, have pulled together his old team-mates for a special match in his honour.

Mike Butler, 35, attended the former William Gee School, in west Hull, with Mr Herbert.

He says his friend would have loved the idea of former team-mates getting back together.

Mr Butler said: "I think he would have loved it. He would want to be a part of it, that's why we wanted to do something like this.

"Steven was a good player and when we were at school we won everything there was going.

"Myself and a couple of other friends were talking about doing something and we came up with the idea of getting the old football teams back together.

"Steven used to play for North Hull Tigers and I played for Hessle Sporting Club, but we both played on the school team."

Mike, along with friends Bobby Turay and Matty Christon, both 35, have managed to contact all but one of the players from the two teams.

The match will take place on Sunday, September 28, at 1pm at Dene Park Sports and Social Club in north Hull.

Entry for spectators will cost £2 and all proceeds will go to the British Heart Foundation.

So far, more than 120 people have said they will attend.

Mr Herbert, 34, a chef at Nu Bar, in Willerby, was punched and kicked to death after trying to break up a fight as he walked to a party in the early hours of January 1.

He suffered 12 injuries to his face and head, including a "most extreme" injury to his brain stem.

He died that morning in Hull Royal Infirmary.

Samuel Jordan, 22, Tiffany Clark, 24, and Soul Humphries, 22, are serving life sentences after being convicted of Mr Herbert's murder last month.

Jordan must serve a minimum of 15 years before being eligible for parole, while mother-of-one Clark must serve 14 years and Humphries 13-and-a-half years.

Visit the Steven Herbert Cup Facebook page for further information.

GRAPHIC: Premier League Team of the Week - Gameweek 1 pic.twitter.com/ax2Lbbib0X

— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) August 19, 2014

A FORMER carer who stole £10,000 from an elderly woman says she is too depressed to do unpaid work.

Sophie Bruce, 25, claims she has been attacked after she was convicted of theft in February. Vandals have also painted the word "thief" on her car.

She admitted stealing £10,255 from Ruth Owen by taking her bank card and withdrawing up to £300 a time. Bruce used the cash to pay off her blackmailing ex-lover, who was threatening to tell her husband of their affair.

Bruce apologised and pledged to pay back "every penny" after she was convicted.

However, the mother of two has now asked Hull Crown Court to revoke the 200 hours of unpaid work she was ordered to complete. The court heard she had managed to complete just 14 hours in six months.

Recorder Nicholas Lumley QC had sentenced her to a year in prison, suspended for two years, with the unpaid work forming part of the order.

Defending Bruce, Wendy Foster said: "Her mental health difficulties pre-date this offence but have deteriorated since the sentence was imposed.

"The defendant, since being sentenced, has been assaulted outside the work placement, causing her to break her arm, and she has had paint thrown on her car with 'thief' written across it."

Ms Foster said her husband had also been attacked at their home in Long Riston and they are now hoping to leave the area.

"She now wants to move from the area," said Ms Foster.

"It is so bad it is making her mental health worse.

"She was trying to put up with the assaults and reaction from the community because in her mind she needed to be punished, but when it is affecting her home and children are present, they don't see any other option than to move at the moment."

Mr Lumley originally suspended the sentence after hearing her three-year-old son had a potentially life-threatening tumour in his bowel that needed removing in April.

In the six months since she was sentenced, she has completed just 14 hours of the unpaid work and doctors agree she is too ill to carry on.

Prosecuting, Julia Baggs said the probation service had been "lenient" on Bruce by accepting 19 out of 26 cancellations of the unpaid work appointments. She was given a warning for one missed appointment.

Judge Michael Mettyear adjourned the case for two weeks while medical reports are prepared.

He said: "This was a very serious offence. You are lucky not to be sent to prison in the first place for such a serious breach of trust.

"The judge told you, you needed to be punished and included some unpaid work in the community. You have not done that work.

"I am not going to discuss it now without there being evidence to support the order."

THE devastated family of "hit-and-run" victim Lisa Lyons is urging the driver who knocked her down to come forward.

The 31-year-old was on her way to visit her grandmother when she was hit in Marfleet Lane, east Hull, last Wednesday.

The male driver got out of a blue Volkswagen Golf to check on the woman, before allegedly running away from the scene.

After fighting for her life in a coma, Lisa is now recovering in Hull Royal Infirmary.

Her brother Dean Lyons is calling on the motorist to do the right thing and contact police.

"We are shocked by what happened to our sister and we urge the man to come forward and speak to police," he said.

"Lisa is lying in a hospital bed and has multiple injuries. We are deeply saddened and it has been a truly tough time for everyone concerned.

"We are a tight family in a tight community and some- thing like this shocks everyone."

Officers arrested two men, both aged 28, before releasing them on police bail until October.

Lisa has suffered a broken leg and a suspected fractured skull.

However, early fears of a bleed on the brain have now been ruled out.

Dean said: "Lisa is getting there day by day and we are so proud of her recovery.

"She is badly bruised and she cannot yet open her right eye, but progress is being made all the time.

"She is eating through a straw and is able to say the odd word or two. She is a long way from her normal self, but she is showing remarkable resilience."

Lisa is well known on the Preston Road estate for her pink and white trolley.

She was hit outside Marfleet Lane Surgery, which is about 200 yards from where her father and stepmother live.

The collision happened at 4.45pm.

Dean thanked hundreds of well-wishers for their support and kind words.

He said: "The response from people across Hull, especially in our own community, has been amazing.

"From me, my family and, of course, Lisa, we would like to thank all of those people who have given us this brilliant support.

"I know Lisa is very grateful.

"She is a quiet, polite and down-to-earth individual and doesn't deserve getting tangled up in something like this."

Lisa, who lives with her mother in Horbury Avenue, will undergo several tests this week that will determine the length of her stay in hospital.

Marfleet Lane resident Anne McGill, 71, said: "It is really pleasing to hear that Lisa is pulling through. We knew she would.

"She is one of the estate's nice girls."

Humberside Police are still seeking witnesses to the collision. Call 101, quoting log number 501.

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THE mother of an East Yorkshire man killed in Iraq believes Britain should not be dragged into another war.

It emerged yesterday that soldiers from 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (2 Yorks) had been sent to the besieged Kurdish capital Irbil in Iraq to prepare the ground for a rescue mission.

The infantry unit, which recruits heavily from Hull and the East Riding, spent 24 hours securing the ground ahead of a possible mission to evacuate refugees.

Islamic State (IS) militants are sweeping across northern and central Iraq, taking Mosul and threatening Baghdad and Irbil, while reportedly carrying out atrocities.

Karl Saville, 33, was killed in an explosion during the Iraq war, on May 7, 2006, while working as a security guard near Baghdad.

His mother, Gwen Saville, of Hessle, said: "It's best we keep clear of wars in foreign countries.

"It's been eight years now since I lost my son. I am coping OK. My son, Mark, is really supportive.

"But anniversaries and things like this in the news bring it all back."

Prime Minister David Cameron says, despite troops being sent in, Britain will not be getting involved in another war in Iraq.

He said: "We are not going to be putting boots on the ground.

"We are not going to be sending in the British Army."

His assertions seem at odds with rhetoric from Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, who earlier warned the UK could be involved in military missions in Iraq for "weeks and months" to come.

Mr Fallon told personnel on a visit to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, where 2 YORKS are currently based, that the UK's role had expanded beyond the original humanitarian mission.

He told service members: "There may well now be, in the next few weeks and months, other ways that we may need to help save life and protect people and we are going to need all of you again and the surveillance you are able to give us.

"This is not simply a humanitarian mission. We and other countries in Europe are determined to do what we can to help the government of Iraq combat this new and very extreme form of terrorism."

RAF aircraft are conducting missions to gather intelligence about movements of Islamic State militants.

Mr Fallon confirmed the UK had already transported ammunition and arms supplied by other countries to resupply Kurdish forces.

2nd Battalion is the Army's "theatre reserve battalion". Traditionally, this back-up force, which works on a rotation basis, has been used to bolster numbers in Afghanistan during flare-ups.

However, it stands ready to deploy anywhere in the Middle East at short notice.

Last year, The Yorkshire Regiment's 1st Battalion became the 2nd Battalion.

Prior to 2006, it was the Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire.

The battalion deployed for a six-month tour of duty in 2010-11. It also served in Iraq in 2006-2007.

Private Luke Simpson, 21, of Howden, was killed near Basra, Iraq, on February 9, 2007, when his armoured Snatch Land Rover was hit by a roadside bomb.

Travellers who "forced" their way on to playing fields in Hessle have now left.

About 15 caravans moved on to King George V playing fields, off Boothferry Road last Tuesday night.

Hessle Sporting football club, which plays its games on the fields, had to suspend fixtures and move training to Sirius Academy.

A court hearing was due to take pace on Thursday, when East Riding Council was expected to secure a possession order to move the group on.

However, residents say the travellers have now left the site.

Ayshea Simpkin, who lives nearby in Beverley Road, said: "They started moving off at about 4.30pm yesterday and they have now all pretty much gone.

"There is some rubbish left but not as much as I expected. However, we are concerned about the human waste.

"It is a relief to see them go and, once the fields have been cleaned, the children can go on and play again."

Travellers drove on to the site while the gate was open to allow youngsters to leave after football training. It was the first time travellers had pitched up on the playing fields.

TUCKED away at the far end of Humber Street is one of Hull's lesser-known tourism gems.

Dinostar is in the shadow if its better-known and larger attraction The Deep but, in its own way, the dinosaur museum has been equally as successful.

The dinosaur-themed attraction is celebrating its tenth birthday this year.

Run by husband and wife team Steve and Michelle Plater, Dinostar has survived against the odds.

Running the new attraction was something of a career change for Steve.

He said: "Just over ten years ago, I was working for an IT company and was made redundant.

"At that time they were saying tourism was the only viable industry in Hull. The Deep had just opened and the council's museums were doing well.

"I thought about opening my own attraction.

"I had always had an interest in dinosaurs and they are a constant interest.

"If you were to open a Harry Potter attraction, interest could wane over the years. But there are always new dinosaur finds and kids continue to be interested in them."

Mr Plater, 52, took a gamble on the up-and-coming Humber Street location.

He said: "I was looking for some premises, but anything in the city centre costs the earth.

"I found these premises in Humber Street and, at the time, there were plans to transform the area.

"It seemed ideal but then the recession hit. It looked as if the gamble would backfire, but now it might finally pay off.

"I am naturally optimistic. If I wasn't, we would have closed a long time ago.

"There have been a number of false dawns down Humber Street, but there are now things happening and more quickly."

Dinostar is not a case of style over substance. Instead it relies on an intimate and folksy charm, while allowing children to interact with all the displays.

Nowhere will you see a "do not touch" sign.

Mr Plater said: "We aim to make it family-friendly and let the kids touch any of the exhibits they like, where possible.

"Museums and attractions have to be interactive. People can learn so much from television and the internet, so you have to be able to offer them something tangible.

"The attraction is that dinosaurs are scary, but they have all died so they can't get you."

However, funding has limited what Dinostar can offer.

Mr Plater said: "It's pretty much just my wife and I who run it.

"We don't get any financial support from the council, although it provides help in other respects.

"Being the size we are, we have avoided technology and tried to keep things simple.

"You need to be sure about what people want to see. We have to have a T-Rex model for instance. It is what visitors expect."

Being relatively small and tucked away at the end of the street has made it difficult to advertise the attraction.

Mr Plater said: "Spreading the word has been the hardest thing. We can't afford television adverts and don't have a marketing budget."

Mr Plater, of Cottingham, relies on strong contacts to purchase his exhibits.

He said: "There is a big market for fossils. We won't get the complete skeletons because they will go to the top museums or universities. But getting a dinosaur leg or skull is still very exciting for us.

"We also get replicas and there are companies out there who make models."

Mr Plater feels Dinostar fills a gap in the market.

He said: "There aren't many dinosaur museums around and we are the only dedicated dinosaur museum in Yorkshire.

"People come here from all over the country because there are so few such places."

During the winter, the attraction is only open on Sundays, but Steve wants to change this.

He said: "Long-term, we want to open seven days a week all year. But we need enough people walking past for that to happen.

"We have some great ideas, but they are some way down the line."

Next year could be a bumper one for Dinostar, thanks to the latest Jurassic Park movie Jurassic World.

Mr Plater said: "The new Jurassic Park movie will be huge and a new blockbuster is always a good thing for a business like ours. It is almost certain to spark new interest in dinosaurs."

Dinostar has acquired a number of props from the popular BBC Walking With Dinosaurs and Walking With Beasts series.

Mr Plater said: "In the autumn, we will have the head of a huge woolly rhino from the Walking With Beasts series. We are hoping there will be moving parts to it as well."

Despite the attraction's struggles over the years, Mr Plater looks back with satisfaction at his achievements.

"I am proud of what we have achieved over the years," he said.

"A lot small businesses fold within two years, but we are still going strong after ten.

"We have double the number of visitors now than when we started."

• Dinostar website