HULL KR coach Craig Sandercock praised his side's defensive qualities for coming from behind to beat Wigan 32-10.

Rovers fell behind 10-0 in the first 10 minutes of their pre-season friendly clash at MS3 Craven Park, but Sandercock's side stood firm to shut the Warriors out for the remaining 70 minutes.

That achievement was made all the more impressive given the number of changes Rovers made when using all 24 players named in their match-day squad.

While Sandercock was pleased with the result and performance, he is not getting carried away with the win over a very young and fairly inexperienced Wigan side.

"The last 60 minutes was very impressive and we controlled the game," Sandercock said.

"The slow start showed a lot of players were a bit rusty, which was to be expected, but overall I'm reasonably pleased.

"We took out some of our senior players at half-time but they didn't concede a point after going 10-0 down.

"However, Wigan were fielding their second string side so it's nothing to get too excited about."

Whilst the Warriors fielded some unknown players, Sandercock also used the game to introduce academy player Craig Smith into his squad as a reward for his hard work in the youth team.

Leading 28-10, Sandercock gave the youngster his chance and has predicted a bright future for him and the other kids coming through the ranks.

"Craig is part of the future of this great club, along with Sonny Esslemont, Matty Beharrell and players like that," he explained.

"They are only 17 and 18 years old and it was good to see Craig get a run-out. He now knows what first- grade rugby is all about and how quick and fast it is."

Watched by a crowd of 3,096 fans, Rovers played smarter than Wigan and conceded fewer penalties.

One area that was noticeable when it came to referee Richard Silverwood's controlling of the game was the strictness in which the play-the ball was played.

Wigan were penalised a lot more than Rovers, with Sandercock pleased to see his player implement the new interpretation of the rule.

"We were tipped off before the game that referees were going to do that," he said. "It was discussed at the most recent head coaches meeting and the referee mentioned it again before the game.

"We made it quite clear to our players that referees are going to clamp down on the play-the-ball.

"So, they made sure they played the ball with their foot."

AN emotional Kirk Yeaman paid tribute to the support of the Hull FC fans before declaring the future of their club in safe hands.

The 29-year-old centre celebrated a testimonial victory as Hull beat Castleford Tigers 26-6 in an encouraging display at the KC Stadium.

Cheered on by 5,577 fans who came to show their support for the Hull-born star, Hull fielded separate sides in each half.

Starting the game in a youthful Hull team, which included ex-Hull KR youngster Jack Latus, Yeaman was full of praise after helping them to win the half 10-6.

"I thought the young lads in the first half were great and it shows the progress this club is making and how we are definitely heading in the right direction with all the youngsters coming through," he told the Mail.

"They did themselves and the club proud. It is exciting to have this competition for places. In the past we've had to bring in players on loan, but I don't see why we'd have that need anymore because we showed we've got the depth to our squad now to cope with whatever comes our way.

"Last season was a big learning curve for some like Ben Crooks and Josh Bowden, but they'll be a lot better and they are ready for Super League.

"We have the coaching staff and the players now to really do something and I'm confident in the next couple of years we can win trophies."

The ease of Hull's victory offered promise, with Yeaman admitting his excitement regarding the future having agreed a new contract to take him until the end of 2015.

Turning the focus away from the future to the present, the centre says his testimonial was an occasion he'll never forget.

"It was an emotional day, not just for me but for all my family as well," he said.

"We have been counting down to this day for a long time now and I really enjoyed it. I'm over the moon with the support the fans gave me at the game and throughout my testimonial. I appreciate every single person that turned up for me."

FIRE crews had to carry out a dramatic rescue after a worker fell from scaffolding into a dry dock in Hull.

The man, 40, was working at a compound, off Lime Street in east Hull when the accident happened.

It is unclear how far the man fell but firefighters had to carry out a delicate operation to rescue the victim.

The man had been carrying out work on the scaffolding in a dry dock next to the River Hull at about 1pm on Saturday when he fell.

It is not know what company he was working for at the time of the accident.

Firefighters had to use a basket stretcher with rope rescue equipment to bring him back up.

A spokesman for Humberside Fire and Rescue Service said: "Our crews assisted paramedics so the man could be treated and taken to hospital.

"We had to use a system of ropes to bring him up.

"We are not sure what his condition is but he was breathing and conscious when we got him back up.

"After initial treatment and oxygen therapy, he was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary."

Lime Street, which runs along the River Hull, is home to a series of engineering, construction, joinery and scrapyard compounds.

A worker based nearby was having a break when the fire engines arrived.

He said: "I saw the fire engines parked up the street and thought something serious must have happened. I didn't know the guy but I hope he is ok."

The victim remains in Hull Royal where his condition is unknown.

Rope rescue is a technical rescue that involves the use of static nylon ropes and the use mechanical hauling systems and other specialist equipment to reach victims and safely recover them.

Basket stretchers are used to haul casualties up after they have fallen.

They are particularly good at protecting the victim from bumps and knocks during rescue.

• Updates from emergency services in Hull and East Yorkshire

• Updates from emergency services in Hull and East Yorkshire

A COMPANY director who sexually assaulted two women in his factory has been ordered to pay compensation.

Managing director Neil Beaumont Oliver, 59, preyed on the women at Arrow Industrial Ltd in east Hull.

Oliver, of North Ferriby, was convicted by a jury of sexual assault last October and has now pleaded guilty to four more indecent assaults after another victim read about the trial in the Mail.

Then a teenager, she was sexually assaulted by Oliver on a daily basis when she worked for the company, Hull Crown Court heard.

Judge Mark Bury said: "This has come about due to publicity from this case.

"The victim in the trial was at first unsure whether to report it to the police because she was fearful she might not be believed but now she has the comfort of knowing a jury believed her.

"It appears this has also led to the new complaint by this young lady."

Oliver targeted both women in his factory, kissing them, groping them and slapping their bottoms.

During the trial, Oliver was also accused of attacking another woman during a job interview in 2007, later texting her to say she had the job. The woman went to the police but decided not to press charges.

The latest victim said she had not reported the abuse earlier because she feared no one would believe her.

Oliver has been given a two-year community order and ordered to pay £500 compensation.

He has been placed on the sex offenders register for five years.

Judge Bury told Oliver: "What you did was unacceptable in the modern day. You really couldn't complain if I sent you to prison but it would not be for very long and it seems to me a community order will be a significant punishment.

"You will have to go to meetings and discuss your offending and how to behave in the future."

The judge warned Oliver he will face prison if he continues to prey on women.

"You have to learn to control your urges in a civilised society as it is unacceptable," Judge Bury said.

Oliver was brought to justice last year after attacking the married woman in the factory.

The court heard Oliver targeted her, hugging her and groping her, she left the factory in tears, to return home and tell her husband.

She said: "I was in shock. The first thing that came into my head was 'Did he just do that to me, did he just touch me?'"

Her husband went to the factory, which manufactures steel doors, and assaulted Oliver after he apologised for his behaviour.

When the jury returned its guilty verdict, the woman wept, telling police: "I just wanted to make a difference to other women."

THE new police and crime commissioner has refused to take Humberside Police to task over the disappearance of student Russell Bohling.

The family of the teenager, who disappeared almost three years ago, asked Matthew Grove to investigate the conduct of officers involved in the case.

Russell was 18 when he disappeared on March 2, 2010, after he left the family home in West Ella for Bishop Burton College.

His Renault Clio was found at Bempton Cliffs the next day.

Russell's dad Roger asked Mr Grove to look into statements made shortly after Russell's disappearance which claim the RAF Bunker close to Bempton Cliffs had been thoroughly searched.

Mr Bohling has since received correspondence from Humberside Fire and Rescue Service that suggests only heat-sensitive cameras and torches were used, which would be ineffective in the search for a body, while flooded areas were not pumped out and searched.

Mr Bohling said: "I asked Mr Grove to look into the press statements made, which I feel were misleading.

"I put it to Mr Grove that it is his duty to scrutinise the performance of the officers through the chief constable and hold him to account.

"He hasn't answered the questions I asked.

"This isn't operational but a matter of public confidence in the police."

In a letter to Mr Bohling, Mr Grove said: "To suggest a commissioner would be in a position to hold a chief constable to account for decisions as to which buildings to search in an operation runs counter to the whole concept of the separation of responsibilities between a commissioner and chief constable and completely negates the operational independence of the latter.

"Although I have no power to intervene in these issues, a briefing has been provided to me as to Russell's case."

But Mr Bohling believes this raises questions over the role of the police commissioner.

He said: "I don't feel his response is good enough and I'm not sure he is doing the job the electorate thought he would be doing."

The family has been heavily critical of the way the police have handled the case throughout.

They believe Russell was murdered but the police have always treated it as a missing person case.

The pool at Woodford Leisure Centre has been closed to swimmers this morning because of a problem with its boiler.

Hull City Council expects the pool to re-open at noon once the problem has been fixed. We'll keep you posted.

THE EMERGENCY services are advising drivers to take care if snow hits East Yorkshire this afternoon.
The Met Office is predicting snowfall this afternoon.
A Humberside Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "At the moment it is business as usual and we aren't expecting any major disruption.
"We obviously work closely with all of the other agencies involved and if the weather does take a turn for the worse we do have resilience plans in place.
"The advice we'd give is to always drive to the conditions, allow extra time and avoid making unnecessary journeys."

The Government and farmers must do more to unlock the potential of marginal areas in the UK, it has been claimed.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) specialist EnviTec Biogas UK believes marginal grassland represents an opportunity for farmers to increase revenues significantly.

But the "pointless" food versus energy debate and unambitious biogas targets are hampering farmers' ability to tap into income from AD plants or the production of AD plant feedstocks.

And EnviTec managing director Mike McLaughlin is urging politicians and farming leaders to look at the bigger picture to make the most of marginal areas.

Mr McLaughlin said: "If you do the maths, you realise we're in danger of missing a trick.

"A significant area of land in the UK – especially in Scotland, the North of England and Wales– is only suitable for grass, so it seems crazy not to explore that crop's huge potential.

"Growing grass to feed AD plants is a real opportunity for some farmers to increase revenues and for the politicians to introduce more stretching biogas targets. It also addresses some of the environmental impacts of current farming practice.

"The crop is already there and the machinery to deal with the crop is already there. In the right circumstances we can make better use of marginal land, add a new revenue stream to the farm, control energy prices, comply with NVZ legislation and improve land quality – all at the same time."

A tonne of grass contains around 1,100kWHr of primary energy, which means about 4,800tonnes a year would be enough to feed a biogas plant producing 250kW of electrical energy.

That electricity can be used on the farm or exported to the grid. If the existing farm enterprise also uses heat, then up to 100kW of hot water can also be supplied from the cooling system on the biogas plant CHP.

The digestate produced by the AD plant, which is almost odourless slurry, is returned to the land as a fertiliser and soil conditioner. The avoided cost of fertiliser and the improved soil condition dramatically reduces the cost of production.

Mr McLaughlin said: "Recycling the N, P and K and remaining dry matter back onto the land improves productivity, land quality and land values. This process is already used for land reclamation.

"But to unlock this value we need to take a step back so we see the wood, not the trees."

Current Government agricultural policy aims to deliver 'sustainable intensification', but land use intensity has decreased over the last 20 years because of a lack of profitability in farming.

Mr McLaughlin added: "On-farm biogas production helps deal with the profitability issue and it helps the Government meet its renewable and environmental obligations.

"The Government should be looking at the costs, efficiencies and potential revenue streams in the whole energy production cycle and using that to inform much more challenging biogas targets.

"It seems to me the whole food versus energy debate is pointless. Food is just another form of energy, and the area given over to energy crops will never be massive – after 10 years of subsidies in Germany, it's still only 3 per cent.

"And do we really want to have land being underused? I don't think so."

DEFRA strategy for AD aims to produce between 3 and 5TWhrs a year from biogas in the UK.

EnviTec Biogas UK plans, builds and services anaerobic digestion biogas plants on farms across the country.

Driffield School is to close at 2pm today (Mon) because of the threat of snow.

Head teacher Simon Jones took the decision  after the Met Office issued an amber warning for heavy snow across the region.

The school has 18 buses transporting approximately 900 students across a wide ranging catchment area. Most staff live outside the catchment area.

Mr Jones said: "Passenger Services need time to organise the early pick up and on balance I believe this is the most sensible course of action given our duty of care for students and staff.

"We do have 23 students sitting A Level exams during the afternoon. These will go ahead as normal but with an earlier start if possible."

A meeting to hear the latest developments on one of the biggest planning applications Brough has ever seen will take place this Friday, January 18.
The proposed £100 million Brough South development, a 123-acre site south of the main Hull to Doncaster railway line in the town, was given outline planning approval, subject to highways issues, by East Riding of Yorkshire Council back in April this year.
The meeting organised by the Brough South Liaison Committee will take place at the Brough Community Centre, within the Petuaria Centre at 7.30pm for any interested residents to attend, to hear the latest developments.
The proposals of the scheme, by a consortium led by the Horncastle Group, includes up to 750 new homes, a primary school, a major new food store, new health facilities, a business park, a hotel and pub and a petrol station.
Part of the site includes a section of existing runway at the adjacent BAE Systems factory.
The scheme also features plans for a new road bridge over the railway line, the completion of the Brough relief road and junction improvement to the A63.
The scheme has caused controversy amongst many councillors and residents who believe the town is too small to cope with the development.

A MAN who stabbed a takeaway worker in the face with a plastic fork is being hunted by detectives.

A CCTV image of the gang believed to be involved in the attack is included in the Mail's latest Caught On Camera appeal.

The victim was assaulted after he asked a group of three men to leave the West Hull Continental takeaway in Hessle Road.

One of the men punched the worker in the face while still holding the fork.

Detective Constable Justin Marrow, from the city's priority crime team, said: "This was a nasty attack and the victim was lucky to have not been seriously hurt.

"This is a really good image so we hope to identify the people who are responsible for it."

The victim suffered a cut to his eye after the assault, which happened last month.

DC Marrow said: "The men went into the takeaway and two of them ordered some chips.

"There was a heated discussion between the men and the staff member, who tried to usher them out of the shop.

"One of them punched the man in the face. He still had the fork in his hand, which stabbed the man near his eye."

Police are also hoping to identify a man who is suspected of knocking a stranger unconscious on a bus.

When the victim regained consciousness, he realised his wallet was missing.

The assault happened as the victim was sitting on board a bus travelling along Bodmin Road, Bransholme, last month.

DC Marrow said: "The victim asked one of the other passengers to open a window. The suspect then closed the window and there was a verbal altercation between him and the victim.

"He was then assaulted and blacked out for a short period of time. When he got off the bus, he staggered home, which is when he realised his wallet was missing.

"This was a nasty and unprovoked assault."

The victim suffered two black eyes.

Also wanted is a man who punched a woman in the face on the dancefloor of Soho Bar in Posterngate, city centre, after she intervened when he slapped another woman.

Two women who stole £680 from the Original Wholesale Liquor Store in Beverley Road, city centre, are also being sought.

DC Marrow said: "We have some really clear images this time, so I am hopeful several of these people will be identified.

"I want Mail readers to take a look at these pictures because we need their assistance to identify these people who can help us with our inquiries.

"Without the public helping us to identify these people, these crimes could remain undetected and unsolved."

Do you recognise any of the people pictured here? If so, e-mail ddivprioritycrimeteam@humberside.pnn.police. uk or call 01482 578014, quoting the image reference or crime number. Crimestoppers can also be reached anonymously by calling 0800 555111.

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