Detectives want to speak to a man after a woman was sexually attacked in the street.

The victim was on her own after she lost her friends during a night out.

She had been to a few bars by herself when she started talking to an unknown man outside the Star and Garter pub in Portland Street, Hull city centre.

The man is one of 13 people police want to trace in this month's edition of Caught on Camera.

Detective Constable Justin Marrow, of Hull's priority crime team, said: "The victim was on a night out and became separated from her friends and visited a few public houses on her own.

"She was standing outside the Star and Garter public house and became engaged in conversation by an unknown male.

"The police would like to talk to the male pictured in order to assist them with their enquiries."

The assault happened at 4.40am on Saturday, August 2.

Police are also hoping members of the public can identify a man who coerced an elderly man, who suffers from dementia, into handing over £280 cash.

The suspect, pictured in ref 306, was in The Griffin, in Anlaby Road, west Hull, on July 30, when he stated talking to the victim.

Before long, the elderly man had handed over a wad of cash to the man in exchange for fake money.

Det Con Marrow said: "This was a cruel crime against a vulnerable person.

"The elderly victim, who suffers from dementia, was in the public house and was approached by an unknown male who engaged him in conversation.

"The victim was subsequently coerced into parting with his money to purchase counterfeit notes."

Detectives have also released images of a man who headbutted a security guard in Sainsbury's, in Princes Avenue, after shop assistants refused to serve him alcohol.

Two women are also wanted for pretending to help a drunk man who had fallen off his bike, only to steal his rucksack and his bicycle.

A man is wanted for common assault and battery after getting out of his car and on to a parked bus and head- butting the driver.

Det Con Marrow said: "We need the help of Mail readers to try to find out who is responsible for these crimes, which may otherwise go unsolved.

"If anybody recognises somebody in the pictures, I would ask that they get in touch with police."

Do you recognise any of the people pictured here? If so, email ddivprioritycrimeteam@humberside.pnn.police.uk or call 01482 340604, quoting the image reference number. Crimestoppers can also be called anonymously on 0800 555111.

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SHE had walked in the door expecting a telling off for being a few pounds overweight.

Instead, mum-of-five Dawn Martin was sent straight to her GP after a routine health check flagged up she was at an immediate risk of a stroke.

Now, one year on, Mrs Martin, 50, is 2st lighter and believes she has added another ten years to her life after making simple changes to her lifestyle and her diet.

"I would say to anyone thinking about these health checks to just go for it," she says.

"There are so many conditions out there that don't necessarily have any symptoms.

"Sometimes, there isn't a warning sign and, in my case, if I had left it, I could have had a stroke. I'd say simply going along has added ten years to my life."

Mrs Martin is one of thousands of people aged from 40 to 74 who are being offered free NHS health checks across Hull and the East Riding.

Leisure centres and pharmacies are providing the checks, alongside GP surgeries, to identify people's risks of developing diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, stroke and dementia.

Flagging up potential problems can help people take steps to prevent future problems as they grow older.

More than 6,500 people turned up for health checks in the East Riding last year, while 3,107 people went for a check in Hull. Thousands more have been invited for checks this year.

Mrs Martin, of Hornsea, decided to go for her health check after she saw a poster advertising the programme.

"The main thing for me was it was free," she says. "I'm a typical Yorkshire woman and I don't like spending money if I don't have to."

Mrs Martin knew she did not take enough exercise and ate the wrong things but she was not particularly worried about the check.

"I was putting weight on, probably drinking too much and didn't exercise, but I didn't have any symptoms of anything," says Mrs Martin.

She went for the check at Bridlington Leisure Centre and was shocked by her high BMI and her high cholesterol levels.

"I was mortified by the results," she said. "I was given a lot of paperwork but I threw it away because I was so embarrassed."

Mrs Martin was told her blood pressure, combined with a family history of strokes, was dangerously high, putting her at a high risk of having a stroke.

"I felt like I'd been slapped in the face," she says. "The woman said I should get to the doctor as soon as possible, so I did and was put on medication straight away."

As she came to terms with the state of her health, Mrs Martin knew things had to change.

She started using an exercise bike and now clocks up an hour every day, often before starting work at East Riding Council.

She also goes to dance classes and walks more.

"Instead of parking my car close to work, I park it further away and walk," she says. "They are only small changes but they have made a massive difference."

Despite weighing more than 12st when she was checked last year, Mrs Martin has managed to lose 2st and has been taken off the tablets for her blood pressure.

"I feel much better in myself and I know I look better," she says. "I've gone down a couple of dress sizes and I sleep a lot better. Work has improved, too, as I do my exercises in the morning and go into work much more focused.

"I would say my mood is much better. I feel much more on an even keel.

"I know my age but I don't feel 50. Before I did this, I was feeling middle-aged, but it's not like that now."

THE health checks are part of a five-year scheme to help people take action against serious conditions such as heart problems and strokes later in life.

Checks take 20 to 30 minutes and are based on straightforward questions and measurements, such as age, gender, family history, height, weight and blood pressure. There will also be a simple blood test to measure cholesterol levels.

After the check is completed, the results will be discussed and advice will be offered, such as how to get help to give up smoking.

If necessary, the person who has had the check can be referred to other services. The results of the check will be passed to their GP.

East Riding residents should visit www.eastriding.gov.uk/health-checks, while people in Hull should visit www.hullcc.gov.uk and search for "NHS health checks".

BOTH local authorities are advising people to take up the offer of a check to improve their health.

Councillor Jonathan Owen, chairman of the East Riding health and wellbeing board, said: "I cannot urge people strongly enough to take advantage of having a health check.

"Catching the early signs of conditions that may develop later in life means steps can be taken at an early stage to prevent illness developing, and simple changes to lifestyle can often have significant impact on living a longer, healthier life."

Julia Weldon, director of public health in Hull, said: "We want to see more people take this up.

"The health check can spot any emerging problems early on and is an opportunity to get personalised advice on keeping healthy.

"We are offering free health checks in a range of comm- unity settings, meaning it is easier for people to go somewhere they are familiar with and somewhere they feel comfortable."

A WOMAN has been ordered to stop her five cockerels from crowing after neighbours complained to the council.

Liz Wainwright, of Pulcroft Road in Hessle, has been ordered by East Riding Council to keep her birds quiet or face court action.

She is now trying to find a home for the two youngest cockerels, Little Brown and Barbara, because they are the noisiest of the cocks.

Mrs Wainwright said: "They crow for about ten minutes of the day and it isn't during antisocial hours.

"The sound of a cockerel crowing used to be a noise people were quite used to but now it is classed as worse than loud music.

"I will be really sad to see them go. I have never had to get rid of an animal before, so it is really heart-wrenching to have to do this."

A noise abatement order from the council was served last week, giving Mrs Wainwright 25 days to shut the cockerels up.

It does not state she must get rid of Little Brown, Barbara, Spartacus, Colin and Gordon, but she says she has no choice but to rehome them as she cannot force them to be quiet.

Mrs Wainwright, who plays in Hessle Ceilidh Band, said: "I am not going out my way to be a nuisance but I feel so angry, it is like it has been a witch hunt.

"Everyone has gone around me, rather than coming and saying, 'Your cockerels are driving me mad'."

A spokesman for East Riding Council said: "There is a history of complaints about the noise from up to five cockerels and other poultry.

"We have spoken on occasions with Mr and Mrs Wainwright and have tried to offer advice.

"We do not specify in the notice as to how they stop the noise but just that it has to be reduced. They have the right to appeal."

The Noise Abatement Society recommends neighbours try talking to each other before getting the local authorities involved.

It recommends residents stick to the dos and don'ts of the Community Code, which includes:

• Think of your neighbours when doing something noisy like having a party and let them know beforehand.

• Mow your lawn at a respectable time.

• Keep the stereo volume down, especially after 11pm.

• Don't carry out noisy DIY after 9pm on any day, before 10.30am at weekends and, if possible, never on Sundays.

• Don't sound car horns, slam doors and rev engines at night.

• Don't use vacuum cleaners or washing machines at night.

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From the balcony of her home in south London, Hannah Rhodes can see the top of one of the capital's most distinctive buildings, The Shard.

It is a landmark thousands see daily and Hannah has more reason than most to gaze at its towering heights.

That is because the beer she lovingly created, called Hiver, is stocked in one of its bars.

"I loved watching The Shard being built and Hiver is stocked in one of the bars, so I always wonder if someone is drinking a Hiver up there whenever I look out," she said.

Hannah moved to London eight years ago to join the Foreign Office, but an evening of tasting at a beer festival led to a career change.

She spotted a vacancy in sales and marketing at a brewery where she gained hands-on experience with beer.

Living in the city, she also heard about the phenomenon of urban beekeepers, prompting her to come up with a way to combine beer and honey.

Going it alone, Hannah launched Hiver to great acclaim last year.

She was named Britain's Next Top Supplier in an Ocado competition to celebrate the newest talent in the UK food and drinks sector and was included in Management Today's 35 Women Under 35 awards for high-achieving women in business under the age of 35.

And the former St Mary's College pupil is looking forward to growing the brand further, after bringing Hiver to the recent Yum! food festival in Hull.

"I'm excited to see top-quality food and drink becoming a bigger focus in Hull," said Hannah, 31.

"I really enjoy shouting about Hull being UK City of Culture 2017 and it'll be great to have the focus on Hull's incredible history and people, which are not very well known at the moment."

Hannah recently returned to St Mary's College in Hull to inspire pupils to follow in her entrepreneurial footsteps and she hopes to encourage other young people to go for new opportunities.

"Do not be scared, do not rely on sending one email – pick up the phone," she said.

"And don't feel held back by where you're from or a lack of experience and money.

"If you show passion and drive, an employer couldn't ask for anything more.

"People I do business with always ask where I'm from and being from Hull has given me a point of difference within the drinks industry and possibly even a fresh approach."

Hannah grew-up in east Hull, just off Holderness Road, and credits her parents' "incredible" support with helping her follow her dream of working in London. She is also very close to her sister.

"She's let me tag along to music festivals and gigs with her for years, in an attempt to keep up-to-date with new bands," said Hannah.

Having travelled, she recommends it to others as a way of gaining confidence.

"If you don't feel confident enough to take the leap you want to, take yourself off travelling for a bit or volunteer your time to achieving a local project, even if it's a couple of weeks backpacking around Scotland or helping out in East Park.

"Meeting people and making something happen for yourself gives you such confidence and, importantly in a work scenario, stories and experiences to draw on. I'd encourage young people to feel empowered about their own future and in charge of it."

To make Hiver, Hannah sources raw honey from independent British beekeepers and uses it as an ingredient in the age-old tradition of craft honey beer, rather than as a flavouring.

As a result, Hannah has become passionate about bees and Hiver donates 10 per cent of its profits to pollinator charities.

She also supports wildflower planting days run by organisations such as the London Beekeepers' Association.

"I'd encourage anyone who can to plant wildflowers for bees, especially crocuses and early spring forage, and to buy a bee-saver kit online from Friends of the Earth," she said.

A year on from Hiver's launch last September, Hannah's success is continuing and she believes her early experiences have played an important role in getting her to where she is today.

"I guess I try and live by the mantra of "you're only here once", which encourages me to put myself out of my comfort zone and go for stuff.

"I attended St Mary's College, which is still a fantastic school, and was encouraged to play the violin at Bellfield Primary School, which ultimately led to being part of Hull Youth Symphony Orchestra.

"And after watching the original Karate Kid film, I joined Wado Ryu Karate Club at Woodford Leisure Centre.

"All these things have played a huge part in who I am today."

Along with The Shard, one of the most prestigious venues where Hiver is stocked is the UK's only two-Michelin-starred pub, The Hand and Flowers in Marlow in Berkshire, which is run by chef Tom Kerridge and where Hannah has been lucky enough to dine.

"It was really an incredible experience and the food was out of this world," she said.

"I had lovage soup to start and I often day-dream about it."

But when she is back in Hull, Hannah seeks out something more familiar.

"Whenever I'm back in Hull, I'm straight down Bob Carver's for a fish cake and some chips with gravy – unbeatable. The fish and chips in London are rubbish," she said.

Visit hiverbeers.com

A MAN who claims his elderly mother was evicted from a care home for no reason has complained to the health watchdog.

Anthony Stowell said he and his family were left baffled and upset after his 81-year-old mother, Antonia, was "evicted" from Swanland House.

He has now complained to the Care Quality Commission about her treatment.

Mrs Stowell was diagnosed with vascular dementia several years ago and was moved to Swanland House in September 2012. She was asked to leave the home in July this year.

Mr Stowell, who also lives in Swanland, said: "It was agreed by all parties, including friends, family and Social Services, that Swanland House was the best place for mum, as reports state how well placed it is to care for dementia residents.

"In July this year there was a meeting about mum's continuing care.

"It was at this meeting that Mrs Stevenson, the owner of Swanland House, stated she doubted whether my mother was sufficiently ill to warrant continuing care."

Mr Stowell claims he was handed a notice of eviction for his mother two weeks later, leaving him with just four weeks to find her a new home.

"I just didn't understand why she was being evicted. It didn't make sense," said Mr Stowell.

"I had no choice but to reluctantly accept the notice of eviction and seek another care home for my mother.

"I also informed the NHS mental health team, who, in turn, told me they had never heard of such an instance before.

"Normally, where a resident is causing undue and previously unknown stress to other residents, the mental health team would have been called in to try to resolve the situation. Only then could an eviction be introduced, as a last resort."

Mr Stowell said three weeks after the eviction notice was served, he received a phone call from Swanland House reporting his mother had broken her hip in a fall.

Mr Stowell said: "She suffered a really bad injury but has pulled through and we have now found a new home for her at Amberdene Lodge Care Home.

"However, this has been such a stressful time and we want answers to why mum was treated in this way."

Swanland House would not comment about the issue, citing patient confidentiality as the reason.

A spokesman for the Care Quality Commission said an inspection had taken place at Swanland House following Mr Stowell's concerns.

The spokesman said: "We received information of concern about Swanland House Care Home and we followed those concerns up with the provider.

"An inspection was undertaken on July 17, and identified compliance with all five standards reviewed. As with all services we regulate, the home remains subject to ongoing monitoring to ensure people living there continue to receive care that fully meets their needs."

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A MAN who walked naked through Hull city centre has told a court a voice in his head told him to do it. Jordan Jessop, 22, was wearing only a necklace as he walked along Spring Bank.

He then turned on to Ferensway, in full view of members of the public, including children.

Jessop, of Egypt Street, east Hull, was arrested and charged with an act of outraging public decency.

He appeared at Hull Magistrates' Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly behaviour which is likely to cause alarm or distress.

Jessop, who represented himself, said: "I have mental health problems and I had had my medication increased. I could hear voices in my head.

"I had just come out of hospital.

"I know what I did was wrong. At the time I didn't realise what I was doing.

"I'm getting help now."

Humberside Police received several calls from members of the public about Jessop, who was seen taking his clothes off outside Kwik Fit in Spring Bank at 3.30pm on July 7.

Drivers sounded their horns as Jessop walked casually past, while pedestrians shouted and applauded.

Prosecutor Andrew Stirling said: "He was seen walking down Spring Bank completely naked on his own and he turned into Ferensway into the city centre.

"The city centre was very busy.

"The police pulled up alongside him and arrested him.

"When he was later interviewed he said he had some mental health problems and there was a voice telling him to do this.

"At the time he didn't think he was causing a problem."

At the short hearing yesterday, Jessop received a six-month conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £40 towards court costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Chairman of the bench, the Reverend Stephen Deas, said: "We understand the situation, but we have to mark what was done in some way."

Mr Deas also told Jessop: "Make sure you take the medication."

Jessop was introduced to a worker from the Goodwin Development Trust, which was set up in 1994 by 14 residents of the Great Thornton Street estate in Hull.

They formed the group in an attempt to tackle the social problems that plagued their community.

Mr Deas said: "We also suggest that you seek help from the Goodwin Trust. They might be able to help you more."

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SHE will be beamed into the nation's living rooms tonight when she appears in the quarter-final of hit BBC One show The Great British Bake Off.

Fans of the show, which has been credited with reigniting Britain's love for baking, know Nancy Birtwhistle, 60, as the "lady from Barton".

But the grandmother-of-eight says she has been wrongly labelled and insists she is "most definitely Hull born and bred".

Off-camera, her Hull accent is the butt of light-hearted banter in the famous white tent, where the show, which is now in its fifth series, is filmed.

Nancy, who moved to the south bank in 1999, said: "The other contestants are always making fun out of my Hull accent. "They say, 'Er nur bloody hell, Nance'. None of them have quite got it right, though.

"I have told them they want to watch out for Hull, which is UK City of Culture 2017."

Nancy, who only took up baking seven years ago, says she never misses an opportunity to point out Hull has a top-flight football club, which reached the final of the FA Cup last season.

And she well and truly nailed her colours to the mast yesterday by meeting Hull City players at their training ground in Millhouse Woods Lane, Cottingham.

Nancy has been a season ticket holder for the past two years and will be taking her seat at the KC Stadium on Saturday to watch Steve Bruce's men take on Manchester City.

She was all smiles as she met Tom Huddlestone, telling onlookers: "I am secretly in love with him."

She told Huddlestone: "At the end of matches, when everyone else has gone, if you look to the West Stand I'm the one who is standing there waving."

Viewers of the show see baking taking place inside a tent pitched in the idyllic Berkshire countryside.

But as she met other players, including Michael Dawson, Robbie Brady and Harry Maguire, Nancy described the pressure of taking part in The Great British Bake Off.

"What you don't see on the show that goes out is the 50-odd other people inside that tent," she said.

"It gets pretty hectic. You have people taking dirty pots away, runners and film crew everywhere.

"The biggest problem is lack of time. It's incredibly difficult. You're really up against it, especially in the last half hour.

"At home, if your ice cream isn't quite set, who cares? You just leave it in the freezer for another hour or so. But in the tent that doesn't happen." On the subject of ice cream, Nancy appeared to suggest the infamous Baked Alaska episode had been carefully edited.

Contestant Iain Watters went into meltdown when his dessert was taken out of the freezer by fellow competitor Diana Beard, prompting accusations that she was guilty of sabotage.

"They hung onto Iain and Diana," said Nancy. "But there were issues for everyone that day. It was incredibly hot inside that tent – 37C, I think."

On a less controversial note, Nancy says judges Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry are exactly as they appear on camera.

"They are both lovely and very helpful," she said. "About halfway through the series, there were obviously fewer contestants, and you got to know them well.

"People might think from watching the show that Paul and Mary just turn up at the end, but they are there throughout."

Nancy, a retired practice manager for a GP surgery, is enjoying her moment in the spotlight.

She said: "Last week I was travelling to London and the ticket lady came up to me and said, 'Excuse me. Are you Nancy from Bake Off?'

"I said I was and we had a good chat. She then turned to the other passengers and shouted: 'It's eclairs this week!'"

Although filming finished at the end of June, viewers will have to wait until October 8 to find out the winner. Until then, Nancy – who was crowned "star baker" in the show's first week – has been sworn to secrecy.

She said: "I have been told I can only talk about that particular week's show. It's very exciting."

Watch Nancy getting to grips with doughnuts at 8pm tonight on BBC One.

A WOMAN has spoken of her ordeal after she was hospitalised by a spider bite for the second time in a year.

Julie Roberts, 42, was left unable to walk and had to be given antibiotics through a drip after she was bitten by a spider at a friend's barbecue.

Mrs Roberts also spent two days in hospital last year after she was bitten by a house spider at her home in north Hull.

Mrs Roberts, a mother-of-four, said: "At the moment I feel like a nervous wreck.

"I have been having panic attacks and freaking out – I was never like this before.

"All this has made me feel really poorly."

Mrs Roberts believes she was bitten by a spider while at a friend's barbecue in Hull on Saturday, August 30.

"I don't know if I got bitten while I was there or when I got home, but when I woke up on the Sunday morning I noticed there was quite a big mark on my leg," she said.

"By tea-time, a blister was forming and half of my leg was red."

Mrs Roberts called the NHS 111 service for advice about the bite and was told to go to her nearest walk-in centre, where she was given antibiotics and told to go to hospital if her symptoms worsened.

"I started to feel really poorly and was worried I was going to go into shock," she said.

Mrs Roberts went to Hull Royal Infirmary, where she was admitted for three days and given antibiotics through a drip.

"The doctors said that because the bite had blistered, they knew it was caused by a spider," she said.

"I have been bitten by mosquitos before and never had a reaction like this, so it is obviously something in the spider's bite."

After her stay in hospital, Mrs Roberts returned to her job as a secretary for a plumbing firm.

"I came out of hospital on the Wednesday and went back to work on the Friday, but by the Sunday I felt worse than ever," she said.

Mrs Roberts was readmitted to the hospital, where she stayed for another three days.

"I was absolutely gutted because I missed my youngest child's first day at school," she said.

Mrs Roberts is now recovering from her ordeal at home.

She said: "I've become really paranoid. I always shake my clothes before I put them on to check there are no spiders hiding."

Experts say high temperatures during the summer has led to spiders growing bigger than ever.

Hull entomologist Barry Warrington said: "I have definitely seen a difference this year.

"The spiders are much larger and part of the reason for that is because of the good weather we have been having lately.

"Now, as the nights are drawing in, people will start to notice more spiders in their homes.

"The males, which are larger, will roam about looking for a female and this is when they are often encountered indoors, as well as looking for warmer places to hide."

According to Mr Warrington, the two most common types of spiders to be found in people's homes are the garden spider and the house spider.

Mrs Roberts is now taking steps to keep her home free of spiders.

"My eldest daughter has cut all the garden down at the back of the house and I have vacuumed the house from top to bottom," she said.

"We have also got some conkers to put in the house as I have heard that they stop them getting into homes.

"My friend's husband got bitten by a spider and had a bad reaction.

"Apparently, there is a shop in Beverley that sells items to stop spiders coming into your home, so I will be making a trip there when I feel up to it."

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Hull City Council has decided to head to the courts in a bid to employ underused powers in the battle against prostitution in Hessle Road.

The matter has caused misery for Hessle Road residents for the past 12 years, with families in the area complaining of frequently finding condoms and syringes in the street.

Council lawyers have been considering whether they can use Section 222 orders to help tackle the problem.

Under the Local Government Act 1972, the orders can be used "where a local authority considers that it is expedient for the protection or promotion of the interests of the inhabitants of its area, it may prosecute legal proceedings".

Having researched the powers, the council is now preparing to ask the courts to grant them use of the orders.

The council believes the order could be used, as prostitution in Hessle Road has become a persistent nuisance.

The council's Citysafe manager, Tracy Harsley, said: "Enormous amounts of work have been carried out from all agencies, the police and from ward councillors.

"We have also worked very closely with residents.

"They have been very positive about the work we have carried out, but we know more needs to be done to help improve their quality of life.

"Having looked at the order, we are now preparing to go to the courts, which will hopefully grant us use of these powers.

"We feel these orders could help. We understand prostitution has been a problem in Hessle Road for a long time and it will take some time to address."

Ward councillor Daren Hale has given his backing to the move.

He said: "These orders will effectively allow us to create prostitution zones.

"Hopefully, we will be in a position to introduce them very soon, subject to court approval.

"A map of the zone has been approved, which will cover the area around the Boulevard, Wellsted Street and Constable Street and on the southern side around St Barnabas Court.

"It would provide the police with the ability to summons these people to court immediately and possibly powers of arrest for anyone loitering, plying their trade or seeking custom.

"There are other powers in place and we have fitted cameras, but we feel the section 222 orders could make a real difference.

"It is a case of being as disruptive as we can and trying to drive this away from residential areas as it is having a real impact on the quality of life of those living close by."

Humberside Police support the proposals.

Inspector Craig Mattinson, of the Riverside neighbourhood policing team, said: "Using the Section 222 orders will help with the work we are already carrying out.

"The orders will give the local authority the power to prosecute, which can lead to convictions for soliciting.

"It can help provide us with details of those who breach the order and we can also follow that up.

"We are looking to see if the power of arrest can be added to the orders."

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A CALL centre is set to create 50 new jobs after winning a major contract with a digital media company.

ResQ was launched in Hull eight years ago with about a dozen staff and has since grown to employing more than 500.

It is one of the firms surfing the wave of a booming Hull telesales industry, which businesses say is helped by the friendly spirit of city residents.

Managing director Nic Marshall said the new jobs were permanent positions.

He said: "We're taking people on in line with new contract wins.

"We've nailed our colours to the mast in Hull. That's where we want to create our business and this is the first phase of growth.

"Hull has a unique culture. People here are tenacious, they want to do well and they like talking."

The new jobs are only the beginning for the firm in George Street, city centre.

Mr Marshall expects strong growth to continue in the months and years ahead.

ResQ is in the running for four more major contracts at present.

He said: "In phase two there could be even more jobs.

"There's quite a lot of opportunities out there now that we're chasing down.

"If we just knock over two out of the four deals out there, that will certainly see dramatic growth once again."

ResQ is not the only city call centre enjoying success.

Last year, Clearanswer in Manor Street announced it was taking on 300 employees due to rising demand.

At the time, senior recruitment and facilities manager Sue Thompson said: "On the telephone, people from Hull are just themselves. They're warm and they're honest.

"It's definitely down to the people from Hull."

Telecom giant KC is also a key industry player.

Its Contact Centre arm signed a deal with Scottish Power in February and has just launched a 24-hour service for small businesses.

The city's Jobcentre Plus has seen increasing demand for telesales staff.

District manager Stuart Griffiths said: "We've seen quite a big call centre industry develop in Hull.

"Call centres are doing a lot to make sure people see it as a good job. There's lots of training going on to make sure people are ready to work there and there a lot of transferable skills from a call centre job."

The industry has had an image problem in the past.

The work it offers has been characterised as low-paid with limited progression and zero-hours contracts.

But Mr Marshall insisted his staff had good prospects and the business was very different from its depiction in the media.

He said: "These are all permanent jobs. We're all about progression.

"As far as the bad press goes, there's good and bad in every industry but we've built our business up.

"We've been very good at what we do and we've been very conscious about how we contact people and when we contact people."

The firm works with a range of clients in the retail and digital sectors,

although confidentiality agreements mean it cannot identify them.

It has always sought to avoid the lower end of the market, including PPI compensation calls.

Mr Marshall believes this approach has helped ResQ to become a trusted brand.

He said: "What we don't do is the low-end PPI calls that annoy and interrupt people them. Our success is down to the people throughout our business, from top to bottom.

"The way we approach it is straightforward – we're honest with our customers about expectations and when there are challenges in our business we talk it through and give them solutions."

Despite its surging success this year, the company did have some tough times in the global downturn. It went into administration in 2011 after falling into arrears with tax collectors.

It was saved thanks to a buyout by former directors Mr Marshall and Gillian Marchbank.

Mr Marshall said: "The recession has been difficult for everybody.

"We had difficulties in trading and access to funds and finance.

"That's not particular to ResQ or the call centre industry – it was down to the general economic situation."

The company was launched with support from the Acorn Fund.

Set up by the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce and Hull City Council to grow businesses, it gave ResQ a £5,000 loan in 2005.

Bosses feel that support made a massive difference.

Mr Marshall said: "The lenders are extremely happy with how that went.

"Subsequent money went into the business but that little acorn helped us to get where we are now.

"It did what it was supposed to do."

THESE are the artist's impressions of how Withernsea's seafront could look in the future.

The designs have been revealed to members of the public, who will be able to view them and comment at the Pavilion Leisure Centre, until Tuesday.

The plan proposes to deliver several projects, which could include illuminating the seafront at night, new viewing vantage points, pavement fountains and refreshment kiosks.

Councillor Anne Blake, Withernsea Town Mayor, was among those viewing the plans.

"The plans are very exciting," she said.

"It isn't going to happen overnight, but when it does it will further improve what is a beautiful promenade to walk along.

"Some of the ideas I like are the seafront cabins, the pop- up stalls and the pavement fountains."

Bauman Lyons Architects was appointed as consultants to take forward the work in April 2014 and has worked with East Riding Council and residents for four months to produce the plan.

It guides the work of the Withernsea and South East Holderness Regeneration Partnership.

The plans first went on show at the Shores Centre yesterday, before moving to the Pavilion Leisure Centre, were they will remain until Tuesday.

Jayne Nendick, chief executive at the Shores Centre, said: "The plans are really exciting and really innovating.

"It all stems down to community feedback, with residents' wants and needs being taken into account.

"Like all coastal resorts, our promenade is in need of elements of development.

"I would urge people to have a look at the plans and have their say on what they would like to see."

Councillor Jane Evison, East Riding Council's cabinet portfolio holder for economy and investment, said: "This is the first step of an exciting plan for Withernsea and we will now be consulting with the local community and residents to get their views on the proposals before taking the scheme forward and obtaining funding.

"The regeneration of Withernsea has been one of this council's main priorities over the years and plans for the improvement of the seafront come on the back of the £600,000 Withernsea Centre scheme, the improvement of Queen Street and completion of the Withernsea Boat Compound."

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A website and mobile app that helps friends make plans has been launched by the team at Hull's digital hub C4DI.

I'm In has been designed to make it simple for people to organise events or get-togethers.

Lead developer John Polling has launched the app with the help of C4DI founders John Connolly and Jon Moss.

Mr Polling said the idea for the app developed from his need to find a better way to organise a weekly five-a-side football match.

He said: "I've been organising five-a-side matches for about two years and, although you might think it's easy to arrange a meet-up for just ten people, it has proved really difficult.

"We started off by emailing each other but it was always a struggle to get responses.

"We realised we needed a simpler solution to let people say whether they were in or out, so we decided to just build one ourselves."

The app gives users a one-click solution to let them say whether they can attend a specific event.

When the event organiser sends out an email, group members will get a notification on their mobile, which allows them to respond without the need to log in to another website or write a lengthy response.

Mr Polling thinks the app is a better tool for organising events than many of the popular social networks.

"We think this has great potential – there is definitely a market for it," he said.

"Sites like Facebook only work if everyone uses it, but with our app, as long as everyone has email then it's easy."

Jon Moss, co-founder of C4DI, said: "More than one million people play five-a-side football every week – but this app could be used by anyone.

"It's a really simple way of getting people together, whether it's for a small party or for a weekly pub quiz team."

The I'm In team is among 12 start-up businesses currently working at C4DI in Queen Street, city centre.

Mr Moss said it is the ideal environment for this unique idea.

He said: "C4DI has been the perfect place to be for this project. We're all about creating new start-up businesses in the Humber and helping traditional businesses to innovate."

The app and website are currently in a testing phase but it is hoped the service will be open to the public within the next few weeks.

For more information, visit signup.imin-app.com

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Smoking could be banned in play areas as part of a plan to create a "smoke-free" generation in Hull.

Smugglers flooding the city with counterfeit cigarettes will also be targeted in a radical shake-up of the city's tobacco control plan.

Hull's Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) has approved plans to cut funding for stop- smoking services from £1.4m to just £340,000 for next year.

However, the money saved will be diverted into initiatives such as creating "smoke-free zones" in places where children congregate, such as play areas.

Ahead of the board meeting, Hull's director of public health Julia Weldon said the new plan was not a "disinvestment" in tobacco control. She said: "This was a ten-year-old stop-smoking service and we are now looking at a different approach, focusing on stopping smoking and reducing access to illegal products."

Ms Weldon said smoke-free zones could be up and running within six to 12 months following consultation.

She said: "We need to engage with communities and we need to create a social movement of anti-smoking, not anti-smoker."

Since the smoking ban in 2007, almost 2,000 people have started smoking, despite a concerted campaign by Hull City Council to tackle the problem.

Free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) such as patches and gum will also be stopped from next month.

Concern has been raised over the public health plan to slash the smoking cessation budget by £1m as the city still has one of the highest rates of smoking in the country.

However, the new plan will target groups of smokers where there has previously been success in encouraging them to quit.

People with smoking- related complaints such as coronary heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will be given help to stop and manual workers, who have higher rates of smoking, will be prioritised, along with pregnant women and young people.

Part of the new approach includes enforcement to make tobacco less affordable by clamping down on counterfeit cigarettes and regulation to stop shops selling black market products.

Children and young people will also be targeted to stop them smoking in the first place.

At the board meeting, Councillor Colin Inglis, chairman of the HWB, said concerns had been raised over the decision to stop funding free NRT in case it leads to a sharp rise in GPs being asked for prescriptions by patients seeking to stop smoking.

To tackle this, the board has earmarked £250,000, set aside for six months, to help Hull Clinical Commissioning Group deal with any additional prescribing costs .

Another £100,000 will be set aside to fund tougher enforcement action against cigarette smuggling.

Councillor Helena Spencer said: "As a council, we are criticised for throwing money at a problem and now we are being criticised for taking money away because it hasn't had the results we were hoping for.

"It just has to be a targeted approach."

About 75,000 adults in Hull smoke, meaning 34 per cent of the city's population are lighting up, compared with a national average of 19 per cent.

However, in the most deprived areas of the city, 50 per cent of people smoke.

More than 1,600 people in Hull have died through smoking in the past three years and it is estimated smoking cost the city £97.5m, from lost productivity at work through smoking breaks to cleaning up cigarette-related litter.

Even in more affluent parts of the city, 38 per cent of children are growing up in homes where at least one person smokes, a figure that rises to 65 per cent in the poorest areas.

Fewer pregnant women are now smoking by the time they give birth, with numbers falling from 29.6 per cent in 2005-06 to 21.6 per cent last year.

However, more boys aged 15 are picking up the habit, with 15 per cent smoking in 2012 compared to 12 per cent in 2002. Although the number of girls smoking at 15 has halved – from 48 per cent in 2002 to 24 per cent in 2012 – it is still double the target set by the Government of 12 per cent by next year.

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