A WOMAN was left fearing for her life after she was punched by an alcoholic she had invited into her home out of pity.

Jonathan Moorcroft fractured Alison Graham's jaw with a single blow after an argument erupted over alcohol withdrawal tablets Librium.

Moorcroft, along with his girlfriend, Jill Wilkinson, 43, pushed Ms Graham into her bedroom and as she cowered in fear, the pair stole her car and mobile phone.

Hull Crown Court heard how, a week before the attack, Ms Graham, 56, had invited the couple to live with her because they claimed to be expecting a baby and did not like where they were living.

In a statement read to the court, Ms Graham said she had now moved from her home in Fitling Grove, east Hull, because she was too scared to stay.

"I feared for my life that day," she said. "I am no longer a trusting, happy-go-lucky person.

"I have lost trust in all people.

"The assault was one of the most traumatic things that has happened to me in my life."

Prosecutor Helen Chapman said Ms Graham had earlier given Moorcroft, 33, her bank card and PIN to go to the shop to buy more alcohol and clear a debt she had with the shopkeeper.

When he returned back to the flat, the argument erupted and he punched her.

"Alison Graham was pushed into her bedroom and remained there until the following morning," said Ms Chapman.

"She described being very frightened.

"The following morning, when she emerged into her flat, she noted a number of items had been taken, including her mobile phone and her car."

She said Ms Graham was deemed a "vulnerable" victim because she is a recovering alcoholic.

The following day, on September 6, police received reports of the stolen car being driven "erratically" near Dock House, east Hull, and the pair were arrested.

Moorcroft admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm, theft and taking a motor vehicle without consent.

Wilkinson admitted one count of theft.

Defending both, Harold Bloomfield, said: "From their point of view, they paid their way, contributed towards living expenses and certainly dispute any suggestion they have manipulated their way into the home and tried to take advantage of this lady.

"Bearing in mind Miss Wilkinson thought she was pregnant, she believed she had been given Librium by Alison Graham from her own prescription, to help her reduce her alcohol consumption.

"It was an argument over those tablets that led to the confrontation.

"Mr Moorcroft bitterly regrets the events that took place and if he could turn the clock back, he would."

Sentencing Moorcroft to a year in prison and Wilkinson to a 12-month supervision order, Recorder Ray Singh said: "Alison Graham provided you with a helping hand to let you come to live with her and she placed trust in you to behave yourselves.

"Rather than being grateful for a roof over your head and buying you items that you consumed, you decided to attack her."

A RETIRED chief superintendent repeatedly ignored a friend's warnings to stop contacting a woman he is accused of stalking, a court heard.

Colin Andrews, 58, is on trial accused of rape, stalking, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, witness intimidation, harassment and two counts of common assault.

He denies all the offences.

Former Metropolitan Police officer Andrew Lindsley, who has known Mr Andrews since 1988 when he joined Humberside Police, said the alleged stalking victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, contacted him to raise concerns about Mr Andrews.

Mr Lindsley, who was a temporary detective sergeant when he retired in 2010 but now works for the force as civilian investigator, told Manchester Crown Court: "She was saying he was texting her too much, he was calling her too much.

"She didn't really want it and I suggested I have a word with him."

Mr Lindsley said it was the first of many occasions when he advised Mr Andrews to stop contacting the woman, but his advice was ignored.

As it continued, he said the woman was "becoming frightened and didn't want that contact".

Mr Lindsley said he in turn became frustrated his warnings were falling on deaf ears, and said he also became concerned about a perceived change in Mr Andrews.

Owen Edwards, prosecuting, asked him: "He's your mate, he's your friend – how straightforward did you become?"

Mr Lindsley said: "Very straightforward. But his whole demeanour as time went on was changing.

"He was becoming almost arrogant about it and his personality was changing quite appreciatively.

"Every time I told him 'You need to stop this', the answer was 'I know best and I'll just carry on doing what I need to do'."

Asked how he reacted, Mr Lindsley said: "I became quite angry that he wasn't listening to me."

Mr Lindsley said Mr Andrews had been affected by his retirement in January 2012, although he also rejoined the force, as manager of the criminal justice unit.

"I think he missed the accolade of the rank, although he took a reasonable job as a civilian," Mr Lindsley said.

He also told the court he began to keep a close eye on his friend after he said he had taken an overdose of painkillers.

"He said he'd taken 40 Paracetamol. He'd taken them deliberately. He said he wanted to go to sleep."

But Mr Lindsley said he "Googled" what the effect would be on a man of Mr Andrews's dimensions, and found the dose would be fatal, so he thought it had been more of a "cry for help".

Mr Lindsley said on one occasion, when he could not get hold of Mr Andrews, he found him at his local pub, Darley's, in Hessle, when he again asked him to stop contacting the woman, and was again ignored.

Tania Griffiths QC, defending, said Mr Andrews had spent more than 36 hours in custody following his arrest, initially on suspicion of assault, on August 20 last year.

Mr Lindsley went to see him afterwards and said he was "crying, distressed, pretty awful to see".

He told the jury he remained a firm friend of Mr Andrews, who shared his love of hill-walking and they had been on a trek to Everest Base Camp together.

Mr Andrews was visibly moved as he sat in the dock listening to Mr Lindsley describe what a good friend he considered him to be.

Mr Lindsley called him the "life and soul of the party" and said: "He was known as 'Marmite' – people either love him or hate him.

"When I did my sergeant's exam, he went out of his way to do role play, which he didn't have to do.

"He checked on my promotion procedure; he'd do that kind of thing for people.

"He likes to be involved in events. He's not the greatest hill-walker, but he always comes to the hills and on occasion he's there at the bottom of them [waiting].

"He's a loyal friend and I just saw this general decline in his usual behaviour."

Miss Griffiths asked him: "Is he a fair man?"

"Yes, he's a fair man," Mr Lindsley said.

"Does he text too much?" the barrister asked.

"Yes," Mr Lindsley replied.

"He was a broken man after his arrest, wasn't he?" she said.

"He was," said Mr Lindsley.

The court heard Mr Andrews had reacted angrily when he was arrested a second time months later, on that occasion at his home.

He claimed he was a victim of "harassment" and "retribution" by a chief inspector when he was arrested for rape, stalking and other offences.

Detective Inspector Steven Fincham, of the professional standards department at North Yorkshire Police, led a team of three into Mr Andrews's then home in Hessle on October 16 last year.

Mr Andrews, who had previously been arrested by a sergeant outside Darley's, was in his dressing gown when Det Insp Fincham, civilian investigator Philip Metcalf, of the same unit, and Detective Inspector Nicky Miller, of the Humberside force's professional standards branch, arrived at 7am.

Mr Andrews was cautioned and told he was being arrested for ten offences, including misconduct, perverting the course of justice, assault, stalking and rape.

Manchester Crown Court heard Mr Andrews said: "This is scandalous. This is harassment by Detective Chief Inspector [Mark] Oliver.

"I absolutely deny any offences. The arrest is unlawful. This is retribution for me criticising his poor investigation technique and bullying of a disabled colleague."

The trial continues.

Hull City take on Swansea City on Saturday looking for a first Premier League win in ten games. Brad Rial picks out five things they must do to pick up the three points.

Take advantage of Swansea's away form

As poor as City's home form has been so far this season, Swansea's fortunes on the road have been just as bad.

Not since the opening day at Manchester United have the Swans won on their travels and only the three promoted sides have poorer away records than Garry Monk's men.

Swansea have picked up just five points away from home this season so they may well be the perfect opponents for City to face on Saturday.

In fairness to the Welsh side, they have already faced three of last season's top five away from home, as well as high-flying West Ham, so it's perhaps no surprise they're not pulling up trees on their travels.

But they have also struggled at Stoke and Sunderland, sides that are of a similar ilk to City.The Tigers may be short of confidence but in Swansea they face a side that is beatable.

Handle Bony and Sigurdsson

No player can better Wilfired Bony's tally of 20 Premier League goals in 2014. The Ivorian is bang in form and whoever starts at the heart of City's defence will have to be on their guard.

Bony failed to score in his first six Premier League games. But he has since netted eight in his last ten, including four in his last five and is the focal point of this Swansea side.

Bony may be a big, strong unit but there is also a subtle intelligence to his game. He is constantly making off-the-ball runs and linking up play. When he plays well, his team invariably does too.

Gylfi Sigurdsson is another man arriving at the KC on the back of a string of fine performances. Only Cesc Fabregas has more assists than the Icelandic international and his partnership with Bony is one of the most fruitful in the division.

Sigurdsson possesses an unerring ability to find space and the onus will be on City's defensive midfielders – who will likely be Jake Livermore and David Meyler in the absence of Tom Huddlestone and Mohamed Diame – to deny him.

Deal with the absence of key players

Mohamed Diame and Michael Dawson will miss the Swansea game through injury, while Tom Huddlestone is to serve the first of a four-game ban.

Any side that loses three key men will struggle and it will be intriguing to see how Bruce deals with the respective absences.

Stephen Quinn appears the most likely to replace Huddlestone in the centre of midfield, while Alex Bruce should be restored at the heart of the defence after deputising for Dawson at Chelsea.

It will be a patched-up side but the likes of Quinn, Bruce and David Meyler – who should also keep his place – can certainly be called upon to perform.

Stay focused until the final whistle

If the form of the respective sides this season is anything to go by, do not be surprised if Saturday's game isn't decided until late on.

Swansea have conceded six goals in the final fifteen minutes of games this campaign – almost a third of the overall amount they have let in.

By the same token, City have conceded four goals in the final five minutes of matches. Such statistics suggest that both sides tire as games enter the latter stages.

So it is vital that City's level of focus remains right up until the final whistle. There would be nothing like a last-minute winner to raise the spirits ahead of a crucial couple of games.

Throw caution to the wind

Goals win games. A measly two have been scored by City in the past eight games – a statistic that should deeply concern Steve Bruce.

His players need to rediscover the knack of goalscoring before long but the question is: how do they go about doing it?

Bruce spoke last week of how he couldn't wait to start Nikica Jelavic and Abel Hernandez up front together again. Were it not for the form of Sone Aluko, the decision to start the pair in tandem on Saturday would be a no-brainer.

Jelavic and Hernandez is a partnership that has been proven to work this season. The last time they started together, against Crystal Palace, was arguably City's most complete performance of the season.

But it would be incredibly harsh on Aluko should he be dropped, as he is currently enjoying his best run of form in a while.

Could Aluko start in a side that also includes Jelavic and Hernandez? There is certainly a case for throwing caution to the wind and City have reached the stage where it may be worth a shot.

HEALTH secretary Jeremy Hunt is facing calls to kick former hospital boss Phil Morley out of the NHS after a damning report into his leadership in Hull.

The report by the Trust Development Authority (TDA) raised serious concerns over Mr Morley's leadership, the effectiveness of his senior executives and directors, the safety of patients and the care of the elderly.

It also exposes a failure in holding senior executives to account, the need for more transparency and an inability to turn ideas into tangible plans.

Now, Hull's hospital bosses, many appointed following Mr Morley's departure, have been left to clear up the mess at a time when they should be free to concentrate on the extreme pressures facing its emergency department.

Hull's Labour MPs Alan Johnson, Diana Johnson and Karl Turner are calling for an urgent meeting with the health secretary to discuss Mr Morley's time in Hull.

However, Mr Hunt has still not responded, despite the letter being sent by the MPs almost two months ago.

Mr Johnson said: "People admire the NHS, but when there is a problem in management, it seems the person is just moved on somewhere else rather than the issue being tackled.

"I am confident we are on a better footing at the trust now, but question marks remain over Phil Morley.

"There are all the things we want to talk to Jeremy Hunt about and this report puts extra emphasis on that."

Conservative Councillor Mike Whitehead, who has met the Secretary of State to discuss his concerns, said Mr Morley should be removed from his current position as chief executive of Princess Alexandra Hospital Trust in Essex.

"I don't believe Mr Morley can continue in the NHS," he said. "This has to be properly investigated."

NHS campaigner Dermot Rathbone said: "There needs to be an investigation, but we feel it is part of a wider systemic failure within the NHS.

"We need to ask if this is prevalent across the NHS and there should be more robust scrutiny of trusts."

The TDA report, conducted by Sir Ian Carruthers, had been held up as the smoking gun that had forced Mr Morley's departure.

But, ten months on from its review, its report did little more than confirm what everyone knew.

The 12-page report, full of sweeping statements with minimal detail, was published at a board meeting yesterday.

It called for greater involvement of doctors, previously hamstrung by bureaucracy rather than being given the freedom to solve problems.

It also revealed a high turnover of senior executives, a focus on targets instead of patients, a lack of clarity over senior roles and a weakness in governance during Mr Morley's reign.

The TDA is coming under fire for publishing a "sanitised" version of its review.

Councillor Whitehead said: "We have an old report that has been so sanitised that it has become absolutely meaningless.

"I am calling for them to release the original report and let us have the full unexpurgated version of what has been going on."

While brief in detail, the TDA report exposes serious failings at the trust under Mr Morley's stewardship.

Yet, despite the concerns, Mr Morley, who once dressed up as Superman and danced down corridors to Amarillo to bolster staff morale, was free to take up the top job at another trust, also monitored by the TDA.

Key members of his team, including chief nurse Amanda Pye and deputy chief executive Morag Olsen, also followed Mr Morley out the door into new senior NHS roles.

At the trust board meeting yesterday, acting chairman Dr Keith Hopkins, who stepped in following the departure of board chairman Rob Deri at the end of last year, said an action plan had come into force.

Dr Hopkins, retiring from his temporary role at the end of the year ahead of the appointment of a new chairman, said: "I would say, alongside the criticisms, there are some positive signs of progress.

"There were a number of things that occurred as a consequence of that report and we have found a way forward in the best interest of the trust."

Many of the concerns raised by the TDA had already come to light in a report by the Care Quality Commission after inspectors uncovered a culture of bullying and failings in leadership during visits to Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital earlier this year.

It was confirmed by conciliation service ACAS, which accused Mr Morley and his senior executives of fostering a target-driven culture which encouraged nepotism, bullying and intimidation of staff.

Work is already under way to tackle the problems and the appointment of new chief executive Chris Long in September, working alongside chief medical officer Professor Ian Philp and new key executives, has been seen as a positive step in ushering in a new era at the trust.

Mr Long said: "We have a huge responsibility in terms of being clear about our vision and setting the future direction of travel for the organisation and everybody in it.

"A number of changes have taken place and we hope to see the make-up of our board complemented shortly by the appointment of a new chair and non-executive directors.

"This will give us a fresh opportunity to refocus, to ensure our senior team is clear on its roles and responsibilities and to ensure we work more effectively in support of our staff, our patients and our partners."

Chief officer Emma Latimer, of Hull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which pays the trust for patient care, said: "We will continue to work with the trust to ensure the service improvements and changes recommended by the TDA review are implemented and national targets for patient care are met."

Jane Hawkard, chief officer of East Riding CCG, said: "We are committed to working with the new trust board to implement the recommendations and hope to see rapid improvements in outcomes for both patients and staff."

JUDGING a school version of The Great British Bake Off was a piece of cake for TV competition winner Nancy Birtwhistle.

This year's champion visited Hessle High School to judge the academy's unique blend of The Great British Bake Off and MasterChef.

Hull-born Nancy, who now lives in Barton, was impressed with the finalists in the school's competition, dubbed Master Bake Off.

The 60-year-old grandmother told the GCSE pupils: "I'm delighted to have been invited to judge the final of the competition, the standard was very high and it was difficult to pick a winner among the final six.

"The cakes you presented both tasted and looked wonderful."

The final followed six weeks of competition in which the 14-year-olds were challenged by their teacher to tackle various recipes designed to develop their cookery skills.

Rounds devised by the academy's technology department included an egg challenge, a team challenge, a burger challenge and baking a batch of scones.

As the weeks progressed, the recipes tackled by the 20 students became more technical.

In the penultimate week, the year nine pupils competed in a pastry challenge before facing a Victoria Sponge challenge in the final.

Nancy told the year nine students about her experiences in The Great British Bake Off and what it takes to be a successful baker.

She also confessed to almost missing the first audition, exactly a year ago to the day, after she went to the wrong address.

Joined by executive headteacher Sarah Young on the judging panel, Nancy judged each cake on consistency and taste.

Darci Cooper won first prize in the Victoria Sponge challenge and was presented with a Great British Bake Off book, signed by Nancy, together with cooking and baking utensils.

Darci said: "I can't believe it because at the beginning of this round I was really struggling and the cake mix wasn't right but my cake won first prize in the end. I'm so pleased."

The judges then announced the overall winners of the six-week competition, with Lauren Hanson crowned Master Bake Off competition winner.

Lauren said: "I'm stunned, I had no idea that I would win."

She also received an autographed copy of the Great British Bake Off book, plus cooking and baking utensils.

The runners up were Beth Bristow in second place and Leah Brown in third.

Teacher Emma Shaw, who organised the competition, thanked students for demonstrating a real love for cooking.

She said: "For a year nine GCSE class, the students showed a high level of skill as well as an unwavering determination to do well and make the most of the opportunity presented to them.

"The competition has been a huge success and I'm so proud of all the students that took part.

"We aim to run the competition again next year."

POLICE believe a "disgruntled" resident has used a key to damage parked cars in Brough.

More than £800 of damage was caused to four cars that were parked near The Burrs Playing Fields on Sunday.

It happened during a game between North Ferriby United Greens U-12s and Sproatley Junior Tigers.

Officers say that over the past two months they have received a catalogue of complaints from residents about problems caused by cars parking on grass verges during children's football matches.

PC Andy White, based at Kirk Ella Police Station, said: "We believe we are looking at a disgruntled resident from the Brough area who has simply had enough of the cars parking across grass verges and making it difficult for motorists to get up and down the road.

"That does not condone the car keying, though, and we want to trace the culprit or culprits who have done this.

"Each of the four cars has received a bit more than £200 worth of damage."

The vandalism occurred at the junction of Haven Avenue and Welton Road between 9am and 11.40am.

Police are now appealing for private CCTV from residents in an attempt to find those responsible.

PC White said: "A couple of police officers will attend the next North Ferriby football match and make sure cars are parking safely and as they should be.

"We will leave advice leaflets on the car windscreens and just make sure everything is at it should be.

"We obviously do not want people damaging property but we also do not want motorists parking in areas that cause problems for local residents.

"Humberside Police is committed to making sure this type of activity is kept to a minimum.

"There are obviously some very annoyed motorists out there at the moment and that is not fair on them."

Anyone with information about the damaged cars should call PC White on 01482 307213.

HDM Sport on FacebookKids are being priced out of football, but not at Hull City. THE price of football is the bane of many a supporter who find it increasingly difficult to follow their team. What is most galling, though, is the high cost for children and young people to follow their local team.Long gone are the days where you could lift your 10-year-old over the turnstiles and an investigation in The Guardian proves just how far away those halcyon days are. The paper looked at the prices of seasons tickets and football strips for juniors in the Premier League as they warned the rite of passage of following your club was being swept away by rising prices– however, the results shone a positive light on Hull City. While not surprising, their is a clear divide schism between costs in the south and the north for top flight football. Chelsea fans have to fork out £77 for a full kit for their kid, while at £55.97, Hull's strip is the third cheapest in the League. And at£156, only West Brom and Sunderland offer lower priced season tickets to under-16s than City, a world away from the £550 parents have to stump up for the most expensive season pass at Crystal Palace. One black mark against the Tigers though may be their decision to charge for opportunity to be a mascot. Only half of the division's teams charge for children to enjoy the ultimate matchday experience, and while it's the cheapest price for paying parents at £150, it may be a policy the club look to revisit in the future.City chasing Cheltenham youngster Hanks FOLLOWING the signings of youngsters Andy Robertson, Harry Maguire and Brian Lenihan in the summer, Hull City could be set to look to youth in January too. According to the Daily Mirror, City are scouting Cheltenham's 19-year-old prodigy Joe Hanks. The midfielder made his debut for the Robins against Exeter at the age of 17 back in 2012. Loan spells at Bishop's Cleeve and Gloucester City followed, but Hanks has established himself as a key part of Paul Buckle's squad this year. The Tigers are believed to be scouting Hanks, and could attempt to prise the League Two youngster away from Cheltenham next month.Swansea boss Monk not worried by defensive frailties SUFFERING a mini crisis of their own, Swansea head to the KC Stadium tomorrow looking to avoid three defeats on the trot. It's something they have never experienced under boss Garry Monk, however Hull City are in a position to hand the former centre-back an unwanted first after defeats to West Ham and Swansea. But despite failing to win in any of their last six visits to Hull, Monk is not concerned about the rate at which his side are conceding goals. Speaking to Wales Online, the Swans boss said: "It does not concern me. You can only do what you are doing and work as hard as you can with the players to try to defend those situations. "Look at the statistics, we've not suffered heavily for it this season. In fact, I think we are ahead of where we were before. "Managers always target different things. We target different things in the opposition in different games. All managers will target different elements of the opposition. Whether they target that in us is up to them. We can only manage the situation and try to do better."Townsend proving perfect replacement for Robertson HULL City full-back Conor Townsend continues to receive rave reviews as he impresses at Dundee United. Moving to Tannadice on loan as part of the deal that brought Andy Robertson to the KC Stadium, first team coach and former Scotland and Celtic striker Darren Jackson has praised the 21-year-old's performances for the Tangerines. And Jackson has gone as far to say the SPFL outfit are hardly missing their protege Robertson as a result. Speaking to the Dundee Telegraph, he said: "It's a hard ask taking over from Andy. "However, Conor doesn't know a lot about Andy. He's not comparing himself to him, it's just everyone else is. "Of course in some ways you are going to miss the wee guy because of how he played last season. "However, I think Conor's been great and so do all the staff here."

A DEVOTED mother whose son succumbed to cystic fibrosis says he was an inspiration to all who met him.

Angie Geraghty said her son, Tony, was a "fighter" who touched everybody who knew him.

Mr Geraghty, 31, died on December 8 after a lifelong battle with the illness.

He married his partner of ten years, Hayley, who has a ten-year-old daughter, Georgia, last New Year's Eve.

Miss Geraghty said: "My son did not let his illness stop him.

"He was somebody who just fought and fought.

"He knew he was coming to the end of his time, but even with his illness, he lived his life to the full.

"He is going to be terribly missed by all of the family."

Mr Geraghty, of Massey Close, west Hull, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was six months old.

But his mother said he never let his condition stop him from having a normal life.

"Tony would never wallow in his own self-pity," she said.

"He would always look to the positives. He did not want us to feel sorry for him at all.

"Tony would still go out with his mates and do everything with them.

"He would get on with anybody, and I have had messages from a lot of people all over. You only realise how popular he was when something like this happens.

"I just want people to know how proud I am of him."

Mr Geraghty had his stag party in Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, because he was undergoing treatment.

However, he was able to leave hospital for half a day so he could get married at St John's Church in west Hull.

"He was there with his oxygen tank strapped to his back and a drink in the other hand," said his mother.

Miss Geraghty, who works as a support staff at Adelaide Primary School in west Hull, said her son rushed his wedding because his health began to decline late last year.

She said: "He realised he was not very well.

"But the whole community came through and supplied different bits for the wedding.

"Everybody rallied together to make his wish come true."

His mother said that her daughter-in-law was a "rock" for her son ever since they began dating ten years ago.

"I cannot thank Hayley enough for giving him those last ten years," Miss Geraghty said.

"She was his rock. What she has gone through is unbelievable. She used to stay at hospital with him, and basically lived with him at hospital in his last year.

"She just misses him now. She is finding it hard but we are all there for her."

Mr Geraghty's mother said his funeral, held yesterday at Chanterlands Crematorium in west Hull, was a celebration of his life.

She said: "He planned his own funeral. We have all had a set of instructions from him.

"We all had to sign his coffin and he had a picture of all his friends so they will be with him."

Mandy Anson-Armstrong, who knew Mr Geraghty all his life, said that he was an inspiration to his friends.

"Tony was a cheeky guy," she said. "We want to keep his memory alive.

"He has done more than most people without cystic fibrosis would do."

Here film geek Neil White, who aims to watch EVERY movie that's released and reviews them on his blog Every Film, gives us his top 20 movies of 2014 - plus his bottom 10. 

In case you missed any of them at the cinema, enjoy the trailers below.

1. 12 Years A Slave Steve McQueen's film is a staggering achievement and it is also damned important, ramming home how, through the ages, people have mis-used the so-called word of God for their own evil ends. Sadly, that is as relevant today as it was in 1841 when the film is set.

2. Wolf Of Wall Street Any Leonardo DiCaprio doubters should watch The Wolf Of Wall Street. He is mesmerising and magnificent as notorious American fraudster Jordan Belfort. Rarely have I know three hours to go as fast as they did while I was entranced by Martin Scorsese's stunning movie.

3. Next Goal Wins The best film about football ever. In 97 wonderful minutes Steve Jamison and Mike Brett reminded me why I first loved the beautiful game as a child and offers an antidote to the money-grabbing which has turned me away from it in the past few years.

4. The Imitation Game "The best British movie of the year", proclaims the poster for The Imitation Game and, for once, a film equals its hype. Don't be surprised to see Benedict Cumberbatch among the Academy Award winners for his magnificent portrayal of Bletchley Park codebreaker Alan Turing.

5. Guardians Of The Galaxy This space adventure boasts whizz-bang special effects but also has a sparkling sense of humour and irony and a brilliant soundtrack, based on songs from the 1970s and 80s. It was the blockbuster success of the summer but Marvel purists should not be disappointed.

6. Mandela: The Long Walk To Freedom Ignore those who talk it down - Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom is a superb biopic and Idris Elba is outstanding as its subject. It is a historically accurate account of the tumultuous life of the most famous man of my lifetime and, in my view, it is a triumph. 

7. BoyhoodThere has never been another picture like Richard Linklater's Boyhood and there may never be another like it again. It is unique because it was filmed over 12 years with the same cast coming back to shoot small segments which were then tied together. It is mesmerisingly good.

8. The Raid 2 The last time I recall an audience breaking out into spontaneous applause DURING a film was the midnight screening of the final Harry Potter. Here, the movie-watchers were moved to clap at a spellbinding action scene. I had heard that The Raid 2 was not as good as its predecessor. Rubbish. It is far better.

9. Blended Words I didn't expect to write include: "Adam Sandler's latest movie made us laugh more than any in the last 10 or maybe 20 years." And yet it is true. Despite our anticipation of another huge Jack and Jill-like turkey, the audience guffawed until they were hoarse during Blended.

10. Dallas Buyers Club My abiding thoughts after watching Dallas Buyers Club were not just that it was a career-defining performance from Matthew McConaughey but that his weight-loss was so alarming it must have bordered on dangerous.

11. Gone Girl I have seen Rosamund Pike many times in movies and once on the stage but she has never been this good. Pike gives an electric performance as a wife who has disappeared from a marital home which she has shared with the husband she fears.

12. Pride Whatever your views on the 1984 miners' strike and the gay liberation movement, I defy you not to laugh and also feel a bit of good old British defiance during Matthew Warchus's excellent Pride. This beautifully-written comedy drama recalls the unlikely backing for the pitmen by a group of gay and lesbian campaigners.

13. The Lunchbox Ritesh Batra's film shows that Indian cinema can be about so much more than the singing, dancing and slapping of Bollywood. It's beautiful cinematic story-telling and had me spellbound. It is an exploration of loneliness and love across the generations while digging deep into the rich culture of Indian life.

14. Mystery Road Here's a film which deserved much more exposure at UK cinemas that it had before slipping to DVD. Mystery Road has echoes of The Rover, Wake In Fright and even Animal Kingdom in showing the seamier side of Australia, a nation which likes to portray itself as utopia.

15. Calvary Calvary is brilliantly written and directed by John Michael McDonagh and boasts a wonderfully melancholic performance from Brendan Gleeson. It is an exploration of the beleaguered Catholic church from an unusual perspective - that of a village priest who is simply trying to do a good and honest job. Terrific.

16. The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came To EdenThis mystery has all of the exotic elements of a classic Sherlock Holmes tale, but happens to be true. The story of the Ritters, Wittmers and a fictional Baroness took place on Floreana, one of the Galapagos Islands in the early 1930s is told here in Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine's engrossing documentary.

17. The RocketThe film from Laos is a joy - aided by a wonderful performance by debutant Sitthipon 'Ki' Disamoe who plays a spirited young boy whose family fear he is cursed because he was a twin whose brother died at birth. This fear persists with all sorts of disasters befalling his poverty-stricken kin.

18. Heli Heli is built up with the lightest of touches before it launches into a grimly violent essay on the drug wars and corruption in crime-riddled Mexico. It also includes a scene of torture which is so realistic that it made me leap from my seat in anguish.

19. Omar A riveting thriller about love and betrayal on opposite sides of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. Adam Bakri excels in the title role of Omar, a dissident who becomes victim of blackmail by the secret service. Hany Abu-Assad's film, delves deep into the moral dilemmas which face ordinary people in an extraordinary situation.

20. Last Vegas The biggest surprise about Last Vegas is that it is so funny despite such an unpromising premise. Honestly, who would have reckoned on a pensioners' version of The Hangover, tickling the ribs quite so much? It heralds the return to form of Kevin Kline.

Meanwhile this is Neil's choice of the worst films to disgrace our screens in 2014.

1.SANTA'S SUMMER HOUSE

A contender for the worst Christmas movie ever! Kickboxers and martial arts fighters act straight in a film about Santa… in the summer.

If that wasn't unpromising enough, they throw in a ten-minute croquet match.

2.PUDSEY THE DOG, THE MOVIE

Does a children's film have to be as moronic as this?

Pudsey The Movie had echoes of the very worst kids' TV programmes, written by adults who think they know what makes youngsters laugh.

3.MURDERDROME

'The world's first roller derby slasher film.' This might suggest the world was in need of such a movie. The evidence is that it probably wasn't.

4.HUMSHAKALS

Two of Bollywood's biggest stars in one of the lamest comedies which has ever come out of India. Humshakals is not only puerile, it is, at times, offensive.

5.KIRPAAN, SWORD OF HONOUR

Bad movie-making which hides behind its pre-occupation with patriotism, honour and Punjabi family value

6.GOD'S NOT DEAD

Bland religious message wrapped up as a movie. I would doubt that even the most devout Christians could possibly think this is good.

7.WOLFCOP 

An alcoholic cop investigates mysterious cult after he is turned into a werewolf. What could go wrong? Everything.

8.THE FACTORY

A gang of tourists turn up at a museum dedicated to serial killers, complete with dummies. You guessed it… they come to life.

9. MEET THE FIRM: REVENGE IN RIO

Did the third of the White Collar Hooligan franchise really have to be this bad? Gags as funny as being smacked in the face with a brick

10. BULLET

Shootings and slashings and shootings and slashings and shootings and slashings... accompanied by acting so wooden that it reminded me of the National Forest.

YOUR SHOUT: TELL US YOUR BEST AND WORST FILMS OF 2014

HAVING spent last weekend in India in my role as a Hull City ambassador, I cannot believe how many British lads are out playing abroad.

Former Newcastle striker Michael Chopra and ex-Leicester frontman Iain Hume are out playing with goalkeeper David James for Kerala Blasters.

I can see the draw of playing abroad, but it was never for me – I once turned down a move to Australia.

It seems to be an option that more and more players are taking, with my ex-City team-mate Caleb Folan signing for Kanbawza FC in Burma.

Caleb was a great lad, a real athlete, but he was never a natural goalscorer.

He wasn't quite Premier League class but showed he could hold his own in the Championship.

If it was me, I would stick around and try to prove myself in the Championship. I imagine that one of the main draws to playing all over the globe is money, but I feel you have to earn the right to earn big money in football.

People go to work to earn money but for me, the one thing was that money didn't matter. I was more interested in playing and scoring.

I turned down the chance to play for Wigan in the Premiership when I was at Bradford. I wanted the chance to play, and that was always my main drive.

CAMPAIGNERS have hit out after figures showed women in East Yorkshire faced the longest wait for cancer screening results in the country.

A new report has shown Hull and the East Riding had the worst rates in the country last year for notifying women of the results of cervical screening tests.

More than 7,000 women had to wait longer than three weeks last year for their results when they should have been notified within two.

Julie Newman, a Hull mum-of-two diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2008, said: "Women should never have been waiting that long for their results.

"If I had to wait for my results, I would have died, as my cervical cancer was so advanced.

"Some of those women would have been absolutely distraught waiting for these results."

Of the 15,092 women tested in Hull between last year and this year, more than 23 per cent had to wait longer than three weeks for the results of their smear tests.

In the East Riding, 18,078 women were tested and just over 20 per cent waited longer than three weeks.

The report does not reveal exactly how long the women had to wait because of the numbers involved.

Hull Royal Infirmary transferred its work examining the results of smear tests to York Teaching Hospital in April last year.

Although 1,945 women were referred for further tests after signs of abnormalities, just under 71 per cent attended their appointments at colposcopy clinics.

Women aged from 25 to 64 are invited for regular cervical screening under the NHS Cervical Screening Programme.

The tests are intended to detect abnormalities that could, if undetected and untreated, develop into cervical cancer.

Women aged from 25 to 49 are invited for screening every three years, while women aged 50 to 64 should go every five years.

The report into England's Cervical Screening Programme by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) shows, nationally, just 77.8 per cent of women aged between 25 and 64 had been screened at least once in the past five years, a fall from 78.3 per cent last year and almost 81 per cent ten years ago.

Women aged from 25 to 29 are the least likely to attend screening tests every three years, with just 63 per cent getting screened within the previous three years by March this year. More than 81 per cent of women aged from 50 to 54 have been screened.

A spokesman for NHS England in North Yorkshire and Humber admitted women in Hull and the East Riding had been waiting too long for their results.

Since April, work has been done to improve the turnaround and latest figures show 99.5 per cent of women in Hull and 98 per cent of women in the East Riding are receiving their results within two weeks.

The spokesman said: "We are committed to ensuring a high-quality cervical screening service.

"We acknowledge the data held by HSCIC for 2013-14 regarding waiting times for cervical screening results was below the national standard.

"Since those figures were published, significant service improvements have been made, and current performance meets the national standard of 98 per cent of women receiving their result within two weeks of the sample being taken."

• Advice from Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust

MOST women have screening tests at their GP surgeries or NHS community clinic and should be notified of the results within two weeks.

If results are normal, women will be recalled for a retest in either three or five years, depending on their age.

However, if tests show abnormal cell changes, the women are recalled to check for signs of Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a virus which can be linked to the development of cervical cancer if left untreated.

Women with signs of HPV are referred for a further examination known as a colposcopy.

During a colposcopy, a microscope examines the cervix to determine appropriate treatment and a biopsy may be taken for further tests.

In Hull and the East Riding, about 95 per cent of women screened had negative results.

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Taxi marshals have started operating in Beverley and Bridlington.

Marshals are warning people about getting into bogus taxis and stopping booze-fuelled flare-ups in queues.

They started work last night, when East Riding Council's licensing officers also carried out spot-checks on taxi and private hire drivers to stop any operating illegally.

Councillor Jackie Cracknell said: "The East Riding has a reputation for being a safe place to be out and about. We want everyone to enjoy themselves while staying safe.

"For the fourth year, the marshals will be a reassuring presence working alongside the council's licensing officers, helping manage large queues and keeping things calm."

The marshals will be operating in both towns until Thursday, January 1.

Cllr Cracknell said: "We are talking about a small element of unlicensed drivers who either hold no licence or attempt to accept passengers when they are not legally entitled to.

"Our advice is to plan ahead and book or only get in a taxi where the driver is wearing a council-issued identity badge."

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