28/03/2012 Look North (East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire)

Good evening and welcome to BBC Look North. The headlines tonight.

Farmers warn of food price rises as a drought is declared in East

Yorkshire. We are live in the Yorkshire wolds,

where some waterways are already bone dry.

Measures to save fuel are put in place as motorists prepare for a

tanker strike. Students in Grimsby petition

against plans to force them to finish their A Levels at a new

college. They are not giving us a chance to explain ourselves. They

are saying there straightaway. -- saying no.

Still attracting funseekers. Coningsby in Lincolnshire has had

its warmest March day on record. Join me later for the forecast.

Students at the Grimsby Institute are shocked after being told they

will have to finish their A-levels at another school. The institute

will focus on vocational courses, and says it will stop teaching the

A-level curriculum at the end of the Summer Time. It is also

scrapping some GCSEs. Crispin Rolfe has more.

Christina and Georgia. Just months away from finishing the first year

of their two-year A-level courses at the Grimsby Institute. Today's

petition is calling for the college to complete their education before

changing the curriculum. Both are worried they would have to restart

their courses if they move to a college with a different exam

boards. We might have to start over again and do when the two years,

which will hold us back from university. They should compromise,

but they are not listening to us. They're not giving us the chance to

explain our cells. They are just saying no straightaway.

institute is defending his decision to move to more vocational courses,

and says it is doing all it can to help students complete their

education elsewhere. There is the local and regional made to ensure

our students are prepared for work force Opportunities, related to the

renewable industry, which we know will become available. It is about

a range of other students whose skills we need to develop so that

we are responding to industry requirements. Over 70 students will

be immediately affected by the end to A-levels here. Those courses

will be replaced by a National Diploma, the equivalent of three A-

levels, and should allow them to progress to university, all go

directly into work. The government hopes they will be more eligible

for the work force. Be Grimsby Institute has admitted the change

will be an upheaval for those whose courses are being discontinued. But

with the education sector facing funding cuts, this college believes

others are better placed to deliver academic courses, was it refocuses

on North East Lincolnshire's workforce needs.

I am sure you will have a view on this one, especially if you are a

student. Is the Institute right to focus on vocational qualifications

and train people in areas like green energy? If you are a student

or a parent, do let me know. Hull is one of the worst places in the

country when it comes to school truancy. Latest figures show that

almost one in 10 youngsters in the city regularly skip school. The

authority is the third worst performing county in the country.

Emma Massey has the details. Persistent truants are those who

were absent more than 15% of the time. Figures for the last school

year show that in Hull, the percentage of students who fall

into this category was more than 9%. It is not the first time Hull has

performed badly. In 2008, it was the worst performing a authority in

the country, and last year, the second worst. Figures for the East

Riding, Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire around the national

average of six per 1%, while North Lincolnshire is one of they best

performers in the country -- national average of six by 1%.

Hull City Council has declined to comment, but we did talk to the

government. Here is what the schools minister said. Our job is

to send a message to parents that school does matter, education

matters. We are producing a lot of highly qualified, highly educated

people. It is also about instilling in young children, primary school

children, the importers of attending school every day. There

are still some children not attending primary school, and they

take those habits on to secondary school. Now, some more and years.

The redundancy process at the BAE factory in East Yorkshire is to be

suspended for three weeks to allow fresh talks to place -- fresh talks

to take place. Unions representing workers at the site say it follows

a constructive meeting with management. The meeting was called

at a very high level in a company. They have effectively reset the

clock, Alawi knows more time -- allowing us more time to consult. I

think it is encouraging. A shopping centre in Spalding is to

be sold to a cottage -- she sold to a college. The multi-million-pound

Red Lion Quarter was meant to show kids Lincolnshire produce, but

struggled to make money. South Holland District Council is

expected to hand over the site to Boston College next week.

Campaigners fighting to save Hornsea's Floral Hall will meet

with businesses next week to work out how to restore the building.

East Riding Council said a community group could run the venue,

saving it from demolition. They need to raise at least �100,000. 10

new flood rescue boats have been unveiled a Lincolnshire. They will

be shared by fire stations across the county and will be crewed by

specially-trained water rescue teams. They will help us to deal

with any major flooding event, and any other specialist water rescue

within the county. They are available for national deployment

as well. A farmer has warned prices could

rise after Hull and East Yorkshire were declared to be officially in

drag. Some farmers are changing the watering methods, or even growing

crops in other parts of the country, to try to maintain the mat they can

grow for consumers. The news of the drought spreading to this area

comes a week before the hosepipe ban comes into effect in

Lincolnshire. Anne-Marie Tasker is in East Yorkshire. So we are

officially in drought. How low our water levels? In an average match,

you would expect this waterway could befall to the brim. --

average March. You can see there is not a single drop of water. This is

particularly worrying for farmers. High in the Yorkshire Wolds, the

soil is as dusty as in high summer. As they plant potatoes here,

farmers pray for rain to feed this thirsty crop. They say a few good

downpours could fix the problem, but if soil stays like this, it

will put paid to profits. If the crop is short of water,

particularly if it is a processing crop, it is not suitable when it is

have a state for making chips out of bomb-making crisps out of. They

will not be acceptable. This farm is irrigated using water from this

Paul Hall. Normally, at this time of the year, you would only have to

go down two metres to find water, but you need to go down 12 metres

right that. That picture is repeated across the county.

Environment Agency says the whole of the East Yorkshire is now

officially in drought and farmers need to co-operate to make supplies

last. The rivers might start to dry up and we would have to put

restrictions on. We are looking for people to come and talk to us, look

at the timings of when they take water, work with their neighbours

to enable the water to go further. While businesses face possible

restrictions, Yorkshire Water says domestic supplies are not under

threat. It is moving water pipe underground pipes from West

Yorkshire. It says restrictions are unlikely if customers do their bit.

We are asking customers to only use what they really need, when they

really needed. Restrictions may be necessary in future if we do not

get demand under control. We cannot control where the ball we can

control how much water we years. Lincolnshire, the problem only

worsens. The Environment Agency began moving fish out of perilously

low tributaries here on Monday. A hosepipe ban comes into force soon.

Bad news for lodgement holders. It would have a devastating effect on

me. I will have to fill paths opined use watering cans, walk all

the way up and fill them up. It will be rather tiring. Here in

Caistor, they are finding ways to cope as the village prepares for

Britain in Bloom. We have had to be clever about things. You can died

aged our water and bath water, used the grey water -- divert. This farm

near Goole is growing some crops in Lancashire, where water is

plentiful. Just one way of stopping their business drying up. This

drought is now affecting the whole of East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Why are people in the Yorkshire wolds specifically so worried?

problem is that the wall to lay on chalk, and it is fast draining.

Because of that, one farmer said that groundwater levels are at

about half of what they would expect from this time of year. For

residents, this is not so much of a problem. Yorkshire Water have told

us that a hosepipe ban is not likely. It is not such bad news for

livestock farmers. At this time of the year, they would normally be

battling chilling wings and sodden fields -- chilling winds. Thank you.

A number of petrol stations in East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire are

reporting higher than normal sales of petrol, ahead of a planned

strike by tanker drivers over pay and conditions. One station has

told Look North it has sold 10 days' worth of fuel in three days,

while another is now only selling diesel to the emergency services to

avoid running out. The government has held an emergency meeting this

afternoon and insists there is no need to panic buy.

It is a helping hand that get her out and about at least once a week.

Joyce is 83 and lives in a village about five miles from Grimsby.

have an appointment, I bring dial a ride. I do not know what I would be

without it. They are concerns that if the strike by fuel tanker

drivers goes ahead, this service may struggle. If petrol dries up,

dial a ride cannot operate. It would be terrible. Some of these

people only get out of the house when we take them. It is not just

medical related journeys. It is journeys to visit friends, to lunch

clubs. They go on over the place. It is hoped a crisis will be

averted. I can only pursue a 10am. Some garages like this one are bulk

-- at some garages like this one, the bulk buying has began. People

are panic-buying. 8,000 litres of petrol usually lasts for 10 days

here, but this week, it has run out after three. At the independent

garages I have spoken to, they say it is panic-buying that makes them

run dry. People that normally put �5 in a �10, they are putting �20

or �30 in. One man was filling up cans. They will be another delivery

of petrol here tomorrow. Diesel is still flowing. At this place in

Boston, no supplies -- low supplies means it is restricted to the

emergency services. They get priority. Drivers from the armed

forces are being trained to drive tanks, should there be a strike.

Unions would have to give seven days' notice of any action, so the

government is saying there is no need to queue at the Proms. --

pomps. I would like to know your thoughts on this. Maybe you have

started to buy already. Your thoughts on this. And we were also

talking about Grimsby Institute. Let us know your sort. -- thoughts.

Still ahead: Proposals to ban vehicles from a site in

Lincolnshire that is a haven for nature. And celebrations at the

park that has been enjoyed by sun- Scott Balfour is a Humber pilots

and he took this photograph yesterday morning at 7am, at Spurn

Point. What is stunning picture. Thank you for that. Evening, young

man. Brian says, will you ask Paul

Hudson how deep and offshore his temperatures for Bridlington are?

It is a standardised Met Office site. It is close to the sea so it

is cooler than inland. We could talk about this all night if you

want! We would rather not.

Let's have a look at the temperatures, which is more

exciting. Special mention for Bridlington. It has been much

warmer. It is the warmest March day since records began. The last time

we had a baby swarm in Coningsby was in 1990. -- a baby this a

warming Coningsby. The set alight picture is not very interesting, to

say the least -- the set alight picture. Low life in rural areas

A chilly start in places, but once again, temperatures will clamp --

climb quite sharply. The sunshine could be a little hazy at times,

but effectively it is a day of unbroken sunshine. Inland, that is

where the top temperatures will be. 21 degrees. Another nice day on

Friday, but feeling colder by Someone says, it was only last week

he upset the ice-cream seller. I am a married man in Bridlington!

The absolutely! -- I am a marked man in Bridlington.

Part of our rural heritage is being destroyed by off-road drivers. That

is a claim from the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, which is leading a

petition to ban vehicles from a stretch of Lincolnshire's Viking

Way. The track at Great Ponton near Grantham is a Site of Special

Scientific Interest, but vehicles have every right to be there. Jo

Makel report. Emerging Sweet Violetta, the

circling red kite. Some of the wildlife here. The drift is also

officially a public highway. As we see today, trail bikes can legally

use it. The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust says that is causing damage.

This is an example of the scale of the damage to this thoroughfare.

The damage is spreading and accumulating. We believe we have

lost a species. A wild flower that was one of the principal reasons

this site was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

trust is now petitioning to ban recreational vehicles from the lane.

Offloading groups point to schemes in places like the Peak District,

where drivers have gone entirely avoided sensitive routes. The trust

does not believe voluntary action is enough. Lincolnshire County

Council says an outright ban would be complicated. It is a very

difficult legal process we would have to go through to close it

completely. What we are looking at at the moment is a Traffic

Regulation Order, closure during the winter periods and open during

the summer period. Any decision made here could prove to be a test

case for the rest of the country. Closing the later vehicles would

entail having a costly public inquiry. The trust argues it is

worth it to save a grassland habitats which is part of

Lincolnshire's heritage. It is also a lane everyone is entitled to

enjoy. Resolution will not come easily.

Thank you for getting in touch about the story of Boston's growing

demand for housing. The town is expected to see the biggest growth

in population anywhere in the country outside London over the

next eight years. The government wants to simplify planning laws to

make building new homes easier, but in Boston, there are still

questions over how the town will Thank you for all of theirs.

Now, the manager of Hull City has apologised to fans after the city's

third defeat in a road. Nick Barmby's comments came after the

Tigers's 2-0 defeat at Portsmouth last night. As Simon Clark reports,

their play-off hopes are not over yet.

When Nick Barmby promised a reaction last night, this was

probably not what he expected. Portsmouth wreaked havoc in the

Tigers's box before Chris Maguire slotted home. Nick Barmby

apologised afterwards to the fans who had made the trip, and conceded

that the home side were the better team. Although it is five matches

since they last won, they are only two points away from the play-off

zone. If Barmby can work his magic against Coventry City, they could

return to the play-off zone. Perhaps they could return to happy

scenes like this again. It is a tight, unpredictable division.

have a feeling we could get in the top six and hopefully win.

Hopefully make it into the Premier League again. It is assuming the

other teams above us will fail, and they are not looking like that at

the moment. And we are not playing well. They can do what they can to

get to the top and get the Premiership again. To do that, they

need to pick up points in the forthcoming games. Otherwise, the

city hall balcony will be quieter game at the end of the season. --

quite a game. Better news for Lincoln City, who

eased their relegation worries with a 2-1 win. Grimsby Town drew 1-1 at

Tamworth. We have all seen ball high

temperatures today, and some of us are lucky enough to have a job

outdoors to enjoy the weather. One of those people is Stuart Macdonald,

a park ranger at East Park in Hull. Simon Spark has been to meet him to

find out how the good weather brings out pupils's nostalgia of

Hull's most historic pack -- pupils's.

It is easy to forget how many years East Park has been here. It will

shortly be celebrating its 125th anniversary. Stuart Macdonald has

been here for over 40 years. This was a maze. You could walk through

wet. You could walk through to the old Avery. This is a splash boat,

which will hopefully be going in April. It started in 1929. We're

hoping to doer penny a ride when we open it again. -- we are hoping to

do it a penny a right. I have seen children growing up. I see people

pass with their grandchildren. It is nice to have a natter. They

always say that magical thing, are you still here?! This gentleman

comes in most days and fits the squirrels. Cyril the squirrel. I do

not think he likes dogs. At 22 degrees, East Park comes

alive now as much as it ever did. used to go fishing and the lakes in

the 1980s. I is to come and play with the motorised boats on a pond.

Now it is a day out to bring my knees. It is lovely. You used to

love going on the boat. That was always nice. We come and feed the

ducks. So life in East Park. Families, ice-cream, football and

nature. Seems like things have not changed here that much at all.

There we are. Simon got the top job today. Fantastic. If you have a

story you think we should know about, senders and e-mail. Let's

have a recap of the headlines. The government tells motorists to keep

their tanks topped up ahead of a possible strike.

Farmers one of food prices as a drought spreads from Lincolnshire

into Yorkshire. It could be more bad news on the way. Restrictions

may be necessary in future if we do not get demand under control.

The forecast for Thursday: Another fine and very warm day for the time

of the deer with long spells of sunshine. -- at the time of the

Year. Response on the subject of Grimsby

Institute. Someone says, I study at Grimsby Institute and think it is

round the way they are treating us. They should let us finish our A-

levels. Helen says, this would seem to be a sensible desire to become a

technical college offering vocational qualifications. I am

sure there are excellent schools in Grimsby that can offer the A-level

student places. On the subject of petrol and a tanker drivers propose

strike, by and says, if these drivers are not satisfied with

their pay and conditions, why don't they leave the job and give someone

else a job? Chris says, it is not the drivers are should be on strike,

it should be us, why should we have to pay stupid prices for fuel?

Finally, he motorist should be allowed to fill the times when they