18/11/2013 Look North (East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire)

child abuse. That is all from the BBC News at six.

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

tributes for the rugby league legend Steve Prescott.

The fact the church was so busy says so much about what type of bloke he

was. A warning to drivers caught using

their mobile phone behind the wheel. You are gambling with your life and

you are gambling with other people 's lives.

Taking to the Strictly stage ` the the hero who jumped into a water

filled ditch to rescue a trap motorist. And taking to the Strictly

stage. A risk of ice and frost ahead.

Hundreds of people broke out in spontaneous applause as the coffin

of former Hull FC rugby league player Steve Prescott arrived at

church this morning for his funeral. The 39`year`old died this month

after he lost his seven year battle with a rare form of stomach cancer.

During that time he raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity

and retains a special place in the hearts of sports fans across the

country. Phillip Norton reports from his home town of St Helens.

From clubs of all colours. Family, friends and fundraisers. The

sporting world united in applause for Steve Prescott. St Mary's Lowe

House church in his native St Helens was packed for the service to

remember his life. More than 2,000 mourners, including the England

Rugby League team, gathered to say their farewells.

We are here to celebrate Steve's life. We have more and and we will

continue to do so but we must remember this great person.

Steve Prescott was a legend on the pitch for Hull FC, as well as St

Helens, England and Ireland. But in 2006, he was given just months to

live when he was diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer. He

remained defiant, courageously completing gruelling challenges and

marathons, raising almost half a million pounds for charity. His son

Taylor paid tribute to his dad during the service.

When I was five, I made him a promise that I would always do my

best and follow my dream of being a sportsman. I would make him as proud

of me as I am of him. We will miss him but we will love him for ever.

Outside, in drizzle and rain, the crowds remained. Hull FC fans and

representatives standing side by side with other mourners.

Towards the end of the service, his life was lovingly summed up. Thank

you but 39 years of hope and inspiration. We will make sure your

name goes on and on. We will let everyone know you were truly one in

a million. He was a fantastic bloke. He was one

of the best fullbacks I have ever seen. I'm just glad I could come.

A private service was held shortly afterwards. A final goodbye to an

inspiration and a man whose legacy will live on.

In a moment: As unemployment begins to fall in parts of the country `

how are these four job`seekers faring in their hunt for work? A

woman from Hull whose mother was killed by a texting driver says

mobile phones should be switched off completely when behind the wheel.

New figures show almost 5500 people in East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

have points on their licence for driving while distracted. Now a

Yorkshire`based charity is calling for phones to be locked away before

drivers set off. Driven to distraction. Whether it's

the pressure of modern life or the tedium of the traffic, the claim is

too many reach for their mobile phone. But the consequences can be

severe. Dawn Timming's mother Mary died on an East Yorkshire road.

She'd just been given the all clear from cancer when she was involved in

a head on collision. The person that was driving towards

Hull was texting on their fallen and lost control of the beer call and

hit her head on. `` lost control of the vehicle. Those of us left behind

are trying to put our lives back together without that person.

A campaign group is calling for people to turn off their mobile

phones or pack them away safely. Pro`driving groups insist that

hands`free kits as a and people shouldn't have to turn their forms

of altogether. The deterrent against using even a

hand`held phone isn't great so we would like to see that buying put up

to a minimum of ?8,000 `` ?1000. I don't have Bluetooth or anything.

If I'm driving, I can ignore it. Of course there are other distractions

` cigarettes, food, even passengers. The question being posed by road

safety campaigners I would say turn it off, silence,

get it away, because the temptation is too great.

Earlier, I spoke to John Siddle from the Lincolnshire Road Safety

Partnership and asked him whether he thought phones in cars should be

banned completely. We talk about mobile phones and we

have the disparity here between a hand`held phone and hands`free

phones. The same applied to both, they are both as dangerous as each

other. People have been eating and drinking

behind the wheel for years. I can't see the difference.

There is a big difference. Statistically your reaction time is

35% slower when you are on the phone and driving than that of a drunk

driver. It can't be more dangerous than drinking.

If you need to drop your mobile if you are in trouble, you can. You can

suddenly sober up. We have found there is a physical

distraction. What about a parent with two

screaming kids in the back of the car? Would you ban them.

A man who jumped into a water`filled ditch to rescue a motorist who was

trapped upside down in a crashed car has been described as a hero by

police. Andy Stubbs says he went to help after his wife heard the crash

near their home in Brothertoft near Boston. He says the road where it

happened is an accident black spot and wants the council to make

improvements to make it safer. Amy Cole is there. It was purely by

chance that the driver got any help at all. Andy and his family were at

a remembrance service for someone who had died in a road traffic

accident when they heard a noise coming from the ditch. They could

see the car in the ditch and that it had started to take on water and the

driver was trapped inside. It was pitch black and getting cold. The

police say that the driver is very lucky to be alive.

It appears that the driver ended up in this ditch, for reasons unknown.

There was a car overturned in the dream. I helped to calm him down.

His head was above the water so we helped them a little bit until

people arrived. Andy reckons that the driver was in

the ditch for about 45 minutes. Lincolnshire Police praised Andy's

willingness to help. Lotsa people would say that lots of

other people would do that but only certain people can step up to the

mark. I think he saved the driver's life. We have had about eight or

nine incidents of people going into the drain. I have reported this to

the council but have had no success in getting anything done. He hopes

that the council will now act. Andy has told me that he has spoken

to the Highways Agency and the wheels `` they will send out people

to look at the ditch. That ditch has more than a ten foot vertical drop.

It is very dangerous and there are always people like Andy on hand

willing to help out. Well done to Andy.

Still ahead tonight: Putting on a show at the Blackpool tower ballroom

` the Grimsby dancers starring on the Strictly stage.

The roar as we came out was just phenomenal.

That's a great story. Tonight 's picture now. Tracy Needham took this

of Brantingham in East Yorkshire. I have had an e`mail saying that

they saw you in a cafe. They say you look better in the flesh.

For the next 24 hours it is colder. We will have a frost tonight but

plenty of sunshine tomorrow. Just the risk of one or two wintry

showers along the coast. The cold front is still across Lincolnshire

so still in narrow ribbon of rain pushing out. It will be cold

tonight. A widespread frost and watch out for icy patches. The sun

will rise at these times. Watch out on the roads first thing.

A crisp start but a sunny one. Just the hint of a new wintry showers

along the coast. Inland it will be dry but you will notice how cold the

air is. We morning has a wet start in places turning brighter. Sunny

intervals and scattered showers on Thursday.

You should be using their ibid more make up their need is to wet the

receding hairline. That got you! The latest figures show a fall in

unemployment across the country. But in the Yorkshire and Humber region

and across the East Midlands, which includes Lincolnshire, more than

400,000 people are still looking for work. Last month we introduced you

to these four ` Teri, Stefan, Josh and Jess `who're all hoping to find

employment. Four weeks on, Gemma Dawson has been to find out how

they're getting on. I'm job`hunting. I wonder if you

have any job vacancies. Teri has been unemployed for four years and

are starting to give up hope. Since I first met her last month, she has

spent hours pounding the pavements looking for vacancies. I have been

trying my best but it just gets me down. I can't do any more than my

best and I just feel upset. Back at her apartment, Teri admits she's

struggling with debt. This is the longest I've ever been

between jobs. I don't know what to do. Stephan has also remained

unemployed. `` Stefan. It's all right looking

for work but if you cannot get anybody to employ you, you have two

employ yourself. Josh is also making plans for the

future. He is one month into his traineeship and is hoping to work at

the builders merchants. I am still the siding which one to

choose. Jess is already getting a taste of

work. This is her first be helping out at the new primary school. It

has been stressful because it is the first day back at work but I have

enjoyed it and it has reassured me that working with children is

something that I want to do. But these four are still searching

for their happy ending as they continue to prepare for work.

We wish them well. And we'll continue to follow the four as they

try to find a job here on BBC Look North over the next few months.

They went to practice their scuba`diving but ended up at the

centre of one of the worst storms in history. Now soldiers have been

describing how they helped after the typhoon.

That is a typhoon coming in over the mountain.

We are talking a freight train passed the window and doors for two

hours. It was full on. We took shelter in what we thought was the

safest structure which was concrete building but we realised the

following morning that the roof had been lifted off.

This is where they were in relation to the eye of the storm. There were

hundreds of miles away but the storm still had power. Now back at their

base in East Yorkshire, they are taking stock of the recovery

operation. Most of the population live in rough

hearts with bamboo panels. `` rough huts.

We were clearing trees with machetes. We just did the best we

could with what we had. The locals are very resilient.

They have been lucky to escape one of the strongest storms in history.

This is one training exercise these men won't forget.

Volunteers from the Royal Voluntary Service have been told they'll have

to compete with high street brands to run coffee shops at hospitals in

Goole and Scunthorpe. North Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Trust

says asking people to bid to run the catering facilities will improve the

service for patients and visitors. Utterly appalled and disgraced that

they could even consider this. We are told that hospitals are not

having budget cuts so there is no need for this.

The Strictly Come Dancing spotlight has been on Grimsby over the past

few weeks as 11 million people watch the progress of locally`born

professional dancer Kevin Clifton and his celebrity partner Susanna

Reid. This week though there was more than just Kevin representing

North Lincolnshire. It was a family affair on BBC One as the whole

Clifton family starred on the programme. Simon Spark reports.

On Saturday's Strictly, Grimsby's on Kevin Clifton and Susannah reads got

three tens. Kevin's sister, here on the right, .

Kevin and I danced on that floor for many years so it was emotional.

The rest of his family were there as well. They are seen here opening the

show. They were watching the show back today.

I didn't believe it at first. I thought it was a joke.

Every time that music comes on now, here stands up on the back of your

neck. The Road was just phenomenal. I cannot describe it. `` the roar.

Is it too early to dear to hope? As soon as they say his name, my

stomach goes... I was so proud. I had a few tears. I think they are

doing really well and I think they should win.

Fantastic dans on Saturday. It continues next Saturday. Let's get a

recap of the national and regional headlines.

Two Internet giants are to crack down on Internet child abuse search

terms. Hundreds line the streets to pay their respects to the Hull FC

star Steve Prescott. Tomorrow's weather: A frosty start

with icy patches. Otherwise most places dry with just a small chance

of a wintry shower, mainly along the coast. Cold with a maximum

temperature four Celsius. We've had a big response on the

story about driving with mobile phones. Annie says that phones

should be turned off and put in the boot of the car. Our daughter was

nearly knocked off her bike. Another correspondent says what about

changing the radio station? When is it going to stop? Steve says, nanny

state going over the top again. It won't along before the driver is

sealed in a separate box away from any distraction altogether. Have a

nice evening. Goodbye. 'We wanna do

a science fiction series.' CS Lewis meets HG Wells meets

Father Christmas, that's the Doctor.