13/02/2017 Look North (East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire)

Calls for Government action as a trawlermen's strike in Iceland

It is affecting us all cos none of us are earning any money.

Chalet owners give evidence in the fraud trial of a man accused

Criticism of Hull College's finances as a reports

Some sunshine tomorrow, and milder air on the way

The MP for Grimsby has called on Ministers to put pressure

on the Icelandic government, after a strike by the country's

trawlermen hit businesses in north-east Lincolnshire.

People have been laid off and restaurants have had to change

menus because of a shortage of Icelandic fish.

In a moment we'll hear from Melanie Onn,

but first, here's our business correspondent Leanne Brown.

Today's catch comes from Scotland, Norway and the Faroe Islands,

as the effects of the strike by Icelandic fishermen takes hold.

When a major supplier like Iceland suddenly stops,

it means that people have got to source their fish elsewhere,

which then in turn puts pressure on price, but in all cases,

and particularly in Grimsby Fish Market,

we're a volume-based business, so we need the volume of fish

As a result of that, we've had to make some adjustments.

We're still looking at the number of redundancies.

75% of the fish that comes into Grimsby Docks

is usually from Iceland, but not today.

There's just 100 boxes of cod, when there would normally be 1,000.

Icelandic fisherman grounded their vessels over pay

and conditions in December last year, and there's no end in sight.

It means it's a struggle for fish merchants to sometimes

There's very little supply coming through since the Icelandic strike,

which is now eight weeks on, and supplies are just dwindling.

We've got a lot of focus on the Scottish fish

It is a very difficult start to the year, so hopefully things

will pick up now and we just need to get Iceland back, really.

There are lots of different varieties that we get out of Iceland

that just go the length and breadth of the country.

We do need the problem sorted out because it is affecting us all

because none of us are earning any money.

Preparing for a charity Valentine's meal tomorrow,

one local chef says you just have to adapt.

The lemon sole has been a struggle at the minute,

and the quality has not been very good.

It is the flatfish part of what's been coming into the country,

because it mostly comes from Iceland,

so we just change our menu according to what's coming in and what's

It's hoped the situation will be resolved before consumers have

to pay higher prices for their fish-and-chip supper.

Leanne Brown, BBC Look North, Grimsby.

Tonight I spoke to the Great Grimsby MP, Melanie Onn and asked her why

There's been a two-month-long strike in Iceland now

and it's starting to impact on the fish market.

We've seen jobs lost, so I'm asking the Minister to step

Well, we know that in a new era of free trade those relationships

are going to be more important than ever.

It's not that long ago that we had a flotilla down the Humber

with everybody proclaiming that this was going to be the rebirth

of the fishing industry for places like Grimsby.

So, I think it's time for the minister to step up and show

us what he can do for places like Grimsby and support

But aren't you just jumping on the band wagon

I mean, not even the British seafood companies have asked

Fishing is such a big part of Grimsby's heritage,

but it's also part of the businesses that are here today,

and this isn't saying that Grimsby is shut.

We are still here and we are still open for business.

People are sourcing fish from other places, but this is where our strong

relationships why and it would be great to see the Government stepping

This, after all, is the job of ministers.

David Davis has said that the fishing industry

Well, Iceland, obviously, is outside of the EU,

and I think that this is a picture of how trading relationships

of the future will exist, and this is the role of ministers,

to build those relationships, and this is the opportunity

for the British Government now to start showing us what they can

do, and what clout they have got in other countries outside of the EU

to negotiate when difficult circumstances like this occur.

But just answer that question about David Davis -

do you agree with him or is he wrong?

Well, this is an example of David Davis are saying, you know,

everything is going to be fine after Brexit, while Iceland

is outside of the EU, and this is where we've got

a long-standing trading relationship.

This is a difficulty that is existing right now and this

is the British Government's opportunity to show how

they will deal with it and how they will tackle it,

Melanie Onn, very good to talk to you tonight.

Thank you very much indeed for your time.

That was Grimsby MP Melanie Onn and we will follow that story.

Floral tributes have been laid in memory of an east Yorkshire

teacher who died while playing football on Saturday.

28-year-old James Moorfoot died after collapsing on the pitch

His head teacher at Hornsea School says the community has been

A court has heard claims today that residents who bought

a retirement chalet on an east Yorkshire holiday park

It's alleged William Flannagan dishonestly sold the holiday chalets

at Lakeminster Park in Beverley on the basis they could be

19 people claim they were dishonestly told they could live

on Lakeminster Park on the outskirts of Beverley all year round,

but planning had only been granted for the properties to be used

The park's owner, William Flannigan, is accused of ten counts of fraud

Today a former resident of the park, Stephen Ryan,

Stephen and his wife Janet moved into their home in 2010.

They were looking for a place to retire -

somehwere they could live in all year round -

and they believed that is what they found at Lakeminster Park.

Mr Ryan claims that the first time he found out about the restrictions

being in place was when he went to pick up the keys.

He was handed a licence agreement to sign.

He raised his concerns that the home was only for holiday use.

He raised these with Mr Flannigan, who said not to worry.

But today the court was shown a document, a licence agreement

outlining the restrictions, which had been signed by Mr Ryan

and his wife three months prior to them moving in.

Mr Ryan said he couldn't explain how their signatures had ended

up on such a document, and he stood by the fact that he had

not seen or signed a licence agreement before the day

In questioning Mr Ryan,Christopher Harding for the defence said:

William Flannigan denies ten counts of fraud by misrepresentation.

Caroline Bilton, BBC Look North, Hull Crown Court.

The finances at Hull College have been criticised

after a new report revealed it had ?10 million of debts.

The situation is likely to get worse in the coming months,

and the college is to work with the Government to try

People taking vocational courses and degrees at Hull College

want to build themselves the best future,

but the future of the college's finances is under scrutiny.

It's not balanced the books for three out of the past four years,

building up a deficit of ?10 million.

A Government report out today was highly critical of the way

One expert says many colleges are struggling with reduced funding,

but says they need to find ways to stay afloat.

Across England, you're finding colleges dealing with this

in a range of different ways, and I think each college in each

area needs to find its own way to use its resources most

effectively, but also to make sure that the investment in skills

is meeting employers' needs, and that, ultimately,

is what is going to drive our future economic growth.

So far, Hull College's approach has been to cut jobs and sell property,

but today's report says that hasn't been the answer to its cash woes.

The University and College Union - which had a dispute with the college

last year over redundancy plans - says there's been extraordinary

meetings with staff today to discuss the report.

No-one from Hull College was available for an interview today,

but it sent us a statement saying it's working with the Government

Lincoln Cathedral has been awarded ?11.5 million.

The Heritage Lottery money will help fund plans to build a new visitor

Now let's take a look at the weather.

Well, milder air on the way during the second half of the week.

In the short term, skies should be fairly bright tomorrow,

And there's Thursday's chart, and the reason why -

milder air on the way is south-westerly as opposed

to the easterly that we've got at the moment.

Still some low cloud across the Bridlington area

for example, but skies have cleared quite nicely along that

Lincolnshire coast, so a bit of patchy, low cloud tonight.

Elsewhere, clear periods and we'll see lowest temperatures

Just low enough to have ground frost where you have

So, tomorrow, some patchy low cloud in places at first,

but otherwise it's a lovely start with some sunshine.

Cloud increasing later, but it stays dry until after dark.

Top temperatures around eight Celsius.

-- 6:25am. Join me then if you can. Goodbye.

at the weekend it will be mild. Largely dry, perhaps a wind -- windy

at Winter is not over, but it almost

felt like spring today. A beautiful day in some places, such as the West

Country.