News

The Humber Bridge Board has successfully prosecuted four more people for climbing the bridge without permission.

The Board took legal action against Jay Swingler, Axel Grassi-Havnen, Peter George Taylor and Jesal Parshotan, for breaching its bye-laws. None of the defendants appeared at the hearings, which took place at Hull Magistrates Court on Friday 23rd March.

Swingler, 23 of Dudley, West Midlands,  and Grassi-Havnen, 21, of Sutton Coldfield, attempted to climb the bridge on July 26th last year.
This was followed, just days later, by London-based Taylor (18) and Parshotan, aged 28,  who illegally climbed the Humber Bridge on August 1st.

Swingler and Grassi-Havnen both pleaded guilty to trespass. Swingler was fined £135 and ordered to pay costs of £125 plus a victim surcharge of £30.  Grassi-Havnen was fined £100, ordered to pay costs of £125 and a victim surcharge of £30. Taylor and Parshotan were each fined £235 and ordered to pay costs of £125 plus a victim surcharge of £30.

The Humber Bridge Board has now successfully prosecuted five individuals for unauthorised access to the bridge infrastructure. In January this year, daredevil BMX rider Ryan Taylor was fined £400 and ordered to pay £125 costs after he breached the bye-laws in May 2017.

Dr Kevin Moore, Chief Executive of the Humber Bridge, said the prosecutions should act as a stark warning to anyone contemplating illegal activity on the bridge. He said: “As these prosecutions demonstrate, we take a zero-tolerance approach to people illegally climbing the Humber Bridge. We want people to understand how dangerous these actions are to themselves and other members of the public.”

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A new mental health campaign designed by young volunteers from Hull to help their peers has been launched today (27 March) with a creative and emotive soundscape along the Humber Bridge.

HeadStart is a five-year, £56 million programme set up by the Big Lottery Fund. Young people aged between 12 and 20 from across the city, some of whom have had their own personal struggles with depression and low self-esteem, have developed the idea.

With support from local published poet Vicky Foster and sound designer Mark Jones, the young people have produced inspirational messages and poems to tackle the taboo of mental health. It is also about reaching out to other children and young people who may be suffering from emotional issues, and maybe having a hard time talking about their feelings. They want all young people to know that even in difficult times when they can feel at their most isolated, “you are not alone”.

 

Twelve loudspeakers along the Humber Bridge will provide creative soundbites with positive messages from young people to reach those most in need from today and will run until 17th April. It will provide a unique listening experience for those who walk across the Bridge’s 2,220-metre span – which is the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world that it is possible to cross by foot or on cycle.

Gail Teasdale, programme lead, said: “Headstart Hull is about building young people’s emotional resilience and encourage them to talk about their problems before they develop into anything more serious. This ‘You are not alone’ campaign is all about challenging the stigmas, influencing decisions and raising awareness.

“The HeadStarters want all of Hull’s children and young people to know that they are not alone, that people care, that help is available, and that with time and support, they can overcome their issues and experience good times again.”

Kaitlyn Robson, aged 15, and Ben Waudby, 18, both pupils at Malet Lambert School in Hull, are among a small group of Headstarters who developed the idea and wanted to do something positive.

Ben said: “Young people’s mental health and well-being are neglected in society, and it’s time to fix that.”

Kaitlyn said: “I wanted to do this campaign as I’m passionate about mental health and I think this campaign is a creative way to make a difference.”

The Humber Bridge Board has fully supported the campaign. Chief Executive Dr Kevin Moore says: “We are very pleased to support this excellent project, which highlights and responds to the important issue of mental health in our communities. The young people involved are to be commended for their passion, creativity and hard work.”

HeadStart promotes positive emotional health and wellbeing, aimed at children and young people and their families to develop skills to cope with life challenges. It provides an appropriate early help response through targeted interventions for young people aged 10 to 16. The services include a range of support for young people including peer mentors, group work, counselling and resilience coaches. There is also peer mentoring and group work support for parents. Services can currently be accessed via referrals from schools or young people’s community based services, where staff have received training.

To find out more about the services available and how to contact them, go to www.howareyoufeeling.org.uk and click on the ‘who can help’ section.

Motorists are being urged to drive with care on the southbound lanes of the Humber Bridge from this weekend as essential engineering works re-start.

The scheme to replace the expansion joints at each side of the 1.4-mile long bridge will continue until May 2018 and involves the use of temporary safety ramps to enable traffic to use both lanes as much as possible.

The work will re-commence at 7pm on Friday 9th March with overnight working on weekdays until 6am, and throughout a number of weekends until the works are complete.

The work is being carried out with lane closures to ensure that the safety of the public and workforce is maintained at all times. Motorists with HumberTAG accounts will need to use the toll booths during these periods and drivers are urged to allow extra time for their journeys, as there is a speed restriction of 30 mph across the bridge and it will be 20mph at the ramps.

Andrew Arundel, Head of Engineering and Infrastructure, says: “The first part of this major maintenance programme for the Bridge has been completed successfully and we now move to the southbound carriageway. I’d like to remind motorists to take care with the speed restrictions as we progress the work.”

Residents who live close to the Bridge in the Hessle area are being notified of the work directly, as noise levels may rise briefly during the middle of March as the old joints are removed.

For the latest messages, the public can follow us on Facebook and Twitter or by checking this website.

The Humber Bridge Farmers’ Market, which was due to take place this Sunday 4^th March, has been postponed because of the ground conditions caused by the current extreme weather.

The Humber Bridge Board and the new operators, The Market Managers, made the decision to postpone following an inspection of the car park.

Co-director Andrew Riley says: “It’s unfortunate to have to move our first market as operators, but health and safety come first with such a popular event and traders were starting to ask us about this particular date, given the conditions. We wanted to be fair to everyone.”

The market, which offers up to 160 stalls and attracts thousands of people, takes place in the Humber Bridge car park outside the tourist information centre once a month and has been a fixture on the events calendar for the last decade.

The next date will be Easter Sunday, 1^st April, from 9-1.30.

Humber Bridge Chief Executive Kevin Moore says: “It’s the right decision, given the icy conditions in the car park and the continued big freeze. We look forward to welcoming everyone on Easter Sunday.”

The Humber Bridge Farmers’ Market is to be taken over by experienced Yorkshire operators, The Market Managers, starting with the March 2018 event.

The Market Managers, who run regular artisan food events at Beverley, Malton and Scarborough, have been appointed by the Humber Bridge Board to operate the popular monthly markets, which offer up to 160 stalls and attract some 5,000 visitors. The company is run by co–directors Caroline Anderson and Andrew Riley (pictured above).

Andrew says: “It’s great to have this opportunity to operate the prestigious Humber Bridge Farmers’ Market and develop it further. We want traders to feel assured that the event they have been an invaluable part of will continue and grow in this prime location.”

The next event is to take place on Sunday 4th March, 9-1.

The Humber Bridge Chief Executive, Kevin Moore, says: “We have acted quickly to make sure it is business as usual for the Farmers’ Market and have been delighted at the support of the traders. The Market Managers have demonstrated excellent vision and we look forward to their first event in March.”

Further information about this and other events at the Humber Bridge can be found at www.humberbridge.co.uk.