For this week’s general election, OTS News invited all six Southport parliamentary candidates to interview. Patrick Hurley, Sean Halsall, and Edwin Black were interviewed in person. Damien Moore and Erin Harvey agreed to recorded interviews, but due to internal constraints, these were conducted in writing. Reform UK’s Andrew Lynn declined to participate. OTS News: Could you start by telling us a little bit about yourself? Even a quick search online brings up snippets of a very busy and varied career: parliamentary researcher in Burnley, a former staff on John Pugh’s team, diplomatic work in Tunisia (with a British Empire medal…
Author: On The Spot News
For this week’s general election, OTS News invited all six Southport parliamentary candidates to interview. Patrick Hurley, Sean Halsall, and Edwin Black were interviewed in person. Damien Moore and Erin Harvey agreed to recorded interviews, but due to internal constraints, these were conducted in writing. Reform UK’s Andrew Lynn declined to participate. OTS News: You’ve been MP for the town since 2017, and essentially everyone who takes an interest in local politics will know who you are, and what you stand for. But could you perhaps just give us an overview into who you are, your time as an MP,…
Residents in a town centre apartment block say they want more to be done about piles of rubbish dumped at the back of where they live. The piles of used boxes, pallets and rubbish is growing ‘by the day’ at the rear of flats on Eastbank Street. The rubbish has been fly-tipped alongside properly disposed of waste on Queen Anne street. CCTV has been installed and signage warns fly tippers will be prosecuted but these warnings have gone unheeded. One resident said “it’s a blight on where we live and an eyesore. What are the council going to do about…
Detectives are issuing images of a man who may have information following the sexual assault of a teenage girl in Southport last month. At around 2.25pm on Saturday 8 June, a 17-year-old girl and her friend were leaving Southport train station when she was sexually assaulted near to Tesco on Chapel Street. Enquiries are ongoing and the victim is being supported by officers. Detective Constable Dave Rutherford said: “If you recognise the man please let us know as he may be able to provide information to assist our enquiries. “This was the day of Save the Rave festival in Southport…
Residents in Sefton who have applied to vote in the General Election by post but have yet to receive their postal vote packs are being urged to get in touch with the Council. Registered voters who have applied for a Postal Vote should have received their packs by 5pm on Friday, June 28th. While many have successfully seen their postal vote packs land on their doorstep, Sefton Council’s Electoral Services team are working hard to ensure anyone who has not yet received their packs does so in time to vote on July 4th. A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: “Like…
The six candidates for Southport’s parliamentary seat at next week’s general election will be tested at a hustings event tonight in the Town Centre. Christ Church on Lord Street will host the event from 7.30pm to 9.00pm this evening. Christ Church say the event is “an opportunity for the people of Southport to hear from and ask questions of those who aspire to represent us at Westminster”. All six candidates: Liberal Democrat Erin Harvey, Independent Sean Halsall, Reform UK’s Andrew Lynn, Labour’s Patrick Hurley, Damien Moore of the Conservatives and Edwin Black of the Green Party, are scheduled to appear.…
Workers will move in to the Southport theatre site this week to prepare the building for impending demolition. The council have told residents today that work will finally begin on site this week after a number of politicians raised concerns about the project stalling. The ex theatre is to be demolished to make way for the Marine Lake Events Centre. Deliveries and contractors will be rolled into the area and heavy machinery could be seen, nearby residents have been told. A date for the actual demolition has yet to be revealed however it’s expected the works will begin sooner rather…
Police in Southport are trying to trace a Southport man who was last seen four days ago. Anyone who sees him is told to call 999 immediately. A police spokesperson said “ Please share and help us find missing Ryan Angelucci from Southport. Ryan, 33, was last seen leaving home in Southport at 9am on Wednesday 19 June and extensive enquiries are ongoing to find him. He is described as being around 5ft 7in tall, of medium build with ginger/brown shoulder-length hair and brown eyes. When last seen he was wearing a grey blazer. Ryan has links to Lord Street,…
An animal rescue sanctuary have shared a heartstring tugging appeal to find a home for a tiny kitten who is the only one of a litter to remain unadopted. The unnamed black kitten is currently being cared for at Woodlands Animal Sanctuary and is described as a ‘adorable dude’ by kind hearted staff who are looking after him. Sanctuary bosses said: “Tomorrow this adorable little dude says goodbye to his brothers and sisters as they go to their forever homes. “Leaving him the only one of his litter yet to be welcomed into a loving new family. “He’ll be heartbroken…
Sandgrounders aged 18 or over who aren’t yet registered to vote need to do so by midnight tonight (Tuesday June 18th) or else they won’t be able to have a say in the general election. Anyone who wants to have a ballot cast in the election on July 4th can only do so if they’re registered to vote. The deadline expires at 11:59pm on Tuesday June 18th. You can register to vote any time of the year online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote – it’s free, quick and easy. You just need your National Insurance number. It’s on pay slips, letters about benefits, tax returns, and…
Architects have revealed plans to create a 30 bed hotel complex at a former council parking offices in the town centre. Wetherspoons bosses at the Sir Henry Seagrave have been working behind the scenes to submit plans for the conversion of a number of upper floors at the Lord Street building. The plan is to create a 30 bedroom hotel managed by the pub chain. The pub giant has submitted a planning application to Sefton Council seeking final permission to change what was once a block of council offices into 30 hotel rooms on the first and second floors of…
Data produced by a leading polling platform says that nearly 40% of people in Southport will be taking part in tactical voting at the upcoming election. Thousands of people are expected to cast their vote to decide who will be Southport’s next MP at the July 4th General Election. Data produced by polling platform GetVoting.org is specifically designed to show voters what the most tactical vote is for their constituency. It takes into account local polling data and feedback from residents. According to the platform they predict that 39% of voters will cast a tactical vote and not necessarily a…
A Southport doorman who has kept revellers safe in the town for over 40 years is finally calling time on his career. Friends have paid tribute to Alan Hughes who has been a door supervisor outside popular establishments throughout the town for 41 years. Alan is perhaps best known for his time keeping the peace and ensuring everyone had a safe and fun evening out at the Scarisbrick Hotel – a venue he looked after for decades. Despite four decades on the doors Alan chose to finally give himself a well deserved rest and was handed a warm send off…
Detectives working across the North of England executed a series of warrants today as part of an ongoing case to crack a suspected human trafficking ring. Multiple individuals were arrested today including a 43 year old man from Southport. Police raided an address in Southport before detaining and arresting the man on suspicion of human trafficking for sexual exploitation. He was the sixth arrest of the day after five other people were caught by detectives after a police raid on a suspected brothel in a County Durham town. The pre-planned warrants have been carried out with the support of Merseyside…
Police are attempting to find missing 40-year-old Patrick Apperley from Birkdale. Patrick, also known as Paddy, was last seen on Thursday 6 June in the Worcester Road area of Bootle. When last seen he was wearing a puffy green winter coat, a red hooded top, jeans and white/green trainers. He also sometimes wears a baseball cap. He is described as being around 5ft 10in tall, has a slim build, dark coloured hair and has a stubble. Patrick has links to Southport, Bootle and Berkshire. Anyone who has seen Patrick or knows of his whereabouts is asked to DM @MerPolCC or…
Furious residents have been given a chance to vent about ‘dangerous’ cycle lanes in Southport Town centre. A meeting of the council’s licensing committee took place last night to formally note a series of objections to the controversial cycle lane scheme that runs like a vein through the town centre. The most controversial section of the cycle lane scheme is on Queens Road and Hoghton Street. The Hoghton Street stretch (pictured in a file photo above with Cllr Mike Prendergast and businessman Sinclair D’Albuquerque) has been the subject of repeated debate and campaigning since it was first installed. It also…
A man who may be able to help police piece together vital clues to an ongoing serious sexual assault investigation is being urged to come forward. The young male, who police hope may be able to assist with their investigation, is not directly linked to the alleged crime but detectives think he could provide considerable help to them. At around 12.15am on Sunday 14 April, a man and woman leaving a local establishment became separated in Lord Street, Southport. The witness pictured assisted the man to a bench outside the Bold Hotel, at around 12.45am. The witness (pictured) is described…
Staff at Formby McDonalds were the centre of attention for a brand new UK wide TV advert to promote a new range of happy meals. TV crews were brought in a number of weeks ago with Coronation Street star Adam Thomas brining his family down to the Formby Bypass restaurant to shoot the ad. A spokesperson for Formby McDonalds said “We had an incredible time filming the new McDonald’s Happy Meal advert at our Formby McDonald’s Restaurant. “We were thrilled to welcome our celebrity guest and his family.” The ad is now playing across terrestrial TV channels and on social…
Organisers of this years Food & Drink festival have hailed it as a record breaking event. A fabulous three day feast saw tens of thousands of people pack out Southport over the weekend for the 2024 Food & Drink Festival. Southport’s Victoria Park was transformed into a culinary melting pot of food and drink from around the world much to the delight of a record crowd between Friday May 31st and Sunday June 2nd. Families from across the North of England packed out the park from start to finish with more than 100 food, drink and craft produce stalls, plus…
A Southport department store will close down again just a handful of years after it was resurrected from a previous closure. Beales department store have announced a ‘closing down sale’ on their Facebook page but given no other details as to why the Lord Street complex is once again shutting down. One person said of the news “it’s always the staff that suffer.” The ‘new’ Beales department store opened in 2021 after its previous incarnation of Broadbents and Boothroyds said farewell to the town after 132 years. No reasons have yet been given for the decision to close the store…
An Arriva bus has been involved in a crash in Ainsdale this afternoon. The smash occurred at approximately 13:30 today at Carr Lane in Ainsdale. OTS News understands that there were no passengers or pedestrians involved, but the incident did cause significant damage to a parked car and a number of lamposts. Merseyside Police have been notified of the incident. The circumstances leading to the incident remain unclear.
Police are directing traffic around a serious three car road traffic collision on the coastal road. Emergency services were called to the coastal road close to the junction with the Formby Bypass just before 1pm. Three cars travelling in the same direction were involved in a serious collision with two of the vehicles being rear ended. The damage caused to all three cars is significant. Police units are currently managing traffic and are working to keep the road open while the cars are removed. Witnesses statements have been taken and all drivers stopped at the scene.
Southport Food & Drink Festival is entering its third and final day of the 2024 show after hosting thousands of people at Victoria Park. Good weather on Saturday resulted in huge queues across the site and hardly any room to sit down with thousands of people estimated to have attended across the day. Demand was so high that a number of stalls were sold out well before the 6pm finishing time and had no choice but to close early. A positive forecast is expected to bring even more people to the final day of the three day food festival…
A Southport bookshop owner who helped cement a town centre store as one of the UK’s most famous literary spots has sadly passed away. Broadhursts Bookshop staff said they were heartbroken to announce the death of their boss and friend Laurie Hardman. Described as the very heart & soul of Broadhursts for many years, Laurie was well known in the literary world and dozens of authors, bookshop fans and residents have paid tribute in the hours since his passing was announced earlier today. Speaking in 2018 Laurie said: “I started collecting books when I was very young. “After university, I…
A Southport woman who fled the scene of a car crash when her BMW collided with a wall has appeared in court for lying to police. At around 8.40pm on 31 December 2022 a BMW was seen being driven dangerously and at speed along Cemetery Road before swerving and crashing into a wall. A male and female were seen to exit the vehicle and make off. At 9.45pm that night Natalie Cashen rang 999 to report her car had been stolen claiming she left it parked in a street in Southport. The car was seized and examined and a prosecution…
The Sainsbury’s Meols Cop store is turning people away today after their entire contactless payment system failed. Customers were even seen leaving baskets and trolleys filled with shopping at the tills after they were told by frustrated staff that systems had broken today (Thursday May 30th) Shoppers can still pay with cash or a physical card but those hoping to pay digitally were turned away. A technical fault is being blamed for the issue which has also brought down the store’s smart shop function. Frustrated staff are doing their best to help shoppers get around the technical issue with regular…
Southport could be hit by 50 days of rain this summer as the Met Office warn of soggy conditions not seen for nearly 100 years. The last time it was predicted to be such a wet summer in Southport was 1912. Forecasters say it’s highly likely the entirety of the UK will be hit by the wettest June, July and August since before World War One. The government and transport networks have already been placed on high alert for severe disruption. Although classed as a ‘long range’ forecast, weather experts say the odds of sunny weather outlasting rainy conditions are…
RAF chiefs have cast doubts on the Battle Of Britain flight appearing at the Southport Air Show this year after the tragic events of last week. The RAF has temporarily grounded the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight following the death of a pilot in a crash. Experienced pilot Mark Long was killed when the Spitfire he was flying crashed in a Lincolnshire field. A number of scheduled appearances have now been cancelled pending an investigation, with no set date for their planned return. The Southport Air Show is due to take place on Saturday and Sunday July 13th and 14th.…
A Southport grandmother is home safe this afternoon after she sadly went missing in the early hours of Tuesday May 21st. Ronnie Green, who has Alzheimer’s, left her home this morning sparking a town wide search led by her worried family. An appeal launch by OTS News had been shared dozens of times to help in the search for the 80 year old. Her family have now thanked all those who have played a role in finding Ronnie and they have confirmed she is now home safe and reunited with her loved ones.
A Southport grandmother who has Alzheimer’s has gone missing in the town. The family of Ronnie Green are appealing for anyone who may have seen her to get in touch as soon as possible. Her family have made a passionate appeal for help and told OTS she was last seen wearing a dark blue coat, jeans, brown boots and a cream Bobble hat. Ronnie, 80, was last seen by her husband yesterday evening at home and it’s understood Ronnie left the property sometime this morning. She’s known to frequent coffee shops in the town centre including the Cafe Nero and…