Sefton Council politicians are meeting tonight to thrash out the details of a eye watering budget for 2025/26 that will see residents pay more in council tax. People who own second homes will also be hit with a double blow to their finances as a tax on second homes will be brought into effect to help what the council say is a way of avoiding further financial crisis. One of the biggest factors in the need for higher taxes, the council says, is down to increased pressures and demand in both Children’s and Adults Social Care. Some council services are…
Author: On The Spot News
A car has collided with the frontage of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill store on Lord Street. The incident happened just after 1pm today when a black Mercedes hatchback struck the glass front of the shop on the corner of Lord Street and Hulme Street. Luckily nobody was seriously injured in the collision and no pedestrians were harmed. Police are now trying the understand what caused the crash and how the driver came to lose control of their vehicle. A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: “We are appealing for information after a car was in collision with a shop front in…
Officers from Merseyside Police Roads Policing Unit have arrested a 57-year-old man following a serious road traffic collision in Southport last night (Monday, 24 February). The incident happened on Cumberland Road, Southport, at about 7.53pm, when a white Ford transit van has collided with a 36-year-old man. The injured pedestrian was taken to hospital by ambulance and is being treated for serious injuries, his condition is described as serious but not life threatening. The driver of the transit van, who comes from Southport, did not stop at the scene and was arrested a short while later on suspicion of causing…
Emergency services have descended on a quiet suburban Churchtown Street following a serious incident. Police, paramedics and an air ambulance have been called to a property near to the junction of North Road and Balmoral Road in Churchtown. An air ambulance was called and landed nearby to support paramedics on the ground. OTS News has approached Merseyside Police for a statement in relation to the incident. Five police cars, including a matrix van, as well as an ambulance and emergency first response vehicle remain on scene into the afternoon The area remains open to the public with emergency services activity…
Homes and businesses in Southport are reporting power outages. Scottish Power has confirmed unplanned power cuts in PR8 and PR9 postcodes around Meols Cop. Postcodes affected according to Scottish Power are: PR81AA, PR86AB, PR86AD, PR86AF, PR86AG, PR86AN, PR86AP, PR86AQ, PR86AS, PR86AT, PR86AU, PR86AW, PR86AX, PR86AY, PR86AZ, PR86BA, PR86BB, PR86BD, PR86BE, PR86BG, PR86BQ, PR86DG, PR86HA, PR86HE, PR86HF, PR90SH, PR90SJ, PR97DT, PR97EE, PR99AB, PR99AD, PR99AE, PR99AF, PR99AG, PR99AH, PR99AJ, PR99AN, PR99AP, PR99AQ, PR99AW, PR99BZ, PR99DA, PR99DU, PR99DY, PR99DZ, PR99EB The cause of the outage is unknown. Scottish Power says services should be restored at approximately 5 pm.
A stunning Italian cafe serving up European delicacies is opening soon in the heart of Southport Town Centre. Roxy’s Cafe, created by well known former Volare staff member Roxana Budoi, who brings her years of expertise to London Street, will open this coming Monday February 24th Roxana, born in Romania and a former resident of Italy, is an expert in the finest Italian foods, coffees and fresh baked goods. As well as her own experiences from Italy, Roxana has spent nearly 8 years working with the team at Volare Southport under the guide of owners Onofrio Maimone and Cinzia Lopalco…
The parents of Alice da Silva Aguiar have told the BBC that their daughter was “born to be a star”. Dad and mum Sergio and Alex are now fundraising for a new playground at Churchtown Primary which will include a stage. Looking over architect’s drawings of the proposal during an exclusive TV interview with BBC Breakfast, her mother Alex said: “[The stage] would be her favourite part.” In the family’s first TV interview, Alice’s father Sergio said he would be running the London Marathon to raise funds for the playground. The BBC TV interview follows an exclusive print interview with…
Sefton Council has launched a new public consultation to seek the views of residents, businesses and visitors on future improvements to Southport’s Promenade. In 2020 plans were revealed which would be designed to support Southport’s return to the grandeur of Victorian England, when it was the country’s second most popular tourist destination. Les Transformations de Southport The project, dubbed “Les Transformations de Southport”, aims to improve connectivity across the whole town centre, including improved pedestrian facilities, better links to the railway station and the creation of new public spaces for hosting events. Now a consultation has been launched for Phase…
Two men have been arrested in connection with reports of attempted burglaries committed earlier this month in Crosby. Yesterday, Tuesday 18 February, officers were on patrol when they stopped a grey BMW car on Strand Road in Bootle. As a strong smell of cannabis was emanating from the vehicle a search was carried out where a device used for scanning car keys and tracking vehicles were found. Officers also found clothing which was suspected to have been worn in three attempted house burglaries in Crosby the week before. Two men, a 25-year-old from Ainsdale and a 21-year-old from Crosby, have…
Officers investigating the disappearance of 23-year-old man, Theeraphat Khongthale, can confirm that a body of man was found just before 8.30am this morning, Sunday 16 February. Theeraphat was last seen on Formby beach at around 3.30pm on Monday, 3 February and an extensive search was launched by multiple agencies across two weeks. At this time the death is being treated as unexplained. A post mortem examination will now take place to establish the cause of death. The body is yet to be formally identified.
A specialist international team with leading experts from the FBI in America are helping local detectives to access previously unobtainable data from the laptop of Axel Rudakubana. It’s understood the American Department of Justice and the FBI have offered their services to police in Southport after they admitted to being unable to access supposedly deleted internet search history data from the devices of the now convicted murderer. National newspaper outlets reported late last night a joint statement from the Crown Prosecution Service and Merseyside Police. The statement said: “A specialist liaison CPS prosecutor in the United States has been working…
A Southport man has been jailed for eight years for multiple offences against a woman over a ninth month period. Nathaniel Lockie, 36, of Station Road, in Southport, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today, Friday 14 February, after he was found guilty of the following offences: Sexual assault Assault Threats to disclose private sexual images Stalking causing fear of violence Breach of restraining order Lockie was arrested as part of an investigation into his actions towards a woman between November 2023 and July 2024. Lockie threatened the victim, would call her up to 200 times a day and assaulted her…
The bird houses at Botanic Gardens will be closed for an unknown length of time after bird flu alarms were raised across the country. The popular aviary within the Gardens, which plays home to a number of rare and exotic birds, will be closed off to the public from Sunday 16th February. It comes after a warning from DEFRA that bird flu cases are spreading quickly across the country. CCTV is in operation at the aviary and people are being warned not to try and climb the gates to access the birds while the flu warning is in force. From…
Three men have been arrested on suspicion of burglary following a reported break-in at a house in Birkdale. At around 11pm last night, Thursday 13 February, it was reported that someone had entered an empty home on Oxford Road and were making a lot of noise. Officers attended the address and thanks to a quick response time they were able to arrest three males at the scene. The following men have been arrested on suspicion of burglary and remain in police custody to be questioned: – A 23-year-old man from Birkdale – A 24-year-old man from Litherland – A 23-year-old…
Police have released CCTV images of two men who could have information following a robbery at a supermarket in Formby. At around 8.15pm on Saturday 25 January, it was reported that two men tried to steal a large quantity of razors from Tesco, on Altcar Road. During attempts to take the items, a security guard was pushed and the two suspects managed to escape without paying. Enquiries have been ongoing since the incident and we are now issuing images of two people who we believe could have information. Detective Constable Alexa Collins said: “This was a brazen attempt to steal…
The families of Elsie Dot Stancombe and Bebe King have given an emotional first interview to media. In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Times the families opened up on the last seven months they have endured following the loss of their daughters in the Hart Street attack of July 29th, 2024. The full interview is to be published in the Sunday Times tomorrow and is available to read on the Times website. In an emotional outpouring the families said the girls were ‘one of a kind’ and that the tragedy has united them, going as far as to say…
A therapy dog who has spent the last year bringing smiles to the faces of police officers and first responders involved in the Southport attack will now put its skills to the test at Crufts. Dennis, a Shiba Inu, is a former show dog turned four legged therapist and has spent seven months working with police officers who responded to the Hart Street tragedy. Now Dennis and owner Karen Jones, from Wigan, will head to the 2025 Crufts showcase to turn their attention to making judges smile instead. Karen told journalists: “We’ve recently done a lot of work on the…
Merseyside Police are appealing for witnesses following the attempted theft of an ATM in Southport. Emergency services were contacted at 9.45pm last night, Thursday 6 February, following reports two males were attempting to force entry into a cash machine outside the Spar store on Cambridge Road in Churchtown. It is believed one of the males was wearing an orange hi-vis coat. The males were disturbed and made off a speed in a Cupra Leon, which was on cloned plates. The car made off along Marshside Road. It is not believed the males were able to get into the cash machine…
The Prime Minister has been in Southport this morning to meet with families affected by the 2024 Hart Street tragedy. Keir Starmer and his aides held a private meeting with families at KGV College earlier today. OTS News understands from sources close to the meeting the Prime Minister spoke with families of victims and survivors at the Scarisbrick New Road-based college. The meeting, which wasn’t publicised ahead of time, was due to be a private session however his motorcade drew attention from neighbours who were shocked to see the Prime Minister stepping out of a car outside the college. Police…
Detectives investigating a reported child sex offences have charged a man from Southport. Police received a report that a man had engaged in sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl on Friday 31 January. Marcin Laskowski, 39 years, of no fixed address has been charged with four offences; two counts of rape, assault by penetration and sexual activity with a girl aged 13-15. He has been remanded into custody and will appear at Wirral Magistrates today, Thursday 6 February. Detective Inspector Tony Meakins of the Child & Criminal Sexual Exploitation Team said: “We urge anyone who is a victim of any…
The parents of a young parkrunner from Southport, have praised the Hesketh Park junior parkrun team for the inclusive environment they create for their autistic son, Albie. Albie is a running fanatic and has been able to connect with members of the community and make friends through parkrun, his parents, Peter and Natalina said: “Hesketh Park junior parkrun has been extremely inclusive and we are so thankful to all the volunteers with how he has been included. “We have never been made to feel like he is any different to any other child. There have been challenges for him along…
Police have said a manhunt sparked after a car ended up crashing into Marine Lake is now over. Officers have arrested a 29 year old male after a nearly day long hunt to find the driver of a car which smashed into Marine Lake in the early hours of this morning. There were fears the driver may have ended up in the cold waters and a rescue mission was launched involving the coastguard and helicopters. However police have now confirmed a man has been arrested in connection with the incident. Police said that following enquiries, the driver of the Mercedes…
Police are appealing for information following a single vehicle road traffic collision in Southport in the early hours of this morning, Saturday 1 February. At around 3.50am, a Mercedes collided into barriers at the Marine Lake, ending up partially submerged in the water.. The driver has not been located, following an extensive search, supported by the Coastguard, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) and the National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter. Around five minutes prior, a silver vehicle matching this description was sighted by police on High Park Place, Southport travelling at excess speed, before making off. Albany Road and…
A Southport man has been charged after a bike was found to be stolen from a shop in Southport. It was reported that in the early hours of Wednesday 29 January, seven bikes were stolen from Southport Cycles on Shakespeare Street after it was broken into. Five of the stolen bikes were found later that day on Portland Street after an appeal was launched by OTS News. The next day, Thursday, it was reported that a man had brought a bike into Cash Converters to sell. Gary Brewer, 49 years, of Bath Street in Southport has been charged with handling…
A Southport born football coach has this week become England’s youngest First-Team coach in Europe’s Top 10 Leagues Kieron Lovelady has been appointmented at Turkish Süper Lig club Adana Demirspor after leaving his role at Manchester City. At just 27, Lovelady spent three seasons working within the academy setup in Manchester but his journey into coaching began at just 18 years old when he took charge of Southport U18s, leading them to the North West Youth Alliance League title and a successful FA Youth Cup campaign. Speaking on his new role, Lovelady said: “It’s an incredible opportunity to be part…
Patrick Hurley, MP for Southport, is calling for the reinstatement of the Burscough Curves, a key project that would enhance rail connections in Southport, Ormskirk, and surrounding areas. The proposal seeks to reconnect the Southport-Manchester and Liverpool-Ormskirk-Preston lines by reopening the north and south junctions at Burscough, which were closed in the 1960s. The project has previously been unsuccessfully proposed in 2021, Patrick Hurley MP believes it remains a strong candidate for future development once funding becomes available through Network Rail’s “Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline” . The initiative has broad support from local MPs, Lancashire County Council, the Liverpool City…
A bespoke bike shop that sells high end top quality bikes has been broken into. Police have sealed off the Southport Cycles bike shop on Shakespeare Street this morning (Wednesday January 29th). Forensics officers remain at the scene as they try to gather evidence to identify who is behind the targeted attack. A front window of the shop, which has on display a number of bespoke and upmarket bicycles, was smashed in overnight. Police have yet to confirm what, if anything, was taken during the crime. Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to call 101 immediately.
The Head Teachers of Elsie-Dot Stancombe, Bebe King and Alice da Silva Aguiar have each issued heartfelt tributes to their pupils. Jennifer Septhon, Head Teacher of Farnborough Road Infants School directly addressed Elsie-Dot. She said: “It was a real privilege to have known Elsie and be a part of her Farnborough Road Infant School journey over the last 4 years. “From her nursery days being carried on Dad’s shoulders into the playground, she was a girl with a super, beaming smile, someone who loved life, school and her friends. “Elsie was such a determined young lady who loved to please,…
Fire crews have closed off a road in Southport Town Centre after storm damage caused a roof to partially collapse. Emergency services have stopped people from entering Post Office Avenue and businesses there have been closed after high winds dislodged a section of a building roof. The building, understood to be part of an apartment block on the site of the former Post Office Depot, is dangerous hanging over the pavement. It’s understood high winds as a result of Storm Eowyn caused the damage. Specialist crews have been called but the road remains closed and will be likely sealed off…
The 100th person has been sentenced in court in connection with violent disorder in Merseyside last summer. Peter Fairhurst, 33, of Scot Lane, in Wigan, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, Tuesday 21 January, for his role in the appalling scenes in Southport on Tuesday 30 July 2024. He admitted the offence of violent disorder and was jailed for two years and two months. Fairhurst was at the forefront of the violence and could be seen on CCTV footage throwing bricks at officers and police vehicles. He becomes the 100th person to be sentenced following the disorder in Southport and…