James Mutch

The Queensway (Birkenhead) Mersey Tunnel is scheduled to close overnight for essential maintenance from August 31 to September 4, 2026, with closures running from 9pm until 6.30am. The Kingsway (Wallasey) Tunnel will remain open, and drivers, bus and coach operators, and businesses making night deliveries are advised to allow extra time, follow diversion signs and check live travel updates.

Starline Food & Wine at 122 Knowsley Road in Bootle has applied for permission to sell alcohol for off-sales between 6am and 11pm every day. The application, submitted by Sivarajee Thambipillai, is being handled by Sefton Council, with representations due by 4 September 2026. If valid objections are received, a licensing sub-committee could grant the licence, impose conditions or refuse it. Potential issues include crime and disorder, public safety, nuisance, child protection, delivery timings, customer dispersal and litter.

Halton Borough Council is consulting on planning application 26/00290/FUL for land north of Cronton Lane in Widnes. The proposal includes new housing, access infrastructure, public open space, landscaping and sustainable drainage, alongside demolition of a former sports and social club and construction of a new clubhouse, sports pitches, bowling green and parking. The application is being advertised as a departure from the adopted development plan, with public comments invited within 24 days of the notice’s publication before the council assesses the scheme and reaches a decision.

Newhey News Ltd has applied to Halton Council for a premises licence at the former Blundell Arms pub on Hale Road, Widnes. The application seeks permission to sell alcohol for off-premises consumption from 6am to 11pm every day. Residents and businesses can submit representations to the council by August 30, 2026, with any objections potentially leading to a licensing sub-committee hearing.

Liverpool City Council has proposed a 24-hour, 20mph speed limit along the entire length of Railway Street in Garston. The order remains subject to consultation and consideration of any objections, with written representations due by 3 September 2026. A commencement date has not been set; enforcement would involve Merseyside Police and the council.

Liverpool City Council plans to close Kempston Street between Stafford Street and Audley Street in Islington from 17 August 2026 until 6 January 2028, or earlier if utility works finish. The temporary prohibition of driving is intended to enable the works safely, with a signed diversion in place. The order is being made under Section 14 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

Michael Selwood, a 35-year-old father of four from Tameside and popular TikTok creator, was found dead on July 19 after being reported missing. His brother Aaron Burnham said Selwood used comedy, boxing and candid discussions of drug addiction and mental health to support others, inspired in part by his seven-year-old son Reggie, who has cerebral palsy. Friends and relatives plan to climb Mount Snowdon wearing women's clothing on Selwood's 36th birthday to raise funds for Andy's Man Club and Scope, turning public grief into support for causes important to him.

Pro-26 Distilled Ltd has applied to West Lancashire Borough Council for an alcohol off-sales licence at Unit 1, Abbey Lane Industrial Estate in Burscough. The proposed operating hours are 8am to 6pm daily, with no customer access or on-site consumption. Written representations addressing the licensing objectives must be submitted by August 24, 2026; valid objections could lead to a public licensing hearing, while an uncontested application may be approved through delegated powers.

Liverpool City Council has introduced a temporary traffic order on Blundell Street in the Baltic Triangle to enable installation of a rain garden and sustainable drainage system. A 129-metre section of existing business permit and limited-waiting bays will be suspended, with three temporary sections created under the same two-hour maximum-stay and no-return-within-one-hour rules. The order runs from 24 July 2026 to 24 January 2028, or until the works finish, and drivers are advised to follow on-street signs.

The Birkenhead Queensway Mersey Tunnel will close in both directions from 9 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. on four consecutive nights, August 10–14, for essential maintenance. The Kingsway Tunnel will remain open, with drivers advised to allow extra time and expect possible congestion on nearby approach roads. Some bus services may be diverted, while Merseyrail offers an alternative outside the overnight closure periods.

A young child's grave in the baby garden at Westwood Cemetery in Ince, Wigan, was vandalised, with the marble surround damaged and ornaments discarded. Greater Manchester Police said the family had suffered great distress and believes the incident occurred between April 4 and July 25, 2026. Officers are investigating and have appealed for witnesses, CCTV footage and anonymous information.

Queensway in Widnes and Runcorn, including sections and footpaths of the Silver Jubilee Bridge, will be closed from 9:30 a.m. on July 24 until 7 p.m. on July 26, 2026, to support a filming event. Halton Council says signed diversion routes will be provided, while shuttle buses will help pedestrians and cyclists cross between the two towns. The temporary order was issued under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

Kaelun Howe, 22, carried out a series of burglaries and thefts in Salford before robbing a William Hill betting shop at gunpoint with a BB gun. He threatened a resident, fired at the shop’s safe-room glass and stole cash from the till before fleeing and later being arrested at Manchester Airport. Howe pleaded guilty to multiple offences and was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court to six years and nine months in prison. The court heard that he was experiencing a mental-health crisis, while the cashier described lasting flashbacks and sleep problems.

V Arulampalam has applied to Knowsley Council for a premises licence at 17 Carlis Road, Kirkby, allowing alcohol sales for consumption off the premises from 7am to 11pm daily. The application can be inspected at the licensing authority’s Huyton offices, and written representations must reach the council by 10 August 2026. The council may grant the licence, impose conditions or refuse it, potentially following a licensing hearing if valid objections are submitted.

West Lancashire Borough Council has published four planning applications covering a banking hub at Aughton Street in Ormskirk, up to 80 homes off Ring O Bells Lane in Lathom, an indoor swimming pool in Aughton, and a retail unit at the former Beaufort Care Home site in Ormskirk. Two proposals affect conservation areas. Public comments must be submitted with the relevant application details by August 9, 2026, and the council’s planning portal contains the full documents.

Halton Council has opened a 24-day public consultation on three planning applications in Runcorn and Daresbury. The proposals involve changing or removing conditions on an approved development site beneath the Mersey Gateway Bridge, constructing a gazebo at Sexton Cottage in a conservation area, and replacing nine sash windows at a listed property on Weston Road. Residents and businesses can submit comments on material planning issues including construction impacts, environmental protection, heritage, access and highway safety. The council will assess the applications against planning policy and may determine them through delegated powers or committee review.

Halton Council has opened a public consultation on a retrospective planning application seeking to retain a bar with pool and darts facilities at 25–26 Arkwright Road in Runcorn. The proposal seeks permission for a change of use from a warehouse to a leisure venue classified as sui generis, with the notice indicating it does not align with the current development plan. Residents can review the application through the council’s planning portal or designated offices and submit written comments within 24 days. The article explains key planning terms, including retrospective applications and sui generis use, and clarifies that planning permission is separate from licensing requirements.

Several UK airports have removed the 100ml liquid limit, allowing containers up to two litres due to new security scanning technology. Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bristol, Belfast International and Belfast City have adopted the change, while others, including Manchester and Liverpool John Lennon Airport, are retaining the 100ml rule through summer 2026. Travellers are advised to check rules with their departure and return airports, as international airports may still enforce the old limits. Manchester Airport warns that certain items, such as squishy toys, may be classified as liquids and should be placed in hold luggage.

A temporary traffic order on the M53 in Wirral introduces extended 50mph speed limits, width restrictions and overnight closures to allow the replacement of Upton Road Bridge and related maintenance. Restrictions are in place between junctions one and three and may continue for up to 18 months, with additional weekend works scheduled. Diversions will be signposted, and drivers are advised to follow official updates and roadside signs.

Halton Council has issued a temporary traffic order for carriageway preservation on Ashley Way in Widnes, beginning August 6, 2026, with about five days of closures scheduled within an 18‑month window. Traffic will be restricted during active works, with diversions provided and exact closure details displayed on site. The works may affect travel to Widnes town centre, the A557 and the Mersey Gateway Bridge, with potential delays for buses and freight movements. Residents and businesses are advised to follow diversion signs, allow extra travel time and contact the council with any concerns.

UK plans introduce default overnight social media curfews for 16 and 17-year-olds, along with disabling infinite scrolling and implementing mandatory breaks for under-18s using AI chatbots. The measures aim to reduce exposure to addictive features and improve teens’ wellbeing, though critics argue the curfews are ineffective because they can be switched off. Additional proposals include restrictions on harmful AI advice, strengthened media literacy education, and new safety guidance. Stakeholders across political parties and child-safety organisations express mixed reactions, highlighting concerns about enforceability, industry responsibility, and the need for stronger protections.

Trading Standards officers in Blackpool seized 372 counterfeit toys, including imitation NeeDohs and similar “squishy dumpling” products, after identifying hazardous chemicals such as phthalates, solvents and formaldehyde. Officials warned that the items lacked required safety markings and could cause health issues or pose fire risks. Councillor Dave Flanagan urged parents to remain vigilant and buy only from trusted retailers, emphasizing that trends encouraging children to microwave toys heighten potential dangers. Authorities issued guidance on identifying counterfeit goods to help protect families and support legitimate traders.

Court proceedings detailed the stabbing death of Liverpool supporter Wayne Broadhurst during a violent rampage by Dawood Safi, who has admitted manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility. Prosecutors said Safi was experiencing psychosis, paranoia and delusions when he attacked his landlord and a teenage boy before fatally stabbing Broadhurst in the street. Safi has also admitted multiple related charges but denies attempted murder, with the trial expected to conclude later in the week.

Ann Widdecombe, former Conservative MP and MEP, has died aged 78. Her career included ministerial roles under John Major, a public falling-out with Michael Howard, and controversy over positions on issues such as prisoner treatment, abortion and LGBT rights. After leaving Parliament she reached the semi-finals of Strictly Come Dancing, backed Brexit, served as a Brexit Party MEP and later became Reform UK’s immigration spokesperson.

Warning signs about teacher Jamie Varley’s violent and abusive behaviour emerged through accounts from a former neighbour and past colleagues, revealing troubling conduct long before he murdered his adopted 13‑month‑old son, Preston Davey. Varley’s history included anti‑social behaviour, intimidation, mental‑health‑related absences from work and erratic episodes, including one during the covid lockdown. After being convicted at Preston Crown Court, he received a whole‑life order and joined the list of Britain’s most dangerous offenders.