His poetry often explored love and relationships and he wrote books for children including Gargling With Jelly
Brian Patten, who made his name in the 1960s as one of the most prominent Liverpool poets, has died, his agent has confirmed. He was 79.
His poetry often featured lyrical explorations of love and relationships and he also wrote books for children.
Continue reading...Deputy PM says legislation will ensure public officials have duty to act with ‘honesty and integrity at all times’
Public servants who deliberately cover up state-related disasters will face up to two years in jail under a new Hillsborough law, David Lammy has promised, following concerns from campaigners that it could be watered down.
Writing in the Guardian, the deputy prime minister and lord chancellor said legislation would ensure that state actors from “the bobby on the beat to the highest office in the land” will face “serious punishments for serious wrongdoing”.
Continue reading...Campaigners call for Paris-style parking charges amid fears big vehicles are taking up excessive public space
The number of giant cars in England’s cities has increased tenfold in recent years, according to researchers, who warn the vehicles are taking up excessive public space and posing a threat to public safety.
Analysis published by Clean Cities has found SUVs have gone from 3% to 30% of existing cars in the past two decades. In London, the number of SUVs has increased from about 80,000 in 2002 to about 800,000 in 2023.
Continue reading...Merseyside police says material in support of Palestine Action was reportedly seen in possession of protesters
Four people were arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences during a pro-Palestine protest in Liverpool city centre on Sunday afternoon, police said.
Merseyside police said material in support of campaign group Palestine Action was reportedly seen in the possession of a small number of protesters at the regular march for Liverpool Friends of Palestine.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Government-funded pilot in areas where it’s ‘easier to buy a vape than an apple’ may be extended across UK
A mobile greengrocer will deliver fresh fruit and vegetables in areas of Liverpool where it is “easier to buy a vape than an apple” as part of a new government scheme to tackle food inequality.
Families in social housing will receive visits from the Queen of Greens, a mobile greengrocer in the city, which will be directed to the areas of highest need.
Continue reading...Mourners gathered on Friday morning to honour Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota at a wake in Portugal
Mourners have gathered at a wake in Portugal to commemorate Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva, following their deaths in a car accident.
Jota and his 25-year-old sibling died when the Lamborghini they were travelling in careered off a road in north-western Spain in the early hours of Thursday. The bodies of the two professional footballers were returned to Portugal later that day. Jota was 28 and had married his long-term partner, Rute Cardoso, 11 days before his death. They had three young children.
Continue reading...Number looking to move to urban centres up 16% in first five months of 2025 compared with same period in 2015
With the rise of home working and surging house prices in many urban areas, one might have assumed that British cities had lost some of their appeal to homebuyers over the past decade, but it turns out the opposite is the case.
An analysis of the first five months of this year shows the number of would-be first-time buyers in Great Britain looking to move to cities is up by 16% on average compared with the same period in 2015.
Continue reading...Judge rules continuing reporting restrictions could risk setting precedent contrary to the principle of open justice
A judge has lifted an order preventing four adult victims of bank holiday Monday’s alleged attack at Liverpool FC’s title parade from being named.
Paul Doyle, 53, is accused of the unlawful wounding with intent of Simon Nash, 52; causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent to Susan Passey, 77, and Christine Seeckts, 66; and the attempted GBH of Ethan Gillard, 18.
Continue reading...Group led by Steve Rotheram says introducing local tourism tax would empower regional growth
A coalition of mayors from across England are urging the government to allow local authorities to bring in a Barcelona-style visitor levy to generate income from tourism.
The group, led by the Liverpool city region mayor, Steve Rotheram, argues that a visitor levy would unlock vital funding for tourism and cultural infrastructure, empower regional growth and reduce dependence on central government funding.
Continue reading...Head coach was due to receive two awards in London
‘A decision I have not taken lightly but is absolutely right’
Arne Slot pulled out of the League Managers Association’s annual awards dinner in London on Tuesday after the appalling incident at the end of Liverpool’s Premier League victory parade.
The Liverpool head coach was due to receive the LMA’s and the Premier League’s manager of the year awards at the event for winning the title in his first season in English football. However, in light of the incident in Liverpool city centre on Monday, when 65 people were injured when a car drove into a crowd on Water Street, Slot and a senior delegation of Liverpool officials decided they should not attend.
Continue reading...Police urge people not to speculate about incident in city centre after white British man, 53, is arrested
Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool city region, has thanked first responders for their “swift action” on a “difficult day”.
He said: “Our hearts go out to all of those affected, especially those who have been injured. Thank you, as ever, to the first responders for their professionalism and swift action.
Continue reading...US owners confirm it will become the country’s first major stadium dedicated to a women’s team next season
Goodison Park, one of the UK’s oldest football stadiums, has been saved from demolition and will become the country’s first major stadium dedicated solely to a women’s team next season.
Hailed as a gamechanging move for women’s football, Everton Women will kick off their first season at Goodison in September, 133 years after the men’s team started playing at the ground in Walton, Liverpool.
Continue reading...Gérald Darmanin, now justice minister, called night of 2022 Champions League final ‘biggest failure’ of his career
The former French interior minister has apologised to Liverpool fans for using them as a “scapegoat” for the chaos surrounding the 2022 Champions League final in Paris, where supporters of the club, including children, were teargassed by police amid false claims they had caused a riot.
Gérald Darmanin, who is now France’s justice minister, called the night “the biggest failure” of his career. On 28 May 2022, Liverpool supporters said they feared for their lives as they were forced to enter Stade de France via a narrow subway and boxed-in lanes that could not accommodate the thousands of people that had arrived.
Continue reading...Kerri Pegg, 42, of HMP Kirkham guilty of misconduct after inmate Anthony Saunderson gave her a Mercedes car
A prison governor has been found guilty of misconduct in a public office, after she started a relationship with a Liverpool drug gang boss nicknamed “Jesse Pinkman” after a character in the TV show Breaking Bad.
Kerri Pegg, 42, has been told she faces jail after she accepted a gift of a £12,000 Mercedes C-Class car, which Anthony Saunderson paid for with 34kg of amphetamines.
Continue reading...Ladies Day visitors happy to make financial sacrifices to wear spectacular outfits at annual Liverpool event
The tradition of fascinators and hats during Ladies Day is usually more about showcasing excellent style than being practical. But this year, spectators at Aintree had good need for their headwear, as the sun shone at the racecourse for the first time in almost a decade.
A crowd of 45,000 people had been predicted, and as temperatures reached 19C on Friday, the Met Office said it was just short of being the warmest Aintree festival this century.
Continue reading...A man, a woman and five children got out unharmed from blaze that took hold of terraced house in Prescot overnight
A 13-year-old girl has died in a house fire near Liverpool.
The blaze was found in the first-floor rear bedroom of a mid-terraced house in Kingsway, Prescot late on Wednesday evening, Merseyside police said.
Continue reading...Complaints upheld against some former South Yorkshire and West Midlands officers but none will face proceedings
Dozens of allegations of misconduct against police officers relating to the 1989 Hillsborough disaster have been upheld by the police standards watchdog, bereaved families have been told.
However, none will face disciplinary proceedings because they have all left the police service.
Continue reading...Home Office moved to cancel Menatalla Elwan’s leave to remain over posts on Hamas’s 7 October attack
An Egyptian NHS doctor who “glorified terrorist violence” by mocking Israeli civilians fleeing the Hamas attacks in October 2023 has won a legal challenge against deportation.
In one of three social media posts hours after the attacks began, Dr Menatalla Elwan, 34, who worked at an NHS trust in Liverpool, reposted footage of music festivalgoers running from Hamas terrorists and wrote “if it was your home, you would stay and fight”, accompanied by a smiling face emoji.
Continue reading...Misconduct hearing found Tyler Coppin had breached standards of professional behaviour over offence
An Essex police officer has been sacked after admitting “tragedy chanting” at Liverpool fans during a Premier League match last year.
Essex police instigated misconduct proceedings against Sgt Tyler Coppin after he pleaded guilty to the public order offence during the Liverpool game against Chelsea at Anfield last October.
Continue reading...John Perumbalath was under pressure from Church of England leadership over sexual assault and harassment claims
A senior Anglican bishop has quit his role amid sexual misconduct claims, plunging the Church of England into fresh crisis.
John Perumbalath, the bishop of Liverpool, bowed to pressure after his senior leadership team called on him to step aside after allegations of sexual assault and harassment surfaced.
Continue reading...