Headlines: Merseyrail’s Boxing Day and late night Christmas trains return

Merseyrail passengers will be able to enjoy more festive cheer this Christmas as trains will be running on Boxing Day and late nights in December.

While a large part of the country’s rail network shuts down on December 26, Merseyrail will again be running services and will be joined by Northern for the first time this year.

Although they were suspended in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the region’s Mayor has worked with rail operators to agree to their return.

Merseyrail Boxing Day service

The rail operator will be running a special service between 09:00 and 18:30 on Boxing Day, calling at selected stations across the network.

The services will operate with six cars for maximum capacity, running every 30 minutes and calling at the following stations:

Southport – Liverpool – Liverpool South Parkway:

Southport, Birkdale, Ainsdale, Formby, Blundellsands and Crosby, Waterloo, Sandhills,

Liverpool Central, St Michaels and Liverpool South Parkway

Ormskirk – Liverpool:

Ormskirk, Maghull, Aintree, Orrell Park, Kirkdale, Sandhills and Liverpool Central

Kirkby – Liverpool:

Kirkby, Fazakerley, Kirkdale, Sandhills and Liverpool Central

New Brighton – Liverpool:

New Brighton, Birkenhead North, Conway Park, James St and Liverpool Central

West Kirby – Liverpool:

West Kirby, Leasowe, Birkenhead North, Conway Park, James St and Liverpool Central

Hooton – Liverpool:

Hooton, Bromborough, Bebington, Rock Ferry, Birkenhead Central, James St and

Liverpool Central.

For complete timetable information, Christmas shopping and event guides, passengers can visit www.merseyrail.org/christmas.

Anti-social behaviour and criminal damage down for Bonfire Night

The total number of reports of anti-social behaviour and criminal damage received by Merseyside Police on bonfire night decreased by more than 50% compared to the same period last year.

A total of 905 incidents were reported during the policing operation between 2 pm and 11 pm, compared with 1,049 in 2020. 

Chief Inspector Peter Clark, who led Friday’s policing operation, said: ”I am pleased to say that the overwhelming majority of our communities enjoyed themselves safely this Bonfire Night.

“While we did attend a number of isolated incidents along with our colleagues at Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service, we saw an overall reduction in reports of anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and I want to thank everyone in our communities who celebrated these events responsibly.

“Each year this is a very busy period requiring significant planning, and I would also like to thank all officers, staff and partner agencies for their hard work and their dedication to keeping our communities safe.

“Despite the cooperation of most, we did receive some reports of fireworks set off dangerously close to people, as well unauthorised bonfires posing a risk to the public.”

Wirral Council may have to sell assets to escape massive money problems

Wirral Council may have to sell libraries, leisure centres, town halls and more in order to escape the massive money problems laid bare in an independent report.

The local authority requested exceptional financial support of more than £10m from the government in order to try to balance its budget, which has led to an independent inspection of the teetering local authority.

That inspection, carried out by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, has now been published and it makes for grim reading – both in terms of its assessment of the management of the council and what it advises should happen next.

The report includes strong criticism of elected councillors and officers, stating that the ‘prevailing culture’ at the council prior to the pandemic has been to avoid difficult financial decisions, meaning the council’s emergency reserves have been dramatically reduced in recent years.

The report said one aspect of the problem was clearly political and that the policy of holding elections in three out of every four years encouraged political point scoring, rather than tough decision making.