Daily news bulletin: Grand National honours NHS staff, police presence at Aintree Racecourse

📰And they're off! The Grand National Festival is back.

It is one of the biggest events in the nation's sporting calendar, and the festival consistently attracts more than 150,000 people from around the world to Merseyside during the three days.

But unfortunately, the event has been unable to take place for the past two years with spectators present due to the pandemic.

📰 Merseyside Police say racegoers should expect to undergo a series of security checks, including bag and transport searches and badge checks.

Only pre-booked vehicles will be allowed onto the Aintree site, and there are restrictions on parking around the course which will be rigorously enforced.

📰 For the first day of the Grand National Festival, NHS staff across the region are being honoured. 10,000 tickets have been donated to health workers across Merseyside. The Merseyside NHS choir joined soprano singer Laura Wright at the opening ceremony.