BBC Local Live: Merseyside as it happened

1. More news, sport, travel and weather updates on Friday at 08:00
2. Updates for Thursday 26 February 2015

Goodnight

It's goodbye for now from the Local Live team.

Join us for all your news, sport, travel and weather again from 08:00 on Friday.

Man charged over cannabis farm

A man has been charged with production of a class B drug following the discovery of a cannabis farm at an address in Blacon.

The 22-year-old was arrested in December after searching an address on Treborth Road. He has been bailed and is due to appear at West Cheshire Magistrates on 18 March.

'Dirty tricks' claim over cancelled meeting

A Wirral UKIP Euro MP has reacted with

anger at the sudden cancellation of a proposed public meeting next week.

BBC

The heavily advertised forum was due to take place next Thursday, March 5, at the Arrowe Park Hotel, but yesterday the hotel management pulled the plug.

Hillsborough inquests

The ambulance officer who first walked in front of the terraces at the Hillsborough disaster took "too long" to declare a major incident, according to the former head of the ambulance service.

Albert Page has also told the Hillsborough inquests that his officer "had not done an adequate initial assessment".

Coming up

On tonight's show the Hillsborough inquests hear how a police officer saved the life of young fan left under a pile of bodies, a coroner criticises security at a gas plant in Algeria where two Merseyside workers died in an attack by extremists and the latest on drug raids across Merseyside.

Watch more on BBC One at 18:30

Traffic latest

reports one lane is blocked on the A561 Speke Boulevard westbound in Speke between the Speke Boulevard junction and the Western Avenue junction because of a multi-vehicle accident.

It also reports congestion on the A5058 Queens Drive Walton eastbound in Liverpool between the A59 Rice Lane junction and the A580 Walton Hall Avenue junction as well as the A5038 Vauxhall Road in both directions at the Leeds Street junction.

Council tax freeze

Cheshire West and Chester Council

emails it has agreed to freeze council tax for another two years.

The authority voted to freeze council tax for a fifth year running in 2015/16.

Marvels of 'phantom limb' implant

A special new spinal pain control implant trialled at the Walton Centre in Fazakerley has given pain relief to a patient who has suffered excruciating "phantom limb" pain for more than 20 years.

The Walton Centre

Ian Ward, 63, had his lower right leg amputated after a severe bone infection in the ankle.

Mr Ward said the implant, which sends electric pulses via a hand held remote control to disrupt painful nerve activity, has been "marvellous".

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Fire station to close

Allerton fire station in Liverpool is to close as part of £20m of budget cuts since 2011, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed.

Kevin Hale

The authority is also proposing to make savings by merging stations in Wirral, St Helens and Knowsley and increase the amount it raises through council tax by 2%.

Cold and blustery

BBC Weather reports cold overnight, with further blustery showers leading to a risk of ice, and perhaps some localised snow across the hills.

Turning frosty beneath clearer spells away from showers.

Maximum temperature: 10C/50F

News on the hour

A judge has ruled

two Liverpool men, who died during a terrorist siege at a gas plant in Algeria, were unlawfully killed.

Paul Morgan and Garry Barlow were among 40 people who were killed, when a group linked to Al-Qaeda attacked the BP compound in January 2013.

'Vile racist' gang attack condemned

A Liverpool MP today condemned

a teenage gang's "truly vile" racist attack on a black family in Liverpool.

Eleven men held after drug raids

Merseyside Police emails: The total number of arrests following this morning's drugs raids across Merseyside has risen to 11.

The 11 men are being held on suspicion of drug offences relating to the supply of class A and B drugs at licensed premises in Liverpool.

You can read more on the raids.

Donuts sorry for Liverpool tweet

One of

Liverpool FC's sponsors has apologised after tweeting a version of the club's badge replacing the Hillsborough eternal flames with cups of iced coffee.

Twitter

A relative of one of the Hillsborough said the tweet was a "silly mistake"

Dunkin' Donuts also replaced "You'll Never Walk Alone" with "America runs on Dunkin".

News on the hour

A judge has ruled two Liverpool men, who died during a terrorist siege at a gas plant in Algeria, were unlawfully killed.

Paul Morgan and Garry Barlow were among 40 people who were killed, when a group linked to al-Qaeda attacked the BP compound in January 2013.

Officer 'unkind' to arrested fan

A police officer who arrested a supporter as the Hillsborough disaster unfolded has told a jury he "hadn't been kind" and "didn't listen to him".

PC Richard Brougham apprehended the Liverpool fan after watching him run up to opposing fans and shout at them.

The fan was telling Nottingham Forest fans not to "jeer" as he had seen people "badly hurt", the jury heard.

Liverpool man 'unlawfully killed' in Algeria

A judge has ruled 46-year-old Paul Morgan from Liverpool - who died during a terrorist attack on a gas plant in Algeria in 2003- was

unlawfully killed by terrorist gunfire.

PA

The judge at the Royal Courts in London was delivering his first verdict on the deaths of seven British men including Garry Barlow, who was also from Liverpool.

Everton v BSC Young Boys

Everton are without John Stones, Aaron Lennon, Christian Atsu and Bryan Oviedo for the

second leg of their Europa league tie v Young Boys.

Reuters

Lego Hadron collider designed

A PhD student from Wallasey has designed a model of the Hadron Collider out of Lego - and is looking to have his creation manufactured by the company.

University of Liverpool

Nathan Readioff is in the third year of his PhD at the University of Liverpool and is currently based at CERN, the European Particle Physics Laboratory in Geneva.

He has submitted his design to Lego where members of the public can

vote for their favourite designs to be made into official kits.

News on the hour

The Health Secretary - Jeremy Hunt - says swift action is needed across the NHS following inquiries into Jimmy Savile's behaviour at hospitals and care homes.

One report found he abused more than 60 patients, staff and visitors at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and allegations probably didn't reach senior managers.

Locally - three allegations were made against Jimmy Savile at Merseyside's Ashworth Hospital - known as Moss Side at the time - and one at St Catherine's in Wirral.

Homeless man jailed over drug farm

A homeless man who agreed to help look after a massive cannabis farm in Liverpool has been jailed for two years.

Man killed in Prenton crash

A

man died and another is in a critical condition in hospital after a crash between a car and an off-road motorbike in Prenton.

Traffic update

reports queuing traffic due to rolling road block on the M53 southbound between junction 5 A41 (Eastham) and junction 6 (Hooton).

One lane is closed and there is slow traffic on the A5080 Broad Green Road inbound in Liverpool between the B5189 Broad Green Road junction and the Mill Lane junction, because of an accident involving a lorry.

It also reports congestion on A5038 Vauxhall Road in both directions in Liverpool at the Leeds Street junction.

Hillsborough inquests

A senior fire officer says police in the control box during the Hillsborough disaster feared there would be a riot among fans if the match was abandoned.

Hillsborough disaster

Alan Hornsby was South Yorkshire's assistant chief fire officer in 1989.

He went into the police control box after the disaster and spoke to officers in charge and when the issue of calling the game off was raised, Mr Hornsby says the senior police officer panicked and claimed there would be a riot.

News on the hour

The author of a report into the implications of Jimmy Savile's abuse for today's NHS has told BBC Radio 5 Live there are still risks within the health service.

An investigation's found the entertainer was able to molest patients, staff and visitors at various institutions, including more than 60 people at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire.

Locally - three allegations were made against Jimmy Savile at Merseyside's Ashworth Hospital - known as Moss Side at the time - and one at St Catherine's in Wirral.

Besiktas v Liverpool

Liverpool are without Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Mamadou Sakho and Philippe Coutinho for tonight's second leg of

their Europa league tie v Besiktas.

PA

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Tell us what you think.

Arrests over loaded firearm

Three people have been arrested and a loaded firearm has been recovered after a warrant was executed at a house in Formby, say Merseyside police.

Officers executed the warrant at a house on Bolton Road at around 23:00 last night.

Nine held in club drugs crackdown

More on the

n

ine men arrested in a series of raids linked to suspected drug dealing in three Liverpool nightclubs.

BBC

More than 100 Merseyside police officers raided 14 properties after class A and class B drugs were found in Garlands, Republik and the Lomax in Liverpool city centre.

Officers found a large quantity of tablets thought to be ecstasy at a house in Fazakerley.

News on the hour

A coroner will give the verdict this afternoon at the inquests of two Liverpool men killed when terrorists stormed a gas plant in Algeria.

Paul Morgan and Garry Barlow were among five Britons on the BP compound in 2013.

Coming up

On the show this lunchtime we examine the new report published into the actions of Jimmy Savile and the latest on police drug raids in Merseyside.

Watch more on BBC One at 13:30/18:30.

Beatles home to be sold at auction

The childhood home of Beatles legend Paul McCartney is to be sold at auction at Liverpool's Cavern Club later.

Entwistle Green

The terraced house in Western Avenue, Speke, was where the musician lived with his parents from 1947 until the mid-1950s.

McCartney's mother Mary worked as a midwife at the time, and the family are said to have been well-known in the community.

Cannabis farm found in Warrington

Police have found a cannabis farm at an address in Warrington town centre.

Cheshire Police

The discovery was made by police who searched the property on Bridge Street at 07:00. Three people have been arrested for questioning.

Sunny spells

BBC Weather

reports there will be sunny spells and isolated showers through the afternoon.

BBC

News on the hour

An official report into the abuse carried out by Jimmy Savile has described him as an "opportunistic predator" who abused his authority and access to vulnerable hospital patients.

The investigation into his activities at Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire found he raped and sexually abused 60 people over a period of 24 years.

Locally - three allegations were made against Jimmy Savile at Merseyside's Ashworth Hospital and one at St Catherine's in Wirral.

St Helens council tax rise

St Helens Council cabinet has agreed to increase council tax by 1.99% from April.

A full council meeting is expected to approve it on Wednesday.

Drug raids update

Merseyside Police has told me nine men have now been arrested on suspicion of various drug offences following this morning's drug raids across the county.

Police said the men being held following searches at 14 addresses are aged between 18-36.

Savile an 'opportunistic predator'

An

official report into the abuse carried out by Jimmy Savile has described him as an "opportunistic predator" who abused his authority and access to vulnerable hospital patients.

Locally three allegations were made against the former DJ at Merseyside's Ashworth Hospital and one at St Catherine's in Wirral.

The report states while there's no evidence in any documents to prove the claims, the officials are still sure the incidents did happen.

Hillsborough inquests

A former police officer who arrested a Liverpool fan as the Hillsborough disaster was unfolding says he didn't listen to the fan and he wasn't treated right.

Getty Images

Richard Brougham is giving evidence at the new Hillsborough inquests.

He was weeping in court as he recalled arresting the fan who had run to the Nottingham Forest end of the ground telling them not to jeer because he'd seen people hurt.