Warrington

Health bosses in Cheshire are aiming to cut £20m from their budgets by next March.

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That's the proposal from both NHS Vale Royal and NHS South Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) which have the same governing body and cover the middle and south of the county.

The NHS has told all its health organisations to be more efficient while still delivering the same quality of service.

The two CCGs are also planning to merge with East Cheshire CCG and West Cheshire CCG next year, subject to approval from doctors.

Often the care that is better quality is not necessarily more expensive – often quality care is more efficient care. If you can put in a system whereby someone is seen once rather than multiple times and it is better quality, then it will be more efficient.”

The Crewe Chronicle's top stories today include:

• Butcher given 12 years in jail for three stabbings in Crewe
• Police crackdown on anti-social behaviour in Crewe after play area vandalised
• Tory group leader responds after being slated over council tax payer comments

A motorcyclist's been seriously hurt in a crash with a tractor on the border of Staffordshire and Cheshire.

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Police said the crash happened on the B5500 in Balterley, between Crewe and Newcastle-under-Lyme, just before 11:00, at the junction with Back Lane.

The ambulance service said the man was taken to the Royal Stoke University Hospital.

There will be some bright or sunny intervals this afternoon, but there is a chance of a few showers too. A fairly cool-feeling afternoon with some winds and highs of 19C.

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One hundred people have been fatally stabbed in the UK so far this year.

Fifteen have happened in the North West, including 17-year-old Yousef Makki, a Manchester Grammar School student from Burnage, who died after being stabbed in the street in Hale Barns in March.

Family handout

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Knife crime in England and Wales rose to record levels in 2017-18 with the number of fatal stabbings the highest since Home Office records began in 1946.

The police have made arrests in nearly all of the cases and have charged suspects in 85.

A butcher who police say stabbed three men after a night out has been jailed for 12 years.

Cheshire Police

Marian Minu admitted carrying out the attacks outside a nightclub in Crewe, Cheshire, in March.

Cheshire Police said he went home to get a knife after arguing with another man on Nantwich Road.

The victim was stabbed in the stomach and back. Officers said Minu then stabbed two men who tried to help their friend.

The 34-year-old, from Nantwich Road, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, two charges of unlawful wounding and possession of a knife.

A garden designed in memory of BBC presenter Dianne Oxberry is to go on show at an annual RHS Flower Show.

The former Radio 1 host died from ovarian cancer aged 51 at the Christie Hospital in Manchester in January.

The Sunshine Garden is being designed for the show at Tatton Park in Cheshire by award-winning Lancashire gardener Lee Burkhill.

Oxberry's husband Ian Hindle said the theme was "absolutely fantastic" as "she was always bright and cheerful".

It is set to be a dry day, however areas of cloud will tend to linger. Cooler than Thursday.

Generally gentle to moderate winds. Maximum temperature 16 to 19C.

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It should remain largely dry through tonight. There will be some clear periods at times but with rather a lot of cloud heading west too.

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HS2 will not offer value for money and risks "short changing" the North of England, a group of peers has warned.

HS2

A report from the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee also said it was "far from convinced" the new high-speed railway will be built within the £55.7bn budget.

It said the project should not go ahead without a new assessment of its costs and benefits.

The government said it "fundamentally disagreed" with the report.

The sunshine is back again for another dry day, although it will feeler cooler. Make the most of it before the rain returns tomorrow. Highs of 18C.

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Fine this evening with sunshine. Overnight, it will remain dry with mainly clear skies, but there could be a few mist patches forming.

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Cheshire MP Antoinette Sandbach was on the receiving end of an unusual interruption during Prime Minister's Questions earlier.

Crewe Alexandra manager David Artell says he doesn't know if player of the year, Perry Ng, will still be at the club next season.

Crewe Alexandra

Ng (pictured, right) made nearly 50 appearances last season and was named Supporters’ Player Of The Year and and got the Players’ Player award.

I'm not here looking to sell him. Does he deserve a move? Probably. At what price? That's not for me to decide, it's for the buying club, the chairman and the board to decide. He's done well, it wouldn't surprise me if he was here, it wouldn't surprise me if he left."

Any early mist patches will lift to leave today dry and fine with sunshine.

The sunshine will be hazy as times due to high cloud. It will be a warm day for most.

Maximum temperature 22C.

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Fine this evening with lots of late sunshine. It will stay dry overnight with mainly clear skies. A few mist patches may form overnight ahead of another dry, fine and sunny day tomorrow.

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Any early mist patches will lift to leave today dry and fine with plenty of sunshine, although high cloud will make the sunshine hazy at times. Warm with a light breeze.

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Fine this evening with lots of late sunshine. It will then remain dry overnight with mainly clear skies. A few mist patches may form overnight. A light breeze.

Maximum temperature 21C.

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Late sunshine to end of the day - which saw pleasant highs of 19C. It will stay dry overnight with mostly clear skies and just a little wispy high cloud.

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The Crewe Chronicle's covering these stories today:

• Labour and Independents form agreement to run Cheshire East Council
• Police reassure public after reports of explosions in Crewe
• Police called following arson attacks at old Electricity Works in Crewe

Labour and independent councillors have done a deal to take over the running of Cheshire East Council.

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The Conservatives lost their majority on the authority for the first time in its ten year history at last month’s local elections.

The party's majority was eaten away by Labour, which gained nine seats, and candidates representing hyper-local independent interests.

Conservatives occupy 34 of the council's 82 seats.

A deal's been done for the Labour Party to run Cheshire East Council, along with independent councillors.

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It's after the Conservatives lost control of the authority in this month's local elections, the first time in the 10 years of the council's existence.

The combined forces of Labour and the Independent group would allow them to command a majority so they're going to serve together on the cabinet, under a Labour leader.

But, over the next year, they say they will work to abolish the cabinet and will run the council through a series of committees that'll be shared among all the political groups.

Chelsea footballer Danny Drinkwater has been banned from driving after ploughing his Range Rover through a wall in Cheshire while twice the legal drink-drive limit.

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The 29-year-old and two female passengers were treated for minor injuries after the crash in Mere on 8 April.

Stockport Magistrates' Court heard he caused £50,000 of damage to the car.

Drinkwater admitted drink-driving and was banned for 20 months.

A Land Rover's been destroyed in a suspected arson attack in Cheshire.

Cheshire Fire Service

The fire service said the blaze was early on Sunday morning on Pinsley Green Road, Wrenbury, near Nantwich.

Cheshire Fire Service

Footballer Danny Drinkwater has been banned from the roads for 20 months and must carry out 70 hours of community service after admitting drink-driving.

PA

The 29-year-old Chelsea midfielder, who has three England caps, was two and a half times the legal limit when he crashed his £125,000 Range Rover through a wall at about 00:30 on 8 April in Mere, Cheshire.

Drinkwater, who had two women passengers in the car, caused £50,000 damage to his car and suffered a graze to his forehead.

He gave a reading of 87mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, with the legal limit being 35mcg.

He admitted drink-driving at Stockport Magistrates' Court when he appeared for a brief hearing before District Judge Mark Hadfield.

This afternoon there will be some sunny spells but showers will break out later which will be heavy and thundery at times. Cool with light winds and highs of 11C.

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A man accused of 21 offences including eight rapes has been visited by a judge in prison after refusing to appear in court.

Met Police

Joseph McCann, of Aylesbury, is charged with the kidnap and rape of eight alleged victims aged between 11 and 71.

The offences are alleged to have been committed between 20 April and 5 May, in London, Watford, Cheshire, Manchester and Lancashire.

Mr McCann was arrested in Congleton in Cheshire following a police manhunt.

A fault with the signalling system at Alsager is causing disruption to journeys, with the service between Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe suspended.

Buses are currently operating between these stations.

Disruption is expected until 10:30, said National Rail.

A mostly cloudy start with some patchy rain, but cloud will gradually break during the morning and rain will ease as sunny spells develop. Showers, heavy and thundery at times through the afternoon with highs of 13C.

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Tonight will be mainly cloudy with some rain at times, although it may turn drier and clearer later in the night.

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Winds will be light and of variable direction, with lows of 6C.

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The "overwhelming" outpouring of love and affection after the death of BBC North West Tonight presenter Dianne Oxberry inspired an ovarian cancer charity in her name, her husband said.

The former Radio 1 host died from ovarian cancer aged 51 at the Christie Hospital in Manchester in January.

Her husband Ian Hindle said he set up the Dianne Oxberry Trust to raise awareness for the "silent killer".

Former cabinet minister and the MP for Tatton Esther McVey has announced she will stand for leader of the Conservative Party.

EPA

She told Talk Radio she had "enough support" from fellow MPs to "go forward" once Theresa May stands down.

International Development Secretary Rory Stewart has announced he will run and Commons leader Andrea Leadsom has said she is "considering" doing so.

The former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, from Liverpool, said:

I've always said quite clearly that if I got enough support from colleagues then, yes, I would, and now people have come forward and I have that support."

The rest of the day will be rather cloudy and there will be occasional showers or rain - with some heavy and prolonged. Gentle winds and feeling cool with highs of 11C.

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Another cloudy day with showers sticking around. The winds have dropped though and we are in for highs of 10C.

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Tonight will stay generally cloudy with further spells of rain or drizzle.

The brisk easterly wind should gradually ease as it turns more north-easterly. Lows of 7°.

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Cheshire-born singer Kerry Katona has been fined £500 for failing to send one of her children to school.

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The former member of Atomic Kitten had previously denied the charge but her solicitor entered a guilty plea on her behalf at Brighton Magistrates' Court.

The prosecution said Katona, who lives in Crowborough, East Sussex but is originally from Warrington, had "failed to engage" over the issue.

But Ed Fish, defending, said work commitments meant she sometimes had to take the child to work with her.

Cloudy skies and spells of rain and drizzle this afternoon. It will feel cool too with highs of 11C.

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The leader of Cheshire East Council’s Conservative Party is to stand down after the party lost 19 seats in last week’s local elections and control of the authority.

Cheshire East Council

The party's majority was eaten away by Labour, which gained nine seats, and candidates representing hyper-local independent interests.

Conservatives occupy 34 of the council's 82 seats.

Wybunbury councillor Janet Clowes will replace Rachel Bailey later this month after she was unanimously elected by her party colleagues at a meeting last night.

A man who was arrested in Cheshire earlier this week has been charged with kidnapping and raping a woman.

Met Police

Joseph McCann is accused of the attack on a 21-year-old woman who was abducted at knifepoint in Watford in the early hours of 21 April.

The 34-year-old, of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, was arrested on Monday and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court later.

Prosecutors are considering a file of evidence relating to a number of other allegations, the Met Police said.

A cloudy, dull day and the rain will stick around across the afternoon too. Expect brisk winds and highs of 11C.

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