Jack Renshaw's interest in far-right politics was ignited when extremist groups sought to exploit the case of missing 14-year-old girl Charlene Downes.

Image source, GMP / PA

In 2007, a murder trial jury at Preston Crown Court was told of claims that Charlene's body was chopped up and had "gone into kebabs" after she disappeared in Renshaw's home town Blackpool in November 2003.

Charlene was said to be among a number of young white girls who gravitated to the resort's takeaways to have sex with older men.

A takeway boss charged with murder and an associate who was accused of helping dispose of her body were formally acquitted after the jury failed to reach verdicts.

But both the British National Party and the English Defence League continued to exploit the case.

Former leader and then North West MEP Nick Griffin met Renshaw and invited him to take up a two-week work experience placement in Brussels, according to Renshaw.

He went on to run the youth wing of the BNP while he studied economics and politics at Manchester Metropolitan University and stood as a candidate for the party in a Blackpool council ward by-election in October 2014. He received 17 votes.

From 2015 to early 2017 he expressed his nationalist views on Facebook, Twitter and certain encrypted messaging apps.

Renshaw, 23, told jurors:

Claiming he was a "principled nationalist" who was currently not a member of any political organisation, he said:

It can now be reported for the first time that Jack Renshaw is a convicted paedophile who was jailed last June for 16 months after he groomed two underage boys online.

The 23-year-old, from Skelmersdale, claimed anti-fascist group Hope Not Hate wanted to discredit him and maliciously hacked his mobile phones to send messages of a sexual nature to the teenagers.

He was found guilty of four counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity at Preston Crown Court after grooming two boys, aged between 13 and 15, using a fake Facebook profile.

Renshaw also received a three-year prison sentence two months earlier when he was found guilty by a different jury at the same court of stirring up racial hatred after he called for the genocide of Jewish people.

Both cases can be fully reported following the end of proceedings he faced at the Old Bailey where a jury was unable to reach a verdict on a charge that he was a member of banned far-right group National Action.

The former leader of the British National Party youth wing set up two fake Facebook profiles and contacted the boys, aged 13 and 14, between February 2016 and January 2017.

Communicating via the Facebook Messenger app, Renshaw boasted to the youngsters that he was rich, could give them jobs and offered one of them £300 to spend the night with him.

He also requested intimate photographs of the pair before one of the boys reported the messages to his tutor and the police were contacted.

A man who plotted to kill West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper with a machete will not face a retrial over his alleged membership of a banned neo-Nazi group after a jury failed to reach a verdict.

It follows a seven week retrial at the Old Bailey, where three men were being tried for being members of National Action after it was banned.

The British group, founded in 2013, was banned three years later under anti-terror laws.

Jack Renshaw, 23, of Skelmersdale, previously admitted a plot to kill Mrs Cooper, but denied membership of National Action after it was proscribed in December 2016.

Andrew Clarke, 34, of Prescot and Michal Trubini, 36, of Warrington, also denied the charge.

The jury has been discharged after they were unable to reach unanimous or majority verdicts.

The prosecution said they would not be seeking a third trial.

It can now be reported for the first time that Renshaw was last year convicted of grooming two adolescent boys online for sex.

Renshaw’s terrorist plot was foiled after a whistleblower - former National Action member Robbie Mullen - warned the anti-racism charity Hope not Hate, who then informed police.

A jury has been unable to decide whether three men remained members of a neo-Nazi group after it was banned.

Jack Renshaw, 23, of Skelmersdale, Andrew Clarke, 34, of Prescot, and Michal Trubini, 36, of Warrington, denied membership of National Action after it was proscribed in December 2016.

Jurors in the trial of Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield have been told they must inform the judge if there is "no possibility" of agreeing verdicts.

Image source, Getty Images

On Monday Judge Sir Peter Openshaw told them he would accept verdicts on which at least 10 of them were agreed.

Earlier this morning he sent them out to continue deliberations for a seventh day, and reminded them there was no time pressure.

Mr Duckenfield, 74, denies the gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool fans at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final, at Preston Crown Court.

Former Sheffield Wednesday club secretary Graham Mackrell, 69, denies failing to discharge his duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Cleaners, caterers, porters and security staff at Liverpool Women's Hospital have won a fight for pay rises after striking.

Image source, Unison

Unison said they will get a rise worth more than £1 an hour after three recent strikes to secure NHS wage rates.

They will also get the same payments as their colleagues for working anti-social hours, overtime and weekends.

The pay increase is to be jointly funded by private contractor OCS and the local NHS trust, the union said.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Liverpool have been showered in plaudits for the past two seasons as Jurgen Klopp's side have illuminated the Premier League and Champions League with a thrilling all-action style.

Image source, Getty Images

Klopp's attacking trident of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino remains the focal point and most eye-catching aspect of Liverpool's team, but this alone does not lead to one defeat in 32 Premier League games this season.

Liverpool have demonstrated quality, resilience, commitment and endurance since August. It has put them top of the table with just six games to play.

Sometimes, however, other forces are required and as Liverpool fans filed out into the streets around Anfield in a state of elation and disbelief, this 2-1 win over Tottenham prompted another question - are Klopp's men now being guided towards their first title in 29 years by destiny?

Read more here.

Six thousand trees have been planted on the Smithills Estate near Winter Hill to replace the trees and saplings lost in the moorland fire last summer.

About 400 members of the public helped with planting on the Woodlands Trust site.

Russ Headley from the Woodlands Trust said:

The trees will also provide a habitat for badgers, bats and birds.

BBC Sport

Manchester City and Liverpool will go head to head for the FA Youth Cup as well as the Premier League this season.

Image source, Getty Images

Tommy Doyle, grandson of legendary City players Mike Doyle and Glyn Pardoe, was among the scorers in a 4-2 semi-final win over West Brom at the City Football Academy.

City have lost three finals to Chelsea since the last of their two triumphs in the competition in 2008.

Liverpool have won the tournament three times, most recently in 2007.

BBC Sport

Everton are investigating an alleged incident involving England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Image source, Getty Images

Video published on social media appears to show the 25-year-old involved in a fracas on a street.

"The club has been made aware of an alleged incident involving one of our players and we are looking into the matter," the Premier League club said.

Pickford played on Saturday as the Toffees beat West Ham 2-0 at London Stadium.

A man arrested on suspicion of murder after a fatal stabbing has been detained under the Mental Health Act.

Hassan Ahmed Mohamoud, 29, from Toxteth in Liverpool, was attacked on Bentley Road on Thursday and died in hospital.

Merseyside Police said a post-mortem examination confirmed he died from a single stab wound. Officers are appealing for witnesses.

A 28-year-old man, also from Toxteth, was arrested on Friday and is being held under the Mental Health Act.

BBC Weather

Expect April showers all day today. A cooler day with rain for most with a little sunshine but we also have a risk of hail and thunder at times. Highs of 9C.

More from BBC Weather

Good morning! We'll be with you until 18:00 today with the latest news, sport, travel and weather updates from across the North West of England.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he is ready to work alongside a technical director to "split responsibilities".

Unison said they will get a rise worth more than £1 an hour after strikes to secure NHS wage rates.

Leeds Rhinos will host third tier Workington Town in the Challenge Cup fifth round.

Hassan Ahmed Mohamoud died of a single stab wound, a post-mortem examination finds.

That's all from the live team for now, but we'll be back from 08:00 on Tuesday with more of the latest news, sport, travel and weather from around the region.

In the meantime, this page will be updated automatically with content from across the BBC.

Have a great evening.

Rain will move in as the night progresses. There will be some heavy rain showers later. Lows of 4C.

A number of "distinctive" smartphones have been stolen from a vehicle in the Standish area of Wigan.

Image source, GMP

The black Meizu smartphones, which Greater Manchester Police said are not readily available in the UK, were seized from the vehicle which was parked overnight in Greenland Avenue on 7 March.

Appealing for information, a force spokesman said a Samsung Galaxy tablet was also taken, while some other stolen items have since been recovered.