BBC Local Live: Merseyside on Wednesday 27 January 2016

Summary

Updates on Wednesday 27 January
Merseyside and Cheshire Live returns at 8.00 on Thursday

Live Reporting

Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00
Live updates from Merseyside and Cheshire have finished for the day but we'll be back at 08:00 on Thursday with the latest news, sport, weather and travel.
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We'll leave you with this tweet from Everton as they hope to book a place against Liverpool at the League Cup final at Wembley.
Coming uppublished at 17:50
Roger Johnson
Presenter, BBC North West Tonight
On North West Tonight this evening:
- On Holocaust Memorial Day, memories of how one woman survived by hiding in a tiny cellar
- A leading environmental charity is calling on Manchester to introduce car-free days and charge high-polluting vehicles
- Jo Brand closes in on the finish line in her coast-to-coast walk for Sport Relief
Weather: Showers followed by dry, clear spellspublished at 17:45
BBC Weather
Occasional showers this evening could be heavy at first but should die out before midnight. The rest of the night should then be dry with clear spells allowing a frost.
After a cold start, Thursday will be a breezy day with increasing cloud bringing outbreaks of rain during the afternoon.
Merseyrail tops national passenger surveypublished at 17:39
Bronwyn Jones
BBC News
Merseyrail has come top of a national passenger survey.
Ninety-three percent of passengers said they were satisfied overall - that's 10% above average.
Passengers also said it offered the best value-for-money fares - they're the lowest in England - and it was joint top for punctuality and reliability.
Mersey tunnel tolls frozenpublished at 17:27
Tunnel tolls to cross the river Mersey have been frozen for the third year in a row.
Image source, Google
They were due to increase by 20 pence to £1.90 but Merseytravel will recommend that they stay at £1.70 for people paying by cash.
Motorists who use the pre-pay 'Fast Tag' will have their fares reduced and there are changes that will benefit emergency vehicles.
Football: Rodgers says Sturridge is 'world class'published at 17:16
BBC Sport
Former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has described Reds striker Daniel Sturridge as "world class" and backed him to come good at Anfield.
Image source, Getty Images
"Daniel is a great fella and he wants to play, but it is just difficult for him to get a run of training," Rodgers told Talksport., external
"What is so frustrating as a manager is that he is a genuine world-class player. Nine out of 10 players, in that situation you maybe would sell, but because of his talent Liverpool haven't. Daniel is a player that makes a difference."
Everton fan arrested at turnstile over VAT fraudpublished at 17:00
Paul Burnell
Reporter, BBC News Online
A tax cheat who fled to Spain before returning home to watch his beloved Everton play was arrested at the stadium turnstiles, a court has heard.
Image source, HMRC
60-year-old Damian O'Hagan from Norris Green, Liverpool, was jailed today for 18 months after admitting VAT fraud at Liverpool Crown Court.
Checks by HM Revenue and Customs found O'Hagan had kept more than £90,000 of VAT which he'd charged a client.
Football: Jurgen Klopp targets Swiss star Granit Xhakapublished at 16:50
BBC Sport
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has made Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka his top summer transfer target, the Mirror reports, external via German paper Bild.
Image source, Reuters
Klopp reportedly met with Xhaka's agent in December to discuss a deal.
23-year-old Xhaka captains Monchengladbach and has 39 caps for Switzerland.
£8.5m site tipped to keep Warrington as the 'powerhouse of the north'published at 16:28
Warrington Guardian
The Base, an £8.5 million home for ambitious entrepreneurs is being tipped to keep Warrington as the 'powerhouse of the north'., external
Latest headlines in Cheshire and Merseysidepublished at 16:05
Today's top stories in Cheshire and Merseyside:
- Police search the garden of a Liverpool home after reports that bones have been found
- Animals rights charity offers reward up to £10,000 for information to catch people responsible for injuring dog found in Birkenhead
- Plans to create a northern Shakespearean theatre in Prescot, Merseyside have been submitted
Charity offers 10K reward over 'broken bones' dogpublished at 15:49
Rachael Connors
Reporter, BBC News Online
An animal charity has offered a reward of up to £10,000 to help find the person who abandoned a dog in a Birkenhead cemetery.
Image source, RSPCA
The pet, found in Prenton on Saturday, had been so badly treated every bone in his body had been broken, the RSPCA said.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is offering a reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Quote Message
It is imperative that any community faced with a sadistic and violent act like this take measures to find the culprits and bring them to justice.
Elisa Allen, PETA Associate Director
Football: Liverpool Ladies accept Arsenal's bid for strikerpublished at 15:31
BBC Sport
Liverpool Ladies have "reluctantly accepted" a transfer bid for striker Asisat Oshoala from fellow Women's Super League side Arsenal Ladies. More from BBC Sport.
Image source, Getty Images
Shakespeare North plans submittedpublished at 15:17
Plans to create a northern Shakespearean theatre on Merseyside where the Bard's plays can be performed and studied have been submitted.
Image source, Knowsley Council
The £19m 350-seat Shakespeare North Playhouse is planned for Prescot, where the first Elizabethian indoor theatre outside of London was built.
Rugby game in memory of PC Dave Phillipspublished at 15:01
A rugby game in memory of PC Dave Phillips, who was killed on duty in Wirral last year, will take place tonight., external
Image source, Family of PC Dave Phillips
The British Police Rugby team will face the British Fire and Rescue Service at Firwood Waterloo Rugby Club in Blundellsands.
All money raised will go to the PC Dave Phillips Memorial Fund.
Travel: Rail delays between Earlestown and Ellesmere Portpublished at 14:44
BBC Travel
There are delays on Northern Rail between Earlestown and Ellesmere Port due to overhead line problems.
More from BBC Travel
Police seek 'good samaritans' who helped man after Southport attackpublished at 14:24
Merseyside Police wants the "good samaritans" who helped a man attacked in a Southport street to come forward as they may have vital information.
Image source, Google
The 57-year-old was left with a broken jaw after he was punched and kicked on Lord Street last month.
Those who helped him until the paramedics arrived had been sat on a bench nearby when it happened.
Student who died from severe burns was 'popular, optimistic and outgoing'published at 14:07
Chester Chronicle
Nicholas Morrison, 25, of Hollands Lane, Kelsall was killed after a fire in a field near his home, external on 19 September.
Football: Everton without Mirallas and Besic for League Cup semi-finalpublished at 13:42
BBC Sport
Everton will be without two key players for tonight's League Cup semi-final second leg at the Etihad Stadium at 19:45.
Midfielder Muhamed Besic and winger Kevin Mirallas suffered injuries in Sunday's defeat against Swansea. Manager Roberto Martinez says reaching the final would give his side some much-needed "momentum".
Everton, who lead 2-1 after the first leg, last reached the final in 1984 when they lost to Liverpool, while City triumphed in 2014.
Coleen Rooney to eat placenta pill after birth of her son Kitpublished at 13:27
BBC Newsbeat
Coleen Rooney has said she's going to eat her own placenta after giving birth to her third son Kit.
Image source, Getty Images
She'll be eating the afterbirth, which has been converted into capsules and sent back to her in a jar.
Charity offers £10,000 reward for information about tortured dog Elmo's ownerspublished at 13:15
Wirral Globe
An animal rights charity says it is offering a reward of up to £10,000 for information, external leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for abandoning tortured dog Elmo in Birkenhead cemetery.