Today's top stories in Cheshire and Merseyside:  

• A report is recommending councillors approve £32m plans to improve one of Liverpool's busiest roads.

• A man wanted on recall to prison who taunted police on social media telling them "catch me if you can" is back behind bars after being arrested by officers from Knowsley in Whiston.
• A plan to redevelop Liverpool's historic Welsh Streets has been approved by councillors.

BBC Weather

This afternoon will be mostly dry. However, a band of persistent and possibly heavy rain will affect Merseyside by the early evening.

A stiff south westerly breeze will build through the day.

Chester Standard

A retired businessman from Chester was caught driving at 102mph by police, external after he saw an open road and decided to give his Jaguar “some stick”.

Three men and a woman have been arrested by police investigating a disturbance in which a petrol bomb was thrown at officers outside a club.

Image source, Liverpool Echo

Merseyside Police raided 10 homes in the Anfield area of Liverpool.

Four officers were treated for minor burns after Tuesday's incident outside the Dockers Club in Townsend Lane.

Today's top stories in Cheshire and Merseyside:  

• A report is recommending councillors approve £32m plans to improve one of Liverpool's busiest roads.

• A man wanted on recall to prison who taunted police on social media telling them "catch me if you can" is back behind bars after being arrested by officers from Knowsley in Whiston.
• Councillors in Liverpool are expected to approve fresh plans to redevelop the city's historic Welsh Streets.

A large number of homes in Ellesmere Port have been left without water following a mains burst.

Image source, PA

Engineers are working to fix the leak in Stanley Road but warn repairs are taking longer than expected.

United Utilities said the water will be off for most of the morning "due to the complex nature of the repair.  

A man wanted on recall to prison who taunted police on social media telling them "catch me if you can" is back behind bars after being arrested by officers from Knowsley in Whiston. 

Steven Johnson from Prescot had been wanted since January 2014, after breaching his licence conditions when he was sentenced to almost seven years for drug dealing. 

It is believed the 40-year-old went to Spain and during his time there he posted various photos in front of high powered luxury cars.  

Councillors in Liverpool are expected to approve fresh plans this morning to redevelop the city's historic Welsh Streets. 

Image source, Getty Images

The authority is hoping to sign a six-month exclusivity deal with development company Place First, which would allow them to carry out surveys on the properties in Toxteth. 

A previous scheme to demolish hundreds of homes was blocked by the then communities secretary Eric Pickles.  

Liverpool Echo

A new £200m road that could be built on a local park to feed traffic to the Port of Liverpool will be the subject of a series of meetings to gauge public opinion.  , external

BBC Sport

Leeds Rhinos began the defence of their Super League title with a narrow defeat by Warrington Wolves at Headingley.

Image source, Rex Features

The hosts, who won the treble in 2015, could not initially break through a resolute Warrington, who led 6-0 at half-time with Chris Sandow's try.  

Today's top stories in Cheshire and Merseyside:  

• Councillors in Liverpool are expected to approve fresh plans this morning to redevelop the city's historic Welsh Streets.
• A man wanted on recall to prison who taunted police on social media telling them "catch me if you can" is back behind bars after being arrested by officers in Whiston.
• Edge Hill University and the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts are being accused of being two of the UK's least transparent universities.

BBC Weather

Today will start cloudy but mild, with one or two light outbreaks of rain possible. 

A band of persistent and possibly heavy rain will affect Merseyside by the early evening. A stiff south westerly breeze will build through the day.  

Emma Stanley
Reporter, BBC News Online

Good morning, I'm here as the weekend approaches with all your news, sport, travel and weather updates from across Merseyside today. If you'd like to get in touch, you can do so on email, Facebook , externalor Twitter, external.