A police officer helped deliver a baby near Junction 7 on the M62 early this morning.

Mother and baby were escorted to a nearby hospital after the delivery at Rainhill Stoops.

Merseyside's Road Policing Unit says they are both doing well.

• Tributes are paid ahead of the funeral of comedy legend Sir Ken Dodd later
• The Fire Brigades Union says firefighters felt "ashamed" they could not help victims of the Manchester Arena attack quicker
• Merseyside's chief constable says he is "disgusted by pathetic louts" who attacked police cars as officers responded to a serious crash

People have been paying tribute to comedian Sir Ken Dodd ahead of his funeral service later.

The tributes outside his home include a cucumber, which refers to one of his gags about sticking one through a neighbour's letterbox.

The funeral service takes place at Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral and will begin at 13:00.

Firefighters felt "ashamed" they could not help victims of the Manchester Arena attack more quickly, the Fire Brigades Union has said.

Crews were "out of the loop" and took two hours to attend the scene of the blast, which killed 22 people last May.

Mark Rowe, North West Secretary, said "the order never came down from the top", leaving firefighters "angry".

The fire service's chief has apologised for the failures, highlighted in a report by Lord Kerslake.

Fans of Sir Ken Dodd are expected to line the streets of Liverpool later to pay their respects to the comedian.

Image source, PA

The much-loved funnyman, famous for his Diddy Men and tickling stick, died at the age of 90 earlier this month.

Members of the public have been asked to line the route of the funeral procession.

A horse-drawn hearse will travel the six miles from his home in Knotty Ash to Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral.

The funeral service will begin at 13:00. A private interment will follow.

Plans to revamp part of Lancaster city centre are to be reworked after the council pulled out of a partnership with a developer.

Image source, Lancaster City Council

Lancaster City Council had been working with British Land for a mixed-use development on a 16-acre site known as Canal Corridor North.

However, the council said it will now work up new proposals for the site, which will be rebranded as The Canal Quarter.

The authority said rethinking the proposals will not expose it to an "unacceptable" level of financial risk.

The updated scheme would also include less retail space than previously proposed, an increase in Lancaster University's presence in the city centre and more business space for the city's digital sector.

Plans for a development on the site were thrown out by the government in 2009 after a public inquiry and a revised scheme was unveiled in 2012.

Proposals for the site will be discussed by the council at a meeting on 11 April.

• Thousands of people are expected to line the streets of Liverpool today, as the funeral is held for the comedian Sir Ken Dodd
• Firefighters felt ashamed they couldn't help Manchester Arena bomb victims after a report revealed they were sent away from the scene, the Fire Brigade Union says
• Merseyside's Chief Constable condemns an attack on police cars sent to an accident, which has left a man fighting for his life

BBC Weather

After a chilly and cloudy start, showers will cross the area from the west this morning and could briefly turn to sleet and snow over hills. Highs of 6C.

More from BBC Weather

Welcome to North West Live. We're here until 18:00 with the latest local news, sport, travel and weather updates from across the region.

That's it from us for another day but we'll be back from 08:00 on Wednesday with more news, sport, travel and weather updates for the North West of England.

In the meantime, look out for updates from our colleagues across the BBC, which will be published here automatically.

BBC Weather

It will be a dry night with the chance of a few isolated showers. Some clearer spells with temperatures dropping away. Lows of 2C.

Dave Wade
BBC News

A man has been charged after a fatal crash on the M1 on Saturday.

The collision involved several vehicles near junction 27 at about 05:40.

The passenger of one of the vehicles, 48-year-old Mark Downham, from Chorley, Lancashire, was taken to hospital but died from his injuries yesterday, Nottinghamshire Police said.

Adrian Radu, 27, of Alfreton Road, Nottingham, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving while over the prescribed limit, failing to stop after a collision and driving without insurance.

He appeared before city magistrates this morning and was remanded into custody to appear at Nottingham Crown Court next month.

Lancashire Post

A 17-year-old has been shot in the face with a gas-powered gun, external in Penwortham, Lancashire Police have said.

Wirral Globe

Tributes have been paid to a Wirral grandmother , externalwho died after falling 60ft from a cliff top path while rambling with a walking group.

Michael Wild is due to go on trial at Liverpool Crown Court in July charged with murdering a 22-month-old girl.

British Transport Police are seeking six people following the mass protest that shut Manchester Piccadilly train station for three hours.

Image source, British Transport Police

They issued photos of the five men and one woman after protestors blocked tracks on Sunday 11 March.

The Pro-Kurdish protestors had stormed the station just after 13:00 GMT.

Police said the protestors were carrying flags "dangerously close to overhead" which meant "the power had to be turned off and the trains stopped".

Liverpool Echo

Three men have been jailed after threatening two children with a sawn-off shotgun, external as they ransacked their Cheshire home.

A three-day children's festival featuring shows, music and activities is coming to Liverpool this summer.

• Firefighters who heard the Manchester Arena bomb go off were sent away from the scene despite a paramedic arriving within 11 minutes,a report says
• A former police inspector who murdered his wife in their Cheshire home and dumped her body in a lake is jailed for life
• 'Depraved' Rochdale child rapist jailed for 19 years

Osman Ali befriended the girl over Facebook, convincing her the pair were a couple, police said.