Summary

  • Key updates on Friday 3 May:

  • Local elections: Minor parties make gains across North West

  • Labour celebrate 'stunning' win in Trafford

  • Wirral Council hung after gains by Tories and Greens

  • Bid to oust Liverpool mayor launched after polls close

  • Labour loses seven seats and control of Bolton Council

  • Lancashire: Labour make gains in Chorley

  1. Rugby League player cleared of punching partnerpublished at 15:11 British Summer Time 18 May 2021

    Anthony Gelling told the court he was trying to stop his then-partner reversing their car into him.

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  2. Daughter spent cash mum left to hospice in willpublished at 14:33 British Summer Time 18 May 2021

    Deborah Nilsson spent some of the £20,000 on a new kitchen, new bathroom and a family holiday.

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  3. Two injured in pub shooting on day of reopeningpublished at 13:49 British Summer Time 18 May 2021

    Armed police were called to the pub hours after it had reopened for the first time in months.

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  4. Trial date set for nurse accused of baby murderspublished at 12:55 British Summer Time 18 May 2021

    Lucy Letby is accused of killing eight babies while working on a hospital neonatal unit.

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  5. New vaccine hub opens as variant concern continuespublished at 12:20 British Summer Time 18 May 2021

    The Indian variant of Covid-19 now makes up the majority of new cases in Bolton.

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  6. Coombs signs new Man City dealpublished at 12:04 British Summer Time 18 May 2021

    Manchester City midfielder Laura Coombs says it was "a natural decision" to sign a new two-year deal with the club.

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  7. Guardiola once again proves he's an Oasis fanboypublished at 11:06 British Summer Time 18 May 2021

    A video has emerged of Pep Guardiola celebrating with Manchester City staff and singing Don't Look Back in Anger.

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  8. Tourists head on holiday as restrictions relaxpublished at 07:35 British Summer Time 18 May 2021

    Blackpool's hoteliers welcome back tourists while holidaymakers fly out from Manchester to Portugal.

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  9. Arena steward and survivor brought togetherpublished at 06:38 British Summer Time 18 May 2021

    Usman, who helped people on the night, is brought together with injured survivor Martin.

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  10. Guardiola 'cold' on Aguero decisionpublished at 23:12 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

    Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says Sergio Aguero is not guaranteed a Champions League final farewell because his selection will be "cold".

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  11. Bus drivers' strike called off after deal reachedpublished at 20:12 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

    Members of the Unite union at Go North West in Manchester launched an all-out strike in February.

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  12. 'No quick answers' in fatal blast investigationpublished at 17:01 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

    Investigators are working in "the most awful conditions" in Heysham, the fire service says.

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  13. Over-18s urged to book vaccine in Covid-hit townpublished at 16:58 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

    Blackburn with Darwen's public health chief says people will be "surprised how eligible they are".

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  14. Lavelle, Mewis and Campbell exit Citypublished at 15:53 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

    Manchester City duo Rose Lavelle and Sam Mewis head to the USA while defender Megan Campbell also leaves the club.

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  15. Four men arrested in moorland murder probepublished at 15:20 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

    Police think Rhys Thompson's death is linked to a disturbance in Manchester involving a group of men.

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  16. Arena police chief did not share safety situationpublished at 15:04 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

    Supt Arif Nawaz admits he never tried to contact the fire service after the Manchester Arena attack.

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  17. More than 6,000 vaccinated in Bolton over variantpublished at 14:21 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

    Thousands of people got jabs in Bolton over the weekend as the town battles the Indian variant.

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  18. Engineeringpublished at 14:09 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

    Liz McIvor tells the story of the early canal builders who struggled with the rugged terrain of England's Pennine hills. Creating a network of canals in this landscape was an uphill challenge - sometimes literally! But connecting the powerhouses of Yorkshire and Lancashire was a great prize at the time of the industrial revolution. What should the engineers do? Should they build over, under or around the hills? Who succeeded, and who struggled?

  19. The Workerspublished at 12:09 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

    This is the story of the men who built our canals - the navigators or navvies. They represented an army of hard physical men who were capable of enduring tough labour for long hours. Many roved the countryside looking for work and a better deal. They gained a reputation as troublesome outsiders, fond of drinking and living a life of ungodly debauchery. But who were they? Unreliable heathens and outcasts or unsung heroes who used might and muscle to build canals and railways?

    We focus on the Manchester Ship Canal - the swansong for the navvies, hailed as the greatest engineering feat of the Victorian age. The navvies worked at a time of rising trade unionism. But could they organise and campaign for a better deal?

  20. Circus helped develop reopening planspublished at 10:16 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

    BBC Radio Stoke

    Cheshire-based Gandeys Circus has been working with the government on pilot schemes for the return of live events ahead of officially reopening.

    The projects have taken place at holiday resorts and led to suggestions of new measures to help tackle the spread of Covid-19.

    Circus tent stock imageImage source, Getty Images

    Binky Beaumont, from Gandeys, said it was great to get back to business.

    “Everything is coming together,” he said.

    “We have had artists flying in over the last two to three weeks who are in isolation, they have to have their Covid test, they have to be in isolation for 10 days, then they have to isolate and have daily test and temperature checks before they are allowed to start and join the rest of the cast for rehearsals, because it is such a big cast.”