Ormskirk Advertiser
Killer’s 23-year term not to be increased
AKILLER who stabbed a teenager to death during a street brawl in Ormskirk will not have his prison sentence increased under the unduly lenient scheme. Thomas Dures, 22, murdered 19-year-old Matthew Daulby with a stab wound to his chest during the...
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Council to purchase 50 occupied homes to increase housing stock
MORE than 50 occupied homes in Skelmersdale are to be bought by West Lancashire Council from a housing association in a bid to increase council housing stock. West Lancashire councillors backed the mass purchase following recommendations made at the...
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Councillors back plans to create country park
WEST Lancashire councillors have backed new ideas for Beacon Country Park near Skelmersdale, aiming to make it a regional attraction including camping and events. A strategic plan to create ‘hubs’ focused on different attractions and activities, from...
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Yourlifestyle It’s an all-star Finish Line up
WHEN Sarah Greene first started co-hosting The Finish Line with Roman Kemp in 2023, she didn’t think so many people would fall in love with it. However viewers were quickly hooked on the show and its nailbiting finishes, as contestants race against...
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Yourlifestyle People are going to be empowered by hearing these positive stories
TV presenter Anita Rani discusses her new show, the longevity of her career, and what Christmas was like for her as a child. By
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Glamour on budget firm opens up shop
AN ONLINE fashion brand has opened its first retail home, in Ormskirk. Married couple Ashley Ali and Hollie Cassidy set up Glamify Fashion after selling their fashion brand MissPap to Boohoo in 2019. The husband-and-wife team then launched Glamify...
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Transforming dell has been like Peter Kay’s car share
THE journey of transforming an abandoned rubbish dump into one of the most loved green spaces in Merseyside has been likened to a Peter Kay comedy. The comparison was made by the group which created the garden, as they described the ethos behind the...
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Residents’ ‘chaos’ fear over village homes bid
FULL Concerns STORY expressed PAGES 4-5 that huge development could change nature of idyllic location
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Blast at flats uncovered drug ‘business’
AMAN has been jailed after an explosion which damaged two flats in Skelmerdale uncovered his operation to produce and supply cannabis edibles. Robert Nolan (left), 43, and Haryad Lahijan, 33, appeared in Preston Crown Court to be sentenced after the...
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New station key to future transport hopes
A NEW railway station on the outskirts of Skelmersdale could be a cost-effective “compromise” solution to bringing trains back to the town after a near 70-year absence. That was the verdict of Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for highways...
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DEFEND YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW.
Plans for licensed premises in your neighbourhood could be hidden from view if new government proposals for secret alcohol licensing notices get the green light.
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‘Towns like this one get forgotten about’
being forgotten about. It puts the town in the difficult situation of acting as a satellite town to Liverpool but not having an easy way of getting there other than driving. Glen Meskell-Brocken, 51, grew up in Birch Green, near to the new town...
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Rudakubana told officers of stabbing wish
THE Southport killer told police officers he wanted to stab people and make poison after being found with a knife on a bus more than two years before the dance party attack. Axel Rudakubana went missing from his home when he was 15 with two Lancashire...
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Deprivation and seclusion among factors for funds
THE availability of local services and the degree to which residents are isolated or integrated were amongst the factors that helped determine the areas that will receive a major cash boost from the government. Skelmersdale is among six small parts of...
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Downloaded images “grossly offensive”
THE Southport killer downloaded a large amount of anti-Islamic material that would be “grossly offensive to anybody of the Muslim faith”. The ongoing Southport Inquiry heard how police investigators found a disturbing litany of extreme material on the...
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Man’s car crushed after he is caught hare coursing
AMAN’S car has been crushed after he was caught hare coursing by police near Ormskirk. James Kent, 40, was found guilty of multiple wildlife and trespassing offences following incidents of illegal hare coursing near Ormskirk. His Nissan X-Trail, used...
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‘Life will never be the same. He was my whole world’
THE widow of a man who died in a crash says she is living through a “nightmare” every day. Keen biker Jay NewbyGallagher died after his Suzuki motorcycle and a blue Renault Zoe collided on Northway in Maghull at around 8.30am on Wednesday, May...
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GUILTY
AMAN has been found guilty of the murder of a former prison officer shot dead outside a gym in a “revenge attack”. Elias Morgan, 35, of Edge Hill, has been unanimously convicted of the murder of dad-of-three Lenny Scott after a trial at Preston Crown...
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‘I have never seen a dog so agitated’
SOUTHPORT, Ormskirk and District RSPCA branch took animals into care after an inspector discovered the worst flea infestation they had ever seen. Crossbreed dog Blade was found with a severe flea infestation at the home of Janina Booker, her brother...
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‘I was starstruck when Gerrard ate at my restaurant’
AMAN was lost for words after Steven Gerrard walked into his restaurant. John Currie, 49, from Maghull, is the owner of Home Bar and Grill in Maghull. The venue, on Liverpool Road South, describes itself as “art neighborhood institution, part...
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Driver had ‘life-changing impact’ on PC’s family
‘Sheer luck’ officer is still alive – but 18 months later he is still recovering
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Accused man ‘waved knife in self-defence’
AMAN accused of murdering teenager Matthew Daulby in a mass brawl in Ormskirk said he remembered ‘waving a knife around’ during the fight. Thomas Dures, 21, denies murdering Matthew Daulby and additional charges of violent disorder and GBH in a mass...
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Victim ‘utter wreck’
THE father of a prison officer, who was fatally shot in a suspected “revenge attack”, was seen wiping tears from his eyes as he recounted the palpable “fear in such a big man’s eyes” after his son received threats from an inmate. Lenny Scott died at...
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Prost! Bar takes on German theme
ALONG-STANDING staple on Ormskirk’s high street has undergone a massive transformation. Formerly known as cocktail bar Mylo & Co, the venue recently closed its doors to reopen as a German bier haus, ushering in an exciting new chapter. The venue is...
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Mum’s brainbleed horror at end of her pregnancy
APREGNANT mum was a week away from her due date when she began suffering from headaches so severe she was “screaming in pain”. Rachel Rimmer, 33, had an “absolutely amazing pregnancy” for the first eight months. But soon after arriving at work for her...
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It’s not music for me... it’s the food of love
AMUSIC graduate decided the industry “wasn’t for me” and instead went to work alongside some of the world’s best chefs at one of Europe’s most prestigious hotels. Lizzie Roff, from Maghull, found herself “unhappy” after getting her degree from...
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Nigel Farage says he will tackle ‘serious problems’
NIGEL Farage says he believes the new Reform UK administration at Lancashire County Council will be able to find financial savings - and reduce what he described as its ‘quite excessive’ level of debt. The party leader was speaking to the Local...
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Massive shortfall in county blue badge spaces
LANCASHIRE has only 1,528 designated parking spaces for disabled ‘blue badge’ motorists despite having 79,414 holders of the concessionary permits for accessible parking. Across the North-West region there are 4,978 such bays for 272,276...
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‘Prison officers, the colleagues of the guy he attacked, have to collect his food order and deliver it to his cell – it has made some angry and upset’
SOUTHPORT killer Alex Rudakubana’s cushy life behind bars has been revealed despite being able to attack a prison officer. Rudakubana was jailed for a minimum of 52 years for killing Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Alice Aguiar, nine, and six-yearold Bebe...
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Major road set to close over air quality concerns
THE closure of a major Liverpool road will have a klnock on impact for West Lancs commuters. Merseytravel has published a new bus timetable for services affected by the closure, which will be in place between 7pm and midnight on Walton Vale from the...
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Tributes paid to motorcyclist who died after crash
AMAN who died after a crash has been remembered as a “talented musician” who had “many friends and followers”. Jay Newby-Gallagher died following a crash between a motorbike and a blue Renault Zoe on Northway in Maghull at around 8.30am on Wednesday,...
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Leader calls for a Labour rethink
THE new Labour group leader on Lancashire County Council says the party needs to rethink how it gets its message across to residents after it was decimated at the local elections. Mark Clifford has taken the helm of what is now a rump of just five...
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Violent clash at gym included ‘weapons’ being used, court is told
THE words “you’re getting it, you little rat” were heard being shouted as violence erupted at a gym. Punches were thrown and weapons, including weights, were allegedly brandished and swung as a brawl broke out at Everlast Gym in Aintree. Last week...
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Tributes to ‘kind’ driving instructor
TRIBUTES have been paid to a ‘thoughtful, kind’ dad-ofthree who has sadly passed away after a long fight with cancer. Mike Wake, from Banks, left a lasting impact on many before his tragic death at the age of 68, last month, due to sepsis contracted...
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Thief is banned from an entire village
APROLIFIC thief who “failed to change his ways” after being released from prison has now been banned from a whole village. Simon Ferguson was jailed in October for 16 weeks following multiple shoplifting offences in West Lancashire. The Advertiser...
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Garage fire spread to homes and cars
AWOMAN has told of the terrifying moment she saw flames erupting from a house on her street. The blaze began at around 7.20am on Monday (April 14) with eight crews from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service rushing to the scene on Priory Close,...
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‘It’s just a nice place, we have everything we need’
ASTUNNING village near Ormskirk has been named one of the best places to live in the UK, and it’s easy to see why. Parbold, has been recognised in The Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2025. The Sunday Times judges remarked: “The village of Parbold...
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Venue pleads for leniency over stabbing preventions
ATROUBLED Ormskirk nightclub which had its licence suspended after a fatal stabbing in the town has pleaded with council chiefs to relax the strict rules that must be enforced at the venue. The Alpine Club Lodge has submitted an appeal with West Lancs...
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Food festival to return after taste of success
APOPULAR food and drink festival has announced its return after a successful inaugural year. Ormskirk Festival launched in May offering dozens of independent food, drink and market stalls in the town centre. The festival was a success and so...
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Further arrests made after two schoolboys slashed in the street
AWOMAN from Maghuill has been arrested as police were given extra powers after “several incidents of violence”. One of these incidents happened at around 2.45am on Wednesday, March 12 after officers were called to Beattock Close in Tower Hill,...
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Public thanked for their generosity
SOUTHPORT Hesketh Round Table has thanked the public for their huge generosity in helping them raise more £180,000 for the families and survivors devastated by the stabbing tragedy last summer. As a local charity based in the town, volunteers in the...
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Swimming pools saved from closure
COUNCIL-OWNED swimming pools in Ormskirk and Skelmersdale are to be kept open, after West Lancashire opposition councillors won a vote against any closures, which had been earmarked for next month. Park Pool and the Nye Bevan Pool will now both remain...
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Trains might not run on time, but Alex is aiming to!
AFUNDRAISER is preparing to run to every station on a railway network – including Ormskirk – in just over a day to raise money for a domestic abuse charity. Alex Rigby will run through the night to get to each of the 69 stations on the Merseyrail...
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‘Missing £1m makes it impossible to recommend budget’
MORE than £1million said to be ‘missing’ from a West Lancashire Council budget report and the cancelling of an extraordinary meeting last week about atrisk swimming pools have prompted questions about the accuracy of council financial information and...
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Marianne, muse of the Rolling Stones who grew up in town, dies aged 78
MARIANNE Faithfull, the British pop star, muse, libertine and old soul who inspired and helped write some of the Rolling Stones’ greatest songs has died aty the age of 78. Faithful lived in Ormksirk as child while her father completed doctorate at...
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52 YEARS IN JAIL AT LEAST FOR A COWARD
Brave teenager faces murderer saying she could tell he wanted to kill them all Outbursts from dock see killer absent as he is sentenced Court told killer attended Ormskirk pupil referral unit Dance class leader tells how horrific incident has scarred her
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Rudakubana admits stabbing atrocity
AXEL Rudakubana has admitted the murders of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice Da Silva Aguiar in the Southport stabbings and is due to be sentenced today (Thursday, January 23). The 18-year-old, of Banks in West Lancashire, was due to stand...
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County council plans to become fostering-friendly
LANCASHIRE County Council is planning to encourage more of its staff to become foster carers by giving them extra time off and allowing them to work flexibly. The authority is considering the special arrangements to help its employees cope with the...
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Flood nightmare
RESIDENTS of Ormskirk have faced a New Year’s Day ‘nightmare’ as they awoke to their homes being flooded, following a relentless downpour that persisted throughout the night. Locals from Halsall Lane, Brighouse Close, Sanfield Close, and nearby areas,...
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2025 FOR FREE Ex-soldier cyclist killed in ‘hit-and-run’
AFORMER soldier was tragically killed in a ‘hitand-run’ on Boxing Day while cycling home to his son. Lee Kervin, pictured above and, left, in his army days, was coming home from the pub where he worked in Ormskirk when he was hit, at about...
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Call to up fines to utility companies if works overrun
UTILITY companies that take too long to fill in the holes they have dug on Lancashire’s roads should face tougher fines. That is the call from Lancashire county councillors who have asked the government to increase the charges local authorities are...
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Councillors survive ‘no confidence’ vote over swimming baths row
TOP West Lancashire councillors survived a ‘no confidence’ vote by opponents regarding the future of swimming pools in Skelmersdale and Ormskirk, and provision of other leisure and sports amenities including football and golf. But three Labour...
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Historic village has picturesque walks for all
ON a crisp winter’s day, there’s nothing quite like a picturesque walk, with the sound of snow and ice crunching on your feet. It’s not quite as inviting as a summer’s day jaunt, but the views of snow-topped hills and the fresh morning air does give...
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Flood report reveals rise in incidents
FLOOD events in one part of Merseyside rose by more than 70% last year while average rainfall in September increased by 150-200%, according to a report published by Sefton Council. The report also detailed the local authority’s public engagement...
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£35m funding to improve bus services
LANCASHIRE is to get more than £35m to strengthen bus services in the county. The cash is part of the latest round of funding announced by the government to enable local areas to deliver their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs). The strategies for...
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Highway works on major route to last for 40 weeks
AMAJOR road network in Merseyside is set to undergo 40 weeks of roadworks as part of an overhaul of the area’s transport system. Sefton Council is carrying out roadworks on Dunnings Bridge Road (A5036) as the local authority aims to improve transport...
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Good causes still to provide evidence of grant cash usage
ONLY two in five of the hundreds of community organisations given grants by Lancashire county councillors last year have so far provided evidence of how they spent the cash. County Hall’s 84 elected representatives awarded just over £191,000 to...
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Businessman fraudulently claimed £50k in Covid bounceback scheme
A TAXI driver left his job of 20 years after he kept having the same conversation with passengers. Chris Edwards, from Maghull, was inspired to change careers after he realised he could “simplify a minefield” topic people struggled to understand. The...
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Woman tells of finding her boyfriend’s ‘kill kit’ in TV documentary
THE woman who found her murderous boyfriend’s ‘kill kit’ under their bed has spoken out in a shocking new documentary. I Survived A Serial Killer: The Delia Balmer Story tells the terrifying true story of how one woman survived living with serial...
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Tensions as pool closures debated
TENSIONS and ‘agonising’ choices over budget pressures, public needs and opinion, political beliefs and government rules were highlighted as West Lancashire Council debated potential early swimming pool closures and the need for new leisure centre...
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‘New’ town in top ten of places to save cash when buying a house
SKELMERSDALE has appeared on a list of places where home buyers could make big savings by choosing to buy a home in new town commuter hotspots compared to their traditional neighbours. The average house price in a new town is £300,656, compared with a...
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Summerhouse at ‘£4m’ home given retrospective nod
ALARGE summer house built without permission at a property developer’s ‘£4million’ home and close to neighbours has been granted retrospective consent by West Lancashire councillors. But they were frustrated with planning rules, believing they had...
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Changes sort over funding rules for community projects
CHANGES are being recommended to funding rules and deadlines for West Lancashire community enhancement schemes. These are schemes, such as playgrounds, recreation space, health clinics or leisure centres, which use a tax paid by housing developers or...
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