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 Wednesday with the latest news, sport, weather and travel.
Summary
Updates on Tuesday 26 January
Merseyside and Cheshire Live returns from 08:00 on Wednesday
Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00
Coming uppublished at 17:55
Annabel Tiffin
Presenter, BBC North West TonightOn North West Tonight this evening:
- The region has been battered by yet another Atlantic storm and the Environment Agency has issued more weather and flood warnings
- Every 15 seconds, somewhere in the world, a Beatrix Potter book is sold and now, more than seventy years after her death, Beatrix Potter has a new book out
Weather: Windy with showery rainpublished at 17:51
It will stay very windy with gales in exposed places and although there's a mainly dry start to the evening, further outbreaks of showery rain will soon spread northeastwards.
Rain will be heavy at times with a risk of localised flooding but will turn showery later in the night.
The winds will ease tomorrow and there will be some drier and brighter spells between periods of showery rain.
Football: Liverpool eye win in League Cup semi-finalpublished at 17:45
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is tonight hoping to reach a major cup final less than four months after taking charge of the club as they take on Stoke in the League Cup semi-final at 19:45 GMT.
Image source, Getty Images"Let's take the whole power of LFC and take it to the final... Reaching a final is great, but at the end it is only memorable when you win it and that is what you have to do," he said.
Defender Jon Flanagan could make his first start since May 2014 but Liverpool, who lead 1-0 from the first leg, could be without right-back Nathaniel Clyne, while defender Dejan Lovren is not fully fit and centre-back Steven Caulker is cup tied.
Travel advice for Liverpool match: Delays likely on Scotland Roadpublished at 17:34
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End of X postBurglars steal items worth £100,000 from Ormskirk familypublished at 17:24
Burglars stole more than £100,000 worth of items from an Ormskirk home on Sunday as the family slept upstairs.
Image source, Lancashire PoliceThieves took a blue BMW M5, a grey Landrover Discovery and a white Volkswagen Crafter van. Two green and red stripy racing go-karts and a black DGI flying drone were inside the van.
The house on Burscough Road was broken into between 00.40 and 04:00 GMT on 24 January and police are appealing for anybody with information to come forward.
Fatal Ellesmere Port bungalow fire a 'tragedy'published at 17:10
Neighbours have spoken of their shock following the tragic death of a man, external following a house fire in Ellesmere Port this morning.
Hundreds attend funeral of former Cheshire Regiment soldierpublished at 17:00
Bronwyn Jones
BBC NewsA former Cheshire Regiment soldier got a warm send-off this morning when his funeral was attended by hundreds of well-wishers despite having no family living nearby.
Image source, G&M Goold Funeral DirectorsAlan Foster, who was a corporal with the 22nd Cheshire Regiment for 22 years, passed away on Christmas Eve and G&M Goold funeral directors in Chester put out an appeal on social media in the hope that some of his comrades might attend the service.
It went viral and today about 250 people, including soldiers from the local Mercian Regiment, gathered at Chester Crematorium to say goodbye to Corporal Foster - known to friends as Alfie or 'Foz'.
Travel: Queuing traffic on Welsh Road and Parkgate Roadpublished at 16:50
BBC TravelThere's queuing traffic on Welsh Road in both directions in Ledsham at the Two Mills Traffic Lights because of temporary traffic lights and emergency repairs. There's also congestion on Parkgate Road to the Woodbank Lane junction.
Armed robber strikes in 'brazen' daylight raid at Huyton newsagentspublished at 16:40
An armed robber fled empty-handed after threatening a Huyton shop worker at knifepoint, external.
Fumes from manhole caused Miller's Bridge closurepublished at 16:23
Bronwyn Jones
BBC NewsMerseyside Fire & Rescue Service have said that fumes emanating from a manhole cover was the cause of road closures at Miller’s Bridge in Bootle yesterday.
Image source, Merseyside Fire & Rescue ServiceFive United Utilities contractors were given health checks by North West Ambulance Service staff after they reported feeling unwell from inhaling the fumes. They didn't have to go to hospital.
Firefighters analysed samples from the drain under the manhole and found that the source was an industrial solvent.
Rugby League: St Helens coach Keiron Cunningham extends dealpublished at 16:02
BBC SportSt Helens coach Keiron Cunningham has extended his deal until the end of 2018.
Image source, SWPIXCunningham, 39, led Saints to the semi-finals of both the Challenge Cup and Super League play-offs in his first season in charge.
The former Wales and Great Britain hooker made his St Helens debut in 1994 and went on to make 495 appearances at the club.
The Wombats and Sigma to play Liverpool International Music Festivalpublished at 15:45
Liverpool International Music Festival (LIMF) has announced its first wave of artists, external for this year's event, including The Wombats, Sigma and Lianne La Havas.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe free event at Sefton Park on 21-24 July will also feature Kwabs, Ms Dynamite, Maverick Sabre and Liverpool’s own DJ Yousef.
The Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra will also give a special headline performance at the festival, which is now in its fourth year.
Watch: CCTV footage of arson attacks in Ellesmere Portpublished at 15:26
Police hunting arsonists who set five vehicles and a house front door on fire in Ellesmere Port have released CCTV footage, external of two people they want to speak to.
Latest headlines from Cheshire and Merseysidepublished at 15:12
Today's top stories in Cheshire and Merseyside:
- Southport and Ormskirk Hospital Trust is urging people to avoid using its A&E department because of a high demand for beds
- A Grade II listed bridge in Birkenhead has reopened after being damaged by vandals four months ago
- An 18-year-old man has been arrested after police were called to Bootle following reports armed men were running through the streets
Pistol, knife and balaclava found in Bootle chasepublished at 16:00
An 18-year-old man has been arrested after police were called to Bootle last night following reports armed men were running through the streets.
It was claimed one had a gun, while another had a knife and an area was sealed off while a specialist negotiator was brought in.
During the incident, a lock knife, a loaded self-loading pistol and balaclavas were recovered from a garden on Hawthorne Road by officers.
Last chance to see Black Poppy sculpture at Liverpool Central Librarypublished at 14:27
An exhibition of over 100 black poppies on show at Liverpool's Central Library has been extended until Sunday 31 January.
Image source, Faith BebbingtonThe 'Black Poppy' art work was created by Faith Bebbington with help from members of the public in commemoration of the black contribution to World War One and ran alongside the city's Weeping Window display.
The idea arose from a Writing on the Wall heritage project which looked at an archive, external of letters and documents highlighting the plight of black soldiers, seafarers, and workers in Liverpool following demobilisation in 1919.
Travel: Breck Road closed due to unsafe buildingpublished at 14:12
BBC TravelBreck Road in Liverpool is closed in both directions at the Belmont Road junction and rge Esmond Street junction because of an unsafe building.
Shakhtar Donetsk reject Liverpool bid for Alex Teixeirapublished at 13:47
The Daily MailThe Daily Mail is reporting that Liverpool have had a £28m offer , externalfor Alex Teixeira rejected with opening bids still some way off Shakhtar Donetsk's valuation of the forward.
Watch: Vandalised Birkenhead Swiss Bridge reopened after repairspublished at 13:30
Birkenhead Park’s historic Swiss Bridge has reopened four months after vandals caused £20,000 worth of damage when they set it on fire.
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End of youtube videoThe Grade II listed wooden bridge was officially reopened by Cllr Chris Meaden, Wirral Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture.
Representatives of the park’s Friends group and local school children involved with the park’s Forest School project were also there.
