A man dies and roads are closed as Storm hits Merseyside

AS the remnants Hurricane Gonzalo hit the UK over Tuesday, 21 October 2014, the Met Office issued a Yellow Warning - 'Be Aware' to much of the country. Gonzalo was the strongest of storms to hit the British overseas territory, Bermuda, in a decade and many groups in the UK had predicted the tail end of Hurricane would cause travel disruption and widespread damage. Sadly 3 died and many were taken to hospital across the UK, as a result of the storm. One of those killed was a 63 year old man, whose Ford Fiesta smashed into a railway bridge in St Helens, Merseyside, as the area was being lashed by heavy rain and gale force winds. Police are investigating the cause of the crash. Also in St Helens, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service were called out to Eliza Street in Sutton, after stone cladding on the front of a house had fallen on to the pavement. As a result fire-fighters removed a section of loose cladding from that property. In Liverpool, a sheet of corrugated iron fell off the side of a building in Old Hall Street, leading to the area being cordoned off the area while the incident was dealt with by an aerial appliance from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service. Fire Fighters also attended to a tree in a dangerous condition on a grass verge, in Dobson Street in Everton, at around 4.15pm. Also in Liverpool a tree fallen on to a house in Mersey Road in Aigburth, at around 4.20pm. In Old Swan a car was in collision with a tree that had fallen. The occupants of the car are not believed to have been injured and the tree was removed from the road. Fire Fighters were there for around half an hour. In Tuebrook, Fire Crews were called out to shop premises on West Derby Road after a section of chimney had fallen due to the high wind. A fire appliance was also called out to a tree that has fallen across a road in Elmsley Road in Mossley Hill just after 5pm. In Liverpool City Centre, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service was called out to Unity Building in Rumford Place at around 12.50pm, as a quantity of metal cladding had come loose from a building, outside the 17th floor. It resulted in the area being cordoned off for around an hour and a half whilst the scene was made safe. In Stanley Road, Kirkdale, section of chimney has also fallen onto the roadway at 5.25pm, leading to Fire-fighters being called out. At around 12.20pm, in Green Lane, Old Swan the wind and rain caused a 5 metre section of plastic guttering that was hanging off a 3 storey building. In Wallasey fire crew removed a section of a property’s border wall and fence that was in danger of collapse due to the high winds on Seaview Road, just after 4pm. In Southport Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service where called to Chapel Street in Southport at around 3.45pm to deal with a metal sign that was hanging off the Pippins coffee house building. Fire Fighters cordoned off the area around the building and used an aerial appliance to remove the sign. Plus the window of Farmfoods supermarket on Lord Street was completely shattered and a tree was blown over on Town Lane.

Visit Southport Eco Centre to know your blood pressure

THE Stroke Association will host a Know Your Blood Pressure event at Southport Eco Centre, The Esplanade, to mark World Stroke Day on Wednesday, 29 October 2014, and help prevent the biggest cause of strokes. High blood pressure is the most important risk factor for stroke, contributing to about half of all strokes. It is treatable with medication and by making lifestyle changes such as exercising regularly and eating healthily. Almost a quarter of people in the North West are living with high blood pressure. Supported by the local Rotary, Southport Eco Centre and Zest for Life Training, the Stroke Association will offer free blood pressure checks to visitors to the centre from 10.30am to 3.30pm. They’ll also provide information and advice to raise awareness of the causes of stroke. Christine Ray, Family and Carer Support Coordinator from the Stroke Association, said:- "High blood pressure contributes to about 50% of strokes and is the biggest controllable risk factor for the condition. It affects 16 million people in the UK, but has no symptoms, so many people are completely unaware that they have it. Getting tested is simple; blood pressure tests are quick and painless and taking control of your blood pressure can reduce your risk of stroke. We hope to see lots of people on World Stroke Day when we’ll be encouraging those with a high blood pressure reading to follow up with their GPs." High blood pressure is usually diagnosed if readings are consistently higher than 140/90mmHg. In many cases high blood pressure can be controlled by making healthy lifestyle changes or taking medication. For more information on blood pressure testing, visit:- stroke.org.uk/kybp.