News reports located on this page = 2.

Stolen cars and parts seized at industrial unit in Aintree

MERSEYSIDE Police have raided a warehouse on an industrial estate, on Sugar Street, Aintree, on Monday, 15 April 2019, as part of an ongoing investigation into car thefts. We are told that this follows on from them receiving a report on New Year's Day, Tuesday, 1 January 2019, that a Mercedes car had been stolen from a driveway on Waterloo Road, Southport. The car had been fitted with a tracker and was tracked to the industrial estate. Upon arrival, of Merseyside Police, at the warehouse, located on Sugar Street, on 2 January 2019, the patrol found the car alongside a number of other vehicles and vehicle parts, suspected to have been stolen. An extensive and thorough investigation has been ongoing ever since, and forensic examination of vehicles and parts continues. As part of those enquiries, Police have re-attended the location, following the receipt of information, passed on to them, from the community and further vehicles have been identified as suspected of being stolen. A van containing vehicle parts has also been seized, alongside a car, which was found in a car park on site and is suspected of being stolen, along with 2 off road bikes.

Detective Sergeant Alan Nuttall said:- "Our Officers have done a great deal of meticulous forensic work since the cars were discovered in January, and they continue to work tirelessly to gather intelligence, identify offenders and reunite any stolen cars with their owners. Yesterday's activity is the result of that work, and Officers will now carry out more forensic examinations and, we hope, get stolen cars back in the hands of their rightful owners. We are grateful for the co-operation of Centaur Properties and will continue to work with all partners to tackle car theft, and regularly assess hotspot areas across the Force, directing our resources accordingly. We work with partner agencies on a raft of measures to prevent vehicles from being stolen, including:- the improvement of street lighting, Road Policing operations, when we stop cars and check ownership details, as well as license and insurance information. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) is also employed to help officers detect, deter and disrupt car thieves. Our community teams continually work to ensure safety messages are reinforced with residents about ensuring their vehicles are safe such as parking in a well lit area and keeping car keys out of sight. We would urge anyone who has any intelligence on anyone involved in this type of crime to contact Merseyside Police, via their social media desk, on  Facebook and Twitter. You can also call:- 101 or contact, anonymously, Crimestoppers, who are an independent charity, on:- 0800 555 111 along with using their online reporting form, located at:- Crimestoppers-UK.Org."
 

Team Matalan take on the London Marathon for children's charity

13 team members from Matalan's headquarters in Knowsley will be taking on the Virgin Money London Marathon, for children's charity the NSPCC. The group, who all live in and around Merseyside, will join more than 40,000 runners taking on the arduous course on 28 April 2019. 2 of those running, Kendal Keane and Chloe Wade, will be running their 1st marathon.

Kendal, from Liverpool, says:- "I've wanted to run a marathon for quite a while, and the London Marathon is the biggest and most iconic one, so when I found out we had places to run for the NSPCC I made sure I put my name down straight away. We're quite a big team from Matalan Head Office, there are 13 of us in total, and we help each other keep going. When we run on the day there are going to be lots of Matalan friends and family along the route to support us, so I think the day itself should be a bit easier than when I'm training in the cold and the dark on my own."

And the team aspect seems to be spurring everyone on with their training ahead of the big day. Chloe, from Wirral, says:- "It's really good to have such a big team running at the same time; we all help motivate each other. A lot of the others have the Strada running app, and they keep track of how each other are doing.  My friend Jo Lawler and I do the same, we always egg each other on and usually ask how the practice runs are going, but it's good to have someone sympathetic when you come in with aching legs the next day too!"

Of course plenty of supporters will be heading to London to cheer on the whole team on the day. Chloe says:- "My family and friends have all been so supportive and I know I'm dead lucky. My mum and dad will be there on the day, and a lot of friends who live in London said they're going to try to find me afterwards. My dad is actually a runner himself, but he's been injured since last year so he'll definitely be running vicariously through me on the day!"

And Kendal even has a strategy for her supporters heading down to London for the main event.  She said:- "I have lots of girly mates coming along to support me on the day, as well as my mum, dad, sister, nephew and aunties. I've told them all to spread out though so I have them cheering for me all the way around the route, keeping me going when I need the extra boost!"

With the team running in support of the NSPCC this is the latest of fundraising efforts made by Matalan for children's charity, which they have supported for 15 years, raising more than ₤10 million in that time and providing funding for a specially built therapy centre and Childline base in Liverpool.

NSPCC corporate fundraising manager Jo Burton says:- "Matalan have been such strong supporters of the NSPCC and Childline for so many years, and we're still taken aback by how enthusiastic their team members are to support us in whatever way they can. With the help of Matalan and their team, both in Knowsley and across the country, we have managed to reach far more children than we would have been able to otherwise. Their continued support for our Hargreaves Centre in Liverpool has an enormous benefit to any children across Merseyside in desperate need of care, support and recovery."