News in Heswall

Two times British Hairdresser of the Year, Andrew Collinge and his wife, top make-up artist Liz, are taking to the dance floor this Valentine's Day to raise money for a charity close to their hearts.

Andrew and Liz are marking the most romantic day of the year by dancing the Sweetheart Waltz to raise funds for Hft, a national charity supporting adults with learning disabilities. They were inspired to take on the challenge by Andrew's sister, who has been supported by one of the charity's services in Ellesmere Port for the last six years. After seeing the care and dedication shown to Andrew's sister by her support workers during a difficult year, the couple wanted to get involved in Hft's 1.4 challenge this Valentine's Day.

Arrangements have been put in place to enable eligible local Wirral businesses, which haven't had help before, to apply for a new discretionary grant of between £3,750 and £13,500.

The funds have been made available through the Additional Restrictions Grant, administered by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, which has earmarked the support for those businesses which have so far not met the strict Government criteria in other rounds of financial aid, and are likely to be struggling as a result of ongoing pandemic restrictions.

Most parts of the Liverpool City Region are seeing a significant decline in coronavirus infection rates.

Case numbers are falling in all six boroughs, with Wirral having the lowest rate again this week.

A Wirral faith group is giving out free food on Sunday in an effort to bring the community together.

Ibrahim Syed, 37, from Prenton in Wirral, is chair of the Wirral Deen Centre, an Islamic organisation based in Borough Road, Birkenhead, which is open to everyone.

Today is Safer Internet Day and Merseyside Police has set out to raise awareness amongst children and the adults in their lives about how to stay safe while online.

Detective Sergeant John Black from Merseyside Police Cyber Unit said: "We are joining this national day of awareness to warn children, young people and adults of the dangers of being manipulated online by strangers. Also to alert parents, teachers and guardians to the warning signs that children may be at risk.

If you are aged 70 or over - or know someone who is - the news that this age group is being encouraged to book a vaccination appointment with the NHS makes clear the the vaccination programme is going well.

The new policy is designed to ensure that no is missed in a section of the population which has recorded 83% of all deaths associated with COVID-19.

On Saturday evening, top-flight referee Mike Dean red carded West Ham's Tomas Soucek.

The sending off, which involved VAR and seemed to depend on a definition of what is 'violent conduct', caused controversy, animating fans, managers, players and pundits.

Though its opening date remains frustratingly in doubt for both its owners and potential clients due to COVID-19 restrictions, Snap Fitness is busy promoting membership of its new gym in the upper storey of the Curve on Telegraph Road and the Mount.

It will be good to see new life breathed into the space formerly occupied by Taskers home improvements, and empty since January 2018 when the company got into difficulties and restructured its business.

People in Wirral are being urged to get a COVID test if they have symptoms such as diarrhoea, fatigue or nausea.

The three main symptoms of the virus are a high temperature, a persistent cough or a loss of smell or taste.

Heswall's Mike Dean, one of our best known top-flight referees, placed himself in the football spotlight on Saturday evening with a decision which got football fans talking over the weekend.

Mike showed his red card to West Ham's forward, Tomas Soucek, towards the very end of a pretty tedious nil nil draw, enlivened only by the sending off and the reaction it provoked.