News in Heswall

Three teenage boys have been arrested on suspicion of arson following the fire which spread quickly across marshland close to Parkgate on Saturday night.

The blaze began at around 6pm and burnt for almost six hours, before being confirmed extinguished early on Sunday morning.

A drone operated by 'You'll Never Drone Alone' has shot material which reveals the damage caused by Saturday's marshland fire at Parkgate, along with its proximity to local homes.

The fire broke out at around 6.30 on Saturday evening, and is thought to have been started deliberately.

Labour's Janette Williamson currently leads Wirral council, but the party has just 27 of Wirral's 66 council seats, meaning just a small number of seats could put Labour in complete control or see them thrown out of office should other parties group together.

The May 5 vote will be held against the backdrop of the council's £20m cuts package, which will see it withdraw funding from Woodchurch Leisure Centre, nine libraries, two golf courses and more.

It was a return to league action for Heswall First Team on Saturday as we welcomed Chester Nomads to Gayton Park in the 1st Division.

We started the game really well and were one up inside two minutes. Nomads tried playing out from the back, but Steve Forbes did the hard work closing down the defender and forcing the error, which allowed him to play Shay Roberts in on goal. Shay kept his cool, dummied the keeper and rolled the ball home.

A community tree planting event is taking place tomorrow to create a memorial woodland in Arrowe Country Park that will serve as a commemoration for Wirral residents who have lost their lives to COVID-19.

Funded through the Mersey Forest via their Trees for Climate programme, the new woodland will be two hectares – around the size of two football pitches. It will be a living forest, with the aim of planting a tree for every person who has died with COVID-19 during the pandemic. To date, that figure is more than 1,100.

Police investigating last night's large Neston-Parkgate marshland fire are appealing for information from members of the public.

The fire occurred shortly before 7pm and at this stage is being treated as arson.

Firefighters from Cheshire and Merseyside continue to tackle a blaze across a widespread area of the marshes alongside Neston and Parkgate.

Witnesses say that flames and smoke were first detected around 5.30pm. At time of writing - just before 9pm - the fire continues to burn fiercely while overhead two helicopters seem to be monitoring its progress.

The first phase of the re-establishment of Heswall Hall is complete, trustees have announced.

The much loved community asset was forced to close for months during the pandemic.

Above: a gallery of pictures by Bob Shaw

In the last of a run of six away games, Heswall FC took the eight mile trip to Capenhurst Villa in the West Cheshire League Division 1 looking to put last week's Pyke Cup Semi Final defeat behind us.

A former Merseyside Police officer was found to have breached standards of professional conduct to the level of gross misconduct at a hearing yesterday.

The hearing, overseen by a Legally Qualified Chair, found that ex-Constable Gemma Smith breached standards of professional behaviour in relation to honesty and integrity, discreditable conduct and authority, and respect and courtesy.