Schoolgirls raped and abducted by vile gang
A vile gang who sexually exploited three vulnerable schoolgirls have finally been jailed.
The girls were just 13 when they were subjected to horrific sex offences including rape and sexual assault in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, at the hands of seven men. Two men from Liverpool were among the gang members who were found guilty of raping a child, while one was also found guilty of child abduction.
They were sentenced following two separate trials at Stafford Crown Court in June 2021 and February this year. Two trials had to be held due to the number of defendants.
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The men were arrested on 19 December 2018, following an investigation by Staffordshire Police's Child Protection and Exploitation Team into offences that took place between May 2018 and September 2018.
New £400 energy bills discount for all households and when you'll get it
All UK households will get more than £400 off their energy bills this winter, as the Government revealed the details of its cost-of-living support.
The £11.7 billion scheme is part of the £37 billion cost of living assistance package aimed at helping people through the colder months, the Daily Record reports. However, that support came in response to predictions that energy bills would rise to £2,800 for the average household in October, but since then the forecasts have become even bleaker.
A discount of £66 will be applied to energy bills in October and November, rising to £67 each month from December through to March 2023. It will be administered by energy suppliers. Those with a domestic electricity meter point paying for their energy via standard credit, payment card and direct debit will receive an automatic deduction to their bills.
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Traditional prepayment meter customers will be provided with energy bill discount vouchers in the first week of each month, issued via text message, email or post, using the customer's registered contact details. These customers will need to take action to redeem these at their usual top-up point, such as their nearest local PayPoint or Post Office branch.
Smart prepayment meter customers will see the energy bill discount credited directly to their smart prepayment meters in the first week of each month of delivery.
Full list of bus routes to be changed and cut across the Liverpool City Region
Bus operators Arriva and Stagecoach have confirmed a series of changes to bus services in the Liverpool City Region.
The private operators have finalised the number of changes and reductions to routes across Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and the Wirral that will begin on Sunday September 4. Several services considered to be ‘vital routes’ have been protected from the original proposals after Mayor Steve Rotheram and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority stepped in to provide funding support to save them.
These include the 492 and 495 to Birkenhead, 37 from St Helens to Eccleston and the 76 and 78 from Halewood to Liverpool city centre. Currently, the majority of bus services in the Liverpool City Region are operated on a commercial basis by private operators – predominantly Arriva and Stagecoach. Under this deregulated bus system, these private companies have control over aspects such as routes, timetables and fares.
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The ECHO first reported back in June that the bus operators were proposing to change and cut back on a number of services across the city region. They said this is because interim government funding, used to support transport operators during the pandemic, is coming to an end in September.
The proposals for the changes were published in late June, followed by a public consultation to give people the chance to provide their feedback. These proposals have now been finalised and can be viewed in full here. If a service is not listed on the site, then no changes have been made.
