These are the latest ECHO headlines this morning.
Man attacked colleague with hammer and threatened to kill him after night in pub
A dad who attacked a work colleague with a hammer after saying he would kill him has avoided jail.
Liverpool Crown Court heard then-colleagues Dean Simpkin and Christopher Littler went to the pub together on the evening of July 9, 2021. Nardeen Nemat, prosecuting. told the court that, when Mr Littler returned home, his partner told him she had received a message from Simpkin's partner accusing her of selling photographs of herself to another man.
At around 9pm, Mr Littler went to Simpkin's address on Bramhall Street, Warrington to confront him about the message. He was told by Simpkin's partner he was not home.
READ MORE: Suspect named after double stabbing in Liverpool city centre
Miss Nemat said Mr Littler's partner then received a message from Simpkin at around 11pm, which read: "I'm going to kill the c***". Mr Littler returned to Simpkin's address and he came outside to talk.
Simpkin, a father of five who is originally from Wigan, then attacked Mr Littler, who felt blows to his back and fell to the floor, before sustaining continued blows to his body. Turning around, Mr Littler saw Simpkin holding a hammer as he shouted and swore.
Read the full article here.
Striking Arriva drivers 'struggling to put food on the table for their kids'
Arriva bus drivers continue their strike in the hopes of what they see as a fair pay rise.
There has been no breakthrough in a dispute between Arriva and the Unite and GMB unions which has seen continuous strikes held since last Wednesday. During each day of the industrial action there will be no Arriva bus services operating anywhere within Merseyside.
The ECHO headed down to the St Helens picket line on Jackson Street to catch up with striking drivers and union members. Strikers gathered outside the St Helens Arriva depot, where they have received a mostly positive response from passers-by.
READ MORE: Arriva confirm bus strike will continue into next week
Mum-of-four Kirsty Mower told the ECHO: “We’re having to live within our means, I’ve got four kids and I’m struggling to take home a wage to support them.
“It will end up with drivers relying on food banks if something doesn’t happen."
Arriva says it believes it has offered a fair pay rise of 8.5%, but the UNITE union said the issues have "fermented" over a long period of time for workers. Amid frustration from passengers who have been left "stranded" by the strikes, driver Shaun O'Donnell says he sympathises with their struggle.
Read more here.
Mysterious 'horrid' smell plagues Liverpool as people 'feel sick'
A vile smell that is so pungent people are having to close their windows and light candles is making people "feel sick" in Liverpool.
The odour, which was reported on Wednesday evening, was described as "horse or cow poo" by people living in Norris Green, Fazakerley, Wavertree, Fairfield, Old Swan and Everton.
Dozens of people took to social media to complain about the smell, asking their friends and neighbours if they knew where it came from. Some theories behind the smell included manure being spread on farms and it coming from the sewage treatment plant.
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People took to Facebook community groups to complain of the "horrid smell" and some claimed they felt "physically sick".
One man said: "Happens all the time during the warm weather. There's a sewage treatment plant sandwiched between Hawksmoor and the East Lancs. Best to just keep doors and windows closed."
A woman added: "I googled it and apparently it happened in 2018 as well, then it was manure being spread on farms, the wind direction is bringing the smells across Faz."
Read more here.
