Good morning, these are the latest ECHO headlines today.
'Gangster' drug dealer 'bragged about access to guns' in messages to ex
A newly jailed drug dealer bragged about being a gangster with guns as he threatened his ex girlfriend.
Daniel Hanley was sentenced to 13 years in prison after admitting being at the centre of a huge drugs supply operation.
He was the main target of a larger police swoop, Operation Casino, that also saw seven other people jailed on Monday.
READ MORE: Drug and guns gang smashed after major police operation
A judge handed the gang a total of 56 years in prison for their roles in a scheme that saw cocaine and heroin trafficked and sold both in Liverpool and on England’s south coast.
Police also recovered rifles and silencers when they raided properties linked with the gang and found messages between members discussing how to store guns.
Read the full story from our court reporter here.
Dad of two faces left with impossible decision after opening letter
A dad-of-two fears choosing between food and warmth if he's forced to pay an energy bill hundreds of pounds more expensive than he expected.
Charity worker Damian von Talbot, 41, said he was "incredulous" when he opened his latest bill from ScottishPower, asking for £400.
Damian is used to paying energy bills of around £80 or £90 a month, but he was willing to accept the monthly price of just over £100 that he understood he'd be paying to Scottish Power after moving into a property last November.
READ MORE: Couple forced to sell wedding rings to pay for bills
Damian said: "It's a little bit more than what I usually pay, but I do understand that energy does cost a little bit more at the minute, the way things are.
"So I was fully expecting to be just charged £116. I thought I'll probably be charged a little bit more in winter."
Read the full story here.
Mum's message to woman who approached her son at bus stop
A mum was blown away by a kind stranger who approached her 12-year-old son at a bus stop.
Kelly McEvatt, 38, from Speke, said goodbye to her son, Nathan, before he left for school on Monday, January 24.
But when 12-year-old Nathan got to the bus stop, the school bus was already there. Kelly claims he knocked on the side of the bus but the driver drove away, leaving him behind.
READ MORE: Two year old's 'viral infection' was actually sign of cancer
Nathan, who has autism, then became panicked and upset, as he was unsure what to do next.
Mum, Kelly said: "He went to get his school bus as normal and the bus driver didn't wait for him. He was banging on the window and he drove off.
"Nathan started to panic, he has a lot of anxiety because of his autism and when he was upset trying to figure out what to do a woman stepped in and started talking to him."
