Good afternoon, these are the latest ECHO headlines today.
Lavish lifestyle of gangster's girlfriend who recruited her own family into drug gang
The girlfriend of a drug gang boss recruited her mum, dad and brother after an arrest threatened her lifestyle.
Jonathan Walsh, 33, headed a network which trafficked amphetamine and cannabis from the North West to the East Midlands.
While serving a previous 14-year sentence for armed robbery, he met his now girlfriend, Jodie Bowie, on Facebook, MEN reports.
When Walsh got out, he moved in with Bowie in Failsworth, from where he headed up a drugs operation.
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She conspired with him in it - and it provided her with luxuries way beyond what she could have afforded working as a carer for the elderly.
Designer clothes, expensive jewellery, high-powered cars and cosmetic surgery appointments were funded by the ‘sophisticated’ drugs supply line.
When one of Walsh's couriers - Bowie's uncle, Joseph Grey - was arrested, Bowie was so determined to keep things going she enlisted her mum, dad, and brother to help with moving the cash generated by the racket.
Read the full story here.
School shames parents with letter about children 'walking to school barefoot'
A mum has slammed a school's 'disgusting' letter to parents after "many" children didn't come in during Storm Franklin.
Parents of children at All Saints Catholic Primary School in Bootle received a letter on Monday, February 21, after Storm Franklin battered Merseyside and brought winds of up to 70mph.
The letter explained "many" children were absent due to high winds and how they found it "staggering".
The letter read: "Welcome back to a new half term to all who returned to school this morning. It was lovely to see our children excitedly reunite with their friends and with staff.
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"Unfortunately, we have many children absent today, not because of Covid or other illnesses but apparently because of the wind!
"I have to say I find this staggering, not least because most live in very close proximity to school.
"Given the amount of pre-school and school experiences that our children have already missed in the last two years, missing a whole day's learning today is unacceptable."
Read the full story here.
Richard Madeley asks John Barrowman why he's not been cancelled
John Barrowman was speechless after Richard Madeley fired a blunt question at him at the start of a Good Morning Britain interview.
The Torchwood actor came under fire in May 2021 when a video from a fan convention in 2015 was released, which showed a Doctor Who co-star alleging he took "his d*** out every five minutes".
The 54-year-old admitted to "tomfoolery" on set and has since said "it was a different time" back then.
Viewers watching yesterday's episode of Good Morning Britain were surprised by host Richard Madeley's "brutal" first question to the showbiz star during an interview.
The former Dancing on Ice judge appeared on the programme to promote his new tour "I Am What I Am" and his hosting duties on All Star Musicals.
Brrowman has said that he wishes to "move forward" after the allegations came to light.
You can read the full story: here.
