Good evening, these are the latest ECHO headlines on Monday, May 23.
Teen with 'the biggest heart' dies after being 'drastically let down'
A caring teenager who had a "bright future ahead of her" had been "drastically let down" by professionals, a heartbroken mum has said.
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Katie Wilkins was just 14 when she died on July 31, 2020 at Alder Hey hospital following a short battle with a rare form of leukaemia. An inquest was held into the death of the teenager, who dreamed of becoming a paramedic, of Runcorn Road in Warrington.
Speaking at the Liverpool Gerard Majella Courthouse on Monday morning, mum Jeanette Whitfield said: "I lost a part of my heart that day, my best friend and her sister's best friend. You put your trust and everything in the experts so you don't expect to learn how drastically she was let down. She should still be here with me."
The hearing heard how Katie began to complain of vaginal pains following a trip to London to see her sister after lockdown restrictions. After a trip to her GP showed clear water tests, her mum took the decision to take her to A&E in Warrington on June 30.
Ms Whitfield said scans by the genealogical doctors showed a large abscess, which was "quite unusual" for her age, and she was given a course of antibiotics with a follow up appointment. The hearing heard how Katie was in "waves of pain" but the next week she was given another course of antibiotics as the "swelling hadn't gone down".
Lego loving £1.3m fraudster spent thousands on trips to Disneyland
A Lego-loving fraudster spent thousands of pounds on toys, home refurbishments, and trips to Disneyland.
Lee Hickinbottom, 49, worked with his former partner, Tabatha Knott, 34, to fraudulently submit £1.3m in VAT repayment claims to HMRC between 2014 and 2017. The 49-year-old submitted most of the claims through his Serenity Community Transport business and provided false invoices.
With the stolen cash the pair enjoyed dream holidays and visited Disneyland, the Louvre in Paris and the Empire State Building in New York. They also s pent hundreds of thousands of pounds buying and improving their Dudley home, which included splashing out more than £13,000 on a luxury hot tub that had to be installed with a crane.
The fraudster also bought £20,000 of shares in a confectionery company, spent £4,220 supporting Everton Football Club and treated himself to more than £1,500 worth of Lego. In a failed attempt to hide his criminality Hickinbottom moved cash between numerous personal bank accounts he had set up in his own name.
Man dies after being hit by train as services out of Lime Street cancelled
A man died after being hit by a train at a Cheshire railway station.
Cheshire Police were called to Hartford station in Northwich at around 4pm on Monday, May 23, following reports of a man being hit by a train. Once officers and paramedics arrived at the scene the station was closed to all trains and British Transport Police were called.
British Transport Police have confirmed when emergency services arrived at the scene the man was already dead. Officers are currently working to identify the man and inform their next of kin.
A spokesperson from British Transport Police said: "British Transport Police were called to the line near Hartford at 4pm today (May 2) following reports of a casualty on the tracks. Paramedics also attended and sadly a person has been pronounced dead at the scene.
"Officers are currently working to identify the deceased and inform their next of kin. The incident is not being treated as suspicious."
