Liverpool Echo

It's a Love Ei8ht Relationship ... ; Your Bar: Nick Peet Is Happy to Eat His Words at Ei8ht

EXACTLY 12 months ago this week I stepped through the doors of the newest addition to Allerton Road and pulled up the nearest bar stool. I took a big mouth full of the draught beer, sat back and let out a big sigh.

Liquid News

DURING one of my many periods of pre-teenage alienation, I once planned to run away from home. Actually, 'planned' is probably too big a word for an idea that involved merely heading off down the garden path with a rather tatty book featuring a section on 'how to survive on wild fruit and berries'. Bear Grylls would have been proud of me if, perhaps, a little concerned.

City has Got Talent

A DOG which sniffs out bombs and a set of super singers were among the attractions lapped up at the ECHO-backed Talent Week. Buster, a springer spaniel which uses its nose to help British Transport Police check train stations for incendiary devices, was among the highlights on day three of Talent Week.

Johnson Releases Star Trio ; Rugby Union

ENGLAND manager Martin Johnson has released three of his elite player squad for Guinness Premiership action this weekend. Gloucester centre Mike Tindall is available for his club's clash at Sale Sharks tomorrow night, while Tindall's fellow World Cup winner Joe Worsley can line up in Wasps colours against Leeds Carnegie on Sunday.

Martinez Blast Over Ferguson

WIGAN boss Roberto Martinez has accused football authorities in England of being overawed by Sir Alex Ferguson. Martinez believes the Manchester United boss is given too much latitude by those who run the game in England, despite Ferguson admitting a charge of improper conduct brought against him by the FA.

Beth's Best Is yet to Come ; Age No Barrier to Olympic Dream - Tweddle

BY the age of 24 most top gymnasts have long since hung up their leotard but retirement is far from Beth Tweddle's thoughts. The City of Liverpool star admits her stunning triumph in the floor event at the recent World Championships in London's 02 Arena has strengthened her resolve to push on towards London 2012.

Shops Site Ban for 'Bad Santa'

A VAGRANT nicknamed "Bad Santa" was banned from a Merseyside shopping centre after years of nuisance behaviour. John Brown, 50, is barred from the area around Bootle's Strand for four years after being dealt with by the police 29 times in 15 months.

Wardens in Shift Anger

A WARDEN who lost his job after strike action was threatened over a shift change claimed council bosses had decided to axe the service months earlier. Warren Godffrey,who used to patrol south Kirkby, told an employment tribunal Knowsley council decided to end the service after wardens rejected plans to make them work from 2pm-10pm.

The Cuts That Cost14 Lives ; Report Blames 'Stalinistic' Axe

AN INQUIRY found a "Stalinistic" drive to cut costs was behind a Nimrod spy plane explosion which killed three Merseyside servicemen. Flt Lt Steven Swarbrick, 28, of Formby; Flt Lt Allan Squires, 39, of Clatterbridge; and Sgt John Langton, 29, of Garston; were among 14 crew members killed over Kandahar, Afghanistan, when leaking fuel was ignited by a hot air pipe on September 2, 2006.

Van Permit Scheme Warning

A ONE month period of grace for van drivers without permits for Wirral Household Waste Recycling Centres ends on Sunday. The new scheme is designed to end abuse by commercial traders who avoid paying Landfill Tax.

Threat to 'Lifeline' Centrefor Theover-50s ; Closure Looms As Council and Pct Funding at an End

A CENTRE, which provides a "vital lifeline" to Liverpool's older people, will close next month if funding is not found. Liverpool PCT have not given the Active Age Centre in Clubmoor any cash since April.

Gardeners Reap Crop of Awards

RESIDENTS of a Merseyside estate are celebrating after winning 15 awards at NorthWest In Bloom. Stockbridge Village won "Best Community Effort", considered to be the biggest prize in the competition, and were also joint second with Manchester council in the "Best Urban Regeneration" category.

U-Turn On Ta Funding 'Not Enough'

KNOWSLEY North MP George Howarth warned that a government climbdown over cuts to the Territorial Army does not go far enough. The former Northern Ireland minister said that a pounds 20m funding reduction has already caused "a great deal of demoralisation" in the TA ranks.

Stars of National Thank City Docs

THREE Grand National stars have thanked A&E staff at a Liverpool hospital for their life-saving skills. Injured jockeys are ferried to nearby Fazakerley hospital for treatment, often with serious injuries, every year during the world- famous race meeting.

On Course for a New Job ; Response to Redundancy Advertising Feature

IF you've been made redundant it's easy to feel like you're in an uphill struggle to find a new line of work, but help is at hand. Tomorrow's People is a specialist employment charity helping people out of long-term unemployment and welfare dependency and into jobs and self-sufficiency.

Zombies Go On the Hunt for Blood

BLOODTHIRSTY zombies will converge on two shopping centres to convince people to give blood. St John's and Clayton Square have joined forces with the National Blood Service for the Hallowe'en weekend.

Grans Call for Child Benefits

LIVERPOOL grandparents went to Parliament to demand extra state aid for looking after their children's children. They called for "recognition, respect and reward" for their efforts.

'Torture Scene' Bar Allowed to Reopen

A MERSEYSIDE bar which lost its licence after a "torture" scene was discovered on its premises can reopen. Bar South, in Waterloo, was shut down in June after a man, 20, was violently attacked on the premises.

Drama Puts Spotlight On Wartime

DRAMA pupils will perform a new piece of theatre as the finale of the Port Sunlight At War project. Blackout will be shown at the village's Hulme Hall on Tuesday November 3. Up to 40 youngsters from Wirral schools will perform the piece, which explores the relationship between home and the front line during World War Two.

Pounds 3 Jab Could Cure Your Snore ; Mersey Doc Pioneers New Simple Treatment

MERSEY doctors are pioneering a pounds 3 injection which can cure snoring. Consultants at Ormskirk hospital are the only team in Britain to offer the procedure- called the snoreplasty- and it is proving an effective alternative to painful surgery.