Category: Liverpool

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology visited the University of Liverpool, alongside Liverpool City Region Mayor, Steve RotheramLiz Kendall (Technology Secretary), visiting the University of Liverpool Materials Innovation Factory.(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)Liverpool is set to receive £23.7m in government funding, designed to fuel new industries and technologies, which officials say will drive the ‘growth, jobs and businesses of the future’. It comes as mayors across England, including Liverpool City Region Mayor, Steve Rotheram, are set to be given expanded powers to boost jobs and growth within their areas.The announcement was made during a visit from Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall who was touring Liverpool’s Materials Innovation Factory this afternoon (June 1), to explore the city’s Knowledge Quarter’, and discussed the importance of science and technology for the region, as well as a word on Andy Burnham’s election campaign.After the next Spending Review, the government said Mayors of Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities will be given the ability to decide how and where to target regional R&D investment through the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIP), all on their own doorstep.The LIP fund aims to support partnerships between local leaders, businesses and universities, to turn existing research breakthroughs into ‘practical solutions’.Liz Kendall (Technology Secretary), visiting the University of Liverpool Materials Innovation Factory.(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)£500 million has already been committed for the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund between 2026-31, and will help support innovative businesses in 17 regions across the country. This includes two projects led by the University of Liverpool, which is set to receive £23.7m of the £30 million LIP funding for the region.One project, AIM HI, will accelerate the application of artificial intelligence and robotics in materials chemistry, to increase productivity and new business growth. The other project, NBIC LIVE, will establish the world’s first centre of innovation excellence dedicated to AI-enabled rapid innovation of antimicrobial, anti-viral, and anti-biofilm surfaces and materials.Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, said: “The projects being backed in our region today show exactly what can happen when you trust places like ours to lead from the front. We’ve got world-class expertise here in the Liverpool City Region and this investment will help turn that innovation into good jobs, new industries and real opportunities for local people.“But the really important part of today’s announcement is about what comes next. For too long, decisions about funding and investment have been made in Whitehall by people too far removed from the strengths and challenges of our communities. Giving mayors greater control over future innovation funding is another important step towards putting those decisions in local hands.Liz Kendall (Technology Secretary), with Steve Rotheram (Mayor of Liverpool City Region), on a visit to the University of Liverpool Materials Innovation Factory.(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)“Whether it’s life sciences, AI, advanced manufacturing or clean energy, we’ve shown time and again that our region can compete with anyone when we’re given the tools to do it. This is about backing our strengths, growing the economy and making sure the benefits are felt by the people who live here.”Providing a tour of Liverpool’s Materials Innovation Factory (MIF), was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, Professor Tim Jones said good way of understanding what MIF does is to imagine Liverpool being at the centre of ‘Tomorrow’s World’ but also with a stake in delivering innovation in the short-to-mid-term as well.In relation to the funding announcement, Professor Jones added: “This funding recognises the power of partnership between universities, industry and civic leaders. Through AIM-HI and NBIC-LIVE, the University of Liverpool will help accelerate world-leading advances in AI-enabled materials chemistry and life science, while creating new opportunities for businesses, researchers and the LCR workforce.“The projects have been developed through strong partnership working with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and our industry partners The LCR LIPF projects will foster long-term economic growth and support high-value jobs whilst securing our region’s reputation as a global centre for scientific and technological innovation.”Joining Mayor Rotheram, Professor Jones and other local officials in Liverpool today (June 1), was Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall, who confirmed plans to pass future control of the Local Innovation Partnership Fund to regional leaders, with the change expected to kick in during the next Spending Review period.The University of Liverpool Materials Innovation Factory(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)Ms Kendall said: “Science and technology is the ultimate driver of growth, and this Government is determined to ensure every region shares in the prosperity brought about by innovation.“Through the future devolution of Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, we are putting money and power into the hands of regional leaders that know the strengths of their communities best, allowing them to back local businesses, encourage innovation and create the high-quality jobs that will drive the growth these regions need now and in the future.”Responding to a question about the upcoming Makerfield by-election, Ms Kendall confirms she is making her way to the constituency after visiting Liverpool, to show support for Andy Burnham’s campaign, adding: [Andy] will be an incredible MP for the Makerfield.”She continued: “I think he’ll be a passionate advocate for the people there, and he will want to do everything to make government work for people there, and I’ll be very proud to go and campaign for him.”I’ve worked with him over many years, even my last job at Work and Pensions, where we worked really closely on the youth guarantee to make sure every young person is earning or learning. Today’s announcement will give Greater Manchester that, and funding to back local innovation through its universities and businesses, too.”He’s been a long-standing champion of that, and I absolutely back him in that agenda.”

A man has been charged with manslaughter after the death of another man in Liverpool city centre last year.Alex Jones was found with a serious head injury close to McDonalds at the junction of Hanover Street and Ranelagh Street at about 19:35 on Friday 28 March 2025.The 34-year-old from Birmingham was taken to hospital but died the following month.Jack Dixon, 32, from Hollywood, Worcestershire has been charged with manslaughter and is due to appear at Liverpool Magistrates Court on 19 August.

Liverpool bar responds after brutal review from man on a stag do – Liverpool EchoNeed to knowSub Rosa was accused of providing a “terrible” experience but the bar said key details were left outSub Rosa is located in Liverpool city centre(Image: Marc Gartland/Sub Rosa/press handout)An outdoor bar and event space in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle has responded to a one-star review criticising its customer service. Sub Rosa was accused by an unhappy customer of providing a “terrible” experience, but the owner says the review left out key details – including gimp outfits, eight cans of Stella and what they described as “commandeering” behaviour.Local hospitality head Peter ‘Pedro’ Hunter is one of the owners, who also oversees the Baltic Triangle’s Botanical Garden cocktail bar nearby. He’s the founder of Liverpool Coffee Festival and co-founder of the soon-to-open Ffrens canteen and wine bar.Sub Rosa posted the one-star review to its Instagram story page yesterday (May 27) from a reviewer named Zack L. Zack gave the bar 1/5 for food, service and atmosphere, one star out of five overall and said he wouldn’t return.The reviewer claimed he arrived at the venue with a can of beer from a bike tour and asked a member of staff for the toilet. However, the staff member apparently “snatched” the can from him and marched towards the entrance.Sub Rosa publicly responded to the review, sharing additional alleged details. It claimed the stag do changed into fancy dress in the middle of the venue, with costumes including Union Jack suits and the stag dressed as a gimp.Sub Rosa went on to explain why the team removed the party’s beers. They said the party turned up later “swigging” cans of stella, which were put outside of the venue.Suba Rosa says the stag party is welcome to return if it doesn’t bring booze to the venue or arrive in fancy dress. The response was met with resounding support from the public who joked about the gimp costumes and ridiculousness of the scene.READ THE FULL STORY: A stag do left a one-star review – the bar owner’s response was pure goldFollow liverpoolecho:‌‌At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.Accept

Trainee footman Harold Winstanley gunned down four people in a deadly rampage through Knowsley Hall with a machinegunHarold Winstanley at Prescot Magistrates Court on 10th October 1952At the stately home of Knowsley Hall on the night of October 9 1952, Lady Isabel Milles-Lade, the Countess of Derby, was having dinner in front of the television when she was confronted by a gunman with “staring eyes”. What followed was a scene of carnage, leaving two men dead on the floor and the lady of the house feigning death with a bullet in the back of her neck.The shooter, Harold Winstanley, was a 19-year-old trainee footman employed at the Hall. One day before the deadly assault, he received a MP 40 sub-machine gun, commonly known as a Schmeisser, from a friend in exchange for £3 and a pair of trousers, and smuggled the firearm onto the estate.After test-firing the weapon, oiling and cleaning it, his rampage began. Lady Derby, 32, butler Walter Stallard, 40, under-butler Douglas Stuart, 29, and valet William Sullivan were gunned down one after another – with Stallard and Stuart dying of their wounds.As Winstanley stood trial for murder at Manchester Assizes in December 1952, the Liverpool ECHO covered the case in detail. Winstanley pleaded not guilty on grounds of insanity, while the Crown aimed to prove the footman was of sound mind at the time of the shooting.The jury was told Winstanley had been a trainee footman at Knowsley for some 10 months, and there was “no evidence to indicate that there was any ill feeling of any kind” within the mansion. In fact, Winstanley had a good reputation in the household, being described as “a very nice fellow” and “very charming and very kind in every way”.That all changed on October 9 1952, when Winstanley produced a gun to one of the housemaids and said he was going to sell it for double the price he had paid.Harold Winstanley at Prescot Magistrates Court on 10th October 1952At around 7pm that day, the staff were having supper in the steward’s room. Both victims, Walter Stallard and Douglas Stuart, were present, along with valet William Sullivan, Lady Derby’s personal maid Miss Doxford, head housemaid Miss Campbell, and maids Iris Cain and Anne Mitchell. Winstanley was also there.At around 8.15pm, Mr Sullivan and Ms Mitchell were at work in Lord Derby’s room when they heard bangs coming from the smoking room below, where Lady Derby was dining,Mr Sullivan went downstairs to the inner hall, while Ms Mitchell and Ms Cain looked over the bannisters to see Winstanley standing by the library door with a gun in his hand.Mr Sullivan asked him: “What are you doing with a gun?”Winstanley replied: “I’ll tell you when the girls come down.” Someone asked where Lady Derby was, and Winstanley nodded towards the smoking room and said: “In there.”Mr Sullivan began making his way to the basement with the aim of fetching the butler to deal with the situation, and Winstanley followed him down the stairs. Ms Mitchell and Ms Cain made their way towards the lift, and as they did they heard several more bangs.The women went with the head housemaid, Ms Campbell, to the basement, where they found bloodstains on the floor and Winstanley standing with the gun in his hand.The housekeeper Mrs Turley and Miss Doxford appeared, and Winstanley told them not to be frightened. He said: “I am not going to hurt you girls. There are three of them dead in the smoke room: Mr Douglas, Mr Stallard and Lady Derby.”Walter Stallard, a butler who was killed in a mass shooting at Knowsley Hall on October 9 1952(Image: Liverpool Echo)Giving evidence, Ms Campbell said she was watching TV with Mrs Turley in the housekeeper’s room at around 8.25pm when the smoking room buzzer sounded three times, indicating someone was wanted.She went out and saw Walter Stallard going along the passage, presumably to answer the buzzer. She went back inside, but about 10 minutes later she came out again and saw Winstanley chasing Mr Sullivan down the basement floor corridor.He fired the gun at Mr Sullivan several times, striking him twice in the hand and hip. Mr Sullivan was heard shouting “stop it Harry” before collapsing outside the lift door. Fortunately, he survived.Mrs Turley was praised for her courage as she rushed out to help Mr Sullivan, risking her own life as she placed herself between Winstanley and the injured man.Mrs Hilda Turley, housekeeper at Knowsley Hall, arrives at Manchester AssizesLater, Mr Sullivan said he saw Winstanley outside the library with the gun, and was on his way to find Walter Stallard when Winstanley fired on him.The prosecutor, Henry Ince Nelson QC, said: “The accused came and stood over him with the gun and Mrs Turley stood between them and attempted to pacify Winstanley.”Ms Campbell ran upstairs, and Winstanley briefly pursued her before giving up, giving Mr Sullivan the chance to escape and alert the night watchman.Returning to the basement floor with the maids, Winstanley confessed to Ms Doxford: “I have shot Lady Derby. I am sorry, Miss Doxford. I did not mean to hurt her.”Ms Doxford went to the smoking room, where she discovered the bodies of Walter Stallard and Douglas Stuart, and Isabel Derby, who was injured but still alive.During the trial, the countess recalled the terrifying moment she was confronted by Winstanley. Dressed in a light grey tweed suit and wearing a small red hat, she said she was dining alone in the smoking room, watching TV, when she heard the door click open.The Countess of Derby arrives at Manchester Assizes for the sentencing of Harold Winstanley
Picture taken 16th December 1952.She said: “When I did turn round I saw Winstanley. He had a cigarette in his mouth and that aroused my suspicions at once. I then saw that he was carrying some kind of gun.”He told me to get up. I stood up and he then told me to turn round. I turned round at once and then he shot me. I think I was turned roughly in the direction of the television set when that happened. The shot caused me to fall to the ground. I felt a lot of blood over my head. I remained perfectly still on the floor.”While I lay there perfectly still I could not say whether or not the accused was still in the room. I could not look up. I realised someone was still there. After an interval I heard the voice of Stallard I just heard him say one word: ‘Harold.’”Following that I heard a burst of fire and then I heard the fall apparently of a body.”Subsequently I heard further movement in the room. l am not quite sure whether I actually heard it or whether I just got the idea, but I was conscious that someone was apparently moving about.”I then heard Stuart’s voice. He said: ‘No, don’t.’ I heard further firing and I heard what appeared to be the fall of another body. The next thing I remember was being attended to by Miss Doxford.”Lady Derby denied ringing the buzzer for the butler, and it was the Crown’s case that Winstanley had rung the buzzer himself, after shooting Lady Derby, to summon others to the scene. When Stallard and Stuart arrived, they too were shot.Douglas Stuart, who was killed in a mass shooting at Knowsley Hall on October 9 1952. (Image: Liverpool Echo)After killing Walter Stallard and Douglas Stuart and injuring Lady Derby and Mr Sullivan, Winstanley reportedly went to his room to collect his coat. On his way, he encountered the chef, Monsieur Dupuy, who tried to reason with him and attempted to take his gun. Winstanley attacked him, hitting him with the weapon and causing it to fire into the wall.The shooting sparked a massive investigation, with 18 police cars racing to Knowsley Hall. Lady Derby was taken to Royal Liverpool Hospital as more than 200 Lancashire Police officers commenced a frantic search, aided by detectives from Liverpool City Police.Police investigating a double murder at Knowsley Hall in 1952Winstanley, meanwhile, was enjoying a pint of beer in the Copplehouse Pub in Fazakerley. He then caught a bus to Liverpool city centre, where he called 999 from a public telephone box on North John Street and turned himself in.Upon his arrest, he said: “I don’t know why I did it.” In an alleged statement given to police, he said: “When I first went in the room I meant to ask Lady Derby to help me get rid of the gun and when she looked at me I was frightened. I said to her, ‘turn round’ because I didn’t want to shoot her when she was looking at me.”As she turned half towards the television I pulled the trigger and the bullet must have hit her as she fell down and moaned something. She looked dead to me and I went out into the first library.”Then Mr Stallard came. I got scared and pulled the trigger and fired a burst at him. He flopped down and looked dead to me.”Then Douglas Stuart came. He said: ‘Harry, I’ll do anything for you and I’ll not tell anybody what I’ve seen.’ He crouched down behind the settee and I pulled the trigger. A few bullets came out. They didn’t hit him. He said ‘My wife. my wife.’ I said ‘l’ll look after your wife.’ I pulled the trigger again and gave him, I think, two short bursts. He fell down and stopped there against the door.”Winstanley was defended by barrister Rose Heilbron, one of the first women ever appointed King’s Counsel in England. She argued Winstanley was mentally confused due to “a rapidly advancing psychotic manifestation of the schizophrenic type”.She said: “This normally pleasant young man had become a man with staring eyes. He had become completely changed. The manner of the shooting indicates that this man went berserk with the gun.”You remember how he ran amok with the gun and you may think it is fantastic and inconceivable that any normal man could have behaved as he did that night. Then, after the shooting, he went to the police and gave himself up and poured out all the details, and… displayed no normal emotion.”The gun used by footman Harold Winstanley to shoot three people, including Lady Derby, at Knowsley Hall in 1952Doctors supported the opinion that Winstanley was suffering from an attack of schizophrenia at the time, and that he had experienced similar attacks on “four or five other occasions”.On December 16 1952, the ECHO reported the jury’s verdict: Winstanley was guilty of murder – but insane, and did not know what he was doing at the time. He was committed to Broadmoor high-security hospital.In another very Liverpudlian link, it was Rex Makin, Liverpool’s famous legal eagle, who represented Winstanley at Prescot Magistrates Court before his trial. Mr Makin was the family solicitor to former Beatles manager Brian Epstein, and has been credited with inventing the term “Beatlemania”.

People were spotted queuing in Queen Square in Liverpool city centre this morning13:12, 30 May 2026Updated 13:13, 30 May 2026Angelina Feetenby, 44, from Birkenhead had been queuing since 9.15am(Image: Liverpool ECHO)People were spotted queuing in Queen Square in Liverpool city centre this morning, Saturday, May 30. The queue was pictured at around 9am as customers waited to get their hands on a free jacket potato from SpudBros.SpudBros Express, located in Queens Square in Liverpool city centre, opened in September last year after the TikTok sensation, created by Preston-born brothers Jacob Nelson and Harvey Nelson, achieved international fame on social media from their mobile shop – affectionately known as their tram – where they whip up jacket potatoes.The store was giving away 100 free potatoes to celebrate International Day of the Potato.Angelina Feetenby, 44, from Birkenhead, took her son and his friends to secure a free spud and was one of the first in the queue.She told the ECHO she’d been queuing since 9.15am after hearing about the giveaway on social media and was hoping to get her hands on a tuna, cheese, coleslaw jacket potato with crispy onions, tram sauce, and garlic butter.She said: “We’ve had quite a few, probably about five or six times now. I just love jacket potatoes, and I think, with all the hype and stuff and following them, I really wanted to try them, and since I tried them, I just loved them.“I think what they’re doing is absolutely brilliant. Especially with half terms and the children being off. It’s really good.”The one-day giveaway also took place across London, Sheffield, Portsmouth, Blackburn, Wakefield and Barnstaple.Each location serves the brand’s cult-favourite menu items, from the Tram Classic loaded with garlic butter, the signature three-cheese mix, beans, crispy onions and world-famous tram sauce, to the Spudfather topped with chilli con carne, tuna coleslaw and bolognese, alongside the build-your-own option.Jacob Nelson, co-founder of SpudBros, said: “It’s crazy to think something as simple as a jacket potato has built this kind of community.“International Day of the Potato felt like the perfect excuse to give something back to the people who queue up, support us online and have helped turn SpudBros into what it is today.“We can’t wait to see everyone in store and celebrate properly with free spuds across the country.”

The festival is scheduled to take place next weekendLiverpool Feis Crowds at The Pierhead 7th July 2018(Image: David Munn Photography)The organisers of an Irish music festival in Liverpool have confirmed a change of venue just days before the event is due to take place. The Fields of Éire Irish Music Festival is the successor to the short-lived Feis, which came to Liverpool’s Pier Head in 2018. The ECHO reported this morning (May 29) that the festival would no longer take place at Newsham Park, but organisers had promised a new venue would be announced this morning.Organisers claimed Liverpool City Council removed permission for it to use Newsham Park as the festival site due to security concerns related to Martyn’s Law.Officially known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, the law aims to improve protective security and organisational preparedness across the UK by requiring that those responsible for certain premises and events consider how they would respond to a terrorist attack.In addition to this, at certain larger premises and events, appropriate steps to reduce vulnerability to terrorist attacks must also be considered. It is named after Martyn Hett, who died in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017.In its own statement published later in the evening, Liverpool City Council said its safety concerns had “not been sufficiently addressed”.Newsham Park has previously held outdoor music events in the past.Now, organisers of Fields of Éire have confirmed it will go ahead on its original dates, Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6, at Liverpool’s Olympia venue on West Derby Road.A post on their Facebook page reads: “We have a massive update regarding our new home for Fields of Éire. As you know, our original plan was to dance together at Newsham Park.”When Liverpool City Council pulled our land use agreement there at the final hour, we quickly lined up Aintree Racecourse to save the event. However, we have been listening closely to your feedback over the last 24 hours.”Many of you were gutted about moving so far out of the area you originally planned for. We heard you loud and clear, and we have pivot plans in place!”To keep the festival right in the community where it belongs, we are moving Fields of Éire to the legendary, beautiful Olympia Theatre! Best of all? The Olympia is just up the road from Newsham Park, keeping us in the exact same local footprint.”You won’t need to completely change your travel, booking arrangements, or local stays. By moving to the Olympia, we are transforming the weekend into a massive fully indoor festival experience. Rain or shine, the craic is 100% protected in an incredible venue with an electric atmosphere.”If you need a taste of the vibes, Kingfishr absolutely smashed it here just the other week, and Irish legends The Saw Doctors have also graced this iconic stage.”VIP tickets will automatically allocated to the seating areas for the best premium views in the house. Standard tickets will be allocated to the standing areas right in front of the main stage.Further updates on the festival can be found in the ECHO’s What’s On section.

Liverpool Make Formal Offer for Kenneth Eichhorn as Man City Battle EmergesLiverpool have reportedly stepped up their pursuit of Hertha Berlin midfielder Kenneth Eichhorn, with TeamTalk reporting that the Reds have submitted a ‘formal offer’ for one of Europe’s most highly regarded teenage talents.The 16-year-old has been gathering attention across the continent after a breakthrough campaign in Germany, and the race for his signature now appears to be intensifying. Earlier this week, Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg claimed Liverpool had held ‘concrete talks’ for Eichhorn, who was described via X as a ‘wonderkid’.🚨💣 EXCLUSIVE | Liverpool have entered the race very concretely for 16 y/o wonderkid Kennet Eichhorn. Concrete talks have already taken place, as sources from England confirm. #LFC

Eichhorn is planning to leave Hertha BSC in the summer. Release clause worth around €10-12m. – Monday, 25 May 2026That interest has now seemingly moved into a more advanced phase. According to TeamTalk, Liverpool’s proposal is said to be ‘similar’ to one already placed by Manchester City, with the player also being watched by ‘some of the biggest clubs in Europe’.Man City Competition Raises Transfer StakesThe presence of Manchester City in this race gives the story added significance. Liverpool and City have regularly competed at the top end of the Premier League, and that rivalry increasingly extends into recruitment.Eichhorn’s reported release clause, believed to be between €10m and €12m, around £8.6m to £10.3m, makes him an attainable option for elite clubs. For Liverpool, that sort of fee represents a calculated long-term investment rather than an immediate first-team gamble.TeamTalk’s report also states that, should either Liverpool or City secure the midfielder, the intention would be to loan him back to a club in Germany for two seasons. That is a logical strategy, particularly because FIFA rules prevent international transfers for players under the age of 18. Eichhorn turns 18 in July 2027, meaning any Premier League move would need careful planning.Eichhorn Profile Fits Long-Term Liverpool ThinkingEichhorn made 19 senior appearances for Hertha Berlin during the 2025/26 season, scoring twice in all competitions as the club finished seventh in 2. Bundesliga. For a player of his age, that level of exposure is significant.He is primarily a defensive midfielder, a position Liverpool supporters have repeatedly identified as a key area for strengthening. John Aldridge has urged FSG to prioritise that role this summer, although Eichhorn would clearly arrive as a future asset rather than an instant starter for Arne Slot.That distinction matters. Liverpool need senior solutions in the present, especially if they are serious about reshaping the midfield balance under Slot. Eichhorn would be a recruitment department move, one based on projection, value and elite potential.Transfer Race Could Define Summer StrategyIf Liverpool can beat Manchester City to Eichhorn, it would feel like an important statement. City have already landed prominent Liverpool targets Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo, so winning this particular race would carry symbolic weight as well as footballing value.The key will be pathway. Young players need more than a big club badge, they need minutes, development and trust. A two-year plan in Germany could allow Eichhorn to mature physically and tactically before being integrated into English football.TeamTalk’s reporting places Liverpool firmly in the conversation, and this is exactly the sort of recruitment battle that can shape future squads long before the player becomes a household name.Our View – Anfield Index AnalysisThis report is exciting because it suggests the club are still trying to get ahead of the market. Kenneth Eichhorn may not be the defensive midfielder supporters are demanding for next season, but elite clubs do not wait until a player becomes obvious to everyone.At 16, with senior football already behind him, Eichhorn sounds like the type of profile Liverpool should be monitoring aggressively. The fee being discussed is modest by Premier League standards, especially for a player with potential resale value and a clear developmental pathway.There is also a City angle that cannot be ignored. Liverpool losing out on Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City was frustrating, so supporters would enjoy seeing the club win this battle. It would not fix the first team immediately, but it would restore some confidence in Liverpool’s ability to compete for elite prospects.The caution is clear. Fans should not confuse this with solving the number six issue for Arne Slot. Liverpool still need a proven, senior defensive midfielder who can influence games now. Eichhorn would be one for 2027 and beyond.Still, if TeamTalk’s report proves accurate, this is a smart move. Liverpool should be ambitious at both ends of the market, ready-made quality today, high-ceiling talent tomorrow.View publisher imprintShare this article

It was announced last night that next month’s Fields of Éire Irish Music Festival can no longer be held in Newsham ParkCrowds at the Feis Irish music festival at the Pier Head in 2018(Image: Liverpool Echo)The organisers of an Irish music festival in Liverpool have insisted the event will still go ahead despite a change of location. The Fields of Éire Irish Music Festival is the successor to the short lived Feis, which came to Liverpool’s Pier Head in 2018.The ECHO previously reported that the festival would return this year in the new setting of Newsham Park in Tuebrook. Taking place on Friday June 5 and Saturday June 6, organisers said it would keep the same community feel as before but on a bigger scale.The event promises to celebrate Liverpool’s strong Irish heritage, with more than 75% of the city’s population believed to be of Irish descent. Headliners include country singer Nathan Carter and Irish folk-rock band The Whistlin’ Donkeys.Earlier this month, the festival’s directors secured the right to set up a special area for VIPs with extended hours, despite Merseyside Police opposing the move.However, at around 5.30pm last night (Thursday, May 28), organisers announced the festival would no longer take place at Newsham Park but promised a new venue would be announced this morning. Organisers claimed Liverpool City Council removed permission for it to use Newsham Park as the festival site due to security concerns related to Martyn’s Law.The festival was due to take place in Newsham Park(Image: Liverpool Echo)Officially known as the The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, this law aims to improve protective security and organisational preparedness across the UK by requiring that those responsible for certain premises and events consider how they would respond to a terrorist attack.In addition to this, at certain larger premises and events, appropriate steps to reduce vulnerability to terrorist attacks must also be considered. It is named after Martyn Hett, who died in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017.In its own statement published later in the evening, Liverpool City Council said its safety concerns had “not been sufficiently addressed”.Newsham Park has previously held outdoor music events in the past.The full statement, shared on The Fields of Éire Facebook and Instagram pages, said: “We are writing to inform you that Fields of Éire will no longer be taking place at Newsham Park.”Despite our team successfully securing the full premises licence for the site, Liverpool City Council has pulled our land use agreement at the final hour, citing security constraints under terrorism legislation (Martyn’s Law).”The event is 100% STILL GOING AHEAD. We refuse to let this stop the music. We have already secured an incredible, massive outdoor venue right here in Liverpool to ensure the festival continues exactly as planned.”We will be making the official announcement of our new home tomorrow morning. Keep your eyes on our page tomorrow for the full reveal, location details, and updated event information.”Thank you all so much for your massive support and understanding—we will see you all very soon!”The council said: “Liverpool City Council is advising people who are due to attend the Fields of Eire Irish Music Festival on 5 and 6 June 2026, that the event will not take place in Newsham Park as advertised.”Following extensive consideration with Safety Advisory Group (SAG) partners – which include Merseyside Police, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, and North West Ambulance Service – Liverpool City Council, as the landowner of Newsham Park, is unable to issue a Land Use Agreement for the proposed event.”The Council and SAG members have had lengthy discussions with the event organiser, offering support and guidance to ensure that the event could go ahead safely and successfully, but unfortunately concerns raised have not been sufficiently addressed.”Liverpool City Council will only issue a Land Use Agreement where there is clear assurance that appropriate plans are in place to guarantee the safety of event attendees.”The Council and multi-agency SAG partners will not compromise on public safety and apply clear and consistent expectations to all event organisers to ensure events in the city are delivered safely and lawfully.”Ticket holders should contact the event organiser directly for more information.”

Liverpool City Council’s cabinet is set to sign off on a huge vision to regenerate areas close to the city’s north docksAn artist’s impression of how the Pumpfield neighbourhood could lookMajor plans to create a vibrant new Liverpool city centre neighbourhood with more than 7,000 homes are set for approval. Liverpool City Council is aiming to regenerate the Pumpfields and Limekilns areas close to the city’s north docks.The aim is to maximise the area’s potential by turning empty plots and vacant buildings near the city centre into a major new neighbourhood over the next 20 years.The local authority said the vision will reimagine the area as a “highly sustainable extension of the city centre”, that supports thousands of new homes, jobs, learning opportunities, green spaces and cultural activity.The plans, the council says, “will breathe life into an area with significant opportunities for growth, and will play a pivotal role in connecting the city centre with the north of the city”.Stretching between the city centre, waterfront and north Liverpool, the site is being billed as a key piece of the city’s future growth — with new walking and cycling routes, public squares and upgraded streets all planned.Old warehouse buildings along Blackstock Street could also be brought back into use as part of the wider regeneration push, with Canal Square to provide a key civic space and Kingsway Park a linear green park connecting the area with the waterfront.Another image of how the Pumpfields area could lookCity leaders say the plan will create a single, connected district and ensure “comprehensive change in a way that is inclusive, resilient and respectful” of the area’s unique character.The masterplan has already been shaped by talks with residents and businesses, and if approved by the council’s cabinet in June, will guide future planning applications.Cllr Nick Small, cabinet member for growth and economy, said: “This is one of the biggest opportunities we have to reshape the north of the city and make sure it plays a full role in Liverpool’s future.“For too long, large parts of Pumpfields and Limekilns have been underused, but this plan sets out how we can transform it into a thriving, well-connected neighbourhood with thousands of new homes, new jobs and high-quality public spaces.“Crucially, this isn’t about one-off developments — it’s about making sure everything is planned properly, with better streets, more green space and stronger links into the city centre, waterfront and surrounding communities.“It’s a long-term vision that provides certainty for investors and will help us deliver the homes the city needs, while creating a place people actually want to live, work and spend time in.”