These are the latest Liverpool ECHO headlines this morning.
Police still building cases in unsolved shootings as manhunts continue
As we approach the Christmas season detectives across the city are working flat out following a dreadful three month period that saw four people shot dead.
The latter half of August will live long in the memory as one of the most shocking periods in the city's history, as first 22-year-old Sam Rimmer, then 28-year-old Ashley Dale and finally nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel were killed in Liverpool - following a 13 month hiatus in fatal shootings.
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All three murders are believed to be linked to organised criminal groups, and Merseyside Police have both been faced with complex and difficult murder investigations as well as an increase in disruption activity designed to tackle drugs gangs.
After a few weeks of relative calm, we have seen another couple of horrendous firearms incidents including the murder of 53-year-old Jackie Rutter in Moreton, Wirral on October 30 and the non-fatal shooting of two men in Litherland on Bonfire Night.
Here's where each case stands.
Liverpool Council spending "appalling" £100,000 extra a month on senior interim roles
Cash-strapped Liverpool City Council is forking out nearly £100,000 extra of taxpayer cash each month on interim positions within its senior leadership team.
The city council, which is still recovering from a damning inspection report last year has also seen a number of high profile departures in recent times. Earlier this year chief executive Tony Reeves dramatically quit the council and just a couple of months earlier his deputy and finance chief Mel Creighton left her role.
Last year, the council's former regeneration chief Nick Kavanagh was dismissed following his arrest as part of a corruption investigation led by Merseyside Police and earlier this year the council's assistant director for investment and development Claire Slinger also departed.
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The council, which currently has a team of government commissioners in place following that damning inspection last year, has struggled to fill senior positions on a full-time basis. The local authority currently has an interim chief executive in Theresa Grant and an interim city director in Mark Bourgeois as well as other interim figures within that senior team.
Figures seen by the ECHO show that these interim roles are costing the council a huge amount more than they would be paying for full-time positions in terms of daily rates and agency fees. Read the full story here.
Christmas lights won't be switched on for as long as council costs soar
Christmas lights in Liverpool will be turned on for less time this year as the council battles soaring energy costs.
Amid concerns that Liverpool Council could be forced to pull its festive provision as it looks to make savings ahead of the next financial year, it has been revealed how much it will cost to put up lights this Christmas. In a written response to a question from Cllr Sam Gorst on staging Christmas lights, Cllr Liam Robinson, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said energy costs for its annual festive programme had almost tripled from £885 in 2021/22, to almost £2,500 this year.
It was revealed last week that as Liverpool Council looks to plug a £73m gap in its finances ahead of the new financial year, a proposal has been put forward to dramatically strip back its festive provisions. This could include an £80,000 saving through not providing Christmas lights throughout the city centre.
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That would form part of a wider £100,000 scaling back of funds through a slimmed down Christmas programme. However, the Liverpool BID Company has vowed to continue to ensure the Christmas spirit remains.
Cllr Robinson, in his written reply, said new unit costs were anticipated from the local authority’s new energy supplier. He said: “It is anticipated that the energy costs for the annual festive lighting programme will rise from £885 in 2021/22 to approximately £2500 for the 2022/23 programme. Read more here.
