Good evening, these are the latest ECHO headlines on Tuesday, March 15.
Man dies after being hit by BMW on major road
A man has died after being hit by a car on a major road.
Formby bypass is closed in both directions following a crash between a cyclist and a BMW at around 11.05am this morning. The cyclist, a man in his 70s, was injured during the crash and was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
Merseyside Police said they were called to the junction of the bypass and North End Lane. The driver of the car stopped at the scene and is assisting police with their enquiries. Police said the man's next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.
Formby bypass remains closed this afternoon between Orrell Hill Lane and Liverpool Road and people are being asked to avoid the area. The road is expected to remain closed for some time and diversions remain in place.
Man made £50k selling drug-laced sweets from his bedroom
A man made £50,000 selling cannabis-laced sweets on social media from his one bedroom flat.
Police said Jack Routledge-Wrench from Knutsford Road in Warrington put in 'incredible efforts into his business'. A 'lengthy and complex investigation' was launched by Warrington Local Policing Unit’s Proactive CID into Routledge-Wrench’s activities on Instagram in April 2020 following information that he was selling drugs and edibles online.
In total he had three Instagram accounts selling cannabis and cannabis-laced edibles such as Nerd ropes, Chewits, chocolates, vape fluid and syrups. One of the accounts was public so anyone could see his posts while two others were closed and only viewable by sending a friend request.
Potential customers making enquiries were directed to contact Routledge-Wrench, who was identified as the suspect heading the operation, through what he thought was a secure messaging app. But police were able to see the messages that would help convict him.
The evidence against him continued to grow, and the net closed in on 10 February 2021 when a warrant was executed at his flat above a shop in Knutsford Road. Officers discovered what they considered a 'large scale production' with every room in the small flat having its purpose, from storage to production to preparation for delivery.
Road closed as blaze rips through row of houses
A road was closed by emergency services as a blaze ripped through a row of houses.
Emergency services rushed to Moorhey Road in Maghull at around 2.11pm on Tuesday, following reports of a house fire. Once four fire engines and an aerial appliance arrived at the scene just four minutes later, firefighters found two houses alight.
Crews found a garden shed fire had spread to the garage of a two storey home and the roof space of a neighbouring two storey property. Firefighters began to rapidly tackle the fire with a hose reel jet to prevent the fire spreading to a third adjoining semi-detached home.
