Good evening, these are the latest ECHO headlines on Thursday, December 22.
Range Rover crashes into lamp post and bursts into flames
A Range Rover crashed into a lamp post and burst into flames near Sefton Park.
READ MORE: Schoolboys arrested after KFC broken into in middle of the night
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) received a call at 2.14pm on Thursday, December 22, following reports of a car fire on Hartington Road, at the junction with Ullet Road. Two fire engines attended the scene and found a Range Rover had crashed into a lamp post and caught fire.
Pictures and video from the scene showed flames coming from the bonnet and inside of the car as firefighters dragged a hose reel jet across the road. As firefighters started putting out the flames, a huge plume of white smoke took over Ullet Road, with traffic stopping on either side.
Gang of professional burglars stole guns to sell to criminal underworld
A gang of professional burglars stole guns to sell to the criminal underworld.
Shaun Rimmer and Adam Hastings led a "team" of crooks which targeted homes where firearms including shotguns were kept, hoping to pinch them "for criminal use". They and fellow burglar Callum Martin also ransacked dozens of secluded homes to steal up to tens of thousands of pounds of jewellery per time.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Thursday, that Merseyside Police's dedicated burglary unit Operation Castle launched Operation Coliseum in order to investigate 37 separate burglaries which were committed between January and April 2021 across Merseyside, Cheshire, Lancashire and North Wales. Homes in Formby, Birkdale, Southport, Blundellsands and Hightown were among those targeted with cash, jewellery, watches and vehicles worth hundreds of thousands of pounds stolen.
'Determined and caring' man drowned as friend swam three miles for help
The sisters of a "spiritual, kind and caring" young man who was a member of the Great British Sailing Team have warned of the dangers of swimming in open water.
Haydn Griffiths, 23, from Lowton, was reported missing after going swimming in the River Mersey on July 19 2022 - one of the hottest days of the year. His body was found by an RNLI crew in the water near Crosby five days later.
His sister Megan, 30, said: "Haydn was determined. Anything he put his mind to, he would do it, whether it's learning to play the guitar or learning a really difficult song. He used to do box jumps in the gym and he'd stack up all the boxes as high as possible, and keep jumping until he could do it."
READ NEXT
Mum's Christmas presents, and house, go up in flames
Innocent man ‘screamed in agony’ when police officer snapped his arm
Latest covid symptoms as cases soar ahead of Christmas
Hillsborough barrister Mark George dies as family pay tribute
