Live updates from Storm Christoph as a major incident is declared in Cheshire following heavy rain, flooding and snow.

A RIDE in a police car was a dream come true for sprightly Laura Olive when she celebrated her centenary.

HARRY and Rosie are the two most popular names for boys and girls in the region for 2020, according to our Born in 2020 picture supplement.

AN Antrobus schoolboy who saved the life of a little girl on holiday has been recognised for his heroic efforts.

RESIDENTS are being evacuated from houseboats at Hayhurst Marina following Storm Christoph’s heavy downpours.

A SHEEP and two lambs have been killed and mutilated in a savage attack.

STORM Christoph continues to cause havoc with a main road in Tabley closed by police due to flooding.

THE Environment Agency has issued a red flood warning for two Northwich villages overnight.

A HARTFORD man has been forced to have a testicle removed after being struck by a wildly-hit golf ball as he walked along a public footpath.

NORTHWICH MP Mike Amesbury has voiced his frustration at London Road being hit by flooding yet again.

NORTHWICH has been battered by heavy rain as Storm Christoph arrived in town.

RAIL passengers in Northwich and Knutsford are facing disruption this evening due to Storm Christoph.

THE number of positive cases for Covid saw a rise in the last 24 hours with more than 400 being identified across both Cheshire East and West.

Schools in England were told to close from 5 January when Boris Johnson announced a third national lockdown.

A COLLISION between three lorries on the M6 has resulted in the closure of two lanes of the motorway.

A FORMER prison officer who has been dealing with her own mental health struggles for 20 years has launched an online group to help others needing support.

A NORTHWICH entrepreneur who has inspired home cooks across the country to explore Bangladeshi cuisine has been named one of the UK's top 100 businesswomen.

COUNCILLORS who are fighting to keep Middlewich’s tip open believe that doing more to stop Northwich residents from using it could help their cause.

A CARE worker has been left an 'emotional wreck' after returning home on Saturday to discover her beloved cat had been shot.

PREPARATIONS have been stepped up in Northwich ahead of any potential flooding incidents this week as Storm Christoph arrives.

TWO amber flood alerts are currently in force across mid Cheshire – less than a week after some areas were hit by flooding.

STROKE victims are having to wait more than an hour to be seen by paramedics in some cases in the north west.

A MUCH-RESPECTED film editor who won international acclaim for his imaginative work in TV and the big screen has died.

Although more than 300 new positive cases of Covid have once again been confirmed across Cheshire East and West in the last 24 hours, the overall infection rate continues to fall.

HOLLYWOOD stars such as Cillian Murphy and Sam Claflin will be descending on Cheshire again as filming resumes on series six of Peaky Blinders.

A NEW project has been launched to support young people who are out of work or education in Cheshire – thanks to European funding.

FRAUDSTERS pretending to be from Cheshire Police are calling victims demanding thousands of pounds to 'clear their name' from potential charges.

THE boss of the Countess of Chester hospital says she is ‘pleading’ with residents to follow Covid-19 rules due to sustained pressure on the NHS.

A PLEA for donations is being made as foodbanks feed more people than ever before due to the pandemic.

CADBURY have created the ultimate Easter egg for Mini Eggs fans.

A MAN has been slapped with a fine after he drove more than 65 miles with two pals from different households on a trip to see his girlfriend over the weekend.

THE trust that runs Leighton Hospital is reporting its highest number of coronavirus patients since the pandemic began.

SMART motorways "present an ongoing risk of future deaths", a coroner has concluded, following an inquest into the deaths of two men on a stretch of the M1 with no hard shoulder.

YOUNG footballers from Northwich are putting in a team effort to tackle the problem of not being able to train or play during lockdown, while raising money for charities.

ANGLERS are being urged to join a fight against pollution.

A BARNTON man who was stopped driving his car in lockdown shortly before 2am was found to be more than twice the legal drink drive limit.

A NEW Covid test centre opens today at Winsford Lifestyle Centre to provide rapid and weekly testing for people who cannot work from home.

MORE than 300 new cases of Covid have been confirmed across Cheshire East and West as both boroughs continue to see their infection rates fall.

THE number of services on the Mid Cheshire Line have been reduced as part of timetable changes during lockdown.

PEOPLE aged over 80 who are still waiting for their Covid vaccine invitation will be contacted ‘in the next four weeks’, the Health Secretary says.

A MAJOR housebuilder with developments in Northwich, Winsford and Middlewich has made two kind donations to help support the towns’ foodbanks.

The Government is currently on track to vaccinate 15 million people across the UK by mid-February including health and social care staff.

SCIENTISTS in Cheshire have revealed the speed and scale at which the new variant of Covid is spreading through communities across the country.

RESIDENTS in rural Northwich villages could be set to benefit from a new bus service.

IN a bid to beat the winter blues, regional rail operator Northern has joined Samaritans to encourage passengers and staff to reach out to someone they care about and connect over a virtual cuppa this winter for ‘Brew Monday’.

THE over-70s and clinically extremely vulnerable people will begin receiving invitations for coronavirus jabs this week in a “significant milestone” for the vaccination programme, the Government has announced.

As more people receive the lockdown it is worth knowing what is advised for those who have have had the jab.

A POPULAR family attraction has lodged plans for a permanent 'drive-thru' facility to help safeguard the future of the business amid the financial challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic.

THIS week, charges for extra care services in some Cheshire West facilities were extended — with the most talked-about fee being a weekly £6 bill for the use of the pull-cord.

WEATHER warnings have been issued with heavy bouts of rain early next week having the potential to lead to flooding.