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Wales Online
3 hours ago
- Wales Online
Sister's 'horrible feeling' after man didn't turn up for work after night out
Sister's 'horrible feeling' after man didn't turn up for work after night out James Miller disappeared after he was last seen on CCTV walking down a street and there has been no trace of him since Emma Miller with her elder brother James Miller who has been missing for four years (Image: Emma Miller) The sister of a man who went missing more than four years ago said she's "breaking inside" as her family continues searching for answers. On the evening of Tuesday, December 22, 2020, James Miller departed his home in Slater Street in Latchford, Warrington, where he lived with his mother. The then 37-year-old father was captured on CCTV shortly afterwards strolling casually along the same street, carrying nothing except his wallet. That blurry footage would mark the final sighting of him. The story draws parallels with that of Jack O'Sulivan who went out for drinks, and hasn't returned home in the 18 months since. Despite countless appeals, James, who was employed as a car mechanic, has never been located, reports the Liverpool Echo. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Emma Miller shared several happy memories with her brother (Image: Emma Miller) Discussing her brother, Emma Miller, 35, also from Latchford, told the ECHO: "We spent a lot of time going the rugby together, going to Wembley, watching Warrington Wolves. "He was a big Warrington Wolves fan. He supported Bolton FC and I did go to football as well. They are quite good memories that we had together. Article continues below "Then we started taking my youngest son as well, which was fantastic. We spent a lot of weekends together, especially as we got older. "He was one of a kind. Everyone who met him loved him. He was a character. He was quiet as well, but once you got to know him, or once he felt comfortable and would open up to you. "He interacted with everyone, especially in his local pub. They all loved him to pieces and they all treated him like family." Prior to his disappearance, Emma hadn't observed anything out of the ordinary regarding James's behaviour as she explained he "always struggled around Christmas time anyway". However, Emma sensed something was seriously amiss on the morning of December 23, a few hours after James was last seen. She recalled: "Mum said to me, James went out last night. The weather wasn't great at the time, we had snow, ice and everything. It had been raining that night as well. "I thought it was a bit weird, he's probably just gone to my grandma's or gone to work. I rang grandma and he wasn't there. "Then it was late afternoon and I was at my sister's house. I just said, I've got this horrible feeling. No matter what James always went to work, even if he'd had a rough night, if he'd had a heavy night partying, he'd always go to work. "When one of his work colleagues told me hadn't turned up at work, I just thought, this is a red flag and that's when I rang the police." Despite the police investigation and numerous media appeals, James has not been seen since, leaving the family in a state of uncertainty. Emma said: "I think the hardest part is that you live in limbo. When someone dies, even if the circumstances are really extreme, you know the person's dead and you know that you can grieve for the person, as much as it breaks your heart. "But when it's a missing person, you don't know where that person is, what's happened to that person. You don't know if they're out living their best life or if they're hiding away. "I think it's the unknown that is the hardest in the whole of this situation. It's been four years, eight months now and not one single day or minute goes by that it's not in our mind, but it's mad that we have to carry on with our lives. "People might think you'll get on but you don't because inside you're breaking, you just have no answers at all." Emma revealed that whilst potential sightings or leads had emerged, none had resulted in any major breakthroughs, though she remained hopeful that James was still alive. She said: "I believe he's out there because, if not, I would have something by now. We just hold on to hope. We just hope that he is okay, that he is safe, that he's living his best life." Anyone with information is urged to contact Cheshire Constabulary on 101 or via quoting IML 880492. You can also contact the Missing People organisation here, quoting reference number 21-000068. Article continues below
Metro
4 hours ago
- Metro
Man jailed after attack on ex-girlfriend was caught on doorbell camera
Thomas Jennings (right) punched his girlfriend even as she shouted, 'stop' (Picture: Liverpool Echo) Thomas Jennings, a man with ties to a local gang who was caught on camera attacking his girlfriend, has been jailed. Jennings, 30, shattered Paula Richardson's eye socket in the middle of Harbreck Grove in Aintree, Liverpool, on March 31. Jennings, of no fixed address but from Walton, kicked Paula two times and struck her with a mobile phone at around 11.15am. Ring Doorbell footage captured Paula screaming, 'stop', as he punched her before knocking her unconscious Jennings left Paula lying in the street and told a witness as he stormed off: 'If you filmed me, I'll f****** burn your house down.' She was taken to Aintree Hospital's A&E department with facial injuries, including a gash to the head and a fractured jaw, which required surgery. The incident was captured by a Ring Doorbell camera (Picture: Liverpool Echo) He has ties to a gang, the court was told (Picture: Liverpool Echo) Liverpool Crown Court heard earlier this month that Jennings has 36 previous convictions for 64 offences, it can now be reported. This includes a 34-month sentence for possession of class A drugs with intent to supply at Preston Crown Court in 2014, as well as 16 months for a domestic assault in 2018. He was sentenced to 92 months for firearms offences in 2020, relating to a tit-for-tat gangland shooting involving the Kirkstone Riot Squad. This Is Not Right On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a year-long campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women. With the help of our partners at Women's Aid, This Is Not Right aims to shine a light on the sheer scale of this national emergency. You can find more articles here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send us an email at vaw@ Read more: Introducing This Is Not Right: Metro's year-long violence against women campaign Remembering the women killed by men in 2024 The gang, named after Kirkstone Road North in Litherland, operates in Bootle, Seaforth and Litherland. Jennings supplied a gun used in a shooting intended for James Foy, an associate. Foy later fatally shot bystander Mikey Rainsford, 20, during a stand-off between the Kirkstone Riot Squad and a rival gang. On this, Recorder Mark Bradshaw said: 'It occurred while you were on licence for the weapons offences, leading to your second recall on those offences. This Is Not Right On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a year-long campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women. With the help of our partners at Women's Aid, This Is Not Right aims to shine a light on the sheer scale of this national emergency. You can find more articles here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send us an email at vaw@ Read more: Introducing This Is Not Right: Metro's year-long violence against women campaign Remembering the women killed by men in 2024 'I have regard to your significant mental health issues due to the passing of your mother.' Julian Nutter, defending, said: 'We have a defendant here who has suffered mental health issues over a number of years, which may or may not have been drug-related. 'We have a defendant who, for the first time, has been demonstrating remorse and has put forward an apology for what he has done. He is deeply ashamed of what he did to this lady. That is the first step on the road to reform, and he has taken it. 'What we have seen, there cannot be any excuse for. What he asked me to do is to repeat his apology, and that is the start of a very long path.' Jennings was sentenced to four years, with an extended licence period of three years. The judge said: 'This incident happened in the street in broad daylight. The footage we have all seen is, frankly, chilling. 'It appears that very little happened before you simply, without hesitation, struck her repeatedly to the head and face with a mobile phone used as a weapon. 'After she fell to the ground, you delivered two kicks to the head, the last of which rendered her unconscious. You then simply walked away. It was, in my judgement, a cowardly attack. 'It is plain that the consequences could have been far worse. It is fortunate for you that they were not.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Future King of Norway's stepson Marius Borg Høiby charged with four counts of rape Arrow MORE: You're most likely to be scammed buying these medicines online Arrow MORE: Drug dealer who killed great-granddad while doing a wheelie on his e-bike jailed
Wales Online
4 hours ago
- Business
- Wales Online
Dion Dublin warns buyers to 'steer clear' of property after spotting red flags
Dion Dublin warns buyers to 'steer clear' of property after spotting red flags Homes Under the Hammer star Dion Dublin aired caution telling potential buyers to "steer clear" of one Merseyside property for a very good reason Property expert Dion Dublin was exploring a well-known commuter town in Merseyside during Tuesday's (August 19) repeat of Homes Under the Hammer and was shocked to discover just how much work the right purchaser would need to undertake. Even before stepping foot inside the Wallasey property, which carried a guide price of £35,000 at auction, the 56-year-old presenter sensed trouble brewing. A massive yellow skip, overflowing with debris and positioned directly outside on the street, immediately caught Dion's attention and set alarm bells ringing. "Now there's a skip right outside and it's full, so something's telling me that something has been done in there," declared the presenter whilst gesturing toward the property. The extent of the problems became crystal clear the moment he stepped through the front door of the two-bedroom, mid-terrace home. The home had been completely gutted with virtually no internal walls left standing - essentially reduced to nothing more than an empty shell, reports the Liverpool Echo. Dion warned buyers 'steer clear' During his assessment, Dion observed: "It's a big back to basics project," before noting: "You've got a bay window over there that is also single-glazed and that needs to be changed." Article continues below Attempting to highlight some positives, he remarked on the "large space" on offer and abundance of "bright natural light" flooding through each of the principal rooms. Following his complete inspection of the property, Dion expressed concern about the enormity of the task ahead and issued a stark warning to potential bidders that tackling this renovation would be no small undertaking. Dion declared: "If you're work shy and don't want to get your hands dirty, then steer clear of this one." Dion had a feeling something was amiss Nevertheless, despite his concerns, the presenter did acknowledge it might not be a chance he would be prepared to miss himself. He remarked on camera: "I've got to confess, I don't mind taking on properties in this condition, because you can start light. What I always say on the show, is do it once and do it right. Simple as that." Offering guidance, the expert went on to explain: "What I'd say about this place if you're really the type of person that tends to get stuck in, I'm talking about rolling your sleeves up and blood sweat and tears. This is the project for you, if you've got a good timescale, a good team of builder and a decent budget, you've ticked all of the boxes." Dion spotted a huge skip that was full to the brim Ryan, who runs a building firm, snapped up the property for £79,000 at a remote auction in 2024. Following his winning bid and before he'd even begun work on the two-bedroom house, he already had someone keen to rent it. He told Dion that he wasn't planning to sell but rather to let it out to help bolster his "pension" down the line. Dion was amazed that Ryan and his crew believed they could complete the transformation in merely six weeks with a budget of only £18,000. Ryan swooped up the home for £79,000 When the programme revisited Merseyside five months afterwards to check on the same property, it had been completely renovated and appeared to meet excellent standards, with a tenant already settled in. Despite their ambitious timeline and budget, Ryan and his team took the full five months to complete the project, exceeding their budget by £8,000 due to issues with an external shared wall and the need to weatherproof the entire property. In total, Ryan invested £99,000 into the two-bedroom terrace. A local estate agent estimated that if sold, it could fetch up to £140,000, providing a pre-tax profit of £41,000. However, Ryan was firm in his decision not to sell the property, expressing satisfaction with the current rent of £800 per calendar month he was receiving from his tenant. Article continues below Homes Under the Hammer airs weekdays on BBC One, from 11:15am.
Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Sam Walker 'arrested as armed cops storm hospital during birth of his child'
Social media influencer Sam Walker claims he was arrested by armed police in hospital while his child was being born - then forced to spend four hours in a police cell before being released A man claims he was detained by armed police in hospital while his child was being born. Merseyside Police confirmed officers attended Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral just after 4pm on Sunday and arrested a 42-year-old on suspicion of possession of a firearm. TikToker Sam Walker later announced to his 138,000 followers that it was he who was detained and forced to spend four hours in a police cell before being released. "These trolls had armed police charging into the hospital pointing submachine guns at my head, coming straight into the room pointing them at my head," Walker said. "The police were only doing their job from what they were told and heard they had received a phone call from someone who had said to them 'there's going to be a shoot out'," he added. "Now, they have that person's voice so I told police to please check it out and track this person down because they need to be in prison. The police are checking that out and they only had me in the prison cell for four hours and then they released me." Liverpool Echo reports in a previous TikTok post, Walker said: "So many lies from people wanting views off the back of my name. Trolls have stooped to a new low. Ringing [a] hospital [where] there's a bunch of innocent women and men with new born babies making lies up saying there's a firearm there is as low as it gets. "Trolls and clout chasers are as low as it gets. To make lies up to get at me is as low as it gets when it affects innocent mums and dads with new babies." A police spokesperson said yesterday: "A man has been arrested at Arrowe Park Hospital today, Sunday 17 August. Just after 4pm armed officers were at the scene and detained a man. A 42-year-old man formerly from Liverpool has been arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm." "No firearm has been found at this time, however police officers are still at the scene carrying out enquiries and there is no risk to the public. Visitors can still access the hospital." Police today told The Mirror the man had been released with enquiries ongoing.
Wales Online
11 hours ago
- Business
- Wales Online
I went to Lidl early in the morning and paid £3 for 115 items of food
I went to Lidl early in the morning and paid £3 for 115 items of food Food shopping is a necessary expense, and we're all on the hunt for ways to save a few quid where possible. I bagged around £20 worth of food for £3 (Image: Ray Bonsall/Liverpool ECHO ) Food shopping is an essential outgoing, and we're all searching for methods to trim a few pounds wherever feasible. From preparing shopping lists to being tactical about your choice of retailer, there are numerous approaches to maintain control over your weekly grocery expenses. Constantly seeking out excellent value, astute shopping correspondent Ray Bonsall was delighted to learn that Lidl provides a container of mixed fruit and vegetables for merely £1.50. These containers supply an assortment of 'too good to waste' produce at a substantially reduced cost. Ray explained: "Always on the lookout for a good bargain, I was excited to learn that Lidl sells a box of mixed fruit and vegetables for just £1.50. The boxes offer a selection of 'too good to waste' items for a much cheaper price, reported the Liverpool Echo. "I've tried my luck with other anti-food waste schemes before, including the Too Good To Go app, which allows shops, cafes and restaurants to sell surplus food for a much lower price. I've generally found them to be generous and well worth the cost, so I was keen to give Lidl's box a try." She added, "I set my alarm bright and early for 7 a.m., keen to avoid the boxes selling out. I arrived at the Lidl on Lime Street at 8:30 a.m. However, a friendly colleague told me to come back in 45 minutes as they were still preparing the fruit and veg. I was surprised that there didn't seem to be anyone else waiting around for the boxes." I set my alarm bright and early for 7am to get myself a box of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50 (Image: Ray Bonsall) Article continues below Ray was taken aback to find no one else waiting for the boxes. While she waited, she decided to try her luck at the Lidl on London Road, but was told there were no boxes available. A staff member clarified that while the boxes are typically available daily, they had a large stock assessment the previous day, selling around 20 boxes, meaning they didn't have any surplus stock today. However, he noted that most days boxes go on sale at around 8:30am. Ray continued, "I went back to Lime Street, and at around 9:15am, the boxes were ready. They hadn't been put out but I asked a colleague who brought two out for me having remembered that I'd been by earlier on. It seems it's worth double checking with staff if you can't see any displayed. "I bought two boxes, which were £1.50 each, bringing my total shop to £3. It seems it's worth having a word with staff if you can't see any on display. I purchased two boxes at £1.50 each, bringing my total spend to £3. "When the boxes arrived, I was overwhelmed by how much was inside. I could barely carry the two boxes, which were overflowing with a wide variety of fruit and vegetables from apples to aubergines. The amount of fruit and vegetables I got from for £3 from two of Lidl's 'Too Good to Waste' boxes (Image: Ray Bonsall/Liverpool ECHO ) "Taking a closer look at the produce, all of the items were still fresh, and most had a good few days left in them. A few items, like some of the peppers and the courgettes, were smaller than normal shelf stock, and the aubergine was on the riper side." Ray observed that the carrots were also on the smaller side, and some had taken a bit of a battering, but they remained completely fresh and perfect for cooking. The remaining produce was exactly what you'd anticipate from any standard fruit and vegetable retailer. Several of the peppers were enormous. The apples and even the bananas were spotless and ideally ripe. Here's everything I received in each box: Box 1 Four bananas Six red apples One aubergine One small courgette One celery Three large bell peppers (red, orange and yellow) Approximately 20 small potatoes Approximately 20 small carrots Box 2 Five bananas Six green apples One aubergine One courgette Five peppers (mixed sizes) One celery Approximately 20 potatoes (mixed sizes) Approximately 20 small carrots A generous handful of green chillies The peppers varied in size but were still great value (Image: Ray Bonsall/Liverpool ECHO ) Using Tesco's website, she worked out that buying the identical items in the first box would have cost her around £8.01. The second box would have totalled roughly £11.84. Therefore, for just £3, she managed to secure nearly £20 worth of shopping. Article continues below Ray concluded: "This doesn't take into account some of the smaller sizes, however, I still walked away feeling like I had secured a great amount of food for what I spent. Anything I don't use in the next few days I'll stick in the freezer. "It's also a great way of encouraging people not to dismiss food just because it is doesn't look the biggest or shiniest. A small pepper is still a pepper after all. It also saves endless thinking about what to eat and for the next week my meal planning will be dictated by what's in the box - so far aubergine curry, baked potatoes, potato salad, fried courgette spaghetti and carrot soup spring to mind."
