A shop on County Road has been shut down for the third time despite changes in ownership and business name.

A Liverpool shop has been forced to close for the third time in less than three years.

The premises, situated on 242 County Road, has been passed between three owners since the end of 2023, with each issued a closure order by the courts following investigations by Liverpool City Council.

Originally trading as Local Extra Mini Market, the premises was first forced to close for six weeks on November 30, 2023.

An investigation and seizure by the council found illicit vapes and cigarettes being stored in ‘professionally installed’ wall and ceiling concealments.

As well as issuing a closure order, the courts awarded costs of £600 to the local authority.

The shop then changed hands but continued to trade under the same name. However, a further investigation found illicit products were still being sold, and the premises was ordered to close for three months on May 17, 2024, with the new owners asked to pay £2,200 in costs.

Now, less than two years later, the premises has been forced to close for a third time.

Despite new owners and a name change to American Candy, Liverpool City Council said the shop was again found to be illegally selling vapes and cigarettes to members of the public.

On Thursday, February 5, the new owners were ordered to close the premises for a further three months and pay £1,988.

Liverpool City Council said this is the first time a single premises has been closed on three separate occasions following investigations by Public Protection Enforcement officers.

Councillor Harry Doyle, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture said: “Vapes can play a genuine role in helping people quit smoking, but only when they meet strict safety standards.

“What we’ve seen at this premises is the deliberate sale of unregulated, potentially dangerous products that put residents at risk.

“Closing this shop for a third time shows that we will not hesitate to act against businesses that ignore the law and undermine public health.”

Celebrating 40 years of history, National Museums Liverpool unveils a unique exhibition blending rare artefacts and cultural treasures from its seven venues.

Forty years since the Merseyside Museums and Galleries Order was laid before Parliament on February 13, 1986, National Museums Liverpool is celebrating four decades of the city’s national museum network.

Boasting seven museums and galleries, England’s only national museum group outside of London will for the first time display items from each venue as one exhibition. National Museums Liverpool at 40 runs from April 1 and celebrates the diverse collection that the organisation is responsible for.

From objects as simple as a front door, to artistic masterpieces, the free exhibition highlights the range of objects cared for by National Museums Liverpool and the stories that accompany them. The 40 objects in the exhibition also include some never before showcased objects from National Museums Liverpool’s collection.

Founded in 1986, the formation of National Museums Liverpool marked a major moment in the city’s history.

Seven museums and galleries now form the internationally recognised portfolio of museums based on Merseyside: Lady Lever Art Gallery, International Slavery Museum, Maritime Museum, Museum of Liverpool, Sudley House, Walker Art Gallery and World Museum.

During the 40 years since its creation, National Museums Liverpool has welcomed 80 million people through their doors.

Objects in the exhibition include rare artefacts from the Titanic, clothing that tells a story of one of Liverpool’s many cultural landmarks, masterpieces by world-famous artists and seemingly innocuous objects that have a significant story to tell from Liverpool’s past.

Alongside items selected by museum curators, some of the objects in the exhibition are chosen by those who work in the organisation, including National Museums Liverpool director Laura Pye and the new chair of National Museums Liverpool Andrea Nixon.

Joe Brook, head of audiences and media at National Museums Liverpool, said: “Marking 40 years of National Museums Liverpool provides us with an opportunity to look back on highlights of the past four decades, and celebrate our city’s huge impact on UK and international culture.

“It is also an opportunity to look forward to the future. To think about the purpose and role of museums and galleries in not just telling stories of the past but shaping how we continue to change lives in the future.”

National Museums Liverpool has partnered with Arriva, Merseyrail and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to provide more opportunities for young people and students to engage with the museums and galleries in 2026.

Alongside the free exhibition, free learning sessions will be available from September to schools and other organisations, with more information on how to book available once the exhibition opens.

Temperatures are expected to plummet over the weekend

A yellow weather warning has been issued covering Merseyside as the region braces for a cold snap in the coming days. The Met Office said much of Merseyside will be hit with rain and sleet, with snow on hills, resulting in icy surfaces.

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The warning covers a large portion of central and southern England, with parts of the north covered by the warning of ice. The country's weather service said the warning is in place from 5pm today until 10am tomorrow, February 14.

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On the Met Office's website, it said: "A band of rain and sleet, with a little snow on hills, will clear southwards across England and Wales during Friday evening and overnight. As skies clear, temperatures will fall below freezing leading to a risk of ice forming on untreated surfaces."

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The impact from the ice is expected to be low, with the likelihood of ice being deemed as medium.

Further afield in the North West and Scotland, people are to expect snow and ice. But those in Merseyside, Cheshire and Warrington have been told to expect "some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces", as well as "some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths".

In its guidance, the Met Office said: "Keep yourself and your family safe when it is icy.

"Plan to leave the house at least five minutes earlier than normal. Not needing to rush, reduces your risk of accidents, slips, and falls.

"If you need to make a journey on foot, try to use pavements along main roads which are likely to be less slippery.

"Similarly, if cycling, try and stick to main roads which are more likely to have been treated.

"Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary.

"Be prepared for weather warnings to change: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area."

BBC Weather has forecast rain until around 4pm today, with clouds eventually clearing at around 8pm. Despite the temperature sitting at around 3C in the evening heading into the night, it is predicted that it will fell closer to -1C.

Temperatures are expected to drop to 1C through the night as the ice sets in, although it will feel truer to temperature through the night.

A southernly breeze will continue through the night, with clears skies expected on Saturday morning. Cloud will return at around 10am, with sunny spells continuing until 4pm before rain returns to the region at around 8pm tomorrow.

Temperatures will rise to around 6C tomorrow before dipping to around 2C heading into Sunday as sleet is expected overnight.

Sunday will prove to be another wet day as temperatures rise to 9C with some sunny spells between showers.

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The cafe has been at the foodhall branch since it opened

An M&S cafe inside one of the retailer's foodhalls is set to close its doors. M&S cafes, which are found in Marks and Spencer's stores and foodhalls, offer customers a selection of breakfast, lunch and sweet treats, as well as the retailer's barista-made hot drinks.

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Marks and Spencer has confirmed that its Bidston foodhall cafe will close its doors. The foodhall, located at Bidston Moss Junction 1 retail park in Wirral, opened its doors back in January 2016.

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The store offers shoppers Marks and Spencer's food and drink offering, as well as flowers, cards, and clothing and home collection and ordering.

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An M&S cafe also took up a section of the store, but in a statement sent to the ECHO, the retailer said it was looking to "re-purpose the café space".

David Hughes, regional manager at M&S, said: “As we look to modernise our food business and offer the best of M&S Food to more people, more often, we’re investing in our store estate.

"After reviewing our Bidston Moss store, we have made the tough decision to re-purpose the café space.

"We understand this will be disappointing news for some of our customers however our team will continue working hard to serve them in-store."

Marks and Spencer will inform shoppers of the closing date in the coming weeks.

M&S currently operates around 330 stores across the UK, but the retailer wants to increase its outlets to have 180 mixed stores and 420 dedicated food shops within the next few years.

The ECHO previously reported that the ambitious expansion includes three potential locations in Merseyside with Bromborough, Prescot and Upton listed.

The list also includes sites in Widnes and Ormskirk. In total 32 of the potential locations listed are in the North West.

M&S is also set to launch or renovate 20 stores by April, creating 800 new jobs.

More information on M&S can be found on its website.

Emergency services were called at around 7pm

Fire crews were called to a Merseyside school on Sunday (February 1) night following reports of a blaze. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service was called to Pensby High School on Irby Road in Pensby shortly after 7pm yesterday, to reports of a fire.

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People in the area quickly confirmed the blaze was a "false alarm", saying it was smoke from a boiler and orange security lights. The fire service attended as a precaution and confirmed the boiler appeared to be "working abnormally."

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Headteacher at Pensby High School, Kevin Flanagan, also confirmed on Monday (February 2) that the suspected blaze was a false alarm.

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A spokesperson for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said crews attended an incident on Irby Road, Pensby. Crews were alerted at 7.08pm and on the scene at 7.13pm with one fire engine attending.

On arrival firefighters found a large amount of steam billowing from a chimney. Following enquiries it was requested that the school caretaker attended, because the boiler appeared to be "working abnormally".

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