Archive - The Southport Lead

The Southport Lead's review of 2025 - and what's to come next

Looking back at our first year reporting on the town

Dec 31, 2025 • Jamie Lopez

£1.1m cost of repairing dangerous gravestones

More than 2,000 headstones are unsafe in Southport and Ainsdale - but few owners have been found

Dec 28, 2025 • Jamie Lopez

A Christmas message to Southport

Richard Owens, CEO of Compassion Acts, writes directly to the town in today's newsletter

Dec 24, 2025 • Jamie Lopez

Begging and street drinking ban coming to entire Southport town centre

New rules could also see people prosecuted for blocking pavements or gathering in groups

Dec 21, 2025 • Jamie Lopez

Unprovoked campaign of abuse left pizza shop owner and family terrified

A pizzeria was hit by bricks, hammers and spray paint in addition to online abuse and damage outside the owner's home

Dec 17, 2025 • Jamie Lopez

Yoga studio plan for historic pumping station overlooking Kings Gardens

Plans had previously been put forward to create a restaurant in the disused 1950s building

Dec 14, 2025 • Jamie Lopez

Street drinking clampdown and train interceptions: The plan for a safer Southport Christmas

Increased patrols planned as part of Winter of Action

Dec 10, 2025 • Jamie Lopez

Council-owned lodges at cemeteries, parks and schools to be sold at auction

Sefton Council is selling off the historic but rundown buildings

Dec 7, 2025 • Jamie Lopez

Northern Rail says sorry for shoddy Southport services

The train firm is facing pressure over costs, delays and cancellations

Dec 3, 2025 • Jamie Lopez

November 2025

End of two-child benefit cap will help Southport's "huge pockets of deprivation"

But charity boss warns of further need for reform to system as town battles major problem

Nov 30, 2025 • Jamie Lopez

The 79th Group completed £1m investment months after police raid and weeks before collapse

Administrators are now left to try to sell a 41% share in a mining company

Nov 26, 2025 • Jamie Lopez

Decade-long failures at scrapyard at risk of causing pollution

Company was previously prosecuted after employee was trapped and broke an arm

Nov 23, 2025 • Jamie Lopez

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