£1.1m cost of repairing dangerous gravestones
More than 2,000 headstones are unsafe in Southport and Ainsdale - but few owners have been found
Hello and welcome to The Southport Lead.
Today’s edition marks the 100th publication of this newsletter since it first began back in January and arrives in the hinterland between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
For tens of millions across the country, this time of year is a joyous one, filled with fun times and celebrations. Unfortunately, that is not the case for everyone and today’s edition brings sad news of a Christmas Eve tragedy on our roads.
In a slightly different edition to usual, we also look at the seven-figure sum which will be required to deal with dangerous gravestones at Sefton’s cemeteries and the difficulties in tracking down those responsible.
Pedestrian killed in Christmas Eve tragedy
A man died after being hit by a car in the early hours of Christmas Eve.
Emergency services were called to Marine Drive, between the junctions of Marshside Road and Hesketh Road, at around 5.30am after the 55-year-old was struck by a black Mini Cooper.
Tragically, he was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin has been informed and will be supported by specially trained officers.
According to police, the driver stopped and assisted with enquiries and an appeal for witnesses has been issued.
Detective Sergeant Andy Roper from our Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “First and foremost our thoughts are with the family of the man who sadly lost his life following the collision this afternoon. His family have been informed and are being supported by our specially trained family liaison officers.
“A fatal collision is always heartbreaking for families and loved ones, but for it to happen on Christmas Eve is particularly tragic. We have launched an investigation into the man’s death, and it is now a priority for us to get answers on how the collision occurred and my team are working to establish the key facts.
“I know this happened early in the morning, but if anyone saw what happened or were driving through the area just before the incident occurred then please get in touch. You may have information or dashcam footage that would be useful to our investigation.”
Anyone with information is asked to DM @MerPolCC, contact the Serious Collision Investigation Unit on (0151) 777 5747, or email SCIU@merseyside.police.uk quoting reference number 25001047328. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Council issues defence against its own fly-tipping data release
By Elliot Jessett
Sefton Council said it is firmly committed to “strengthening enforcement against fly-tipping”, but figures from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request show there has been one conviction for fly-tipping in the last two years. However, the council claims these figures have been “misinterpreted” and rejects any suggestion it has not been proactive in addressing the problem.
In response to a FOI request sent on November 13, the council published details on its enforcement actions against fly tipping during the period covering 2024. In a letter seen by the LDRS, the local authority confirmed there were zero arrests, zero charges and zero fines issued.
When this response was shared online and attracted condemnation, the council said the data was misleading
A spokesperson said: “Like all local authorities, Sefton Council does not have general powers of arrest for this offence. On review, and in light of how the data is being misinterpreted, it may have been sensible to clarify this in the response to the recent Freedom of Information request on this matter.
“Where we identify a fly-tipper, the council’s enforcement team serves a fixed penalty notice. The number of fixed penalty notices (FPN) served for fly-tipping has significantly increased in the past two years.
“If the FPN is paid, no further action follows. The information provided did not include these as fines. If the FPN is not paid, we will prosecute for the offence.
“When a fly-tipping prosecution is taken to court by Sefton Council and the defendant fails to attend, a magistrate can issue an arrest warrant. This occurred five times in 2025, which explains the figure quoted in the recent Freedom of Information response.”
Cost of repairing unsafe headstones can’t be afforded but efforts to find owners are failing
By Jamie Lopez
The cost of repairing dangerous gravestones across Sefton’s cemeteries is estimated to be more than £1.1m.
More than 3,000 gravestones at cemeteries in Southport, Ainsdale and Thornton have been found to be unsafe during routine inspections. Around half of that total is at the Duke Street site which is almost 160-years-old.
The danger of insecure gravestones proved tragic earlier than this year when four-year-old Eli Testa was killed by a falling memorial in Rawtenstall Cemetery.
