Southport Inquiry witnesses will not have their evidence used against them
Plus: Four week Market Street closure, dementia service launch, and What's On this week
Hello and welcome to the 72nd edition of The Southport Lead.
Last night saw the Southport Pier back in use for the first time as an Oktoberfest event took place on the section which remains open. No doubt there’s a few sore heads among those who braved the weather to enjoy the festivities.
Today’s main story looks at a decision from the Attorney General which means that witnesses in the Southport cannot have their evidence used against them in future investigations. The decision takes place with immediate effect ahead of the resumption of hearings tomorrow.
Read on for some of the important evidence which has been heard this week along with news of a new dementia service coming to the town from an award-winning non-profit company.
Plus we have an exclusive invitation for The Southport Lead readers to join an event on the fringes of Labour Party conference where Patrick Hurley MP will be one of those speaking about using the media to counter hate and disinformation.
Evidence from Southport Inquiry witnesses won’t be used against them in future investigations
By Jamie Lopez
Witnesses speaking at the Southport Inquiry will be able to speak without fear of their evidence being used against them for future prosecutions.
The inquiry is being held to examine the circumstances leading to the attack which saw three children killed and many more injured.
Hearings at Liverpool Town Hall have so far heard evidence from the families of the child victims and from the adults victims as well as opening statements from services who came into contact with the killer, including Sefton Council, Lancashire County Council and the Youth Justice Board.
Attorney General Richard Hermer - who is the chief legal adviser to the Crown - has now issued an undertaking which means that any evidence heard during the inquiry will not be used in any investigation or prosecution of the witness who gave it. This covers both written and oral evidence.
One key effect of this is that witnesses cannot rely on a fear of self-incrimination to decline to give evidence and must instead co-operate fully. According to the Attorney General’s office, this “strengthens the inquiry’s powers to compel evidence” and will help meet the planned timetables.
Similar undertakings were issued in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry. In its explanation of the decision, the Attorney General’s office also said the risk of similar attacks is “arguably increasing” meaning that any changes needed to protect the public are required as quickly as possible.
It said: “To fulfil Phase 1 by the January 2026 deadline, the Chair of the Southport Inquiry will need to obtain evidence from many individuals and hear or read evidence from a large variety of witnesses.
“For the Inquiry to fully uncover the truth, it is essential that all witnesses provide complete and honest evidence.”
Hearings will resume from Monday when DCI Jason Pye of Merseyside Police gives evidence.
Exclusive invitation: Join the fight against the far right at Labour Party Conference
For readers of The Southport Lead we have the opportunity to join a powerful Labour Party Conference fringe event (no pass is required to access) with Britain’s leading anti-fascist organisation HOPE not hate.
Hosted by Tigerlily Productions and Marking Films Ltd - creators of the BAFTA-nominated documentary UNDERCOVER: Exposing the Far Right - the event will expose the tactics of far right campaigners and explore what can be done to fight back.
Patrick Hurley MP, who witnessed first-hand the unrest sparked by far right mobilisation during last summer’s riots, will also join the panel to reflect on the lessons learnt for communities and campaigners across the UK.
The event Exposing the far right: using the media to counter hate and disinformation takes place on Monday 29 September from 12pm-1pm at Camp and Furnace, 67 Greenland Street, Liverpool, L1 0BY.
During the event, exclusive clips and insights from UNDERCOVER, a documentary so powerful it was pulled from the London Film Festival over safety concerns, will be shared as it follows HOPE not hate’s undercover investigations into far-right extremist networks. You can discover more about the documentary with The Lead’s interview with director Havana Marking who joins the panel, chaired by The Lead’s Zoë Grünewald, along with Director of research at HOPE not hate, Joe Mulhall.
Secure your exclusive place by registering on this link.
News in brief
⛔ Market Street will be closed for four weeks from Tuesday (September 23) for the next stage of Les Transformations de Southport. Over the same period, King Street will be opened for one-way traffic only.
🛏️ Planning permission has been granted for the upstairs of the Imperial pub on Albert Road to be converted into a hotel. The pub will be unaffected by the plans, which will see three unused flats repurposed to create 17 rooms.
🤝 Applications from charities and community projects hoping to receive grants from are now open and can be submitted here. Previous recipients of the Howard’s Funeral Directors Community Assistance Programme were Bebe’s Hive, Cradle, St Stephen’s Coffee, and Cherish Lipreading.
Award-winning dementia care service preparing for Southport launch
The non-profit company behind the care home named in the UK’s best five will bring its services to Southport this autumn.
Belong, which is also in the process of developing a care home in Birkdale, is launching its at-home services for patients across the town in the coming weeks. The company specialises in dementia care and has facilities in locations including Cheshire and Greater Manchester in addition to its at home services.
Launching in November, Belong at Home Southport will operate from new premises on Eastbank Street in the town centre, with new jobs created as part of the expansion.
The service has already assisted hundreds of families at its eight established locations across the North West and is the only non-profit home care group to feature in the UK’s top 20 every year since 2018, as judged by customers on leading reviews website, Homecare.co.uk.
Earlier this year, its Wigan location was named among the very best care homes at The Lottie Awards and Debbie Moore, a senior carer from that site, was been appointed to head up the Southport operations.
Debbie will be responsible for leading a team of dedicated support workers assisting older people in homes throughout the area, providing one-to-one personal care, housekeeping and food preparation, as well as running errands, helping with excursions and offering companionship.
Debbie Moore said: “I'm very excited to be looking after our new Southport team. It will be our first ever shop-front style service and we are already recruiting for the best talent in social care to join us, so if you’re looking for an employer that really values its colleagues, we're keen to hear from you.”
Debbie’s performance has been recognised with nominations at the Great British Care Awards, as well as being part of the team scooping The Above & Beyond Community Team accolade at the Stars of Social Care – Home Care Awards 2023.
Recruitment is underway for a number of positions at varying levels of seniority and hours to meet the high demand anticipated for the service. Community support workers will benefit from extensive professional development coupled with a market leading remuneration package, including earnings during travel time between customer appointments. Belong also holds the Gold Investors in People accreditation, signifying its strong commitment to developing its teams.
The news comes ahead of the opening of Belong Birkdale, the operator’s first state-of-art care village in the county, set to open in summer 2026. The Oxford Road village will be a welcome addition to the community, with a vibrant centre also open to Belong at Home customers and local people, and will include a bistro, hair and beauty salon, exercise studio, and entertainment venue with licensed bar.
More information about Belong at Home Southport, including job opportunities, can be found at www.belong.org.uk or by emailing enquiries@belong.org.uk
Recommended reading
What’s On This Week: September 21-28
By Andrew Brown
Get ready for fireworks! One of the UK’s most explosive events is coming to Southport on Saturday 27th September and Sunday 28th September 2025 for an event where tickets usually sell out - it’s always advisable to get yours early.
Elsewhere this week we also have the continuation of the Southport Heritage Open Days, the Southport & Formby Cruise Show, the KC Artisan market and more.
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