Widnes is an industrial town on the River Mersey in Cheshire, England, with a 2011 census population of 61,464.
A rising tide of fires at recycling centres, bin lorries, and general waste sites has been linked to lithium batteries and e-cigarette devices. The incidents, driven by improper disposal and faulty batteries, have prompted calls for safer disposal and stricter regulation. BBC Verify and other outlets report dozens of blazes since 2019, with the threat growing in urban areas.
Multiple court hearings in Liverpool Crown Court relate to separate cases in Huyton. A 44-year-old man faces charges linked to an eye injury from an incident at Fairway; another case concerns four men who died in a July crash on East Prescot Road, with one individual remanded in custody ahead of trial.