Liverpool

That's all from BBC Local Live in Merseyside for 2014. We'll be with you again from 08:00 tomorrow with the latest news, sport, weather and travel updates.

In the meantime, have a happy and safe new year!

Liverpool's American owners have told supporters they are encouraged by recent performances.

Manager Brendan Rodgers had been under recent scrutiny with his team 11th in the Premier League and out of the Champions League at the group stages.

But successive league wins have lifted them to eighth, five points behind fourth-placed Southampton.

AFC Telford United face competition from Conference rivals Chester over the future of full-back Ryan Higgins.

The Bucks brought in Liverpudlian Higgins, 20, as a free agent on non-contract terms in mid-September following his release by Birmingham City.

But while Telford have struggled, he has been an individual success, having not missed a game and has been offered an improved, extended deal.

Tonight will be cloudy and increasingly windy, but staying largely dry. It'll be milder than recent nights with a minimum temperature of about 6C (43F).

New Year's Day will be windy and mild start with gales, especially near Crosby and Southport.

There'll be patchy rain at first, which will become more persistent and heavier through the day with a top temperature of about 14C (57F)

Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard will be sidelined for up to six weeks with a calf injury, so Joel Robles will deputise in tomorrow's clash with Hull.

James McCarthy will be monitored after being withdrawn during the 3-2 loss against Newcastle as a precaution.

Get the latest team news and match preview ahead of tomorrow's match here.

One highlight which really stands out this year is the Giants' visit to Liverpool in July to commemorate World War One.

I was lucky enough to follow Grandmother, Little Girl and Xolo the dog around the city for the majority of the event and it was great to see the look on people's faces when the marionettes started to emerge from around a corner.

Catch up on the event's best photos and videos here.

The administrators of collapsed delivery firm City Link have announced 2,356 job losses after a bid to buy the company failed.

The administrators, who took over City Link after it collapsed on Christmas Eve, said an unnamed consortium's offer was not acceptable.

The firm employed more than 100 people at its depot in Warrington.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers says he does not expect to bring any new players to the club in January unless they can "significantly" improve the squad.

Rodgers feels the January transfer window is not a good time to buy players and is happy with the squad he has at the moment.

A man in his 60s was taken to hospital after being confronted by burglars inside his home in Parr during the early hours of this morning.

Trevor Hicks, who lost two of his daughters in the Hillsborough disaster, has become a CBE for his services to other families bereaved by the tragedy.

Sarah and Victoria Hicks were among the 96 people who died.

Their father has tirelessly campaigned for justice since their deaths and offered support to other victims.

BBC Travel reports there's slow traffic on the M62 in both directions between J7, A57 (Rainhill Stoops) and J6, M57 (Tarbock Island), because of a police incident.

Drivers in the area being warned to expect delays.

A temporary "Bring Bank" will operate in Liverpool between Friday and 6 March to accept household recyclable items, Liverpool City Council has announced.

The facility, at The Fruit and Vegetable Market off Prescot Road, will be open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, from 10:00 to 14:00.

It will accept paper, cardboard, cans, glass bottles and jars, textiles and clothes, plastic bottles and rigid plastics.

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Sir Paul McCartney has called popular music courses focusing on The Beatles "ridiculous".

"We never studied anything, we just loved our popular music," he said. "I think for us, we'd have felt it would have ruined it to study it," he said.

The musician made the comments while taking part in a Q&A on his website.

However, Sir Paul conceded that classes incorporating The Beatles' music were "kind of a cool idea" and "very flattering".

tweets: The Constabulary has produced an annual review focusing on the achievements of the police force and the changes that have been introduced in 2014.

Swansea's Jonjo Shelvey has been banned for four games after the club opted to accept a charge of violent conduct by the Football Association.

The midfielder caught Liverpool's Emre Can with his arm during Monday's 4-1 defeat at Anfield.

The 22-year-old was not punished by referee Andre Marriner during the game.

The next Bill Gates could be among the computer whizz kids at Sutton Manor who dressed up as their favourite game character in a themed day at their school.

Liverpool will be without suspended defender Martin Skrtel, with Kolo Toure expected to be drafted in as his replacement, for tomorrow's home clash with Leicester.

Captain Steven Gerrard will return in midfield after being rested on Monday against Swansea.

Twelve months ago, as now, Liverpool began the New Year outside the top four.

We've introduced BBC Local Live to bring you the latest news, sport, travel and weather all in one place. Tell us what you think.

What's been the most memorable Merseyside news story of 2014?

In March, the new Hillsborough Inquests opened in Warrington and have been sitting for 122 days.

Families of the 96 men, women and children who lost their lives in the disaster began the hearings by reading out moving pen portraits of their loved ones.

You can read or watch them here.

Three men burst into the home of a 75-year-old man and stole a large quantity of Indian jewellery during a terrifying burglary on Saturday.

Police in Tranmere, Birkenhead, are appealing for information after an attempted sexual assault on a woman last night.

The assault took place at about 22:30 as an 18-year-old woman was walking along Well Lane. A man approached her from behind and dragged her into an alleyway near Linwood Road.

However, the woman managed to free herself and the man - described as being in his 20s and wearing a grey hooded top - ran off in the direction of Town Road.

Andy Burnham, Labour MP for Leigh, has given his reaction to the award of CBEs to Hillsborough campaigners Margaret Aspinall and Trevor Hicks in the New Year Honours.

Mr Burnham says: "The dignity and determination of all the Hillsborough families in the face of outrageous provocation and injustice has left a deep impression on people here and around the world.

"They embody everything that is best about our country and their fight will in the end change it for the better."

St Helens' Stephen Bunting has beaten Michael Smith 4-2 to reach the quarter-finals of the PDC World Championship.

Bunting now awaits a clash with Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld in the last eight.

This afternoon will be milder than in recent days with some bright spells.

However, cloud will thicken particularly towards Southport and the north west, bringing patchy rain. Winds will strengthen too.

The top temperature will be about 8C (46F)

A man who died when his car veered down an embankment on the M58 motorway has been described as "kind and generous" by his family.

Police said David Dale, 68, from Aughton, lost control of his car near junction one on Friday.

His relatives said he was a successful businessman who was well known in Liverpool.

Red tape means Merseyside police officers handed "gifts" like home-baked scones, tins of chocolates and even a bag of apples for police horses have had to declare them to bosses for approval.

Hillsborough campaigner Margaret Aspinall, who's been awarded a CBE in the New Year Honours, says she hopes her son would be "very proud" of the work she and the Hillsborough families have done.

James Aspinall, 18, was among those who died at the FA Cup semi-final in Sheffield in April 1989.

Mrs Aspinall, chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, told BBC Radio Merseyside: "Wherever he is, James knows I've never done this just for him. I've done this for all the innocent 96 - those precious lives - and for their families."

Three men arrested after a 25-year-old woman was injured in a shooting in Liverpool on Sunday have been released on bail pending further inquiries.

The incident happened at about 17:40 on Sunday as the victim was sat in a car with her boyfriend, also aged 25, in Maryport Close, Everton. She was treated in hospital for a minor head injury.

The three men, aged 33, 27 and 21, were arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of wounding and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel is suspended for the New Year's Day visit of Leicester with Kolo Toure likely to step in as a replacement.

Fellow centre-back Dejan Lovren only returned to training this week after missing the last three matches with a groin injury and is more likely to feature in the weekend's FA Cup tie.

Captain Steven Gerrard returns to central midfield after being rested on Monday against Swansea.

We've had an update from Merseyside Police on the missing Wirral man we featured on Local Live yesterday.

Happily, they say that 57-year-old Mark Williams, from Upton, has been found safe in Holyhead, North Wales.

Mr Williams had last been seen on Monday afternoon at Birkenhead Park railway station.

Ferry sailings between Isle of Man and Birkenhead route are set to return after services were cancelled due to a steering fault on a vessel.

The fault has been fixed and scheduled sailings can now resume, said the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.

The Ben-my-Chree ferry has been unable to sail since Saturday, resulting in the cancellation of crossings between Douglas and Birkenhead.

Bosses at the Royal Liverpool Hospital are urging people to "take care" when out celebrating the New Year tonight.

It's estimated doctors in A&E will treat as many as 20 patients an hour - many of them because of alcohol-related incidents.

Clinical director Kate Clark says resources are stretched and is asking people to "be a little bit more cautious, think about what they're drinking and not overdo it".

Hillsborough campaigners who have been made CBEs in the New Year Honours say they're accepting the awards on behalf of all the families and survivors of the disaster.

Trevor Hicks, whose two daughters died after the stadium crush, and Margaret Aspinall, who lost her son James, are both collecting the awards.

Mr Hicks has told BBC Radio Merseyside: "It's not just for me, the citation says it's for services to the bereaved families so it's partly for them.

"On a personal level, I'm also very flattered. It sounds a bit cheesy but I'm also humbled. I'm a bloke who's done a job of work to the best of his ability."

Coventry City have extended on-loan defender Matty Pennington's move from Everton until 7 February.

The 20-year-old Warrington-born right-back was due to end his stay with the Sky Blues following Saturday's League One local derby at Walsall.

But after helping Coventry keep three clean sheets in his six appearances, he is to remain at the club.

Fed-up residents in Kirkdale have repeated their calls for a crackdown on scrambler bikes in their community after their Christmas Day was disturbed by bikers.

More than 100 people at City Link in Warrington will be made redundant today. The parcels delivery firm went into administration last week, with the loss of more than 2,000 jobs across the country.

The private equity firm, which owns the company, has confirmed it expects to recoup around £20m from the collapse.

John Tilley, north west regional organiser for the RMT union, says it's a "scandal" that taxpayers are being left to foot the bill for redundancy payments: "This situation couldn't be any worse".

Two Hillsborough campaigners have been appointed CBE in the New Year Honours.

Margaret Aspinall and Trevor Hicks campaigned for more than 20 years to secure fresh inquests into the deaths of 96 people in the disaster.

Mr Hicks' daughters Sarah, 19, and Victoria, 15, and Mrs Aspinall's son James, 18, were among those who died at the FA Cup semi-final in April 1989.

Today will see a milder start than of late.

There'll be variable cloud, but some bright spells likely this morning, before cloud thickens this afternoon, particularly towards Southport and the north west, bringing patchy rain, and strengthening wind.

The top temperature will be about 8C (46F).

Hello and welcome to BBC Local Live for Merseyside on New Year's Eve 2014.

I'll be here until 18:00 with news and sport updates as well as that all-important weather forecast and the latest travel updates.

Also please feel free to send me your news, pictures and comments via merseyside.locallive@bbc.co.uk.