A paedophile who was suspected of child grooming offences joined the police force to target vulnerable victims and went on to rape a 13-year-old girl."Selfish and cruel" police constable Ian Naude (pictured) was warned to expect a significant jail sentence as he was convicted at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday…

Council social services bosses have been criticised by a family court judge who questioned whether guidelines were followed in a case involving a mother of three who has learning disabilities.Judge Thomas Greensmith has suggested that the lives of the woman's children would have been different if staff at Wirral Borough…

A toddler died after being bound and forced to sleep face down in a "cage" bed, a court has heard. Ellie-May Minshull-Coyle, aged 19 months, was tied to the mattress of her bed with tight ligatures across her chest and legs and a duvet placed over her, a jury at…

Council bosses have come under fire from a family court judge who said a social worker investigating a baby-abuse allegation had gathered evidence in a "wholly inappropriate" way. Judge Thomas Greensmith said social services staff had investigated after a two-month-old girl suffered a broken collarbone and doctors suggested that she…

High-risk paedophiles on Merseyside are not being checked on enough by police, and neighbourhood officers often do not even know where they live, according to a report by watchdogs. Merseyside Police's sex offender unit, responsible for child protection, was "seriously overstretched" and had a backlog of almost 100 overdue visits…

Liverpool City Council and Merseyside Police have apologised for social media posts which appeared to blame victims of sexual assault. Both organisations have since removed the tweets from their accounts and instead posted a statement apologising for how the original messages were perceived. The original posts also contained a video…

An inquiry is under way after a hospital worker was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. The 31-year-old man was held after police were contacted by staff at Broadgreen Hospital in Liverpool on July 22. A spokeswoman for Merseyside Police said: "We can confirm that a 31-year-old male care assistant…

A legal action brought by the father and uncle of James Bulger over the lifelong anonymity granted to killer Jon Venables will go ahead in December. Ralph and Jimmy Bulger are challenging a High Court order made in 2001 . James's mother, Denise Fergus, is not involved in the proceedings.…

Everton Football Club have announced plans to provide mental health care in the shadows of the stadium as they launch a campaign for a purpose-built facility. The club and their official charity Everton in the Community hope to raise money through a fundraising drive for a permanent facility called The…

A "morally bankrupt" care home owner who took millions of pounds from wealthy pensioners has been jailed for 21 years. David Barton, 64, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday for what Judge Steven Everett described as the "most brazen" case of fraud he had ever seen. He was…

A judge has ruled to "keep the door closed" on a mother who has not been told her estranged teenage child has cancer. Mr Justice Hayden said a ban on informing the youngster's mother of her child's condition, imposed at the High Court in London in June, should continue. At…

A second hospital is co-operating with a police inquiry into the deaths of 17 babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit. Lucy Letby, 28, continues to be questioned in custody on suspicion of the murder of eight babies and the attempted murder of six other infants. Officers arrived…