Jamie Lopez

2 months ago | southport.thelead.uk | Elliot Jessett |Andrew Brown |Jamie Lopez

Hello and welcome to the ninth edition of The Southport Lead. For today’s issue, we’re looking at fire which caused great upset and anger when it happened in November. Crews spent two days battling the massive blaze at the old Hesketh Centre, with it later confirmed the fire was deliberate. Nearly three months on, the building lies in a derelict state with no roof and major damage across the structure. Demolition appears inevitable and with it, the loss of a piece of Southport’s Victorian history.

2 months ago | blackpool.thelead.uk | Jamie Lopez |Luke Beardsworth |Shelagh Parkinson

Hello and welcome to The Blackpool Lead. This week we resume our reporting on an eatery that bagged a zero hygiene rating from Blackpool Council within a few weeks of opening last year. When that was brought to light by reporting from The Blackpool Lead, it was expected the business would quickly improve. But it took until 23 December for another inspection to take place with the eatery sitting a legally-unsafe-but-still-trading zero in the meantime.

Jan 26, 2025 | lancashire.thelead.uk | Luke Beardsworth |Jamie Lopez |Paul Faulkner

Hello and welcome to The Lancashire Lead. This week we focus on the news that - despite public consultation being on the cusp of beginning - Preston and Lancaster’s new hospital projects have been shunted back to the end of the next decade. While not a huge surprise, it is still disappointing that those plans have shifted so far back.

Jan 19, 2025 | lancashire.thelead.uk | Jamie Lopez |Paul Faulkner |Luke Beardsworth

Hello and welcome to The Lancashire Lead. This week we report, in-depth, on a case that has received national coverage - the death of Kiena Dawes. Ryan Wellings was this week found guilty of domestically abusing 23-year-old Fleetwood mum Kiena Dawes following a six-week trial at Preston Crown Court. But the trial was a landmark one in that CPS brought manslaughter charges against Wellings for his treatment of Kiena in the time before she took her own life. He was ultimately found not guilty.

Jan 15, 2025 | thesouthportlead.substack.com | Elliot Jessett |Jamie Lopez

Hello and welcome to the second edition of The Southport Lead. I have to start by saying a huge thank you for all the kind words and messages of encouragement which greeted Sunday’s launch issue. If you’ve not read that edition - which focused on the future of the iconic Broadhursts bookshop - you can do so here. Today, we look at a landmark which has dominated the attention in the town for two years since its sudden closure - Southport Pier.