Police officers lined the streets in Liverpool city centre as UKIP supporters marched, staff speak out after separate gangs target three Merseyside Post Offices and the ECHO speaks to young professionals living on the famous Liverpool road are among stories we have published today
Police officers lined the streets in Liverpool city centre as UKIP supporters marched, staff speak out after separate gangs target three Merseyside Post Offices and the ECHO speaks to young professionals living on the famous Liverpool road are among stories we have published today
20:00, 21 Mar 2026
Here are five stories published by the Liverpool Echo you may have missed today.
1) UKIP march outnumbered by counter protesters in Liverpool city centre
Police officers lined the streets in the city centre on Saturday, March 21 as UKIP called for supporters to march through Liverpool. The far-right political party called on its supporters to “Stand for Christ in Liverpool during Lent” by taking part in a procession this Saturday, (March 21). A message shared on UKIP social media pages on February 23 said: “Walk with Jesus in Liverpool! Join our procession in Liverpool worshipping Jesus Christ on Saturday, March 21. The dedication is to the passion of the Lord.”
Ahead of the march the leader of Liverpool Council, Cllr Liam Robinson, condemned the scheduled event and said it was regretful the authority couldn’t put a stop to it. Senior church leaders in the city also added their opposition to the march. They said the march had been “organised independently of the recognised Christian community in Merseyside and resist any suggestion that it speaks on our behalf.”
As UKIP supporters gathered hundreds of counter protesters rallied together and outnumbered the far-right march in the city centre. The Liverpool ECHO was there to watch the protests unfold and below are some pictures of Saturday’s event. READ HERE.
2) Campaigners fight against closure of Woolton hospice beds
Campaigners continued the fight against the closure of hospice beds at Marie Curie Cancer Care Hospice in Woolton. It was announced last summer that Marie Curie would close down its inpatient unit at its site on Speke Road.
The hospice, housed a 26-bed inpatient unit where people with terminal illnesses were supported and cared for in their final weeks and days as well as community services and day services. Last year, Marie Curie said its board of trustees took the “difficult decision to permanently close the unit” after the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB), which plans and buys NHS services for the Liverpool region, confirmed it could not provide sustainable, long-term funding above existing arrangements.
Members of the Liverpool Hospice Action Group have been campaigning against the reduced service since the beds were withdrawn on a temporary basis in 2024, and never returned to public use. Their campaigning included a large demonstration outside the hospice last February – the group returned today (Saturday, March 21) to continue their protests. READ HERE.
3) The ECHO shared old photographs of Liverpool children
Growing up in Liverpool has seen many changes over the decades, with older generations often reflecting on how different childhood is today. Before social media, smartphones and games consoles, children were generally left to their own devices. They played out in the streets and local parks, finding their own entertainment, often with less consideration for the dangers we’ve come to know today.
Many people have fond memories of these times, whether after school, on weekends, or during the summer holidays—periods that felt like endless small adventures. The photos shared by the ECHO today, sourced from our archives and Mirrorpix, offer a nostalgic look back at how children in Liverpool and wider Merseyside used to play in years gone by. Taken between the 1930s and 1970s, they are a glimpse into our past and a stark reminder of how much life has changed. Some show children in old slum conditions or among WW2 shrapnel, whereas others show kids playing in local parks, estates and more. READ HERE.
4) Staff speak out after three Merseyside Post Offices robbed in two months
Police are searching for answers after separate gangs targeted three Post Offices in Anfield, Hoylake and New Ferry. At around 11am on January 21, an armed gang stormed the Breck Road Post Office.
Masked men with a possible firearm threatened a member of staff. The suspects, who left empty handed, were described as wearing all dark clothing and face coverings. After trying to steal cash, they fled the scene on foot towards a dark coloured Audi that was parked in Home Bargains car park, at the rear of the post office, before driving away from the area.
Two members of staff at the time told the ECHO they weren’t threatened directly but heard the screams of their colleague, who had a gun pointed at her by one of the masked men. A member of staff at the Breck Road Post Office spoke to the ECHO about the impact. READ HERE.
5) The famous Liverpool road which once featured in popular BBC show
Powis Street was once where the fictional Shelby family lived in Peaky Blinders. It is now home to a thriving community of young professionals. The road’s unique period aesthetic meant it could authentically transform into 1920s Birmingham in early seasons of the BBC show. However, the post World War One shells that housed the fictional crime family have been brought into the modern day over the past decade – and are now home to a thriving community.
As the curtain came down on the Tommy Shelby story with the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man on Netflix yesterday (March 20), the ECHO visited the once decrepit properties to find a population of young professionals who now call the neighbourhood home. READ HERE.
