• The "Oil Sheikhs of Liverpool" series about strange goings-on over planning permission for petrol stations (issues 24 and 25) continues with another story about Councillor Eddie Roderick. In 1966 Roderick had been charged with soliciting a £2,000 bribe in connection with planning permission for a petrol station -- and was acquitted (page 5).

The article mentions that Roderick's solicitor in the case was E Rex Makin, the city's most prominent lawyer. It adds that at the time of the trial Makin and members of his family were shareholders in a company that ran two petrol stations. This infuriated Makin and he began a campaign of harassment against the Free Press (details here).

Other items ...

• Electricity prices have shot up by about 60% in the past year and on Merseyside 1,000 people a month are being cut off because of unpaid bills (page 8).

• On pages 6 and 7 the Free Press looks at what has been happening at the old Fisher Bendix factory (pages 6 and 7).

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