1 in 10 homes in Liverpool could be setting themselves up for a Christmas disaster

EVEN in the relatively mild Christmas forecast, the festive season can be ruined if boilers or central heating go wrong. Yet British Gas research found that almost a 3rd of residents don't check their heating is working ahead of the holiday period.

The poll also found that almost half do not get their boiler serviced and more than 42% do not bleed their radiators, putting themselves at risk of a Christmas calamity.

More than a 3rd of North West residents say family get togethers are their favourite festive activity. But engineers expect to be called out to almost 1,400 homes in the region next week, so engineers are urging families to check their homes are ready for the winter break.

Last year almost 60 homes in Liverpool faced a boiler breakdown on Christmas Day. Working over Christmas, Peter Knowles, a British Gas engineer in the region, is hoping to avoid crashing any celebrations. He says preparation is the key to steering clear of domestic disaster over the holiday period.

Peter said:- "Our priority is to keep our customers' homes and businesses warm, safe and working this winter, and engineers like me are on standby to visit homes and businesses over Christmas. Simple things like blocking draughts to stop heat escaping, or bleeding your radiators, can help keep your home warm, yet our research shows that very few people do them to prepare for the winter months. By carrying out a few quick checks, everyone can focus on enjoying the Christmas they've been hoping for."

Last winter, British Gas fixed more than 1.3 million boilers and made nearly 250,000 visits to fix problems with white goods and electrics in the home. During the same period, the company fixed almost 11,000 commercial boilers for small to medium sized businesses.

LJLA expects 10% passenger increase as Christmas and New Year 'getaway' begins

LIVERPOOL John Lennon Airport (LJLA) is gearing up again for the traditional Christmas and New Year 'Getaway', with almost 130,000 passengers expected to pass through the Airport over the festive and New Year holiday period. Passenger numbers are set to be 10% higher than in 2015, following a similar trend seen throughout most of 2016.

With many schools now having finished for Christmas, families from across the region are expected to head off on flights over the holiday period with passengers travelling to a mix of destinations in search of some much needed Winter sun, to go skiing, visit relatives, or looking for Christmas and New Year festivities across a range of European Cities.

As usual, popular flights for passengers over the coming days are expected to be Winter ski destinations such as Geneva, Salzburg and Grenoble, The Canary Islands and southern Spain for some warmer Winter weather and popular City break destinations.

Christmas is also a popular time for passengers to fly via LJLA to return home or visit family and friends, with flights to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland expected to be amongst the busiest.

LJLA Management are once again keen to remind all passengers to allow plenty of time to pass through the Airport during this busy period and that restrictions on liquids carried in hand luggage are still in place. Passengers are also reminded to think carefully about what items they are intending to pack in hand luggage, before they set off for the Airport; especially those who are travelling with presents for friends and relatives.

To avoid disappointment at the security search point and to help keep security queues to a minimum, passengers are being asked to travel with their presents unwrapped if they are to be carried in hand luggage.

Robin Tudor, Head of PR for LJLA commented:- "We expect this to be another busy Christmas here at the Airport as thousands of passengers pass through over the festive period taking advantage of the convenience of flying via Liverpool."