The long-serving chief executive of St Helens MBC, Carole Hudson, is to retire next March after 23 years in charge of the authority - it has emerged.

Ms Hudson, who has been responsible for running St Helens since 1991, has also played a leading role in the North West and Liverpool City Region - service which was recognised in 2007 with the bestowal of a CBE.

Among her achievements, Ms Hudson helped secure millions of pounds of Whitehall and European development cash to support vital local infrastructure projects – including the M62 link road, a technology campus, Rugby League stadium, a new central station and school buildings and the development of new business premises on brownfield land.