The Nifty 250: News of the day in so many words

BULGARIANS ARE ANGERED over the decision to release Michael Shields. Former deputy prime minister Ivailo Kalfin said he was very shocked by the decision and said it "gave a very bad signal to football hooliganism". Martin Georgiev, who was left with a fractured skull after the 2005 attack in Bulgaria, said, “I would be curious to know on what grounds they freed him”. The Liverpool fan is now hoping the Bulgarian authorities will reopen the investigation

CHESTER IS ONE OF 27 cities in the running for the UK’s first ever City of Culture. The list was announced by Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw, who said that Liverpool's success "proves that cultural life most definitely does not begin and end within the M25". Another location has put its name forward, but asked not to be named at this stage, but London and its boroughs were barred from entering the contest.

A MERSEYSIDE SOLICITOR has been struck off for using clients’ money to pay his tax bill. Colin Caplan, from Mossley Hilll, ran up a £65,689 defecit in his firm’s client account. From that he paid more than £31,217 to the Inland Revenue, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal heard. Caplan, who ran St Helens firm Ashcroft & Co, did not appear but admitted a series of allegations.

LIVERPOOL’S GROWING FILM INDUSTRY will make more money for the city than ever before, new figures have shown. Industry experts said filming on Merseyside will net £14m for the city region’s economy, £2m more than 2008.