AS we near the end of 2017, we look back at our most read stories throughout the year.

In January, a 73-year-old man was left ‘traumatised’ after being attacked by youths during his first visit to Odeon in Barons Quay.

This led to an outpouring of Guardian reading getting in touch to offer to take the pensioner on another trip to Northwich’s new cinema.

Read more here http://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/15041398.display/

In February, motorists adhering to the speed limit were left wondering whether they were going to be slapped with a speeding ticket after getting flashed by a fixed speed camera on the A556.

The faulty camera flashed motorists for two days until it was eventually fixed.

Read more here http://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/15041398.display/

The Hartford CE High School community were in mourning in March following the sudden death of the much-loved maths teacher, Peter Hignett.

Mr Hignett taught maths at the school for 15 years.

More here http://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/15152490.display/

In April members of the community tirelessly began searching for Michael Price.

The 54-year-old was reported missing by his partner after failing to come home.

To date officers have worked closely with a number of support agencies, including the National Police Air Support unit, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and the North West Underwater Search.

Eight months on and Michael has still not been found.

Read more here: http://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/15231136.display/

Cheshire Police officers arrested a 29-year-old man from Warwickshire in May following a tip-off from another police force.

After stopping a van on Gadbrook Park, officers arrested the man on suspicion of kidnap and transferred him to Warwickshire Police.

For more here: http://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/15295295.display/

Two teenage girls bullied, harassed and assaulted Northwich schoolgirl Lauren Lelonek in the six months before she took her own life were in the dock in June.

Lauren died at the age of 16 on June 10, 2016, in her home.

An 18-year-old and a co-defendant who cannot be named due to her age, appeared at Chester Youth Court after pleading guilty to harassment of Lauren and another unnamed victim.

Read what happened here: http://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/15337223.display/

The best and worst GP surgeries in Northwich, Winsford and Middlewich were revealed in July.

Launceston Close Surgery, in Winsford, was named mid Cheshire’s best surgery – with an impressive 98 per cent of patients rating their overall experience of the practice as good.

Find out how your GP surgery fared here: http://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/15401854.display/

A 26-year-old man from Northwich died in August following a crash involving a car and a lorry on the M6.

The driver of the car, from Northwich, named locally as Sam Kelly, was airlifted to Aintree Hospital but later died.

Read more here: http://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/15458728.display/

August saw a Bearded dragon rise from the dead in a ‘Lazarus-like’ return to the land of the living.

Rachel Haspell, 42, was left speechless when her dragon Nala – who she had buried in her front garden five weeks earlier – was found catching some rays on the lawn.

Read more about this incredible story here: http://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/15517628.display/

The owner of an Indian takeaway in Kingsmead was fined £11,170 for food hygiene offences in October.

Vama Express, which was based in Kingsmead Square before closing down, was found to be in a ‘filthy condition’ on several inspections.

Find out just how bad it was here: http://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/15618263.display/

Tributes were paid to Wincham dad Joel Renshaw in November.

The 46-year-old was hit by a motorbike shortly after midnight in Ollershaw Lane, Marston, and later died of his injuries.

Read the tributes here: http://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/15647987.display/

And finally, December saw the former manager of Northwich restaurant Cheshire Bar and Grill given a three-year community order for a string of sexual offences against young women.

Daniel De Sousa, 49, of Bracken Way, Barnton, pleading guilty to 10 counts of sexual harassment relating to three women aged 17, 18 and 20.

Read more here: http://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/15700641.display/