WIRRAL Council is looking at all of its contracts with Russia as the country's invasion of Ukraine intensifies.

But a meeting of the local authority's Audit and Risk Committee last night revealed the review was taking longer than expected.

Russia has faced a wide range of sanctions from many countries, including the UK, after invading Ukraine.

Yesterday, days after an attack on a maternity hospital in the city of Mariupol, the city's biggest hospital has been captured and 400 patients and staff are being treated like hostages according to officials.

But according to reports, Russian troops continue to make little progress on the ground 20 days after the invasion began.

Yet several major cities are continuing to suffer heavy bombardments.

At last night's Wirral Council meeting, Shaer Halewood, the authority's director of resources, updated members on the council's review of contracts with Russia. This comes after Cllr Yvonne Nolan revealed a review was underway on March 3.

Speaking at the Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee just under a fortnight ago, the Labour councillor said: "We have been informed today by the chief executive that all of our council contracts that may have any links to Russia are being currently examined.

"They're all being looked at to make sure we're not actually purchasing or in any way supporting that regime. Everything is being looked at."

During the meeting, Liberal Democrat councillor Stuart Kelly asked what the level of the Merseyside Pension Fund's exposure to companies which may be under sanctions, or to investments that may have a Russian origin, was. Cllr Kelly said he knew there was talk of divesting, moving investments away from such companies.

But he wondered whether we should make them pay dividends instead, because that may have more of an impact on the Russian economy if they have to pay us in pounds sterling or dollars. Ms Halewood said the council is doing a piece of work at the moment looking at all of its contracts with Russia.

She added that it was taking a longer time because officers have had to go back and do some research.

On the pension fund, Ms Halewood said it had very little invested in Russian bonds, less than 0.25% of its investments, and the fund was acting according to guidance and was monitoring the situation all the time.