Leyland-born freestyle football star Liv Cooke is among those who has been forced to flee amid wildfires to the north and west of Los Angeles.

A number of evacuation orders have been issued in the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst areas of California, close to Los Angeles, with thousands of acres currently on fire and over 30,000 evacuated.

Liv Cooke is 25-year-old freestyle footballer from Leyland, who attended Preston College, and is also a BBC presenter, UEFA ambassador and has been awarded the Parliamentary Rising Star and Woman of the Future awards.

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She said in an update to her followers at around 9pm PST last night: “We’re safe and are currently evacuating – hope everyone else is okay.”

Cooke became the freestyle football world champion at the age of 17 and was the youngest person ever to do so at the time.

She has worked as a BBC sports presenter and UEFA ambassador, has previously been awarded the Parliamentary Rising Star and Woman of the Future awards, and her property developer business has seen her appear on Channel 5.

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