MORE than 1,000 people enquired about adoption after Halton teamed up with 22 regional authorities to find loving homes for children.

The councils say they are astounded by the response and want to thank everyone for their support.

Halton Clr Ged Philbin, board member for children, young people and families, said: “The level of interest we’ve had across the region as a whole has been amazing.

“It’s surpassed our expectations, so we would like to thank everyone who has read, shared and talked about Adopt North West in the past few months.

“We’ve been appealing to would-be adopters to consider adoption as an option. Often people think they may not be able to adopt, or that it’s an overly long process, but actually single people, non-homeowners, those who are in full time employment, same-sex couples and people over 50 are among those who can apply.

"The guidelines have also been updated to ensure more flexibility when placing children with religious or cultural need.”

In Halton, 23 families came forward, with 100 showing an interest across Cheshire.

The campaign was launched during the first ever north west adoption week in March and received the backing of comedian, Justin Moorhouse, former Inspiral Clint Boon and Coronation Street’s Faye Windall, played by Ellie Leach.

Each celebrity volunteered their time to appear in a short video to bust the most common adoption myths.

Anyone interested in adopting can visit adooptnorthwest.co.uk for more details.