Amongst the most-viewed stories were some truly tragic tales and our hearts go out to the friends and families of the victims.
Coronavirus news featured heavily throughout the year but no stories made it into the top spot in any month.
Two picture galleries in the middle of the year reached the summit of the page views chart and are continuing to prove popular with readers. The December gallery from the Boxing Day Fancy Dress bash in Wigan town centre was our most popular piece of the year with almost 110,000 page views.
Everyone loves Fancy Dress!
Here are the top stories from January to December of last year by the number of page views they received ...
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. January 2021
Brett Dallas will appear in court next week in relation to drug charges which could see him face a lengthy spell in prison. The ex-Wigan winger has been in custody for six months as he faces 13 offences including aggravated possession of ice, supplying ice, producing marijuana, possessing ketamine as well as weapons charges. Written by Phil Wilkinson.
. February 2021
Two men and a woman have been arrested by officers after seven puppies were stolen from Leigh. Seven English Bulldogs were taken and were later discovered at an address in Liverpool, after receiving a report of puppies being carried into an address on Marina Avenue in Merseyside. Written by Liam Soutar.
1. January 2021
Brett Dallas will appear in court next week in relation to drug charges which could see him face a lengthy spell in prison. The ex-Wigan winger has been in custody for six months as he faces 13 offences including aggravated possession of ice, supplying ice, producing marijuana, possessing ketamine as well as weapons charges. Written by Phil Wilkinson.
2. February 2021
Two men and a woman have been arrested by officers after seven puppies were stolen from Leigh. Seven English Bulldogs were taken and were later discovered at an address in Liverpool, after receiving a report of puppies being carried into an address on Marina Avenue in Merseyside. Written by Liam Soutar.
3. March 2021
A woman out walking her dog, snapping off some pictures on her new smartphone camera, couldn't believe her eyes when she got home and looked through the images. She said - It was whilst looking through the still photos that I spotted on one of them what appears to look like a tiny humanoid-shaped figure walking from right to left. Story by Jon Peake.
4. April 2021
Our photographer has been checking out the beer gardens in and around Wigan as people enjoy a pint or two in the first weekend since lockdown restrictions were eased. Photo gallery by Michelle Adamson.