Halton is a local government district in North West England, with borough status and administered by a unitary authority. \r\n\r\nIt was created in 1974 as a district of Cheshire, and became a unitary authority area on 1 April 1998.\r\n\r\nIt consists of the towns of Widnes and Runcorn and the civil parishes of Hale, Daresbury, Moore, Preston Brook, Halebank and Sandymoor.