Merseyside Police team up with local communities in fight against gun crime

Merseyside Police is teaming up with residents and partners to take positive action and make a real difference in our local communities.

As part of the ongoing disruption activity, following a number of firearms discharges, officers have been out and about speaking to the public about their concerns and giving a reassuring high visibility presence.

Police Community Support Officers have been in the Sparrow Hall Road and Landford Avenue area of Fazakerley after residents raised worries about off-road bikes.

With the help of colleagues from Cobalt Housing and the community payback team the area around Landford Avenue shops was cleaned and removal notices served on abandoned vehicles. An open land search was carried out off Higher Lane, a surgery was held with local councillors and residents have been provided with skips by Cobalt Housing to assist with a community tidy-up.

Yesterday afternoon officers carried out a search of a property in Fazakerley and recovered a suspected stolen scrambler bike and a large amount of what is believed to be Class A drugs. A woman was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply and theft.

In a separate stop-check operation on Upper Parliament Street a 24 year-old man from the Childwall area was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and drug driving and money laundering.

In addition three people were arrested on Rawson Road, Seaforth - a 43 year-old man wanted on a warrant, a 26 year-old man and a 20 year-old man for possession of a controlled drug; a 38 year-old was arrested for drug driving and possession of a controlled drug on Knowsley Road, Bootle, a 37 year-old man was arrested for being wanted on warrant on Oriel Road, Bootle, and a 22 year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled drug on Wadham Road, Bootle.

Chief Inspector Gary O’Rourke said: “Our communities are at the heart of everything we do as a police force and their support, together with that of our community partners, is vital in assisting us in our efforts to make all our communities safe and pleasant places to live and work.

“We are taking positive action and I would encourage all our communities to engage with our officers and help us by providing us with information about criminals in their community.

“Our work is ongoing, and we have had some great successes so far but we can’t do it alone. We need everyone to come together.”

If you have any information about those involved in gun crime on Merseyside, or think you know where these groups are storing guns, please contact the Merseyside Police gun crime hotline on 0800 230 0600.

Information about drugs and criminal activity can also be given to the Crimestoppers line anonymously on 0800 555 111. Information can also be left on the online form: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information-online.