Man, 20, arrested in connection with shooting in Birkenhead

**UPDATE – 1PM SATURDAY 27^TH JULY**

We have arrested a 20 year-old man in connection with a firearms discharge in Birkenhead in which two men were injured.

The man, who is from the Wirral area, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm and s18 assault.

He is currently in custody where he will be questioned by detectives.

Anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has any information which could help detectives with their inquiries, is asked to contact @MerPolCC, 101 quoting ref. 0014 of 25 July, or @CrimestoppersUK anonymously on 0800 555 111.

ORIGINAL RELEASE

Two men have been injured following a shooting in Birkenhead just after midnight today (Thursday, 25 July 2019).

Reports were received of a car being shot at outside Wetherspoons public house on Argyle Street at about 00.11am.

It is understood that three occupants were sat in a silver Vauxhall Astra Estate when two motorbikes, each with two men on board, approached the car and the pillion passenger on one of the bikes fired a gun into the car before riding away.

The driver of the car then drove off and the vehicle was located a short distance away in Rodney Street, Birkenhead. The driver and the front seat passenger in the car had both sustained gunshot injuries. The rear seat passenger was uninjured.

Ambulance attended at the scene in Rodney Street and both victims, who are from Birkenhead, were taken to hospital where they are being treated for their injuries, which are not believed to be life threatening. The 26-year-old driver of the car sustained an injury to his shoulder, whilst the 25-year-old passenger sustained injuries to his arm.

Crime scene investigators are currently at the scenes in Argyle Street and Rodney Street, where they are carrying out forensic examinations of the scene and the car. And officers are speaking to witnesses at the scene and will be looking at CCTV footage to establish the circumstances of the incident.

Detective Inspector Paul Speight, said: "At the time of the incident there were a large number of people in Wetherspoons and the Argyle Street area and the actions of the offenders are utterly incomprehensible and sickening.

"We need to find the people on that motorbike as a matter of urgency. We have already spoken to a number of witnesses who were at the pub and in Market Street at the time of the attack, but if you were there and have information which could be vital to our investigation, or may even have captured the incident on your mobile phone, please contact us.

"The motorbikes were last seen heading along Argyle Street towards Hamilton Square. if you think you saw these bikes in the lead up to the incident, or following the incident please let us know.

"Merseyside Police is relentless in its pursuit of those who use firearms on our streets and we will be using every resource available to us to identify the offenders, put them before the courts and behind bars. There is no place for people like this in our communities and we will work with the good people of Birkenhead to build the evidence to bring them to justice."

Anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has any information which could help detectives with their inquiries, is asked to contact @MerPolCC, 101 quoting ref. 0014 of 25 July, or @CrimestoppersUK anonymously on 0800 555 111.