Man arrested on suspicion of firearm and knife possession in Gateacre

We arrested a man on suspicion of possession of a firearm and a knife following a pursuit in Gateacre yesterday (Thursday 7 March).

At around 6.10pm, Matrix and Roads Policing officers, assisted by the National Police Air Service, conducted a short pursuit of a van.

The driver abandoned the vehicle in The Nook, Gateacre before making off on foot into woodland where he was pursued on foot by officers and detained. A knife was also recovered from the woodland.

A 27-year-old man, from Speke, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a Section 1 firearm and possession of a bladed article, careless driving, driving without a valid licence and taking of a motor vehicle. He has been taken to a police station in Merseyside to be interviewed.

Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Kameen said: "We are determined to arrest and bring to justice people who are prepared to store, carry and use firearms at the heart of our communities. Time is no barrier to our pursuit of those people, and we will continue to listen to all of the information we receive to help us identify and remove these people and their weapons from the streets.

“You can provide information directly to police, or anonymously via Crimestoppers, which is completely independent of Merseyside Police."

Anyone with information about firearms is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police CC. You can also call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information.