Officers seize viable WWII sub machine gun following open land search in Fazakerley

We can confirm that officers conducting an open land search in Fazakerley have found a WWII firearm last night, Wednesday 22 August.

At around 5pm, officers in the Falcon Hey area found a suspected M3 sub machine gun inside a bag, and an empty magazine nearby.

It has been forensically recovered and the scene has now been stood down.

Detective Inspector Sean Kelly-Martland said: "This initially appears to be a viable firearm with the potential to cause serious fear and harm in our communities.

"We will be carrying out forensic enquiries to establish who has handled this weapon and if it has been used previously, either in Merseyside or elsewhere.

"Either way, a potentially dangerous weapon has been taken out of the hands of those who look to be involved in serious and organised crime.

"Open land searches are one of many tactics we carry out to remove dangerous weapons from the streets. If you know where any firearms or other weapons are being stored where you are, let us know and we can continue to take such positive action and keep the communities safe.”

Anyone with information on the storage and use of firearms can contact us @MerPolCC, 999 if a crime is in progress, or you can pass information anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.