Appeal after 16-year-old male assaulted in Kirkby

We are appealing for witnesses after a 16-year-old male was assaulted in Kirkby this evening.

Officers were called to the junction of Pinewood Gardens and Steeple View at 9pm to a report the victim had been assaulted by a group of males.

He has been taken to hospital for treatment for his injuries, including a slash wound to the face, where his condition is described as stable.

Four male offenders are believed to have left the scene in a black Nissan Juke driven by a female, described as having blonde hair.

House to house enquiries have been carried out and CCTV opportunities are being explored. There will be additional high visibility patrols in the area to provide reassurance to the community.

Detective Inspector Sue Hinds said: “This incident, which has left a 16-year-old boy with a significant slash wound to the face, has again shown the serious harm that knives can cause in our communities.

“Merseyside Police is currently joining other forces up and down the country to take part in a national week of action targeting knife crime and raising awareness of the harm it can cause to victims, perpetrators, families and communities.

“This assault has sadly underlined the importance of those efforts. I want the community to feel reassured that we will not only do everything in our power to bring the offenders in this incident to justice, but will continue to educate our young people, and – with our partners – take action all year round to prevent and disrupt the criminal activity which leads to people getting hurt on our streets in this way.

"We will continue to act on information reported to us through local policing teams or community leaders and urge anyone who knows where knives are being stored, or knows of people who carry knives, to get in touch.”

DI Hinds added: "If you have any information at all about this assault, or were passing nearby in a car at about 9pm and have dashcam footage, your account or evidence could be absolutely vital in our investigation, so come forward and we will do the rest.

“I would implore anyone who knows the circumstances or who was responsible to do the right thing and help us remove dangerous people and their weapons from our streets.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police CC. You can also call 101 quoting incident reference 19100108780 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.