Armed police were called to an area of Merseyside over the weekend following reports of a man being in possession of a gun. However, despite officers spending an hour searching the area, no gun was found, and it has been confirmed today, Monday, June 15, the incident involved a water gun rather than a firearm.
Incident on Warrenhouse Road
Merseyside Police was notified that a man was in possession of a gun on Warrenhouse Road, Northwood, Kirkby, at around 9.05pm on Saturday, June 13. Armed officers attended and searched the area before being stood down at 10pm.
The force said on Sunday, June 14, extensive inquiries were ongoing and a section 60 order had been introduced in the area, with no gun or injured individual found. The order gave officers enhanced stop and search powers and was designed to prevent serious violence, a spokesperson for the police force said.
Police Confirmation
In an update today, a spokesperson for the force said: "We can confirm that following enquiries it's been established that the incident involved a water gun and no offences have been identified."
"At around 9pm on Saturday 13 June, we received multiple reports of a man in possession of what was believed to be a firearm on Warrenhouse Road, in Northwood. We believe these reports were made with genuine concerns, but following inquiries it was found to be a water gun."
"We take all reports involving firearms extremely seriously. If you have any information about firearms being stored or used in your community, please call 101 or DM us on social media @MerpolCC."
Section 60 Order
The section 60 order had covered Headbolt Lane/County Road; South Boundary Road/Perimeter Road; Perimeter Road/North Perimeter Road; Dale Lane/Headbolt Lane.
Detective Inspector Yoseph Al-Ramandan said: "We are still working to establish the exact circumstances of what happened last night, so it is imperative that anyone with information, dashcam, CCTV or doorbell footage comes forward as soon as possible."
"This is a residential area where a firearm has been seen in full daylight, so we fully understand the concern that the incident will have caused to any witnesses in the street or close by. For that reason, a Section 60 order will be in place to assist our work in the area."
"The order will give those officers on the ground the ability to stop and search anyone suspected of carrying weapons or planning any criminality, and strengthen their ability to protect the community from any further incidents."
"The aim, as ever, is to keep the public safe, and residents will see more police patrols today. I hope their continued presence is reassuring, and I would ask anyone with concerns to speak to those officers. We have deployed a number of Section 60s before and will continue to do so where we believe they can assist our efforts to keep people safe."
"Tell us what you know and we will take action. If, for whatever reason, you don’t want to speak directly to police, contact Crimestoppers anonymously. Even a small detail could be vital in piecing together what happened, and finding those involved as a matter of priority."
