A newsagents in Bootle was shot at in broad daylight, with two masked men seen fleeing the scene. Merseyside Police were called to Stanley Road, at the junction with Balliol Road, shortly before 5pm on September 7, following reports that a man riding an e-bike had fired shots from a handgun.
There are currently no reports of anyone being injured, but police said last night that damage had been caused to a property. A large police cordon was put in place around Stanley Road, with access restricted at its junctions with Merton Road and Balliol Road.
Scene at the newsagents
When the ECHO visited the scene at 9am this morning, the cordon had been scaled down. Stanley Road was fully open to traffic, and a mobile police station was parked outside Stanley Wines newsagents and off-licence. There was a bullet hole in the middle of the ground floor window. Just before 10.40am, two Matrix police vans arrived, and dozens of officers then piled into the shop and appeared to be inspecting CCTV footage.
The pavement and businesses close to the shop, which included Swift's pub, a branch of William Hill bookmakers and a unisex barber shop, were also shut.
Witness accounts
Multiple people in the area at the time reported hearing two gunshots. One shopkeeper, who asked not to be named, claimed he spotted two men on bikes fleeing the scene. He said: "I heard two loud bangs. I came out and saw two lads on bikes masked up riding towards there (Bedford Road). They were in their twenties I think. I didn’t see anything outside the shops. It was very scary. It's not common to see things like this here. By this point it was closing time, so I left soon after."
One witness in the area last night also told the ECHO they had seen two people "on big black bikes like e-bikes" shortly after the shots were fired. Another man, who was in Swift’s pub at the time, said this morning: "Nothing happened in the pub. I just heard two bangs. I know (the suspects) were on bikes. They were definitely aiming for the newsagents - or they were a very bad shot."
Another woman who works in the area said there was an unusual atmosphere after the shooting. She said: "There were guys working out the front. We heard two bangs - pow pow. They went out to see but there was no-one running, there was no commotion. The camera (facing Stanley Road) didn’t pick up anything. Mad things can happen around here, I just stay in when it happens. Friday nights can be quite busy. But a shooting, on a Monday, in the daylight, that is not normal."
Residents react
This was reiterated by Brian Turney, 23, who lives on Bedford Road. He said: "I heard two gunshots, although I didn’t know they were gunshots at the time. Then about an hour later my cousin phoned up and told me. I've lived here for years and I've never heard gunshots."
However, others said occasional violence was not unusual in the area. One shopkeeper said: "There’s been sporadic shootings around here for as long as I can remember." Another man speculated the shooting could be linked to new criminal figures emerging in the area due to several leading figures being jailed recently. He said: "I’ve lived in Bootle for 45 years - nothing can surprise me. These new ones are trying to make a name for themselves. They’ll take a minor skirmish and go, this will show who we are. It’ll be something as daft as that. You’ve got people here whose families have lived in Bootle for decades. They’ll be scared to go on each other’s territory like in Walton. The majority of people here are good people, salt of the earth I’d call them. There’s a tiny, tiny percentage who are scumbags."
Another man, who lives on Stanley Road, said: "You see gangs of kids with their masks on all the time. I've taken my grandkids into that shop, it's awful."
Police appeal
In a statement last night, Detective Chief Inspector Chris Saidi-Bidokhti said: "We are in the very early stages of an investigation and I would appeal to anyone who may have witnessed what happened or has any information which could help us with our enquiries to come forward. I would also like to appeal to anyone who lives in the area, who has CCTV footage or Ring doorbell, that may have captured the incident to get in touch. We are relentless in our pursuit of such offenders who carry dangerous weapons in our community and urge anyone who has any information to contact us so we can find those responsible."
Anyone with CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage or information about this incident can contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X @MerPolCC or on Facebook 'Merseyside Police Contact Centre'. Information can also be reported via the force's website or by calling with log number 745 of 7 September. Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website. In an emergency, always call 999.
