Armed police were called to Stanley Road, at the junction with Balliol Road, shortly before 5pm today following reports a man riding an e-bike had fired shots from a handgun. A large cordon has been put in place, with access restricted at its junctions with Merton Road and Balliol Road. There are currently no reports of injuries, although Merseyside Police said there has been damage to property.
Witness describes chaos on Stanley Road
A witness who was driving along Stanley Road at the time said they heard what sounded like two gunshots and told how a car around 20 meters ahead suddenly stopped before reversing back towards them. They told the Liverpool Echo: “At that point, I didn’t know what was going on so I just waited behind for a second. What sounded like two gunshots were then fired. It was really loud; two bangs.”
“Two people, I don’t know whether they were male or female, on big black bikes like e-bikes, whizzed off around the corner. About 20 seconds later, a guy came out of Swift’s pub holding a brick, with two other girls. He looked like he was looking for somebody.”
“He and the girls were shouting. By this point, everyone had come out of the shops. People were everywhere, screaming on the street. I didn’t really know what was going on.”
Police investigation underway
Several police vehicles and officers were seen inside the cordon, while forensic teams later attended the scene and appeared to concentrate their work around the area of a bus stop. Armed officers remain in the area and detectives are carrying out CCTV and witness enquiries.
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.”
Appeal for information
A statement from Merseyside Police read: “If you have any CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage or information about this incident, please contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X @MerPolCC or on Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’.”
“You can also report information via the force's website or call 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.”
