Armed police descended on a quiet cul-de-sac in St Helens following reports of shots fired at a residential property. The incident occurred on Lemon Tree Walk, where officers from Merseyside Police responded at approximately 9am on Saturday, July 18. A 37-year-old man from St Helens was arrested on suspicion of firearms offences and remains in custody.
Residents Describe Night of Gunfire
Local residents reported hearing what they believed to be gunshots as early as 1:30am, hours before the police were called. One resident told the Liverpool Echo: "There's been shooting all night really. (The figure in the footage) just casually walked down with his gun in his hand, walked up to the house and started shooting at it, then walked off down the footpath." Another resident, returning from the gym at 9:30am, found neighbours gathered outside and learned of the shooting.
Police Response and Evidence Recovery
Approximately nine armed response units were deployed to the scene, along with a Matrix van and sniffer dogs. A black car parked on a driveway was searched by a sniffer dog, and a tow truck recovered the vehicle later in the afternoon. Officers cordoned off several properties and scoured bushes and a footpath leading to nearby Royal Grove. Merseyside Police later confirmed that a BB gun and a blank firing pistol were discovered and forensically recovered.
Appeal for Information
Detective Chief Inspector Andrew McCourt appealed for public assistance: "Our investigation continues in the area of Lemon Tree Walk and I would appeal to anyone who lives in the area, who has doorbell footage that may have captured the incident to get in touch. Similarly if you were in the area and saw what happened on Lemon Tree Walk this morning please contact us. We rely on community intelligence to discover where weapons are being stored and who is using them."
CCTV footage obtained by the Liverpool Echo showed a man walking down a path with what appeared to be a gun, then returning and shooting at a house. The man was later seen standing in front of a police vehicle surrounded by officers. Anyone with information is urged to contact Merseyside Police via social media, their website, or by calling 101 quoting incident number 266 of July 18. Anonymous reports can be made to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
