Staff at a Halifax branch were "extremely shaken" after reports a man had fired a gun in the bank.
Several police officers were seen at Bootle Strand shopping centre on Monday afternoon following reports of an ongoing incident. A cordon was put in place and officers remain at the scene.
Merseyside Police have since confirmed that they received reports at around 12.25pm that a man had fired a gun in the Halifax bank branch inside the shopping centre. It was reported the man made off from the scene on a dark mountain bike, while people at the centre said they had seen customers running out of the doors and calling for help.
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No injuries were reported but members of staff and customers in the bank were left "extremely shaken" by the incident, police said. An investigation has since been launched by detectives and extensive forensic enquiries are ongoing to establish whether a gun had been fired.
Chief Inspector Gary O’Rourke said: "This was an incredibly reckless act which would have been an extremely shocking for anyone to witness. I’d like to reassure the community that while the investigation is in its early stages, we’re working tirelessly to locate the person responsible and remove him from the streets. We would appeal for anyone in Bootle shopping centre this afternoon who saw the man described or anything suspicious to come forward."
The suspect is described as a white male, of slim build and around 5ft, 11in tall. At the time of the incident he had his face covered and was wearing dark clothing and a Puma hoodie. CCTV and witness enquiries are ongoing to locate him. No cash is believed to have been stolen from the bank during the incident.
Chief Insp Gary O’Rourke added: "If you were driving in the Bootle Strand area and have dashcam footage then please review it and let us know if you see anything, particularly the man on a bike described. Our officers will remain at the scene outside Bootle Shopping Centre while extensive enquiries are carried out and to provide reassurance to the local community, so please come and speak to them and let us know if you have any information which could help our investigation.
"There is no room for weapons and those who use them on our streets so please, tell us what you know and help us put the person responsible before the courts."
Anyone who witnessed the incident or who has any information is asked to contact @MerPolCC on Twitter or ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ on Facebook or call 101 with reference 22000373098. You can also call Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111, or their online form online.
Anyone with any video footage of the incident, can upload this to be viewed by police via the following link to the NICE website: digital-policing.co.uk
