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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Patrick Edrich

Mystery cordon linked to Ashley Dale murder still in place four weeks on

A mystery cordon linked to the murder of Ashley Dale remains in place as police enquires continue.

Merseyside Police officers have remained at a property on Pilch Lane, Dovecot for around four weeks. The mystery cordon was first spotted on Monday, August 29 around a door leading to a first floor flat next to Rowlands Pharmacy and Thatchairs hairdressers.

A Merseyside Police spokesperson previously confirmed to the ECHO the presence of forensic officers at the cordon was "part of an ongoing investigation into the murder of Ashley Dale ". The spokesperson today added "enquiries remain ongoing" at the cordon.

READ MORE: 'Beautiful' woman, 22, 'may not have intended to take own life'

Ashley was found dead in the back yard of her home on Leinster Road, Old Swan in the early hours of Sunday, August 21. The 28-year-old civil servant at Knowsley Council died after a gunman forced his way into her home and fired multiple shots "indiscriminately". Ashley was found lying in the back yard of her house on Leinster Road with a gunshot wound to the abdomen after neighbours raised the alarm.

She was described as a "shining light" who "had her entire life ahead of her". She was laid to rest in a private ceremony at Liverpool Cathedral on September 20.

Four arrests have been made in connection with Ashley's murder but as of yet no one has been charged. Two men, aged 25 and 27 from the Liverpool and Dovecot areas, were arrested on suspicion of murder and later released on bail. A 21-year-old woman, from Liverpool, and a 48-year-old woman, from St Helens, were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and have also both been bailed.

The cordon on Pilch Lane has had a regular police presence since it was first erected. Forensic officers have been seen at the cordon entering the first floor flat door. New images taken by the ECHO today, Tuesday, September 27 showed just one police car remaining at the scene.

A person who lived off Pilch Lane previously told the ECHO : "As a local resident I am stressed over the fact police have been there for over two weeks and people in the area have no idea why. We want to know what is going on on our doorstep."

A spokesperson for Merseyside Police told the ECHO today that "enquiries remain ongoing but we would anticipate the cordon being removed in the next few days".

Enquiries into the murder of Ashley remain ongoing. Ashley's murder was part of a week of gun violence in Liverpool in August. Sam Rimmer was shot on Lavrock Bank in Dingle while walking with friends on August 16. Nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel was then gunned down in her own home on August 22.

Please submit any information you have directly with Merseyside Police's investigation team through the online portal - mipp.police.uk. This will make sure that your information is received and acted on as quickly as possible by detectives. Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information.

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