Merseyside police have arrested a man in connection with the shooting of a 15-year-old schoolgirl in Toxteth.
The 18-year-old man is being held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder. Officers also claim to have recovered drugs from him, as part of a targeted day of action in Liverpool yesterday on Wednesday, March 16.
He was also arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon. His arrest is in relation to the shooting of a t eenage girl on Upper Warwick Street earlier this month.
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During the operation, 10 others were also arrested. Those arrested included a 21-year-old man, from Liverpool, who was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A and B drugs and possession of an offensive weapon.
He was caught while officers carried out a warrant at an address on Britannia Crescent and spotted him jump out of a rear upstairs window and throw some items into the next-door garden.
Officers detained the man and recovered a quantity of white and brown powder suspected to be crack cocaine, heroin and cannabis, a baton and a large knife. An 18-year-old man, from Liverpool, was also arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A and B drugs, possession of criminal property and handling stolen goods during another warrant in the area.
Officers at the address seized a large quantity of cannabis and a white powder believed to be ketamine. Cash, scales, snap bags and mobile phones were also found in the bedroom of the property and a motorcycle that was reported as stolen was found in the back yard of the premises.
Both men were taken to a police station in Merseyside for questioning and have been released under investigation. Police also stopped a car on Lime Close after the driver of the vehicle was acting suspiciously.
When officers approached the man in the car he was seen hiding items in his trousers. The 45-year-old man was then arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A and B drugs, drug driving and possession of an offensive weapon after a metal bat was found in the car.
Councillor Abdul Qadir, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety, said: "It’s vital that we work in partnership with Merseyside Police on operations such as this to keep residents safe and to improve their neighbourhoods. We want to reassure our residents that crime and anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated in our communities.
"This has been an emotional time for the Toxteth community and these targeted environmental works are part of a much wider strategy to address the feelings of safety and wellbeing in the area.I’d like to thank residents for their support over these past few weeks. Their feedback is crucial to helping us make the improvements that when you add them all up over time will make a big difference to their quality of life.”
Community Policing inspector David Uren said: "Following yesterday morning’s warrants, searches and work with the council a large quantity of drugs and weapons have now been removed from our streets that could have been used to cause harm to families or residents in our communities. Since the shocking incident on Upper Warwick Street, Toxteth on Tuesday, 1 March where a 15-year-old girl, was shot and injured a number of measures have been emplaced to reassure residents which includes an increased police presence in the area.
"We know how important it is to work with Liverpool City Council in order to target such issues such as gun and knife crime and we know, from public feedback, that our communities welcome seeing officers on the street carrying out this type of activity. Proactive work such as this is carried out by officers every day to ensure Liverpool and the rest of Merseyside remains a safe place for our communities to live, work and visit and we will continue to listen to the public’s concerns and act on any information given to us.
"Information from the public plays a vital part in bringing offenders to justice, so if you are aware of any suspicious activity involving weapons or drugs in your area please come forward to us, or speak to Crimestoppers anonymously, so that we can take action."
