The Woodchurch Estate has been rocked by a year of crime and anti-social behaviour.
In March, police descended on the estate's Hoole Road in force after a man was shot multiple times by a gunman inside a dark coloured car. The attack, witnessed by a "petrified" young child, left the 23 year old victim bleeding on the pavement.
On Wednesday, June 8 shots were fired at a group of men who were outside the Arrowe Park pub. Then, 19 days later, the same pub was stormed by a group of armed and masked men who were searching for someone, before fleeing in a car believed to be a BMW.
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In August, Wirral Council announced they had began consultation on giving police extra powers for up to three years within the estate - particularly around the Hoole Road shops - after a "number of instances." The consultation, the outcome of which has not been revealed yet, ended on Monday, September 5.
That weekend, thugs broke into the home of nan June Jones as she lay in a hospital bed, stealing a safe and other valuables, including her beloved late-husband's heirloom. The crime left her family "shocked and disgusted."
Earlier this month, on Tuesday, October 4, police cars, vans and a force helicopter descended on the estate's New Hey Road after recieving reports of two men acting suspiciously with a gun. Police said at the time there was "no evidence" a "firearm" had been "discharged" and no firearms were recovered from the scene, though eye-witnesses reported seeing officers "pointing guns into a car" on a nearby road.
On Thursday this week (September 13) police arrested nine individuals and seized multiple weapons, including a "zombie knife" during a day of action in the Woodchurch Estate. During the "relentless" probe into organised crime (part of Operation Presley), police also seized a large amount of drugs, including cannabis and "one hundred bags of suspected cocaine."
However, people who live on the estate still "love it," despite the fact as the year goes on the estate's reputation seems to get worse with each headline. Alan Fleming, 67, who has lived on the estate for seven years, told the ECHO that it was just as troubled as "any other estate."
He said: "I personally love it.
"For older people like me it's alright, everybody is friendly and really they're just nice people.
"There are rough parts, but there are rough parts in anywhere you could live. I've never personally seen anything bad happen.
"I've never known anybody to get their car broken into, or have their house burgled or anything like that.
"I quite enjoy living here to be honest with you."
Jane Large's mum was born on New Hey Road and though Jane lives elsewhere, she regularly visits and stays in the house her mum was born in all those years ago. She said the estate is "fantastic."
She told the ECHO: "My mum was born in this house, then moved away when she got married. But she’s been back here for 20 years. She came back to look after my nan, who then sadly passed away and my mum moved back in.
" It’s just fantastic, and we go to the Hoole Road shops all the time. We go all around the estate.
" Round here has got a good community spirit. Hoole Road has the community hub - the social supermarket - so we go there and it’s brilliant.
" This end of the estate is probably a lot quieter than the other end. But as I say we’ve been here for years and we enjoy it.
"My mum and dad wouldn’t live anywhere else.
" If they had more garages attached to houses me and my husband would’ve bought a house here."
Another woman, who did not want to be named, said she had lived on the estate for all her life. She told the ECHO that despite the fact the estate has regularly made headlines related to anti-social behaviour and crime, parking is perhaps the biggest problem it is faced with.
She said: " I’ve lived on the estate all my life. Growing up it was brilliant.
" I’ve been in this house for thirty odd years.
"Parking is a big issue, especially on this road. This is the main route for the buses, usually youve gort cars parked on both sides of the road so there has been times when people have had their mirrors knocked-off.
"Parking is a big issue, and you have to buy the land outside your house to put a drive way in.
"I don't avoid the Hoole Road area. I don't go there every night but over the years it has become more of an issue.
"But I suppose it's like any estate. They all have their issues, their quiet areas and the noisier areas.
"It can't be that bad because as soon as houses go up for sale they're gone instantly."
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