Shock as 8 year old discovers shotgun

Police are investigating after a shotgun was recovered in Bootle on Sunday evening.

"This is a truly shocking incident"

Officers were contacted at just after 6pm to reports that an eight-year-old child had discovered the gun in waste ground at the junction of Church View and Chapel Terrace.

An investigation is underway and house-to-house and CCTV enquiries are ongoing in the local area.

Chief Inspector Steve Rice said: “This is a truly shocking incident – for a child to find a gun in waste ground is beyond anything we would expect on a sunny Sunday afternoon. To find a gun in a place where children play, in a residential area, is totally unacceptable and I would appeal to anyone who was in the Bootle area today who may have seen anyone acting suspiciously around the waste ground to get in touch.

“I would like to thank the eight-year-old boy for having the presence of mind to seek the assistance of an adult who brought this to the attention of Merseyside Police.

“Luckily this gun was not loaded – I dread to think what could have happened to the innocent young boy who found it. We could have been facing an absolute tragedy today following the reckless actions of the thoughtless individual who left the gun in a place where children play.

“I want to send a very strong message out to the local community that we are doing everything we can to stop innocent children and families being put a risk from this kind of reckless behaviour. This is the very reason we have gun amnesties and why it is so important for the public to work with us and help us take these guns off our streets.

“The carrying and use of firearms on our streets is not acceptable and Merseyside Police is committed to seizing them and bringing those who carry them to justice. I am relieved that this is one more firearm which has been removed which means it cannot be used to cause fear or intimidation in our communities, I am just sorry it was found by an innocent young boy.”