Man seriously injured in Belle Vale shooting

Published 20th Jun 2017
Last updated 20th Jun 2017

A man in his 20s has been seriously injured in a shooting in Belle Vale.

It happened yesterday evening on Hartsbourne Avenue at around 5.25pm.

A man, believed to be in his 20s, has been taken to hospital for treatment for injuries consistent with a firearms discharge. He is currently in a serious condition.

At this early stage of the investigation, the full circumstances of the incident are unclear and the motive is unknown.

"Gun crime and keeping the streets of Merseyside safe is a priority for Merseyside Police."

Detectives are keen to trace the rider of a yellow motorbike which was left at the scene. A male wearing a black T-shirt, black shorts and a black cap and with his face covered is also believed to have left the scene shortly afterwards.

Officers and Crime Scene Investigators are in attendance at the scene and extensive enquiries are being carried out to establish the full circumstances of what happened.

A cordon has been established to allow for forensic examination of the scene and house to house and CCTV enquiries are being carried out in the local area.

Detective Inspector Steve McGrath said:

"The investigation is in the very early stages but I want to make it clear that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated.

"Gun crime and keeping the streets of Merseyside safe is a priority for Merseyside Police.

"Criminals involved in gun crime have no regard for anyone else and I would urge the local community to come together to help us take a stand against the use of firearms and violence on our streets and report anything they saw or heard to us so we can take immediate action.

"The majority of people living in the areas where gun crime has been an issue recently are decent, hard working members of the public. Why should they suffer because of a small number of people intent on creating misery"