Teen threatened with gun at Kirkby lake
Police are appealing for help after a teenage boy was robbed while fishing at a lake in Kirkby.
Merseyside Police is appealing for help from the public after a robbery at a lake in Kirkby yesterday. At around 3.30pm a 14-year-old boy was fishing at Mill Dam Park when he was approached by three males who started talking to him. One of the males then took the boy's mobile phone. The boy followed the males a short distance in an attempt to retrieve his phone. At this point, one of the offenders produced what appeared to be a shotgun and made verbal threats. The victim ran away and the offenders took the boy's fishing equipment before leaving on foot in the direction of Buttermere Close. The boy was not injured during the incident. All three offenders are described as being white and around 15 years old. Two wore grey tracksuits, one with ginger stubble and the other with dark facial hair. The third was wearing a thin red balaclava. House to house enquiries have been carried out and witnesses have been spoken to. CCTV opportunities are also being explored. An investigation into the full circumstances surrounding this incident is continuing. Detective Chief Inspector Julie Milburn said: "It is despicable to think these offenders could target a young man minding his own business fishing during the summer holiday. Thankfully he was not hurt but he has been left very shaken by what happened. "Thankfully incidents of this nature are few and far between in Kirkby. The force is absolutely determined to crack down on attempts to rob people trying to go about their lives. "I can reassure people we are doing everything we can to trace and arrest the three involved. I would urge anyone who may have seen anyone acting suspiciously at the time of the incident to get in touch. We would particularly like to hear from anyone who may have been fishing at the time, or was in the Mill Dam Park area and may have witnessed the robbery or recognises the descriptions of the offenders as people they saw before or after this incident." Anyone with information can call Knowsley CID on 0151 777 6516 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.