Homes evacuated after replica mounted gun found in car in Oxton
A 63-year-old man was arrested by Merseyside Police on Saturday
A number of homes were evacuated on the Wirral following the discovery of a replica mounted gun in a car in Oxton, on the Wirral.
The incident took place just after 11:50pm on Saturday (January 4th), when Merseyside Police stopped and searched a car at the junction of Brassey Street and Patten Street.
During their search, the police found rounds of ammunition, resulting in the man being arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm without a certificate.
A search at a property on Briardale Road, an ordnance, which is better known as a form of a mounted gun, was discovered by officers.
The driver, a 63-year-old man from Oxton, was detained and a number of homes close to where the car was stopped were told to temporarily leave their homes.
Advice was also sought from bomb disposal units, with residents living on the road being ordered out of their properties before being allowed to return.
Following the investigation, the ordnance was believed to be a replica that caused no harm to the wider public, and residents on Briardale Road were allowed to go back to their homes.
Searches at the property remain ongoing, with the driver of the car remaining in police custody for questioning.
Merseyside Police went on to thank the public for their ongoing co-operation with the authorities while investigations continue.