Update on suspects arrested on armed police swoop in St Helens

Last Thursday evening, August 17, officers executed a warrant at an address in  Borough Road, St Helens in connection with the two shootings on Tuesday, August 15.

A huge police presence descended on the scene between 5.30pm and 6pm, with onlookers reporting police marksmen being there.

Several police vans and cars were present, as officers sealed off Borough Road and Prescot Road at rush hour.

Police arrested two suspects on Thursday (Image: St Helens Star)

Shocked onlookers watch as police marksmen gathered outside a row of terraced houses opposite a car wash and Willowbrook Hospice's Living Well.

The swoop centred on an investigation into shootings in Prescot and Huyton on Tuesday, police chiefs have confirmed.

READ > Woman 'brought to tears' by community after brutal dog attack

The first shooting occurred at around 1.25pm on Paxton Road in Huyton, when a firearm was discharged at a house.

Damage was caused to a property, but there were no reported injuries.

Around 25 minutes later, there was a second reported incident on Shaw Lane in Prescot, when further shots were fired.

Damage was caused to two properties, but there were no reported injuries.

On Thursday, a 24-year-old woman from Prescot and a 25-year-old man from St Helens were arrested on suspicion of firearms offences and handling stolen goods.

Police made the arrests on Borough Road last Thursday (Image: St Helens Star)

Both suspects were taken to police custody to be questioned.

A Merseyside Police spokesman has confirmed that both suspects have been released on bail pending further inquiries.

Earlier last week, following the shootings on Tuesday, police also swooped at an address on Freckleton Road in West Park - less than a mile from the Borough Road location, making five arrests.

Detective Inspector John Mullen said: "We have arrested seven people so far in relation to the shootings in Prescot and Huyton on Tuesday.

"However, we are still appealing for information as we continue the investigation.

"I urge residents in both areas where the shootings took place to contact us if you saw anything which will help with our enquiries. Please also check your CCTV or dashcam footage to see if you captured anything suspicious that could help our ongoing investigation."

Police swooped on Borough Road last Thursday (Image: St Helens Star)

Supt Karl Baldwin of Knowsley Community Policing added: "We have worked hard over the previous years to bring down the number of discharges on our streets, and we will do everything in our power to prevent further discharges and loss of life.

"Sadly, we are all acutely aware of the tragic and devastating consequences the reckless use of guns has in our communities, particularly on such a poignant week when we mark the one-year anniversaries of the murders of Sam Rimmer, Ashley Dale and Olivia Pratt-Korbel.

"We at Merseyside Police are not prepared to see that hard work undone and reducing gun crime on Merseyside is a priority for the force. However, we need the help from the public to come forward and provide us with information in relation to these two incidents this week, or know of those involved in gun crime and where those guns are being stored.

"It is vital that people come forward with information so we can make our communities safer for the decent, law abiding people who live in areas affected by gun crime."

If you have any CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage, or any information about the two firearms discharges on Tuesday 15 August, or where firearms are stored, please DM Merseyside Police’s social media desk on Twitter @Merseypolice, or Facebook 'Merseyside Police Contact Centre' quoting reference 23000756551.

Alternatively you can call the independent Crimestoppers hotline anonymously on 0800 555 111.