Police

Police in Sefton have arrested three people during a week of high visibility activity targeting gun crime, drugs, scrambler bikes and anti-social behaviour in the area.

From Monday, the Community Policing Team have been conducting patrols assisted by representatives from Sefton Council, Environmental Health, One Vision Housing and Riverside Housing.

Three men were arrested on Tuesday June 12 for drugs possession, breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order and a breach of a gang injunction with a further two to voluntary attend on suspicion of drugs possession.

Officers were joined by Councillors Trish Hardy and Paul Cummins on patrol in the Bowersdale Park area of Seaforth.

Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, said: “A strong visual police presence will be seen in the area reassuring our valued communities. 

 “We strongly appeal to anyone with information to do the right thing and please report anything they know.

“Through continued partnership work with Merseyside Police and others, we are working hard to bring those responsible to justice and ensure that our communities remain safe for all our residents.”

Officers are also available to speak to the community about their concerns at a series of mobile police station across the area, and the force’s Mounted Section will be out on patrol all week.

Areas of land have been searched following information coming in from the community, including North Park and, with the assistance of British Transport Police, the disused railway line at Akenside Street in Bootle, and the railway embankment off King Street.

Superintendent Matt Boyle said: “I want to reassure people that we will not tolerate those people who continue to make life difficult for decent people in our communities, and we are working with partner agencies on activities such as those that are taking place all week to ensure our communities are safe places to live and our parks can be enjoyed by all.

“We will continue to take action whenever the community tells us there are problems. I would appeal to anyone with information about gun crime, anti-social behaviour, and illegal or nuisance scrambler bikes in their areas to get in touch with us and I can assure them that we will take action. We will be concentrating on areas where people have told us they are suffering the effects of this behaviour.

“While we are focussing our efforts to combat crime in Sefton this week, we conduct patrols in the area all year-round and encourage anyone with any information about crime in their community to contact us.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police CC. You can also call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information. Always call 999 in the event of an emergency or if there is a crime in progress.

Detectives working on Operation Castle, the force’s response to burglary offences, are welcoming the sentencing of a man to four years in prison after family jewellery was stolen from the address of an elderly couple in Bootle in March.

35-year-old Anthony Ready from Worcester Road, Bootle was sentenced to four years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, Wednesday 16 May.

On Monday, 12 March, jewellery and a laptop were stolen from an address in Southport Road, Bootle after entry was forced. The occupants were not in the house but left very distressed as personal items including lockets with family photos were stolen.

Enquiries identified a man suspected to be 35-year-old Anthony Ready from Worcester Road, Bootle. A warrant was carried out at his home address on Tuesday 17 April and he was arrested.

Ready was charged with burglary dwelling and theft and was remanded in custody.

The victims, a couple in their 70s, have issued a poem which was read out at court and reads as follows:

“I’m writing as a mother,
A wife and grandma too,
These few words I want to say,
To him, who stands on trial today

“I want you to know what you’ve taken,
Can never be replaced,
They all were bought with love and care,
You stole them in your haste

“We too once had a lovely son,
Who bought some gifts for me,
I wanted to leave them to our grandchildren,
So they could always see

“The pictures of our lovely lad,
In lockets that I wear,
That meant a lot to me, his mother, his sister and his dad

“You will not take away my thoughts,
That most people that I know,
Are kind and good and decent,
But you, you are my foe

“So on this day of judgement,
I hope you’ll think again,
That you’ll never ever enter a home,
And cause a lot of pain

“I bet you’ve broke your mother’s heart,
This makes me very sad,
So please make a decision,
And change your way, young lad.”

Detective Sergeant John Fitzgerald from Operation Castle said: “We are glad to see that a callous and opportunistic offender as Anthony Ready has been removed from the streets for the foreseeable future and hope his sentence goes some way to helping his victims move on from their upsetting ordeal.

“To steal such obviously personal and sentimental items is nothing short of disgusting and we will be relentless in finding those who invade people’s homes and steal from them.

“Their poem paints a vivid picture of the upset and impact burglary has on members of our communities, and it is heartening to see that they have been able to put their feelings down in such a moving and impactive way.

“We remain committed to tackling burglary across the force so if you have any information about offences, are aware of any suspected stolen goods being offered around or stored, please come forward and we will take positive action.”

Anyone with information on burglary offences is asked to contact @MerPolCC, call 101 or @CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111. #OpCastle #BeattheBurglar.