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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Luke Traynor

Land searches uncover haul of weapons stashed in bushes

This was the haul of rusted weapons found by police after scouring open land in one community of Merseyside.

Officers combed green areas of Stockbridge Village on Friday after receiving concerns from the public about weapons being hidden.

Among the items found was a large saw, crowbar, what appeared to be a snapped golf club, a metal pole and metal pipework.

A number of knives were also recovered in the haul.

Police believe some of the haul was stolen property.

(merpol)

The seizures were part of Operation Target, a major policing drive on Merseyside which aims to tackle serious and violent crime.

It focuses on gun and knife crime, but also serious assaults, armed robberies and murder investigations, looking at wider issues such as violence in night time economy areas, county lines and drug use.

Speaking about the weapons found, community Inspector Peter Rexwinkel, of Merseyside Police said: “We carry out this regular activity as a response to information received from those communities affected, and as part of Operation Target, our ongoing response to serious crime in Merseyside.

“The storage, possession and use of weapons can cause fear and harm across Knowsley and on this occasion, we recovered suspected stolen items and weapons. It’s thanks to those who pass on information that we’re able to see such positive results.

“We also use plain clothes officers, licenced premises visits, pre-planned search warrants and other activity to disrupt criminals who operate within our communities.

“We’ll continue to work with our multi-agency partners, carrying out various styles of police deployments and tactics to make sure Knowsley is a safe and enjoyable place to live, work and visit.”

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If you suspect weapons are being stored, information can be passed to Merseyside Police's social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’.

You can also call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their website here: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously.

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