Man blasted in leg with shotgun as armed police swoop on Merseyside pub

A single shotgun blast brought armed police to a Merseyside estate as officers were scrambled in the aftermath of an attack near a busy pub.

A man in his 30s was shot in the leg near the The Windmill on Kirkby's Tower Hill estate on Friday night.

The pub, and the land surrounding it, was cordoned off this morning as police searched the area for evidence.

The Windmill was said to have been busy when the gunman struck nearby at around 11pm.

The Windmill, Kirkby, scene of a police incident Photograph Geoff Davies (Geoff Davies)

The victim was taken to hospital, sparking dramatic scenes as his arrival prompted the presence of gun-wielding police as he sought treatment.

Neighbours in the streets surrounding the shooting scene said they heard a single bang that some initially dismissed as a firework.

The arrival of police patrols, including armed officers from Merseyside Police's anti-gun and gang crime MATRIX unit, soon revealed the sound had more sinister roots.

The pub, which sits in the heart of the Tower Hill estate, part of its car park and some of the land around it lay behind police cordons on Saturday morning.

The Windmill, Kirkby, scene of a police incident Photograph Geoff Davies (Geoff Davies)

A forensics officer was examining the scene and a MATRIX team carried out searches of the grass at the back of the pub, which does have CCTV cameras covering the outside of the premises.

While the shooting caused shock among those living in the area, several recalled an incident on the estate on the night of June 1 that saw a vehicle torched, fearing it could be linked to that.

Detectives are now set to analyse CCTV while conducting forensic work continues at the Windmill.

Police have advised the public should also expect to see increased patrols in the surrounding area.

Several patrol cars, a forensic unit and a MATRIX van were at the scene on Saturday.

Following the attack, Chief Inspector Phil Thompson said: “The investigation is its early stages and we are doing everything we can to establish the full circumstances of the incident and bring the offender/s to justice."

Police outside the Windmill pub in Tower Hill, Kirkby, after a man was shot in the leg (LGM999)

Witnesses, as well as anyone who was passing the area at the time of the attack and has dash cam or mobile phone footage is asked to contact Merseyside Police via Twitter (@MerPolCC), by calling 101 or contacting Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.