Man arrested following incident in Norris Green

We have made an arrest after reports a man was carrying what appeared to be an antique firearm in Norris Green today (Saturday 19 June).

Officers were called to Lorenzo Drive just before 4.50pm to a report a man outside a house had produced the firearm from a carrier bag.

There is no suggestion it was used to threaten or harm anyone at this stage.

Just before 5.15pm a man was detained and found to be in possession of an antique firearm, which was seized for forensic examination and to establish if it was a viable firearm. 

Enquiries into the incident are ongoing and witnesses are being spoken to.

A 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and taken into custody to be interviewed.

Detective Inspector Craig Turner said: “Thankfully this incident was brought to a swift conclusion by officers.

“While it appears to be an antique, to the untrained eye such a weapon could be capable of causing a huge amount of fear if produced in public or used to threaten someone.

“This weapon has now been seized and will never be used to bring any harm to the streets of Merseyside, and our enquiries into the incident continue.”

If you witnessed the incident or have any information, please contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police Contact Centre. You can also call 101 quoting incident reference 729 of 19 June 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.