Chief Constable's message to communities of Merseyside following incident at Liverpool Women's Hospital

Chief Constable of Merseyside Police Serena Kennedy said: “I completely understand that communities in Merseyside may be concerned and I can reassure you that my officers are out on the ground and providing high visibility reassurance.

“There is no specific threat to the area, but I have asked for patrols to be increased across Merseyside.

“Incidents such as this are very rare, but I would ask people to remain calm, but be vigilant and alert.

“There has also been a lot of speculation on social media and false reports of further incidents, for that reason I would urge members of the public to rely on the official information which will released on our Twitter feed @MerseyPolice and the Merseyside Police website for information, or @GMPolice or the Greater Manchester Police website.

“The people of Liverpool and Merseyside are well known for supporting each other and at a time like this this is needed more than ever.

“Officers from Counter Terrorism Policing North West are leading the investigation, supported by detectives and uniformed officers from Merseyside Police, and we are continuing to work with our partners at Merseyside Fire and Rescue and the Liverpool Women’s Hospital to establish what has taken place.

“Merseyside Police will continue to liaise with community groups, community leaders, partner agencies and individuals in the coming days and weeks to make sure any concerns are addressed and ensuring that we provide the best possible service to local people.

“It is also important that people do not speculate about what has happened. We will endeavour to update our communities as soon as we are able.

“I would continue to advise people to be vigilant and if they have any concerns to contact police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.”