Wirral man served with a gang injunction

A man involved in gang-related activity in Wirral has been issued with a gang injunction at Liverpool County Court.

Lewis Chapman, aged 22, was made subject to the gang injunction on Tuesday 19 September 2023. The notice was served yesterday (Wednesday 20 September 2023) and will remain in place until March 2025. 

The conditions of the order mean Chapman is prohibited from:

• Associating and communicating with named persons by any means
• Entering the Woodchurch, Beechwood/Ford estates unless given prior written authority from the Chief Constable of Merseyside Police or a nominated delegate of the Chief Constable
• Either directly or indirectly using or threatening to use violence against any person or property including by phone or internet 
• Either directly or indirectly engaging in any abusive or threatening conduct including by phone or internet
• Being in possession of any class A or B drug
• Being in possession of any equipment for use in the manufacture, cultivation or distribution of any class A or B drugs
• Possessing more than one mobile phone or sim card, which must be registered
• Riding or being a passenger on any electrically powered bike or scooter, any quad bike, motorbike, scrambler bike, trial bike, or any other type of two wheeled motorised bike within the county of Merseyside.

Any breaches of the prohibitions can result in him being arrested and taken to court.

Merseyside Police is proactively targeting gang-related activity in Birkenhead and in May launched EVOLVE Wirral with partners - a Home Office-based  Clear, Hold, Build strategy to help regenerate areas worst affected by serious and organised crime.

Chapman's gang injunction is the third to be served in recent weeks with 29-year-old Kieran Salkeld and 23-year-old Jake Duffy, both from Beechwood, receiving gang injunctions on August 25, 2023.

Chief Inspector Duncan Swan, one of the senior officers involved in EVOLVE Wirral, said: “Our officers are dedicated to disrupting the lives of those who are prepared to engage in criminality and by doing so make a positive difference to the communities where these individuals have been causing harm and distress.

"Together with our partners we are using all the powers and legislation available to us to crackdown on gang-related activity and gang injunctions form part of our continued work to make Birkenhead and the surrounding areas safer places to live, work and visit.
 
"The prohibitions detailed in this injunction are widely known by our local officers and will be policed rigorously so if Chapman breaches his prohibitions, we can act quickly to arrest him and put him back before the courts where he could receive a prison sentence.

“We have recently launched our 'Silence is Not an Option' campaign and urge anyone with information about those involved in organised crime and criminal activity to either contact us or Crimestoppers, anonymously, so we can take the most effective action against organised crime groups who bring misery to our streets.

"Together we are stronger so let's harness that strength and make a difference in Merseyside."

For more information about the Silence is Not an Option campaign see Silence is Not an Option | Merseyside Police.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, Merseyside Police directly at @MerpolCC or by calling 101.