Man arrested in connection with imitation firearm offence in Kirkby

UPDATE 3.50pm on Thursday 6 February:

Karl Scott, 51 years, of Lingtree Road in Kirkby, has been charged with possession of an imitation firearm in a public place.

He has been remanded into custody and will appear in court tomorrow, Friday 7  February.

Original release earlier today:

A man has been arrested in connection with imitation firearm offence in Kirkby yesterday, Wednesday 5 February.

At around 10.50pm, officers were on patrol when they stop searched a man along Sidney Powell Avenue and found a black handgun tucked in his waistband.

A 51-year-old man from Kirkby was arrested on suspicion of possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Inspector Targeted Policing David Hassett said: “To the untrained eye, an imitation firearm and BB guns can cause fear and harm to people who wouldn’t know the difference between them or a more dangerous weapon if confronted with one.

“We rely on information given to us by the public and this makes a huge difference in identifying suspects, seizing weapons and removing suspects who would bring lethal weapons onto our streets.

“It is vital that members of our communities come forward with information so we can make our communities safer for the decent, law-abiding people who live in areas affected by gun crime.

“Where people are willing to support the police, we will ensure every possible avenue is progressed to them. 

“And if you don’t feel comfortable coming directly to the police call the independent, anonymous, Crimestoppers hotline on 0800 555 111, we need to know who is involved in gun crime and where those guns are being stored.” 

If you have any information about suspected firearms in your area, please contact @MerPolCC, 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress.