Updated: Man arrested following social media video of incident in Birkenhead

UPDATE: 

We have now located the female in this video and she is a woman aged in her 20s. Officers have spoken with the woman and she has not reported any offences.

This incident has been thoroughly reviewed by our investigation team and given the lack of any identified offences, no further action will be taken against the arrested male.

ORIGINAL: PUBLISHED AT 1.44PM ON 07.03.2025

A 26-year-old man has been arrested today, Friday 7 March, after a video was posted online showing a man acting inappropriately towards a girl in Birkenhead.

The mobile phone footage appears to show a male approaching a girl before making inappropriate comments to her.

Enquiries are ongoing to establish the date of this incident as well as the identity of the girl so we can offer her support.

There have been no reports that the girl was harmed following the incident, but we are taking it extremely seriously and are determined to establish what took place and the circumstances surrounding it. Officers are conducting further enquiries at relevant locations.   

The 26-year-old man from Birkenhead was arrested on suspicion of attempting to arrange/facilitate commission of a child sex offence. He remains in police custody and will be questioned about the incident.

An individual has been arrested, so people are reminded not to speculate online as it could prejudice the ongoing investigation.

Chief Inspector David Morgan from Wirral’s Neighbourhood policing team said: “We are aware of a social media video showing this incident and I want our communities to be assured that we are taking it extremely seriously.

“I understand the concerns that residents will have, but it’s important not to speculate online as an investigation is underway. We know how misinformation can quickly spread on social media so I want to remind people not to help share inaccurate information that could cause division and harm in our communities.

“A man has already been arrested in connection with the incident and enquiries are ongoing to establish exactly what happened.

“We are also trying to find out the date of this video and also the identity of the girl. If you are the girl in this video, or you know who she is, then please get in touch so we can offer our support."

If you have any information about this incident, you can call 101 or DM @MerPolCC on social media, quoting reference number 25000192715.

You can also make a report anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.