Man running from police arrested as he dropped 'gun'

A man dropped what appeared to be a gun as he ran away from police, causing a road to be cordoned off.

Bigham Road, a street just off Sheil Road in Fairfield, was taped off this evening as police tried to establish if the 'gun' dropped by the man was real. They have since confirmed that it was an imitation firearm.

Police arrested a 24-year-old man on suspicion of possession of an imitation firearm and possession of cannabis.

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When the ECHO arrived on the scene at 6.45pm the imitation firearm was still lying in the street behind the cordon. Neighbours described seeing a large police presence on the street at around 6pm. A forensics team arrived at around 8pm to carry out their analysis.

A neighbour told the ECHO that she was sad but "not surprised" to hear about the incident, adding, "I've lived here for years, so I've seen it all."

Detective Inspector Darren Taylor from Merseyside Police said: “We are in the very early stages of this investigation, and are piecing together what led to this incident.

“To the untrained eye, imitation firearms can look like real firearms and are capable of causing a huge amount of fear and harm, so the fact another has now been removed is to be welcomed.

“Officers on the ground acted swiftly and decisively to arrest a suspect and the imitation weapon will now be examined forensically to see who has handled it.

“Where information from the community and our own enquiries tell us firearms of any type are being stored, we will execute warrants, carry out stop checks and undertake searches in homes, industrial premises and open land across Merseyside.

“We are determined to disrupt and bring to justice the organised crime groups who possess both viable and imitation firearms and whose reckless disregard for those around them can bring violence and fear into the heart of our communities.”

If you have got any information about this incident please DM @MerPolCC quoting reference 24000438977 or call @CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111.

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