Vandals flee from boarded-up pub after police arrive

A group of men were seen fleeing from a former community pub as police arrived to investigate reports of vandalism and criminal damage. The Merton Inn on the junction of Stanley Road in Bootle, has been boarded up for several months.

Over the years, the pub had changed hands a number of times and was once host to a JD Wetherspoon. It was sold to a new operator by the pub chain in 2016 when the Wetherspoon decided to part with 45 venues across the country for "commercial reasons".

It was subsequently taken on by a new publican but closed down in 2024. It is listed as 'temporarily closed' on Google. However, new planning proposals submitted to Sefton Council reveal what the Merton's owners plan to do with the former pub which has served the community since the 1970s.

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The planning application was completed by the company, AK Innovative Design Solution Ltd and approved by Sefton Council on January 23. The owners plan to incorporate a hotel on the first and second floors of the building whilst maintaining a pub on the ground floor.

The design access statement attached to the proposal outlines the reasons for the change of use and states: "The decision to convert the Merton Inn’s first and second floors into hotel accommodation aligns with the increasing demand for short-term lodging in the Liverpool area."

However, on Monday, February 3, incidents of vandalism were reported in a Facebook group by a local resident, who said: "As a community we are concerned about the continuing decline of the Merton.

"The building is one of Bootle's key landmarks and people have very fond memories of the place. We urge the new owners to act soon. Any residents should report live acts of vandalism to the police.

A spokesperson for Merseyside Police confirmed they are investigating issues of vandalism and gave details about the latest incident. They said: "Officers were called to the Merton Inn, at the junction of Merton Road and Stanley Road, at around 4.30pm where it was reported youths were causing criminal damage upstairs in the boarded-up premises.

"On seeing the police arrive, the small group of males ran off."

Anyone with information or footage should contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X @MerPolCC or Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ quoting incident reference 659 of February 3.

You can also call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their website here: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously.