Three men arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a firearm in Southport

Three men were arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a firearm in Southport on the evening of Sunday 17 July.

At around 9.25pm it was reported three males were seen smashing glass bottles along the Promenade and that one male was suspected of having a gun. Patrols attended and saw a male throw a suspected firearm in to the Marine Lake. Three men aged 18, 23 and 24 years from Preston were arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm.

Officer from the North West Underwater Search Unit searched the lake on Monday and have recovered what was found to be a BB gun, which has been made safe. Enquiries are ongoing.

Detective Inspector Jay Halpin 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.”

If you have got any information about the use or storage of weapons please DM Merseyside Police Contact Centre or @CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111.