Man, 27, shot dead by cyclist in Liverpool

Merseyside Police says a man has been shot dead by a cyclist in the Belle Vale area of Liverpool.

Emergency services were called to Cornwood Close shortly before 11.30am to reports a 27-year-old had been shot in the street close to a parked car.

Police, including armed officers, attended and North West Ambulance Service treated the victim at the scene for critical injuries to the head and torso. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

The offender is believed to have been riding a pedal bike and made off from the scene on the bike in the direction of Loxwood Close. He is described as being in his late 20s, of medium build, dressed all in black and wearing a high-vis orange jacket.

Police remain on Cornwood Close carrying out door-to-door and forensic enquiries, and will explore CCTV opportunities in the area.

Detective Chief Superintendent Natalie Perischine said: “The investigation into this shocking incident is in its very early stages, and we are keen to speak to anyone who may have information which could help us establish the full circumstances and find those responsible.

“You may have seen or heard suspicious behaviour in Cornwood Close or nearby in Belle Vale and any information, no matter how small you think it may be, could prove crucial as we seek to establish what happened and bring those responsible to justice.

“We share the community’s shock that this could happen in a residential street in broad daylight late on a Sunday morning. I want to reassure the public that gun crime will not be tolerated on the streets of Merseyside at any time of day, and that we will thoroughly investigate any information given to us so we can put anyone who carries guns on our streets behind bars.

“I appeal again to anyone who may have seen the incident itself, or someone making off on foot or on a pedal bike, to please get in touch.”

• Anyone with information on the incident is asked to direct message the Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police CC. You can also call 101 quoting incident reference 420 of 7/10/18 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form.