Shots fired - CCTV - can you help? call 0800 230 0600

Merseyside Police can confirm officers are investigating following a report of shots being fired in Walton this afternoon (Tuesday, 14 October). At about 1pm officers were called to Hayfield Street after a member of the public reported hearing shots being fired. Patrols attended and found damage to the front of the property consistent with a firearms discharge. No one was inside the property at the time of the incident. The scene has been cordoned-off and an extensive search of the area is underway. House-to-house enquiries are also being undertaken and CCTV from the area is being sought. Officers from the specialist Matrix Serious & Organised Crime Investigation Unit are carrying out enquiries to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident. Detective Chief Inspector Tom Keaton , said: "Merseyside Police take incidents of this nature very seriously. It is only through good fortune that no one was seriously injured. "At this very early stage in the investigation one line of enquiry is that the property may have been mistakenly targeted. "I would like to take this opportunity to reassure the community in Walton that we are doing everything we possibly can to find those responsible. "High visibility patrols have already been stepped up in the area and will remain so over the coming days. "Criminals who use guns to bring fear to our communities will not be tolerated on Merseyside and we will be relentless in our efforts to take firearms, and the people who use them, off our streets. "I would appeal to anyone with information about this incident to get in touch with us as soon as possible. "You may have seen someone acting suspiciously in the area or heard something unusual. Any information could be vital to our investigation and we will act on all the calls that we receive." An investigation into the full circumstances of the incident is on-going. Anyone with information is urged to call MSOC officers on 0800 230 0600 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.