FOUR police vehicles were seen behind a row of shops in Parr yesterday morning.

At around 10am on Wednesday, January 31, residents reported seeing a police presence behind the row of shops on Ashtons Green Drive in Parr.

A loud alarm was coming from a parked Royal Mail van and police say that patrolling officers visited the scene to investigate.

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St Helens Star: Police found the Royal Mail van securePolice found the Royal Mail van secure (Image: Contributed)

Three police cars and one van attended the scene, with officers confirming that the van had broken down and was secure, so had not been broken into.

Residents around Ashtons Green Drive say that the officers left the Royal Mail vehicle once they realised it was secure, although the alarm continued for several hours afterward.

Some residents questioned the number of officers needed for the incident, but the scene was secure and the alarm had stopped by 2pm.