THREE men arrested on suspicion of the murder of a Knowsley Council worker have been released on bail, police said.

Ashley Dale, 28, was found with gunshot wounds in the back garden of her home in Old Swan, Liverpool, in the early hours of Sunday August 21.

Earlier this week, police made arrests in connection with her death.

A 27-year-old man from Roby, a 40-year-old man from Huyton and a 35-year-old man from Old Swan were arrested on suspicion of murder and possession of a firearm.

On Thursday, a spokeswoman for Merseyside Police said the three men had been released on conditional bail.

READ>Flowers left at desk of 'rising star' council worker

A 57-year-old man from Croxteth who was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender was released under investigation pending further enquiries, the spokeswoman said.

Ms Dale, an environmental health officer for Knowsley Council, is not believed to have been the intended target of the killing.

Her death was one of three fatal shootings within a week in Liverpool, with nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel killed in her home in Dovecot on August 22 and 22-year-old Sam Rimmer shot in Dingle on August 16.