POLICE have executed six warrants and arrested seven people, as part of an investigation following riots in Knowsley in February.

At around 6.30pm on Friday, February 10, officers were facilitating an initially peaceful protest and counter-protest outside the Suites Hotel on Ribblers Lane in Knowsley Village. 

During the evening, missiles were thrown towards officers and damage caused to police vehicles. One officer was injured and taken to hospital.

Today's warrants were executed as part anongoing operation aimed to bring those involved to justice and prevent further incidents of disorder and crime.

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Those arrested on suspicion of violent disorder this morning included seven males aged between 13 and 25 years from Kirkby and Croxteth.

They will be taken to police stations where they will be questioned.

St Helens Star: A burned out police vanA burned out police van (Image: PA)

'Such violence is disgraceful'


Detective Chief Inspector John Fitzgerald said: “Since the disorder and crimes committed against people in our community in February our officers have analysed 157 pieces of body worn video footage, 75 social media clips and four hours of drone footage to prevent any further crime and bring those responsible to justice.

“We will always respect the right to protest when these are peaceful but such violence that caused damage to police vehicles totalling more than £83,000 is disgraceful especially when they could have been used to prevent crime and save lives.

“We have arrested a further seven suspects, in addition to the 15 who were arrested on the evening of the disorder, and will continue to take action to ensure the safety of residents in our community.”

St Helens Star: Police with riot shields at the scene Police with riot shields at the scene (Image: PA)

Superintendent Karl Baldwin said: “I hope these arrests show our commitment to make sure there is no repeat of the scenes we saw in February. Since these events we have worked with our partners Knowsley Council, residents and communities to ensure all information is acted upon.

“If you have any information about such crime in your area please contact us. There is no excuse for resorting to violence and criminality and we are determined to bring anyone who perpetrates such crimes to justice.

“For those that would commit crime, seek to intimidate or target particular communities, they should be in no doubt that we will do all we can to identify them and bring them to justice."

Cllr Shelley Powell, Knowsley’s cabinet member for communities and neighbourhoods, added: “We welcome the robust action taken by our colleagues at Merseyside Police. I thank them for their hard work and determination to identify and apprehend those directly involved in the unacceptable incident that took place outside the Suites Hotel back in February.

"I hope this sends a clear and strong message that these kind of behaviours are not tolerated here in Knowsley and those responsible will face the consequences of their actions.”

If, for any reason, you do not wish to report a hate crime to the police, the independent charity Stop Hate UK to run a 24/7 confidential helpline for all victims of hate crime on 0800 138 1625 or www.stophateuk.org. You can also download the Stop Hate UK reporting app on Google Play or the Apple App Store.
You can also report any incidents to police on 999 if a crime is in progress, via 101, or via Twitter @MerPolCC.

You can also pass information via the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org