Mother of Olivia Pratt-Korbel makes emotional appeal for killer to 'own up' and come forward

• Watch in full the emotional tribute to Olivia Pratt-Korbel, and plea to catch her killer

The mother of murdered Olivia Pratt-Korbel has made an emotional plea to the killer telling him, "you know you've done wrong so you need to own up".

The nine-year-old was shot dead when a gunman opened fire after forcing his way into the family home in Dovecot, Liverpool, while chasing his intended target.

Olivia, known as Liv, was shot in the chest as she stood behind mum Cheryl Korbel, 46, who was also shot in the wrist.

Paying tribute to her "little shadow" in an emotional video, filmed and released by Merseyside Police, the support worker urged whoever was responsible for Olivia's killing to come forward.

She said: "I'm hoping that they come forward, so this doesn't happen to anybody else.

"You know you've done wrong so you need to own up.

"Like I've taught my kids, you do something wrong you own up to it.

"If anyone is hiding these guns they need to speak up because they need to be off these streets, no one at all should have to go through this."

Wearing a cast on her wrist, Cheryl said the family had been planning days out and a trip to buy Olivia’s new school uniform before she died.

"We were on the summer holidays," she said. "We took Liv swimming, we went to Blackpool, just me and Liv, and we were talking about going to get a new uniform for school.

"But I didn't get that chance to go and get her school uniform."

Breaking down in tears, the mum said although Olivia had only been nine, she had "packed a lot into those nine years", and described how her daughter would never stop talking.

"That’s what I miss the most," she sobbed, "because I can’t hear her talk.”

As she broke down once more, she finished the emotional two minute video saying: "I'll keep going, for Liv."

Earlier Olivia's dad, John Francis Pratt, also paid tribute to his daughter and said her death “cannot be in vain”.

He said no other child can be lost in such "horrendous circumstances", adding Liverpool can only be safe when the community rids the streets of guns - and those who use them.

In a statement, Mr Pratt and his wider family said: "Words can’t express the pain we are going through after Olivia was so cruelly snatched away from us.

"Those responsible need to know what they have done."

Paying tribute he added: “Olivia was a real bright spark who knew her own mind, had no problem making friends (she would talk to anyone) and loved to laugh and make people laugh.

"She could be a proper wind up merchant and loved to wind her nieces up, particularly those who were older than her and when they didn’t like it she’d just laugh and say ‘don’t forget I’m your aunty’.

“Olivia’s future has been cruelly snatched away from her and we have been deprived of a real light in our lives."

A man who was arrested on suspicion of the murdering of nine-year-old has been released on bail.

The 34-year-old, from Liverpool, was also being questioned on suspicion of attempted murder after he was arrested in the Runcorn area in the early hours of Sunday, Merseyside Police said.

Three other men, aged 29, 34 and 41, were also bailed on Wednesday after being arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Cheryl Korbel's message in full:

"She was amazing, she loved life, she was my little shadow, she went everywhere with me.

"She didn't like school because she had to do work, but she loved it because she was there with all her friends.

"Everyone that she met, they all fell in love with her, she left her mark on everyone that she met and she may well have only been nine but she packed a lot in those nine years.

"She hurt your ears because she never, never stopped talking and that's what I miss the most because I can't hear her talk.

"I'm hoping that they come forward, so this doesn't happen to anybody else.

"You know you've done wrong so you need to own up.

"Like I've taught my kids, you do something wrong you own up to it.

"If anyone is hiding these guns they need to speak up because they need to be off these streets, no one at all should have to go through this.

"We were organising days out, we were on the summer holidays, we took Liv swimming, we went to Blackpool, just me and Liv, and we were talking about going to get a new uniform for school.

"But I didn't get that chance to go and get her school uniform, but I'll keep going, for Liv."