Merseyside police on recruitment drive to deal with rise in number of shootings in the area

Merseyside Police is recruiting extra armed officers to deal with a rise in the number of shootings in the area.

Despite overall cuts to the force, senior officers want to create twenty new posts in the firearms unit.

A teenager was murdered and 7 people were injured in 14 separate shootings on Merseyside since the start of June 2017.

The recruitment drive will eventually bring the total number of officers qualified to carry a gun to 145.

Police bosses have cited the recent increased threat of terrorist attacks as another reason for the decision.

Armed officers have been seen at a number of busy events on Merseyside this summer, including Armed Forces Day and large sport and music events.

Superintendent Dawn McNally, Head of Uniform Specialist Operations at Merseyside Police, told ITV Granada Reports: "It is absolutely imperative that here on Merseyside a big metropolitan force of our size does have the specialist capability and capacity.

"We are seeing a change in the policing environment. We want to protect communities and we need to be equipped to do that."