Throughout 2022 senior officers in Merseyside Police grew increasingly alarmed by the escalating violence and bloodshed on certain estates across the Wirral.
In a sense, the horrors of Christmas Eve were an entirely predictable outcome of reckless, petty gang thugs letting off guns in residential areas with increasing regularity. However, that still did not dampen the shock and impact of the murder of 26-year-old Elle Edwards.
The popular beautician, from New Brighton, was caught by a stray bullet as she stood in front of the Lighthouse Inn pub, in Wallasey Village, shortly before midnight. As Elle, her sister and her friends were enjoying themselves inside, they had no idea a gunman with murderous intentions was lurking in a black Mercedes in the carpark, where he remained for around an hour before the shooting started.
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Elle was standing by the front entrance, near a number of other people, when the shooter unloaded around 10 to 12 shots in quick succession. She was struck in the head and collapsed immediately, while four other men, aged between 22 and 33, also suffered gunshot wounds, although all survived.
While Elle was not believed to be the intended target, the breathtaking recklessness of firing multiple shots indiscriminately into a crowded area meant it mattered little who the culprit was aiming at.
It was exactly this nightmare scenario that was troubling one of Wirral's local policing inspectors, Alan McKeon, when the ECHO spoke to him around a fortnight before Elle's death. He said: "If you have these factional disputes ongoing, and people using firearms in anger towards each other, we've seen in the last 12 months, with Olivia Pratt-Korbel being the obvious example, and even Rhys Jones prior to that and plenty of others in between, there are just absolutely innocent people who get caught in the crossfire of these people."
Insp. McKeon was talking about an ongoing set of disruption measures dubbed Operation Presley aiming to clamp down on the activities of organised crime groups in estates across the Wirral, particularly the Beechwood and Woodchurch estates.
A number of young men had already been left with serious, sometimes life-changing injuries after shootings across those areas, including an attempted murder on Hoole Road, Woodchurch, in March last year when a man was shot multiple times from a moving car.
Of course, the murder of Elle has changed the position somewhat. While a major investigation into her death is ongoing, with three arrests made so far, there has also been a ratcheting up of disruption operations. Merseyside Police outlined some of the proactive work its officers are doing to target drug-dealing and organised crime in the area.
Most significantly, the force announced on Thursday (January 5) that a 23-year-old and a 22 year-old man from Wirral have both been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and possession of a firearm in relation to a shooting in Newark Close, Noctorum, in which a man was shot in the hand, only six days before Elle was killed.
Elsewhere, on Wednesday January, 4, officers on patrol near Birkenhead Park watched a suspected drugs transaction and subsequently stopped a vehicle on Park Road North, which resulted in the arrest of a 23-year-old man from Higher Bebington on suspicion of drug driving.
After officers searched the vehicle, a bat was found in the glove box and he was further arrested on suspicion of being in possession of an offensive weapon.
Further arrests made last week include a 23-year-old man from Beechwood, who was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Officers also seized 12 cannabis plants from a property on Silverlea Avenue and arrested a 28-year-old man from Liscard on suspicion of producing and possessing a controlled Class B drug. He has been released under investigation.
Chief Inspector Tom Welch of Wirral Community Policing said: "We are continuing to take a firm approach to tackling criminality in Wirral following the murder of Elle Edwards on Christmas Eve.
"Our officers have made a number of arrests over the past few days, which has prevented drugs supply, violence, dangerous driving and taken weapons off the streets of Wirral.
"Serious and organised crime has no place in our communities and our officers will continue to disrupt these groups.
"We also rely on information provided by members of the public, so if you have any concerns about anti-social behaviour or criminality in your area, please contact Merseyside Police or speak with our officers who are out on patrol in Wirral.
"We appreciate that people may have concerns when reporting crime, so please bear in mind that you can always speak anonymously to Crimestoppers if this makes you feel more comfortable."
Anyone who has information about drug dealing in the community, where weapons are being stored or who is using them can contact Merseyside Police by sending a DM to @MerPolCC, calling 101 or contacting Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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