Scrambler bikes were seen causing havoc in Everton Park just days before the terrifying shooting earlier this week.
Everton Park Friends shared photos of people on scrambler bikes days before a man was shot in the busy park at around 10.30pm on Tuesday, June 21. When the news first broke about the shooting, the group took to Twitter to share previous problems they had been having with scrambler bikes.
Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Wilson said after the shooting: “Our enquiries so far have shown that a red, white and blue motocross bike was being ridden in the Everton Brow area and an electric bike was sighted on Prescot Road at the time of the incident. If you were driving in the Everton Road or Prescot Road areas last night and have dashcam footage then please review it and if you saw either of these bikes then let us know."
READ MORE: Merseyside Police ask community for help after Everton shooting
Since the shooting, Merseyside Police has undertaken patrols of the park, with the Roads Policing Unit sharing photos of bikes in the park on their Twitter page. On Thursday, June 23, the force tweeted: "Motorcycle Team have been deployed to the Everton Park area this evening. We continue to target those who use (off-road) motorbikes in an anti-social manner or to facilitate criminal activity."
The park has been hit with “endemic” vandalism issues since the turn of the year to the heartache of the volunteer group that works to maintain the site. At the end of April, a burned out motorbike and graffiti were left at the Netherfield Road area of the park after fly-tipping and damage to fences and signage was reported in February.
In May, Sarah Rotheram, Merseyside Police Community Policing Inspector, said officers took a “zero-tolerance” approach to anti-social behaviour. A spokesperson for the Friends of Everton Park group said: It's becoming a major issue here now.
“The vandalism is a lot worse, some encourages more to happen and the scrambler bikes with balaclavas on has been happening for a few months at least.” Chief Con Kennedy responded to the group’s social media plea earlier this week in a bid to calm concerns.
She told the ECHO yesterday: “I have raised this with the Local Policing Team who I know are working with you as key stakeholders and they are urgently considering how we prevent this type of antisocial behaviour & the crime associated with it occurring in the first place. I know that we all want the same thing - for people to be able to use our open spaces without fear of crime and when incidents do happen we need to work together as partners and with our community to identify the individuals responsible.
“Thank you again for highlighting this issue.”
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