Charity urges crime reporting in Olivia's community

Olivia Pratt-Korbel was shot dead in her home in Liverpool

A charity which encourages people to report crime anonymously has started a new initiative in the Liverpool suburb where schoolgirl Olivia Pratt-Korbel was shot dead.

Dovecot, Yew Tree and Huyton have been designated as a Crimestoppers Zone, the first of its kind in north-west England.

The charity said it would carry out targeted social media campaigns and hopes to reach people through youth and community events.

Merseyside Police Ch Insp Tony Fairhurst said the force is committed to making areas "blighted by serious and organised crime safer places to live, work and visit".

Vital information

Olivia was shot dead and her mother Cheryl injured as Thomas Cashman chased a rival drug dealer into their home on the evening of 22 August 2022.

During the hunt for Cashman, police said "silence was not an option" and condemned local criminals who may have been protecting him or failing to help police.

Last year on Merseyside, Crimestoppers received over 9,500 pieces of information about crime - a new record.

The charity said information from the community is vital in reducing crime.

"We rely on the public to give us information, no matter how small, to help us build our intelligence pictures so we can take action and take criminals off our streets," Ch Insp Tony Fairhurs added.

Gary Murray, from Crimestoppers, said every piece of information could be vital and informers would always remain anonymous.