Everton stop and search order after shootings sees 33 arrested

The operation also saw a "day of action", which involved PCSOs doing letter drops in the area

Thirty-three people have been arrested after stop and search powers were used in the wake of two shootings, police have said.

Merseyside Police said it enforced a Section 60 order in Everton for 48 hours after two men, aged 18 and 24, were shot in their legs on Wednesday.

Insp David Grant said officers also "seized drugs, dangerous weapons and significant quantities of cash".

He said he hoped it gave "reassurance" the force were taking action.

The force said the order, which was brought into effect on Thursday, gave officers enhanced powers "to stop individuals in the area" and was designed to "minimise serious violence".

A representative said that alongside the arrests, 165 people were "stop checked" in the area.

They said the order was combined with a "day of action" in Everton Park on Friday, which saw officers conduct "land searches" while police community support officers "completed letter drops and provided reassurance".

They added that officers also "engaged with youth clubs and shops in the area to discuss any issues and gather information about recent incidents".

Insp Grant said the force recognised the need "to not only tackle those who continue to bring harm and misery to the Everton area, but to engage with those who suffer at their hands, to gather information and to reassure the community that we are on their side".

"We have combined enforcement with community engagement and will take the information we have gathered to target our future patrols in those areas and times that are affected most," he added.

The force representative added that the two men who were shot remained "in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries".

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