Anti-gang scheme in Liverpool ‘boosts public confidence in police'
Merseyside police said the scheme, based on the principles of clearing an area of gang activity, holding it so that organised crime cannot return to it, and building a cohesive community, has led to an 300% increase in community intelligence, as well as more than 5,300 arrests and the seizure of about 630kg of Class A and B drugs.
It was one of the first forces in the country to receive Home Office funding for a 'Clear, Hold, Build' initiative – known locally as Evolve – after a spree of gun-related homicides in the area that took the lives of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, 28-year-old Ashley Dale and 22-year-old Sam Rimmer in August 2022.
Additionally, police reported confiscating 260 offensive weapons, 28 firearms and roughly £2.5m in cash and assets, which they said would be reinvested into local communities.
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Speaking about the anniversary of the shootings that 'rocked' Merseyside, Det Ch Supt Graeme Robson said his team had seen a 'strong and positive response' from the community.
'We get a really good response from communities who want to work with us,' he said. 'They don't want these kind of tragedies to occur in their communities.
'One of the other things we've seen … is our intelligence reporting from communities is far higher across our four Evolve areas than it was previously, which I think is a sign that those communities have confidence in reporting information because they want us to do something about it.'
The Evolve project was officially launched after the death of Elle Edwards, 26, who was killed in a shooting outside a pub in Wallasey on Christmas Eve 2022, and has received support from throughout the city, with both Everton and Liverpool football clubs providing weekly community events for locals.
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Powys County Times
2 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Ministers braced for further legal challenges after High Court Epping decision
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The Herald Scotland
3 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Ministers braced for further legal challenges after High Court Epping decision
The 12 councils where Reform UK is the largest party are understood to be exploring the prospect of legal challenges following Tuesday's ruling. The Home Office had warned the judge that an injunction could 'interfere' with the department's legal obligations, and lawyers representing the hotel's owner argued it would set a 'precedent'. Epping Forest District Council had asked a judge to issue an interim injunction stopping migrants from being accommodated at the Bell Hotel. The hotel has been at the centre of a series of protests in recent weeks after an asylum seeker who was staying there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Reacting to the news, Mr Farage said that 'young, undocumented males who break into the UK illegally should NOT be free to walk the streets anywhere. They must be detained and deported'. 'I hope that Epping provides inspiration to others across the country,' he said. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch suggested that the migrants housed at the hotel 'need to be moved out of the area immediately', while her shadow home secretary Chris Philp said that 'residents should never have had to fight their own government just to feel safe in their own town'. Chris Whitbread, leader of Epping Forest District Council, spoke to the media outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Tuesday (Yui Mok/PA) He said: 'Local residents have every right to feel safe in their own streets and every right to object when their community is treated as a dumping ground.' Border security minister Dame Angela Eagle said the Government will 'continue working with local authorities and communities to address legitimate concerns'. She added: 'Our work continues to close all asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament.' Lawyers for the Home Office had warned the court that an injunction 'runs the risk of acting as an impetus for further violent protests'. Edward Brown KC also said the injunction would 'substantially interfere' with the Home Office's statutory duty in potentially avoiding a breach of the asylum seekers' human rights. Several protests and counter-protests have been held in the town since a then-resident at the hotel was accused of trying to kiss a teenage girl. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu has denied the charges against him and is due to stand trial later this month. Protesters outside the Bell Hotel in Epping (Yui Mok/PA) A second man who resides at the hotel, Syrian national Mohammed Sharwarq, has separately been charged with seven offences, while several other men have been charged over disorder outside the hotel. In a ruling on Tuesday, Mr Justice Eyre granted the temporary injunction, but extended the time limit by which the hotel must stop housing asylum seekers to September 12. He also refused to give Somani Hotels Limited, the hotel's owner, the green light to challenge his ruling, but the company could still ask the Court of Appeal for the go-ahead to appeal against the judgment. Piers Riley-Smith, for the company, asked the judge to be allowed to appeal against the ruling, citing its 'wide-reaching ramifications'. He said that there was a 'compelling reason for the appeal to be heard', including the 'precedent that would be set' by the ruling and the impact that it could have 'on the wider strategy of the (Home Secretary) in relation to the housing of asylum seekers in hotels as part of meeting their statutory duties'.
Western Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
Ministers braced for further legal challenges after High Court Epping decision
Nigel Farage hailed the High Court decision in Epping as a 'victory' and said he hopes it 'provides inspiration to others across the country', while the shadow home secretary argued that residents have 'every right to object' to people being housed in their area. The Home Office had warned the judge that an injunction could 'interfere' with the department's legal obligations, and lawyers representing the hotel's owner argued it would set a 'precedent'. Chris Whitbread, leader of Epping Forest District Council, spoke to the media outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Tuesday (Yui Mok/PA) Epping Forest District Council had asked a judge to issue an interim injunction stopping migrants from being accommodated at the Bell Hotel. The hotel has been at the centre of a series of protests in recent weeks after an asylum seeker who was staying there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Reacting to the news, Reform UK leader Mr Farage said that 'young, undocumented males who break into the UK illegally should NOT be free to walk the streets anywhere. They must be detained and deported'. 'I hope that Epping provides inspiration to others across the country,' he said. A STATEMENT FROM NIGEL FARAGE This is a victory for the parents and concerned residents of Epping. They do not want their young women being assaulted on the streets. This community stood up bravely, despite being slandered as far right, and have won. They represent the vast… — Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) August 19, 2025 Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch suggested that the migrants housed at the hotel 'need to be moved out of the area immediately', while her shadow home secretary Chris Philp said that 'residents should never have had to fight their own government just to feel safe in their own town'. He said: 'Local residents have every right to feel safe in their own streets and every right to object when their community is treated as a dumping ground.' Lawyers for the Home Office had warned the court that an injunction 'runs the risk of acting as an impetus for further violent protests'. Edward Brown KC also said the injunction would 'substantially interfere' with the Home Office's statutory duty in potentially avoiding a breach of the asylum seekers' human rights. Several protests and counter-protests have been held in the town since a then-resident at the hotel was accused of trying to kiss a teenage girl. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu has denied the charges against him and is due to stand trial later this month. Protesters outside the Bell Hotel in Epping (Yui Mok/PA) A second man who resides at the hotel, Syrian national Mohammed Sharwarq, has separately been charged with seven offences, while several other men have been charged over disorder outside the hotel. In a ruling on Tuesday, Mr Justice Eyre granted the temporary injunction, but extended the time limit by which the hotel must stop housing asylum seekers to September 12. He also refused to give Somani Hotels Limited, the hotel's owner, the green light to challenge his ruling, but the company could still ask the Court of Appeal for the go-ahead to appeal against the judgment. Piers Riley-Smith, for the company, asked the judge to be allowed to appeal against the ruling, citing its 'wide-reaching ramifications'. He said that there was a 'compelling reason for the appeal to be heard', including the 'precedent that would be set' by the ruling and the impact that it could have 'on the wider strategy of the (Home Secretary) in relation to the housing of asylum seekers in hotels as part of meeting their statutory duties'.
