The family of a 26-year-old woman have been left “devastated” and “inconsolable” after she was killed in a Christmas Eve shooting at a pub in Merseyside, police have said in a fresh appeal for information.
Officers said the woman, who was shot in the head, is not believed to have been targeted in the shooting, which also left four others injured – one of them critically.
The incident happened at the Lighthouse Inn in Wallasey Village on the Wirral shortly after 11.50pm on Christmas Eve.
Detective Superintendent Sue Coombs told a news conference on Christmas Day: “Tragically the victim, a 26-year-old woman, had suffered a serious gunshot injury to her head.
“She was taken to Arrowe Park Hospital but sadly passed away shortly afterwards.
“Her family have been informed, and on today, which should be a day with friends celebrating, they are coming to terms with this tragic loss.
More on Merseyside
Related Topics:
“It’s very early stages of the investigation, but we do not believe that the victim in this case has been targeted. She was out enjoying Christmas with her sister and friends at what should have been a peaceful time.
“What her family are now going through is incomprehensible.”
Advertisement
Merseyside Police’s assistant chief constable Jenny Sims said the actions of the gunman were “totally and utterly reckless”, and that the person or people responsible need to be caught.
She added: “We’ve already had an overwhelming response from the public following the murder, particularly from people who were in the pub last night, but we do need more information so that we can find those responsible for this callous murder.
“Our investigation will rely heavily on information we receive from the public, and I urge members of the public and the local community who have any information which could help us come forward, so we can bring those responsible for this horrific murder of a young woman at Christmas to justice.
“She should have had the rest of her life to look forward to – instead, her family can now only think of what might have been.”
DS Coombs said the gunman fired shots towards the front entrance of the Lighthouse Inn in Wallasey Village, before making off in a dark vehicle, possibly an A-Class Mercedes Benz.
Four others were also injured, including a 28-year-old man who remains in a critical condition in hospital.
A 22-year-old man received leg injuries, a 24-year-old man sustained a hand injury, and a 33-year-old man suffered an injury to his wrist. None of these injuries are thought to be life-threatening.
Image: Detective Superintendent Sue Coombs and Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims, from Merseyside Police
‘It was really calm – that’s how I knew it was bad’
Molly Mason, who lives near to the pub, told Sky News the scene appeared to be “calm and collected” – which told her something bad happened.
“Our living room was just blue from flashing blue” [emergency service lights], she said. “I looked out the window and I just saw loads of police sirens coming this way, an ambulance and just a flow of hundreds of [people], just coming out of the pub coming this way down – it was really silent and really calm and collected.
“I think there was a lot of shock. You could just sort of sense that in the moment – that’s the reason I know this is bad. It’s because there’s no drama. No one’s been dramatic, no one screaming, crying.
“It was a state of shock.”
The pub called the shooting “a tragedy beyond words” in a statement, adding: “All our thoughts are with the friends and family of our customers and in particular our hearts go out to the family of our customer who has lost her life.
“We are completely shocked by this and were expecting to host a number of people for Christmas Day meals, but sadly this is no longer possible.”
The MP for Wallasey, Dame Angela Eagle, described the news as “heartbreaking” and urged anyone with information to contact the police.
She tweeted: “My thoughts are with the family of the woman who has died and those who are injured.”
The pub is “central” to the local community, the minister at a nearby church said.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.
Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.
Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.
The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Image: Officers guard one of the crime scenes
Image: Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.
“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.
“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Wrexham AFC have been promoted for the third season in a row.
The North Wales-based side has gone from the National League to the Championship in just three seasons, under its Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Wrexham were second in the table and had a run of eight games unbeaten ahead of their match against Charlton Athletic on Saturday, which they won 3-0.
Image: Wrexham’s James McClean lifts the League One trophy. Pic: PA
Image: Wrexham’s Dan Scarr celebrates with the fans on the pitch after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
It is the first time any club has been promoted for three consecutive seasons within the top five tiers of English football.
The third oldest association football club in the world, Wrexham AFC was bought by Reynolds and McElhenney in 2020, and has since been the subject of a Disney+ documentary, Welcome To Wrexham.
Reynolds, wearing a Wrexham sweatshirt, and McElhenney were pictured celebrating each goal, and after the game, as the fans came onto the pitch at the SToK Cae Ras (Racecourse Ground) to celebrate the victory with the players.
Image: Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney (L) and Ryan Reynolds and Ryan’s wife Blake Lively, before the match. Pic: PA
Both stars came onto the pitch after the supporters returned to the stands.
More on Ryan Reynolds
Related Topics:
Speaking to Sky Sports, McElhenney praised those behind the scenes, referring to “so many that don’t get the credit they deserve, people who aren’t talked about”.
Reynolds said bringing success back to the club “seemed like an impossible dream” when they arrived in North Wales in 2020.
X
This content is provided by X, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable X cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to X cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow X cookies for this session only.
Image: Wrexham’s Sam Smith celebrates in front of the fans after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
He put the three promotions down to “the coaching staff, the greatest dressing room” and an “all for one, one for all” attitude throughout the club, adding he was “speechless with their commitment and their emotion”.
As for the mouth-watering prospect of another promotion to the promised land of the Premier League, the pair agreed it was “for tomorrow”, before ending the interview with a joint mic-drop.
Veteran striker Steven Fletcher said, “as soon as I came to this club, I knew it was something special. We want to go again. We’ll reset in the summer, take a break and go again”.
Just Stop Oil (JSO) insists it’s been “successful” – as its members ceremoniously hang up their orange high-vis vests during a march in central London.
Since the group formed three years ago, it’s drawn attention and criticism for its colourful, controversial protests, which ranged from disrupting sporting events to throwing soup on Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers, and climbing on gantries over the M25. It sprayed orange paint over Stonehenge, and cost police forces tens of millions of pounds.
Those days are now behind it; to the relief of many.
As a few hundred activists marched through London on Saturday, blocking roads as they went; taxi drivers blared their horns and football fans shouted abuse from the pavement.
The PA News Agency filmed the moment a white minivan seemed to drive towards a group of protesters blocking the road.
Protesters shouted “I’m being pushed back!” to police, while the driver could be heard shouting “What about my right to get home?” to the officers gathered.
But JSO never set out to be popular. And it believes its tactics – though hated – have been successful; thanks to the new Labour government’s commitment to not issue new oil or gas exploration licences.
That’s why, it says, its ceasing direct action.
Image: JSO hangs up its high-vis jackets in central London on Saturday
Image: A washing line of high-vis jackets signifies JSO’s disbanding
“This moment marks the success of the JSO campaign – our demand was to end new oil and gas licences and that is now government policy.
“As a result of which four billion barrels of oil are being kept under the North Sea. The campaign has reached a natural end.”
Dr Oscar Berglund, senior lecturer in international public and social policy, disagrees that JSO is disappearing because it’s been “successful”.
He told Sky News policing strength and public perception might have more to do with it.
“They have very low levels of popularity. About 17% of the British population are kind of broadly supportive of what Just Stop Oil do. And that’s too low to recruit.
“It’s difficult to recruit members to something that is that unpopular, and then that a lot of people for good reason I think have kind of stopped believing in that kind of disruption as a means to achieve meaningful change.”
Group triggers specific new protest laws
One thing it did change is the law.
Policing commentator Graham Wettone tells us: “Obstruction of the highway, obstruction of rail networks for example, these are specific offences now.
“It’s given the police more tactics, more methods, more offences they can consider, even stopping and searching somebody who may have something to either lock themselves on or glue themselves to something.”
Image: A JSO activist holds a picture of an imprisoned colleague
Emma Smart was held in prison for her activism with both Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil.
“The high-vis might be going away,” she tells me, “but we aren’t.”
“These people aren’t going anywhere, we are still committed, dedicated, terrified by the failings of this government and governments around the world.”
Image: JSO activists throw orange paint at van Gogh’s sunflowers
Image: Orange smoke set off by JSO protesters at Stonehenge
She hopes for a time of reflection before it returns in a new form but says the need for climate activism is stronger than ever.
She also believes that while most people dislike JSO tactics, it still raises awareness of the cause and might even push people to more moderate campaign groups.
Just Stop Oil came behind other, similarly controversial climate campaign groups like Insulate Britain and Extinction Rebellion, and as it says goodbye, its disruptive methods have been seized upon by other organisations like the Pro-Palestinian Youth Justice.
The infamous Just Stop Oil orange vests might be going away, but the individual activists, their cause and campaign tactics feel here to stay.