Merseyside Police target serious organised crime after murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel

Detectives investigating the murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel continue to appeal for information.

Officers arrested a 36-year-old man from Huyton on Thursday 25 August and a 33-year-old man from Dovecot on Friday 26 August on suspicion of murder and two counts of attempted murder.

Both men have been released on bail and the 36-year-old man has been recalled to prison after breaching the terms of his licence.

Police are still appealing to anyone who saw a black Audi Q3 car in the days leading up to the shooting, or anyone with information about its movements after leaving Kingsheath Avenue on the night of the shooting.

“This level of cooperation simply must continue.”

Detective Chief Superintendent and Head of Investigations, Mark Kameen, said: "I’ve repeatedly asked for any information and help from our communities I’m incredibly grateful for the sheer levels and volume of the information that we’ve received so far. This level of engagement, this level of cooperation simply must continue.

"I also need to remind everybody around the opportunity on our website the major incident portal to upload CCTV and make contact with us directly through the map or indeed through Crimestoppers."

“We’ve had a wealth of information and engagement”

He added: "I cannot stress enough the importance of community engagement in solving each of these crimes. We’ve had a wealth of information and engagement and we’re incredibly grateful for that."

Merseyside Police have arrested 32 people over the bank holiday weekend as they continue their pursuit of those involved in organised crime. This news comes as it marks one week since the murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel. This takes the total number of arrests for the operation, codenamed Operation Miller, to 202 and officers have carried out a total of 69 warrants.

Merseyside Roads Policing officers are also out and about on major routes in and out of the city targeting those involved in organised crime who are using the road networks.

Half a million pounds of funding to support local communities

On a visit to the city, the Home Secretary announced half a million pounds of funding to support the communities of Liverpool and Knowsley in the wake of the tragic shootings in the city. This will provide specialist trauma informed support in nearby schools, as well as mental health provisions for those closely affected.

Police say their resources have been significantly boosted by officers from across the UK.