Three men have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a man was seriously injured in the theft of a motorbike. Merseyside Police have confirmed tonight that detectives investigating the theft of a motorbike from a Southport address have arrested three men on suspicion of attempted murder.
They are a 22-year-old man from Liverpool city centre, a 20-year-old man from Wavertree and a 19-year-old man from Liverpool city centre. They are all currently in custody and enquiries are continuing. Merseyside Police remain at two locations – one on Leyland Road and The Promenade in Southport and the other on Jamaica Street in the Baltic Triangle.
A police spokesman confirmed to the ECHO today that the two scenes, 20 miles apart, were linked. Merseyside Police officers were contacted at 8.25pm yesterday, Friday 19 July, after a man in his 20s reportedly fell from the back of a moving white Peugeot Boxer van during the robbery on Leyland Road.
The man suffered head and chest injuries and was taken to hospital where he is in a serious condition. An investigation is underway and CCTV and witness enquiries are being carried out in the area. Photographs taken by the ECHO show forensic officers at the scene, while a blue plastic sheet has been laid across Leyland Road.
Jamaica Street officers are understood to have focused their attention on the drains in the road and sniffer dogs were brought in earlier this afternoon. Both scenes remain cordoned off as investigations continue and police conduct inquiries with businesses in the Baltic Triangle area.
An eyewitness from the area said police had been on the scene since about 12 p.m. Three police vehicles and about six officers remained on the scene this evening.
Following the incident in Southport, Detective Inspector Sarah Wilkinson said: “The investigation is in its early stages as we try to establish what happened. We are speaking to local residents and looking at CCTV.
“It appears the victim attempted to prevent the bike from being stolen and fell from the back of the van which fled along Leyland Road. Enquiries are ongoing to locate the van and its occupants and I would ask anyone who was in the area of The Promenade/Leyland Road last night and saw or heard anything to contact us urgently.”
Anyone with information is asked to DM @MerPolCC or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting reference 24000631244.
