Headlines and reports on this page = 3 news items.    Page - 10.

Firearms discharge and disruption activity leads to arrests!

MERSEYSIDE Police have recovered a large quantity of cash and designer clothing following searches of a garden and property in Litherland. Disruption activity by Matrix officers following a firearms discharge, in the early hours of Saturday, 9 April 2016, resulted in the search of the front garden of a property on Gowrie Grove where officers recovered £5,000 in cash hidden in undergrowth. A further search of the property recovered a further £11,000 in cash together with a large quantity of designer clothing and shoes with an estimated value of £30,000. The property and cash has since been seized and investigations are ongoing.  As part of ongoing disruption activity in the Sefton area 3 18 year old's and a 17 year old were arrested on Saturday, 9 April 2016, on suspicion of possession of a firearm, possession of an air rifle and possession of an offensive weapon, after a Ford Fiesta was stopped in Netherton. A 27 year old was also arrested in Seaforth, on Saturday, 9 April 2016, on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving and no insurance, after scrambler bikes and a quad bike were seen by patrols driving around the Crosby area at high speeds and without lights. In a separate incident 3 people; a 25 year old man, a 29 year old man and a 26 year old woman; were arrested for affray following an incident on Queens Drive, Stoneycroft, on Friday, 8 April 2016. All 3 have been bailed pending further enquiries. Detective Superintendent Richie Salter said:- "We are aware of a number of incidents of disorder involving firearms in the past week. I want to make it clear that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated and we will continue to take action against those involved in serious and organised crime. We will continue to disrupt criminal activity and relentlessly pursue those who are involved in criminality to take them off our streets. I want to reassure the law abiding members of the public that our commitment to tackling gun and serious crime is as strong as ever. Anyone who is involved in this type of criminality can expect a knock on their door in the coming days, weeks, months and years."

Anyone with any information about criminality in their area is asked to contact Merseyside Police on:- 101 or the confidential Crimestoppers line on:- 0800 555 111.

Travel time keeps us social, say bus users in the North West!

WHETHER it's online, on email or even face to face, bus users in the North West are most likely to start getting social when they get on board according to a recent survey conducted by Arriva Buses.  The survey, which aimed to find out more about people's commuter habits, showed that 60% of those surveyed by the bus company said they use their free time whilst travelling to catch up with friends and followers on social channels, whilst 58% took the opportunity to check their emails. However, perhaps most interestingly, was the interaction passengers frequently enjoyed with fellow travellers that they'd never met, with over ½ indulging in either a spot of eavesdropping or people watching, and 56% admitting to helping out total strangers.  Mark Bosworth, regional marketing director, from Arriva North West, explained:- "With free WiFi available on many of our buses, and 77% of passengers using it regularly, we weren't surprised to find out that people took the opportunity to go online and keep in touch with people during their journeys. But what we didn't perhaps realise was the comradery people felt with their fellow commuters. 39% of those asked said they've managed put a smile on the face of someone they didn't know, and 23% have even made new friends, which just goes to show what a lovely sociable community we've built on our buses." Not having to worry about parking (48%), and getting more time to themselves (42%, were the main reasons people chose to travel by bus in the North West, whilst many also noted it gave them chance to appreciate their surroundings more (40%), and was more affordable than alternative options (63%). The costs associated with fuelling a car and parking, along with traffic and complex Inner-City road networks all ranked amongst the reasons to choose bus over car for frequent journeys. "Bus travel is easier now than it ever has been before with our host of handy tools designed to make hopping on and off even more accessible. 67% of passengers we spoke to already used the Arriva Bus app or the webpage to plan journeys or check where their bus is, and 47% chose to buy their tickets though our m-ticket app, all of which aids to make bus travel hassle free, particularly in comparison to using the car, which can often prove stressful and costly. With these tools at your fingertips, along with on board features such as WiFi and comfier seating, there really has never been a better time to trial bus travel." continued Mark.  For more information about the Arriva Bus app, m-ticket and local services, please visit:- ArrivaBus.Co.UK/North-Eest.