Huge police cordon in place as officers search woodland and church
Officers are scouring an area in Old Hall Lane, Kirkby, with a wide cordon in place.
Police carrying out a huge search on Old Hall Lane in Kirkby
A road and woodland around a church has been cordoned off as police carry out an extensive search.
Images and footage from the scene in Kirkby, Merseyside, show a large number of matrix police vans and officers who can be seen scouring the area.
A person who lives nearby told the Liverpool Echo forensic experts in white suits were searching bushes, woodland and carrying out a fingertip search of the road.
A road is cordoned off outside St Chads Church with officers also searching a hedgegrow.
Merseyside Police has yet to confirm what happened, according to the Echo.
A spokesperson for the force told the same publication officers were "responding to an incident in St Chads Church Gardens in Kirkby". Enquiries are ongoing.
News of the search comes after a gun was found in Kirkby earlier today (August 22).
The firearm was found a four minute drive away from the area currently being searched by police, however, it is not known at this stage whether the two searches are linked.
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Merseyside Police had yet to confirm the nature of the incident as of 10.30pm on Tuesday.
The force has ruled out a connection with previous reports of a missing 73-year-old man in Kirkby.
But a police spokesperson did say there is no cause for concern to the public in relation to the St Chads search operation.