Merseyside Police are in the midst of a crackdown on members of the so-called Woodchurch Organised Crime Group (OCG), based in Birkenhead's Woodchurch estate.
The gang are involved in the supply of Class A and B drugs in both the local area and elsewhere on a county lines model, particularly in North Wales. Merseyside Police see the gang as among the top threats to public safety and security in the region, in large part due to the upsurge in gun violence related to its members' long-standing rivalry with the 'Ford' organised crime group based in the Beechwood estate.
But despite years of problems, the recent brazen shootings in public places have left residents desperate for change, according to local community policing inspector Alan McKeon. Insp. McKeon, a native of the Woodchurch estate himself, fears the potential tragic consequences for innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire as what he termed "warring factions" use firearms to attack each other.
