A GANG of men have been charged with affray and 16 counts of assault after people complained of being attacked in a bar in Wirral.
The five were arrested in the early hours of Sunday, August 3, in Birkenhead town centre.
After an initial arrest for disorder, Merseyside Police launched an investigation, which led to the recovery of CCTV evidence and consequent identification of a number of victims and witnesses of the attacks.
The five men are due before Wirral Magistrates Court on October 3, 2008.
Neighbourhood Inspector Mick Blease said: “Merseyside Police are actively targeting violence and disorder on Wirral, and, in particular, Birkenhead Town Centre.
“We are allocating more resources to investigate and obtain evidence on vio-lent crimes to prosecute offenders more robustly.
“In the past, offenders may have been charged with a disorder offence or given a fixed penalty ticket, but, due to close working with the Crown Prosecu-tion Service, we are work-ing to ensure the most appropriate charges are laid.”
