THREE men have been arrested following a shooting outside a Kirkby pub in broad daylight.

Two men, aged 23 and 19, from Kirkby, and a 37-year-old man from St Helens have been arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm and are being questioned by detectives.

Officers were called at around 2.45pm on Wednesday to reports of four or five shots being fired outside the Grog Shop, in Broad Lane.

Detectives are working to establish the exact circumstances of this incident and are investigating the possibility that a 16-year-old male suffered a minor injury as a result of shots being fired.

The 16-year-old youth was with a friend outside Sayers bakery shop when the shots were fired.

It is thought the youth did not know he had been injured and returned to school, where he spoke with staff after discovering damage to his clothing and a minor graze on his side.

Officers are working to establish if his injury was caused as a result of a ricocheted bullet.

The scene remains sealed off for forensic examination and high-visibility patrols are in the area. Officers are speaking with witnesses in the area and have been liaising with the youth’s parents and the school. House-to-house inquiries are ongoing.

Two bullet casings have been recovered from the scene and are being forensically examined.

Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Richardson said: “Thankfully, the injury to this youth was only very minor.

“The person or people responsible for this despicable attack have shown a total disregard for anyone who may have been popping to the shops or walking past, and they need to be brought to justice.”