The gangs of the Wirral
The gangs of the Wirral
A podcast reveals new details about the drug feud that spawned a year of violence
Dear readers — welcome to The Post, a publication which is both universally beloved and incredibly cool. We hope that those of you who were attendance at Africa Oyé (also universally beloved and almost as cool) over the weekend applied generous quantities of SPF… unfortunately, Abi was too busy enjoying Julian Marley et al and has been struck down by sunstroke, leaving your Monday briefing primarily in the hands of me (Jack), just like the good old days.
But before we rub our snouts into a deep trough of news, gossip, cultural recommendations and other assorted stuff, allow us to briefly recap last week’s reads, on the off chance you had something better to do at the time:
On Wednesday, our newest addition Ophira introduced herself to the baying Post mob with a writer’s edition; covering topics from ‘Wang’s Dumplings’ to the city’s dearth of pubs with pool tables
On Thursday Abi unspun the mystery of the derelict Toxteth street that was sold to Hong Kong’s wealthiest man (including new information about the less-than-transparent agreements between Liverpool City Council and a local developer in 2019)
And at the weekend, David Lloyd took a bottle of white spirit to Liverpool’s middling street art scene (our so-called “municipal anaglypta”). Read here.
As ever, our paying members get to read all of our stuff, as well as getting to bathe in the warm glow of knowing they’re supporting quality journalism in this city. We’re all saving on the heating at the moment, so it’s the perfect time to take out a subscription:
And one last thing before we get on with it. We’re still taking applicants for our new staff writer position. The deadline is Sunday 7th July. If you think you might be up to the job then follow this link to find out all the details, or if there’s someone you know who fits the bill then do send it their way. We don’t yet have the digital startup essentials of an office ping pong table or a stocked mini fridge but if these are deal-breakers I’m sure we can work something out.
The big story: The gangs of the Wirral
Top line: Wirral’s Woodchurch and Beechwood estates have been blighted by serious gang violence over the past few years — which culminated in the death of an innocent 26-year-old woman on Christmas Eve in 2022. A new podcast has attempted to unravel the gang feud that led to her death.
Recap: Elle Edwards was shot dead by Connor Chapman, a 22-year-old low level cocaine dealer, in December 2022, after he unleashed a flurry of bullets into a pub called The Lighthouse. Chapman intended to kill two rival gang members, but ended up only wounding them. The Sunday Times, The Times and News Corp Australia have been investigating the global drug trade for a podcast series called Cocaine Inc. In Episode Six they explore the gang war on Wirral’s Woodchurch estate.
The Woodchurch estate, to the west of Birkenhead, is Wirral’s largest housing estate. Its easy for things to become sensationalised when discussing gang feuds in such areas — it goes without saying that for the average resident this isn’t the defining feature of their neighbourhood. But nonetheless, the last few years have seen a worrying untick in incidents.
Throughout 2022 there were four shootings around the estate, all thought to be gang related.
The Woodchurch estate gang and the Beechwood organised crime group are effectively competing for the same cocaine market. The violence seen on both estates has largely been a product of that feud .
Contrary to popular belief, most of its drug supply that arrives in the Wirral doesn’t come through Liverpool’s port:
Cocaine is shipped to ports in the south of the UK from Colombia via the Netherlands and then purchased by the Woodchurch Estate Gang for roughly £26,000 a kilogram. It’s sold on the street for a profit of £24,000 a kilo.
Escalation: Exactly what caused violence on the Woodchurch estate to suddenly escalate in 2022 isn’t entirely clear. It has been speculated that the shooting of a man with links to Beechwood at a Shell garage in 2019 was the origin point. Chapman was found not guilty of that shooting, but the two men he was trying to kill at the Lighthouse Pub, Kieran Salkeld and Jake Duffy, were from Beechwood.
Moreover, Salkeld and Duffy had beaten up one of his gang associates days prior to the shooting of Elle Edwards.
At Chapman’s trial it was revealed that he had occasionally dealt cocaine on the Beechwood Estate, which may have caused things to further escalate. The Times also spoke to a man called Johnny, a former drug dealer who grew up on the Beechwood estate, who explains that disputes over “turf” are less likely to cause feuds than simple social media arguments. He says:
“A lot of people I was friends with were having arguments on social media. People getting embarrassed on social media. These days if there’s a fight, it gets recorded, or if five kids are going to jump on a lad, one of them will film it and plaster it all over Snapchat to embarrass the person, and then in response to that, windows might get done.”
Since the murder of Elle Edwards, a massive crackdown attempt has been launched by Merseyside Police as part of the “fightback” against gang violence. In the 18 months since there has been a clear reduction in violence. In total:
722 arrests have been made
Over £38,000 of cash has been seized
A series of raids were carried out on senior gang members, including the raids of five homes on the Beechwood, Woodchurch and Noctorum estates in May 2023
Your Post briefing
Save us from the bog brush! As our weekend read on the topic of Liverpool’s street art got a good reception, here’s another important public realm intervention. The Post will be stepping up our campaign to spare the city centre (specifically the area opposite the Grade I-listed St George’s Hall) from a giant sculpture of a bog brush. The plans are part of the new Sir Ken Dodd Happiness Centre and will include a giant statue of Dodd’s “tickle stick”, or so they say. To anyone with eyes this simply looks like a massive bog brush and we can’t be convinced otherwise (although we’ll accept it as a kebab rotisserie, at a push). A zip-line landing on the roof of the library would be a more sympathetic addition to the city…
Chancers at the Chancery: As Everton nudges closer to new ownership Dan Friedkin, fans can breathe a collective sigh of relief that 777’s Josh Wander, who was in pole position to take over for months, has moved out of the picture. In a motion filed at the Delaware Court of Chancery last week, Josh Wander and his business partner Steven Pasko were accused of “operating a massive, Madoff-scale scheme of fraud to the tune of many hundreds of millions of dollars”.
Amazing news that legendary Liverpool defender Alan Hansen has been discharged from hospital a few weeks after it was revealed that he was "seriously ill". A family statement on the Liverpool FC website said that Hansen would "continue his recovery at home" and gave thanks for the outpouring of “messages of love and support.”
And finally, the most important news story of this week or indeed any week: a video of a baby with a thick Scouse accent… lovely stuff.
Home of the week
If you, like us, are a sucker for a freestanding bath, then check out this property on Shanklin Road, Wavertree. Aside from luxurious bathing, this property offers an original brick fireplace, huge windows, and a sunlit window seating area. It’s listed for £190,000.
Post Picks
🐝 Here’s an event we’re buzzing about — tomorrow marks the opening of the World Museum’s new exhibition Bees: A Story of Survival. Created in collaboration with award-winning sculptor Wolfgang Buttress, this event promises to be an immersive wonderland, following the decline and near extinction of the humble bee, and the species’ resilience despite it all. You can book your place here.
🎨 If you were inspired by David Lloyd’s piece and want to bring your own street art to Liverpool, Black Lodge Brewing are now running their Zap Graffiti Art Class in Liverpool’s unique graffiti-art focused venue. Classes are running from Wednesday, and included in the ticket price of £25 you receive training on the basics of graffiti from a professional. Please no liver birds.
🍸 If you’re still pining for the days of low-rise jeans and flannels, then the Baltic Big Fat 90s Quiz may be the event for you. Hosted on the 25th of June by Cains Brewery, the event promises to test your pre-millenium knowledge, with a 90s soundtrack and 90s-themed cocktails to make the experience all the more nostalgic. Tickets cost just £12 a table, and you might just walk away with £150 worth of ‘Baltic Bucks’.
🎷 And this Saturday, former musical director of Liverpool’s Sense of Sound Singers Perri Alleyne-Hughes will be bringing her new eponymously named ensemble to the Ma Boyle’s Alehouse and Eatery stage. The event is hosted by Parrjazz, so expect jazz infused with Latin, blues, and hints of rock. The gig is free, although tickets can still be booked here.
Our favourite reads
A New Yorker odyssey in search of “the El Dorado of lost watches”, John Lennon’s Patek Philippe 2499. For years the watch, a gift courtesy of Yoko Ono which is now thought to be worth somewhere between ten and forty million dollars, was believed to be in Ono’s apartment. But now it sits in an undisclosed location in Geneva, awaiting a ruling by Switzerland’s Supreme Court. Read here.
In a city with deep Irish roots, traditional Irish folk music is making an unlikely resurgence. This fantastic read takes us on a tour of the newly formulating local scene. “As one regular session player eloquently put it, ‘There’s no excuse to sit on your arse in Liverpool!’”
I'll be down on the barricades with you against the bog brush. As a city we need to remember we've contributed more to the world than things that were popular on telly in the 60s and 70s. Tells you a lot about what type of person is commissioning things.
The Murdoch press would do well to look at the washing of criminals, corporate carpet baggers and authoritarian dictatorships’ filthy ill gotten lucre by the so called gentlemen of the City of London. But they won’t as it’s far easier to blame Johnny Foreigner and some working class lads in an area they couldn’t care less about.
You should read Roberto Saviano’s Zero Zero Zero. He’s in hiding from the Camorra. A proper journalist.