A man was killed in front of his girlfriend as he sat at a set of traffic lights in Merseyside.
Paul Pike, from Belle Vale, was gunned down as he was out driving with his girlfriend in his red Ford Transit van.
Now, 11 years on from the shooting, his killers have still not been caught and could potentially be walking free.
The 23-year-old was at traffic lights on Crosby Road North, Waterloo, by the Liver pub, when a stolen silver Audi TT with two people in it pulled up alongside him.
His killers shot at him and his van multiple times at around 11.20pm, before the car reportedly drove off, turned around and fired more shots at Paul.
Paul’s girlfriend managed to survive the attack with only minor injuries and ran from the van to get help.
A number of witnesses attempted to save Paul but he died at the scene a short time later, on June 5, 2010.
The Audi TT was later found torched in Fairfield, off Endbutt Lane.
The tribute by the Liver pub in Waterloo for Paul Pike (Image: Southport Visiter)
In the years since the incident, a 27-year-old, 26-year-old, two 24-year-olds and a 23-year-old have all been arrested during the course of police’s investigations but to this day no-one has been charged.
At one point in time Merseyside Police also offered a £10,000 reward in return for information leading to a conviction.
Detectives have said they believe the shooting was a targeted attack but no real motive for Mr Pike’s murder has ever been identified.
One line of enquiry during the investigation was that the murder was possibly linked to a spate of tit-for-tat shootings at the end of 2009 and the start of 2010.
Police were called out to several shootings across Belle Vale during the winter but the attacks stopped almost as suddenly as they began.
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Throughout the years officers investigating the attack have continued to appeal for information.
On the eighth anniversary of the murder, officers said: “We will consider any information that comes into the MCU.
“The murder has not been solved and there is a live investigation.”
In a previous appeal in 2016 Detective Superintendent Neil Bickley, who was leading the investigation, said: “At that time of night, 11.20pm on a Saturday, we believe the area around the Liver Hotel would have been very busy and a lot of people will have witnessed what happened before or immediately after the shooting.
We would also appeal for anyone who was sitting in the line of traffic behind the Transit van and who may have seen the Audi with two men inside.
We know Mr Pike had been visiting friends in the Crosby area before the attack.
“We are still trying to piece together exactly where he had been and for how long.
We are looking at CCTV from the area and the background of both Mr Pike and the Audi TT.”
And in another appeal Merseyside Police said it would “not give up until those responsible are put before the courts.”
Anyone with information that hasnt already come forward is urged to speak to Merseyside Police or go through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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