CCTV appeal launched after murder of 'shining light' council worker Ashley Dale in Liverpool

23 August 2022, 22:57 | Updated: 5 October 2023, 16:26

Detectives hunting a gunman who shot a council worker dead in Liverpool have issued a CCTV appeal for the driver of a car seen nearby at the time of her murder.

Ashley Dale, 28, was found fatally wounded in the back garden of a house in Old Swan, Liverpool, at around 12.40am on Sunday.

She received medical treatment at the scene but was taken to hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

A Home Office post-mortem examination confirmed she died from a single gunshot wound.

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Police believe Ms Dale, a graduate who worked in the environmental health team at Knowsley Council, was not the intended victim.

CCTV footage has been released of a car being driven into Leinster Road, where Ms Dale was found, at around 12.30am, about 10 minutes before the incident was reported.

Merseyside Police said they wish to speak to the person who was driving the vehicle, or any passengers and nearby pedestrians, as they may have vital information.

Police release CCTV in relation to the murder of Ashley Dale in Liverpool

Detective Chief Inspector Cath Cummings said: "Our officers are working round-the-clock to investigate this appalling incident which led to the tragic death of a young woman.

"Our inquiries so far show that a car was driven into Leinster Road, not too long before the incident was reported to police.

"If it was you driving the car, you were a passenger or the CCTV jogs your memory about anything you might have seen in the early hours of Sunday morning then please get in touch.

"Information you have could be crucial to our ongoing investigation.

"From reviewing CCTV footage in the area, we have also identified that there were a number of people on foot around the time of the incident."

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The incident came shooting took place shortly after Anthony Joshua's heavyweight title fight defeat against Oleksandr Usyk and Ms Cummings added: "A boxing match had not long finished and so the area was relatively busy with people on foot, going home or into town after the match.

"If you were walking in the area of Leinster Road or on Prescot Road, including the crossroads near the Navigator pub between 12.20am and 12.40am on Sunday morning then please let us know.

"You may have seen or heard something which could really help us find those responsible.

"Similarly, I would ask taxi and delivery drivers if they were driving in the area between 12.20am and 12.40am and have dashcam footage please contact us."

On Monday, Ms Dale's family remembered her in a tribute as "our shining light".

No arrests have been made.

Anyone with any information can submit to Merseyside Police's public portal, via social media @MerPolCC or call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting reference 22000615873.