Five arrests over hidden shotgun

Five people, including three teenagers, have been arrested on Merseyside after the discovery of a shotgun hidden in the loft of a house.

Police were originally called out to a fire at the house in Avon Street, Birkenhead, before finding the single-barrelled firearm.

The searches were carried out after a tip-off, police said.

A woman, aged 39, a 21-year-old man and three youths aged 18, 17 and 15, have been arrested.

All five are from the Birkenhead area.

The gun is undergoing forensic testing.