Rhys killer father in arson probe

Joseph McCormick's son Sean Mercer was jailed for life for Rhys's murder

The father of Rhys Jones's killer has been arrested over an arson attack at the home of one of his son's fellow convicted gang members.

Joseph McCormick, 56, the father of Sean Mercer, was arrested over a fire at the home of Gary Kays in Mallard Close, West Derby on Merseyside.

Merseyside Police said a 56-year-old man had been bailed over the incident, which happened early on Saturday.

Rhys was killed in August 2007. Kays, 26, was jailed for his involvement.

He was one of six gang members jailed following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court which ended in January.

Mr McCormick regularly attended the 10-week hearing.

Merseyside Police said officers were alerted to the fire at 0300 BST on Saturday. A man and a woman inside the house managed to escape uninjured.

A "flammable device" was used to start the blaze at Kays' home.

A police spokesman added: "No-one else was inside the house at the time and only minor damage was caused to the front downstairs window."

Rhys Jones was shot as he walked home from football practice

Merseyside Police added: "The 56-year-old man, from Liverpool city centre, was arrested on Sunday...and has been released on police bail pending further enquiries."

Rhys, 11, was shot dead on 22 August 2007 in the car park of the Firtree pub, Croxteth, as he returned from football practice.

Kays was jailed for seven years for two counts of assisting an offender.

He was convicted of driving Mercer, 18, to an industrial site to burn his clothes after Mercer shot the schoolboy.

Along with Kays, five other members of Mercer's gang were convicted of helping him evade detection by police after Rhys's murder.

Kays has lodged an appeal against his conviction and sentence.