Long inquiry after schoolboy shot

The youngster was shot in the neck on his way home from football practice

The shooting of 11-year-old Rhys Jones on his way home from football practice in August 2007 sent shockwaves through the nation.

Shot in the neck by a teenager on a mountain bike, the "bubbly and popular" Everton FC fan died in the car park of a pub in Croxteth, Liverpool.

Detectives said the schoolboy had become the innocent victim of a gangland feud and appealed directly to local gangs for help to catch the killer.

But despite 20 arrests in the six months following the shooting - 17 on suspicion of murder - nobody has yet been charged with the killing.

On Tuesday, 12 more people were arrested by Merseyside Police in a series of dawn raids in the Croxteth area.

It is the latest twist in a long-running police inquiry.

'We know'

In November 2007 - three months after the killing - detectives said they knew who murdered the schoolboy.

Merseyside Police Chief Constable Bernard Hogan-Howe said it was only a matter of time before the killer was caught.

We need the person who killed our son to be brought to justice to give us a sense of peace Melanie Jones

He dismissed reports that officers had been met with a wall of silence in Croxteth by people fearful of reprisals.

He said: "If the person is listening, we are confident we know who you are and are building a case against you."

Residents living in Croxteth described the killing as "horrific" but complained there had been long-running problems with gangs in the area.

One told the BBC: "This has been a long time coming. I've half-expected something like this for a while now.

"There's loads of kids hanging round here. You're too frightened to go to the shops or to the pub, pensioners are too frightened to go to church on Sunday."

The congregation was told Liverpool had been 'shamed' by the murder

In September, more than 2,500 mourners packed into Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral for the funeral of the schoolboy.

Hundreds of people wore their brightest clothes to celebrate Rhys's short life.

As workers from a nearby building site downed tools to pay their respects, inside the church Father Andrew Unsworth told the congregation that Liverpool had been "shamed by such a crime".

Later that month, Rhys's parents Melanie and Stephen Jones urged a mystery caller who contacted police days after the killing to get back in touch.

Facing a week in which they should have been celebrating Rhys's 12th birthday and their 20th wedding anniversary, the couple pleaded for help in catching the killer.

Mrs Jones said: "We need the person who killed our son to be brought to justice to give us a bit of peace."

In February, detectives said they believed they had found the gun used to kill the 11-year-old, and identified the exact make of bicycle used by the gunman.

Following a series of appeals, including two on the BBC's Crimewatch programme, police said they were "confident" about the progress which had been made in the six months since Rhys's death.

Det Ch Supt Dave Kelly said: "We have a clear strategy for this investigation and we're determined to leave no stone unturned."

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