Police Search Moves From Gwersyllt To Rossett

This afternoon police activity centred around Alyn Waters and Gwersyllt, and this evening has moved to Rossett. It is locally rumoured that it is linked to the manhunt for a man who police wish to speak to in relation to a rape.

The eastern gates of Alyn Waters were closed off earlier today due to a car crash there around 5am this morning – more here. The police activity this afternoon is not connected to this.

The entrance in Gwersyllt to Alyn Waters had North Wales Police cars closing it off earlier today, however it reopened this evening. Several police cars have been sighted in and around the area, with the helicopter overhead. Two local people have been in touch to say that locals have been shown pictures of a wanted man – believed to be 37-year-old Peter Watton – and they believe the search was in relation to finding him. This connection has yet to be confirmed by North Wales, or Cheshire Police.

This evening just after 8pm police interest appeared to be focussed in and around Rossett, with large numbers of police searching fields around the A483 junction and railway, with police activity now reported in fields up and down the area as far as Doddleston. We saw a small convoy of Cheshire Police vehicles entering Rossett around 8:30pm as additional policing resources arrived in the area.

A train was stopped on the tracks close by just before 6pm, however Arriva Trains Wales said they “believe it was due to multiple signal failures in the area”, however there has been suggestion that the train was deliberately stopped.

The A483 has lots of cones on it this evening, however that is unrelated, the verges and central reservation will be getting a much needed trim overnight with the road turning into a 40mph zone.

Hunt For Peter Watton

Police have re-iterated their appeal for information to find Peter Watton who is local to the Chester area but also has links to Crewe, Merseyside and North Wales. Police have also searched homes in the Lache in Chester to discover his whereabouts.

The public is urged not to approach Peter who was released from prison on 12 June and is in breach of his licence conditions. He is considered a risk to the public and is wanted on a recall to prison.

Peter has some distinctive tattoos which include the word PETE on the knuckles of his left hand in blue ink, a tribal tattoo on his left arm his wrist up to his neck, and the word BLACON in blue ink on the wrist of his left forearm.

On the afternoon of Friday 14 June 2013, a 44-year-old woman was held for several hours and raped in woodland while jogging with her pet dog in the Dukes Drive area of Handbridge. She is being supported by specialist officers.

Detective Superintendent Andy Southcott said: “This was a brutal attack and I know the community have been shocked to hear about it. While I do not want to create unnecessary panic I have a duty to make people aware of this, and to do all I can to find the person responsible.

“I would particularly appeal to people that know Peter but may not have spoken to police through some sense of misguided loyalty to get in touch. We want to speak to him about a very serious crime and people with information should take this opportunity to share it with us”.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Peter Watton should call the Police on 999.