A man from Wirral has been arrested as part of a major police operation designed to tackle domestic abuse in Wirral and Cheshire.

Edward O’Neill, 51, of the Dell, Rock Ferry, was arrested and subsequently charged with three counts of assault, harassment, criminal damage and use violence to secure entry to premises.

He has been conditionally bailed to appear at Chester Magistrates Court on 10 December.

Since the launch of Operation Guardians yesterday (Tuesday, November 23), Cheshire Police have arrested 30 people on suspicion of domestic abuse offences.

Joshua Littler, 24, of Sutton Way, Great Sutton was arrested and subsequently charged with harassment.

He was remanded to appear at Chester Magistrates Court today (Wednesday, November 24).

An 81-year-old man from Ellesmere Port was arrested on suspicion of assault and engaging in controlling/coercive behaviour.

He has since been released on conditional bail.

A 53-year-old woman, from Great Sutton, was arrested on suspicion of assault.

She has since been released under investigation.

A 35-year-old man of no fixed address but of Ellesmere Port, was arrested on suspicion of assault, engaging in controlling/coercive behaviour, harassment and assault.

He remains in custody assisting police with enquiries.

Operation Guardians is a 72-hour operation aimed at targeting and arresting domestic abuse perpetrators across Cheshire and into Wirral.

Taking place from Tuesday November 23 to Thursday November 25, the operation specifically targets domestic abuse offenders while bolstering the support available to victims and families affected.

T/Assistant Chief Constable Una Jennings said: “The message is simple - if you are a domestic abuse offender, we will be using the full force of the law against you.

“This is a crime that can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender or race, and we know that by targeting offenders and potentially helping them realise how their behaviour is wrong we can combat this issue.

“Domestic abuse has no place in any home and we will do all we can to protect our communities.”