A regional daily has demanded an end to a so-called “‘anti-grass’ culture” on parts of its patch after issuing a direct plea to those who know the identity of a nine-year-old girl’s killer.

The Liverpool Echo has run a front page appeal this morning for information about the death of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who was shot in the chest at around 10pm on Monday while at home with her mother Cheryl after a man who was being chased forced his way into their house.

The killer ran in after the man and fired a number of shots “with complete disregard for Olivia and her family”, who had no connection with the gunman or the other man.

On its front page, pictured below, the Echo posed the question ‘Whose side are you on?’ to those withholding information about her death, accompanied by a photograph of Olivia.

In its plea, the Echo wrote: “Imagine the terror of Olivia, just nine-years-old, and her mum as a gunman bursts into their house and shoots them.

“Imagine the agony of Olivia’s family as they’re told she didn’t make it – murdered in her own home.

“Imagine knowing something about this unspeakable crime but keeping quiet because you’d rather surrender our city to the thugs than help get justice for Olivia.

“If this is you, ask yourself… whose side are you on?”

The Echo repeated its appeal in a leader column.

It wrote: “For too long an ‘anti-grass’ culture has infiltrated areas of this city. People who know vital information about horrific crimes and those who have committed them will choose to keep it to themselves out of some misguided sense of loyalty or the foolish idea of a code.

“But today we ask, where is the loyalty to the family of a nine-year-old school child who was shot dead in cold blood inside her family home?

“Where is the loyalty to her distraught parents and loving family who will never get to see her grow up and achieve everything they dreamed of?

“This is the time to choose where your loyalties lie. You owe nothing to a cold-blooded killer, happy to burst into a family home and spray bullets at an innocent child – and to leave her there dying.

“The only people you owe anything to are those trying to come to terms with her senseless loss.”