Wirral Borough Council leader Jeanette Williams said the "most heart-breaking aspect" was that the 26-year-old was not the intended target of the attack.

Elle was a "gorgeous young woman with a whole life ahead of her", Cllr Williams told Sky News.

"She came out on Christmas Eve to celebrate Christmas coming in, and she never seen it. And it was the indiscriminate nature of the violence that I think probably sickened most people."

She described the innocent woman, who was killed while out dancing with friends, as "just so well-loved in the community".

The local newspaper, the Liverpool Echo, ran "United in grief" as today's front page headline.

It comes as Merseyside police renewed their appeal for anyone with information or dashcam, CCTV or mobile phone footage to come forward.

Chief Constable Serena Kennedy pledged a "relentless" search for those responsible for the "callous and cold-blooded murder".

Detectives "will be relentless in their work to establish what led up to the incident on Christmas Eve and who was responsible for this sickening and heart-breaking incident".

Cllr Williams said yesterday that anyone who fails to speak up with information is "complicit to the murder of the young woman".

Mourners have been leaving floral and written tributes outside the Lighthouse Inn in Wallasey village in the Wirral, where shots were fired at around 11.50pm on Christmas Eve.

A heartfelt tribute from "mum and dad" read: "To my beautiful Elle you are the light of my life you will never be gone."

Another handwritten card titled "In loving memory of a dear sister" said: "To my Elle May, I love you forever."

On Boxing day a 30 year-old-man and a 19-year-old woman were arrested in connection with the shooting, which also left a 28-year-old man fighting for his life and three others hurt.