Merseyside Police press conference in full following incident after Liverpool title parade

Yahoo

26-05-2025

The police service, ambulance service, fire service and council leader held a joint press conference on Monday as they each provided updates on the incident that took place following Liverpool's Premier League title parade.
A total of 27 people received treatment in hospital, with two of those — including one child — seriously injured, but thankfully no fatalities were reported after a car collided with dozens of pedestrians on Water Street.
Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable, Jenny Sims; David Kitchen of the North West Ambulance Service; Chief Fire Officer of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, Nick Searle; and Liverpool Council Leader, Liam Roberts, spoke at the press conference. Here's what was said...
Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims: "Firstly, my thoughts are with all those injured in tonight's horrific incident, their family and friends, and all of those affected by today's terrible tragedy.
"I want to thank all of the emergency services, partner agencies, and members of the public, who came to the assistance of the injured following this evening's shocking incident, which we declared a major incident.
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"This had been a joyous day in Liverpool, with hundreds of thousands of people lining the streets to celebrate Liverpool FC's victory parade.
"Sadly, at 6 o'clock this evening, as the parade was drawing to a close, we received reports that a car had been in a collision with a number of pedestrians on Water Street in the city center.
"A number of people have been injured and were taken to hospital; in addition, a large number of people of all ages were treated at the scene but did not require hospital treatment.
"Specialist officers have been put in place to support the injured and their families. The car stopped at the scene and a 53-year-old white British man, from the Liverpool area, was arrested, we believe him to be the driver of the vehicle.
"Extensive enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision, and it is vital that people don't speculate and spread misinformation on social media.
"We believe this to be an isolated incident and we are not currently looking for anyone else in relation to it. The incident is not being treated as terrorism.
'We would ask that people refrain from sharing distressing footage online, and please share any information directly with our investigation team.
"In the lead-up to this event, we have been working closely with event organizers, and a robust traffic management plan was put in place throughout the parade, which included a number of road closures throughout the route and the city center; we will provide further updates as soon as we have them.
David Kitchen of the North West Ambulance Service: "We are horrified and saddened that a day of celebration could end in such terrible circumstances. Our thoughts are with those who witnessed the incident and those who were injured.
"As large crowds were expected in the city center today, we thankfully had a strong presence already in place close to the route. Our colleagues were very quickly on scene to offer aid and treatment.
"Our emergency ambulances took patients to our NHS colleagues at hospitals. Sadly, four of the injured were children, who were enjoying the day with their friends and their families.
"We can confirm that 20 patients at the scene were treated for minor injuries. 27 patients, in total, were taken to hospital by ambulance. We believe two of those, including one of the children sustained serious injuries. Our cyclist paramedic was also struck by the vehicle but was not hurt.
"Some patients have self-presented at local hospitals following the incident. We share the police's appeal for calm, this is an appalling incident, and we understand people will be deeply upset.
"The people of Liverpool have showed many times before that you are a strong community and support one another. All of us share with you the frustration that this wonderful day has ended like this, and we hope that the injured make a speedy recovery.
"We would like to thank the fire and rescue services, and the Merseyside Police, who responded rapidly, as did many of the supporters in the city. Everybody has played their part today."
Chief Fire Officer of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, Nick Searle: "Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by the incident this evening. We were informed at 18:07 of the incident, and we immediateliy mobilized three fire engines and were in attendance in four minutes.
"On arrival, we were met with numerous injuries and four persons trapped under a vehicle. Our crews rapidly lifted the vehicle, we removed three adults and one child from beneath, and passed those to our ambulance service colleagues.
"We then worked with emergency service partners to ensure casualties received treatment, and were taken to hospital as quickly as possible. My fire crews will maintain a visible and reassuring presence in the coming days and weeks."
Liverpool Council Leader, Liam Roberts: "I'd like to start by saying, how much our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this appalling incident. It's cast a very dark shadow over what was a joyous day for the city and the finale to a fabulous bank holiday weekend.
"I want to pay tribute to our emergency services, who responded to help those who were hurt, and to our NHS staff, treating them in hospital.
"We are working very closely with Merseyside Police to support their investigation. I would appeal for people to not share the horrifying footage of the incident on social media. Please, if you have any information, forward it to Merseyside Police to help their investigation.
"We won't be commenting any further, but we will provide relevant updates when it's appropriate to do so. Our hearts go out to all of those affected. Liverpool is a city that has a proud history of coming together and supporting each other over challenging times. I have no doubt that that will again be the case over the coming days and weeks."