‘I thought I'd lost everything', says dad who watched baby boy dragged 15ft in pram & partner run over by Liverpool car
Daniel Eveson, from Telford, Shropshire, said the parade had started off "perfect" but soon became the "worst day of his life".
10
10
10
A "sea of chaos" erupted when a Ford Galaxy car collided with multiple pedestrians as it drove into a crowd on Water Street, Liverpool city centre on Sunday.
The disturbing events unfolded just after 6pm after a day of jubilation when The Reds lifted the Premiere League trophy.
Four children were among 65 people injured and a 53-year-old white British man from west Derby was arrested at the scene.
Mr Eveson, who was their with his family, told the BBC: "It [the car] struck me in my chest, all the way down my left hand side.
"My partner went under the wheel and the car went over her leg and she got dragged down the road.
"Then my little boy got taken about maybe 15 feet down the road in his pram.
"I didn't know where anyone was or what to do.
"I didn't know where my boy was and then I saw his pram, I didn't know whether or not he was alive. And then I saw he was alive."
He moved his partner onto the kerb and rushed their son Teddy into a restaurant, where he assessed the tot was okay.
Mr Eveson then went back outside to tell his wife their son was alive and he was safe.
Sophie Radford puts split behind her on day out with Millie, but it comes to a shocking end amid Liverpool parade panic
"I thought I'd lost everything I really did," he added.
Mr Eveson's partner is still waiting to hear when she will be discharged from hospital, while Teddy is recovering at home.
The family had been walking up the road with the pram when they saw a commotion ahead.
They noticed two people running in the opposite direction before spotting the car.
10
10
10
Mr Eveson recalled people "screaming" in "pure terror".
"It will stay with me for the rest of my life," he said.
"I don't think I will ever be able to go to a parade or a celebration again."
It comes as Merseyside Police confirmed reports the car had followed an ambulance after a road block was temporarily lifted so paramedics could help a man who suffered a suspected heart attack.
Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims added eleven people remain in hospital and appear to be recovering well in a stable condition.
The force said the man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drugs.
Cops also clarified the incident was not being treated as terrorism during a press conference.
What we know so far:
A car collided with multiple pedestrians when it drove into a crowd on Water Street, Liverpool city centre
The incident happened just after 6pm as Liverpool FC's victory parade was coming to an end
Police have arrested a 53-year-old white British man from Liverpool who they believe to be the driver
The incident is not being treated as terror-related and police are not looking for anyone else
Four children were among 27 people taken to hospital and 20 treated at the scene
Manchester Arena attack survivor describes being knocked to the ground
Follow our live blog for all the latest updates
The Home Secretary will now visit Liverpool this evening following the major incident.
She will join DCC Chris Green and Mayor Steve Rotheram at the cordon of the scene to meet first responders who saved lives.
Meanwhile, speaking at a press conference this afternoon, Detective Chief Superintendent Karen Jaundrill, of Merseyside Police, said: 'I want to reassure the people of Merseyside that detectives are making significant progress as we seek to establish the full circumstances that led to this awful incident and bring the person responsible to justice.'
King Charles has said he was "deeply shocked and saddened" by the crash during the title parade.
He added: "I know that the strength of community spirit for which your city is renowned will be a comfort and support to those in need."
The Prince and Princess of Wales also said they were "deeply saddened" by the scenes on Monday.
William, who is patron of the Football Association, and his wife Kate said in a personal message on social media: "What should have been a joyful celebration ended with tragedy.
"Our thoughts are with those who were injured and to the first responders and emergency services on the ground. W & C."
And, soon after the horror, Sir Keir released a statement saying: "The scenes in Liverpool are appalling - my thoughts are with all those injured or affected.
"I want to thank the police and emergency services for their swift and ongoing response to this shocking incident.
"I'm being kept updated on developments and ask that we give the police the space they need to investigate."
Half an hour after that, Liverpool FC released a statement on X.
It read: "We are in direct contact with Merseyside Police regarding the incident on Water Street which happened towards the end of the trophy parade earlier this evening.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by this serious incident.
"We will continue to offer our full support to the emergency services and local authorities who are dealing with this incident."
'THE NOISE WAS TERRIFYING'
Footage taken from a shop showed the car edging through the crowds of supporters just two minutes before it accelerated down the street.
It was filmed slowly driving down Dale Street through groups unaware fans - including children - before it turned onto Water Street.
It reversed suddenly, bumping into a few annoyed revellers, before speeding forwards.
One mobile phone clip shows it colliding with dozens of screaming supporters before making a sharp right turn and stopping.
Seconds later, it turns to the left, and appears to hit several more before coming to a standstill.
Harry Rashid, 48, who was at the parade with his wife and two young daughters, said: 'It happened about ten feet from us.
'We had no control over where we would be because the street was very narrow.
"The vehicle came to our right. It emerged from just right next to a parked ambulance.
'It pulled up from the right and rammed into all the people at the side of us. It was fast. The noise was terrifying.'
Mr Rashid, of Solihull, West Mids, described how crowds began trying to smash the car windows.
He said: 'The driver stalled for a few seconds, probably about ten.
'Then loads of people a bit further back started rushing at him trying to smash his windows.
'But then he just ploughed through the rest of them.
'It was horrible. So many innocent people, fans just wanting to enjoy the parade, were hurt.'
He added: 'I just wanted my kids to get off the road regardless. You're just exposed there on the pavement.
'It was all horrendous, so horrendous.'
Video shows brave fans throwing bags at the vehicle and kicking it in a desperate attempt to slow it down.
Several sprinted after it as the driver continued down the road.
Despite their best efforts to stop the car, numerous people were thrown to the sides and some fell beneath the vehicle.
After pushing through dozens of footie fans for around 20m, the car came to a stop.
Fire crews arrived to find four people trapped under the vehicle, including a child, and worked quickly to free them.
Ambulances, a hazardous area response team, MERIT doctors, North West Air Ambulance and senior clinicians were quickly on scene to offer aid and treatment.
Emergency ambulances took patients to the Royal Liverpool, Alder Hey, Arrowe Park and Aintree Hospitals.
10
10
10
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Thousands of patients miss out on weight loss jab due to NHS ‘postcode lottery'
Thousands of obese patients are missing out on a key weight loss jab due to a 'postcode lottery' of provision in the NHS, according to a report. Mounjaro, dubbed the 'King Kong' of weight loss medicine, was supposed to be available through GP surgeries from 23 June under an agreement between NHS England and NICE. But just eight out of 42 NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in England were able to provide treatment to patients, according to Sky News, who obtained the data using a Freedom of Information request. Many other ICBs were reportedly unable to confirm when treatment would be available. Dr Jonathan Hazlehurst, an endocrinologist and obesity physician at University Hospitals Birmingham, said patients were 'set up for failure' and have been treated unfairly. "Giving people open promises and setting them up for disappointment and failure is clearly grossly unfair. That's what the current system is doing,' he told the broadcaster. NICE said in December that the NHS should offer Mounjaro to patients with a BMI of over 40 and at least four clinical conditions related to their weight, such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes. It calculated from NHS England data that there were 97,500 patients who should be treated in the first year. But Dr Hazlehurst claims NHS England has only provided funding for just over 22,000 patients. The Independent has approached NHS England for comment. A spokesperson told Sky News that NHS England had "fully supported the rollout" of Mounjaro. "We issued guidance and provided funding in March to all Integrated Care Boards to support treatment costs, enable scaling of services and provide wrap-around care, including digital support services,' they said. It comes after NICE warned many individuals might regain weight if not adequately supported after ceasing treatment. It stressed that those coming off the drugs should be offered "structured advice and follow-up support" to mitigate weight gain. This guidance applies to individuals receiving these treatments through the NHS. However, an estimated 1.5 million people in the UK are currently using weight-loss injections, with the vast majority paying privately. These individuals will not be eligible for NHS support once their treatment concludes. The new 'quality standard' from NICE says that NHS patients should be monitored for at least a year after they complete treatment, and extra support should be offered if needed. It emphasises building 'long-term behavioural habits, use self-monitoring tools, and draw on wider support – from online communities to family-led interventions and local activities'. This standard, a type of guidance for the health services in England and Wales, sets out expectations for health providers including how they should support patients. 'Successful weight management doesn't end when medication stops or when someone completes a behavioural programme,' said Professor Jonathan Benger, deputy chief executive and chief medical officer at Nice. 'We know that the transition period after treatment is crucial, and people need structured support to maintain the positive changes they've made.'
The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Britain urged to let hero Afghans bring their families to UK after major data leak put thousands at risk
The government has been urged to let hero Afghans granted sanctuary in Britain bring their loved ones to the UK after a major data breach put the lives of up to 100,000 people at risk from the Taliban. More than 50 refugee charities and lawyers have written to Yvette Cooper, urging her to make it easier for Afghans who were allowed to relocate to the UK due to British links to bring family members – many of whom are at risk of reprisals – with them. The pleas come after revelations of a 'catastrophic' data leak at the Ministry of Defence in February 2022, which involved the details of thousands of Afghans who said they were in danger from the Taliban and had applied for sanctuary in Britain being shared online. The dataset, inadvertently sent out by a member of the armed forces, included the personal details of applicants to the MoD's Arap resettlement scheme, which allows Afghans who supported British troops to seek sanctuary in the UK. The leak was covered up by a superinjunction, which was lifted in July after The Independent challenged the draconian legal order at the High Court. Ms Cooper has now been told the government 'has no time to waste' if it 'wants to prevent the worst possible consequences of the data leak becoming a dire reality'. Charity workers and solicitors, including from Asylum Aid and modern slavery charity Kalayaan, told Ms Cooper: 'The UK government has a moral responsibility to the Afghan people who continue to suffer, including now as a result of the data leak and have no choice but to seek safety elsewhere. 'The 2022 data breach directly exposed Afghans still in the country to a risk of reprisals they were not even aware of, and the High Court, in lifting the superinjunction, recognised that its imposition may have increased the risks these people face.' The letter continued: 'Poor decision-making could yet again have exposed Afghans to serious harm, with many of these people having clear UK family ties'. They added: 'It is essential that those who were resettled under Arap and ACRS are able to live in safety and are given a fair opportunity to reunite with their families.' Unlike asylum routes, Afghans using Arap cannot sponsor family members to come to the UK under refugee reunion rules. The same applies to those relocated under ACRS, designed to help those who supported British values, such as journalists or women's rights activists. However, some may be able to make a separate immigration application. But charities and rights groups say these family routes are very restrictive and can often involve 'extremely costly application fees and require copious, specific documentation'. Decision-makers often refuse these applications from Afghan families, leading to lengthy appeals. Lib Dem MP Wendy Chamberlain, chair of the all-parliamentary group for Afghan women, said: 'There is already anecdotal evidence of reprisals on family members by the Taliban - the Home Office has no time to waste if the government wants to prevent the worst possible consequences of the data leak becoming a dire reality. 'The Home Office desperately needs to take a pragmatic and compassionate approach to allowing Afghans resettled in the UK to be reunited safely with their families. It is clear that these schemes have been seriously mis-handled, culminating in the recent exposure of the 2022 data leak.' In one recent case highlighted by The Independent, a security guard who worked for the British embassy in Kabul for almost two decades has been unable to bring his two eldest sons to the UK. Hamidullah Fahim and his wife Zaghona were brought to Britain with two young children in December 2023, but he couldn't bring his two eldest sons, who are now in their 20s. He said that his family is struggling with being separated, saying: 'We want to do whatever we can to be reunited with them and to let the Home Office know of the injustice that has been carried out in our case'. Isaac Shaffer, at Refugee Legal Support, said it was 'critical' that the government sped up decision-making on Arap cases in light of the data breach. He explained that most of the people he was helping 'have waited over a year for a final decision on their Arap application and have remained in hiding throughout; in constant fear, and in extraordinarily precarious circumstances', adding: 'Knowledge of this data breach has only exacerbated this fear and uncertainty'. James Tullett, CEO at charity Ramfel, who helped co-ordinate the letter, said: 'The government has acknowledged that the people they have resettled need protection and yet this offer of support comes with the heavy price of separation from family. 'Allowing Afghan families to reunite won't solve all the problems associated with the data leak, but it will make a monumental difference for the affected families'.
The Guardian
8 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Burn notice: Gen Z and the terrifying rise of extreme tanning
Hannah Clark got her first spray tan for her school prom and has never looked back. 'I'm not proud of it, but I have used sunbeds,' says the 29-year-old graphic designer from Plymouth. Her goal is 'that glow you get when coming back from holiday. You know, when you walk around and people say: 'Oh, you look really healthy.' It's that feeling I'm chasing.' Clark is far from alone. On TikTok and Instagram, posts with the hashtag 'sunbed' number more than 500,000. Last year, a survey from skin cancer charity Melanoma Focus found that 28% of UK adults use sunbeds, but this rose to 43% among those aged 18 to 25. This new generation of younger tanning obsessives will go to extreme lengths to darken their skin. Some track the UV index – the level of the sun's ultraviolet radiation – and deliberately sit in the sun at the most dangerous times of day. Others use unregulated nasal tanning sprays and injections, which rely on a chemical to darken the skin. All the people under 30 I spoke to for this article know how dangerous tanning is. NHS guidance states that there is no safe or healthy way to get a tan and advises keeping out of the sun between 11am and 3pm, wearing sunscreen of at least factor 30, and covering up with clothing, hats and sunglasses. Dr Zoe Venables, a consultant dermatologist at Norfolk and Norwich University hospitals, with an interest in skin cancer epidemiology, says that when skin turns darker after UV exposure it 'suggests you're damaging those cells in your skin'. Sunbeds are categorised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as 'dangerous' – with their cosmetic use increasing incidences of skin cancers and driving down the age at which skin cancer first appears. It says people who have used a sunbed at least once at any point in their lives have a 20% greater chance of developing melanoma – the deadliest of the three most common forms of skin cancer – than someone who hasn't. For someone who has used a tanning bed for the first time before the age of 35, there is a 59% greater chance of developing melanoma. Despite this stark reality, having a tan is still presented to many young people as aspirational – whether it's faux tan-lines appearing on catwalks or bronzed influencers on holidays in Dubai. Many sunbed shop owners sell tanning as a form of 'self-care', while influencers post 'come for a sunbed with me' videos. Perhaps most perniciously, some sunbed shops even make light of the known risk associated with them. One meme shared on Instagram by a tanning salon overlays the text: 'When someone tells you sunbeds are bad for you' with a clip from the sitcom Benidorm, in which the character Madge Harvey says: 'I spy with my little eye something beginning with AB: absolute bollocks.' Emily Harris, 23, from Leeds, uses sunbeds. Her parents both work for the NHS and have warned her about the risks. But she says that having spent most of her teenage years in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by various global conflicts and the ever-looming presence of climate breakdown, the dangers of a sunbed seem small by comparison. 'You can die of anything – do you know what I mean?' she says. While Harris, who works in sales, can't afford to use sunbeds all the time, she uses them whenever she has 'a bit of spare money', making use of the deals that salons offer. Before a recent holiday, she bought a package that gave her unlimited minutes, with a daily limit, for four weeks. 'I was going every day,' Harris says, which she admits 'is a bit silly', but adds: 'I was trying to make the most of the package.' As well as using tanning beds, Harris is 'obsessed with tracking the UV', and has the index on the lock-screen of her phone. She and her colleagues plan their breaks around times when the UV index is highest, so they can maximise their exposure to the dangerous radiation. A number of her friends also use nasal tanning sprays, which were the subject of a Trading Standards warning issued earlier this year that stated: 'These products can cause nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, and even changes in mole shape and size … studies have shown a potential link to melanoma, a type of skin cancer.' Harris tried one when her friend had a spare bottle, but 'didn't see a result' so hasn't used one again. Was she worried about what might have been in it? 'To be honest, not really. I know it's bad, but at the time, I was more bothered about getting a tan.' Nasals, as they are known, usually contain a lab-made substance called melanotan II, a chemical that darkens skin pigmentation. Though it is illegal to sell medicinal products containing melanotan II in the UK, cosmetic products fall outside that remit and are easily available on social media. Dr Suraj Kukadia, a GP known to his 282,000 TikTok followers as 'Doctor Sooj', is concerned about the popularity of nasal sprays. He says melanotan II can also lead to 'painful and sustained erections in men, kidney damage, acne and muscle-wasting'. Holly Feldman, 25, lives in Surrey and is the CEO of a swimwear boutique. She has more than 10,000 followers on Instagram and is often sent free tanning products such as nasal sprays and injections. 'I think that was why it was so addictive for me,' she says. Though she had no idea what was in these products, and the injections in particular made her feel unwell, she says: 'I was just trying to turn a blind eye to it because I was so obsessed with how it made me look.' Feldman recently appeared on former Love Island contestant Olivia Attwood's ITV documentary series The Price of Perfection, in which Attwood explores the risks of various cosmetic treatments. Being on the show made Feldman realise how much potential damage she could be doing. She hasn't used a tanning injection for four months, and has reduced her use of a nasal spray to a couple of times over the past month, when previously it would have been four inhalations a day. 'I do still use sunbeds,' she says. 'But I have cut down. There was a time when I was going on them four, five, six times a week and now I only go on them once or twice.' Data from the UK and Ireland's Sunbed Association suggests that tanning beds are most popular among 25- to 45-year-olds, and more women than men use them. But that's not to say gen Z men are free from the pressure to sport a tan. Craig Hopkins, a 29-year-old dance teacher based in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, says he uses sunbeds to 'look like I've just come back from holiday'. He prefers the look of a 'real' tan to a fake tan, which ties in to existing social media trends such as 'looking expensive' and 'quiet luxury'. 'On Instagram especially, everyone is always on holiday, always super brown. So it's probably just trying to keep up,' Harris says. Like Harris, Hopkins also tried a nasal spray once, via a friend who used to sell them, but it made him 'feel really sick'. Despite the known risks and side-effects, most of the young people I spoke to for this article were still willing to give nasal sprays a try. Megan Urbaniak, a 23-year-old nail technician from Rotherham, says: 'I feel as if I know a million people who use them and everyone seems to have been fine. It does kind of weird me out that they don't tell you what's in them, but I'm sure there's worse in the world.' Urbaniak is a regular sunbed user – and has even encouraged friends to use them before going on holiday 'because it stops you from burning immediately when going in the sun'. Venables is quick to debunk claims such as this, saying that all it does is put your skin through even more 'excess UV exposure'. She points to another type of common skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, which is thought to be due to cumulative UV exposure. While Urbaniak does not seem to be put off by any safety concerns, she is keen to stress that there is a 'cultural line that you probably shouldn't cross' when it comes to tanning as a white person. 'I don't think that my body is capable of going that colour, but if it was, I'd like to think someone would tell me to stop.' That said, it isn't just white people who like to tan. Melissa Jones, 19, from Chester, says she has 'seen way more people of colour – including south-east Asian girls like me – getting into tanning. For me, it's not about being darker – it's about adding that warm, radiant glow and evening out my tone'. Like Feldman, Jones uses the word 'addictive' in relation to her tanning habit, and thinks it helps her in her job as a content creator. Tanned skin 'looks amazing on camera and in content', she says. However, she has recently switched from using tanning beds to using only fake tan. 'I became more aware of the risks, like ageing, skin cancer, all of that.' The WHO has urged countries to consider banning sunbeds: Australia banned all commercial sunbeds 10 years ago and Brazil banned them in 2009. Kukadia and Venables both say they would like them banned in the UK. Jak Howell, a 26-year-old content creator from Swansea, has been urging his followers to stop using sunbeds since he was diagnosed with stage three advanced melanoma when he was 21, which his doctors were surprised to see in someone so young, and said was probably due to his use of sunbeds. Howell had been using sunbeds regularly since he was 15 (it has been illegal for under-18s to use tanning beds since 2010, but the ones Howell used weren't staffed. Customers bought tokens from a machine and slotted them into the beds). When a mole appeared on his back that 'kept bleeding and scabbing over but never healing', he sent a photograph of it to his GP and was immediately referred to hospital. He underwent radiotherapy and surgeries to remove his lymph nodes, but these failed to remove the cancer. Eventually, after a year of immunotherapy, which 'completely knocks you for six', he went into remission. Howell now wants to see sunbeds banned. He tells young users: 'OK, it hasn't happened yet, but it could happen. And when it does happen, it is far, far worse than anything I could ever describe and you could ever imagine.' For many young people, though, the allure of the sunbed's 'instant fix' is too great to resist. And it's not as if this is the first time young people have put themselves at risk. As Kukadia points out: 'If alcohol was discovered or invented now, it would be illegal.' But tanning does feel different from other classic rebellious pursuits such as binge drinking, cigarettes and drugs because people don't do it for fun, but to achieve a certain aesthetic – a symptom, perhaps, of our screen-filtered lives. 'If I wasn't on social media, I probably wouldn't use sunbeds,' Feldman admits, but because her job requires social media use, she can't see herself stopping. A few years ago, Clark noticed a dark, 'pretty scary-looking' lesion on her leg, and was referred to a dermatologist. Though it didn't turn out to be skin cancer-related, she had to have it removed, and the experience has stopped her being so 'frivolous' with tanning beds. Urbaniak can't see herself giving up either. 'If something were to go wrong, then maybe I'd reconsider,' she says. 'But I feel as if I'm in that generation where we all just live in denial until something happens.'
