Closing summary
Detective Ch Supt Karen Jaundrill said police have arrested a 53-year-old man from the West Derby area of Liverpool. She says he has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving offences and driving while unfit through drugs. He remains in custody where he is being interviewed.
It is now believed that the driver of a Ford Galaxy was able to follow ambulance after a road block temporarily lifted so that the ambulance crew could attend to a member of the public suspected of having a heart attack.
Home secretary Yvette Cooper will visit Liverpool on Tuesday evening after dozens of people were injured at the Premier League victory parade on Monday. Cooper is expected to visit the cordon of the incident and meet with emergency personnel.
Earlier, Metro mayor of the Liverpool city region Steve Rotheram said the “big question” was how the car had managed to access the street. He said: “Water Street was not a route where vehicles were supposed to be using it, it was blocked off. At this end of it, which is the direction that it was coming in, towards The Strand, there were literally hundreds of thousands of people here, so no vehicle would have got through anyway.”
Liverpool fans have received an outpouring of support from current and former stars of the club, as well as celebrity supporters, after a car ploughed into a crowd in the city on Monday. On Tuesday, club captain Virgil van Dijk said he was “praying for a speedy recovery” for all those injured in the crash after the title parade.
King Charles has released a statement, adding to the chorus of well-wishers responding to last night’s events. King Charles said: “My wife and I were deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the terrible events that took place in Liverpool on Monday. It is truly devastating to see that what should have been a joyous celebration for many could end in such distressing circumstances.”
Helen Godwin, the new mayor of the West of England, has said the thoughts of people across the region were with Liverpool. She said: “The thoughts of people across the West of England will be with all those affected by the awful events yesterday evening in Liverpool, after a day of joy became one of heartbreak.”
A planned strike by Unite workers at the Royal Liverpool university hospital was called off after yesterday’s incident in Liverpool city centre. Over 50 lab workers were set to walk out today over concerns that staff burnout and understaffing was putting patients at risk, but the workers made the decision to suspend their industrial action after the incident last night.
Alison McGovern, MP for Birkenhead, called on the public not to speculate after the “really awful” incident in Liverpool, PA reports. She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she felt “so devastated” after spending four hours at the Liverpool’s Premier League victory parade.
There were no official celebrations when Liverpool last won the Premier League. It was 2020 and the country was in the middle of a Covid lockdown. This time the streets were packed with up to a million fans eager to witness the club’s first victory parade in 35 years as it looped round the city on Bank Holiday Monday.
Triumphant Liverpool players began the slow open-top bus journey at around 2.30pm on Queen’s Drive, south-east of the city centre. It was due to finish at around 7.30pm at Blundell Street near the Royal Albert docks. But the celebrations were brutally curtailed. This time not by a global pandemic but a lone driver in a people carrier.
Here is a visual guide to how the Liverpool parade collision unfolded …
Earlier, Metro mayor of the Liverpool city region Steve Rotheram said the “big question” was how the car had managed to access the street.
He said: “Water Street was not a route where vehicles were supposed to be using it, it was blocked off.
“At this end of it, which is the direction that it was coming in, towards The Strand, there were literally hundreds of thousands of people here, so no vehicle would have got through anyway.
“And the questions, I suppose, are legitimate, but we have to give the police the time to conclude their investigations, which is what they’re doing.”
Home secretary to visit Liverpool incident site on Tuesday evening
Home secretary Yvette Cooper will visit Liverpool on Tuesday evening after dozens of people were injured at the Premier League victory parade on Monday.
Cooper is expected to visit the cordon of the incident and meet with emergency personnel.
Man, 53, arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and dangerous driving offences
Detective Ch Supt Karen Jaundrill is updating on the investigation and says police have arrested a 53-year-old man from the West Derby area of Liverpool.
She says he has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving offences and driving while unfit through drugs. He remains in custody where he is being interviewed.
There were 65 casualties, she says, with specialist officers providing support to the victims of the incident.
Extensive CCTV inquiries are being carried out to establish the movements of the Ford Galaxy car, she says.
Updated
Driver of Ford Galaxy followed ambulance to access Water Street, say police
Assistant chief constable Jenny Sims begins by thanking witnesses who come forward with information and saying that, prior to incident, hundreds of thousands lined streets to pay tribute to Liverpool FC.
She says more than 50 people were injured and treated at hospital – 11 remain and are stable and recovering well – and that Merseyside police had “worked extensively” to build a robust traffic management plan, including road closures on the route and city centre.
Water Street was closed to traffic, she says, and confirms that it is now believed that the driver of a Ford Galaxy was able to follow ambulance after a road block temporarily lifted so that the ambulance crew could attend to a member of the public suspected of having a heart attack.
“There was no intelligence to suggest an event such as this would take place,” she says and adds that the incident is not being treated as terrorism.
The investigation is ongoing and police are asking people not to speculate and to refrain from sharing distressing content online.
Updated
Merseyside police are about to begin a press conference to give further updates on the Liverpool victory parade collision.
We will bring you full coverage of any news lines once it gets under way, which could be imminently.
Liverpool fans have received an outpouring of support from current and former stars of the club, as well as celebrity supporters, after a car ploughed into a crowd in the city on Monday.
On Tuesday, club captain Virgil van Dijk said he was “praying for a speedy recovery” for all those injured in the crash following the title parade.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who attended the parade, said he was “shocked and devastated”. He added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who are injured and affected. You’ll never walk alone.”
And Liverpool-born club academy graduate Trent Alexander-Arnold said: “My thoughts are with the whole city, especially all affected by yesterday’s devastating events.
“Hopefully those who were injured will make a full recovery and the city will pull together as it always does.”
Club legend Sir Kenny Dalglish said he was “shocked, horrified and deeply saddened” before adding “your Liverpool family are behind you”.
Ex-striker Robbie Fowler called the news “heartbreaking” and said he was “absolutely sickened with what’s happened here”.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher posted on X: “Devastating end to the day, just pray everyone is ok”.
The King has released a statement, adding to the chorus of well-wishers responding to last night’s events.
The King said: “My wife and I were deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the terrible events that took place in Liverpool on Monday.
“It is truly devastating to see that what should have been a joyous celebration for many could end in such distressing circumstances.
“At this heartbreaking time for the people of Liverpool, I know that the strength of community spirit for which your city is renowned will be a comfort and support to those in need.
“Our prayers and deepest sympathy are with all those who have been affected, and my special gratitude goes out to the first responders, emergency services personnel and other individuals who rushed to the aid of the injured.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales said they were “deeply saddened” by the scenes that marred Liverpool’s victory parade on Monday.
William, who is patron of the Football Association, and his wife Kate said in a personal message on social media: “We are deeply saddened by the scenes in Liverpool yesterday. 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.”
Police probe whether car tailgated ambulance before running into crowd
Detectives are probing whether the car which ploughed into a crowd during Liverpool’s victory parade tailgated an ambulance before running down pedestrians, PA reports.
It is understood Merseyside Police are investigating whether the driver attempted to follow an ambulance that was moving through the crowd.
The city’s metro mayor Steve Rotheram said the vehicle should not have been on the street and the “big question” was how the incident happened.
Speaking to reporters at the scene, Rotheram said questions about how the car was able to enter the road were “legitimate”.
He said: “Water Street was not a route where vehicles were supposed to be using it, it was blocked off.
“At this end of it, which is the direction that it was coming in, towards The Strand, there were literally hundreds of thousands of people here, so no vehicle would have got through anyway.
“The questions, I suppose, are legitimate, but we have to give the police the time to conclude their investigations, which is what they’re doing.”
Medical staff who treated those injured when a car drove into crowds at the Liverpool victory parade have told Princess Anne they were “very, very fortunate” there were not more major injuries, PA reports.
Anne visited the Royal Liverpool University Hospital where she met nurses, consultants and paramedics, as well as representatives from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and the football club, after 47 people were injured on Water Street after a car ploughed into crowds celebrating Liverpool’s Premie League title win.
Divisional medical director for surgery at Aintree University Hospital Marc Lucky told Anne the injuries were not “major traumas”.
He said: “We were very, very fortunate yesterday, I must say.”
And consultant Jay Rathore said: “Most of the injuries were limb injuries. No life-threatening, we were able to manage them.”
Helen Godwin, the new Mayor of the West of England, has said the thoughts of people across the region were with Liverpool.
She said: “The thoughts of people across the West of England will be with all those affected by the awful events yesterday evening in Liverpool, after a day of joy became one of heartbreak.
“We are all praying for a swift recovery for everyone who was injured, and sending our love and support.
“Liverpool will always remain close to my heart. It’s where I went to university, the first place outside the West that I called home. Our kids are reds. As a region, the West of England stands with Liverpool and with Merseyside.”
Speaking from the scene, Steve Rotheram, the mayor of the Liverpool city region, spoke of the “true humanity” of the city and said he hoped that those injured would recover quickly.
Rotheram said: ‘Liverpool’s a city where there’s such warmth, and we’re a welcoming city ... The solidarity of the people will shine through’.
Some other Liverpool players have reacted on social media to last night’s events.
Defender Joe Gomez posted on instagram: “My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected right now.” He signed the post off “YNWA” – the initials of the club’s you’ll never walk alone motto.
Midfielder Curtis Jones, who is from Liverpool, re-posted the club’s statement on the incident with a heart and prayer hands emoji.
Club legend Steven Gerrard posted: “Shocked, sickened and saddened at the incident we all witnessed in our city last night. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the people involved and their families.”
Liverpool FC captain Virgil van Dijk said he was “praying for a speedy recovery” for all those injured in the crash following the club’s title parade.
The Dutch defender posted on Instagram: “My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected. Praying for a speedy recovery for everyone who suffered injuries. We are all with you.”
Updated
A planned strike by Unite workers at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital was called off following yesterday’s incident in Liverpool city centre.
Over 50 lab workers were set to walk out today over concerns that staff burnout and understaffing was putting patients at risk, but the workers made the decision to suspend their industrial action following the incident last night.
Unite regional officer Derek Jones said: “Following yesterday’s tragic events in Liverpool, members took the immediate decision to suspend action so they could provide full support to the major incident which has been declared by the hospital trust.
“The dispute is not over and more action is planned - but we are urging Liverpool Clinical Laboratories to come back to the table and commit to addressing the problems with staffing and overwork.”
Everton, the other club Premier League team in Merseyside have released a statement: “Everyone at Everton Football Club is deeply saddened by the horrific incident on Water Street yesterday during Liverpool Football Club’s Premier League victory celebrations.
“As a city we stand together,” the statement ended.
League Two club Tranmere Rovers, based in Birkenhead, Merseyside said on X last night: “All of our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the incident in Liverpool city centre this evening.”
Updated
Figures from across the sporting world and beyond reacted to the incident and sent their thoughts to those affected.
Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler posted on X: “Heartbreaking news … absolutely sickened with what’s happened here in Liverpool.”
Former Liverpool manager Sir Kenny Dalglish said he was “shocked, horrified and deeply saddened” by the incident at the end of the parade.
NBA star LeBron James, who owns a small stake in Liverpool FC, said on X: “My deepest thoughts and prayers goes out to everyone affected that attended @LFC Premier League trophy parade today! Such a senseless act!”
Oasis frontman and Manchester City fan Liam Gallagher said on the social media platform: “Thoughts and prayers with all our brothers and sisters of LIVERPOOL”
Updated
Police in white forensic suits arrived on Water Street and began taking photographs of the area.
They could be seen going into a white tent at the scene.
Updated
If you have been affected by the incident in Liverpool and want to share your experience with our journalists, here is how to get in touch.
Liverpool metro mayor Steve Rotheram backed the force’s unusual decision to release the information about the Liverpool suspect so quickly.
PA reports he told reporters: “If you have a look at my timeline, there was somebody very quickly saying ‘Why are you lying? There’s been another incident in another part of the city’, which obviously wasn’t true, and then they were trying to stir it up who might be responsible for it.
“That’s why I think the police acted... to dampen that sort of speculation, because it was designed to inflame. It was designed to divide.”
Updated
Liverpool FC chief executive Billy Hogan has thanked the club’s supporters who “helped each other where they could” following last night’s incident.
He added: “We continue to work with the emergency services and the local authorities to support their ongoing investigation and once again we would ask if anyone has any further information about the incident, please contact Merseyside Police.”
In a post on Instagram, former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has expressed his shock and devastation at last night’s incident.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who are injured and affected”, he said in a post on Instagram.
The statement concluded with the words “You’ll never walk alone,” a reference to the club’s motto. He had previously posted pictures of the parade, including one of himself watching on.
Klopp won the Champions League and Premier League with Liverpool before stepping down last year.
Keir Starmer was asked about the police decision to share details of the man who was arrested after a car ploughed into a crowd celebrating Liverpool’s Premier League win. Details, including the age and ethnicity of the man, were released quickly after the incident.
Asked if he would like to see similar details released in the future in similar cases, the prime minister said: “That is a matter for the police and the investigation is ongoing so I think we need to leave that to them.
“I think today is a day really for thinking about all those impacted by this and being absolutely clear that we stand with them.”
Keir Starmer: Whole country 'stands with Liverpool'
The prime minister said the whole country “stands with Liverpool” after almost 50 were injured when a car ploughed into crowds at a bus parade celebrating Liverpool FC’s Premier League title win.
Keir Starmer said the nation’s thoughts are with the victims and the wider community.
Starmer said: “Scenes of joy turned to utter horror and devastation, and my thoughts and the thoughts of the whole country are with all of those that are affected, those injured, which of course includes children, their families, their friends, the whole community, Liverpool fans everywhere.
“Liverpool stands together and the whole country stands with Liverpool. I’d like to thank the first responders who did a fantastic job last night and continue to do so. There’s now an ongoing investigation. I’m being kept updated, talking frequently to the mayor Steve Rotheram. But as I say, my thoughts and the thoughts of the whole country will be with everybody in Liverpool today.”
Liverpool FC were due to host a title-winning party for the club’s staff today – the people behind the scenes whose work goes largely unrecognised outside of Anfield – but that was cancelled as soon as the seriousness of the incident became clear last night. The players and head coach Arne Slot were informed of the incident as soon as their victory parade ended. Most, if not all, will now be away on holiday before some of them report for international duty next week.
Liverpool City metro mayor Steve Rotheram said the question in the forefront of everybody’s minds is why did a car end up in Water Street, Liverpool, on Monday night, PA reports.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “The question, let’s be honest, that everybody’s sort of, it’s in the forefront of their minds is why did a car end up in Water Street and that’s for the police now to conclude their investigations, we’ll find out the reason why it was there.”
Asked for an update on the casualties, Rotheram said: “Yesterday I was with the police and obviously they’ve reported on a number of serious injuries, one, at least, critical, we’ll have to wait until the update later today from that, but signs were fairly positive, and I think the fortunate thing is the ambulance service themselves were on scene, I mean there was an ambulance yards away and there were lots of police and as the event is happening the police are running towards this event.”
Leader of Liverpool City Council, Liam Robinson, urged the public not to speculate online about yesterday’s incident.
“Any information that you do have, don’t share it on social media, share it directly with Merseyside Police,” he tells BBC Breakfast.
He said he would not speculate about how the car involved came to access a closed road.
Liverpool FC’s history has been touched by disaster twice before.
In 1989, 97 Liverpool fans died in a crush at a game in the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield. More than 760 people were also injured in the deadliest disaster in British sporting history.
In 1985, 39 mainly Italian fans were killed when a wall collapsed amidst disturbances between Liverpool and Juventus fans at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels.
The X account of the Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance shared many, many tweets from Liverpool residents and people from the surrounding area offering beds, lifts and support to people affected by last night’s incident.
A former Metropolitan Police chief superintendent said it was “unprecedented” that the police “very quickly” gave the ethnicity of the suspect in the Liverpool incident, PA reports.
Dal Babu told BBC Radio 5 Live: “What we do have, which is unprecedented, is the police very quickly giving the ethnicity and the race of the person who was driving the vehicle and I think that was, and it was Merseyside Police who didn’t give that information with the Southport horrific murders of those three girls, and the rumours were that it was an asylum seeker who arrived on a boat and it was a Muslim extremist and that wasn’t the case.
“So I think what the police have done very very quickly, and I’ve never known a case like this before where they’ve given the ethnicity and the race of the individual who was involved in it, so I think that was to dampen down some of the speculation from the far-right that sort of continues on X, even as we speak, that this was a Muslim extremist and there’s a conspiracy theory.
He was asked if it was a result of Merseyside Police having learned the lessons from what happened after the Southport attacks last year, when three young girls were stabbed to death, and others seriously wounded. Following the attack, Merseyside Police were criticised for not releasing information to the public, allowing speculation to mount over the identity and motive of the attacker.
“Yeah, absolutely, I think you’re spot on,” Babu said. “It’s remarkably striking because police will not release that kind of information because they’ll be worried about prejudicing any future trial, but I think they have to balance that against the potential of public disorder and we had massive public disorder after the far-right extremists had spread these rumours.”
He added: “The difficulty we have is in the olden days, when I was policing, you would have a conversation with trusty journalists, print journalists, radio journalists, broadcasting journalists, you’d have a conversation and say look can you please hold fire on sharing this information and people would listen, we don’t have that with social media, it’s like the wild west and anything goes and so puts the police in a very, very difficult position.”
Police were quick to release information on the 53-year-old white British man who was detained following the incident in Liverpool, but the authorities have not yet released a name or picture.
The motive of the driver also remains unclear, though police have said they do not believe it was terror related.
You can read a summary of everything we do know about the incident so far at the link below:
Football clubs and figures from the footballing world have reacted to the incident, offering condolences and support to Liverpool.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by this serious incident,” Liverpool FC posted on X.
Liverpool’s main rivals Manchester United wrote: “Our thoughts are with LFC and the city of Liverpool after today’s awful incident.”
On the blue side of Merseyside, Everton said: “Our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by this serious incident in our city.”
Manchester City wrote: “The thoughts of everyone at Manchester City are with those injured or affected by the incident at Liverpool’s title-winning parade earlier today.”
Liverpool’s former captain Steven Gerrard posted an image on Instagram of the city with a red heart, while former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher wrote on X: “Devastating end to the day... just pray everyone is ok.”
FIFA president Gianni Infantino offered “thoughts and prayers to all those affected”. “Football stands together with Liverpool FC and all fans of the club following the horrific incident that has taken place during the trophy parade in the city,” he said in a statement.
Kemi Badenoch has said it is “sickening to hear how many children are among the injured” and hailed people’s “extraordinary compassion” in response to last night’s incident in Liverpool.
The Conservative leader posted on X on this morning: “It is sickening to hear how many children are among the injured. It doesn’t matter if this is or isn’t classed as a terrorist incident, it’s still a heinous crime
“Those who target joyful celebrations and our happiest moments, who care not for the welfare of little children are beneath contempt.
“A stark contrast to the people of Liverpool who responded with extraordinary compassion, offering lifts, shelter, food, and more. Liverpool stood firm, displaying kindness and decency in the face of horror.”
Merseyside Police has adopted a “complete step change” in sharing information with the public after a car ploughed into a crowd in the city centre, one of its former inspectors has said, PA reports.
Peter Williams, senior lecturer in policing at Liverpool John Moores University, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the quicker response was very different to what happened after the Southport terror attack in July last year.
He said: “It has been a shift, because, particularly in relation to the aftermath of Southport ... there was a lot of criticism focused at Merseyside Police and of course the CPS, in relation to how the management of information was sort of dealt with.
“But also, if listeners cast their mind back further, is the investigation into Nicola Bulley as how the management of the information was responded to on that occasion. That led to a College of Policing inquiry.”
Williams said one of the recommendations made after the Southport attack was to prevent any “vacuums” of information in future incidents, particularly where there is harmful online content.
The education secretary Bridget Phillipson has said she won’t “make judgments” on Merseyside Police’s decision to reveal details about the identity of the man arrested after a car ploughed into a crowd during Liverpool’s Premier League victory parade.
Asked if the police had “changed tack” she told Times Radio: “These are operational matters for the police, and it’s for the police to determine how they will respond.
“I don’t think it’s right for politicians to make judgments on that, but I would just add that the police were on the scene rapidly and responded to what was a really horrendous incident.
“And I pay tribute to those first responders, police and other emergency services, for their tremendous bravery, for everything they’ve done, but also to the community in the way that they’re pulling together in light of this tragedy.”
Images from the scene this morning show debris and police tape – the sobering aftermath of last night’s incident that injured nearly 50, two seriously.
There is still a police presence along Water Street and the blue inflatable field tent that was used to treat victims is still on the road. The clean-up operation is yet to begin.
Birkenhead MP asks for public not to speculate following incident
Alison McGovern, MP for Birkenhead, called on the public not to speculate following the “really awful” incident in Liverpool, PA reports.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she felt “so devastated” after spending four hours at the Liverpool’s Premier League victory parade.
Asked about how important Merseyside Police’s announcement of an arrest was on Monday evening, the Labour MP said: “The police gave out some very clear messages yesterday, not least that if people have got footage or anything that might be useful to them, then please, please give it to Merseyside Police and don’t speculate on the internet or share things like that.
“In Merseyside, I think the police have been through quite a lot in recent times and they’re very, very capable, and I would ask people to listen to them and to do as they’ve asked.”
Liverpool metro mayor Steve Rotheram also praised the emergency services who responded to the incident. He also mentioned the public response – including from public transport workers who gave up their time for free to ensure people could get home.
“Because of what happened after in the immediacy of the incident, what happened with public transport because all of our stations – our train stations, our bus stations – everything was locked down,” Rotheram said.
“That caused a significant backlog of people who wanted to leave the area. People came in on their days off, gave up their time freely to run trains, to run buses, get people home. They worked late into the evening.”
Four people 'still very, very ill in hospital' – Liverpool mayor
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, the metro mayor of Liverpool Steve Rotheram said he was stood about 100 metres away from the incident as it unfolded.
He spoke of the mis- and disinformation that spread online in the immediate aftermath of the event. He said he thought Merseyside police did well to “dampen things down” by releasing details of the detained driver – a 53-year-old white British man – so quickly. Police are not treating the incident as terrorism related.
Rotheram said there are “still four people who are very, very ill in hospital”.
“We are hoping of course that they pull through,” he said.
Asked whether that reflects an increase on the previous number of seriously injured - given by authorities last night as one adult and one child - he says: “No, not directly, but of course we’re in liaison with the police and with the ambulance services.
“Last night they had two gold command meetings - one was really late in the evening, so this morning I’ll get some updates.”
The PA news agency provides eyewitness reports of last night’s incident in Liverpool that injured nearly 50, two seriously.
One onlooker, Matthew O’Carroll, 28, from Runcorn, saw the car approaching the top of Water Street.
He said the vehicle went past a parked police van at a “decent” speed and that the driver was beeping as he went through the crowd.
Meanwhile, witness Mike Maddra saiad the “car turned left, mounted pavement, come towards us and runs towards the buildings”.
He said: “we got out the way and it was speeding up”. Maddra said he thought he saw two people being hit and added, “it looked deliberate”.
Harry Rashid, 48, from Solihull, said you could “hear the bumps” as the driver rammed spectators. He described how crowds began trying to smash the car windows, causing the driver to stall for about 10 seconds, before putting his foot down again and hitting more people.
Dan Ogunshakin, an off-duty BBC reporter attending the parade, told the public broadcaster he saw people hitting the car before it reversed and then “it suddenly accelerated forwards”, straight towards the surrounding crowd.“What had once been an atmosphere of celebration and joy and happiness suddenly turned into fear and terror and disbelief,” he said.
Police said the car eventually stopped at the scene and the man was detained. Nick Searle, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service chief fire officer, said four people who were trapped under the car, including a child, were rescued by firefighters.
Updated
Opening summary
Welcome to today’s live coverage of events in Liverpool after a car ploughed into pedestrians at Liverpool FC’s Premier League victory parade on Monday evening. Nearly 50 people, including children, were injured including 27 taken to hospital.
Police said they arrested a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area but have said they did not believe the incident was terrorism-related. The man was arrested at the scene of the collision on Water Street in the heart of the city, after roads had been reopened following the parade.
Scenes of jubilation, with thousands of Liverpool fans lining the streets to celebrate their club’s victory, quickly turned to horror and confusion as emergency services arrived at the scene about 6pm.
In other key developments:
Twenty people were treated at the scene. Ambulance officials said of the 27 taken to hospital, four were children. One child and one adult were in a serious condition. Four people trapped under the vehicle had to be released by firefighters.
When the car stopped, angry fans reportedly converged on the vehicle and began smashing the windows as police intervened to prevent them from reaching the driver.
Police said they believed “this to be an isolated incident” and were not looking for anyone else in relation to it. “The incident is not being treated as terrorism,” said Jenny Sims, the assistant chief constable of Merseyside police.
Prime minister Keir Starmer said the scenes were appalling and thanked police and emergency services for their “swift and ongoing response to this shocking incident”.
Home secretary Yvette Cooper called the incident “shocking and horrendous”.
Liam Robinson, leader of Liverpool city council, said the incident “has cast a very dark shadow of what had been a joyous day for the city and the finale to a fabulous bank holiday weekend”.
Liverpool FC said “our thoughts and prayers are with those” affected.
