CCTV footage has revealed a man found floating in the canal jumped into the water by himself.
The man found in the canal next to Mann Island apartments on Saturday, September 4, was allegedly the victim of a hate a crime on the grounds of his sexuality.
However, evidence has now confirmed there was no third party involvement.
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Merseyside Police received reports of a man in the canal near at around 3:10am. Emergency services attended the scene near Albert Dock and escorted the man to hospital. He did not suffer any serious injuries.
Officers launched a full investigation, speaking with the alleged victim, potential witnesses and reviewing CCTV footage from the area.
Recordings identified the man alone at the dock when he entered the water and was not pushed in by an assailant.
The investigation has been closed.
Detective chief inspector Paul Speight said: “We stand very firmly against hate crime and will thoroughly investigate any such reports.
“The determination of officers to probe all the evidence in order to achieve justice for the alleged victim has now established that the reported offence did not take place.
“In order to protect the LGBT+ community here in Merseyside, we take all reports seriously and follow all appropriate lines of enquiry.
“If you report a hate crime, please be assured that we will fully support you and devote significant resources to identifying offenders and bringing them to justice.”
Detective chief inspector Speight added: “We will not tolerate people being targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity here in Merseyside.
“We saw an increase in hate crimes related to sexual orientation and gender identity earlier this summer, and secured a number of arrests following incidents in Liverpool city centre and elsewhere in Merseyside.
“In response, we increased patrols and engagement across Liverpool city centre, with officers maintaining a 24-hour presence to keep people safe.
“Our resolve to remove all forms of hate from the streets of Merseyside remains undimmed, and we will go on putting targeted proactive police patrols where they are needed, and investigating all reports so that offenders are brought to justice and potential victims are protected.”
Merseyside Police encourages anybody with information about hate crime to contact the social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police Contact Centre. You can also call 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111, or their online form here.
If, for any reason, you do not wish to report a hate crime to the police, the independent charity Stop Hate UK to run a 24/7 confidential helpline for all victims of hate crime on 0800 138 1625 or www.stophateuk.org. You can also download the Stop Hate UK reporting app on Google Play or the Apple App Store.
Merseyside Police also have a number of third party reporting centres across the region including fire stations, citizens advice bureaus and hospitals.
Dedicated support for victims of hate crime is also available through the Victim Care Merseyside service delivered by Citizens Advice. They can be contacted at lgbthatecrime@caliverpool.org.uk or by calling 0151 522 1400 ext. 5006.
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