Featured Image Credit: PA
Topics: Football, Keir Starmer, Sport, UK News, Liverpool
Anish Vij
Police have responded after a vehicle was driven into a crowd of supporters during Liverpool's title parade on Monday (26 May).
The football club were celebrating their 20th league title win with an open-top bus parade as plumes of red smoke were seen across the city.
Just after 6.00pm, however, Merseyside Police said a car had collided with several pedestrians in Water Street.
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"We are currently dealing with reports of a road traffic collision in Liverpool city centre," a spokesperson said.
"We were contacted at just after 6pm today, Monday 26 May, following reports a car had been in collision with a number of pedestrians on Water Street.
"The car stopped at the scene and a male has been detained."
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Police said a 53-year-old man from the Liverpool area has been arrested following the incident.
"We would ask people not to speculate on the circumstances surrounding tonight's incident on Water Street in Liverpool city centre," a spokesperson for the force said.
"We can confirm the man arrested is a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area.
"Extensive enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision."
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The football club said in a statement that they are in 'direct contact with Merseyside Police regarding the incident on Water Street'.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by this serious incident," they said.
"We will continue to offer our full support to the emergency services and local authorities who are dealing with this incident."
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Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the scenes in Liverpool 'appalling' and thanked emergency services for their response.
"The scenes in Liverpool are appalling - my thoughts are with all those injured or affected," he said.
"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."
Liverpool supporter Chelsea Yuen told Sky News that she and her partner were almost hit by the vehicle.
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"We were literally like sardines walking up the street, and then we heard beeping and screaming and when we looked up, there was a black, people carrier, driving straight towards us," she said.
"Me and my friend Francesca jumped out the way and pulled her little girl out the way. I'm just in shock. Like we can't stop shaking."
Harry Rashid was at the title parade with his wife and two young daughters when the incident took place.
The 48-year-old from Solihull said: “It happened about 10 feet away from us. We were just in a crowd and we had no control over where we would be, because it was a very narrow street.
“The vehicle came to our right. It emerged from just right next to an ambulance, which was parked up. This grey people carrier just pulled up from the right and just rammed into all the people at the side of us.
“It was travelling south, down Water Street, straight towards this strand, which is where the docks are.
“It was extremely fast. Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car.”
Merseyside Police added in their statement that anyone who has information or footage of the incident to sent it to them right away.
“We would ask people not to share distressing content online but to send the footage or information directly to us @MerPolCC or pass on information by calling 101 quoting log 784," the force said.
“Information can also be passed on anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”