Huge clean-up takes place in Liverpool after Sunday’s Liverpool FC victory parade turned to horror when a car ploughed through the crowd causing multiple injuries – today people are urged to ‘take care of one another’. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool BID Company, which represents more than 800 businesses in the city centre, says “we need to take care of one another” after the horrific events of Sunday.
Hundreds of thousands of people had gathered in Liverpool city centre to see the Liverpool FC players and staff show off the Premier League trophy in a victory parade in an open top bus.
What had been a joyous day turned to horror at around 6pm when a car was seen ploughing into multiple pedestrians in Water Street, just off the The Strand, where the main parade was just coming to an end.
Emergency services later revealed that 27 people had been taken to multiple Merseyside hospitals for treatment. Two people, including one child, are being treated for serious injuries. On Tuesday afternoon 11 people remained in hospital all in a stable condition.
Another 20 people were treated for injuries at the scene. Four children were among the injured and four people, including a child were lifted from beneath the car, according to Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service.
A 53-year-old man from West Derby has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving offences and driving while unfit through drugs. He remains in custody. Police said the incident was not being treated as terror-related.
With streets closed off and people looking to make their way home there was a chaotic knock-on effect across the city centre. Many people found themselves stranded, unable to get on trains, buses or find taxis.
However, in the hours following the incident countless people on social media offered their assistance to those stranded, either opening their homes or offering to pick people up and ferry them home.
Business commuters and shoppers arriving in the city centre this morning saw the start of a huge clean-up operation. Some roads around Water Street remained closed as police continued their investigation.
Bill Addy, chief executive of Liverpool BID Company, said it was joining with the council and other agencies to try to get the city centre back to normal
He said: “For businesses heading into the city centre this morning you’ll see there’s a huge clean up taking place after yesterday and street closures are still in place. It’s important we all just take our time and work together as closely as possible.
“At Liverpool BID we will have our Street Rangers out and will be working alongside city agencies to keep the city running as smoothly and safely as we can.
“This is a time for togetherness and solidarity. It’s also a time to be patient with each other. Take a breath, be kind, the effects of yesterday’s horrific events will linger with all of us so we need to take care of one another, not just today but in the days to come.”
For most of the day the mood was jubilant. Liverpool players and staff had set out in the afternoon from south Liverpool and traveled around the city in the open-top bus waving at the thousands of fans who had lined the route.
Cunard’s newest cruise ship, Queen Anne, had also arrived in the Mersey during the afternoon and had joined in the celebrations..
Liverpool FC put out a statement on Sunday evening. It said: “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.”