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View image in fullscreenLiverpool fans ‘staggered’ by traffic control measures in place at victory parade

Several in attendance say they weren’t surprised a collision could take place, with access described as a ‘free-for-all’

Football fans who were at Liverpool’s Premier League title victory parade, where a car ploughed into pedestrians injuring more than 50 people, have said they were “staggered” by the traffic control measures in place before the incident.

A 53-year-old man from the West Derby area of the city was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, driving while unfit through drugs, and dangerous driving.



Merseyside police said detectives had been granted more time to question the man, with an extension until Thursday.

The force has identified 79 people who were injured in the incident on Water Street on Monday, with 50 treated in hospital.

“I want to reassure the public of Merseyside that detectives are making significant progress as we seek to establish the full circumstances that led to what happened.”

The police and Liverpool council have said that traffic management plans were in operation at the event, including rolling road closures and hostile vehicle measures.

The Merseyside police assistant chief constable Jenny Sims said on Tuesday: “We had worked extensively with event organisers and key partner agencies in the months ahead of the potential parade, and a robust traffic management plan was put in place, which included a number of local authority road closures throughout the route and the city centre.

“This included Water Street, which was closed to traffic.

When hundreds of thousands of people are close together, the traffic must be cordoned off with barriers protecting the whole route and not just the endpoints.”

Phil Williams, from Sunderland, who was watching the parade with his 15-year-old son Harry, said he had not seen “any traffic control measures to prevent him and other cars coming along there the way they did”.

“I’m absolutely staggered that the road closures didn’t go further,” he added.

Adrian Littlermore, 59, from Winchester, said that even outside the city centre, pedestrians were being “pushed into the road”.

He said: “You could tell the police there weren’t happy and were asking each other who was letting the cars through.

It wasn’t the fault of the police there, but it was like a free-for-all.”

On Wednesday the prime minister visited Merseyside police headquarters and met with the deputy chief constable , assistant chief constable, the police and crime commissioner, Emily Spurrell, and the metro mayor, Steve Rotheram.

At the start of the meeting, Keir Starmer said: “Thank you all for making time.

The scenes on Monday were just awful, to see how incredible joy at an amazing achievement turned to horror in a moment.

“Steve, the mayor, has been keeping me informed and updated, along with my team, but it’s really important to be here to go through this first-hand with you, so thank you for making time and ensuring that I get to see the detail in the way that I’d like to.”

Rotheram said later that those who had assisted after the incident “encapsulated the true spirit” of the city.

“The response from so many to such a shocking incident has shown the very best of our region at a very difficult time,” he said.

“Scousers reacted, as I knew that they would, offering food and drink, warmth, somewhere to rest, even lifts across the country, and simple gestures like somewhere to charge phones or to help contact loved ones.

“As the injured recover and the city returns to normality, I hope that in time people will remember a spectacular parade of colour and joy.

“Thank you once again for those that assisted in whatever capacity and from wherever you come from, because you encapsulated the true spirit of this place that we’re so lucky to call home.”

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