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2025 Liverpool parade incident

Coordinates: 53°24′22″N 2°59′37″W / 53.4062°N 2.9935°W / 53.4062; -2.9935
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2025 Liverpool parade incident
An aerial image showing the immediate aftermath of the incident
Date26 May 2025
Time6 pm (BST)
LocationWater Street, Liverpool, England
Coordinates53°24′22″N 2°59′37″W / 53.4062°N 2.9935°W / 53.4062; -2.9935
TypeTraffic collision
Non-fatal injuries109
Charges
  • Dangerous driving
  • Unlawful and malicious wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (2 counts)
  • Causing unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (2 counts)
  • Attempted unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (2 counts)

On 26 May 2025, a motorist drove a grey Ford Galaxy into a crowd on Water Street in Liverpool, England, during a victory parade celebrating Liverpool Football Club's 2024–25 Premier League title win. Police confirmed 109 people were injured; at least fifty were taken to hospital, including four children.

Merseyside Police arrested a 53-year-old white British man at the scene and issued seven charges: one count of dangerous driving; two counts of unlawful and malicious wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm; two counts of causing unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm; and two counts of attempted unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on 30 May and was remanded in custody until 14 August, when he will return to court to enter a plea before his possible trial in November.

Background

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The victory parade on Dale Street

Prior to the incident, locals and supporters of Liverpool F.C. were watching the team's city-wide victory parade to celebrate their victory in the 2024–25 Premier League. An estimated one million people were in attendance.[1] The open-top bus carrying the football club's team and staff members took a 10-mile (16 km) route starting at Allerton Maze and ending at The Strand in the city centre.[2] The incident took place 10 minutes after the bus had passed through the area.[3]

Incident

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The route of the car

Shortly after 6 pm BST on 26 May 2025 a motorist was seen arguing with pedestrians before he accelerated his car and drove into a large group of them on Water Street in Liverpool during the parade.[3][4] According to a witness, the vehicle then stopped and people began smashing its windows, but the driver accelerated again and collided with more people.[5]

By 7 pm a North West Air Ambulance had landed at the scene,[3] and tents were set up nearby.[6] By 9:30 pm North West Ambulance Service said it had cleared the scene.[7] Police eventually identified 79 injured people ranging in age from 9 to 78;[8] at least 50 had been taken to hospital. Three adults and one child had been removed from beneath the vehicle.[3] Police later confirmed an additional thirty injured people, bringing the total to 109.[9]

Investigation

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CCTV footage of the incident

Merseyside Police said they had detained a 53-year-old white British man who was from West Derby and that counter-terrorism police were supporting their investigation.[10][11] He was arrested at the scene, and is believed by police to be the driver of the vehicle. The vehicle involved in the incident was reported to be a grey Ford Galaxy.[12] Police said they were treating the incident as isolated and not related to terrorism.[3]

Reuters said that police were "unusually quick to give a description of the man they arrested" to head off speculation of a religious motive after riots took place following misinformation spread about the 2024 Southport stabbings.[13] According to Jonathan Hall KC, the UK Government's Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, the decision should set a precedent for transparency in almost all future incidents.[14]

Merseyside Police said in a press conference at 3:30 pm on 27 May that the man detained had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drugs. It is believed the driver was able to access Water Street by following an ambulance that was responding to a suspected heart attack for which the road block was temporarily lifted.[3]

Water Street was reopened on the morning of 28 May.[15] The same day police reported they had been given more time to question the suspect.[16]

Police reviewing CCTV identified the car being driven along Dale Street, which leads into Water Street and was also densely packed with crowds at the time, shortly before the incident on Water Street.[15]

Accused

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On 29 May, the 53-year-old suspect was named by police and was charged with seven offences: one count of dangerous driving; two counts of unlawful and malicious wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm; two counts of causing unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm; and two counts of attempted unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He appeared at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on 30 May, but was not asked to enter a plea. He then appeared at Liverpool Crown Court in the afternoon of that day for a hearing before the Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Andrew Menary KC.[17][18] He was remanded in custody until 14 August, when he will then return to court, to enter a plea before a possible trial in November.[19]

Reactions

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King Charles III said that the "strength of community spirit for which Liverpool is renowned will be a comfort and support to those in need";[20] the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, visited the city to speak with local police chiefs on the afternoon of 28 May.[11] Staff at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital cancelled planned strike action in response;[7] Anne, Princess Royal, visited the injured there on 27 May.[21]

References

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  1. ^ "Witnesses describe Liverpool victory parade car horror". The National. 26 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025. An estimated one million people took to the city's streets for the football club's Victory Parade on Monday.
  2. ^ Ferguson, Angela (28 April 2025). "Liverpool announce Premier League victory parade". BBC News. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Man arrested over attempted murder as 11 still in hospital after Liverpool crash, police say". BBC News. 26 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  4. ^ Humphries, Jonny (26 May 2025). "Four children injured as car hits Liverpool crowd". BBC News. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  5. ^ Douglas, Steve; Melley, Brian (26 May 2025). "Man who plowed into a crowd of Liverpool soccer fans acted alone, police say". Associated Press. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  6. ^ "Man arrested as car ploughs into pedestrians during Liverpool FC parade injuring dozens". ITV News. 27 May 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Liverpool parade latest: Suspect arrested for attempted murder, dangerous driving and drug offences after collision". Sky News. 27 May 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  8. ^ Gawne, Ewan (29 May 2025). "Youngest parade crash victim was nine, say police". BBC News. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  9. ^ "Police confirm 109 people injured in parade crash". BBC News. 2 June 2025. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  10. ^ Leake, Natasha (27 May 2025). "Minute-by-minute: How the horror Liverpool parade ramming unfolded". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 27 May 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  11. ^ a b Martin, Amy-Clare (30 May 2025). "Man charged after car driven into crowds at Liverpool FC victory parade". The Independent. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  12. ^ Bowkett, Bill; Ferridge, Arthur; Howie, Michael (26 May 2025). "Liverpool parade latest: 'Deeply shocked' King Charles sends message as police investigate car crash mayhem". The Standard. Archived from the original on 27 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  13. ^ Noble, Phil; Tobin, Sam (27 May 2025). "Car ploughs into fans at Liverpool parade, 27 in hospital". Reuters. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  14. ^ Mohdin, Aamna; Dodd, Vikram; Syal, Rajeev (27 May 2025). "Police naming Liverpool parade suspect's ethnicity may cause future 'challenges'". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  15. ^ a b "Liverpool police question suspect as witnesses describe 'mayhem' of parade crash". BBC News. 28 May 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  16. ^ Barlow, Eleanor (28 May 2025). "Liverpool parade crash: Police granted more time to question suspect as seven 'stable' in hospital". The Standard. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  17. ^ "Man charged after Liverpool crash is father-of-three, businessman, and former Royal Marine". BBC News. 29 May 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  18. ^ Humphries, Jonny; Gawne, Ewan (30 May 2025). "Paul Doyle accused of using car as weapon, court told". BBC News. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  19. ^ "Man appears in court over Liverpool trophy parade incident". Sky News. 30 May 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  20. ^ Ahmed, Hannah (27 May 2025). "King Charles breaks silence after harrowing Liverpool parade car crash". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  21. ^ "Princess Anne thanks medical staff who treated those injured in Liverpool victory parade". ITV News. 27 May 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
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