Arrest made after serious incident at Liverpool trophy parade

Merseyside Police have confirmed that a 53-year-old has been arrested following a serious traffic incident in the aftermath of Liverpool's Premier League title parade.

Not long after the parade had ended, police responded to an incident on Water Street in Liverpool City centre.

Merseyside Police put out an initial statement on X saying: "We are currently dealing with reports of an RTC (road traffic crash) in Liverpool city centre. We were contacted at just after 6 p.m. today, Mon 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 detained."

Videos surfaced on social media showing a car colliding with a number of pedestrians. The videos also showed a heavy police presence as those in attendance looked to deal with the situation. According to the Liverpool Echo, an air ambulance landed in the city centre and as many as 12 ambulances arrived on scene to deal.

ITV reports that the Mowgli restaurant on Water Street is currently being used as an emergency medical centre.

Liverpool FC released a statement reading: “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 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.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer also took to X to make a statement on the incident: "The scenes in Liverpool are appalling — my thoughts are with all those injured or affected. 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."

Shortly before 8pm, Merseyside Police released a second statement, adding further information: "We would ask people not to speculate on the circumstances surrounding tonight's incident on Water Street in Liverpool city centre. 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."

The PA Agency have revealed that while Merseyside Police will be leading the investigation, officers from Counter Terrorism Policing North West are supporting them.

At a press conference on Monday evening, Dave Kitchin from North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) said 27 people were taken to hospital and 20 people were treated at the scene, with four children among the injured. He said two of those taken to hospital, including one of the children, suffered serious injuries.

Nick Searle, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service chief fire officer, said four people who were trapped under the car, including a child, were rescued by firefighters at the scene.

Our thoughts are with those affected by the incident.