Liam Robinson said "one bad individual" caused mayhem and horror on that fateful May evening
Police and emergency personnel on Water Street near the Liver Building in Liverpool after Paul Doyle drove his car into a large crowd of people
Police and emergency personnel on Water Street near the Liver Building in Liverpool after Paul Doyle drove his car into a large crowd of people
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(Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)
The Liverpool FC parade crash was one of the worst days at work the city's top boss has experienced since being on duty during the 7/7 bombings in London. Back in 2005, Cllr Liam Robinson, the leader of Liverpool Council, was working at Liverpool Street Station in the capital when suicide bombers targeted the transport network, killing 52 people and injuring more than 770 others.
Two decades on, the Labour councillor was in the Cunard Building just a stone’s throw from where Paul Doyle wreaked havoc upon more than 100 people out to celebrate Liverpool FC’s Premier League title victory. Doyle, 54, was jailed for 21 years and six months earlier this week.
The former Royal Marine, of Burghill Road in West Derby, admitted a total of 31 charges on the day he was due to stand trial, having ploughed his car into crowds of fans during the celebrations in May.
More than 100 pedestrians, ranging from babies to a 78-year-old woman, were hurt after being struck by the Ford Galaxy on Water Street in Liverpool city centre.
Speaking to the ECHO, Cllr Robinson said supporting the victims of the crash should remain at the forefront of people’s minds in the aftermath of Doyle’s sentencing.
He said: “We should sort of continue to send our thoughts and prayers and focus on, particularly, the victims and something that was a wonderful celebration, particularly for Liverpool Football Club, but the city as a whole.
“You think about that whole weekend, Radio One’s Big Weekend in Sefton Park, Queen Anne sailing into the Mersey almost the same time as the parade buses were coming down the Strand. Those kinds of images were global and epitomised what this city is at its very, very best.”
Cllr Robinson said the actions of “one bad individual” however had gone some way towards spoiling those memories. In the aftermath of the parade chaos, the city council confirmed it would commission a report into the planning of the event, which is expected to be made public in February next year.
The city leader said: “Obviously, we weren’t able to say much during the process when there was a criminal process but we very deliberately commissioned an independent expert to look into all of our planning and operational perspectives. The initial findings are that we had a robust plan in place and that actually there isn’t blame within all this.
Leader of Liverpool City Council Liam Robinson
Leader of Liverpool City Council Liam Robinson
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(Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)
“There will be elements that we will learn from it and how we improve from it because, I think, let’s be honest, this was the biggest parade we have ever had in this city. I would argue probably the biggest you’ve had in the country in recent years.
“About one million people, one way or another across the city’s streets, there’ll always be learning from that. Also, as well, we know there will be future parades.
“Liverpool will win trophies, I am sure Everton will. That opportunity will come around as well, and we want to make sure that those celebrations absolutely happen, but absolutely done in the safest possible ways.”
Cllr Robinson was in the Cunard Building on the day of the parade hosting a reception for visiting dignitaries. He recalled being informed of the chaos just across the road at 6pm.
He said: “One of the team just pulled me to one side and said, I just need to tell you something. They took me out of the room and then explained the whole situation and it was genuine kind of shock and horror.
“I then spent the following hours with all of our senior team that were here, going through everything that was developing, spent a lot of time talking to Steve (Rotheram) as Metro Mayor, spent a lot of time talking to the police, and a lot of our operational staff that were there.”
Press conference at the Cunard Building after the Water Street incident including Asistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims((2nd right),with ltr Cllr Liam Robinson(Leader of Liverpool City Council),Dave Kitchin(Head of the NW Ambulance Service),and Nick Searle(Chief Fire Officer Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service)
Press conference at the Cunard Building after the Water Street incident including Asistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims (2nd right), with left to right Cllr Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council; Dave Kitchin, head of the NW Ambulance Service, and Chief Fire Officer Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service Nick Searle
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(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
The city leader took part in a press conference that evening alongside emergency service personnel and said emotions were running high in the hours that followed.
He said: “Understandably, it was really, really upsetting for everybody involved. In terms of staff here, they were worried about their own family members, for example, that were kind of caught up in it potentially and we were constantly monitoring the different reports that had come through.”
Reflecting on that wet May evening, Cllr Robinson said it was one of the most traumatic days of his professional life. He said: “It’s probably within the top three worst days I’ve ever had at work.
“I worked on July 7 at Liverpool Street Station in 2005 in London when the terrorist attack happened there, and that was an awful day I wouldn’t want to repeat. When we had the fallout of Southport and the riots in the city and Spellow, it was again one of those occasions where I spent the whole night dealing with things and then literally started dealing with things again straight the next morning with no sleep.
“I would put it as one of the three worst working days I’ve ever had because of the horror. I don’t say that as an individual perspective, it is not about me.
“The bit that was really upsetting is the actions of one bad individual frankly caused such mayhem and horror and fear for so many people. That’s the bit that’s completely unacceptable.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets first responders who arrived at the scene of Monday's parade crash in Water Street
Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets first responders who arrived at the scene of Monday's parade crash in Water Street
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(Image: Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street)
Cllr Robinson said in the days that followed the parade the city worked with the government to welcome the Prime Minister and Home Secretary to visit as well as organising reopening of the road. He paid tribute to the council staff who worked diligently to get the Strand and Water Street back open as quickly as possible.
He said: “In this city, from the strategic council staff who are leading the approach, a lot of the street cleaners who had worked a full shift and then said ‘I’m going to keep going’ to clear that. The emergency services and the fact that they were on site as quickly as they were and particularly the hero that dived into the car to stop it.
“That’s phenomenal and then there were all kinds of different businesses who literally just opened up and allowed people in. That genuinely sort of shows the true spirit of what this city is all about.”
The Labour group leader said he was pleased that justice had been done after Doyle was sentenced and a lengthy trial had been avoided.
He said: “It was a terribly emotional situation and awful that it happened but justice has been done and the individual responsible has pleaded guilty and has now been sentenced.”