Since the shocking incident in Liverpool's city centre unfolded, social media has been flooded with queries about the identity of the driver and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Merseyside Police have swiftly confirmed that the man, suspected of being behind the wheel when a car ploughed into dozens of people in the city centre following Liverpool's title-winning parade, is a 53 year-old white British local.
However, as no charges have been brought in connection to the incident, the police are not disclosing the arrested man's name. The press are also prohibited from identifying him.
In a groundbreaking judgement in 2022, the UK's Supreme Court ruled that an individual under criminal investigation has a reasonable expectation of privacy and has the right to remain unnamed by the media until charges are filed.
When someone is charged, the police typically release their name, street address and age, as these details form part of their legal identity and prevent individuals with the same name from being mistakenly identified as the suspect.
The incident occurred at around 6pm Monday, May 26, when the city centre streets were packed with hundreds of thousands of Reds' fans. The Reds players had embarked on a 15km bus tour of the city, culminating in spectacular scenes on The Strand in the city centre, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Police officers stand guard by the Liverpool Town Hall following an incident in Water Street (rear), on the sidelines of an open-top bus victory parade for Liverpool's Premier League title win, in Liverpool, north-west England on May 26, 2025. A car collided with a number of pedestrians in Liverpool, northern England, on May 26 evening during Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade, police said. Police said they were contacted shortly after 6pm (1700 GMT) 'following reports of a collision between a car and a number of pedestrians' in the city centre. One man has been arrested, according to the police, who did not say whether there were any casualties
Police officers were on the scene to ensure the driver was subdued and detained (Image: Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Dozens of people were injured including children at the Liverpool FC victory parade (Image: PA)
In a press briefing, it was confirmed that the chaos left 47 people injured, with 27 needing hospital treatment. Among those harmed were four children, with two, including one child, suffering serious injuries.
The Riva Blu eatery was swiftly transformed into an emergency triage centre, as paramedics were seen attending to casualties inside.
Merseyside's top cop, Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims, urged caution, stating: "Extensive enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision and it is vital that people do not speculate or spread misinformation on social media. I know that people will understandably be concerned by what has happened tonight."
She reassured the public, noting: "What I can tell you is that we believe this to be an isolated incident and we are not currently looking for anyone else in relation to it. The incident is not currently being treated as terrorism."
She further asked for restraint from the public, saying: "We would ask that people refrain from sharing distressing footage from the incident online and please share any information directly with our investigation team."
Adding to the response, Mersey Fire and Rescue Service's chief Nick Searle expressed solidarity with the victims: "Firstly, our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by this incident this evening. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service were informed at 6.07pm, we immediately mobilised 3 fire engines to Water Street and were in attendance in 4 minutes.
"On arrival the crews were met with numerous injured people and 4 persons trapped under a vehicle. Our crews rapidly lifted the vehicle, removed people from beneath and passed them to our ambulance colleagues.
"We then worked with emergency service partners to ensure casualties received medical treatment and transport to hospital as quickly as possible. My fire crews will maintain a visible and reassuring presence in the coming days and weeks."
Liverpool council leader Cllr Liam Robinson said: "I would appeal for people please not to share the horrifying footage of the incident on social media - please if you have information forward it to Merseyside Police to help them with their investigation.
"We won't be commenting any further but will provide relevant updates as and when we know more and it is appropriate to.Once again, our hearts go out to all those affected.
"Liverpool is a city that has a proud history of coming together and supporting each other during challenging times. I've no doubt that will again be the case over the coming days and weeks."
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