A general exterior view of Hill Dickinson Stadium following the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester United at Hill Dickinson Stadium on February 23 2026
A general exterior view of Hill Dickinson Stadium following the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester United at Hill Dickinson Stadium on February 23 2026
Merseyside Police have issued an update after live facial recognition (LFR) was deployed at Everton FC’s home match last night. It was announced last week that LFR would be used as fans approached Hill Dickinson Stadium before the Blues’ match against Manchester United in the .
The said beforehand that the is intended to help identify people and engage with people subject to court orders. LFR will be used at other locations going forward alongside a range of policing tactics, which include both high-visibility and plain-clothed officers.
The technology works by comparing faces captured on a live camera feed against a secure, predetermined made up of individuals for serious offences, subject to court orders, or who pose a risk to the public or to themselves.
If the system positively identifies anyone as a possible match, an officer will then compare the image with the person in view to make a decision whether to approach them. The force said the decision will always be made by an officer, rather than the technology.
The force said if people are not on the watchlist, their biometric data is immediately deleted. Watchlist images are also deleted within 24 hours of each deployment and CCTV footage is deleted within 31 days, as is standard with public cameras.
This morning, the asked if any arrests were made as a result of the LFR. In response, Chief Inspector Chris Barnes said no arrests were made but he argued fans officers spoke to were supportive of the technology.
The inspector said: “The Live Facial Recognition (LFR) vehicle was highly visible throughout the deployment and many members of the public told us they felt reassured by our presence in the area.
“No alerts were generated, but the use of LFR added an additional layer of safety around the match and supported our wider policing operation. As always, no biometric data or images of faces scanned were retained by Merseyside Police.
“Our officers were on hand throughout to speak with fans, answer questions and explain how the technology works, and I want to thank supporters for their cooperation and engagement.
“We will continue to consider the use of LFR at future events, ensuring our approach remains both effective and proportionate in keeping people safe.”
Everton lost the match 1-0 due to a winner from substitute Benjamin Sesko.
Merseyside Police began using the technology in December 2025, supported by LFR vans supplied to Greater Manchester Police by the Home Office.
All LFR deployments are clearly signposted, and details of deployment locations will be published on the force's website ahead of .
For further information, including FAQs, you can visit the .