Liverpool Women’s Hospital explosion: ‘Heroic efforts’ of taxi driver praised
A Liverpool taxi driver’s “heroic efforts” averted what could have been an “awful disaster” on Remembrance Sunday, the city’s mayor has said.
His cab pulled up outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital and exploded just before 11:00 GMT, as the national two minutes’ silence was due to begin.
Joanne Anderson praised the cabbie, named locally as David Perry, for “locking the doors” before the blast.
The taxi passenger died at the scene and Mr Perry was taken to hospital.
He did not suffer life-threatening injuries and has since been discharged from hospital, police said.
“The taxi driver in his heroic efforts has managed to divert what could have been an absolutely awful disaster,” said Ms Anderson.
“The taxi driver locked the doors – our thanks go to him.”
Mr Perry is said by police to have picked up a man in the Rutland Avenue area of Liverpool shortly before 11:00 GMT on Sunday.
The man asked to be taken to the Women’s Hospital, a drive of about 1.6 miles (2.6km) which takes about 10 minutes.
As the taxi arrived at the hospital’s drop-off area, it exploded. Mr Perry escaped the car seconds later before it was engulfed in flames.
The explosion has been declared as a terrorist incident.
Russ Jackson, head of Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said he had spoken to Mr Perry who was still “shaken and injured”.
Police have yet to receive his full account of what happened.
Mr Jackson said it appeared to have been an “unremarkable journey” to the hospital.
He said he could not confirm reports the driver had locked the doors of the taxi before the explosion.
The dead passenger has not yet been formally identified.
“We are able to confirm that this is being treated as the ignition of an explosive device. Our enquiries also indicate that the device was brought into the cab by the passenger,” added Mr Jackson.
Four men have been arrested under the Terrorism Act, while MI5 is assisting regional counter-terrorism police.
Detectives from Counter Terrorism Police North West said three men – aged 29, 26 and 21 – were detained in the Kensington area of the city late on Sunday. A fourth man, aged 20, has since been arrested.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also praised Mr Perry’s actions.
Mr Johnson said: “It does look as though the taxi driver in question did behave with incredible presence of mind and bravery.”
An online fundraiser started by people involved in the taxi trade in the city has already raised nearly £15,000.
Organiser Jenny Phillips said the appeal was “simply to help a family and a good guy who didn’t deserve this, and has a lot of recovery to do but deserves a medal for his actions”.
She told the Liverpool Echo: “We waited until we knew more details of what had happened and we were shocked.
“His family have since been in touch and said there are a number of other fundraisers that have been set up but are not official and the family are concerned people will be giving money to people they do not know.”
Chief Constable Serena Kennedy, of Merseyside Police, sought to reassure the public, saying events of this nature were very rare and that there would be an increased and visible police presence on the streets in the coming days.
Ms Anderson said respite centres were on standby for residents evacuated from their homes but have not been needed.
“We have taken a couple of people in surrounding properties and put them in hotels but everyone should be able to go about their businesses today thanks to our emergency services.”
A police cordon remains in place around Liverpool Women’s Hospital, although it remains open for patients.
Visiting arrangements have been restricted until further notice, the hospital said.
Liverpool Women’s Hospital receives about 50,000 patients annually and is the largest hospital in its specialism in Europe.
Source: (BBC News)