Almost 150 injured at Liverpool FC parade before Doyle incident

Almost 150 injured at Liverpool FC parade before Doyle incident

An independent report has brought to light new details surrounding the Liverpool FC Premier League title victory parade held on 26 May 2025, revealing that nearly 150 people sustained injuries unrelated to the later tragic incident on Water Street. On that day, celebrations were marred by a disturbing event when Paul Doyle drove his vehicle into crowds, injuring 130 individuals. Doyle confessed to 31 offences and received a prison sentence exceeding 21 years.

The report primarily examined the organisation and safety aspects of the parade before the Water Street ordeal, noting that a total of 146 people required medical treatment throughout the day. According to North West Ambulance, burns were the most common type of injury. The inquiry recommended stricter controls on the use of flares and urged new regulations to prevent attendees from climbing lampposts and scaffolding, actions that created dangerous situations.

Liverpool City Council had commissioned this report to assess the management of the event, which attracted an estimated 1.2 million people to the city. Safety expert Eric Stuart, responsible for the evaluation, highlighted the enormous size of the crowd — the largest ever recorded in Liverpool. He explained that this was partly due to fans knowing about the title win early in the season, which gave them more time to plan their visit. Additionally, this event marked the first parade of its kind for Liverpool due to previous restrictions during the 2019-2020 season caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Stuart pointed out that the parade coincided with other major happenings in the city, including BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend and the arrival of Cunard’s Queen Anne cruise ship celebrating its 185th anniversary, factors which further increased visitor numbers. He suggested that similar large-scale celebrations in the future might benefit from being scheduled separately to avoid such overlapping demands. While most attendees enjoyed the day positively, some instances of reckless behaviour encouraged by social media, such as lighting flares and climbing structures, were observed. Stuart emphasized the role of social media influencers in amplifying these risky acts and urged media not to glorify such behaviour. He also called for Liverpool City Council to advocate for stronger government action against the production and distribution of pyrotechnics.

Addressing safety gaps, the report noted significant legislative shortcomings, especially concerning responsibilities for scaffolding and vacant buildings. Videos from the parade showed individuals perched on lampposts, bus shelter roofs, and scaffolding on a prominent building on The Strand. Stuart highlighted that authorities currently lack the legal power to require landowners to secure these structures in advance of major public events and recommended new laws to bridge this gap. Despite the challenges uncovered, Stuart was optimistic about the future, stating that Liverpool can and should host parades of this magnitude again. He suggested that events with extended preparation periods be classified as national events to enable more comprehensive planning for transport and staffing. Drawing on the success of other major occasions like the Eurovision Song Contest, he expressed hope that Liverpool will continue to embrace these challenges

Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More