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Eyewitness: The time for answers will come, but help is more urgent

By Matthew Thompson, home and political correspondent, reporting from Dagenham for Sky News

As we arrived first thing this morning, the fire was smouldering, but it was a mere shadow of the inferno that had engulfed the building a few hours before.

Many residents fled with nothing more than the clothes on their backs.

Those who have nowhere else to go have been moved to a leisure centre a mile or so away.

There, amid a mass of water bottles, foil blankets and plastic plates, families are huddled, shell-shocked, and facing an uncertain future.

Drilon Nezaj, carrying his 17-month-old daughter in his arms, told me his flat was directly above the source of the fire.

He’d been at a friend’s house for dinner when the baby had fallen asleep, so they decided to stay the night. “She saved our lives,” he said.

Another woman, Kasia, said she awoke in the night to “flames climbing up to our balcony”.

She and her partner got out, with their dog. But fighting back tears, she told me her flat is “all gone. The only thing I can think of is we’re safe. The rest can be replaced. We got out, luckily.”

The building itself has known fire safety issues.

It was in the process of having dangerous flammable cladding removed when the fire broke out.

There may well be a time for recriminations.

But for now, there are scores of people, many with young children, who need help, and somewhere to sleep.

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Liverpool parade incident: Two people – including child – seriously injured after car drove into crowd

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Liverpool parade incident: Two people - including child - seriously injured after car drove into crowd

Two people, one of them a child, have sustained serious injuries after a car ploughed into crowds at the Liverpool FC trophy parade.

A total of 27 people were taken to hospital by ambulance after Monday evening’s incident on Water Street in the city centre.

Four of them were trapped under the vehicle, with fire crews moving “rapidly” to free them so they could be treated.

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Crowds swarm car in Liverpool

Twenty others were treated at the scene for minor injuries, and a cyclist paramedic was among those struck by the vehicle.

At a news conference, Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims stressed that the incident is not being treated as terror-related.

She said a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area remains in custody, who is believed to be the person driving the vehicle.

“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 connection to it,” she added.

Hundreds of thousands of people were lining the streets to celebrate Liverpool winning the Premier League.

Footage shows car drive into crowd at speed

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‘From jubilation to sirens’

ACC Sims described the collision, which unfolded as the parade was winding down, as a “terrible tragedy” – with detectives declaring a major incident.

She added it is “vital people do not speculate or spread misinformation on social media” – and urged the public to refrain from sharing distressing content.

David Kitchin from the North West Ambulance Service said paramedics already had a “substantial presence” close to the parade route, meaning they were able to respond quickly.

The 27 who needed hospital treatment – four of them children – were taken to four nearby hospitals: Royal Liverpool, Alder Hey, Arrowe Park and Aintree.

Liverpool parade collision: What we know so far

Sir Keir Starmer described the scenes as “appalling” – and praised “the remarkable bravery shown by the police and other emergency services”.

The prime minister said: “Everyone, especially children, should be able to celebrate their heroes without this horror.

“The city has a long and proud history of coming together through difficult times.

“Liverpool stands together and the whole country stands with Liverpool.”

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Liverpool eyewitness: ‘We were like sardines’

Eyewitness Natasha Rinaldi said she was watching the parade from her friend’s living room window when “we heard some screams”.

She added: “People started rushing to go after the driver and they tried to break the car. The police did everything to block and to push people away.”

Harry Rashid – who was attending with his wife and two young daughters – said the people carrier was “extremely fast”.

The 48-year-old heard people being knocked off the bonnet of a car. He said the car stalled for 10 seconds before “he put his foot down again and just ploughed through the rest of them”.

“It was horrible. My daughter started screaming and there were people on the ground,” Mr Rashid said.

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Liverpool parade collision: Footage shows people carrier drive into crowds at speed

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Liverpool parade collision: Footage shows people carrier drive into crowds at speed

Footage shows a car driving into crowds at Liverpool FC’s trophy parade.

Warning: Contains details some readers may find distressing

In the video, filmed from a window overlooking the business district, a people carrier can be seen travelling at speed.

Fans in the street quickly move out of the vehicle’s path – with some attempting to drag their loved ones out of danger.

Latest updates: 53-year-old British suspect arrested

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Police on scene after collision

A man trying to get to safety is hit with force, colliding with the windscreen before falling to the ground.

The car then suddenly veers to the right, where dozens are lining up against buildings and trying to protect themselves.

Over five seconds, the driver gathered speed again – crashing into several people.

The vehicle then turns towards the centre of the road and gradually comes to a stop.

What we know so far about the collision

People surrounded the car

Moments later, the car is surrounded by eyewitnesses trying to help the injured.

Others are attempting to open the driver door and smash through the passenger windows.

Police officers in hi-vis jackets sprint down the road to help.

The footage corroborates accounts from people attending the parade.

Eyewitness: ‘It was extremely fast’

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Liverpool eyewitness: ‘We were like sardines’

Natasha Rinaldi, who was watching the parade from her friend’s living room window, said: “People started rushing to go after the driver and they tried to break the car. The police did everything to block and to push people away.

“We could just hear screams. We were very confused. Some of my friends were down there and the car was so near them. It was a horrible scene, nobody was expecting it.”

Harry Rashid, a 48-year-old from Solihull attending the parade with his family, said the people carrier was travelling “extremely fast”.

Chelsea Yuen told Sky News said the car had driven straight towards her – with her friend Francesca jumping out of the way, dragging her little daughter to safety.

A different video, filmed from the ground, shows several men striking the people carrier, moments before it drives into the crowd at speed.

Merseyside Police have arrested a 53-year-old white British man following the incident on Water Street, just after 6pm on Bank Holiday Monday.

It is not yet known how many people are injured, or if anyone has been killed.

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Living beside the UK’s first drug consumption room

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Living beside the UK's first drug consumption room

It’s 8.34am on a Tuesday and Vanessa Paton is taking me on a tour of Glasgow’s east end, where she has lived for almost 50 years.

Half a mile away sits the newly opened taxpayer-funded facility, named The Thistle, where drug addicts can bring their heroin and cocaine, are handed clean needles and invited to inject under NHS medical supervision.

The concept, a UK first, is controversial and costs £2.3m a year.

Authorities believe it provides a safer, cleaner area for users to do their business, away from the dirty, HIV-ridden back alleys of Glasgow city centre.

It opened in January, and around 250 people have used it so far.

But there is a growing feeling among some that a by-product of this bold project is the alleged “war zone” being created in the community around the new building.

Vanessa Paton
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Vanessa Paton

Former council worker Ms Paton is one of an ad-hoc group of furious locals who pick up needles as part of desperate efforts to clear their streets.

She says: “It is getting worse. The new room has appeared, and the problems have escalated with it. It’s a no-go war zone every day and night.

“The area’s becoming a toilet. That is the harsh reality of it.”

A drug den

‘It is disgusting’

Sky News spends the morning being shown areas where it is claimed the issues are getting out of control.

Ms Paton pulls a bloodied, faeces-covered hospital gown out of a bush as we walk along a path behind a row of houses.

We turn the corner to a street where children play and are greeted with syringes filled with blood at our feet, discarded needle packaging and dirty underwear.

Angela Scott
Image:
Angela Scott

Local resident Angela Scott says: “It’s become a lot worse. It’s heightened. I’m scared that if I am picking up my dog dirt am I going to prick a needle.

“Am I going to end up with an infection that a lot of drug addicts tend to have because they are sharing needles? I don’t want to pick up something infectious.”

Adverts installed in known drug dens

Officials have installed a new needle bin in one hotspot in recent days, with posters erected advertising the nearby consumption room.

A needle bin
An advert for The Thistle in a drug den
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A new needle bin and poster for the nearby consumption room

Ms Paton alleges safety steps are being taken at a nearby nursery.

“There is a nursery that actually uses a metal detector in the morning to scan the sandpits before the children go out because of the concern of the needles being in it,” she claims.

This area is known as Calton and has had its troubles with drug taking and crime for many years.

Ms Paton takes us to a tucked-away, overgrown area opposite social housing and a few metres from where a new school is being built. It is a makeshift drug den.

There are hundreds of freshly used needles. It is like a minefield.

A drug den

One needle is stabbed into a large tree, there is even a wooden seat which is covered in drug-taking equipment.

Once again, there is a laminated A4 piece of paper pointing users in the direction of The Thistle.

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A needle stuck into a tree

Ms Paton says: “We picked up 50 needles in one minute last week. If we were to pick up every needle that is here today, we’d be talking hundreds.

“We are struggling to find somewhere safe to stand. There are needles between my legs, you’ve got needles behind your head.

“It’s totally soul-destroying. Nobody living here expected it to be this bad.”

Officials deny it is a new problem

Glasgow City Council told Sky News there had not been an increase in reports despite the community alleging the opposite.

Councillor Allan Casey, who is responsible for drug policy in the city, said: “This has been a long-standing issue and that is one of the main reasons why The Thistle has been placed where it is because there has been decades-long discarded needles in public places.

Responding to claims of increasing problems around the new facility, Mr Casey said: “Those reports don’t back that up.

“The council has not seen a rise in reports of injecting equipment and there has not been an increase in crime reports.”

Scotland is ravaged by drugs. The country has the worst drug death rate in Europe.

Scotland’s first minister John Swinney told Sky News the new drug room required time to “see the impact”.

He said: “The Thistle is a safe consumption facility which is designed to encourage people to come off the use of drugs – that’s its purpose. We’ve got to give that venture time to see the impact.

“We need to engage with the local community… and address any concerns.”

It is understood police have logged no calls about the facility since it opened in January, despite some residents suggesting they have contacted officers with concerns.

Inspector Max Shaw from Police Scotland said: “We are aware of long-standing issues in the area and continue to work closely in partnership to address these concerns.”

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