‘Injured’ and ‘traumatised’ police officers still out of action months after summer riots

13 November 2024, 11:40

Merseyside's Chief Constable has praised the bravery of her police officers following the riots in July and August, and revealed some are still unable to return to work.

Speaking to LBC at the force's annual Community First Awards in Liverpool, Serena Kennedy revealed around 150 officers were injured in total, and said she still has officers who are unable to work as a result of the "deplorable violence" which took place in the wake of the Southport knife attacks.

Chief Constable Kennedy said: "It was an incredibly challenging time for Merseyside Police. One of the hardest nights of my career was being at Southport Police Station watching my staff being brought in one by one, being injured, some of whom had been in Hart Street on the 29th July. I was so proud of each and every one of the force during that period.

"I still have about seven officers who are off sick, both with physical injuries but also still struggling to come to terms with the events they dealt with on that night.

"I went back to Southport Police Station a few days later and it was littered with thank you cards from members of the public, there were boxes of biscuits, treats for the dogs, and we just felt very well supported and loved by our community here on Merseyside."

The total number of people arrested by Merseyside Police now stands at 146, with 101 charged and 80 people sentenced to 165 years and three months.

"That behaviour was absolutely deplorable and just horrendous. I'm glad we've seen that swift justice.

"The investigations go on, we think we'll be investigating those offences for about another 12 months. We still have lots of CCTV footage, still have those people we need to identify, and we are absolutely committed to identifying those people."

Axel Rudakubana, 18, from Banks in Lancashire, is charged with the murders of Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Da Silva Aguiar, 9. He is also charged with the attempted murders of eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and two adults, Leanne Lucas and John Hayes.

On 29th October, Chief Constable Serena Kennedy revealed Axel Rudakubana would face two additional offences; Production of a biological toxin, namely ricin, and possession of information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, namely a PDF file entitled "Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants: The Al-Qaeda Training Manual".

Speaking to LBC, she said: "It's difficult for me to comment on. It's Counter Terrorism Policing who will make the comments and declare an incident, whether something is a terrorist incident. At this moment in time, based on all the information they have available to them, they are still satisfied this was not a terrorist incident."

Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, told LBC: "It's obviously been a very difficult twelve months.

"The police don't always get things right, but when you look at what their response was in the summer, this was incredibly difficult circumstances. Police officers were literally putting their lives on the line to challenge these rioters, these racist people who were looking to cause disorder and harm on our streets.

"They were absolutely phenomenal in putting themselves in harm way to keep our community safe, and that's why I think it's right we recognise the great work they do."

On the issue of misinformation being spread online, she said: "It's really difficult. We're in that period where we want to make sure there's a fair trial, we want to make sure the justice process is followed so that ultimately the victims get justice, that should be our focus.

"The Chief, the CPS, the Police, everybody is trying to put out as much information as they can to give those answers to the community, because we want the community to have those answers.

"We understand people are upset, they're angry that it happened and they want to know how and why, but it's really important we do it within the framework of the justice system. The worst thing would be for the system to fall apart and the families not get justice."

The Community First Awards, now in its seventh year, saw members of the Merseyside force awarded for a range of achievements.

Among the winners on the night was Constable Erin Lee, who received the bravery award for disarming and arresting an armed man.

Constable Lee said: “I was part of the County Lines Task Force when I pursued a rider of a scrambler bike that we believed was stolen.

"The driver ran away across fields then pulled out a loaded handgun on me. I detained him and recovered the gun.

“He was convicted this week and received a significant jail sentence. I’m really proud to receive an award, for myself and for my team. It’s fantastic to feel as though you’ve made a difference and contributed to someone’s life or tried to help in some way.”

The Chief Constable’s Award was presented to Laurence Hancock and his Police Dog, PD Quga.

Over the past three years, Larry and PD Quga have apprehended more than 70 suspects, taken a number of weapons off the streets and discovered over 30 pieces of incriminating evidence.

Constable Hancock said: "Quga is a real asset to the force and I couldn’t be prouder for myself and for Quga to receive this award. She lives with us day in, day out and I put more trust in her than anyone.

“The Community First Awards are a fantastic way to celebrate all our hard work, Quga is an absolute credit to Merseyside Police.”