Three men have been arrested under the Terrorism Act after a man was killed in a car explosion outside Liverpool Women's Hospital.

A taxi carrying one passenger pulled up just before 11:00 GMT - as a national two minutes' silence for Remembrance Sunday was due to begin - and exploded.

The passenger was declared dead at the scene and is yet to be formally identified.

The male driver was injured and is in hospital in a stable condition.

Detectives from Counter Terrorism Police North West said three men - aged 29, 26 and 21 - were detained in the Kensington area of the city.

They said they were continuing to keep an open mind about the cause of the blast and were working with Merseyside Police as the investigation continued "at pace". The security service, MI5, is also assisting.

Armed officers have carried out raids on properties on Rutland Avenue near Sefton Park, and Boaler Street in Kensington.

Specialist officers remain outside a house on Rutland Avenue, in an operation police say is linked to the explosion.

Police negotiators are on the scene, a fire crew is on standby, and a number of residents have been evacuated.

Carl Bessant, whose partner had just had a baby, was inside the hospital at the time of the blast.

"My partner is really shook up to be honest," he said.

"We were so close and she was feeding the baby when it happened. We heard a loud bang and looked out of the window.

"We saw the car on fire and someone jump out... screaming, and there was someone inside the car.

"The hospital shut down, no-one in or out, so they said, but people were using the back entrance."
Police outside Liverpool Women"s HospitalImage source, PA Media
Image caption,
Police, fire and bomb disposal crews were at the scene of the blast which remains cordoned off

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter: "My thoughts are with all those affected by the awful incident in Liverpool today.

"I want to thank the emergency services for their quick response and professionalism, and the police for their ongoing work on the investigation."

Home Secretary Priti Patel also tweeted she was "being kept regularly updated on the awful incident".
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At the scene

By Jim Clarke, BBC North West Tonight deputy editor

The first raid happened at about 13:00 GMT on Rutland Avenue in the Sefton Park area of the city. It's about 0.75 miles from the hospital. It's an area of the city with large Victorian houses.

The house that was raided had been split up into flats. Local residents said they had not seen anybody coming or going from the property for some weeks - they thought it was unoccupied. The street remains cordoned off and some residents have been evacuated.

Police were also seen at Boaler Street in the Kensington area of the city. It's about a mile away from the hospital.

Eyewitnesses on the street said armed police arrived at about 14:00 GMT and raided a house. They said they saw men being arrested and handcuffed. They were led by armed officers into a car. That street also remains cordoned off.
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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.


Police were called at 10:59 GMT to reports of a car explosion.

Phil Garrigan, chief fire officer of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, said the car fire had been "fully developed" when crews arrived shortly after 11:00 GMT.

"The operational crews extinguished the fire rapidly but... there was one fatality," he said.

"Another individual had left the vehicle prior to the fire developing to the extent that it did. Our thoughts are with them and the families of those involved."

Liverpool Women's Hospital said visiting access had been restricted until further notice and patients had been diverted to other hospitals where possible.

"We are reviewing our patient activity for the next 24-48 hours and patients should wait to be contacted for updates about any planned appointments or other attendance at the hospital," chief executive Kathryn Thomson said.

Liverpool Women's Hospital receives about 50,000 patients annually and is the largest hospital in its specialism in Europe.

A UK taxi driver has been hailed a hero for locking a suspect inside his cab before a bomb the man was holding exploded outside a hospital.

Dave Perry pulled up to Liverpool Women’s Hospital on Sunday morning with one passenger in his taxi.

When he noticed the man was holding a bomb, a quick-thinking Perry leapt from the cab and locked the suspect inside, according to a fellow taxi driver, The Sun reports.

The bomb exploded moments later, injuring Perry.

He remains in a stable condition.
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The passenger was the only person to die in the explosion.

“It’s my mate who got blown up. He’s in a bad, bad way,” fellow cabbie Kev Cuthbertson said.

“He’s a fellow driver on delta. He’s had his ear sewn back on, got burns and shrapnel wounds and other pretty serious injuries. He is a hero.

“When he noticed the bomb, he locked the scumbag in the car. But took the brunt of the blast.”

In tributes for Perry online, one person said the taxi driver was a “hero”.
The driver was injured at the scene and remains in hospital in a stable condition.
The driver was injured at the scene and remains in hospital in a stable condition. Credit: Ilkha Agency

“David nearly paid the ultimate price to save others, apparently not giving anything a second thought besides making sure he went above and beyond to keep the people of Our City safe!,” Billy Darwin said.

In videos posted to social media, the burning vehicle could be seen outside the hospital.

Police said a major incident had been declared.
Arrests made

Counter Terrorism Police North West said three men - aged 29, 26, and 21 - were detained in the Kensington area of the city and arrested under the Terrorism Act in connection with the incident.

Investigators said they continue to keep an open mind about the cause of the explosion and are working closely with Merseyside Police.

“So far we understand that the car involved was a taxi which pulled up at the hospital shortly before the explosion occurred,” a spokesman for Merseyside Police said.

“Work is still going on to establish what has happened and could take some time before we are in a position to confirm anything.
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“We are keeping an open mind as to what caused the explosion, but given how it has happened - out of caution - counter terrorism police are leading the investigation supported by Merseyside Police.

“Our response is ongoing at the hospital and will be for some time. Cordons are in place, and there are some road closures.”

Footage of a number of explosions and billowing smoke outside the hospital were also shared as a bomb disposal unit attended.

Carl Bessant, who was inside the hospital at the time of the blast, said his partner, who had just had a baby, was shaken up.
Emergency services outside Liverpool Women's Hospital in Liverpool, England, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021.
Emergency services outside Liverpool Women's Hospital in Liverpool, England, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021. Credit: Peter Byrne/AP
Police stand guard at an address in Rutland Avenue in Sefton Park after the explosion.
Police stand guard at an address in Rutland Avenue in Sefton Park after the explosion. Credit: Peter Byrne/AP

“We were so close and she was feeding the baby when it happened,” he told BBC.

“We heard a loud bang and looked out of the window.

“We saw the car on fire and someone jump out... screaming, and there was someone inside the car.”

Liverpool Women’s Hospital said visiting access had been restricted “until further notice” and patients had been diverted to other hospitals “where possible”.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his thoughts were with everyone affected by the incident.

“I want to thank the emergency services for their quick response and professionalism, and the police for their ongoing work on the investigation,” he said on Twitter.

- with AAP

IraHayes wrote: ↑Mon Nov 15, 2021 5:58 pm No identities released, no possible explanation of a motive or background of the terrorists, and everyone saying they are keeping an “open mind”…

Who could have done such a thing eh?

BBC News correspondent Ed Thomas said Al Swealmeen was a refugee from Syria who was befriended and supported by Malcolm and Elizabeth Hitchcott, who knew him as Enzo, when he arrived in the UK.

Mrs Hitchcott said she and her husband were "just so sad" and were "very shocked" by his death.

"We just loved him, he was a lovely guy," she added.