Seven men arrested as bricks and bottles thrown at police cars following Everton match

Seven men have been arrested after bricks and bottles were thrown at a police car near Goodison Park following Everton’s dramatic 3-2 win over Crystal Palace on Thursday night.

Merseyside Police said a large group became embroiled in scenes of disorder on County Road, Liverpool, at about 11.15pm.

When further patrols arrived, they too were targeted and damage was caused to two other police vehicles, before the crowd was eventually dispersed.

County Road and the surrounding area was temporarlily closed to the public and fans making their way home from the match.

One matchgoer told LiverpoolWorld: “I tried to get down Winslow Street, Oxton Street and Spellow Lane after leaving the Winslow Hotel pub.

“They were all shut and I could hear police dogs barking. It looked like the area they shut off quite big. It was causing drivers to have to turn around and find alternative routes.”

Seven arrests made

Five men were arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly in a public place and one was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an officer in the execution of their duty.

They were later de-arrested and will be dealt with at a later date.

A 26-year-old man from Bootle was also arrested on suspicion of violent disorder after two beer bottles were thrown towards officers.

He was taken to a police station in Merseyside and remains in custody.

What’s been said

Chief inspector Jim Wilde said: “We know the vast majority of the community will be appalled to hear that such a large group gathered in a residential area to cause this level of nuisance and destruction.”

“There is never any excuse for this careless behaviour, which showed a total disregard for the residents living nearby, and put police and members of the group themselves in danger.

“Gatherings such as this put an unnecessary strain on our emergency services and could mean that we might not be able to get to other people who really need us.”

Chief inspector Wilde added: “Damage was caused to emergency vehicles, while our officers were working to maintain order and keep others safe.

“Two key vehicles were forced to be taken off the road as a result of this despicable behaviour and will now need to be repaired.

“Thankfully none of our officers were seriously hurt, but the removal of police vehicles from service has a clear impact on the ability of our officers to attend emergencies.

“If you were in the area and witnessed any disorder around the County Road area, please come forward. Any footage, CCTV or dashcam could be vital to finding those responsible and putting them before the courts.”

How to contact police

Please come forward with reference number 1215 of 19 May via our social media desk on Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’.

You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information.