Topic: Bomb incident at Liverpool Womens Hospital

[Nobby Reserve]

Thats well put. I assumed the target would be the cathedral but when you put it like that, that is a frightening thought, that someone can think to bomb a maternity hospital.

Taxi driver sounds like an absolute hero if what I hear is true, in that he locked the guy in the taxi when he saw the bomb

He may well be, but let's wait till the full story gets out. He's bringing the car to a stop right outside the entrance when the bomb goes off. If he knew there was a bomb, I doubt he'd have been doing that.

The bomb going off at the start of the 2-minute silence for Remembrance Sunday at 11am suggests it could well have been on a timer.

All sorts of contradictory reports today - the taxi was originally going to the Anglican Cathedral where the Remembrance service was taking place / no, it was always going to the hospital. It was a woman / no it was a man / no it was a women pretending to be pregnant.

We're deffo into the realm of needing to wait for the police to give us the full picture.

[Jwils21]

Yeah, child locks.

If that was a black cab, was it the shield between the driver and the back seats that probably saved him - a bit of protection from the blast??

Even though it wasn't a black cab type vehicle, lots of taxis put screens up behind the front seats over the last year due to Covid. Wouldn't be as strong as the permanent shields in black cabs but it's still a barrier.

[AndyInVA]

It wasn't a black cab, it was a private hire. Astonishing to think he walked away relatively unscathed, even if (as has been suggested) that the bomb didn't go off as intended.

Even if it was just the detonator that went off, it still is amazing he was not harmed more seriously.

[Fiasco]

He may well be, but let's wait till the full story gets out. He's bringing the car to a stop right outside the entrance when the bomb goes off. If he knew there was a bomb, I doubt he'd have been doing that.

The bomb going off at the start of the 2-minute silence for Remembrance Sunday at 11am suggests it could well have been on a timer.

All sorts of contradictory reports today - the taxi was originally going to the Anglican Cathedral where the Remembrance service was taking place / no, it was always going to the hospital. It was a woman / no it was a man / no it was a women pretending to be pregnant.

We're deffo into the realm of needing to wait for the police to give us the full picture.

In a press conference today it was confirmed that the destination was the hospital, i.e the booking and destination was always to the Women's.

[Son of Spion]

The whole "wasn't mentioned on the news" angle seems quite weird to me.

First I heard of it was on BBC tea time news yesterday before they knew it was terrorism and the police were saying counter-terrorism was involved as a precaution and today it's headline/frontpage/main news on all news websites and was on BBC news on the radio this morning.

I work in London and my colleagues have asked about it first thing today. If anyone doesn't know about it then they're not watching the news.

Yep. By teatime it was the main story on the national TV news. Today, it's everywhere.

[Alan_X]

Bit mad that I've only just this minute heard about this. Am in London but have family still in Liverpool, and while I'm not a news watched I pick up the latest stuff pretty quick from the odd bit of social media and catching front pages of the free papers.

Where do you get your news? It's the top story on most media outlets.

[Nobby Reserve]

In a press conference today it was confirmed that the destination was the hospital, i.e the booking and destination was always to the Women's.

Ah, OK. Thanks.

Absolute scumbags.

[Fruity]

Where do you get your news? It's the top story on most media outlets.

It is now but wasn't yesterday when it happened. I thought it happened this morning as that was the first bit of news I had seen about it. Was surprised it was yesterday. Also live in London.

[classycarra]

Where do you get your news? It's the top story on most media outlets.

Was more a reflection on me than the media. Maybe I've been working unexpectedly hard/in a focused manner today!

Although do find it odd nothing popped up on one of those forced notifications on my (dormant) twitter - just today I had a notification that booster vaccinations being advised for over 40s by JCVI, but nothing today or yesterday to do with this incident.

[rob1966]

Yeah, child locks.

If that was a black cab, was it the shield between the driver and the back seats that probably saved him - a bit of protection from the blast??

It was private hire, so just a normal car and they don't have the same driver operated locks that a Black cab has - child locks aren't available to the driver from the drivers seat, you have to put your key in a slot in the open door to activate/deactivate them and the only way to open the door is from the outside.

[WhereAngelsPlay]

Thankful that nothing worse came of this, and what remarkable bravery from that taxi driver.

It’s terrifying really, my mum and dad once worked there.

What he did was incredible,putting strangers lives ahead of your own like he did is the very definition of heroic.

He wasn't to know that it was a dud device was he.

[rob1966]

What he did was incredible,putting strangers lives ahead of your own like he did is the very definition of heroic.

He wasn't to know that it was a dud device was he.

I've only seen the video on the BBC where the car drives up, the explosion happens while still moving and then he gets out a few seconds later, so what is he supposed to have done that is being classed as heroic, I'm a bit confused about it?

[Son of Spion]

Police in Sefton Park have just exploded a bomb on the field.

I shit myself.

[RainbowFlick]

I've only seen the video on the BBC where the car drives up, the explosion happens while still moving and then he gets out a few seconds later, so what is he supposed to have done that is being classed as heroic, I'm a bit confused about it?

he didn't let the bomber out of his vehicle?

[JerseyKloppite]

What he did was incredible,putting strangers lives ahead of your own like he did is the very definition of heroic.

He wasn't to know that it was a dud device was he.

We have no idea what he did yet. If he's been a hero here, he deserves all the plaudits coming his way. But I'd feel sorry for him if he'd been lauded a hero on national news outlets and it turned out that, actually, the bomb just went off on a timer as he was pulling up to the hospital. It's already been shown demonstrably that he didn't exit the car, or fully stop before the bomb exploded.

Everything at the moment is conjecture. He's clearly either the victim of a failed terrorist bombing, or a hero who saved lives by finding a way to lock a would-be bomber in his car. But best to wait for some factual confirmation of this before the poor guy gets dragged onto the radio/TV and lauded as a national hero before having to explain rather embarrassingly that he didn't do the things he's been heralded as having done.

[Son of Spion]

The whole review field of Sefton Park currently sealed off as police detonate explosives. The remains being bagged up now and put in a blacked out 4×4.

That was a big blast.

[Clint Eastwood]

He may well be, but let's wait till the full story gets out. He's bringing the car to a stop right outside the entrance when the bomb goes off. If he knew there was a bomb, I doubt he'd have been doing that.

The bomb going off at the start of the 2-minute silence for Remembrance Sunday at 11am suggests it could well have been on a timer.

All sorts of contradictory reports today - the taxi was originally going to the Anglican Cathedral where the Remembrance service was taking place / no, it was always going to the hospital. It was a woman / no it was a man / no it was a women pretending to be pregnant.

We're deffo into the realm of needing to wait for the police to give us the full picture.

Yeah, I'm not buying that the driver knew about it and locked the doors after seeing the CCTV. If he had noticed it, and he was quick thinking enough to lock the doors, you'd think he'd stop the car and leg it himself. He was pulling up to stop at the entrance until the explosion.

[Fromola]

It's mad isn't it? That was the rumour being circulated on social media yesterday. Johnson has also said similar.

Be quite interesting if the cabbie comes out and goes - I didn't have a clue what was happening

Obviously it still might be true that the cabbie knew and we don't know the full details. Still a strange thing for the Mayor to say.

His wife posted on social media to rubbish those rumours about locking the car, just said he was lucky to be alive.

The Mayor is useless but she's Labour so automatically got voted in anyway. Really irresponsible and amateur.

[Wabaloolah]

It was private hire, so just a normal car and they don't have the same driver operated locks that a Black cab has - child locks aren't available to the driver from the drivers seat, you have to put your key in a slot in the open door to activate/deactivate them and the only way to open the door is from the outside.

Depends on the car Rob, the last three cars I have had (Citroens dating back to 2006) all have the ability to electronically activate the child locks from the drivers seat by pressing a button

[Fromola]

But that's one of the factors that make this kind of terrorism so terrifying. They don't have to be professional. They don't have to be super careful in order to escape to fight another day. They don't have to be too concerned about covering their tracks. All they need is the knowledge of how to assemble an improvised explosive device and where to source the ingredients.

Just taking apart the kinds of fireworks on sale at this time of year and using that and other easily sourced materials can see you manufacturing something pretty dangerous. A single firework can take a hand off.

If you intend your attack to be a one way ticket anyway, being professional is unnecessary. What evidence you leave behind doesn't concern you. All that matters to the perpetrator is effective detonation and casualty figures. The scary thing is, anyone with a messed up ideology and access to the internet can be that person.

I think selling fireworks to the general public is mad anyway in the current health and safety era, let alone in the current climate with bombs going off and terrorist cells god knows where.

During bombfire weekend neighbours a few doors down had a display and it was that loud the floors shook in our house. They sounded more like bombs than fireworks and they could have bought them from Tesco or somewhere. Utter madness.

[Son of Spion]

Police now standing down the contained area of the review field on Sefton Park after detonation of explosive materials. I can only assume it was materials found at Rutland Avenue which have now been destroyed.

Edit: I'm watching this out of the window. Info not from a news source. Police back at their vehicles now.

[Red Beret]

In a press conference today it was confirmed that the destination was the hospital, i.e the booking and destination was always to the Women's.

So unless there was something up by the hospital we don't know about yet, or their target was within walking distance from the hospital and that was just the most convenient drop off point to avoid suspicion, it seems the intent was to cause maximum damage to as soft a target as possible.

Imagine the headlines today if they'd got through.

[Wabaloolah]

he didn't let the bomber out of his vehicle?

well the car was still moving when the explosion occurred so not entirely sure he did anything to prevent the bomber from exiting the vehicle, he may have deployed the child locks of course, which may have caused the bomber to then activate the device but it's speculation really based on something the mayor has said, which she probably got from Social Media

[Red Beret]

The whole review field of Sefton Park currently sealed off as police detonate explosives. The remains being bagged up now and put in a blacked out 4×4.

That was a big blast.

Bloody hell, I didn't hear a thing. I'm only a mile or so away.

[Millie]

Bloody hell, I didn't hear a thing. I'm only a mile or so away.

Just asked my daughter who lives in Aigburth. - She didn't hear it either.

[Son of Spion]

Bloody hell, I didn't hear a thing. I'm only a mile or so away.

I jumped off the couch. It was bloody loud.

The police riot vans, cars and blacked out 4×4s have all just pulled out of the area now.

[Fromola]

Police now standing down the contained area of the review field on Sefton Park after detonation of explosive materials. I can only assume it was materials found at Rutland Avenue which have now been destroyed.

Edit: I'm watching this out of the window. Info not from a news source. Police back at their vehicles now.

That's what I mean about the naivety of phoning a taxi from that address, unless they actually intended the police to find them which would be strange.

They must have had other plans.

[stockdam]

Even if it was just the detonator that went off, it still is amazing he was not harmed more seriously.

He was so very, very lucky. One of my close relatives was involved in a small terrorist bomb and had life changing injuries.......the cab driver is very fortunate.

[Son of Spion]

Just asked my daughter who lives in Aigburth. - She didn't hear it either.

It was like one of those massive fireworks you hear, but louder and strangely different too. I knew straight away it wasn't a display rocket.

I'm looking right at the field from here as it's on the doorstep, hence the loudness for me. It left a black patch on the ground and some fellas shovelled remains into bags. Could it have been detonators being destroyed?

[Mumm-Ra]

It's mad isn't it? That was the rumour being circulated on social media yesterday. Johnson has also said similar.

Be quite interesting if the cabbie comes out and goes - I didn't have a clue what was happening

Obviously it still might be true that the cabbie knew and we don't know the full details. Still a strange thing for the Mayor to say.

They always love to have a regular-Joe hero in these situations

sidenote, I was born in that hospital

[Wabaloolah]

He was so very, very lucky. One of my close relatives was involved in a small terrorist bomb and had life changing injuries.......the cab driver is very fortunate.

I guess the seat in the car and the headrest offered him some protection, it depends on where the scumbag was sat too, if directly behind the driver or behind the passenger seat.  If the contents had gone off too, presumably filled with nails and god knows what else then I doubt the driver would have got out of the car no matter wear he was sat though and the car would have been ripped apart from the explosion

[rob1966]

he didn't let the bomber out of his vehicle?

I see nothing like that in the video, I just see car pulling up. He can't have locked him in as the taxi doesn't have doors that can be locked and not opened by passengers.

[red_lfc_costello]

he didn't let the bomber out of his vehicle?

the vehicle wasn't stopped, it was also driven up the the entrance of the hospital. I don't think he had any clue what was going on, he was about to stop to drop his fare off and bang.

[Fromola]

He was so very, very lucky. One of my close relatives was involved in a small terrorist bomb and had life changing injuries.......the cab driver is very fortunate.

He's lucky to be alive, but he may have PTSD for the rest of his life and has suffered physical injuries. He's also got to deal with all the press intrusion into his life and fake news over what he did or didn't do.

The main comfort for him is nobody else was harmed, as he'd then have to deal with the guilt on top, even if not at all his fault.

[WhereAngelsPlay]

We have no idea what he did yet. If he's been a hero here, he deserves all the plaudits coming his way. But I'd feel sorry for him if he'd been lauded a hero on national news outlets and it turned out that, actually, the bomb just went off on a timer as he was pulling up to the hospital. It's already been shown demonstrably that he didn't exit the car, or fully stop before the bomb exploded.

Everything at the moment is conjecture. He's clearly either the victim of a failed terrorist bombing, or a hero who saved lives by finding a way to lock a would-be bomber in his car. But best to wait for some factual confirmation of this before the poor guy gets dragged onto the radio/TV and lauded as a national hero before having to explain rather embarrassingly that he didn't do the things he's been heralded as having done.

Fair enough.

I can't say that I know anything about it as I've swerved most of the news due to them not releasing much information.

[Son of Spion]

I think selling fireworks to the general public is mad anyway in the current health and safety era, let alone in the current climate with bombs going off and terrorist cells god knows where.

During bombfire weekend neighbours a few doors down had a display and it was that loud the floors shook in our house. They sounded more like bombs than fireworks and they could have bought them from Tesco or somewhere. Utter madness.

I agree. While there is nothing to say that these people used the contents of legally bought fireworks to create a divice, it's still possible for others with similar mind sets to do so. I've seen scallies blow phone boxes up with fireworks, so it doesn't take a genius to make something even more deadly with them and other easily sourced materials.

[rob1966]

well the car was still moving when the explosion occurred so not entirely sure he did anything to prevent the bomber from exiting the vehicle, he may have deployed the child locks of course, which may have caused the bomber to then activate the device but it's speculation really based on something the mayor has said, which she probably got from Social Media

This is wrong, child locks are either done with a key or a slider built into the door itself.

[JerseyKloppite]

Fair enough.

I can't say that I know anything about it as I've swerved most of the news due to them not releasing much information.

The only "official" reporting of his actions has been Joanne Anderson and she should never have commented frankly until the investigation was complete, as she appears to be saying things which aren't factually correct.

Stories of have-a-go heroes are obviously very attractive and I feel like a killjoy suggesting restraint, but you just know that if it turns out that he didn't lock the doors etc then some twats will be having a go on social media saying he's "lied about being a hero" even though to date he's made no comment at all.

[D🐶G]

Depends on the car Rob, the last three cars I have had (Citroens dating back to 2006) all have the ability to electronically activate the child locks from the drivers seat by pressing a button

I’ve got a 2018 Citroen C3 and can confirm that you can activate / deactivate the child locks in the back from a button in the front of the car.

Not sure what car this was though. Looks like it could be a Toyota Prius?

[rob1966]

I’ve got a 2018 Citroen C3 and can confirm that you can activate / deactivate the child locks in the back from a button in the front of the car.

Cheers, I've not seen them done that way in any cars I've been in and that includes taxis, always been the ones done from the outside.

Edit - Just seen the ad for Channel 4 news and he's being called a hero for averting something much worse. Great if he has, but like others have said, its going to be uncomfortable for him if he had no clue what was going on.