Appeal following assault and homophobic hate crime in Liverpool city centre

Detectives have issued a CCTV image of a man who could have information that may assist with their enquiries following an assault in Liverpool City Centre. 

It was reported that at around 4am on Monday 16 May a man was assaulted on Church Street.

The victim, a man in his 60s, was verbally abused and struck a number of times in the face by another male and as a result the victim suffered serious facial injuries and bruising over his body.

The alleged offender who was accompanied by a second man, left the scene soon after the incident.

The assault is being treated as a hate crime.

CCTV and witness enquiries are ongoing to identify the suspect responsible, and detectives have issued images of a man they believe could assist with their investigation. 

Detective Inspector Tony Roberts said: “ “It’s extremely disappointing that during Pride month, when we are celebrating tolerance in our communities, a man appears to have been targeted because of his sexuality. To be attacked in such a manner is despicable, and we’re determined to find those responsible and remove them from our streets.

“This incident took place on Church Street and we believe it was busy with people still around leaving clubs, so if you were in the vicinity at around 4am on Monday 16 May and saw anything, then please contact us.

"I am also appealing for people to come forward if you recognise the male featured in the image. We believe he could hold information that could be vital to our continuing enquiries.” 

Merseyside Police is committed to tackling hate crime across our communities. We would encourage all victims of hate crime to come forward as we have officers and staff dedicated to protecting victims who will make sure you are supported at every step as sensitively as possible. 

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact @MerPolCC on Twitter or ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ on Facebook with reference 22000334754. 

You can also call 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.

If, for any reason, you do not wish to report a hate crime to the police, the independent charity Stop Hate UK to run a 24/7 confidential helpline for all victims of hate crime on 0800 138 1625 or www.stophateuk.org. You can also download the Stop Hate UK reporting app on Google Play or the Apple App Store.

Across Merseyside, we also have a number of third party reporting centres including fire stations, citizens advice bureaus and hospitals. A list of locations can be viewed here: merseyside-third-party-hate-crime-reporting-centres.pdf