CCTV appeal following hate crime in Liverpool City Centre

Detectives investigating a hate crime in Liverpool City Centre last month have issued a CCTV image of a man they believe may have information that could assist their enquiries. 

 

At around 10am on Wednesday 20 April, it was reported that a male teenager was approached by an unknown man on Park Lane, near to the mini roundabout going towards Jamaica Street.  

 

It was reported that the man kicked one of his crutches, directed insulting comments towards him about his disability, and threatened violence towards him. 

 

The victim was uninjured but left shaken by the incident. 

 

CCTV enquiries are ongoing and detectives are now issuing an image to help identify a man they wish to speak to about the incident. 

 

Detective Inspector Steve O’Neill said: “It is utterly appalling that a someone could be subject to such vile abuse surrounding their disability. Merseyside is a friendly, welcoming place and I know the overwhelming majority of people will be shocked and disgusted by this incident. 

 

“Rest assured, we will not tolerate such appalling hate crime and we are working to find the person responsible and bring him to justice. 

 

“I am appealing to anyone who recognises the man to come forward as we believe he could hold vital information to help us with our ongoing enquiries. 

 

“Similarly, if you were in the Jamaica Street area at the time of the incident and saw anything or have any information, please let us know. We understand that a man intervened to help the victim during the incident, if this was you, then please get in touch. 

 

“The area would have been busy with people travelling in and out of town so if you were walking past, or driving in the area and have dashcam footage from the Park Lane area, please review it and let us know if you see anything. 

 

“You can contact us directly or anonymously via Crimestoppers - however you choose to let us know, we will take action.”

 

Anyone with information is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police Contact Centre with reference 22000272119. You can also call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information.

 

If you wish to report a hate crime, but don’t want to call the police in the first instance, across Merseyside, there are a number of third-party reporting centres available. These include the charity Stop Hate UK who can be contacted on 0800 138 1625.