Police officer 'headbutted' by teenager on Halloween

Police on Town Row, West Derby tonight
-Credit: (Image: ESFP)


Merseyside police have arrested a teenager after two of their officers were assaulted in West Derby this afternoon. At around 5.50pm, on Thursday 31 October, officers attended Town Row to reports of a large group of youths congregating.

A staff member at the local Co-op told The ECHO: "I didn’t see it but I heard a kid had head butted a policeman. Kids are getting worse and worse."

A small cordon is in place on Town Row, West Derby just outside a block of flats, near to the Royal Standard pub. Traffic is building slightly as a police car is blocking one side of the road.

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Police said one youth was detained for a search, and reportedly assaulted two officers. Both were taken to hospital for assessment and have since been discharged.

A 14-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of section 18 wounding of an emergency worker; assaulting a constable; and resisting arrest. He has been taken to a police station for questioning.

A road closure is in place on Town Road and officers are continuing to carry out enquiries at the scene. Anyone who saw the incident is asked to contact @MerPolCC, 101 and Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 with reference 796.

Police have set up dispersal zones across Merseyside to allow them to move on trouble makers, including one in West Derby, and most of them are due to come to an end on Friday evening. Wednesday night, known to some as Mischief Night, saw a large amount of low level violence and vandalism occur in local communities resulting in some bus services being cancelled after they were attacked with bricks.

Some people likened the chaos as being like the American horror movie The Purge, others suggested parts of the city were akin to a war zone after gangs of young people caused misery setting bins on fire and throwing fireworks at the police.