Residents say they are “petrified” and often can’t get a bus at night time
Residents say they are “petrified” and often can’t get a bus at night time
People in one area of Liverpool say they are scared to walk home at night due to gangs of youths causing chaos on local buses. Those living on the bus route that terminates at Speke Morrisons on Penketh Drive say they are used to services being suspended due to anti-social behaviour.
Last week, bus services were suspended again after Merseyside Police received a report a group of youths had started a fire on the upstairs deck of a bus parked outside the Morrisons.
The group managed to escape when the bus driver went upstairs. When he confronted them outside, he was reportedly assaulted and had his glasses broken. The bus driver managed to drive away without injury.
Two 13-year-old boys from Speke were arrested on suspicion of assault and attempted criminal damage. They have been conditionally bailed pending enquiries.
The ECHO published an extensive report in late February last year about gangs of children as young as 10 making people’s lives a misery in Speke, with residents reporting they were “setting fire to buses, blocking roads and launching fireworks at traffic”.
But Chief Inspector Neighbourhood Policing Chief Inspector Nathan Stockley told the ECHO such incidents have become less common over the last 12 months.
When the ECHO visited the bus stops outside the Speke Morrisons yesterday afternoon (Monday), we spoke to Gillian Mather, 63. Gillian says, when buses are suspended from the bus stops, she has to walk home, sometimes at night, which can take around half an hour.
Asked if she worries for her safety in the area at night, Gillian said: “Only when I’m coming home from work. I have to walk very far when that happens.
“I’ve been standing here before and the buses have driven out and left us here because of the kids messing about, so I have to walk home then.
“It’s not fair, especially to the elderly. The kids are 11 years upwards, maybe younger.”
Gillian believes some of the troublemakers don’t live in the area and instead come from other parts of Merseyside. She said: “It’s not just Speke, it’s the kids that come in from outside Speke and cause trouble.
“I’ve heard them on buses and they are not from around here. I’ve lived in Speke since 1993. It’s just the way kids are nowadays, no respect.”
Asked if she thinks the situation is improving though, Gillian said: “A little bit. I think it’ll deter them when they see the police here more often.”
Another woman at the bus stop, who asked not to be named, pointed to the closure of youth clubs and other spaces for young people as a factor behind this behaviour.
She said: “I think the children are bored. We used to go on buses and mess around, but we’d never attack a driver or set it on fire. We just used to play our music loudly.
“Online, everyone is moaning about it but no-one is doing anything. There used to be a play centre here but that’s now closed. That’s why you need police around here, on every street corner. I think it’s kids being bored and they want to cause murder. They’re bored because there’s nothing to do.”
Her friend, like Gillian, believes the trouble could be caused by children from other areas of Merseyside. She said: “There’s a hell of a lot of kids in Speke and this is a small minority. They’re probably not from around here but you don’t know for sure. Normally I don’t come out at night.”
Another woman said she feared for the safety of her children. She told the ECHO: “Once I get my kids from school at 3pm, I don’t go out the house again. I’m petrified.
“The buses go past my house again. My kids haven’t been able to get to school loads of times because the buses have been diverted. Sometimes they have to get another bus or walk home.
“I’ll do my shopping now and then I’ll go home. If I could move away from here, I would. It’s terrible. I feel sorry for the bus driver, who was just trying to do their job.”
She was less optimistic about the problems improving. She said: “The older they get, the worse it’s going to get. They start from 12 and up. They’re completely covered up, on bikes up and down the street. There’s nothing in Speke, you’re on the outskirts of everything.”
Merseyside Police officers were by Morrisons in Speke yesterday, along with Alun Evans from Merseyside Fire and Rescues’ fire prevention team.
Chief Inspector Stockley said: “We’re here today with that enhanced high visibility patrol in the area, both with officers and PCSOs, to give people that sort of reassuring presence to the community, engage with them and be here to speak to them. We’ve got plain clothed officers working in the area as well.
“We’re also here today with the Fire and Rescue Service. Their street intervention team have been out regularly engaging with the youths in the area and also getting that signpost into those diversionary activities as well. This is something that comes from a very preventative approach as well.
“During that period, our safer schools officers have been in the local schools speaking to youth and engaging with them and stressing the importance and the impact antisocial behaviour can have on the community here as well.
“We’re regularly holding community surgeries with our partners, including Travel Safe, and they’ll be taking place regularly at Morrisons to give the community that opportunity to speak with my officers in person, raise their concerns in that environment and allow them to see some of the action that we’re taking as well.”
The Chief Inspector argued the “multi-agency approach” is working. He said: ”Anti-social behaviour has a huge impact on the community.
“It’s something we as Merseyside Police and also our partners take incredibly seriously. This is a community priority.
“(I don’t want) to detract from those current issues and their importance, but I’d like to reference antisocial behaviour in the area has declined since March last year in response to what the police and our partners are doing in the area.”
Mr Evans says they are focused on educating young people about the dangers of fires. He said: “We’re here to reassure the public following the incident on January 10.
”This kind of behaviour puts not only themselves at risk, but also everyone else traveling on that bus at risk. If you think about the materials that you’ll find on a bus, you’ve got rubbers, you’ve got foam and fire can quickly take hold.
“Our street intervention team, they’re trained to intervene with kids’ needs and to try and put them in the right direction.
“Kids see this as a bit of fun, but what they need to realise is there are consequences to their actions, which affects not just themselves, but the wider community. Anti-social behavior in any form is unacceptable.”
Mr Evans added the issue was not just confined to Speke. He said: “It’s in all areas, unfortunately. In this type of area with fast food outlets and many shops, it just tends to attract kids. They’ll congregate in areas like this and then they’ll see anti-social behaviour.”
Arriva Merseyside previously told the ECHO incidents of anti-social behaviour are closely monitored and services will be withdrawn again if needed. A spokesperson added: “These decisions are not taken lightly, but the safety of our staff and passengers must come first.
“Our colleagues should be able to go to work without fear and our customers deserve to travel safely. We will always take decisive action where safety is compromised and we’ll continue to work with the police to help prevent further incidents.”
Anyone who witnessed the incident can contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X and Facebook @MerPolCC. You can also report information via the police’s website: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ or call 101 quoting reference 26000026824.
Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their website here: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously. In an emergency always call 999.
