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LIVERPOOL'S PUBLIC DISORDER RESPONSE PRAISED BY COUNCIL AND BUSINESS LEADERS
Liverpool Vision | August 2011

Liverpool's response to last week's public disorder was praised by business and civic leaders.

In a letter to the Daily Post and its sister paper, the Echo, 21 key figures, led by council leader Joe Anderson, praised the city’s response from the police, community groups and members of the public.

“We would like to put on record our wholehearted thanks to the people of Liverpool, the countless community groups and to the officers of Merseyside Police for their mature response to the recent civil disorder,” the letter states.

“At first sight, little good would appear to come out of a situation in which a number of people had their property damaged and many more were undoubtedly subject to acts of aggression and intimidation.

“Yet the way the overwhelming majority of our citizens and agencies reacted to the disorder gives us cause for hope and optimism.”

The letter was signed by leading lights in the city, including Chamber of Commerce chief executive Jack Stopforth; Frank McKenna, of Downtown Liverpool in Business; and Ian Ward, director of Liverpool’s St John's and Clayton Square Shopping Centres.

The thank you letter came as the latest retail figures unsurprisingly show that footfall in the city centre fell by 15% during the week of the riots.

In the week before the public disorder, 1.47m visits were recorded in the city centre.

In the week of the public disorder, when Liverpool One closed early to allow staff to get home safely, numbers fell to 1.24m.

More than 200 people were arrested during and in the wake of the disorder.

Meanwhile, David Cameron also praised Liverpool’s public spirit in coming together to clean up after last week’s riots.

The Prime Minister was visiting Daresbury Science campus, in Cheshire, which the Government has made into an enterprise zone – a move that could create 1,000 jobs.

“I am pleased to be here after a week in which people have been tragically tearing down our country. It’s great to come here to see how people are building and creating for the future.”

He also welcomed hefty sentences that the courts have handed to rioters and those that incited riots.

Two men from Cheshire who tried to incite a riot on Facebook have been handed the longest jail terms so far.

Jordan Blackshaw, 20, of Northwich and Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan, 22, from Warrington, were both sentenced to four years, despite neither of the destructive events the men attempted to organise actually happening.

Speaking on his visit, he said: “It’s right for courts to hand out sentences that they see as appropriate.

“I think it is excellent that courts are handing down stiff sentences. It was heartening to see in Liverpool people come out to clear up after thugs did so much damage.”

For more Liverpool news from the Daily Post visit www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk