The Leader of Knowsley Council has expressed his shock and disgust after a Pride flag was set alight outside council buildings in Kirkby, an incident which is now being investigated by police.
Merseyside Police are examining CCTV footage taken outside the Kirkby Centre on Norwich Way at around 9.45pm on Sunday 2 August. It shows a group of young people, thought to be aged around 11-16 years old, setting fire to a Pride flag which was flying there – a symbol of the council’s solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.
The incident happened just hours after a vigil was held in the borough in memory of Michael Causer, an 18-year-old gay man from Huyton who was murdered in 2008; and in the week that Knowsley looks forward to its own Pride celebration, taking place on Saturday.
Cllr Graham Morgan said: “I’m so saddened and disappointed that anyone would do this.
“The mindless nature of this behaviour is hard to understand, and what upsets me most is that this act of stupidity might make some people in our community feel less safe, or less welcome. That’s not what Knowsley is about.”
With images of those responsible captured on CCTV, Cllr Morgan said he is hopeful that those responsible would soon be receiving a visit from officers.
“There’s no place for this kind of hate in Knowsley, and I hope that the appropriate action is taken against those responsible. Perhaps then they’ll think about why what they did was wrong,” he said.
Inspector Alex Cartledge said: “We are treating this as an arson motivated by hate, and take all reports of hate crimes extremely seriously.
“It has been reported that the people responsible in this case were young people aged 11-16, and we have already increased patrols in the area to target anyone committing anti-social behaviour.
“We would also ask parents and guardians to make sure you know where your children are, what they are doing and who they are associating with during the long days of the summer holidays. Everyone in our community can have a role to play in ensuring Kirkby is a safe place for all.”
And Cllr Morgan added that he hoped people in Knowsley would once again come together to demonstrate that the borough as a whole is a place where everyone can feel safe and welcome.
“There’s no better way to respond to something like this than to come together and show the world that we won’t be divided and there is no place for hate in our borough.
“This Saturday, Knowsley Pride will be a positive demonstration that Knowsley is an inclusive borough, where equality for all and respect for the LGBTQ+ is important to us.
“It’s going to be a brilliant, family-friendly day, where all are welcome.
“We won’t let hate win over love.”
Find out more about Knowsley Pride here.
Police appeal for information
If you have information about this incident, you can contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X @MerPolCC. You can also call 101 quoting crime reference 26000639184 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, for any reason, you do not wish to report a hate crime to the police, the independent charity Stop Hate UK 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. We can also report hate crime via:
- The Anthony Walker Foundation – hate crime motivated by a person’s race or religion
- Daisy UK – disability hate crime
- Citizens Advice Liverpool – support for victims of LGBTQ+ hate crime.