Merseyside Police has carried out dawn raids at 10 addresses across Liverpool this morning (Thursday, 29 June 2017) and four people have been arrested on suspicion of public order offences.



The arrests resulted from an ongoing investigation into an incident of disorder at the Black-E venue on Great George Street in Liverpool city centre on Saturday, 4 March.




Searches of the addresses in Everton, Anfield, Netherley, Vauxhall and Lydiate are ongoing.

During the operation four people have been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder offences.

At around 9.05pm on 4 March, calls were received of spectators fighting during an organised Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and boxing event at the venue.

Various reports indicated that at least 20 people were involved and that bottles had been thrown. The incident began inside the venue but is believed to have spilled outside onto the street.



Police and ambulance attended and two men in their 30s were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening head and facial injuries.

Detective Chief Inspector John Webster said: “This morning’s warrants show that we will not tolerate disorder in our city centre.

"Liverpool is rightly regarded as one of the safest cities in the UK to enjoy a night out and has continued, year on year, to be awarded with Purple Flag status.

"Sadly any area with a high volume of licensed premises, such a Liverpool, will attract some issues in relation to crime and disorder. However, given the size of the night time economy in Liverpool the number of incidents are low and we are keen to keep it that way.



"We will take strong action against anyone who risks the good reputation our city centre has, and bring people responsible for incidents such as that at the Black-E to justice.

"Since the incident, the licensee for the Black-E immediately worked with us to agree a range of measures which will ensure visitors to the Black-E continue to enjoy themselves in such a great location.

"We are aware of the importance of the Black-E’s status within the community and the good work that it does for and with the local community, and we wanted to ensure this incident did not impact on that work.

"The majority of clubs and pubs in the city centre work closely with the force and manage their venues in a responsible way, contributing greatly to maintaining the city’s reputation as a great place to visit.

"We will continue to work hard with our partners to ensure the city remains a safe place, with a good reputation which encourages people to continue to enjoy what the city has to offer. Our primary aim is to protect the public and ensure they have a night out in a safe environment."

Detectives investigating the disorder have issued images of nine people they would like to speak to.

CCTV, witness and forensic enquiries have been carried out to establish the full circumstances of the incident and officers have issued photographs of the nine males who they believe could assist with their investigation.

Anyone who recognises the males, or the males themselves, are asked to contact Merseyside Police on 0151 777 4065 or the Crimestoppers line anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org