David Perry is said to have called out for his wife after escaping the blast (Picture: Rex)
The taxi driver who survived the Remembrance Sunday bomb attack in Liverpool called out for his wife as he stumbled from the burning cab, according to the security guard who helped him.
Darren Knowles said he was pumping up the tyres on his own car when David Perry’s taxi pulled up outside the Women’s Hospital just before 11am on Sunday.
It has been revealed that the explosive device had been built by 32-year-old Emad Al Swealmeen, who had spent months plotting the attack which claimed his life.
Footage apparently taken from a CCTV camera on the hospital site that has been shared widely on social media shows the vehicle exploding seconds after coming to a stop.
Mr Perry can be seen getting out from the driver’s door and fleeing before being helped by a member of the public wearing a fluorescent vest.
The car then bursts into flames.
Footage shows the moment the cab exploded outside the hospital
Aerial view of the aftermath of the explosion (Picture: PA)
The burned out car was removed on Wednesday (Picture: Getty)
Mr Knowles described hearing a ‘loud bang’ believing it was a mechanical failure before seeing Mr Perry rush from the taxi.
He told the Mirror: ‘He was panicking and screaming, “Someone has blown me up. I want my wife”.
‘He was trying to tell us, “There is a passenger, there is a passenger”.
‘I was trying to say to him, “Is he still in there”, and he was saying, “He has tried to blow me up”.’
Mr Knowles added: ‘Everyone is calling me a hero but I was just doing my job.
‘My hands were shaking when I realised how close I was to being blown up. But you don’t think, you just do.’
Emad Al Swealmeen has been named as the suicide bomber (Picture: Rex/Shutterstock)
Mr Perry, who has been praised by Prime Minister Boris Johnson for acting with ‘incredible presence of mind and bravery’, was treated in hospital after fleeing the car just before it burst into flames.
He has since been discharged.
City mayor Joanne Anderson previously suggested that the driver had locked the doors to prevent the passenger escaping.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘The taxi driver, in his heroic efforts, has managed to divert what could have been an absolutely awful disaster at the hospital.
‘Our thanks go to him and our emergency services, and authorities have worked through the night to divert anything further and we’ve all been on standby and in constant contact to provide any support that’s needed.’
And the 45-year-old was then helped by brave security guard Darren Knowles, who is said to have put his own safety at risk to rush to the taxi driver's aid.
Security officer Darren Knowles, who witnessed the terrorist incident on Sunday at the Women’s Hospital in Liverpool (Image: Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)
Following Sunday's terror attack, police have named 32-year-old Iraqi born terrorist Emad Al Swealman as the man they believe was the passenger who it is reported to have ignited his home-made bomb.
Tonight Darren, 50, from Cheshire, told the Mirror: "“Everyone is calling me a hero but at the end of the day I was just doing my job.”
Darren was on duty at Liverpool Women’s Hospital when the bomber struck at 10.59am on Remembrance Sunday.
He was standing alongside his own car which was parked just yards from the main entrance.
“It all happened in a flash. I was just pumping my tyre up on my car” he said.
Car on fire outside the Liverpool Women's Hospital (Image: Liverpool Echo)
“I saw the taxi pull up, as they do, because it is outside the main entrance.
“I heard a loud bang and at first I thought it was mechanical failure in the taxi. I thought the engine had caught fire.
“But then I saw the taxi driver run out. He was panicking and screaming ‘someone has blown me up’.
“He was trying to tell us, ‘there is a passenger, there is a passenger’.
“I was trying to say to him, ‘is he still in there?’ and he was saying ‘he has tried to blow me up, he has tried to blow me up’. David was just so disorientated and confused.”
Darren said the driver had blood pouring from a wound on his left ear and a shrapnel injury in the back of his neck, which was also bleeding badly.
Security guard Darren Knowles was there at the moment of the Liverpool Women's Hospital bombing (Image: Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)
He added: “I just grabbed him and tried to get him to safety as quickly as possible because I had a feeling something else was going to go off.
“My first priority was stopping the taxi driver going back to the car, because he had his phone and other things in it and he wanted to get them out, but I took him to the nearest nurse to get medical attention.
“I did not think about myself I was just thinking of getting the taxi driver to safety before anything else went up.
“He was screaming, panicking, saying ‘I want my wife’.
“We were just saying ‘calm down, let’s just see to you’.
“There was blood pumping from his left ear all down the side of his face.
He had shrapnel in the back of neck and it was just pouring with blood.”
He added: “I was saying, ‘come on, come with me, we’ll get you sorted’ and I handed him over to a nurse.
“He went into the staff entrance and sat down there and that was the last I saw of him.”
Darren, who works as an agency security guard, added: “He was just in a state of emotional shock go be honest. He was confused about what had happened.
“God bless the guy. I just wish him a speedy recovery after what he has been through.”
The scene at Liverpool Women's Hospital (Image: Liverpool Echo)
He did not look into the car to see the body of Al Swealman, who died in the inferno.
But he added: “The first thing that came to my mind was ‘terror attack’. We couldn’t say the words because we did not want to scare people.”
He said he was “quite calm” immediately after the blast but 30 minutes later the reality of what had happened dawned on him.
“My hands were shaking when I realised how close I could have been to being blown up. But you don’t think, you just do.”
It was only the sixth time Darren, who lives with his partner and their two youngest children, had been on duty at the hospital.
He finished at midnight and was back in work the following morning for a shift at another site on Merseyside.
And he was due back at the hospital on Wednesday night for a night shift.
He smiled: “At the end of the day I prefer to be busy than just dwelling on things.
CCTV image of the explosion outside Liverpool Women's Hospital
“The kids say they are proud of of me but I have told them I was just doing my job.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up as a token of thanks for Darren and three other men who tried to help at the scene, Liam Spencer, Richie Kawar and Will Cowan.
A friend of dad of two Mr Kawar, who tried to extinguish the flames of the burning car, said of the his bravery: “I think Rich just thought it was faulty car catching fire but a member of the public shouted ‘there’s someone in the back of the taxi’.
“Rich thought because it was outside the women’s hospital, it must be a pregnant woman or a child trapped in the back of that car, so he wanted to save her and put the flames out.
“He said it was too hot to get close to and he could hear pops and bangs but still used a full foam extinguisher to try and put it out. It made no difference though.
“The car was a right mess and it set fire to another car belonging to Will, who is another security guard, that’s a right off too.
“I think both lads are already back at work.”
Emergency services outside Liverpool Women's Hospital (Image: PA)
Caroline Hewitt, who set up the fund raising page, wrote: “These men Darren Knowles, Liam Spencer, Richie Kawar and Will Cowan, all risked their lives on Sunday with their brave quick thinking actions.
“I have set up a gofundme page to raise money to be shared out among all four to give them for their bravery.
“A man in the white shirt is stood right next to the car Richie Kawar, with a fire extinguisher trying to put it out in desperation putting his own life at risk.
“Will Cowan also put his life at risk to help others and I have also been told that his car caught fire and his insurance won’t pay out as it’s terror related and he’s not covered.”
Emad Al Swealmeen was killed in the explosion on Remembrance Sunday.
They were released without charge as police confirmed they had co-operated with the investigation.
A spokesperson from Counter Terrorist Policing North-West said: "Officers in Merseyside have extended a cordon on Sutcliffe Street in the Kensington area to allow officers to make an assessment of materials found in a property that we've been searching."This is only as a precaution and we will provide updates when we have them."
Boris Johnson has admitted he made a “total mistake” trying to overhaul rules on MPs’ standards as he came under further pressure over his handling of sleaze.
The prime minister conceded that there was “no question [Owen Paterson] had fallen foul of the rules”, two weeks after trying to save the former Tory minister from a Commons suspension.
Johnson told the liaison committee of senior MPs that the government had only wanted to establish whether or not, “given the particularly tragic circumstances”, Paterson had a fair right to appeal.
Paterson’s wife committed suicide during the standards investigation last year.
The prime minister said: “In forming the impression that the former member for North Shropshire had not had a fair process I may well have been
A British F35 stealth jet from the UK's flagship aircraft carrier has crashed into the Mediterranean while flying, with the pilot forced to eject in the first such incident to impact HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Hostile action is not thought to have been involved in bringing down the £100m warplane - one of the UK's most expensive, classified and valued weapons programmes.
An investigation will likely focus on potential technical or human error.
The crash could raise concerns about the safety of all other F35B jets - used by a number of different nations, including the United States.
For now, all UK flying operations are continuing as usual.
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A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "A British F35 pilot from HMS Queen Elizabeth ejected during routine flying operations in the Mediterranean this morning.
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"The pilot has been safely returned to the ship and an investigation has begun, so it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."
The next-generation RAF F35 ditched into the sea "shortly after take off", Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told Sky News.
It is loaded with top-secret radars, sensors and other technology so recovering the wreckage will be a priority.
Image:A Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. File pic
Eight British F35 jets are on the carrier, along with 10 American F35s. They are the B variant of the Lockheed Martin jet, which can take off at a short distance and land on the carrier.
As well as being the first crash for the aircraft carrier, it is also the first time any of the UK's fleet of 24 F35 jets have crashed.
While very rare, a small number of American F35 jets have come down including one in May 2020 during a routine exercise in Florida.
The F35 jets are the most prized part of the UK's new the carrier strike group. The British and American jets have flown to intercept Russian aircraft from HMS Queen Elizabeth in recent months.
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June: UK aircraft carrier on first active duty
The aircraft carrier is returning to the UK after more than seven months at sea on a maiden voyage to the Far East and back.
The jets on board have conducted around 2,000 take-offs and landings during that time.
Nine Insulate Britain climate change activists have been jailed for breaching an injunction designed to stop them from blocking roads.
The nine, aged between 20 and 58 years old, were jailed at the High Court in London after they admitted breaching the injunction by taking part in a blockade at junction 25 of the M25 on 8 October.
Ana Heyatawin, 58, and Louis McKechnie, 20, were jailed for three months, while Ben Buse, 36, Roman Paluch-Machnik, 28, Oliver Rock, 41, Emma Smart, 44, Tim Speers, 36, and James Thomas, 47, all received four-month sentences.
Submissions made by Ben Taylor, 37, to the court on Tuesday were described by Dame Victoria Sharp as "inflammatory" and a "call to arms", and he was therefore given a longer sentence of six months "to deter (him) from committing further breaches".
Insulate Britain, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, is a campaign group calling for better insulation for UK homes to help tackle the climate crisis. The activists have blocked motorways, the Port of Dover, and roads outside Parliament as part of their campaign - with many demonstrators gluing themselves.
Image:Nine Insulate Britain activists have been jailed for breaching an injunction
Image:Oliver Rock has been jailed for four months
Earlier today, the judge, sitting with Mr Justice Chamberlain, said there was no alternative to custodial sentences because the group's actions were so serious and they had made it clear they intended to further flout court orders.
She said: "The defendants, or some of them, seem to want to be martyrs for their cause, and the media campaign surrounding this hearing appears designed to suggest this.
"We, however, have to act dispassionately and proportionately."
The group and their supporters chanted "we are unstoppable, another world is possible", as they were led to the cells through the dock by security officers.
Image:James Thomas has been jailed for his role in breaching the injunction
Image:Tim Speers has been jailed for four months
Raj Chada, a solicitor at Hodge Jones and Allen law firm who supported the protesters, said: "With these prison terms, the long and honourable tradition of civil disobedience is under attack again.
"Rather than leaving courts to imprison those that raise the alarm, it should be the government that acts to protect us against the climate crisis."
Insulate Britain says it intends to continue with the protests, which have sparked anger among motorists and others affected by the blockades, until the government agrees to insulate homes.
Myriam Stacey QC, representing the government, told the court on Tuesday that the injunction banning protest activity on the M25 motorway was granted by a High Court judge on 21 September.
Image:Roman Paluch-Machnik is one of the seven campaigners who has been jailed for four months
Image:Ben Buse, who has been jailed, is seen glued to a road near a junction of the M25 and A1 earlier this month
She said it was accepted by National Highways that the protests fell into the category of "civil disobedience", and that a National Highways official had described the action, which began on 13 September and has continued for around nine weeks so far, as "unprecedented and sustained".
She told the court the official also described the protesters as "peaceful and compliant", and said they are "loosely affiliated" to Extinction Rebellion.
She said the protest on 8 October began at around 8.30am, with protesters blocking two lanes, and it ended shortly after 10am when the final two protesters - who had glued themselves to the ground - were removed by police.
The High Court has so far issued five injunctions to prevent protesters from blocking roads.
They include four injunctions granted to National Highways, banning demonstrations on the M25, around the Port of Dover and on major roads around London, and one to Transport for London (TfL).
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Insulate Britain blocks Parliament Square
TfL was granted a civil banning order aimed at preventing protesters from obstructing traffic on some of the capital's busiest roads.
Those who breach the injunctions could be found in contempt of court and face a maximum penalty of two years in prison or an unlimited fine.
Ms Stacey said further committal proceedings will be issued against other Insulate Britain protesters by the end of the week, relating to protests on 27 October.
She also said evidence is currently being gathered to bring proceedings in relation to protests on 29 October and 2 November.
So far, 161 people have been involved in the roadblock campaign and there have been more than 800 arrests.
The Liverpool bomber began making "relevant purchases" for his attack in April, counter-terror police have said.
Emad al Swealmeen died when an explosive device detonated and set fire to the taxi he was in outside Liverpool Women's Hospital on Remembrance Sunday.
Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson, head of Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said "a complex picture" was "emerging over the purchases of the component parts of the device".
"We know that al Swealmeen rented the property from April this year, and we believe relevant purchases have been made at least since that time," he said a statement.
"We have now traced a next of kin for al Swealmeen who has informed us that he was born in Iraq.
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"Our enquiries have found that al Swealmeen has had episodes of mental illness, this will form part of the investigation and will take some time to fully understand."
Mr Jackson said a post-mortem examination had confirmed the cause of death as "injuries sustained from the fire and explosion".
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He also appealed for people who knew al Swealmeen - especially during this year - to come forward, but said police currently "are not finding any link to others in the Merseyside area of concern".
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Priti Patel said the system was a "complete merry-go-round" with a "whole industry" devoted to defending the rights of individuals intent on causing harm.
Ms Patel told reporters: "These people have come to our country and abused British values, abused the values of the fabric of our country and our society.
"And as a result of that, there's a whole industry that thinks it's right to defend these individuals that cause the most appalling crimes against British citizens, devastating their lives, blighting communities - and that is completely wrong."
Image:Home Secretary Priti Patel said the attacker exploited the UK's 'dysfunctional' asylum system
Al Swealmeen is believed to have converted from Islam to Christianity in Liverpool's Anglican cathedral in 2017.
There have been reports of growing unease within the Home Office at the role of the Church of England in converting asylum seekers.
Others have raised concerns that some in Liverpool may have pretended to convert to Christianity in a bid to enhance their chances of remaining in the UK.
Liverpool Cathedral said it has "robust processes for discerning whether someone might be expressing a genuine commitment to faith".
A spokesman said an asylum seeker must be "closely connected" with the congregation for at least two years before staff would support their application.
Image:Aerial view of the aftermath of the explosion at Liverpool Women's Hospital
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Mr Hitchcott said: "He was very quiet but deeply moved by faith in Jesus. I used to pray every day for half an hour in the dining room with him. I don't think he was pretending about his faith."
The couple described al Swealmeen as artistic and a motor racing fan. He was reported to have changed his name to Enzo after the racing driver Enzo Ferrari.
Police also said on Wednesday that the burnt-out taxi had been removed from outside the hospital but that specialist officers were still conducting searches.
Image:Taxi driver David Perry ran from the car moments after the explosion
Police have searched a property in Rutland Avenue in Liverpool that al Swealmeen had rented since April, as well as a property in Sutcliffe Street where it's believed he lived previously.
Four men arrested under terror laws in Liverpool on Sunday, and another man detained on Monday, have been released without charge.
The incident has been declared a terrorist attack and the UK threat level raised to severe, meaning an attack is "highly likely" - though police have stressed there is no specific intelligence another attack is imminent.
