Merseyside Police Commends Responsible Racegoers at Randox Grand National Festival

Merseyside Police would like to thank the racegoers who attended this year’s Randox Grand National Festival after another successful event.

Tens of thousands of people attended Aintree Racecourse over the three days for one of the biggest events in the sporting calendar, with nearly 60,000 visitors enjoying the world famous Grand National steeplechase won by I Am Maximus on Saturday).

There were six people arrested at the racecourse on Saturday including a man arrested on suspicion of sexual touching, a woman arrested on suspicion of assault, two men arrested on suspicion of assault of a constable in the execution of their duty, and a man and woman arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly in a public place.

On Friday, eight men were arrested on suspicion of various offences; four on suspicion of affray; two men on suspicion of assault; one man on suspicion of a drug offence after being searched near the main entrance to the racecourse, and another for being drunk and disorderly. 

Chief Inspector Iain Wyke said: “Merseyside has welcomed huge crowds at Aintree this week and I would like to thank the racegoers for enjoying themselves safely and responsibly, and helping make it another successful event for the region.

“During the course of the three days our officers have enjoyed engaging with racegoers and ensuring their safety, and we are pleased to report there was a great atmosphere throughout.

“Months of extensive planning alongside our partner agencies goes into large-scale events such as this to ensure they run as smoothly as possible.

“Given the numbers of people attending, I am delighted that once again the overwhelming majority of visitors behaved themselves responsibly and enjoyed the fantastic atmosphere.”