Statement following incident at Liverpool Women's Hospital

Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said: “Following the events of  Sunday 14th November, at the Liverpool Women’s Hospital, I want to offer my reassurance.

“While I understand that today’s incident may cause concern in our communities, it should be pointed out that events of this nature are very rare.

“Officers from Counter Terrorism North West are leading the investigation supported by Merseyside Police and they will be liaising with our partners at Mersey Fire and Rescue and the Liverpool Women’s Hospital to establish what has taken place.

“Three males have today been arrested in the Kensington area under the Terrorism Act and remain in custody and enquiries remain ongoing.

“Merseyside Police will continue to liaise with community groups, community leaders, partner agencies and individuals in the coming days and weeks to make sure any concerns are addressed and ensuring that we provide the best possible service to local people.

“There will also be an increased and visible police presence on the streets of Merseyside and I would encourage people to engage with my officers and raise any concerns they may have.

“It is also important that, at this very early stage, people do not speculate about what has happened. We will endeavour to update our communities as soon as we are able.

“I would continue to advise people to be vigilant and if they have any concerns to contact police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.”

Chief Fire Officer Phil Garrigan said: "Staff from Mersey Fire and Rescue Service have been working throughout the day and were at the scene within a matter of minutes.

“We will be continuing our partnership with Merseyside Police and Liverpool city council by providing visible reassurance to communities affected and will be knocking on doors to speak to people in the area and check their welfare."

Earlier statement.

We can confirm that at 10.59am today (Sunday, 14 November) police were called to reports of a car explosion at the Women's Hospital in Liverpool city centre.

Police immediately attended, along with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and the North West Regional Ambulance Service.

Unfortunately, we can confirm that one person has died and another has been taken to hospital where he is being treated for his injuries, which thankfully are not life threatening.

So far we understand that the car involved was a taxi which pulled up at the hospital shortly before the explosion occurred.

Work is still going on to establish what has happened, and could take some time before we are in a position to confirm anything.

We are keeping an open mind as to what caused the explosion but given how it has happened, out of caution, Counter Terrorism Police are leading the investigation supported by Merseyside Police.

The emergency services have well-rehearsed plans for dealing with major incidents. Our response is ongoing at the hospital and will be for some time. Cordons are in place, and there are some road closures.

We have triggered our information channels - to inform the local community and businesses about what information we do have and can provide

We would urge the public to remain calm (but vigilant). To keep updated on what is happening, keep watching the news and checking the Merseyside Police website.

If you have not done so already, sign up to the Merseyside Police Twitter feed @merseypolice

We would like to thank the public for their patience and their cooperation today which has already greatly assisted our policing response.

We will issue updates as soon as we have more information.

This has not been declared a terrorist incident at this stage although out of caution CT detectives are leading as we try to understand the circumstances behind the explosion