A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of arson after police officers and firefighters were attacked with fireworks while battling a blaze in a Liverpool tower block on Bonfire Night.
Emergency services were called to Knowsley Heights on Primrose Drive in Huyton, around six miles east of Liverpool, after a fire broke out on a third-floor balcony. As crews worked to extinguish the flames, they came under attack from groups of youths hurling fireworks.
Merseyside Police said the teenager was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and remains in custody. A female police officer suffered a minor leg injury during the incident.
Chief Inspector Kevin Chatterton condemned the attacks, calling them “disgraceful” and warning that “it was only by sheer good fortune that nobody was seriously injured.”
Shocking videos on social media show fireworks exploding around firefighters and police officers ducking for cover as they tried to control the blaze.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service described the attacks as “unacceptable,” reminding the public that firefighters “are out to protect communities — not to be attacked.” The service said footage from fire engine CCTV had been handed over to police.
Police imposed a Section 60 order in the Garston area later in the evening, giving officers extra powers to search anyone suspected of being involved in disorder.
The violent scenes in Liverpool contrasted sharply with Bonfire Night celebrations elsewhere across the UK. In Lewes, East Sussex, thousands gathered to watch the burning of giant effigies — including depictions of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and former U.S. President Donald Trump — during the country’s largest Guy Fawkes Night event.
Meanwhile, in Scotland, Firework Control Zones were enforced in parts of Glasgow and Edinburgh, making it illegal for the public to set off fireworks outside licensed displays.
Bonfire Night commemorates the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Across Britain, fireworks and bonfires lit up the skies — but in Liverpool, the night’s tradition of celebration turned to chaos and danger.
