Hero Cab Driver Praised For 'Locking Doors' Of Taxi Before Liverpool Explosion

Cab driver David Perry is receiving plaudits from around the country as he reportedly dodged an “awful disaster” by locking his taxi doors just before a bomb went off inside his car.

His taxi arrived outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital and exploded shortly before 11am – two minutes before the silence for Remembrance Sunday was due to begin.

Liverpool’s mayor Joanne Anderson has applauded Perry for allegedly reducing the damage from the bomb by locking his car doors – meaning the taxi passenger carrying the explosive could not get out.

Anderson said: “The taxi driver in his heroic efforts has managed to divert what could have been an absolutely awful disaster. We knew the taxi driver had stood out; the taxi driver locked the doors.

“Our thanks go to him.”

The incident occurred near the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, the venue thousands of people were going to be congregating in for a memorial service.

Perry narrowly escaped while the taxi passenger, who is yet to be formally identified, died at the scene.

The taxi driver was taken to hospital and is recovering. His injuries are said not to be life threatening.

The police arrested three men, aged 29, 26 and 21, under the Terrorism Act hours later on Sunday in the Kensington area of Liverpool.

MI5 is also helping regional counter-terrorism police.

The Counter Terrorism Police North West have not yet formally declared it a terrorist incident, and said they are keeping an “open mind” about what triggered the blast.

Armed officers have carried out raids on homes around Rutland Avenue, Sutcliffe Street and Boaler Street.

The fire which was triggered after the blast also destroyed some forensic evidence which could have helped the investigating.

The national terrorism threat level has not been changed after the incident – it remains “substantial”.