Man wrongly identified as Liverpool parade driver speaks out

A man wrongly identified on social media as being the driver of a car which ploughed into crowds of people in Liverpool says he has moved his children out of their home because he fears for their safety.

Peter Cunningham, 54, had his picture circulated online after the incident on Monday, when 79 people were injured while celebrating Liverpool's Premier League victory.

Police have been granted more time to question the suspected driver of the Ford Galaxy that hit pedestrians at the parade - a 53-year-old man from West Derby in Liverpool who has not been named.

Water Street, where the incident happened, reopened on Wednesday morning. Seven people remain in a stable condition in hospital.

Peter Cunningham, from Huyton in Liverpool, told the BBC on Wednesday that he had been with his children along the parade route about four miles (6.4km) away from Water Street at the time of the incident, which he didn't find out about until he got home.

He said of the false accusations: "It's not me. I'm in work - the police need to give the [suspect's] name out because I'm getting accused.

"Family members and friends are ringing and asking me, but it could get a whole lot worse. The police need to do something.

"I was down Queens Drive with my children. I'm in a completely different car anyway, I've got a Hyundai.

"I wouldn't go into town because I knew it was too chocka to go up there with the girls."

When asked if he was fearful of an attack due to the viral post about him, Mr Cunningham said: "It can still put me at great harm, I've had to move my children to a different house today because we're that nervous."

Research by BBC Verify found the name Peter Cunningham was mentioned by a user on X on Monday evening, in response to a post enquiring about the identity of the suspect.

On Tuesday night, an Instagram post with an image of Mr Cunningham was shared by a user claiming to be based in Liverpool, along with the false claim that it was the first photo of the suspect.

This same image appears on Mr Cunningham's own Facebook profile. The Instagram post featuring Mr Cunningham's picture - which has also been shared on Facebook - has now been deleted.

The BBC's disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring said false accusations about the identities of suspects can flood social media following high-profile attacks or incidents.

"The problem is exacerbated by the limitations police forces face when it comes to releasing more information about a suspect when they're yet to be charged," she said.

"Ultimately, there are few repercussions for those sharing these defamatory posts online. The impact is principally felt by the person whose reputation is dragged through the virtual mud, as worried family and friends watch on.

"And it's yet another example where some of the social media sites take little to no action over what's posted on their platforms - principally because they don't know the facts either, but also because they have relaxed their policies to deal with disinformation and abuse."

Merseyside Police said in an update on Wednesday that it had been granted more time to question the suspect following a previous extension, which will remain in place until Thursday.

Police do not ordinarily name a suspect before they are charged, and Merseyside Police have urged people not to speculate on the identity of the man in custody.

The arrest was made shortly after 18:00 BST on Monday, and police usually have 24 hours to question a suspect in custody before they have to either charge them or let them go.

People suspected of terrorism offences can be held for up to a fortnight without a charge, but police have ruled out terrorism in this case.

Det Supt Rachel Wilson said the force was making "significant progress" to establish the "full circumstances that led to what happened", with CCTV being used to track the movements of the car before it hit the crowds.

"I'm pleased to say that the number of people in hospital is reducing as they continue to recover from the awful incident," she said.

"We continue to support those still receiving treatment and, as part of our ongoing enquiries, we are identifying more people who were injured."

Additional reporting by BBC Verify