Derby Bar Horror: Car Mounts Pavement, Injures Seven in City Centre Rampage
A horrific incident unfolded in Derby city centre on Saturday night when a car mounted the pavement outside a packed bar, colliding with revellers and injuring seven people. The black Suzuki Swift vehicle ploughed into the crowd outside the Bishop Blaise bar on Friar Gate at approximately 9:30pm, leaving locals shocked and shaken.
Venue Boss Describes 'Horrific' Scene
Calum Green, the 29-year-old manager of the Bishop Blaise bar, described the scene as 'horrific' and recounted how staff heard a commotion before rushing outside to assist the injured. 'It was a busy Saturday night as usual with lots of revellers out and about,' Green stated as his venue reopened. 'What unfolded was horrific. The car clearly mounted the kerb and pavement once. It has left locals very shocked and shaken.'
Police Investigation and Suspect Details
Derbyshire Police have been granted additional time to question a 36-year-old man from Derby, who is originally from India, on suspicion of multiple offences. The suspect is being held on suspicion of:
- Attempted murder
- Causing serious injury through dangerous driving
- Inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent
- Dangerous driving
Police stopped the suspect just seven minutes after the incident, approximately two miles from the scene. While counter-terrorism officers have joined the investigation, authorities emphasize this is common practice for incidents of this nature and they are not currently treating it as terrorism. Officers stated they are 'keeping an open mind about the potential motives' and confirmed there is no ongoing risk to the public.
Victim Updates and Community Response
Of the seven people injured in the rampage, two have already been discharged from hospital. Claire Ward, mayor of the East Midlands, called for local communities and agencies to do 'all we can' to support those affected by the traumatic event.
Derby City Council leader Nadine Peatfield visited the scene and expressed her horror at what transpired. 'I am absolutely horrified by what happened and my heart goes out to everyone injured and witnesses who saw it,' Peatfield stated. 'It is just horrific.'
Traffic Ban and Recovery Efforts
In response to the incident, the council has implemented a traffic ban on Friar Gate over the long Easter weekend. Peatfield explained that the busy street, packed with bars and restaurants, would see no vehicles travelling up or down as part of recovery efforts.
'It is a busy place for people to congregate at night and locals may feel vulnerable in this small city,' Peatfield noted. 'But police are saying this is an isolated incident. We are working with them and will have an extra presence over the Bank Holiday weekend.'
The council has established a recovery group to help reassure residents and visitors during this period. The police cordon around the scene was expected to be lifted for businesses on Monday morning, allowing normal operations to resume while investigations continue.
