City Councillor highlights next steps after City Centre incident

Credit: Cllr Steve Hassall (Facebook)

A Derby City Councillor has taken to social media to detail the next steps being taken by the authority in the wake of an incident on Saturday evening.

Seven people were injured after being struck by a vehicle on Friar Gate. Whilst some injuries were serious, none are understood to be life-threatening.

A man remains in police custody with a significant investigation ongoing within Derbyshire Constabulary with the assistance from Counter Terrorism Policing as applicable – reported to be standard practice and does not infer that the incident is being treated as terrorism.

The Police cordon in Friar Gate was lifted at around 3:00pm on the Sunday afternoon following the incident when owners of parked vehicles were able to return to collect them and businesses were allowed to reopen.

In the wake of these steps, Councillor Steve Hassall, who represents the Allestree ward of the city, said he had been in contact with both the Police and local partners and offered some assurance to people living, working and socialising in the affected area.

He said: “The Safer Neighbourhood Team will now provide a visible reassurance presence in the city centre, and I have made clear that this must be sustained and meaningful. More broadly, I have formally written to city leaders and the police to press for a proportionate but clear response to this incident.

“This includes a review of Friar Gate and other vulnerable areas in the city centre, consideration of practical safety measures such as controlled access and physical mitigation where appropriate and ensuring visible policing and public reassurance remains a priority.

“This is not about overreaction. It is about recognising legitimate public concern and responding in a way that is credible and effective.

“We have seen incidents in the city centre over recent years that have understandably affected confidence. People deserve to feel safe in Derby, and they deserve to see that all agencies are taking that responsibility seriously.”

Finally, Cllr Hassall called for anyone with any information relating to the incident to contact Police directly and encouraged residents to continue reporting concerns so that the right action can be taken, adding: “I will continue to press for answers, for action, and for the reassurance our communities rightly expect.”