Taxi driver hailed a hero as he locked a passenger in his cab before it exploded in Liverpool

A taxi driver has been hailed a “hero” after he noticed something was odd with a passenger in his cab, he then got out of his cab locked it and then it exploded on Remembrance Sunday.

Three men have been arrested under the Terrorism Act in the nearby Kensington area of Liverpool after the explosion which happened outside a women’s hospital, which is also around 1 mile away from the city’s cathedral where a Remembrance service was taking place.

Police have arrested three men aged, 21, 26 and 29 by armed police in Rutland Avenue in the Sefton Park area.

The “heroic” taxi driver has been named as David Perry and was injured in the blast and the male passenger was declared dead at the scene.

Liverpool’s Mayor, Joanne Anderson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, “The taxi driver, in his heroic efforts, has managed to divert what could have been an absolutely awful disaster at the hospital.

“Our thanks go to him and our emergency services, and authorities have worked through the night to divert anything further and we’ve all been on standby and in constant contact to provide any support that’s needed.”

She added: “Well, we knew that the taxi driver had stood out and locked the doors, we knew that early on.”

Perry apparently noticed an explosive device with the male passenger, got out of the cab and locked him inside, a friend of the cab driver said on Facebook.

Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden, was asked about the driver’s reported actions, he told Sky News, “Isn’t that the case, the contrast between the cowardice of terrorism attack and the bravery of ordinary Britons up and down the country who put other people’s lives before their own.

“Clearly we’ll have to see exactly what happened but if that is the case it is another example of true bravery and courage.”

A spokesman for Merseyside Police said, “So far we understand that the car involved was a taxi which pulled up at the hospital shortly before the explosion occurred.”

In a post on Twitter, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “My thoughts are with all those affected by the awful incident in Liverpool today.

“I want to thank the emergency services for their quick response and professionalism, and the police for their ongoing work on the investigation.”