Police message ahead of city's Pride celebrations

Merseyside Police officers will also be taking part in the pride march

Police have said they will not tolerate any form of hate crime ahead of this year's Liverpool Pride.

Thousands are expected to descend on the city for the annual celebrations of the LGBTQ+ community on Saturday.

Merseyside Police are asking people to remain vigilant during events across the city centre.

Supt Geoff Stewart urged people to "look out for each other" while enjoying the celebrations.

'Trust your instincts'

The Pride march will take place from St George's Hall in Liverpool from 10:30 BST and will move through the city centre and the Pride Quarter before making its way to the Pier Head.

Police said they have been working in conjunction with Liverpool City Region's LGBT+ charity, LCR Pride Foundation, to plan security measures across the day.

Supt Stewart said visitors could expect to see a higher policing presence during the march and across the city centre.

"We use a variety of tactics to disrupt any potential criminality and keep people safe, so you'll spot the high-visibility patrols, but probably not the plain-clothes officers also working this weekend, he added.

"We expect large numbers of people to head to bars, clubs and restaurants across the event weekend."

He said visitors should "trust their instincts and report any suspicious or unusual activity" on the day.

A mobile police station will be present at Brunswick Street, near the Cunard Building on the waterfront during the celebrations.

In addition to policing the event, the force also has several police officers and staff who chose to volunteer to take part in the march themselves, along with their friends and family.

Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said: "Inclusion remains one of my force priorities and this is because I believe that the more diverse we become, the greater operational understanding we develop and the better the service we provide to our communities."