A week on from terror attack, people in Liverpool praised for "standing shoulder to shoulder"

People across Liverpool have been praised for "standing shoulder to shoulder" in the wake of last Sunday's terror attack.

A week after a bomb detonated outside Liverpool women's hospital, officials have joined together to speak of their gratitude for the "patience and understanding" of locals as investigations continue.

The bomb used in the incident was a homemade explosive with ball bearings attached to it and police said it could have caused "significant injury or death".

32 year old Emad Al Swealmeen died when the taxi he was travelling in exploded outside the Hospital just before 11am. Taxi driver David Perry managed to escape with injuries.

Officers are said to be "working round the clock" on the investigation and police said there is more to be done in the bid to "defeat terrorism", as they vowed to make efforts to ensure the safety of the city as the festive season approaches.

Tributes have been paid to the reaction of the public, as well as emergency responders and hospital staff, in an open letter from police and local political figures seven days after the blast.

The letter, published today is on behalf of Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy, Mayor Joanne Anderson, Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell and Combined Authority Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram.

They praised the "phenomenal work" of management and staff at the hospital, where more than 150 babies have been delivered since last Sunday and specialist care given to more than 60 newborns on the neo-natal unit.

Appealing for the public's help, those behind the letter stated: "Communities defeat terrorism, which is why we all need to work together.

They pledged to "make sure that people feel confident to come out and enjoy the city knowing that they will be safe".

The letter added: "We pull together in the face of hardship and tragedy. We support each other at times of difficulty. We stand together as one.

Police and security services are still thought to be working on the current understanding that the hospital was the intended target.

Al Swealmeen, an asylum seeker who had converted to Christianity, reportedly arrived in the UK from the Middle East in 2014 and had an application for asylum rejected the following year, but had a fresh appeal ongoing at the time of his death.