Security has been stepped up at a disused south Liverpool campus after weeks of mayhem by gangs of youths who have been breaking in, smashing the place up, and throwing debris into the street. The IM Marsh campus on Barkhill Road, on the border of Mossley Hill and Aigburth, formerly housed Liverpool John Moores University's (LJMU) School of Education, Leisure and Sport Studies, as well as the School of Teacher Education and Professional Learning. Founded in 1900, it was closed by the university in 2021 as teaching moved into the city centre. Last April, the university announced plans to sell the site as a “development opportunity,” scrapping previous plans to retain it.
Residents raise alarm over escalating vandalism
Local residents and councillors say that until recently, no security guards were physically based on the site. Over the past month, a growing number of people have entered the campus and vandalised it despite security cameras. Neighbours have linked the incidents to increasing anti-social behaviour in south Liverpool. LJMU has confirmed it has increased security on the site, including daily dog patrols. The local inspector says she is aware that reports of criminal activity are growing.
Dave Thomas, 62, chairman of the Mossley Hill Residents' Association, said the group has been inundated with reports. Dave told the ECHO: “We've had a number of residents contact us about anti-social behaviour by young men on that site. They were breaking in, breaking glass, breaking the doors down. In one incident, they threw a fire extinguisher into the road, which nearly hit a car. They don’t care, do they? They’re brazen. I would say the last month, that’s when it’s been at its worst.”
Perfect storm of empty site, lack of security, and online trends
Dave said the area is facing a worrying mix of people knowing the site is empty, a lack of security presence on site, and an increasing number of people willing to film themselves exploring it online, as well as growing anti-social behaviour in other areas of south Liverpool such as Allerton Road. Dave added: “It isn't good at the moment. The residents are very concerned. They write to us to see what we can do. We're limited in what we can do, we can only advise. I contacted the police. The police came back to me and said they did not have any people on site, you only had cameras monitoring the site. Obviously news has spread that the site is empty. Cameras alone aren’t going to stop them are they? Because by the time anybody gets there, they’ll have moved on.”
Mossley Hill councillor Rob McAllister-Bell has met with the police over the repeated anti-social behaviour that has taken place recently around the IM Marsh site. He is urging anyone who witnesses any criminality to report it to the force. The Liberal Democrat councillor said: “About a week and a half ago, it went from occasional to consistent anti-social behaviour. Residents were really concerned that the site was no longer secure, but actually on top of that, that there was a danger to the children, or the young adults, that had been able to gain access to the site. Children were on the roof, throwing slates. They were at the top floor of the building that hasn’t been occupied for five years.”
University and police respond with enhanced security
Cllr McAllister-Bell argued there was a distinction between some people accessing the site for “content creation” and others purely causing trouble, as seen in other nearby areas. He said: “I think it's been a perfect storm where we have seen anti-social behaviour along Allerton Road, along with the Morrisons in Speke, where police have had to use additional powers and disperse youths. The university says that they put in remote alarms that they could respond to through an alarm company and that they would be there within a certain length of time. That clearly was not adequate for what has happened. They've now boarded up the building, secured the site, put additional patrols in and plan, according to the emails I've had, to put 24/7 patrols back into the building, which they removed some time ago.”
Dave Thomas welcomed this development. He said: “We've got the school holidays coming up. They'll be there all the time, so they really do have to step up and do that. (LJMU) have got a responsibility to ensure that site is secure for the welfare of the residents. They have got to stand up and look after the site until it's no longer theirs.”
LJMU and police statement on ongoing measures
A spokesperson for LJMU said: “The university operates extensive security measures at the IM Marsh site and we have enhanced them significantly in the past few weeks. We have a visible security presence on site, daily dog patrols including weekend and evening patrols, and on-site cameras and detectors which trigger a rapid response from our security contractor. We are working closely with Merseyside Police to monitor the situation.”
Neighbourhood Inspector Laura Chandler said: “We are aware of increased reports of anti-social behaviour caused by youths at the former IM Marsh Liverpool John Moores University campus in Aigburth. We have already taken a range of measures to address the concerns of residents. This includes speaking to those who live in the area as well as local councillors, schools and the university to get a better picture of the problem as we look to identify those responsible and prevent it from happening again in the future. This full partnership approach has led to the university bringing in enhanced security measures and also securing access points that have previously been breached. Our work is ongoing and we will always be open to enforcing more measures to help reduce ASB at this site. What always helps is when residents tell us about incidents because it gives us a better picture of the issue and how much resources are necessary to fix the problem, so please continue to come forward with any information. I hope this not only reassures residents, but also demonstrates what can be achieved when we work with our local partners. What we also need is the support of parents and guardians to take responsibility to prevent it from happening in the first place. We would urge parents and guardians to know where your kids are and who they're with, to ensure they don't become involved in situations which could cause disruption or distress to local communities and residents.”
Always call 999 if a crime is in progress. You can pass any information to police @MerPolCC on X or 'Merseyside Police Contact Centre' on Facebook.
