A 67-year-old woman has praised a parking attendant as a hero after he intervened when she was confronted by a group of men in a Southport car park. Bethany Irling was visiting friends in the town centre on Tuesday, September 22, when the incident took place at the NCP car park on London Street.
She said she was walking from the direction of Virginia Street when she noticed a group of five men, believed to be aged between 18 and 25, near the bottom of a flight of steps. Bethany said the men were throwing litter on the ground, with some of it landing close to her feet. She politely asked them to put their rubbish in a nearby bin, but claimed they responded by swearing at her before becoming confrontational and walking towards her.
It was then that Liam Howard, a car park attendant who was nearby carrying out litter-picking duties, came to her aid and stood beside her.
Attendant Steps In
Speaking to the ECHO, Bethany said: "I was frightened. I was on my own and suddenly felt very vulnerable because there were five young men approaching me. It was a horrible feeling."
"[Liam] must have heard some of what was happening because he came over and stood beside me. It honestly felt like a knight appearing at exactly the moment I needed someone. He immediately made me feel safer."
"He calmly but firmly told them to leave me alone and asked them to pick up their litter and put it in the bin."
"What really struck me was his words and his body language. He didn't need to shout or become aggressive. He simply made it very clear that what they were doing was wrong and that their behaviour towards me was unacceptable."
Apology and Gratitude
Bethany said the men quickly apologised, but Liam made it clear that their apology should be directed towards her rather than him. Overcome with relief and gratitude, she said she gave Liam "a huge hug" afterwards.
She said: "He could very easily have carried on with his work and walked past, but instead he saw that someone was frightened and chose to step forward and help."
"So often we hear about negative things happening in communities, but there are also people who quietly do kind and courageous things for others without expecting anything in return."
"Liam deserves to know that what he did mattered. My main hope is simply that Liam sees this and knows how grateful I am."
"I think he is a credit to himself, his family and the Southport community. He was absolutely brilliant, and I genuinely hope he gets the recognition he deserves."
History of Heroism
It is not the first time Liam has been praised for his actions. In April, he received a Grand Pride of Sefton Award after helping save two lives at the car park.
Liam, who has worked for NCP for nearly 14 years, was first hailed a hero last October after coming to the aid of a grandfather who was in distress inside a parked car. Realising something was seriously wrong, he quickly intervened and administered first aid before staying with the man and offering reassurance until paramedics arrived.
Following Liam's intervention, the man made a full recovery and was able to enjoy a special holiday with his family. Months later, the ECHO reported how Liam had helped another woman who was struggling due to "painful family issues".
Feeling alone, the woman had gone to the NCP car park one afternoon to eat her lunch in her car. Liam spotted her and stopped to ask if she was having a nice day. The brief exchange turned into a 10-minute conversation which the woman said changed "everything" for her.
When approached by the ECHO for comment, Liam said: "What I witnessed [that day] was disturbing and unacceptable. I asked whether there was going to be a problem, and the men apologised, picked up their litter and said that they did not want any trouble and had not meant it."
He added: "I was simply doing what I felt was the right thing to do. I saw someone who was frightened and needed help, and I could not just carry on with my work and walk past as though nothing was happening. I would hope that, if someone I cared about were ever in a similar situation, another person would step forward and make sure they were safe."
