Five injured after car driven into crowd outside Birmingham nightclub

Police in Birmingham are searching for a driver believed to have deliberately driven a car into a crowd of people outside a nightclub hosting an event for university freshers.

Five people were taken to hospital, one with multiple serious injuries, after the incident outside the Tunnel Club near Birmingham city centre in the early hours of Friday.

West Midlands police said they believed the group was deliberately targeted and that officers were searching for the driver of the car.

The force said it was called to Livery Street shortly after 3am on Friday after a report of disorder, and a number of people were found injured.

One man was arrested on suspicion of affray and remained in custody.

West Midlands ambulance service (WMAS) said it was on the scene within five minutes and found five people injured.

A WMAS spokesperson said: “The first patient, a male pedestrian, was treated by ambulance crews for multiple serious injuries. He was taken to a major trauma centre for further treatment with Merit [a medical emergency response incident team] travelling onboard to continue care en route.

“Four other men, also pedestrians, were all treated by medics for potentially serious injuries and conveyed to hospital for further treatment.”

An “It’s Freshers!” event featuring a number of DJs was taking place at the Tunnel Club on Thursday night and finished at 3am, shortly before the incident took place.

Social media posts suggested students from a number of cities had travelled to Birmingham for the event.

A spokesperson for West Midlands police said the force was increasing patrols in the area on Friday for reassurance, and officers remained at the scene while inquiries continued.