Southport man banned from pier for five years after admitting three arson attacks

A Southport man has been issued with a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) after admitting three counts of arson at Southport Pier.

Gerrard Doherty, 53, appeared in court last week charged with starting three separate fires on the decking of Southport Pier between December 2025 and January 2026.

Doherty admitted all three offences and was sentenced to an 18-month Community Order, which includes 80 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 25 days. He was also made subject to a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order.

Under the terms of the order, Doherty must not:

• Enter Southport Pier

• Possess any items in a public place that could be used to start a fire

• Light any fires in a public place

Breaching the order could result in arrest without a warrant and carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison or an unlimited fine.

The order forms part of ongoing work by the Merseyside Antisocial Behaviour Partnership (MASP), a region-wide partnership involving more than 20 organisations, including local councils, housing associations and charities, working together to tackle antisocial behaviour across Merseyside.

Chief Superintendent Karl Baldwin, who chairs the partnership, said: “The sheer recklessness of starting fires means that such an order needs to be in place as a deterrent to Doherty. The consequences of his actions could have been devastating, like any arson carried out in our communities.

“CBOs and other preventative orders require strong multi-agency working and are powerful tools in tackling antisocial behaviour. Effective joined-up working is exactly why the MASP was established, and we will continue to share information, work together and use all available powers to prevent issues from escalating and tackle antisocial behaviour wherever it occurs.

“When the public asks who is responsible for dealing with antisocial behaviour, we are striving for the answer to be: ‘We all are – together.’”

Anyone experiencing antisocial behaviour is encouraged to report it to the relevant authorities. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress.