Third child, nine, dies after Southport stabbing

A nine-year-old girl has become the third child to die following a stabbing in Southport, Merseyside Police said. A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, remains in custody charged with murder and attempted murder following Monday’s incident in Hart Street, Southport.

A police statement said: “Sadly, we can confirm that a third child has died as a result of injuries sustained in a knife attack in Southport yesterday morning, Monday 29 July. The nine-year-old girl died in hospital in the early hours. as of this morning, Tuesday, July 30. We can confirm that the children who died yesterday were girls aged six and seven.

“Eight other children suffered stab wounds during the attack and five of them are in a critical condition. Two adults are also in a critical condition after being injured during the incident.

“Our specialist family liaison officers are providing support to families at this terrible time. Officers arrested a 17-year-old man from Banks yesterday and he remains in police custody.”

An all-kids club, which was advertised as a dance and yoga workshop as well as bracelet-making, quickly became something “like a horror movie”, witnesses to the fatal stabbings said. Nine children were injured in the stabbing, along with the three who died and two adults who remain in critical condition after trying to protect the youngsters.

Tributes have been paid to the bravery of dance and yoga teacher Leanne Lucas on social media after she was attacked in the incident. Ms Lucas was named as the organizer of the event run by Southport company Enlighten in a Facebook post.

Yvette Cooper said it was “important that police pursue every avenue” after three children died in a mass stabbing in Southport. Merseyside Police previously said the attack on Hart Street, which also left five other children and two adults in a critical condition, was not being treated as terror-related.

Asked why, the Home Secretary said: “There is a serious criminal investigation under way because this was a horrific attack. It is important that the police pursue every avenue and this is what Merseyside Police are now doing.

“I support Merseyside Police in this work but it is vitally important that they must be able to continue this and they will provide updates. You will understand that I have no intention of saying anything that would interrupt their investigation or prejudice the investigation as I take that investigation extremely seriously into this truly horrific attack.”