Southport stabbings: Thousands attend vigil as tributes paid to three girls killed in attack

Thousands of people gathered at a vigil to pay tribute to three girls killed in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Southport.

Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were fatally stabbed in the Merseyside town on Monday.

Bebe and Elsie died on Monday night while Alice died in hospital on Tuesday morning.

Many taking part in a vigil on Tuesday evening cried as they laid flowers and cards of remembrance outside Southport's Atkinson arts venue.

But there were violent scenes in the town later on in the evening as police officers were injured after clashing with rioters outside a Southport mosque.

Parents pay tribute to 'our princess'

In a statement shared after the three girls who were killed were named, Bebe's family said: "No words can describe the devastation that has hit our family as we try to deal with the loss of our little girl Bebe."

The family of Alice said: "Keep smiling and dancing like you love to do our princess, like we said before to you, you're always our princess and no one would change that.

"Love from Your Hero Daddy and Mummy."

The head of the school trust Alice and Bebe attended said the girls "will be in our hearts forever".

Endeavour Learning Trust chief executive David Clayton said "no words can do justice to what has happened here in Southport", as he paid tribute to Alice, a year 4 pupil at Churchtown Primary School, and former pupil Bebe.

The headteacher at Bebe's school, Natasha Sandland, said "words cannot do justice to describe the grief" and described her as one of Marshside Primary's "brightest and most wonderful shining stars".

Farnborough Road Infant School headteacher Jennifer Sephton said the school was "heartbroken and devastated" by the death of their pupil Elsie.

Hours earlier, US pop superstar Taylor Swift said she was at a "complete loss" as to how to convey her sympathies to the families affected by the tragedy after it emerged the children were killed at an event themed around her music.

Five other children are still in a critical condition in hospital, while the exact conditions of three other children injured are not known - but they are all being treated in hospitals across Liverpool and Manchester.

Meanwhile, two adults who were critically injured in the attack have been named locally as yoga teacher Leanne Lucas, who co-organised the dance event for six to 11-year-olds, and John Hayes, who works at the Hart Space where the stabbings took place.

A 17-year-old boy from Banks in Lancashire was arrested and is being held on suspicion of murder and attempted murder following the stabbings on Hart Street.

A window cleaner told Sky News he "locked eyes" with the attacker when he entered the Hart Space after a colleague noticed an incident was unfolding outside the premises.

Injured adults remain in hospital

Ms Lucas and Mr Hayes remain in hospital with critical injuries following the attack.

A post on a local yoga page on Facebook, with an accompanying picture of Ms Lucas, read: "I'm absolutely devastated.

"Please please pray for Leanne. Leanne came on my training course in December. A beautiful young creative girl who was so passionate about helping children."

Mr Hayes, 63, was trying to disarm the attacker when he was stabbed in the leg, his wife Helen told Sky News.

Well-wishers have placed flowers at the police cordon that remains in Hart Street.

The home secretary described the knife attack as an "unspeakable tragedy" in her statement to MPs in the Commons on Tuesday evening.

Yvette Cooper thanked the emergency workers who responded to the tragedy and said their efforts represented "public service at its very best".

Asking members of the public not to share misinformation online, she said: "It is extremely important that people don't spread damaging misinformation online. False information has already been extensively shared in the last 24 hours.

"Those who do this for their own purposes risk undermining a crucial criminal investigation and I ask everyone to show some respect for the community in Southport and for families who are grieving and in trauma.

"In these dark and difficult moments, the police must be able to get on with their work and communities must be given the time and space to grieve and heal without outside voices seeking to use events to stir up division or advance their own views."

PM visits Southport to thank emergency workers

The prime minister placed flowers among the hundreds of other tributes at the cordon on Hart Street when he visited Southport earlier.

Speaking to the media, Sir Keir Starmer said: "I came here to pay my respects to the victims and families who are going through raw pain and grief that most of us can't imagine - I can't imagine, as a dad myself."

Meanwhile, more than £215,000 has been raised by Taylor Swift fans via a "Swifties for Southport" JustGiving page for the funerals of the children who were killed and for the families of the injured - the money will also go to Alder Hey Children's Hospital where some of the victims are being treated.

-SKY NEWS