Southport: Eight people stabbed to death in northern England

London
CNN
—

At least eight people were stabbed in the northern English town of Southport on Monday. Some of the victims were taken to a children’s hospital, paramedics said.

Merseyside Police said they had received reports of a stabbing and emergency services were called to a “major incident” in the city at around 11:50 a.m. local time (6:50 a.m. ET).

“Multiple casualties have been reported and further details will be confirmed as soon as possible. Armed police arrested a man and seized a knife. He was taken to a police station,” police said in their latest statement. “Please avoid the area whilst we deal with this incident. There is no major threat to the public.”

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Local business owner Colin Parry was one of the people who called police. According to PA Media, he said the incident in Southport was like a “scene from a horror film”.

Parry said he believed several young girls had been stabbed. “The mothers are coming here now and screaming. It’s like a scene from a horror movie,” Parry said, adding: “The police have caught him.”

The businessman said he directed police to an address on Hart Street behind Hart Space Studios, where one of the events listed at the time of the stabbings was a
Taylor Swift-themed yoga class for children ages six to eleven, the website says.

“It’s like something from America, not like sunny Southport,” said Parry.

Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Trust in Liverpool, about 20 miles from Southport, said it was a “serious incident.”

“The trust is working with other emergency services to respond to this incident and our emergency department is currently extremely busy,” the hospital said in a statement on its website. “We ask that parents only bring their children to the emergency department in urgent cases,” it said.

British MP for Southport, Patrick Hurley, said he was “deeply concerned” about the “incident”.

“I hope for the best possible outcome for the victims involved. My thoughts are with all those affected, their families and the entire community,” Hurley said on X.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Correction: This story has been updated to correct the name of the city where the incident occurred.